This low-carb chocolate bundt cake soft and moist thanks to zucchini! It has a spicy kick from cayenne pepper and sea salt and it's all drizzled with creamy cinnamon icing.
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Making gut-healthy asparagus "pickles" is so easy! These fermented asparagus spears with garlic, dill and chillies are a great snack and will make a great addition to any meal.
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This is a simple yet delicious Fresh Keto Strawberry Pie. Sweet keto pie crust filled with strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries, all set with gelatin. No starches, no gluten and no sugar needed!
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This low-carb kumquat marmalade is deliciously sweet, tart and chunky with hints of vanilla, ginger and cardamom. And it's really easy to make! You won't need to use any thickeners — no chia seeds, gelatin or pectin needed!
What Are Kumquats?
Kumquat is a fruit with sweet, edible skin and tart, sour flesh. They are now in season and when used for marmalade, they have the perfect chunky texture with delicate flavor.
To add more flavor I used a combination of ginger, vanilla and cardamom which go really well together. I found most of these tips in the Flavour Thesaurus book which has been really helpful for my recipe development!
How to Make Low-Carb Marmalade
Making low-carb marmalade is easy! You'll only need kumquats, low-carb sweetener, water, spices and a pinch of salt — that's it.
You'll need to slice all the kumquats and remove the seeds. This may take some time as there will be plenty of seeds. Once you do this, you will add all of the remaining ingredients and let the kumquats sit to soak. Finally you'll cook it all on low-medium until soft and syrupy.
Thick Marmalade Without Sugar
In this recipe you will need Allulose — no substitutions! I'm using granulated Allulose although Allulose syrup can be used instead.
Ever since I discovered Allulose, I knew I needed to make marmalade. Allulose is the perfect low-carb sweetener that works and tastes just like sugar but with none of the blood sugar spikes and calories. Other low-carb sweetener options simply wouldn't create that perfect syrupy texture.
There are a few Allulose options available on Amazon. The brand I use and like is RxSugar. If you live in the US you can get RxSugar 20% off by using this link (affiliate link) or by using the code KETODIET20 at checkout.
How Long Can I Store Homemade Marmalade for?
You can store this low-carb marmalade in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To preserve for longer, freeze or use the water-bath canning method.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Kumquats can be replaced with thinly sliced citrus fruits such as organic oranges, or a combination of oranges and lemons or tangerines.
If you can't get Allulose and need to use an Erythritol-based sweetener instead, you will need to add some gelatin (powder or sheets) to make it thicker, just like I did in my Chunky Low-Carb Strawberry Jam recipe. In this recipe I used gelatin sheets to replace part of the sweetener which would otherwise make the jam too sweet.
Preparation time
Hands-on: 30 minutes
Overall: 2 hours Nutritional values (per tbsp, 20 g/ 0.7 oz)
| Total Carbs | 2.7 | grams |
| Fiber | 1 | grams |
| Net Carbs | 1.7 | grams |
| Protein | 0.3 | grams |
| Fat | 0.1 | grams |
| of which Saturated | 0 | grams |
| Energy | 12 | kcal |
| Magnesium | 3 | mg (1% RDA) |
| Potassium | 28 | mg (1% EMR) |
Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (75%), protein (12%), fat (13%)
Ingredients (makes about 620 g/ 1.4 lbs)
- 450 g kumquats, sliced and seeds removed (1 lb)
- 1 cup granulated Allulose (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder or 1/2 tbsp sugar-free vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 cup water (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the kumquats and slice them thinly. Remove any seeds, there will be plenty.
- Place the sliced kumquats in a saucepan (pouring any juice from the chopping board). Add Allulose, ginger, vanilla, cardamom and salt. Pour in a cup of water. Allow the sliced kumquats to sit for 30 to 45 minutes.
Note: Do not use any substitutes for the allulose as the syrup won't thicken with alternatives. If you can't get Allulose, see recipe tips for modifications.
- After 30 to 45 minutes, place on the stove and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low for 25 minutes, or until softened and syrupy (jam-like consistency with chunks of kumquats).
- Transfer the marmalade into a large glass jar (or more smaller jars) with a tight-fitting lid.
- This marmalade will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. It can be frozen for longer storage or preserved using the water-bath canning method.
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These Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken is the ideal easy tray bake dinner for a hungry family. Filled with Parma ham, stringy mozzarella, sweet tomatoes and fragrant basil, these are familiar flavors that pair perfectly together.
The combination of lean chicken breasts, parma ham and mozzarella makes this meal a great option for those who need more protein in their diet.
I’m thinking for a Sunday roast or a simple midweek dinner option served with Arugula, Tomato & Feta Salad for a spring or summer inspired meal, or Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Mash and Low-carb Creamed Spinach for a more satisfying comfort food dish. Yum!
Preparation time
Hands-on: 10 minutes
Overall: 35-45 minutesNutritional values (per serving, 1 chicken breast)
| Total Carbs | 5.1 | grams |
| Fiber | 1.1 | grams |
| Net Carbs | 4 | grams |
| Protein | 65.8 | grams |
| Fat | 25.8 | grams |
| of which Saturated | 9.4 | grams |
| Energy | 528 | kcal |
| Magnesium | 100 | mg (25% RDA) |
| Potassium | 1,073 | mg (54% EMR) |
Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (3%), protein (51%), fat (46%)
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
- 1 tbsp butter, ghee or olive oil (15 ml)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups fresh spinach (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided (30 ml)
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (900 g/ 2 lb)
- 4 slices of Parma ham (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (170 g/ 6 oz)
- good pinch of sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C/ 355 °F (fan assisted), or 200 °C/ 400 °F (conventional).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter, ghee or olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and spinach and cook for about 1 minute until the spinach wilts. Drain the juices and place to one side.
- To prepare the salad filling, mix the tomatoes with olive oil (1 tbsp), basil and balsamic vinegar.
- Cut a pocket in each of the chicken breasts with a sharp knife. Flatten the chicken breasts slightly with a rolling pin.
- Use another tablespoon of olive oil to grease a baking tray to prevent sticking (or line with greaseproof paper). Add the chicken pockets.
- Add a slice of pancetta to each of the chicken breasts, cooked spinach and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle half the mozzarella. Close the chicken breasts and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake the stuffed chicken breasts in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until cooked through, golden and to your liking.
- Tastes best when served fresh but can be stored in fridge for up to 3 days.
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This No Bake Keto Lemon Cheesecake is the perfect sugar-free and gluten-free treat for spring, Easter and summer!
The base is made with heart-healthy macadamia nuts and almonds that are toasted in the oven using low heat to preserve the oils and add rich nutty flavor which perfectly compliments the zingy, creamy cheesecake topping! Technically it's not 100% no bake as you'll be roasting the nuts, but this step is optional and you can always use raw nuts instead.
Unlike many no bake cheesecake recipes, there’s no gelatin in this cheesecake topping. The whipped cream combined with mascarpone hold well without the need for gelatin or any other thickener or stabilizer.
Meyer Lemon vs Regular Lemon: What's the Difference?
We're using Meyer lemons in this recipe. Compared to regular lemons, Meyer lemons are more round, have slight orange hue and are less acidic with floral undertones. Meyer lemons are almost like a cross between an orange and regular lemon which makes them perfect for those who prefer a more subtle, less zingy lemon cheesecake.
Meyer lemons are not the only option and you can use regular lemons in this recipe. Depending on your palate, use 1/4 (60 ml) to 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh juice, plus zest of 1 to 2 lemons.
Lemon Cheesecake Topping Options
This keto cheesecake is packed full of flavor so you could keep it plain with no topping, or add whipped cream (spread or pipe on top) with slices of lemon just like in the recipe below. Instead of lemon you can even use sliced strawberries or some raspberries, blueberries or blackberries which go well with lemon.
Preparation time
Hands-on: 20 minutes
Overall: 4 hoursNutritional values (per serving, 1 slice)
| Total Carbs | 6.1 | grams |
| Fiber | 1.6 | grams |
| Net Carbs | 4.4 | grams |
| Protein | 5.6 | grams |
| Fat | 47.3 | grams |
| of which Saturated | 25.3 | grams |
| Energy | 468 | kcal |
| Magnesium | 35 | mg (9% RDA) |
| Potassium | 131 | mg (7% EMR) |
Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (4%), protein (5%), fat (91%)
Ingredients (makes 1 cheesecake, 12 slices)
Base:
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, roasted (134 g/ 4.8 oz)
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds, roasted (73 g/ 2.6 oz)
- 2 tbsp powdered Allulose or Erythritol (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
Cheesecake layer:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided (600 ml/ 20 fl oz)
- 500 g full-fat cream cheese or mascarpone (1.1 lb)
- 3/4 cup powdered Allulose or Erythritol (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, ideally Meyer lemon (120 ml)
- zest of 1 to 2 lemons (to taste), ideally Meyer lemon
- 1/2 to 1 sliced lemon, ideally Meyer lemon, to decorate
Instructions
- To roast the nuts, preheat the oven to 140 °C/ 285 °F (fan assisted), or 160 °C/ 320 °F (conventional) and place raw nuts in a baking tray in a single layer. Bake for about 25 minutes until the nuts are light golden, crisp and fragrant.
Note: Baking the nuts is optional (you can use raw nuts) but it is highly recommended.
- Add the warm nuts to a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the 2 tbsp sweetener (powdered Allulose or Erythritol), butter and vanilla. Process again until it comes together.
- Press into springform pan (an 8-inch/20 cm deep springform pan or a 9-inch/23 cm springform pan) lined with parchment paper in the bottom. Place in the fridge while you make the cheesecake layer.
- To make the cheesecake layer, add 2 cups (480 ml) of the heavy cream to a bowl (reserving the remaining 1/2 cup/120 ml for topping). Add the mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese), remaining sweetener (powdered Allulose or Erythritol), lemon juice and lemon zest (use fine zest of 1-2 organic lemons - to taste).
Note: We are using Meyer lemons which are less acidic than regular lemons. If you use regular lemons, start with 1/4 (60 ml) lemon juice and add up top to 1/2 cup (120 ml), to taste.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. Add on top of the chilled nut layer and use a spatula to spread evenly.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. To release the cheesecake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the edges.
- Beat the remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream until still peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe it all around the edge of the cheesecake. Or you can simply spread the cream on top with a spatula.
- Slice the remaining lemon and cut each slice in half to decorate the top of the cheesecake.
- Serve immediately or chill for an hour. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.
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Quick Summary tl;dr
Binge eating disorder is a serious, life threatening condition characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food, often in a short period of time. People with binge eating disorder feel a loss of control during the binge, accompanied by overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, and self-hatred afterwards.
Individuals who develop food addictions are proposed to display symptoms similar to those of drug addiction. “Everything on moderation” is effectively a strategy in which we bait individuals suffering from a form of addiction with the addictive substance
A diet high in carbohydrates may be unlikely to support recovery in people with Binge Eating Disorder from a biophysiological standpoint.
Therapeutic carbohydrate restriction (TCR) for binge eating disorder may be more effective than the alternative everything “in moderation” diet.
Table of Contents
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 2.3 million people.
Binge eating disorder patients feel a loss of control during the binge, followed by periods of guilt, shame, and failure. After years of trying standard advice, many conclude they are broken.
Binge eating disorder is a serious, life threatening condition characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food, often in a short period of time. Individuals with binge eating disorder feel a loss of control during the binge, and they will often experience overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, and self-hatred afterwards.
As a registered dietitian, I often saw patients with obesity, diabetes, and various gastrointestinal disorders confess to episodes of uncontrollable binging. These patients expressed a genuine desire to follow a prescribed meal plan, but they would inevitably “lose control” and binge when they felt hungry, lonely, frustrated, or bored. Several of these patients candidly expressed feelings of extreme shame, frustration, and worthlessness.
Were these patients simply lacking will power when it came to making food choices?
Was it simply a self-control problem?
Or is something other than the patient to blame?
Do Patients with Binge Eating Disorder Recover?
Every single individual I’ve met who was dealing with binge eating disorder is, without exception, capable and determined, and feels incredible frustration at what appears to be a personal inability to overcome their disorder.
Many of these individuals have tried multiple diet strategies and behavioral therapies in an attempt control their binge eating. While some of these efforts provided temporary relief, almost all are ineffective in the long term. This perspective is consistent with the medical dogma that eating disorders are incurable diseases.
Someone with an eating disorder, if hospitalized, is likely to require hospital readmission at some point in the future. But, even if they aren’t hospitalized, they are “definitely” going to fall back into previous behavior patterns or dysfunctional modes of thinking at some point. And, based on my years of experience, it seemed to me that the dogma proved true. No matter how motivated patients were to abstain from binging, they fell back into behaviors.
However, the only way we can stand by the “incurability hypothesis” is if we accept that patients are broken. I promise you, they are not. So, I asked myself:
“Could the quality of their prescribed diet contribute to the near universal failure of patients to maintain remission?”
In other words, maybe it’s not my patients who are failing themselves, but the nutritional advice that is failing them.
Carbohydrate Addiction Cycle
Standard practice is to provide nutrition advice based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), an eating pattern represented by the Food Pyramid or, more recently, MyPlate models.
Whatever graphic the DGA chooses to represent their perspective, the advice always prioritizes carbohydrates and grains as dietary fuel. Fueling with carbohydrate may be unlikely to support recovery in people with Binge Eating Disorder from a biophysiological standpoint.
To begin to understand why, take a look at the six-step cycle below, which depicts what can happen in the brain and body when someone is eating this a diet rich in carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates and sugar.
Six-Steps of the Carbohydrate Addiction Cycle
- Every time we eat carbohydrates, which includes anything from fruit or oatmeal to highly processed carbohydrates like pasta or cookies, these carbohydrates are broken down into sugar.
- The sugar goes into the blood, and our blood sugar increases.
- In response, the pancreas will release insulin (except in persons with type I diabetes).
- Insulin promotes fat storage.
- Insulin drives down blood sugar levels. Many believe that patients with eating disorders will always struggle with the eating disorder and that eating disorders are incurable. (You can read more about the Carbohydrate Insulin Model here.) For some people, this drop in blood sugar can cause symptoms such as dizziness, shakiness, intense hunger, or irritability, but almost everyone experiences form carbohydrate late post-prandial craving.
- To prevent or alleviate these symptoms, the individual naturally seeks out more sugar and carbohydrates. And the cycle continues indefinitely.
Many believe that patients with eating disorders will always struggle with the eating disorder and that eating disorders are incurable.
Fueling the Cycle 1: Our Modern Food Environment
Sugar and processed carbohydrates are ubiquitous in our modern food environment. From hospital foodservice and cafeterias, to our schools, hardware stores, jails, and even to veterinary clinics, it seems that everywhere you go, you are offered food options consisting of high amounts of sugar, flours, and processed oils.
It’s estimated that up to 80% of items in the grocery store contain added sugar or corn syrup. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Sugar is hidden everywhere, from sauces and dressings to broths and deli meats. Is masquerades under different names to remain undetected, often those ending in -ose or -syrup. If one is not actively looking for sugar in all its inconspicuous forms, it can be difficult to avoid.
The social environment compounds upon the physical environment. Friends, relatives, and co-workers are always “food-pushing.” They are certainly well-intentioned, but living in a nation with an artificially carbohydrate centric physical and social space can make avoiding the carbohydrate cycle difficult.
Fueling the Cycle 2: Sugar is Addictive
In my experience as a clinical dietitian, the idea that someone could literally be addicted to sugar or carbohydrates was generally dismissed. However, the rise in obesity, coupled with the emergence of scientific findings of parallels between drugs of abuse and palatable foods has given credibility to the idea that some people may develop an unhealthy dependence on sugar and processed foods.
The standard nutritional advice for persons with eating disorders, based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, does not support struggling patients. In fact, it can exacerbate the problem.
Individuals who develop food addictions are proposed to display symptoms similar to those of drug addiction, including craving for “problem foods,” tolerance (needing more food to satisfy cravings), limited control of food intake, unsuccessful attempts to reduce intake as well as withdrawal symptoms. It’s worth noting that commonly suspected problem foods share nutritive properties (they tend to be high in sugar or high in fat and sugar).
I’ve met many individuals who state that if they have a single bite of a processed food item such as a cookie or even a taste of something sweet, they are unable to control their intake. This suggests a chemical or metabolic link versus simply a behavioral link.
In fact, the brain systems that support the abuse of addictive drugs, like nicotine, amphetamine, or cocaine, are the same systems that support sugar addiction.
Therapeutic carbohydrate reduction, or ketogenic diets, for binge eating disorder is a viable alternative that holds hope for struggling patients. It supports patients metabolically, allowing them to regain control over food and their life.
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.
Read this post for more on sugar and sugar addiction.
Fueling the Cycle 3: Eating “in Moderation”
Having reviewed the carbohydrate addiction cycle and previewed the concept that sugar is a substance of abuse at a neurobiochemical level, let’s ask ourselves whether it makes sense to suggest that individuals with Binge Eating Disorder should be prompted to consume anything “in moderation.” The conventional logic goes that placing any restrictions on foods for someone with an eating disorder, including binge eating disorder, can worsen their already dysfunctional relationship with food.
But this logic fails to consider that fact that, in binge eating disorder and related conditions, refined carbohydrates (sugar) can effectively become a substance of abuse, as reviewed above. If this is the case, then “everything on moderation” is effectively a strategy in which we bait individuals suffering from a form of addiction with the addictive substance, suggesting that it’s okay — even healthy — to have just a little bit of the substance of abuse. Is it any wonder that individuals with binge eating disorder experience loss of control and a sense of failure? They cannot will their way out of a dysfunctional eating pattern being driven by their biology.
Individuals with binge eating disorder desire to find food freedom and regain a sense of control. Following the standard American dietary guidelines will set them up for the exact opposite of what they are hoping to achieve. Food will control them, rather than the other way around.
Is there an alternative?
Ketogenic Diet for Binge Eating Disorder - Case Series
In a recent case series, published by Carmen and colleagues in the Journal of Eating Disorders, three individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder achieved complete remission following a ketogenic diet.
In a recently published case series, all binge eating patients tolerated the ketogenic diet for the prescribed period without any major adverse effects; all Patients reported significant reductions in binge eating episodes and food addiction symptoms including cravings and lack of control; and all patients reported they were able continue to adhere to the diet and maintain treatment gains with respect to weight, binge eating, and food addiction symptoms to date up to 9-17 months after initiation.
In this case, the patients were prescribed a ketogenic diet containing 10% calories from carbohydrates, 30% calories from protein, and 60% calories from fat. All three patients tolerated the diet well, with no major adverse side effects, and all were able to adhere to the diet for the prescribed period and at follow-ups.
The patients universally reported reductions in binge eating episodes and food addiction symptoms, including cravings and lack of control as determined by validated binge eating or food addiction measuring tools. Additionally, patients lost 10-24% of their body weight. Finally, all patients reported substantial improvements in mood symptoms.
Could a ketogenic diet be the key to full recovery for individuals with binge eating disorder?
Could a primal diet of meat, eggs, fish, nuts, oils, butters, select, non-starchy vegetables be the key to long term recovery?
While it almost seems too good to be true, this report suggests that “therapeutic carbohydrate restriction” (TCR) for binge eating disorder may be more effective than the alternative everything “in moderation” diet.
Certainly, controlled trials will be required before ketogenic diets can become standard of care for any eating disorders, but the mere possibility that they could provide a cure (or permanent remission) for a mental illness that almost never remains in remission given the current standard advice should give academics and medical professionals pause to think.
It is my sincerest hope that more professionals become open to exploring the possibility that a ketogenic diet could help patients with binge eating disorder achieve lasting recovery. What “we,” as a medical and dietetics community normally do doesn’t work for these patients. So, now, we need to try something different.
Since adopting this “different” in my own practice, I have met with over a dozen individuals who had suffered for years with binge eating disorder and were able to stop binging and take control over food and their physical and mental health by simply cutting out carbohydrates and focusing on eating a clean whole foods ketogenic diet.
In this Youtube video I interviewed three women who had binge eating disorder and found food freedom with a keto diet.
I know my patients aren’t broken. They are strong capable individuals, and we just need to provide the right metabolic toolkit and support. I have hope.
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