Episodes

  • Staying Well While You're Getting Well Low-Carb Tips for Cold & Flu Relief
    Links and Show Notes

    Ah, yes. Autumn. The cool, crisp air. The brilliant leaves. The cozy sweaters. And the advent of cold and flu season. Achoo! What does this have to do with our low-carb diets? More than you might think at first glance. Between cough syrup and cough drops, multi-symptom cold relievers like NyQuil. And the oft-recommended tea with honey and chicken noodle soup, there are pitfalls here.


    So, let's talk about them. Like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell because you don't want to miss a single episode. 


    Cough syrup and cough drops are easy. Virtually any pharmacy will have sugar-free cough syrup, probably labeled diabetic formula, and sugar-free cough drops. Keep in mind that the cough drops are probably made with sugar alcohols.


    If sugar alcohols give you gut problems, you'll want to go easy. Hall's Sugar-Free cough drops, for example, are made with isomalt, which has very little effect on blood sugar. But can cause gut trouble in large doses. What about multi symptom cold relievers? I was finding mixed information online, so I went to the source.


    CarbSmart Podcast on YouTube

    https://youtu.be/gK6XaqCKix8


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-22-low-carb-tips-for-cold-and-flu-relief.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


    Read the Full Transcript

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-22-low-carb-tips-for-cold-and-flu-relief.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


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  • How to Have a Fun & Healthy Low-Carb Halloween
    Links and Show Notes

    Let’s talk about the scariest thing about Halloween. All that sugar.


    Several years back on a website I frequented, there was a discussion of Halloween plans. It was there that I first encountered the concept of trunk or treat, a Halloween event that is apparently gaining popularity across the country.


    Other than trunk or treat, my vote would be a return to the Halloween party with spooky games and music and at least some non-candy food. Read ghost stories by firelight, hang apples from strings and see who can eat theirs without using their hands, carve jack o lanterns, have a scary laugh contest and a costume judging with lots of prizes, scariest, prettiest, funniest, most creative, etc.


    The more kids get prizes, the better. If you have space, how about creating a haunted path in your backyard? I have a big backyard with a path through the woods that would be perfect for this. Alas, I have no children. The drawback to this is that private parties are invitation only events, and some kids could get left out.


    This is a great reason for organizations, from scout troops to neighborhood associations, to create their own Everybody Welcome Halloween events. If you’re still in a trick or treating part of the country, may I make a few gentle suggestions? Focus as much attention as you can on the many fun and creative Halloween activities that don’t involve sugar.


    CarbSmart Podcast on YouTube

    https://youtu.be/JEzC9y865vI


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-21-have-a-healthy-low-carb-halloween-html.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


    Read the Full Transcript

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-21-have-a-healthy-low-carb-halloween-html.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


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  • 3 Question Interview with Fred Hahn
    Links and Show Notes

    Welcome to another 3 question interview from CarbSmart. I’m your host, Dana Carpender, your trusted guide to everything low-carb. Today, I’m interviewing Fred Hahn, owner of Slow Burn Fitness, author of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution, and Strong Kids, Healthy Kids, not to mention my friend and strength training guru.


    He’s also a long-time low-carber. Let’s hear what Fred has to say about low-carb nutrition and fitness.


    DC: I have long felt you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Yes. So what degree is weight loss about diet and to what degree is it about exercise? And I will say regarding the kids that there was just a lot more background exercise in my childhood. There really was. I walked to and from school twice a day because back then you walked home for lunch.


    CarbSmart Podcast on YouTube

    https://youtu.be/SObc61Q1RQY


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-20-3-question-interview-with-fred-hahn.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


    Read the Full Transcript

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-20-3-question-interview-with-fred-hahn.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


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  • Why I’m Not a Low-Carb PuristLinks and Show Notes

    Are you a food purist? Do you insist that everything be natural and organic? I’m not, and I don’t.


    So let me explain why. I have been accused of not being a low-carb purist.


    I have, over the past many years in general, taken some heat for not being a low-carb purist. Not pure enough, or restrictive enough, or something enough about the diet I eat and the ingredients I use in my recipes.


    Years ago, I was accused of something very close to a major character flaw in a discussion about Sucralose by a woman who was infuriated that I would use such an evil, evil ingredient and that I dared to suggest that perhaps Stevia was not in it.


    Utterly safe beyond all question. I’ve been taken to task for using and eating polyols I’ve been told that I should only use and only recommend Organic grass-fed meat and that suggesting it’s okay to eat battery eggs That is factory farmed eggs is just not safe. Sorry to disappoint, folks, but I’m not a purist.


    I will readily admit that grass-fed meat is better both for one’s health and for the environment than meat from confined animal feedlot operations. For years, we kept chickens in our backyard and therefore regularly ate eggs that were superior to grocery store eggs, especially in the summer when the chickens would free-range and eat lots of bugs and clover.


    I have no problem with people using stevia if they prefer it to sucralose. That’s fine. I use stevia more than sucralose myself. That said, I have grocery store meat in my freezer and thawing in my kitchen. Before we had chickens, and since the last got eaten by a predator, I mostly bought and buy pastured eggs, but I’m not above buying grocery store eggs when they’re super cheap.


    Read the full article https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-19-why-im-not-a-low-carb-purist.html


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-19-why-im-not-a-low-carb-purist.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


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  • Are You NOT Getting Enough Sodium on Your Low-Carb Diet?Links and Show Notes

    Sodium Deficiency – hyponatremia

    I got to the piece in the beginning of The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living about the symptoms of sodium deficiency, also known as hyponatremia. And guess what? It sounded very familiar. I looked up hyponatremia online and found this: Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, lethargy, fatigue, appetite loss, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms, or cramps, seizures, and decreased consciousness or coma. Sounded all too familiar. (Except for the coma part, thank heaven.)


    I got to thinking about it, and it seemed possible I’d been eating less salt than I used to. I’ve been eating less in general since I went on the blood sugar medication Victoza. Too, I haven’t been eating a lot of dishes that have much salt mixed in, soups and stews and the like, because of the hot weather. There’s a limit to how much salt you can shake on your eggs or steak, you know? More than once I’ve substituted Greek yogurt with strawberries and nuts – very little sodium there – for supper. And of course, like everyone else, I sweat more in hot weather, losing sodium that way. Been eating a lot of veggies, so my potassium intake has been up, and potassium and sodium need to balance. All told, it seemed very possible that I had become hyponatremic.


    Salt is an essential nutrient – our body needs sodium

    The take-home message here is that despite the demonizing of sodium, it is an essential nutrient; without it we die. Low carbohydrate diets both normalize the body’s ability to excrete excess sodium and dramatically reduce our intake of processed foods, baked goods, chips, and other “snack foods,” the biggest sources of sodium in the modern American diet. So pay attention.


    Read the full article https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-18-are-you-not-getting-enough-sodium-on-low-carb.html


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-18-are-you-not-getting-enough-sodium-on-low-carb.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


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  • Can Low-Carb Slow The Aging Process?Links and Show Notes

    We all know that carb restriction causes weight loss, controls blood sugar, and can help treat all of the ugly effects of metabolic syndrome.


    But what if carb restriction could make you younger?

    It should be noted that this is, to some degree, a reworking of an article I wrote in November of 2010. But the information is still fascinating and very useful. So, here we go.


    In 2010, University of California gerontologist Cynthia Kenyon hit the news with an animal study showing exactly that she’d actually discovered what she calls the Grim Reaper gene and another she calls the Sweet 16 gene, Insulin. the switch that turns on the former and turns off the latter.


    Insulin and insulin-like growth factor or IGF-1, which means that by cutting carbs and lowering insulin you can reverse the process, switching off the Grim Reaper gene and turning on your Sweet 16 gene.


    Or, at least she can in roundworms. Dr. Kenyon started with roundworms. presumably because A) they’re inexpensive and plentiful, and B) they have short lifespans. I mean, you try this stuff on a Galapagos tortoise and you’ll be passing the experiment on to your great-grandchildren. But roundworms generally hit old age in 18 days and croak by 20 days.


    Dr. Kenyon managed to extend some of their lifespans to 144 days. That’s like you or me making it to 450 years. Woo hoo! Many people tell me that they don’t want to live to be old. I have long aspired to make it to at least 120. When I tell people this, they look at me as if I just said I was planning to paint my house fuchsia or wanted to take a vacation to Chornobyl.


    Read the full article https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-17-can-low-carb-slow-the-aging-process.html


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Featured Recipe

    Low-Carb Toasted Almond and Coconut “Cereal” Recipe


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-17-can-low-carb-slow-the-aging-process.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


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  • Serenity Prayer for a Dedicated Low CarberLinks and Show Notes

    Years ago, a reader told me that they admired me because I had stuck with my low-carb diet even though it had not given me the body of my dreams. Surely you’re familiar with the Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity Prayer – “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I don’t care if you’re a praying person or not, nor to whom you pray if you are. But there is something important here.


    Growing Up Overweight

    When I was a kid, I desperately wanted to look like my Skipper doll. (Is Skipper still around? She was Barbie’s little sister.) I wanted to look like the girls in the magazines. I wanted clothes to fit me the way they fit Skipper, the way they fit the models in Young Miss and Tiger Beat (yes, I am that old).


    They never did, and I never did. I could grow my hair to look more like Skipper’s, and I could even lose weight – I was on Weight Watchers starting at age eleven. But the hip clothes just didn’t look so hip on my body. I went straight from having the body of a child to having the body of a matron; I never had a gamine phase.


    The things we can change and the things we cannot.

    I could and did change my diet, my mental and physical health, my size. I learned to dress to flatter the body I have. But my skeleton? That sucker is literally graven in stone. There’s no changing it.


    So there it is: my low-carb diet cannot give me the body of my dreams. Nor can exercise. Hell, radical surgery couldn’t do it, and pain, risk, and expense aside, at sixty-three it seems beside the point.


    Read the full article https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-16-serenity-prayer-for-a-dedicated-low-carber.html


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Featured Recipe

    Low-Carb Blue Trout Recipe (La Truite Au Bleu)


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-16-serenity-prayer-for-a-dedicated-low-carber.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


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  • Calories In/Calories Out vs Carbohydrate Restriction - What Works Best??Links and Show Notes

    There is a long-established truism that weight loss is all about “calories in, calories out,” and along with it the apparently unshakeable assumption that all calories are created equal.


    It’s all bunk. Sheer bunk. But it’s bunk with so much weight of belief behind it that it’s very hard to shake people’s faith in it, even people who should know better.


    So, we’re still bombarded with propaganda from the calorie police. One of their favorites is to tell us that low-carb diets only work because they “trick” you or “fool” you into eating fewer calories, by making you feel less hungry. I have actually read exactly that: “Oh, that diet just works by making you less hungry.” As if that were a bad thing.


    If that were true, I’d be okay with it. I mean, I’d rather be tricked or fooled into eating fewer calories by reducing my appetite than try to muster up the willpower to tolerate being ravenous half the time. (Oh, Lord, the memories. . . When I was in my mid-twenties, I worked at a health food store. Every day I’d buy my lunch from our cooler – a sandwich on whole grain bread, a bottle of juice, a piece of fruit or a whole grain, honey-sweetened cookie. Such a healthy lunch. By two o’clock I’d be starving.


    But it’s simply untrue.


    Unlike your car, which will happily run at sixty miles per hour until it sputters and dies for lack of fuel, your body is a complex living organism, with powerful homoeostatic mechanisms designed to keep you from starving to death. If you follow the common advice to just cut a hundred or two hundred calories per day, your body will simply burn a hundred or two hundred calories less per day – and you will have that much less energy.


    Can you hear Dr. Atkins saying “I told you so” from the Great Beyond?


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Featured Recipe

    Low-Carb Green Eggs & Ham Easter Recipe by Dana Carpender – Includes Video


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-15-calories-in-calories-out-vs-carb-restriction.html


    Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


    Check out more CarbSmart Podcast Episodes.


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  • What About Cheat Days on Your Low-Carb Lifestyle?Links and Show Notes

    “How often should I have a cheat day?” There seems to be an assumption that cheat days are a good idea, something that should be built into a low-carb diet to keep people from feeling deprived.


    I beg to differ.


    Indeed, I’m not sure where the idea of a cheat day even comes from.


    Obviously, it’s meant to appeal to people who cannot imagine just giving up carbs, not eating their favorite carby foods again. But people seem to think it’s a good idea, and that I cannot see.


    I have written of the occasional indulgence – a term I prefer to cheat. “Cheat” implies that you’ll get away with something, and you never, ever do. Your body will notice. And I admit to a few handfuls of potato chips at a party now and then. I recall a cousin’s wedding where I ate a mini-chocolate cheesecake about an inch-and-a-half in diameter – maybe fifteen years ago.


    When I first started, I would have an Indulgence for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving dinner – but I would eat a high protein breakfast that morning, eat one modest serving only of the carbs that really mattered to me – and be done. No leftover potatoes or stuffing or pie that night or over Thanksgiving weekend. Nuh-uh.


    But never a whole day! And never a weekly, or bi-weekly, or even monthly thing. That way lies madness, not to mention failure.


    Why? I’ll respond with a question of my own: If someone you loved was fighting alcoholism and had finally gotten sober, would you suggest that they have a cheat day once a week – start the day with mimosas, down some beers with lunch, go through a bottle or two of wine at dinner – and then expect them to be right back on the wagon the next day? No?


    How about a two-pack-a-day smoker? If they finally managed to quit, would you suggest that they have a smoking day every couple of weeks so they wouldn’t feel deprived?


    This is no way to kick an addiction.


    Includes Dana’s Backwards Pizza Recipe


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Featured Recipe

    Dana Carpender’s Backwards Pizza Recipe in the Show Notes.


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-14-what-about-cheat-days-on-your-low-carb-lifestyle.html


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  • Let’s Go to the Fair! How to Stay Low-Carb at Your County FairLinks and Show Notes

    Summer is here! And for many of us, especially those of us who live in rural-ish areas, that means a trip to the county fair.


    Ah, yes, the county fair, home of deep-fried Snickers bars, corn dogs, elephant ears, and so, so much more. Too many folks simply assume that “It wouldn’t be the fair without !” and give themselves permission to gobble every carb in sight, many of them deep-fried in questionable oils, for the duration.

    Should You Pause Your Low-Carb Diet for Special Occasions?

    I will, therefore, start by denying that “special occasions” give you a pass nutritionally. Your body neither knows nor cares that you’re at the fair; your blood sugar and inflammation levels will rise as high as the fireworks. Yes, I think that an occasional indulgence can work for some people.


    But once you give yourself a pass for one special occasion, it’s amazing how many special occasions appear. “I can have one slice of cake on my birthday” becomes “I have to have cake because it’s my kid’s birthday,” then “It was Sheila’s birthday at the office, and everyone was eating cake, so. . .” In the same way, “It wouldn’t be the fair without cotton candy!” starts to bleed over into, “We’re at the shore for the weekend, I have to have frozen custard!” and “The Robertsons brought such a pretty red-white-and-blue cake to the Fourth of July barbecue, it would be rude not to have some.” Next thing you know, you’re indulging for International Talk Like a Pirate Day.


    Also, some people can, indeed, have a modest indulgence and be right back on track with the next meal. I do this maybe three times a year with potato chips at a party, potato chips being my personal kryptonite. But many of us are addicted, whether to sugar, to wheat (William Davis, MD opened my eyes to the opioid-like addiction wheat can cause), or to carbs in general. I cannot count the times people have told me that they’d been doing great, lost a ton of weight, made huge strides in their health and energy, and were not even having cravings, until they decided, “I’m on vacation!” or “It’s Christmas!” or whatever other occasion they thought merited a “treat”, only to be sucked right back under. I hear from them ten months and forty pounds later. You must be ruthlessly honest with yourself.




    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Featured Recipe

    Seared Rib Eye with Gorgonzola Basil Butter Recipe

    https://www.carbsmart.com/seared-rib-eye-with-gorgonzola-basil-butter-recipe.html


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-13-stay-low-carb-at-your-county-fair.html


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Dana Carpender’s 3 Question Interview with Christine Moore, Functional Nutritional Therapy PractitionerLinks and Show Notes

    Welcome to another three-question interview from CarbSmart. I’m Dana Carpenter, your trusted guide to everything low-carb. In these interviews, I ask a professional whose job, in some way, involves carbohydrate restriction, three-questions, and of course, listen to their answers.


    In Episode 12 of the CarbSmart Podcast, I am interviewing Christine Moore, a functional nutritional therapy practitioner. Having talked to registered dietitians who embrace carbohydrate restriction about the fact that food corporations are a major source of funding, or college dietetics programs and the effect that has on what they are taught and what they are permitted to say to their clients.

    What is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP)?

    A Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP) is a professional who uses a holistic, foundational approach to nutrition to help individuals achieve optimal health. FNTPs focus on bio-individuality, recognizing that each person has unique nutritional needs. They emphasize nutrient-dense, whole foods and support overall wellness through dietary and lifestyle changes.


    What do FNTPs do?

    FNTPs assess clients’ health through detailed consultations, dietary evaluations, and functional assessments. They develop personalized nutrition plans tailored to the individual’s specific needs. These plans often include dietary modifications, lifestyle changes, and targeted supplementation. FNTPs educate clients on the importance of nutrient-dense foods and how to implement these changes in their daily lives.


    How can FNTPs help someone with diabetes or who is overweight?

    For individuals with diabetes or those struggling with weight management, FNTPs can offer significant support:


    1 Diabetes Management

    2. Weight Loss

    3. Holistic Support


    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Featured Recipe

    Keto Low-Carb Cajun Chicken Packets Recipe

    https://www.carbsmart.com/keto-low-carb-cajun-chicken-packets-recipe.html


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-12-3-question-interview-with-christine-moore.html


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Why Do We Equate Junk Food with Fun?CarbSmart Podcast Episode 11

    28 years ago, I had a friend / massage client, my first career was as a massage therapist, whose husband ran a business as a jobber, buying out overstock and stuff from businesses that were closing down, and then selling it to places like Big Lots and Dollar Tree. I was at their house one day, giving Anna a massage, when her husband offered me a five pound bucket of cookies from a lot he'd just purchased.

    I said, no thanks, I don't eat sugar or flour. He said, what? You don't have any fun anymore. It took every ounce of self-restraint. I had not to respond. I prefer sex. Thanks. I was reminded of this a while back when I was driving behind a Frito-Lay delivery truck beneath the Frito-Lay logo was the slogan.


    Good fun.


    Not an hour later watching Law and Order reruns, I saw an ad for blue bunny twist cones. Their slogan was. We make fun! And who hasn't heard of fun sized candy bars? We are surrounded by friends, acquaintances, and businesses who equate junk food With fun, and who do not hesitate to tell us so.


    Have you turned down cake at a birthday party recently? Now I can do this without pushback, because I have a reputation as a hardcore nutcase low carber. No one expects me to eat cake, not at a birthday party, not at a wedding, not at any celebration. Fortunately, I also have a reputation for sprightly conversation, a sense of humor, the ability to tell a story entertainingly, and to listen to the stories of others, and a readiness to dance my butt off.


    My friends have figured out that I am fun. My oddball diet, notwithstanding. But if you have not been doing this for nigh on 29 years, and made writing about it your career, chances are good that someone, somewhere, sometime, will try to convince you that passing up the junk food makes you a buzzkill. This is where I usually go into my suggestions regarding how to derail such pressure tactics, but I'll save that for another time.


    Instead, I found myself thinking about how we came to equate junk food with fun, to the point where many people cannot imagine, say, enjoying an awesome movie, unless they also have a big bucket of popcorn or a bag of chips. How did this happen? For most of human history, I have a few ideas. First, for most of human history, sweets were expensive and hard to come by.

    Links and Show Notes

    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Featured Recipe

    Low-Carb Coconut Scotchies Recipe

    https://www.carbsmart.com/low-carb-coconut-scotchies-recipe.html


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-11-why-do-we-equate-junk-food-with-fun.html


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Dana Carpender Interviews Dr William Davis, Author of Wheat Belly & Super GutCarbSmart Podcast Episode 10

    CarbSmart’s Dana Carpender interviewed William Davis, MD for her “3 Questions with” series.


    Dr William Davis is a prolific writer and expert healthcare professional. He is the New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Wheat Belly series including his latest book, <a href="https://www.carbsmart.com/super-gut-book-review-commentary-by-dana-carpender.html">Super Gut</a>. He is known for his advocating of some basic principles of nutrition and efforts to address common nutrient deficiencies caused by the consumption of wheat products and the disruption of the human microbiome.


    Dr. Davis spent an informative hour talking with CarbSmart’s managing editor Dana Carpender. Read Dana’s review of <a href="https://www.carbsmart.com/wheat-belly-book-review-by-dana-carpender.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wheat Belly</a> and <a href="https://www.carbsmart.com/super-gut-book-review-commentary-by-dana-carpender.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Super Gut</a>.

    Question 1

    If people were unsure about the effects of a particular food on their blood sugar, they should take their blood sugar measurement an hour after eating it, and if their blood glucose was over 120 mg/dL they should never eat that food again. Is that still your feeling or have you modified that in any way?

    Question 2

    You have long advocated a low-carbohydrate diet but have said you're against a keto diet, at least as currently practiced. Since I have been in a mild state of ketosis for most of the past twenty-seven years, I'm curious as to why.

    Question 3

    Do you have any idea what the carb count of the Super Gut yogurt recipe you discuss in your Super Gut book is?

    Bonus Question 4

    Do you know of a particular species of bacteria that increases levels of dopamine?

    Links and Show Notes

    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Dana’s Best & Easiest Sugar-Free Ketchup Recipe – New for 2024!


    Show Notes

    3 Question Interview with Dr. William Davis Author of Super Gut & Wheat Belly


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  • Let’s Go On A Low-Carb Memorial Day Cookout with Dana CarpenderCarbSmart Podcast Episode 9

    Hey gang, you know what’s coming up? A holiday that doesn’t torpedo our diets! Boy, you gotta love Memorial Day weekend. Not only is it the official beginning of summer, not only do most of us have a long weekend off, not only will Miss Manners grant you permission to wear white shoes after this weekend, but it’s a holiday that isn’t centered around junk food.


    Yippee! Indeed, what with all that cooking out, Memorial Day weekend is just made for low carbers. Add to that the fact that many of us have outdoor activities planned. Camping, hiking, biking, boating, volleyball, or just tossing a frisbee around, and you come up with a fun celebration where you might even drop a pound or two.

    Your Low-Carb Cookout Menu

    Of course, you know that you can have all the grilled steak, burgers, and chicken you want, and ain’t that an improvement over the low-fat diet. But don’t forget about all the other grilling possibilities. How about a whole salmon stuffed with shredded scallions and herbs and paper-thin slices of lemon?


    Tuna steaks, a boned, rolled leg of lamb, or how about pork chops? I’ve even been known to smoke a whole-brained turkey on my propane grill. Heavens. And it serves a crowd inexpensively. Hot dogs, brats, and smoked sausage are all popular grilling foods but approach these processed meats with caution. Anytime meat has been ground up and reformed, odds are that some sort of sugar has been added.

    Hot Dogs, Brats, and Smoked Sausage

    Doesn’t mean you can’t eat dogs, brats, or smoked sausage, but it does mean that you want to read the labels and choose the ones with the least added carb. Hot dogs run from one gram of carb per link All the way up to six grams, that’s a six hundred percent difference. For that extra five grams, you could have another light beer.


    Brats and smoked sausage tend to run between one-half and one gram of carb per ounce. And you know you’re eating more than an ounce or two. So, choose the lowest-carb sausages you can find and eat them in moderation. Have half a brat, perhaps, and then a burger or some steak, too. You could smoke a rack or two of ribs, which gives you an excuse to spend five or six hours lazing around the patio, cold beverage in hand, occasionally adding wood chips to the fire, and splashing your ribs with mopping sauce.

    Links and Show Notes

    Website

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Dana’s Best & Easiest Sugar-Free Ketchup Recipe – New for 2024!


    Show Notes: Let’s Go On A Low-Carb Memorial Day Cookout – CarbSmart Podcast Episode 9


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  • What Is A Keto Diet? Keto Basics with Dana CarpenderCarbSmart Podcast Episode 8

    Welcome to today's episode of the CarbSmart Podcast, where your decision to embrace low-carb nutrition becomes a fun and delicious lifestyle. I’m your host, Dana Carpenter, here to guide you through the ins and outs of everything low carb. Today, we’re going back to basics. There’s been a lot of controversy about keto diets versus low-carb diets recently, so let’s talk about what a keto diet is.


    This episode of the CarbSmart Podcast, hosted by Dana Carpender, explores the ketogenic diet—a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to trigger ketosis in the body. Dana discusses the scientific principles behind ketosis, shares practical advice for adopting a keto lifestyle, and addresses common myths. Listeners will gain insight from Dana’s personal experiences and professional knowledge, gaining tools to make informed dietary choices.


    Are you boggled by all of the discussion about a keto diet? Wondering what the heck a keto diet really is and really isn’t? Stick around because we’ll look at what it means and how it compares to other low-carb diets and plans.


    Keto has been the diet buzzword for the past five years or so and with good reason. A ketogenic diet delivers. Most people who go keto lose weight while experiencing increased energy and reduced hunger.

    Links and Show Notes

    Visit our website with over 3,000 Free Articles and Low-Carb Recipes

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Our Featured Recipe

    Low-Carb Toasted Almond and Coconut “Cereal” Recipe


    Check out our CarbSmart Low-Carb Cookbooks

    https://www.carbsmart.com/store


    Show Notes

    What Is A Keto Diet? Keto Basics with Dana Carpender: What You Need to Know – CarbSmart Podcast Episode 8


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • CarbSmart Podcast Episode 7How Did I Get Here? Dana Carpender’s Journey of 29 Years on Low-Carb

    You read her articles, you buy her cookbooks, you make her recipes, now you can listen to her CarbSmart Podcast! In the episode, Dana Carpender describes her Journey of 29 Years on her healthy Low-Carb lifestyle. Explore her ups and downs to becoming a Low-Carb author & guru.


    Want to know how a girl who stole to support her sugar habit turned into a hardcore nutrition buff who has made her career writing about nutrition?


    How I got here by Dana Carpender

    My carb addiction started early, and so did other problems. I started seeing a shrink when I was 11. I also already had an unhealthy relationship with sugar. At Girl Scout meetings, I always went back to grab more cookies before I’d finish the first handful. I was afraid they’d run out.


    Note, I am now eligible for Social Security, and they’re still making Oreos. That scarcity mentality was strange. I was the weird kid. Super bright, unmotivated, compulsively talkative, overweight. My social skills were, shall we say, lacking. All of this inspired my parents to turn to a psychologist when I was 11.


    My mom and I joined Weight Watchers that same year. It’s worth noting that the original Weight Watchers program was generous with lean protein but limited carbs quite sharply. For the youth program, a few slices of bread a day with no alternatives such as rice, potatoes, or pasta, and one-half cup of higher carb vegetables per day, non-starchy vegetables were unlimited.


    It was the common wisdom of the time that if you wanted to lose weight, you gave up potatoes, spaghetti, bread, and sweets. I did lose weight on that plan, but at that age, the notion of a permanent change in eating habits wasn’t within my grasp.


    Then came the Atkins Diet.

    When I was 13, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution first hit the market.


    Links and Show Notes

    Website CarbSmart.com

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    How Did I Get Here? Dana Carpender’s Journey of 29 Years on Low-Carb – CarbSmart Podcast Episode 7


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Put up in a place where it’s easy to see the cryptic admonishment T T T. When you feel how depressingly slowly you climb, it’s well to remember that Things Take Time.– Piet HeinCarbSmart Podcast Episode 6How's Your New Year's Resolution?

    So how are those New Year’s resolutions coming? I’d like to add one to them if you don’t mind.

    Be patient.


    Yes, Things Take Time

    Impatience is the death of most diet and exercise regimens, whether undertaken for the new year or at any other time.


    All those stupid ads for diets, diet pills, and exercise equipment promise ridiculous results like, we guarantee you’ll lose two dresser pant sizes in 10 days or your money back.


    Of course, they know that only a teeny fraction of purchasers will, a) follow their instructions to the letter, or b) bother to ship the thing back.


    I’m here to tell you that losing one dress or pants size in ten days is rare, much less losing two. Furthermore, and this is important – whatever you do to lose that dress or pants size is what you must continue to do for the rest of your life if you want to maintain the loss. There is no finish line. But these ads put ridiculous ideas in people’s heads, like that they can undo two or three decades’ worth of neglect in two weeks.

    Links and Show Notes

    Website CarbSmart.com

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    How’s Your New Year’s Resolution? Remember Things Take Time – CarbSmart Podcast Episode 6


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • How to Succeed with Your Low-Carb Resolutions

    I’m pretty sure I was supposed to have a flying car and a robot maid by now, but I’ll settle for a healthy body and a happy life. How about you? I think it’s the annual reminder of the relentless passage of time that makes New Year’s Day a great time to rededicate ourselves to achieving and preserving those things, in the interest of doing just that. Here are some suggestions for low-carb New Year’s resolutions.


    I like New Year’s resolutions.


    Yes, I know most people don’t keep them for very long. However, I also know that life change often requires repeated attempts. If I recall correctly, the average smoker tries to quit eight or ten times before successfully giving it up. What if, having failed once or twice, he or she said, “These resolutions just don’t work. Heck with it.”


    I think it’s always a good idea to rededicate ourselves to actions that we know will benefit our lives. And if we don’t carry through the first or the fifth or the fifteenth time, it’s good to know we can try again, and it is to be hoped, quite smarter, incorporating knowledge we have gained from previous attempts.


    So if you’re here for the first time, having just dedicated yourself to nutrition and weight loss, welcome to the wonderful world of low-carb. We have more fun here than people suspect. If you’ve done low carb before and are starting over, welcome back. I very much hope I can help.


    #carbsmart #lowcarb #keto #ketodiet #ketorecipes #lowcarbdiet #newyearsresolutions #resolutions


    © by Dana Carpender. Used by kind permission of the thankful author. What do you think? Please send Dana your comments at [email protected]

    Links and Show Notes

    Website CarbSmart.com

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-06-hows-your-new-years-resolution-things-take-time.html


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • We made it through Thanksgiving! It is now officially party season. There will be tree-trimming parties, cookie-baking parties, Festivus parties, Yuletide celebrations, Hanukkah get-togethers, New Year's Eve party, and even my sister's Twelfth Night party. Just general all-out merriment from now until at least January 2nd.


    This means it is time for my annual rundown on drinking


    Contrary to popular belief, alcohol does not turn into sugar in your bloodstream. However, it is carbohydrate-derived. Alcohol is what yeasts pee out after eating sugars. Doesn't that sound yummy? Hey, it doesn't stop me. Alcohol does behave like a carb in one important way.


    Your body burns it preferentially. Just as eating carbohydrates shuts down fat burning, so does drinking alcohol. Or, as a medical journal article I read DONKEY'S years ago phrased it, "Alcohol profoundly inhibits lipolysis." Furthermore, at 7 calories per gram, nearly twice the calorie count of carbs, It can take you longer to burn through the booze.


    This is why alcohol, despite some apparent benefits, is always an indulgence when you're trying to lose weight. Because alcohol is carbohydrate-derived, there are a fair number of alcoholic beverages that contain residual carbohydrates.


    Beer is the worst offender


    Your average can of beer has in the neighborhood of 15 grams of carbohydrates and dark beers and red beers can run considerably higher.


    What to Drink on the Low-Carb Cruise


    I’ve learned to keep a good supply of sparkling water at hand and use that to quench my thirst. It makes a huge difference. When I’ve gone on a Low-Carb Cruise, I always buy the unlimited soda package. I pay a flat fee for the week for all the soft drinks I can swallow, which otherwise run two bucks a can.


    I don’t even drink soda. I hate it. I just do this so that I can suck down club soda while we’re all out in the bars and lounges at night. Not only does this help to moderate drinking, but it also prevents dehydration, which is a big contributor to hangovers. Since dehydration does indeed contribute to hangovers, downing a big glass or two of water before hitting the sack is a great idea.


    Gulp down a couple of aspirin or ibuprofen with it, and your prospects for a good New Year’s Day become even brighter. Here’s another public service announcement, this one quite serious: Do not take Tylenol for hangovers. Both alcohol and acetaminophen are rough on the liver. Taking the two together can cause serious liver damage or even liver failure.


    Pop a multivitamin with your aspirin to replace the water-soluble vitamins you’ve washed out. And I don’t have to tell you not to drive drunk, right? Many towns have free public transit on New Year’s Eve, so take advantage. Around here, the cabs run free, but it will only take you home, not to another bar. It’s a huge public service, and I laud them.


    Links and Show Notes

    Website CarbSmart.com

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-04-low-carb-alcohol-guide.html


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • If I posted a Thanksgiving article a couple of weeks ago, it must be the Christmas shopping season. Or Hanukkah. Or Kwanzaa. or Yule. or Saturnalia. Or Festivus, or let’s drink to the days getting longer again.


    Whatever you want to celebrate is fine by me, so long as you count me in on the wine. So, let’s talk a little about low-carb gift giving. Low-carb gift giving? Sure, in a couple of ways. First, most low carbers know other low carbers. We’re a friendly bunch. Just go on the low-carb cruise someday. You’ll see. 


    Links and Show Notes

    Festive Low-Carb Food Gifts


    Keto Snack Box Gift Basket by Bunny James


    More Low-Carb Gift Baskets


    Cheese Gift Baskets


    Hickory Farms Beef Summer Sausage & Cheese Medium Gift Box


    Bacon Freak Bacon of the Month Club here and here.


    Other Bacon of the Month Clubs


    Alaska Smokehouse Jumbo Smoked Salmon


    Bacon Freak 6 Pack Dry Cured Gourmet Bacon Combo


    Coffee Gift Baskets


    Atlas Coffee Club World of Coffee Sampler, Gourmet Coffee Gift Set


    Gourmet Tea Gift Sets


    Website CarbSmart.com

    https://CarbSmart.com


    Find Hundreds of Articles and Delicious and Easy-to-Make Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

    https://www.carbsmart.com/author/dana


    Show Notes

    https://www.carbsmart.com/podcast-03-low-carb-holiday-gift-giving.html


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.