What happens when you combine tacos, waffles and chaffles? You end up with these delicious Keto Taco Chaffle Bowls! Your favorite cheese waffles are shaped into bowls and filled with taco beef, homemade pico de gallo, avocado and lime wedges. This is an easy summer dish your whole family will love!

To make the taco beef filling, I used my own homemade taco sauce but you can use any sugar-free taco sauce. You won't need the whole batch in this recipe but it will keep in the fridge for up tp a week, or in the freezer for months.

I also used homemade tomato salsa because fresh salsa is better and it's easy to make anyway, plus it's the perfect addition or other meals so you don't have any leftovers. These are some of the meals that will go well with some salsa:

How to Make Chaffle Bowls with a Waffle Bowl Maker

To make these chaffle bowls I used a Dash Waffle Bowl Maker which is not the only option you will find o0n Amazon but it's one of the most affordable options in the US and it's been working great for over two years.

I bought this waffle maker back when I was working on my Keto Chaffles Cookbook and have been using it to make all kinds of sweet and savory chaffles.

How about the UK? The same Dash Waffle Maker is a lot more expensive in the UK so you may want to check other options too. Waffle bowls have been popular and I think you'll also be able to find similar products in Canada and other countries.

Chaffle Bowls Without a Waffle Bowl Maker

If you can't get a waffle bowl maker, or you don't have space for a new gadget (I totally get that!), you can use a simple trick.

Use a Regular Waffle Maker

Just make a waffle in a regular round shaped waffle maker and then insert into a small bowl while it's still warm. You don't want it too crispy, you want to make sure it will still be flexible and can be shaped. The bowl should be small enough to snug tightly around the waffle.

Use a Muffin Pan to Make Smaller Cups

Another way would be to use a medium-large muffin pan to make 8 mini bowls. It's the same technique that I used to make my Keto Strawberry Chaffle Cupcakes, one of the recipes I created exclusively as part of a bonus e-book for Keto Chaffles Book. (You can find all about my bonus books and how to claim them here.)

If you are using the muffin tray option, you'll need to use a Dash Mini Waffle Maker (US store) and make 8 thinner waffles instead of the usual 4 waffles. That's because you want the chaffles as thin as you can get them to help them to bend inside the muffin pan.

To make these chaffle cups, spoon roughly 1 heaped tablespoon of the chaffle batter into the mini waffle maker, or about 1 heaped tablespoon (33 g/ 1.2 oz) if you want to be precise. Allow to soften for about 30 seconds and spread to the edge. You want a thin layer just enough to cover the holes. Cook for 1 minute and then lift the lid and allow to cool for 20 seconds. Tease the edges and remove with a fork. Immediately whilst warm press into a medium-large muffin tin to get the cupcake shape and allow to fully cool.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    20 minutes
Overall:     30 minutes

Nutritional values (per taco bowl)

Total Carbs 13.5 grams
Fiber 6.5 grams
Net Carbs 7 grams
Protein 36 grams
Fat 51.2 grams
of which Saturated 17.2 grams
Energy 650 kcal
Magnesium 101 mg (25% RDA)
Potassium 1,025 mg (51% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (4%), protein (23%), fat (73%)

Ingredients (makes 4 chaffle bowls)

Chaffle bowls:
Taco filling:
  • 500 g ground beef (1.1 lb)
  • 2/3 cups taco sauce (160 ml/ 6 fl oz) - you can make your own taco sauce
  • 1 cup tomato salsa (g/ oz) - you can make your own salsa
  • 1 large avocado, sliced (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
  • 1 small head lettuce (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
  • Optional: lime wedges, sour cream and fresh cilantro to serve

Instructions

  1. Preheat the Dash waffle bowl maker (or see recipe tips for alternatives). Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. For a better, fluffier and more even texture, place the egg, mozzarella, almond flour and baking powder in a blender or a food processor.
  2. Spoon a quarter of the batter (4 tablespoons, about 66 g/ 2.3 oz) into the hot waffle maker. Close the waffle maker and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the batter in case it overflows (read our leakproof tips above).
  3. When done, open the lid and let it cool down for a few seconds. Use a spatula to gently transfer the chaffle onto a cooling rack. Repeat for the remaining batter to get four chaffle bowls.
    Note: These chaffles will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. The container will keep them soft but you can leave them uncovered if you prefer them crispy.
  4. To make the taco meat filling you'll need taco sauce. You can use homemade taco sauce or any sugar-free taco sauce).
  5. Place the beef in non stick pan or a skillet and cook until the meat is opaque, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the taco sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  6. To assemble the chaffle bowls, spoon the cooked taco beef inside. Add the tomato salsa, sliced avocado and optionally serve with lime wedges, sour cream and cilantro. You can use homemade tomato salsa or any sugar-free tomato salsa).
  7. Always assemble just before serving. The cooked beef can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.


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Keto Taco Chaffle Bowls

When it gets too hot to cook, the last thing you want is to have to fire up your oven or stove. That's why I've been working on recipes perfect for hot summer days. No stove and no oven needed!

Inspired by the latest TikTok trends, these cucumber boats are stuffed with a simple creamy tuna salad made with tuna, mayo, mustard and onions. And if you're not a fan of cucumber, you use bell peppers or romano peppers instead. They are great for stuffing and work well with any creamy fillings.

If or you are vegetarian, this Creamy Egg Salad is what you can use instead of the tuna salad. You could even use cooked chicken or some Guacamole which would also make these vegan friendly.

These will be some leftover cucumber seeds in this recipe. If you're like me and don't like wasting ingredients, you could use the cucumber seeds in other recipes such as our Cucumber Cooler or add them to this Chilled Cucumber Soup.

How about the serving size? Will two cucumber boats be enough? It depends. While two cucumber boats will be enough for a light lunch or snack, four will be ideal for a more satisfying meal. Enjoy!

No-Cook Keto Lunch and Dinner Recipes

Looking fo more no-cook keto recipes? All of these are great options if you need to keep your kitchen cool.

Looking for more recipes? We have over 100 low-carb salads most of which are cold or use cooked and cooled ingredients such as chicken, fish or eggs.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    10 minutes
Overall:     10 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, 2 cucumber boats)

Total Carbs 4.7 grams
Fiber 1.4 grams
Net Carbs 3.3 grams
Protein 13.2 grams
Fat 20.5 grams
of which Saturated 3.1 grams
Energy 255 kcal
Magnesium 34 mg (9% RDA)
Potassium 335 mg (17% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (5%), protein (21%), fat (74%)

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

  • 1 can (4-oz) tuna in spring water, drained (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely diced (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise (45 g/ 1.6 oz) - you can make your own mayo
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled and seeds removed (240 g/ 8.5 oz)
  • 1 medium spring onion, sliced (15 g/ 0.5 oz) or fresh chives

Instructions

  1. Prepare the ingredients for the filling. Drain the tuna, finely dice the red onion and chop the spring onions.
  2. Place the drained tuna, red onion, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard (or yellow mustard) into a bowl and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  3. Peel the cucumber and cut it in half widthwise and also lengthwise to get a total of 4 pieces. Use a small measuring spoon or a teaspoon to scoop the watery seeds out. Discard the seeds or use in another recipe (see tips in the recipe post above). Note: All weights listed in our KetoDiet App are always per edible amounts! A 140 g/4-oz can of tuna will yield about 100 g tuna. Same applies to cucumber. To get about 240 g/8.5 oz of peeled and deseeded cucumber, you'll need a large 370 g/13 oz cucumber.
  4. Top the halves with the creamy tuna and fresh spring onions or chives). Eat immediately. the creamy cucumber salad can be stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.


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Low-Carb Creamy Tuna Cucumber Boats

Looking for a quick keto lunch or a light dinner option for a hot summer day? Then you really need to try stuffed peppers! They are a big hit on TikTok and for a very good reason. Who wouldn't want an easy, nutritious meal in just a few minutes?

These peppers are stuffed with creamy avocado, eggs, mustard, mayonnaise and spring onions. That's it! And if you're like me and always keep some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, this meal will only take you 5 minutes to prepare from scratch. Keto can't get much easier than this!

I used romano peppers which are long, thin and sweet and they are ideal for stuffing. If you can't find romano peppers, just use any sweet bell peppers (green bell peppers contain fewer carbs).

Want to add protein and extra crunch? Mix in some crisped up and crumbled bacon or stir in some diced cooked chicken breasts. Enjoy!

Easy Keto Lunch Recipes You May Like

Preparation time

Hands-on:    5 minutes
Overall:     20 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, 2 pepper boats)

Total Carbs 12.6 grams
Fiber 6.1 grams
Net Carbs 6.5 grams
Protein 11 grams
Fat 29.3 grams
of which Saturated 5.3 grams
Energy 351 kcal
Magnesium 40 mg (10% RDA)
Potassium 610 mg (31% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (8%), protein (13%), fat (79%)

Ingredients (makes 3 servings)

  • 3 romano peppers or bell peppers, halved, seeds removed (340 g/ 12 oz)
  • 4 large eggs, hard-boiled
  • 1/4 cup paleo mayonnaise (55 g/ 1.9 oz) - you can make your own mayo
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 small avocado, diced (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
  • 2 medium spring onions, chopped (30 g/ 1.1 oz)

Instructions

  1. To boil the eggs, place them in a pot and fill with water covering them by an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts boiling, turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Remove from the burner and keep the eggs covered in the pot for 13 minutes (10 minutes for medium sized eggs, 15 minutes for extra large eggs). When done, transfer to a bowl filled with ice water and let them sit for 5 minutes.
  2. To peel, remove from the ice water and crack each egg several times on the kitchen surface. Gently peel off the shells. (Fresh eggs don't peel well. It's better if you use eggs that you bought 7-10 days before cooking.)
  3. Chop the eggs into small pieces. Peel and dice the avocado. Chop the spring onions.
  4. To make the egg-avocado salad, place the chopped eggs in a bowl together with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard (or yellow mustard), chopped spring onions (optionally reserve some for topping), salt and pepper. Mix until well combined, and then add the diced avocado and stir through.
  5. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. You can use romano peppers or any bell peppers.
  6. Spoon the egg-avocado salad in the pepper halves and sprinkle with the reserved spring onion. Serve immediately. The egg salad can be stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.


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Creamy Egg & Avocado Salad Pepper Boats

Just like my Bell Pepper Sandwich with Bacon, Ham & Cheese, this low-carb pepper sandwich is yet anothe quick prep lunch that's easy to make, packed full of flavor and healthy fats.

Inspired by the latest TikTok trends, these bell peppers are stuffed with creamy guacamole (my simplified version of it), cured chorizo slices and pickled jalapeƱos. As per your request I kept these bell pepper sandwiches dairy-free! If you can't find cured chorizo, use pepperoni or crisped up bacon instead.

I also used green bell peppers but feel free to use red, orange or yellow peppers instead. I prefer green peppers because they are less sweet and I personally think they work better for these keto-approved sandwiches.

This bell pepper sandwich is almost 10 grams of net carbs per serving so keep that in mind in case it's too much for you. If you want to add more protein, feel free to stuff in some sliced cooked chicken breasts.

How To Eat Bell Pepper Sandwiches

A bell pepper sandwiche may look cute and cool as you cut through it but it's not the same when you try to take a bite. As you may have already found out, eating pepper sandwiches can get really messy, especially with creamy fillings like this simple guacamole.

I'll admit that I put these peppers together to take a pretty picture but I ended up eating the pepper halves separately. The only time I'd advice pressing the halves (temporarily) together would be in case you need to pack them for lunch and take them with you.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    5 minutes
Overall:     10 minutes

Nutritional values (per sandwich)

Total Carbs 20.4 grams
Fiber 10.7 grams
Net Carbs 9.7 grams
Protein 13.7 grams
Fat 30.9 grams
of which Saturated 8.2 grams
Energy 395 kcal
Magnesium 60 mg (15% RDA)
Potassium 1,064 mg (53% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (10%), protein (15%), fat (75%)

Ingredients (makes 1 sandwich)

  • 1 medium green bell pepper (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
  • 1 small avocado (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
  • 1/2 small tomato, chopped (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
  • 1/4 small red onion, finely diced (15 g/ 0.5 oz)
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: 1 tsp chopped chilli pepper and/or minced garlic and fresh cilanto, to taste
  • 40 g sliced cured chorizo (1.4 oz) or use 2 slices of crisped up bacon
  • 2 tbsp canned jalapeno slices (15 g/ 0.5 oz), or to taste

Instructions

  1. Start by making the guacamole.
  2. Place the chopped avocado, diced tomato, finely chopped onion and lime juice to a bowl. Mash using a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Optionally add 1 teaspoon of chopped chilli pepper and/or minced garlic and fresh cilanto to taste.
  3. Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the seeds. Spread the prepared guacamole inside.
  4. Top with chorizo and sliced pickled jalapeƱos. These peppers are ready to serve. They can be stored in the fridge for up to a day.
  5. To pack for lunch for later, press the halves together, wrap and place in an airtight container. When ready to serve, simply separate the halves or cut the whole sandwich in half. (Note that eating bell pepper sandwiches this way can get messy.)


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Mexican Bell Pepper Sandwich

Love Italian food like creamy Tuscan chicken? Then you'll enjoy this simple Tuscan Creamed Spinach! Frozen and thawed spinach is cooked with sun-dried tomatoes, cream, garlic, herbs and parmesan. All in less than 15 minutes and using just a few common ingredients.

This recipe is adapted from our Classic Creamed Spinach but I skipped the mascarpone and used more cream which I reduced to just about half for a creamier result.

For a complete keto dinner recipe you can serve this creamy spinach side with crisped up, skin-on chicken thighs or grilled chicken breasts, pork chops, or any fish or seafood. Enjoy!

Preparation time

Hands-on:    15 minutes
Overall:     15 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, about 150 g/ 3.5 oz)

Total Carbs 6.9 grams
Fiber 1 grams
Net Carbs 6 grams
Protein 6 grams
Fat 34.7 grams
of which Saturated 21.2 grams
Energy 365 kcal
Magnesium 22 mg (6% RDA)
Potassium 283 mg (14% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (7%), protein (7%), fat (86%)

Ingredients (makes 3 servings)

  • 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (37 g/ 1.3 oz)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (30 g/ 1.1 oz) or use any other hard cheese of choice
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. To a medium pan add the chopped, drained sun-dried tomatoes and minced garlic. Cook until fragrant for 2 to 3 minutes. (If you're using oil-free sun-dried tomatoes, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil.)
  2. Pour in the cream and add the dried herbs and grated parmesan (or use any other hard cheese such as Perorino, goat's cheese or Swiss cheese.) Cook on medium until reduced to about half of the volume, for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Once thawed, squeeze out any excess water from the spinach. (After you drain the spinach you should get about 285 g/ 10 oz net weight of spinach. Gently heat until it begins to simmer.)
  4. Add the spinach to the pan and toss to combine with the creamy cheese sauce.
  5. Serve immediately or let it cool down and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.


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Keto Tuscan Creamed Spinach

Quick Summary tl;dr

Sugar causes the liver to make and sends a hormonal signal to make fat cells grow.

Being a normal weight does not alone mean your body can handle sugar well.

If you know you are insulin sensitive and metabolically healthy, moderate sugar from natural sources may be safe to support high-intensity activity.

Sugar is an addictive substance. It works on the same brain systems as drugs of abuse.

Restricting sugar can be liberating!

Non-nutritive sweeteners can be a crutch for some people.

You can’t eat in moderation or intuitively until you address any underlying sugar and processed food addictive tendencies.

In answering the question, “Are sugar and sweet harmful?” First, we have to define the subject and object of the question.

The subject. What is sugar? For the purposes of this article, I’m defining sugar as any edible substance that meaningfully spikes blood sugar. This includes but is not limited to added sugar and syrups, tropical and high-glycemic index fruits, and products containing refined grains.

The object. Harmful to who? Because 42.4% of Americans are obese, 70% are overweight or obese, and 88% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy (and one-third of Americans are projected to have diabetes by mid-century) ( AraĆŗjo et al, 2019), I think it’s most relevant to address the 88% majority first.

What Does Sugar Do in the Body?

If you are metabolically unhealthy — in the 88% — then dietary sugars are certainly not benign. Here is a list of just some things that sugar does in the body.

Sugar Spikes Insulin

Sugar spikes insulin levels, which sends a hormonal signal to your fat cells to grow.

Sugar is Turned into Fat

At the same time, in your liver, sugar is turned into fat via a process called ‘de novo lipogenesis.’ In fact, your body is so good at creating fat from carbs and sugar that trading calories from carbs and sugar for those from fat actually decreases the fat in your bloodstream, triglycerides!

Fructose, Cortisol and Visceral Fat

Fructose, which is found as part of normal cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and in honey and sweet fruit, is particularly good as being turned into fat. Excess fructose also sensitizes fat cells to the stress hormone, cortisol.

Because different fat cell types respond differently to cortisol, this leads to a shift from storing fat in its relatively healthy subcutaneous form to storing fat in inflammatory visceral fat — the worst form of fat.

Fructose is particularly good as being turned into fat. Excess fructose also sensitizes fat cells to the stress hormone cortisol leading to more inflammatory visceral fat.

Insulin Resistant People Have High Sugars and Fats in the Blood

Because a metabolically unhealthy body is an insulin resistant body, the insulin released by your pancreas, which is supposed to stop the liver from making more sugar itself through gluconeogenesis, can’t do so.

As a result, the liver can continue to make sugar. But because of an unfortunate quirk in metabolism, insulin still tells the liver to make fat. ( Li et al, 2009) This means that eating sugar doesn’t stop the liver from making sugar, but it also causes the liver to make fat, leading to high sugars and fats in the blood.

Insulin Resistant Muscles Can't Take Up Blood Sugar

Your muscle cells, being insulin resistant, are also not good at taking up blood sugar. Muscles are supposed to be the main sink for blood sugar.

So, now, you have a situation where sugar has increased insulin levels. Your fat cells are being told to grow while the liver is making more fat and dumping fat and sugar into the blood. The muscles can’t take up the sugar as well, exacerbating the problem further.

Insulin Resistant People Burn Fewer Calories

When your muscles are insulin resistant, it also means you’ll burn fewer calories after eating — the so-called ‘thermic effect of food.’ ( Habtemichael et al, 2021) Correspondingly, that higher carb, higher sugar diets decreases total energy expenditure.

Sugar Turns LDL Cholesterol into "Bad" Cholesterol

Sugar also binds to, or “glycates,” molecules in your blood such as LDL cholesterol particles. LDL cholesterol is typically thought of as “bad cholesterol,” but there is more to the story. LDL is born big fluffy and healthy but can age and shrink to become small and harmful.

Sugar promotes the conversion of healthy LDL to unhealthy small dense LDL by binding to LDL and preventing it from getting taken up into the liver. ( Ikezaki et al, 2021) At the same time, sugar damages blood vessel walls, leading to a scenario where you have small unhealthy LDL trapped in the blood with nowhere to go but into a damaged artery wall.

That’s why it’s no surprise that insulin resistance is a 4.5-fold stronger risk factor for heart disease than is high total LDL. (Dugani et al, 2021)

Insulin resistance is a 4.5-fold stronger risk factor for heart disease than is high total LDL.

Sugar is Bad for Brain Health

In addition to fat cells, the liver, muscles, and the heart, the brain is vulnerable to sugar. Sugar and insulin resistance "conspire" (if you don’t mind a little anthropomorphization) to promote the aggregation of proteins associated with cognitive decline, decrease the efficiency with which regions of the brain work together, starve the brain of energy, and ultimately promote a cascade of events that precipitates conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. ( Mujica-Parodi et al, 2020,  Norwitz et al, 2019)

Sugar Can Cause Hormone Triggered Cravings

Sugary foods lead to dramatic hormonal fluctuations that send more blood to the reward and desire center of the brain, and trick the brain into craving more sugar. ( Holsen et al, 2021,  Lennerz et al, 2013) Thus, eating sugary foods can quickly start a vicious cycle of sugar, craving, and overeating.

The list goes on... Sugar is the gateway drug to poor glycemic control and insulin resistance, which have a role in almost all non-infectious diseases. If you want to learn more, I strongly recommend this lecture by Dr. Ben Bikman, an expert on insulin resistance.

Sugar is an addictive substance. It works on the same brain systems as drugs of abuse.

Is Sugar Okay if You’re Thin and Balance Caloric Intake and Output?

Let’s get a myth out of the way. Just because you’re skinny does not mean that you’re healthy. In the United States alone, there are  three-million people with diabetes who are normal weight, and tens of millions more are insulin resistant and normal weight. Your weight and BMI do not tell you whether your body can handle sugar.

And here is another myth, balancing your caloric intake and output will lead to the health and body composition goals that you desire.

Cushing’s disease, a condition in which the body creates too much stress hormone, is an obvious example. In Cushing’s disease, hormonal changes cause the body to direct energy away from muscle towards unhealthy stores of fat. Patients develop a protruding gut and fatty back, while at the same time their musculature and limbs shrink. They can be a normal weight, but not the kind of normal weight anyone would want.

Cushing’s disease is an extreme example, but it’s just one example on a spectrum. Having insulin resistance can also cause your body to misdirect fuel to where you don’t want it. As put nicely by the authors of a recent study in Nature, insulin resistance in the brain can “result in altered substrate distribution with preferential energy accumulation in unfavorable fat depot." ( Kullmann et al, 2020) In simple terms, having insulin resistance — most people do, to some extent — causes you to put calories in unhealthy fat rather than muscle.

It’s not about the calories, it’s about how your body handles the calories. And, overtime, sugar can nudge the body in a direction of insulin resistance, more fat, less muscle, and overall poor metabolic health — even if you are a normal weight and balance your caloric input and output.

It’s not about the calories, it’s about how your body handles the calories.

Is Sugar Okay if You’re Insulin Sensitive and Active?

But what about if you are a healthy weight and you’re genuinely insulin sensitive and metabolically healthy — part of the 12%. If you’re part of this population, then your body can probably handle sugary food just fine, especially if you’re using that sugar to fuel sport.

For example, I was a runner in high-school and college. Some days, I’d run twenty miles and then go to the gym to lift heavy weights. During this time, I certainly did not shy from whole food carbohydrates and they were probably important in supporting optimal performance. But sugar?

I’d argue that we don’t have sufficient data to fully answer the question of whether eating sugar “in moderation” as a fuel is harmful to an insulin sensitive highly active person, if that person is otherwise consuming a nutrient rich diet and if that behavior is continued over decades.

I could argue the answer either way, but for the time being I’d personally only be comfortable including sugar in a diet if…

  • You know that you are insulin sensitive because you’ve had a Kraft test, two-hour insulin, HOMA-IR, or even fasting insulin,
  • and you are responsibly tacking the trajectory of one of these tests overtime.
  • and you are otherwise eating a diet filled with sufficient nutrients.
  • and you’re active.

How many people meet these criteria?

Sugar “In Moderation” is a Trap

“In moderation” is an important phrase to unpack. What does it mean, and is having some sugar “in moderation” okay?

First, imagine it’s your birthday and you want birthday cake. Fair enough. Birthdays only come once per year and a few slices of cake on an annual basis certainly won’t harm your long-term health. Go for it. Oh, but you certainly also have to make an exception for Thanksgiving. Those candied yams are too good. Christmas too. Let’s just make it the whole holiday season. Then there are other people’s birthdays, other holidays, and so on., It’s a slippery slope.

That said, for those who can truly achieve maintaining metabolic health by eating anything “in moderation,” I am in awe of you. For most people, I think this is almost impossible because of the food environment in which we live as well as the addictive properties of sugary foods.

To illustrate that point, let me ask you a question: Why do you think that the processed food and sugar industry, including companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, and General Mills have historically funded the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the body that determines what dietitians learn and advise?

No dietitian will tell a patient, “here, have a coke.” So why would the sugar industry waste its money? What are they buying? The answer became clear to me when reading the book, “The Dietitians Dilemma,” by dietitian Michelle Hurn. Therein, she describes how companies like General Mills use their influence to determine the learning objectives for dietitians’ continuing education, including teaching patients, quote, “the role of packaged foods play in a sustainable diet.”

In a nutshell, the food industry pushes the agenda of anything “in moderation.” Packaged foods are okay, in moderation. Coke is okay, in moderation. The free daily Krispy Kreme you can now get for getting your COVID19 vaccine is okay, in moderation. It actually sounds quite reasonable on the surface. Treating yourself now and then sounds like it should promote sustainable diet. But there’s a catch that can be summed up in a simple formula.

“In moderation” + “addictive sugary processed foods” = ???

If you can’t figure out what ??? is, we will fill in the blank together in a bit.

Sugar Can be Addictive

Sugar is an addictive substance. ( Avena et al, 2007) The brain systems that support the abuse of addictive drugs, like nicotine, amphetamine, or cocaine, are the same systems that support sugar addiction. These include the dopamine system and opioid system and other components of the limbic system, which controls emotion.

Just like drugs of abuse, the more sugar you have the more sugar you want. This is called sensitization. Interestingly, in studies performed on rats, sugar cross-sensitizes with amphetamine or cocaine. In other words, giving rats sugar sensitizes them to these drugs of abuse. Why? Because they work on the exact same brain systems.

In fact, the neurobiological and neurochemical imprint of drugs of abuse and sugar are highly similar. They decrease the expression of certain dopamine receptors, like the D2 receptor, as well as decrease the expression of brain opioids, like enkephalin.

Also similar to drugs of abuse, sugar restricting can cause temporary withdrawal symptoms. And these symptoms can be mimicked in the presence of sugar by injected opioid blockers, further confirming that sugar and drugs of abuse work on the same systems.

We live in a sugar-laden world in which many of us need more sugar drug to get the same “hit.” So, let’s fill in the question marks together.

"In moderation” + “addictive sugary processed foods” = 42.4% obesity.

That’s where we are right now and that is what the processed food and sugary industries are buying by funding dietitians’ education and scientific research. If you want a dietitian’s word for it, read Michelle’s book.

Admittedly, one could make the order of magnitude argument i.e that sugar and opioids might work on the same system, but the latter is stronger. But this argument falls flat when you consider the social and environmental contributions to addiction.

To abuse a substance, the motivation to use the substance needs to outweigh the deterrent of social stigma as well as the obstacles in the way to obtaining the substance. Drugs like heroin and cocaine need to pack a bigger punch to be addictive. By contrast, sugar “in moderation” is socially encouraged and everywhere. It doesn’t need to pack as big a punch to be addictive.

In closing on the topic of sugar addiction, I have just one more rhetorical question to set up the next section: Would you tell an alcoholic that it’s okay to have alcohol “in moderation?”

Sugar is a substance of abuse that's hard to avoid. Not only does it have addictive properties, but it is socially encouraged and everywhere. No wonder sugar "in moderation" is so hard.

If You Eliminate Sugar, Are You “Restricting?”

The attack dog of “in moderation” mentality is the accusation that “restrictive diets” are not sustainable.

That’s true, but only to a limited extent. For example, if you try to restrict calories without changing anything else, you’ll fail in the long term. You can be the most motivated person in the world, but conscious caloric restriction leads to a slowed metabolism, obesogenic changes in the microbiome, cravings and mood disturbances. Biggest Loser reunions don’t happen for a reason.

But “restricting” sugar is fundamentally different because you’re not fighting your biology but working with it! Most of us are chained to sugar like a ball and chain. It hacks the brain and we feel compelled to treat ourselves “in moderation” every single day, if not multiple times per day. But, when you eliminate sugar and carbohydrates, your body progressively learns to use fat as fuel and those cravings do dissipate. The chain is broken, and you are liberated.

Here is a list of quotes from clients with whom I’ve worked who reversed diabetes, pre-diabetes, or obesity by restricting sugar. Not one has regressed on her/his goal.

“I can’t believe the cravings are gone. I feel so free!”

“I thought I needed my sweets. I thought life would be miserable without them, but I don’t miss them at all. And I’ve lost 42 pounds!”

“Just got offered birthday cake at the office. I politely declined without effort. I actually didn’t even want it whereas before I would have needed to exert serious willpower to say no.”

“Nick! After six months without sweets I just treated myself to a handful of wild blueberries and it was literally the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted. Ice cream never tasted so good!”

This last quote, about the blueberries, may be the most telling. By restricting sugar, you reboot your appetite and taste systems, returning to a metabolic state that is most compatible with human thriving.

What that person was experiencing was not an exaggerated reaction to a handful of blueberries, but a normal reaction. That’s what a small amount of low-sugar wild berries should taste like and it’s the rest of us who are robbed that sweet pleasure by, ironically, sugar.

I realize that sounds like a paradox, so I’ll try to reframe it.

We think the pleasure we derive from food is associated with intrinsic properties of that food. The ice cream sundae must be more of a treat than a few berries. But we’re wrong. The pleasure we derive from food, including sweet taste, arises from an interaction between compounds in the food and our biology.

The “sweet” is in the mind, not in the quantity of sugar. I could give you my first-hand account and many secondhand accounts, but the only way to really understand what I mean is to try it yourself. And, for those of you reading this who know what I mean, please share your experience in the comments.

But if nothing else from this piece sticks with you, remember this: Restricting sugar is liberating.

Restricting sugar is liberating! You can’t eat in moderation or intuitively until you address any underlying sugar and processed food addictive tendencies.

Are Artificial Sweeteners Okay?

Non-nutritive sweeteners, including both natural sweeteners (think Stevia) and artificial sweeteners (think aspartame), have their pros and cons. The obvious pro, for most people, is that they are basically calorie free. However, that doesn’t necessarily translate into weight loss.

For example, a Cochrane review on the intake of non-nutritive sweeteners found “No evidence of any effect on overweight or obese adults or children actively trying to lose weight.” They also reported that researchers found significantly higher increase in blood glucose in children of preschool age receiving aspartame and saccharine compared with normal sugar. Not all the studies reported negative results, but the fact that many do suggests that just giving the body sweet without the calories does not fix the problem.

Returning to the “in moderation” concept, here’s something else to ponder. Research funded (Veldhuizen et al, 2017), in part, by Coca-Cola discovered that drinks with 112.5 Calories (and artificial sweetener) were preferred over those with 150 Calories. Why? The answer is immensely complicated but boils down to the fact, again, that pleasure is in perception. The body’s hormonal system and brain perform careful calculus to adjust taste preferences, and the sugar industry pours billions of dollars into figuring out how to use that biological calculus to make us always want more.

Artificial sweeteners are a lever the food industry uses to get us to eat more of their products without the guilt but often with just as much of a negative metabolic impact. I suppose ignorance is bliss, and bliss and diabetes.

Furthermore, artificial sweeteners, like aspartame or saccharine, can screw up the microbiome. ( Suez et al, 2014) For example, feeding saccharine to people who didn’t usually eat artificial sweeteners caused most to become glucose intolerant within one week. And, when their microbiomes were transplanted into mice, those mice also became glucose intolerant, proving that saccharine messed up the microbiome to cause glucose intolerance.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. There are certain natural non-nutritive sweeteners, like allulose, stevia, and monkfruit, along with the sugar alcohol erythritol, which have a superior profile. To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t evidence that any of these four options meaningfully spike blood sugar or insulin. And they are likely safer for the microbiome.

Therefore, allulose, stevia, monkfruit, and erythritol may serve as useful crutches for those wanting to cut sugar but not sweet. Do I personally recommend this? No. In my experience, restricting sugar and sweet together is the best way to let people’s metabolism and taste perceptions recalibrate so they become liberated from the shackles of sweet.

Wouldn’t it be nice to experience blueberries as more indulgent than ice cream?

Intuitive Eating, the Holy Grail!

I think a good place to end would be on the concept of “intuitive eating,” which is related to the concept of “in moderation.” Some argue that it’s best to listen to the body. It’s wise and it will tell you what it needs.

But instructing someone to eat “in moderation” and “eat intuitively” is like telling a driver direction for how to get to point X by saying, “And then you arrive at point X.” Technically, it’s accurate. Practically, it’s useless.

Eating intuitively is the goal, but to get there you need proper directions. Step 1 is reducing or eliminating sugar. This helps restore metabolic health and liberates you from the shackles of sugar. If you think those shackles are unbreakable, I promise you, they are not.

Again, if you remember nothing else, remember this: Restricting sugar is liberating.

Eating intuitively is the goal, but to get there you need proper directions. Step 1 is reducing or eliminating sugar.



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Are Sugar and Sweet Harmful?

These cheesy parmesan chicken burgers are stuffed with homemade Marinara Sauce and creamy mozzarella. It's a healthy higher protein option that will keep hunger at bay.

You can serve these cheese stuffed burgers with any summer salads, or make a batch of Low-Carb Fries from parsley roots, turnips or rutabaga (swede) instead of potatoes. You can also serve these bunless burgers with roasted vegetables or a simple Keto Coleslaw.

Air Fryer to Oven Baking Conversion

If you don't have an air fryer, simply bake these in the oven. When converting an air fryer recipe to oven, you will need to bake it at a higher temperature for a few minutes longer.

To bake these Low-Carb Italian Stuffed Chicken Burgers in the oven, preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Once preheated, place the burgers in a tray lined with parchment paper and place in the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove and top with the marinara sauce and mozzarella. Place bake in the oven and bake for another 8 to 9 minutes.

I used a large half-pound burger press to make these stuffed burgers. If you use a quarter-pound burger press to create 4 small burgers instead, reduce the cooking time by about 20 %.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    10 minutes
Overall:     20 minutes

Nutritional values (per burger)

Total Carbs 11.6 grams
Fiber 3.5 grams
Net Carbs 8 grams
Protein 29.3 grams
Fat 27 grams
of which Saturated 17 grams
Energy 377 kcal
Magnesium 51 mg (13% RDA)
Potassium 695 mg (35% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (8%), protein (30%), fat (62%)

Ingredients (makes 2 burgers)

  • 400 g ground chicken (14.1 oz)
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 cup homemade Marinara Sauce or any sugar-free pizza sauce (80 ml/ 2.7 oz)
  • 1/2 fresh mozzarella ball, sliced (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
  • 2 tsp virgin avocado oil

Instructions

  1. In a bowl combine the ground chicken (I used thigh meat) or turkey, grated parmesan cheese and salt.
  2. Use your hands to divide the meat into two equal parts. Flatten each part using your hands. Then take a glass and place in the middle of the burger to create a well just like I did in this recipe. (Alternatively you can use half-pound burger press like I did.)
  3. Cook in an air fryer (one at a time if you can't fit both) at 190 °C/ 375 °F for 5 minutes. Remove and spoon in the marinara sauce inside the hole. Add the mozzarella slices and return into the air fryer for another 7 minutes. (If you don't have an air fryer, check the recipe tips above for oven instructions.)
  4. Serve while still warm with a bowl of dressed greens, simple salads or a quick Keto Coleslaw and fresh basil.


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Low-Carb Italian Stuffed Chicken Burgers

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