ALDI LOW CARB FINDS FOR THE WEEK (click here to print)

Fresh Vegetables

Zucchini– $2.49, 1.5 Net Carbs per 1 cup
Squash– $2.49, 2.6 Net Carbs per 1 cup
Organic Spring Mix– $1.69, 0.4 Net Carbs per 1 cup
Brussels Sprouts– $2.99, 4.7 Net Carbs per 1/2 cup
Green Onions– $0.89, 2.4 Net Carbs per 1/2 cup
Mushrooms– $1.29, 1.4 Net Carbs per 1/2 cup
Cucumber– $1.25, 1 Net Carbs per 1/2 cup

Meats/Cheese

Cheese Tray– $4.99, This tray has 4 types of cheese (Havarti, Sharp White Cheddar, Gouda and Chipotle Jack) that are all 0 carbs!
Flavored Tuna Pouches– $0.89, Zesty Lemon Pepper and Orginal Flavors both have <1 Net Carb, Sweet and Spicy Flavor has 3 Net Carbs
Chicken Breast– $2.79 per pound, 0 Net Carbs
Bacon– $3.89, 0 Net Carbs
Ham Steak– $2.89 per pound, 3 net carbs for 4 oz.
Chicken Thighs– $1.19 per pound, 0 Net Carbs

Frozen Vegetables

Fire Roasted Vegetables– $2.99, 6 Net Carbs in 4 oz
Vegetable Medley– $2.99, 5 Net Carbs in 4 oz
Frozen Chopped Spinach– $1.39, 2 Net Carbs per 1 cup
Frozen Chopped Kale– $1.39, 1 Net Carb per 2/3 cup
Frozen Broccoli Florets– $1.09, 2 Net Carbs per 3 oz

Frozen Meats

Roasted Pepper and Lime Seasoned Chicken Breast-$7.49, 2 Net Carbs per 4 oz
Smoked Bacon Chicken Bites– $4.49, 4 Net Carbs per 5 oz
Seared Ahi Tuna– $6.99, 1 Net Carb per 6 oz
Smoked Bacon Filet Mignon Bites- $4.49, 4 Net Carbs per 5 oz
Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs– $4.99, 5 Net Carbs per 4 oz skewer

Canned Goods/Miscellaneous

Extra Virgin Olive Oil– $3.49, 0 net carbs
Mixed Nuts– $2.79, 4 Net Carbs per 1/4 cup
Asparagus Spears– $2.19, 2 Net Carbs per 3.5 oz
Sauerkraut– $0.65, <1 Net Carb per 2 tablespoons

lowcarbforless.com

ARTICLES: TOP 11 LOW CARB MYTHS (A MUST READ)

http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2015/12/29/top-11-low-carb-myths/

HOLIDAYS: PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE FUDGE (click here to print)

 you only use a little to get a lot of sweet.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge, Sweetened with Stevia

This recipe makes 25 servings; one serving equals a 1 1/2” square. The fudge stays refrigerator-fresh for three to four days, and can be frozen in an airtight container up to two months.
You will need:

• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 3/4 teaspoon stevia extract
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
• 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk( for Keto use whey protein powder-Isopure for 0 carbs)
• 6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped (Scharffen or Ghirardelli brands are recommended)
• 1 cup natural peanut butter

Preparation:

1. Add the stevia to the boiling water and mix until dissolved. Add the butter and stir until most is melted. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, stir, and pour into a mixing bowl. Add the dry milk and mix until blended.
2. Put the chocolate and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cover. Melt the ingredients in a microwave for at least 1 1/2 minutes on high. Stir well and then microwave for 20 more seconds, or until the mixture is melted—completely smooth when stirred. Add the butter/milk mixture and combine by hand or with an electric mixer. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
3. Foil line an 8” square pan and pour the fudge into it. Flatten the top using a knife or wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Cut the fudge into squares—refrigerate or store in the freezer.

One square of this fudge has 138 calories, 5g carbs, 2g total sugars, 40mg sodium, 12g fat, 2g fiber, and 4g protein.

informationaboutdiabetes.com

SAUCES: CREAMY FRENCH DRESSING (click here to print)

Creamy French Dressing



Ingredients:

• 1/2 C sugar free ketchup
• 1/2 C mayonnaise
• 1/3 C apple cider vinegar (I recommend Bragg’s)
• 1/3 C sweetener (I recommend an equivalent of liquid sweetener like SteviaClear)
• 2/3 C olive or avocado oil (oil must be liquid at room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• Few dashes of pepper

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to two weeks.

Makes about 12 large servings. 

Nutrition: 170 calories, 1g carbs, 19 g fat, 0 g protein per serving.

cutthewheat.com

ARTICLES: WHAT ARE GOOD FATS ON A LOW CARB DIET

http://www.tasteaholics.com/keto-diet/what-are-good-fats-on-a-low-carb-diet/

ARTICLES: BENEFITS OF A LOW CARB DIET

MAIN DISH: PUMPKIN CHILI (click here to print)

PUMPKIN CHILI
1 lb. ground meat (grass-fed beef, ground turkey or even chicken)
2-1/2 lbs. of cut veggies such as bell pepper, zucchini, squash (all types), onions , cut into 1-inch chunks
5 tbsp. chili seasoning
1/4-1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt or sea salt
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (start with 1 tsp.)
1-1/2 cups mashed pumpkin
Sweeten to taste (I used 1/8 tsp. Stevia Select and 1 tbsp. honey)
1/4 cup tomato paste
Hot Sauce (optional)

instructions
Brown meat either in a large pot or slow cooker (only if your slow cooker can be used on the stove top). Once meat is almost cooked, add the cut veggies, chili seasoning, 1/4 tsp. salt, cinnamon, pumpkin, sweetener and tomato paste. Stir well.

Cook in slow cooker on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours or cover and cook on stove top on low for 45-60 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Before serving, stir and taste for salt, cinnamon and sweetness and adjust if needed for your taste. If you desire extra salt and chili seasoning, sprinkle with a little Cajun House Seasoning or even hot sauce.  makes about 10 cups
8.5 carbs

satisfyingeats.com

HOLIDAYS: MULLED WINE (click here to print)

the first LCHF mulled wine



•1 bottle (75 cl) dry red wine
•2 cups (5 dl) water
•1 t 2 tsp. orange extract
•1 teaspoon grated orange peel...
•1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
•1 cinnamon stick
•1 cup (2 dl) blackberries
•1/2 cup (1 dl) black currants or blueberries
•1/2 cup (1 dl) raspberries
•1 teaspoon whole cloves
•1 cup (2 dl) hard liquor, such as lemon vodka – optional

1. Put everything in a pot (not the liquor) and heat.
2. Bring to a boil, remove from heat.
4.  “rest” for 1–3 hours, or even better, overnight.
5. Pour in liquor if you want a strong mulled wine – optional.
6. Strain and pour into a bottle!
7. Serve with peeled almonds!

For nutritional values, click here

BREAKFAST: BREAKFAST PIZZAS (click here to print)

For nutritional values,  click here

Breakfast Pizza with Gruyere, Baked Eggs, and Bacon

SERVES: 6

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 cups almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

For the Pizza

• ¼ cup Crème fraîche (scd legal), or Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• 7 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
• 4 eggs
• fresh chives
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix the dough ingredients in a stand mixer until the a soft dough comes together in a ball. Press the dough into a tart pan, then bake the crust for 10 minutes.
3. Mix the Crème fraîche and Gruyère in a bowl and add a dash of salt and pepper.
4. Spread the cheese mixture in the bottom of the baked tart shell, then layer the bacon on top.
5. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
6. Bake the tart for 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese, then remove it and carefully crack the eggs on top.
7. Return it to the oven and bake it for another 7-10 minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft. If you prefer more well-done yolks, leave the tart in the oven for 2-3 minutes more. The whites will look slightly underdone due to the oils from the cheese, but they will be set.
8. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

againstallgrains.com

HOLIDAYS: 30 OF THE BEST LOW CARB COOKIE RECIPES

http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2015/12/30-best-low-carb-cookie-recipes-gluten-free.html

ARTICLE: 13 COMMON KETO DIET MISTAKES (click here to print)

13 common keto diet mistakes (staying under 30 net carbs per day to lose weight and control blood sugars)  Atkins Induction Phase

1. You are obsessing over macros
On the surface, this might seem a little contradictory to some of the other items on this list, but hear me out for a second. The mistake isn’t tracking your macros. The mistake is OBSESSING over your macros. The biggest psychological benefit to keto is the freedom it provides. You’re no longer shackled to the hangry, sad existence filled with constant food preoccupation. You’re free to live. So don’t shackle yourself by fretting and obsessing about macros. You aren’t eating macros, you’re eating food. Make sure your food is keto-friendly, and you’re going to be doing just fine.

2. You are obsessing over the scale
I’ve written about this before, but it’s important enough to repeat. The number on the scale is the least important metric you can use to gauge your success. This is another pet peeve of mine that is similar to the previous mistake. Enjoy the freedom of your life, don’t fret about the number on the scale. The scale is always a snap shot of what happened two weeks ago. Think about it. Aside from water, which can fluctuate many pounds in a short period of time, in order for you to gain or lose weight, it requires time. The scale doesn’t tell you important information. Don’t sweat it.

3. You are eating too much protein
Protein is, probably, the most important macro, because it is essential (we cannot manufacture all the requisite amino acids) and it is required to build and rebuild all of our soft tissues (muscles, organs, etc.). However, too much protein can sabotage your efforts to reach ketosis. The reason for this is that for every 100g of protein, 56g can be converted to glucose. So if you eat way more than you need, the excess will be converted to glucose. Another great thing about keto is that it is “protein sparing.” That means that nutritional ketosis will KEEP protein in your body, and not strip it away (like high-carb foods).

4. You are not eating enough fat
This might seem like a strange mistake to make when you’re choosing to eat a high-fat diet. But, surprisingly, many people still fear the fat. Look, going from a lifetime of low-fat to a diet of high-fat is a paradigm shift that isn’t necessarily easily achieved. So a lot of people still feel weird about unrestricted fat intake. To that, I can only say: Trust the keto and enjoy the fat. Because of the unique biochemical responses your body has to dietary fat, it’s highly improbable that you can eat too much of it.

5. You are eating the wrong kinds of fat
It’s not enough to eat lots of fat. It has to be the right kinds of fats. In short, stay away from vegetable and seed oils, the kind in the plastic containers. They are extremely unhealthy and will sabotage all your efforts. You should be eating saturated fats (animal fats, butter, coconut oil), fish oil, and monounsaturated fat (olive oil).

6. You are eating processed “keto” foods
Keto is about whole food, real food, actual food. Think of it this way:

You should be eating ingredients. You should not be eating stuff that comes in individual wrappers. Quest bars, Atkins bars, and the like are not actual keto foods. They are distractions and setbacks. They are candy bars dressed in “approved” clothing. That’s not to say that you should NEVER have one. Sometimes it might be the best you can do, but the MAJORITY of your food should be real food, actual food. You know…ingredients.

7. You are worrying about your cholesterol
I get questions about cholesterol more than almost any other. It’s understandable. For the past 50 years, you’ve been inundated with the myth that cholesterol is dangerous. It’s a myth. Cholesterol is the opposite of dangerous. It’s essential. Every cell in your body needs cholesterol. Having “high” cholesterol has no correlation to any sort of heart or cardiovascular disease. There is absolutely NOTHING to worry about, as it relates to high cholesterol levels. The reason we think there is a problem is because of Ancel Keys, and his diet-heart hypothesis. Simply put, the diet-heart hypothesis posits that higher levels of cholesterol (particularly due to a high saturated fat diet) has negative effects on heart and cardiovascular health. He made this assertion with no real evidence, and he later rejected it. Yes, the man that made us afraid of cholesterol actually rejected the very hypothesis that made him famous. You can reject it to.

8. You are looking for a quick fix
I’m not going to spend a lot of energy on this one. Keto is not a qick-fix diet. It’s a lifestyle change. If you think you can “go keto” and drop a few pounds and then go back to how you were eating, please move on. I don’t have time for you.

9. You are not all in
Keto is not for the half-hearted. You have to commit. It requires real determination and grit. You’re going against the grain (pun TOTALLY intended) and you’re choosing a way of life that is difficult for the majority of society to understand. You cannot sit on the fence. You absolutely must be all in or all out. From a practical perspective, choosing to eat high fat AND high carb (not committing fully to keto) is a dangerous combination. You’re choosing the worst possible scenario and risking your health. The answer, of course, is to commit fully to keto and reap the rewards of focused determination and discipline.

10. You are eating because the clock says so
I’m going to share with you some things that might just blow your mind. You don’t have to eat “breakfast” in the morning. You don’t have to eat because it’s noon. You don’t have to eat because it’s six o’clock. You don’t have to avoid food right before you go to bed. You, like me, have been trained by the high-carb mafia to eat based upon what the clock says, not what your body says. The clock has no idea whether or not you’re hungry. Just because it is a certain time of day doesn’t mean you MUST eat. If you’re not hungry, then don’t eat. Also, just because it’s a certain time of day doesn’t mean that you CANNOT eat. If you’re hungry, then eat. The clock has no idea what’s going on in your body. Your body does. Listen to your body and hear what it is telling you. Eat when it says it’s time.

11. You are comparing yourself to others
Stop. Just stop. Someone else’s progress is not a determining factor in your success. Everyone is different. We all gain and lose fat in different areas and at different rates. If you find yourself constantly basing your success on someone else’s progress, then you’re doing it wrong. Just because Skinny Sally lost 100 pounds in a month doesn’t mean you are a failure if you haven’t. Just because Thin Thomas cut his body fat to 10% doesn’t mean you are a failure because you haven’t. Everyone is different. You have to learn what works for you. But I can assure you, what doesn’t work is trying to compare yourself and your success to other people. That’s a recipe for disaster.

12. Not getting enough salt/potassium/magnesium/Vitamin D
I’m seeing this more and more. Electrolyte (salt) imbalance is a big deal for keto folks. We’re so used to avoiding salt, because too much salt in an inflamed body will be VERY bad. But when you’re keto, you don’t have an inflamed body, so your body NEEDS more salt. So you need to make sure you are getting that salt every day, at least 2 tsp. And magnesium. And Vitamin D. Those are important. Most of you will get plenty in your food, but if not, make sure you’re supplementing adequately.

13. You are going it alone
I’ve talked about this before. Making a change in your life this massive is powerful, and it’s very difficult to sustain if you aren’t prepared. You will be much better off with a supportive group (it doesn’t have to be a massive group) of people who understand your struggle, understand your success, and understand your journey. Find someone who can be there to help, to admonish, and to walk with you  Join  the Facebook  group called TYPE 2 DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP GLOBAL NETWORK

ketovangelist.com

SOUPS: POBLANO PEPPER SOUP (click here to print)

It’s perfect for the approaching cold weather!

Ingredients:

5 poblano peppers
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken bone broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation:

Roast poblano peppers until skin is charred and blistered. You can do this over the open flame on a gas stove, or by heating your broiler to high and placing poblanos within a few inches of the broiler (turning to get all sides charred).
Place poblanos in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool, then rub skin to remove as much as possible. Cut out seeds and then place in a food processor or blender to finely chop. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and poblanos and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in chicken broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken pieces and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add cream cheese and two cups of the cheddar cheese and whisk until smooth.
To serve, divide into 6 bowls and sprinkle each with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Sit briefly under the broiler until cheese is melted and browned (this step is optional but OH SO GOOD!).

Serves: 6 (as a full meal soup)

Nutrition Info: Food energy: 575kcal, Total fat: 37.99g, Calories from fat: 341, Cholesterol: 183mg, Carbohydrate: 4.24g, Total dietary fiber: 0.17g, Protein: 39.77g

asweetlife.org