Loving the simple things

Canning Adventures

2013-03-24T17:11:00.001-07:00

I've decided to get back into the swing of canning! To start, I've been using my pressure canner as a hot water bath canner for dilly beans and pickled asparagus. These were both successful (recipes below). Next up, I'm going to try chili and chicken broth in the pressure canner!

Spicy Dilly Bean (or Asparagus) Pints
4lbs green beans
10 hot peppers (I used serrano)
10 heads dill
10 cloves garlic
20-100 pepper corns (2-10 per jar, depending on your preference)
5c white vinegar
5c water
1/2c canning salt

1- Prep: sanatize each jar, check for cracks, prep lids and rings. See the blue ball book for specifics on this process. Prep the canner, filling it half way with water (if you're using a pressure canner, take off the pressure guage and the pressure release valve). Bring water in canner to 140F to prep for jars.
2- In the bottom of each jar, put one head dill, one pepper, one clove garlic, and 2-10 whole peppercorns.
2- Put vinegar, water, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, reduce and hold a simmer.
3- Pack the beans (or asparagus) into the jars, leaving 1/2" of headspace. Pour brine in using a canning funnel (keeping the headspace). Put on lid and ring and tighten down. Do this to all the jars.
4- Put the jars in the preheated canner, making sure the jars are covered by at least 1" of water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.
5- Remove the jars (using a jar lifter!) and let rest 12-24 hours. Check all the seals. The lid shouldn't "ping" or "flex" at this point. Store for 4-8 weeks before consuming so the flavor develops.

Plopping... sounds bad, is actually good

2013-01-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm just on a beauty kick, aren't I? Who would have thought it.

I'll start with an anecdote. My mother hoped beyond hope that one day I'd be a real member of this "female" group that I'm part of. When I was a kid, I wanted none of it. I wouldn't wear pink, I refused to brush my hair, and I had no interest in dress-up or make-up. She'll be so disappointed to know that I still refuse to brush my hair.... sort of. I now do what's known as the "curly girl" method of hair care. I haven't read the actual book about it, because I'm lazy, but I found enough online to be going along with. Here's the basics:
-I don't brush my hair except immediately before a shower.
-I don't use shampoo, just a sulfate- and silicone-free conditioner. (No fear, conditioners still have some surfactant activity). This is the infamous "no-poo" method.
-I plop my hair. That isn't what it sounds like! Basically, it just means that post-shower, while my hair is still nice and wet, I put a little bit of silicone-free mouse in and lay it down on a flour sack towel, that I then tie on my head. No rubbing, etc. It let's the hair dry in a "scrunched" position, which results in much curlier curls. This is because gravity isn't stretching your curls as they dry. I usually leave my hair scrunched about 45 minutes. A lot of people have to do less, apparently, since they get a bunch of frizz otherwise. To each their own. The key here is to not let terrycloth (the classic towel material) near your hair. It catches on the curls and yanks them out of formation. At least, that's my understanding of it.
That's it! I let my hair down, it dries the rest of the way, and curls galore!

Before picture (how my hair used to look):

Now after (how my hair looks now):

The after! Look at those curls!

Coconut oil ROCKS

2013-01-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

I now wash my face with oil! Yep, you read that right. I take coconut oil (solid at room temp), rub between my palms, slather on my face, steam with a washcloth, then partially wipe off. I rub the remainder in as a moisturizer. I've been at this about a month and a half now, and end result? Minimal acne! Huzzah, hoorah, hallelujah, and whatever other alliterative celebratory sounds you can come up with.

The oil washing with coconut oil on my face was such a success that I now use it as a lotion, too (rub a thin layer on post-shower). I also use it as a shaving "lotion" for my underarm since it prevents all razor burn. I also use it to tame frizzies and moisturize my hair ends. Point is, I use it a lot. (I also use it for cooking, but I think that probably more "normal"). Thank goodness Cotco had a mega-tub of organic stuff for like $24. It's not exactly going quickly (a little goes a long way) but it's nice that I won't have to give a though to most both stuff for the next long while.
(This is the stuff that I use- not an affiliate link, not where I bought it, just a helpful visual).

Where my diet is now

2013-01-18T15:47:00.001-08:00

Long time no see everyone! I figured I would drop by and give an update on the state of my diet these days.

-I start the day with a sausage patty. Every day. I haven't gotten tired of it and it's been nearly a year. The brand is "Mulay's", and their breakfast sausage is fantastic. Not cheap, but fantastic. This I fry in a little bit of butter or coconut oil.
-I average 3-4 8oz cups of coffee per day, with a touch of organic half and half, no sweetener. I no longer drink coffee after 5 because...
-At 5pm, I switch to black or green tea. Usually that means just one cup. Sometimes its kombucha (fermented black), usually just black tea, no sweetener. Sometimes I mix it up and do yerba mate. I don't drink caffeine after 8pm (or I try not to, anyway).
-Somewhere between 8pm and bedtime I try for a cup of herbal tea, usually chamomile. I also try for a glass of red wine around this same time.
-Not dietary, but health related: I've tried to eliminate screens after 10pm. Anyone with sleep problems and/or morning nausea (ie, can't palate breakfast) should look into this as well.
-I incorporate at least 3 fermented foods servings per week. Usually it's much higher than that, but sometimes I struggle. One must be vegetable (ie, bubbie's pickes, naturally fermented sauerkraut, etc), and one must be dairy (usually whole milk organic yogurt with a tiny bit of jam for sweetness). The other can be either, or kombucha.
-I've been trying for at least one serving of fish or seafood per week. This has been my hardest to maintain. I love sushi, but it's expensive. I love fish and chips, but it's issues probably outweigh the benefits. And I have a very hard time eating salmon and the like. I've started doing cocktail shrimp, though, and that seems like a good compromise.
-Organ meats were my new years resolution. I really, really want to make sure I'm getting at least one serving of organ meats a week. The easiest is when I make chili and substitute beef heart for half of the steak. I want to start mixing ground liver with my ground beef (like 10% tops so I won't notice the change) but haven't found anywhere that will custom grind. A work in progress...
-My proudest achievement last year pertained to broccoli. I eat broccoli or asparagus or artichoke at least twice a week. Since the latter two are highly seasonal, winter mainly comes down to dishes of frozen broccoli. My recipe:
2.5lb bag of frozen broccoli
Olive oil
Spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder
Several slivers of butter to top it all off
I preheat the oven to 400 and put it in for 16 minutes. I then eat the florets dipped in naturally fermented gluten-free soy sauce. Yummmm.
-Semi-dietary: I do 2,000IU of Vit D daily and 400mg of folic acid daily. I haven't forgotten a day in months. Yay me.
-I still mainly eat paleo/keto. I do thai food probably once a week, which gives a fair bit of rice and vegetable oils, but I love it and the veggies and spice I get do me good. I do some grains in soup (a quinoa and wild rice mix) and some white rice as a side dish. This probably amounts to rice about 2-3 times per week. I don't do any other grains. Still no bread, potatoes, etc. I do some nuts (almonds, pistachios, and the occasional brazil nut). Lots of veggies, but I'm still working to increase this amount- especially my leafy greens. I do minimal fruit, but do eat the occasional kiwi, blueberries, and raspberries (and obviously bell peppers and tomatoes if you're going to be a stickler on the whole "fruit" thing).
-I'm healthy and well. The few times I have gotten sick since leaving my job of never-sleeping, it has been short and minimally invasive.

The NuSI initiative just made my day... week... month...

2012-10-31T13:22:00.001-07:00

My inner nerd could NOT BE HAPPIER. A pdf summarizing/analysing EVERY STUDY to do with calories in/calories out vs carbohydrate hypothesis.

This is awesome you guys. Just... awesome.

In retrospect

2012-10-08T12:12:00.002-07:00

It's been a year since I've posted. I won't dwell on the why- discussions like that always leave all parties wanting. But I will share what I have learned. I have grown as a person, and I hope it can inspire others to grow as well.

-I've learned that you only dread the 9-5 until you're stuck in a 10pm-8am. Then, all of a sudden, that 9-5 is looking pretty good. So is sunshine.
-I've learned that there really is such a thing as a relationship without fights. One where I don't have to berate myself to play nice- I do it without thinking.
-I've learned so many incredibly painful ways to lose friends. The ones you fight with are the easiest. Then you know why. But the ones that move or that stop replying to your calls can hurt so much more. And I've learned that the worst of all can be the friend that loves you. I don't have any wisdom for resolution on these lessons- I have yet to figure it out myself.
-I've learned that people from your past can become the most important people to your future.
-I've learned that shared goals and passions make love last far more effectively than starting with shared friends.
-I've learned that friends are hard to make and a community is hard to find when you don't have something like church to tie everyone together. Without classes, a campus community, work buddies, and a church group, it can be very hard to find like-minded people my age.
-I've been reminded of that quote by Mark Twain, "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
-I've learned that classes are much harder to "attend" when you don't live on campus. I had done one or two classes per term online, but never had my whole schedule online until I returned to school this term. It is an interesting exercise in commitment and time management.
-I've learned to love people I don't know simply because those I do love, love that person. This is one of those ultimate exercises in trust.
-I've learned that sunshine really is one of the best things in life.
-I've re-learned the joy of reading for pleasure.
-I've learned that two adults really can keep a home clean all the time. It doesn't have to get destroyed, and I don't have to yell, to get it clean again. An agreement on the division of labor goes a long way toward harmony.
-I've learned the joy of owning a coffee maker with a timer.
-I've learned that sometimes, you can come home again. At least, back to the city of your youth.
-I've learned that, in spite of the occasional bout of melancholy, I really can be happy. I think this has been the biggest lesson of all. I really can have a life in which I wake up in the morning and feel joy. A life where I sometimes pause, and my breath catches, to realize just how happy I really am. And I don't think I'll ever be able to settle for less.
-I've learned that life never goes the direction I plan for it. That's okay with me now. I set rough goals, general guidelines, and figure that it will all eventually work out. I'm headed somewhere, I'm aware of where I am, and that is enough for now.
-I've learned that full benefits and a company cell phone aren't worth waking up every day (or evening) wanting to cry.
-I've learned that the support of loved ones make so many things possible. I wouldn't have been able to quit my job without the financial and emotional support of my SO and my family. And I would have been stretched to return to classes without my parents covering the tuition. So many people in my life have gone above and beyond what I would ever ask of them. I've learned that sometimes, there isn't any way to say "thank you" for the magnitude of some gestures.

That's all I have for now. I'm sure there is more, but I have class work to get to.

A responsible adult?

2012-05-14T01:01:00.002-07:00

I haven't posted in a very long time as I'm sure you are all aware. But I have good news! I am a functioning member of society now (pretty much). I have a job, an apartment, a boyfriend, a dog, and I pay taxes. I even have dental insurance.

But you know what is really weird? I'm currently pulling an all-nighter because it's the responsible thing to do. That's right. I'm staying up all night because I'm supposed to. You see, I'm switching to graveyard shift for a couple weeks. And in order to sleep all day prior to my first shift, I need to re-calibrate. Easiest way to do that? Skip a night and sleep the next day. I woke up at 9 or so this morning, and I'll be going to bed at 10 tomorrow morning. 25 hours, easy peasy. And then hopefully I'll sleep well (with assistance from my friends melatonin and benedryl, of course) and be conscious for work. Let's hope it works out.

Life updates! Version zzzzzz...

2012-03-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

So let's play good news/bad news.

Good news: I got a job! I'm a quality assurance technician for (basically) an ice cream factory. Its full time, it has benefits, and is very much a higher responsibility "adult" type job. I get paid to geek out in a lab smock (coats have pockets), hairnet and gloves.

Bad news: when I say full time, I mean really, really full time. Just on my schedule for this week I was scheduled for 47 hours... and this is prior to it becoming apparent that we need to run on Saturday and Sunday, too. Best guess? I'll end up working probably about 58 hours this week. Which is a full time job plus the hours at my college job. A wee bit intimidating.

Good news: My coworkers are awesome. Patient, smart, witty, but also with high expectations of me. Pretty much the environment I usually thrive in. Supportive with a nice steak of challenge (aka unadulterated terror).

Bad news: My schedule right now has me starting work at 5:30am. As a result of switching to this, I still haven't shaken the cold that I was almost recovered from when I started work. And of course this cold followed the cardinal rule of illness: it was the most inconvenient possible time. I haven't been sick for over 4 months until now. (I guess that could count as good news there).

Good news: It's my birthday tomorrow! I'm going to be 23 years old.

Bad news: As a result of my crazy schedule (and not having a day off until the 17th... which I'm starting to doubt I'll get) I won't have much time for blogging. Or anything, really, besides sleeping, eating, and working out occasionally.

Good news: I know I'm not a coffee/caffeine addict! I always forget to drink my coffee even if I bring it to work, so I don't really drink coffee anymore. So take that, doubters!

Now, to quote my dad, I'm going to "cry all the way to the bank" about my awesome new job.

Don't jump to conclusions

2012-02-05T12:11:00.000-08:00

High fat diet will scar your brain! That was the media take-away from a recent study. But let's go to the source- one of the researchers on the paper is also a blogger and addressed the controversy.

"Nowhere in the paper does it say that dietary fat per se causes damage to the brain, or even causes obesity, and Drs. Thaler and Schwartz were careful not to say that in interviews either."

Yay! Please read his post for more info. It's so easy for the media to take things out of context.

So here I am

2012-01-30T16:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated for a while because at first I didn't have the words and then I didn't have the time. I had a period of time where I struggled a bit, but as it tends to do, hard work has helped to pull me back to myself. I've nearly completed my CNA I course. For those not acquainted, it is the hands on position for resident care in long term care facilities (care homes, retirement homes, etc), and the CNA II is the hands-on care for much hospital work. Changes, linens, feeding, bedpans, all of that. The ins and outs of life, if you will. I've done my classroom work and my clinical week in a long-term care facility. I'm currently working on my clinicals in the hospital. My state board will be in March and I'm signed up for the CNA II course at the end of that same month. What I will do between finishing clinicals in early Feb and the end of March hasn't yet come to light, but I have some ideas in the works. We'll just have to see.

While my professional/life goals aspect of my life has been a bit touch and go in the past few months, my interpersonal relationships have luckily helped me to keep my sanity. I have started dating a wonderful guy- an old friend who I hadn't seen through all of college. I couldn't be happier. I've stayed in touch with my college friends and manage to see them at least once a month. I've also been able to keep up a pretty good hiking schedule in spite of it being winter, averaging about once every other weekend. There are also some super-super top-secret plans with my friends in the works for travel. Mums the word for now, but I'll undoubtedly update as those plans come together.

Point is I am alive and well all things considered. I have had easier times in my life, certainly. Feeling dependent and living with parents post BS isn't easy on anyone I don't think, and I am no exception. Mind you, this is no fault of anyone involved- no conflict has arisen. It is just hard to step back into a seemingly teenager type role after working and living on your own for a few years. I'll get through it though. Everyone does.

As a throwback to the early days of this blog, here are some things I was grateful of in 2011:

-I graduated college with a fair GPA (3.49) with a hard science degree and a minor to boot. I kept my full-ride the whole time and am proud of myself for this.
-I had an incredible summer with incredible friends. Hikes, swimming, biking, beach trips, crater lake, camping, miles of walking every day, time with friends every day- it was incredible.
-Even though it was hard to leave my job as a writing tutor, it was gratifying to hear the feedback of my coworkers as I left. I am missed and remembered, and therefore have a legacy.
-I grew a lot. There were hard times with relationships, moves, tragedies, and so on, but I'm a stronger person as a result. There is no substitute for growth and experience.
-My health was incredible. The dietary changes I made really helped to define the year- my passions, my pass times, and my well-being. I felt stronger, was sick less, and was far happier. Massive kudos go to Mark's Daily Apple, Gary Taubes, Dr. Eades, and Tim Ferriss for research starting points. And major kudos go to my ex-boyfriend as well, for his willingness to help me stick to my dietary changes through everything that happened last year.
-My blog followers. Especially when I was writing a lot about nutrition- it was very gratifying to see such interest in my consolidation and interpretation of studies and the biochemistry of Low Carb, High Fat (LCHF) nutrition. It brought me joy.

Giving up Seattle... for now

2011-12-01T22:47:00.001-08:00

Well, I've given up on my Seattle dream for now. A whole lot of factors went into this, but mainly, I missed my friends and family and the marginal amount more sunshine I get here. So today, I moved back in with my parents, in an "efficiency apartment" type set-up in their home.

No contemplation right now. Just an update.

Primal/Paleo Food Pyramid

2011-11-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

From Mark's Daily Apple.

Something different

2011-11-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

I occasionally like to keep you readers on your toes. As a result, I'm going to try something new- poetry! Okay, that's not really the reason. I'm converting old files over to Microsoft word and found a bunch of old poetry. Since I love affording the world a chance to laugh at me, I decided to share. Here's an epistolary poem I wrote for a class once. Enjoy!

_____

"Dear Mr. Sir"

This correspondence may find you at home,

Perhaps in your bathtub or at a desk,

Maybe in an office, where you grade some

Desperate verses and pathetic prose.

I wonder, though, how you feel about messes.

Not people, no, nor papers with smudges,

But rather things that people leave in mounds;

Like clothing, dishes, or perhaps some hope.

Mounds can be many things, but I have found

That something frequently lies underneath.

An object, lost because we are not fond

Of the thing's subtle lines or sweeping shape?

Maybe this mound holds something different.

Is it sinister or is it unknown?

It could bring shame, yet we are confident

In its hiding. I once played on a mound,

A great sloping pile of mud which carved

Little rivers into a little land.

But this dirt holds no lies, as I observed.

So what have I found to define these mounds

Which hold deceit? It lays in what they serve

To hide and to tell. What do clothes tell us?

Not near so much as a messy mount of verse

The hidden truths tumbling out the stanzas.

My tumbling truths are not so personal

As they are strange, for they are truths about

Mounds, mud, bathtubs; dishes, and desks, and grades.

About the eternal search for order

How little is found in a place so rash.

The mess does not torture me anymore

(Most of the time). Yet all around rises

Peaks and pits of mounds; the messes and lies

That these hills cover. And so I advise

That you level your mound so that I may

Ultimately, and cleanly, level mine

A long overdue update

2011-10-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking about doing this post for a very long time. To be honest, I haven’t known what to say. As is obvious, I haven’t posted in a long time. A lot of things have changed in my life. I don’t really know how to process it all personally, much less justify it in a public forum. So I’m going to give very short versions. All of this is simplified greatly since I don’t care to go much into detail.

-I broke up with my boyfriend of 3 years

-I live with my brother and his girlfriend

-I am trying to work on products and businesses and learning php

For now I am lacking much inspiration for research and reading. I look at studies on nutrition and my eyes blur. I can’t focus on much, but I am working on all of it. Please be patient with me while I try and make sense of my life.

Guest Post: Naomi

2011-09-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all! My name is Naomi and I'm a really close friend of Emily's. We lived together this summer and so I had a chance to try out her style of eating with her guidance. I definitely did not adhere as strictly as she did (I would sneak a muffin from the coffee shop every couple of days while she was in class in the morning... sorry Emily!), but I started to feel some differences in a fairly brief period of time. While discussing this with her one lazy evening she asked if I could write a guest blog post to provide a bit of information on someone's person experience with ketosis.

First I'd like to explain some of the reasons I partook in the diet, as they make a big difference on the kinds of bodily changes I would be paying attention to and the kinds of changes I expected to see happen. It started as mainly a convenience- Emily and I would split grocery costs, she would cook, I do the dishes. And then we both had someone to share meals with. I quickly realized how much more energy I had while eating this way. It was easier to get up in the mornings, I didn't get tired in the afternoons, and I wasn't hungry between meals. I felt a big difference on cheat days also. The energy buzz from eating a sugary pastry or just a croissant was really noticeable, and kind of uncomfortable. Not to mention the fact that I felt bloated and uncomfortable after eating grains.

There's all sorts of reasons I noticed these things, and I tend to look at changes like this with a skeptical eye. For one Emily made sure I ate complete meals three times a day and I had not been very good at doing the same for myself in previous months due to personal problems. Cheat day might be particularly miserable for me due to previously unnoticed gluten intolerances (this runs in my family; my mother and all her siblings live gluten free and I had been considering getting tested for celiac disease or allergies but simply never got around to it). However, there were some things that I really couldn't think of other explanations for. My hands and feet weren't constantly cold anymore, something that had been blamed on “poor circulation.” My sleep cycle was more regular, and it was easier for me to wake up in the mornings, which meant I wasn't sleeping 10 hours and waking up groggy. I could actually feel good in the mornings instead of angry at pure existence. My body fat redistributed itself, and I gained muscle, to the point where I'm wearing pants that I bought in High School. This wasn't a particular goal of mine, as I felt it wasn't an issue, so I was surprised when Nick mentioned after a few weeks that I was looking slimmer around the middle than before (it's probable that this was mostly from lowered intestinal distress and if I do have gluten intolerances this would especially be the case). My butt looks awesome, which I am super proud of. Overall I felt better, wanted to be more active, and enjoyed existence.

More than anything I think that I noticed how much worse I felt once I stopped adhering to the diet. Late summer has been chaotic (which I am sure Emily has mentioned) with graduations and moving and outdoor adventures; in general things that make planning meals difficult. I fell quickly back into old patterns- having problems waking up in the mornings, and then feeling groggy and tired in the afternoons. I started craving meat, and that donut just didn't look so desirable anymore (except the one with bacon). I decided that I would continue this long-term experiment and continue to pay close attention to my body now that I am settled at home and have started more of a routine. I'm starting to get my energy back and now torment my sister with a neutral cheerfulness at 6 am (I can't quite muster chipper), greeting her with a breakfast of pork sausage and a fried egg over spinach.

Changes

2011-08-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've waited several days for the right inspiration to write this post. It wasn't forthcoming, so I will write it as best I can since I need to publish something.

Last Sunday I moved to Seattle. This is a far cry from the Oregon towns I grew up in, but obviously not as extreme as it could have been. Seattle largely has the same spirit and the same type of people as home: pacific northwesterners in all of our glory. Hippies, loggers, hipsters, adrenaline freaks, all of them open and friendly in their own ways. But at the same time it is such a fundamental change. Prior to this and my brief forays out of the country, I've lived within a 45 mile region. Birth, childhood, teens, college, all of it. And I've been with many of the same people. As college wound down, I didn't think I would encounter too many problems with leaving. But then this past summer happened. And I connected, and reconnected, and embraced life to absurd degrees. But plans were in place, and move I did.

It's honestly quite difficult to reflect on all of this right now. I know that coming to a big city, an environment I'm vastly unfamiliar with, will make me a more well-rounded and interesting person. I know that sticking to the same small area all my life without ever exploring beyond that and pushing my boundaries would make me disappointed in myself. But I also know that at this moment in time, with no job, no friends nearby, and living with my boyfriend's parents, I feel like a failure. It makes me want to run back to Oregon, where I know all the rules and expectations. But I will find a job, and find friends, and get my own place, and learn the rules. And I will be a stronger human being because of it. I just wish it wasn't all so scary in the meantime.

There really is cause to reflect on the human spirit here. We are so bizarre. We are creatures of comfort, and experience worry and fear with changes. But we also push. We have this driving force that makes us keep pushing blindly ahead. It makes us leave families, villages, continents. It has made us take trips off our planet. And it is the war between those two sides of the human spirit, the coward and the adventurer, that I am experiencing right now.

I don't know what my blogging schedule will look like. I have a lot of data and articles I want to look at and write about. But I'm also finding it hard to get my "groove" in these new circumstances. Please bear with me in the meantime. If nothing else, seeing where this latest insane adventure takes me should be interesting.

Percieved spider size based on time and location

2011-08-15T15:25:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when I see a gigantic midnight bathroom spider. Sorry for the foul language.

The Comprehensive Diet

2011-08-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Comprehensive Diet: Biochemistry and Evolutionary Biology for Health and Wellness

This post has been long coming, and it will be far from perfect. The reason I have yet to write it is because I felt like I had so many loose ends. But at this point, I feel that decent is better than nothing, so let us begin.

The way I eat and advocate eating on the basis of human biochemistry and evolutionary biology is not exactly the same as any other “diet”. It draws inspiration from the “slow-carb” 4 hour body plan, from paleo, from primal, from the low-carb hay day (atkins, hello), and from personal investigation. If I had to choose, I would probably self identify most strongly with paleo and slow-carb. I’ll write a post at some point on the differences between all of these, but that isn’t the goal for here and now. Let’s start with a very simple premise: most of your diet should be meat and veggies.

1: Eliminate grains (and soy) from the diet

Most especially wheat, but all grains in general. Amaranth, quinoa, corn, wheat, oats, etc. Sprouted or soaked or danced over, it is a grain and it is best to avoid it. I include small amounts of white rice and traditionally prepared corn in the form of tortillas (probably one small amount per, like sushi or a tostada), but this stunts weight loss. If that is your goal, eliminate all grains. I consider this change to be one of the most important for weight loss/normalization. Eliminate all soy that is not fermented. Some tempeh and genuine (naturally fermented) soy sauce in the diet are great, and miso makes a great addition to broths.

Note: be sure to look for the “sneaky” grain sources in your diet, like soy sauce and dressings. And this includes beer. I am so, so sorry. I love it too.

2: Eliminate vegetable oils except olive oil

Canola, corn, soy, rapeseed, etc, they are my main contender for the source of heart disease. Grains have at least been in our diet several thousand years, and they wreak all sorts of havoc. We are only beginning to see the devastating effects of all of our vegetable oils, as they have only been present for around 50 years in any quantity. By necessity in college life, I can only stick to this some of the time- when I cook for myself (all breakfasts, most dinners, some lunches) I can avoid them, but virtually all restaurants have switched away from lard, butter, and palm oils. I consider this change to be the most important in terms of long term wellness and lessened cancer risks.

3: Stay away from the fake stuff

I’ve never isolated pea protein, have you? No? Don’t eat it. I don’t care if it’s a “low-carb health bar” or has atkins points. Just say no. Your grandmother should recognize it as food. Even better, your great(x10^6)grandmother should recognize it as food. This is where a lot of the atkins people went wrong: not sticking to real food, not looking at fat quality, not paying attention to preservatives, and ignoring high quality moderate carb foods like squash, green beans, and carrots. As part of the “stay away from fake stuff” principal, avoid preservatives and seek out low nitrate meats.

4: Avoid all high sugar/low nutrient fruits

Apples, pears, bananas, oranges, and similar fruits all have very high levels of sugar with very little redeeming qualities. I still include some blueberries, cherries, and melons in my diet with the seasons, but be aware that these are significant sources of sugar. If weight loss, maintaining ketosis for epilepsy, nursing, or diabetes control are the goals, do not eat even these fruits. Stick to extremely low sugar fruits like avocado and spaghetti squash.

5: Limit legumes

I eat some beans (probably once-twice per week) and avoid all peanuts. I eat green beans without care. Be aware that beans require soaking to avoid the phytate problem, and even then, some people react very poorly to them. Eliminate them for two weeks to a month and then try adding them back in. If you experience gas or bloating even with soaking the beans, it is best to avoid their consumption totally. Peanuts are very high sugar and should probably be avoided in general.

6: Take one day off per week and go hog wild

This is a hold over from the slow-carb, 4 hour body diet. The leptin level boost given is vital, especially among those beginning the diet and those on the diet for weight loss. Leptin (and metabolic “stability”) is often what leads to a weight loss plateu after a couple weeks. Leptin levels are at about 50% of normal on a restricted carbohydrate diet in women after 8 days. Head this off by carb binging one day per week and avoid problems with “starvation mode”. I recommend the first two weeks to be feast days without any restrictions. Psychologically it is vital, and gorging is incredibly satisfying. After this first two weeks, keep a high protein high fat breakfast and only feast after that point. After the first month, I recommend other small changes for permanent lifestyle ones: generally keep away from wheat and vegetable oils on cheat days, drink orange juice with breakfast, drink caffeine throughout the day to increase gastric emptying, and do air squats and the like to increase glut-4 receptor recruitment to cell surfaces. Even for the life change, though, the occasional no-holds-barred feast day is a decadent treat. Be sure, however, to get enough carbs even on your “mild” feast days. You need to spike and crash your blood sugar for maximum benefits on this day.

Note: Keep your feast days evenly spaced. Mine are Saturdays.

7: Get at least 20g of protein for every meal and 30g+ for breakfast

I will be nice and not go into biochemistry. Needless to say: breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. The first time I tried to low-carb (I did not do my research) I didn’t eat nearly enough protein and I was cold and sluggish and my blood sugar dropped. Do not be me. Eat your protein.

Note: I know a lot of you have trouble with big breakfasts. Use a low sugar protein shake to bridge the gap at the beginning if you must.

Note #2: If there is a single rule I would push, it would be this one. Just making this once change will cause most people to lose weight, sleep better, and gain muscle tone.

8: Fat is your friend.

Protein in the absence of fat can lead to “protein starvation”. This is bad. Please, please, please, please PLEASE do not try and do this as a “low fat” diet. Fat is healthy, natural, and the best way to get many vital vitamins and minerals. Ignore USDA saturated fat recommendations. Ignore things about cholesterol. Biochemistry, studies, and me myself all say the same thing: your triglyceride and cholesterol levels will normalize with this way of eating and it will help you. It will not harden your arteries; it will not lead to heart disease. In fact, there is evidence to indicate it prevents both. If you want the studies, look under the “ketosis/fat citations” post.

Note: Look at my post “Fat won’t make you fat: why organic fats are good for you” on the reasons why it is very important to get your fats organic if you at all can.

9: Eat your veggies!

Your mom said it, my mom said it, now I’m saying it. I don’t care if you purée them and hide them in your burger patty, just be sure you are getting leafy greens and other good veggies in your diet. Ideally they’ll be half your plate at both lunch and dinner.

That’s all folks! Please ask if you have any further questions. I might not answer every single detail- no one has it all worked out. I am still refining a lot of these. Many things could have been added, like macronutrient ratios, water consumption, cooking herb use, omega-3 to omega-6 ratios, fish oils, supplementation discussions, sea salt, rematerialized water, dairy, poultry vs red meats, PUFA vs MUFA, and on and on. But for now, I’ll give the guidelines. I hope it was useful!

Breast is best: some studies to show us what we already knew

2011-08-03T21:19:00.001-07:00

This should come as no shock to anyone, since I have posted on this subject before. But where there is quality research, discussions should be had. So here it is: breastfeeding is extremely important for the health and wellness of a child. And while these studies do not prove causation, the strong correlation is too important to overlook.

Take home message of all of the below: breastfeeding is associated with smarter, healthier babies, healthier mothers, and makes it easier for mothers to return to pre-pregnancy weight. Breast is best!

Breastfeeding was positively associated with academic performance in school up to 18 years of age (scope of the study). The study followed over 1000 New Zealand children and the breastfeeding practices of their mothers. And here is when the complexities come in: “Mothers who elected to breastfeed tended to be older; better educated; from upper socioeconomic status families; were in a two-parent family; did not smoke during pregnancy; and experienced above average income and living standards”. Clearly all of these could account for an increase in the outcome of a child’s intelligence and learning potential. But even when the study controlled for these factors, the positive association remained (though was weakened). So what is an average parent to do? Emulate the aspects that are most likely to result in the results that are seen. And breastfeeding is a clear contender for one of those vital factors.
(Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic Outcomes
L. John Horwood, MSc, BA, and David M. Fergusson, PhD)

Another study investigated the longer effects of breastfeeding and intelligence. Since many studies looked only at childhood effects (and many of these had key flaws), a longer-term investigation was launched. As should be expected, it was found that breastfed intelligent children remained intelligent. Breastfeeding was positively correlated with adult intelligence. As an additional benefit, the study was very large (nearly 3,000 adults of similar age from Denmark, which means automatic control of many potential confounding variables), and the study also relied on physician data from the one-year check up, meaning that no one had to try and fact find. The study also considered many confusing factors like mother smoking, number of pregnancies, and so on. Two different intelligence tests controlling for a wide range of confounding factors still found a very strong positive correlation between breastfeeding and adult intelligence.
(The Association Between Duration of Breastfeeding and Adult Intelligence
Erik Lykke Mortensen, PhD)

Breastfeeding reduces eczema, asthma, and allergies. Sadly, I could not find the full text for this study, but the same size was acceptable (150). The abstract makes no mention of controlling for confounding factors (breastfeeding is correlated with lower socioeconomic status- what is to say heightened environmental exposure also associated with lower socioeconomic status is not the cause?). This study seems promising, but I would need to see the full text to throw my full support behind it.
(Breastfeeding as prophylaxis against atopic disease: prospective follow-up study until 17 years old
U. M. Saarinen M and M. Kajosaari MD)

Breastfeeding reduces SIDS deaths. This one fascinated me as a biology nerd since we have NO IDEA why this might be. Nasal conformation as a result of suckling action? It is hard to say. What we do know for sure is that breastfeeding reduces risks of SIDS deaths. That is compelling enough for me, personally. Though I would love to know why, it is the same principal as a car. I don’t need to understand the inner workings to know that it gets me from A to B and use it for such. And since this data included 1800 surviving infants and nearly 500 SIDS deaths, the data presence is strong.
(Breastfeeding and the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
RPK Ford, BJ Taylor)

A meta-data analysis (using other studies all put together to make a new, giant study) was done with 9,000 abstracts (annoying on this point- where are the methods?). This study found that, in developed countries, breastfeeding was strongly correlated with reduced risks of many diseases in both infants and mothers. In a phrase that makes me happy, the authors point out in the conclusion: “Because almost all the data in this review were gathered from observational studies, one should not infer causality based on these findings.” While true, we can combine this strong correlation with logic- it makes sense that what we spent millions of years doing for our children is healthy, and that science that cannot even fully explain mushroom reproduction is unlikely to be able to make a better nutritional substance than the vast complexities of the human mammary gland. Added bonus with the breast? Mothers returned to normal pre-pregnancy weights faster. Drink up babies!
(Breastfeeding and maternal and infant health outcomes in developed countries.
Ip S, Chung M)

Embracing all aspects of health

2011-07-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

I firmly believe that health is made up of far more than nutrition and exercise. Spirituality, education, sleep, sexuality, play time, sunshine, and fun are all integral parts of the equation. A fault in one will manifest in all the other areas as well. Improving one also tends to help the others along.

As a result, today I'm taking a bit of a break from my normal nutrition discussion to encourage you all to go and have some fun. I know I have been. The past few weekends have been some of the most fun I remember having in a long time. Many hours have been passed chatting, laughing, and getting to know friends even better. We've hiked, sang, danced, bowled, watched movies, and gone on long meandering walks. And I can firmly say that, even though I haven't been keeping to my nutrition standards very well (I go through phases where I just can't be 100%), I still have felt amazing. Because I've been socializing and bonding and playing. When there was sun it was even better. I spend the weeks in between this fun feeling like I glow with positivity and sunlight. Nothing can replace good people in your life. And there is no other way to meet amazing people than to take a risk and put yourself out there. The people I spend much of my time with now I met because I was willing to go into a study room full of people I've never met and say hello.

I know I'm being vague and random. I'm not giving much actionable advice. I think in this case, it's warranted. No one can tell you how to meet amazing people in your life. What I can tell you, though, is that it can be the most important thing you ever do. More so than reading one more methods section of a study and certainly more important than catching up on that TV show. So go forth, dear reader, and have an adventure! Few things can measure up to the level of happiness it will bring.

A non-science, "just my thoughts" type of post

2011-07-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

I just had a weird moment of revelation. I have had this blog nearly 3 and a half years. For some reason that just doesn't seem possible to me. I had to re-count to be sure. I'm within a week of finishing my first accelerated term of physics. Then 4 more weeks and I am an official graduate. Cum laude initially seemed out of reach, but I may actually manage if I can stick with my efforts next term as well.

I hope no one will mind my post without a purpose. The original goal of this blog was for me to process things and to focus on the positives in my life; sometimes, I need it to still serve that purpose. So much is changing in my life right now that my normal channels for processing thoughts have special importance. I'm moving to a new city and state soon. I've never lived in a large city, and especially not one so large as Seattle. I'm leaving friends and family for the first time, having stayed in the same valley for college as I grew up in. It's almost being made worse by what wonderful friends I have. For all that this summer has been stressful, and being apart from The Boyfriend is stressful, it has all been wonderful as well. It's been wonderful because my way of coping with not being able to see Nick is to distract myself with people and activities. So I've been hiking and barbecuing and taking trips and swimming and taking walks in the sun and so many things. I've become closer to people that I didn't know well, and I've connected with people who I had lost touch with in some ways. I've even becomes friend with an acquaintance from high school; bonding over a shared past is an unusual experience for me, since I'm not in touch with many people from before college anymore.

I'm trying not to get stressed about everything to come in my life. There is so much uncertainty. It takes a lot of conscious effort to frame it as an adventure rather than a crisis and source of anxiety. But even if I tried to plan right now, it would be futile. There is simply no way to know what will come. I'm excited to see. I hope it will be amazing and will make a difference to others. But with no firm goals there can be no paths to achieving them. I'll get there some day. In the meantime, I'm trying to live in the moment and focus on the lives of those around me. There are so many wonderful people in my life. I hope leaving this place behind doesn't mean that I will leave these people behind, as well. And for those who I do lose touch with, I hope I meet other amazing people. I remember the end of High School. I wasn't sad. I was excited. I wasn't even all that afraid. Why is this so different? Hopefully the change will be just as wonderful as going from High School to college was.

I want to thank all of you who read my blog. It means a lot and helps keep me focused on a key goal- helping others. Right now that's through nutrition. Even if that medium changes, I hope my fundamental goal never does. However much longer I keep this blog (goodness only knows), I hope you all come along with me. And I hope you're as excited to see where my life goes as I am. I'm sure we'll be equally surprised.

A valuable insight

2011-07-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

I always say, check the sources. Here is a great case where this is the example. I posted a link to the study "A Low Carbohydrate, High Protein Diet Slows Tumor Growth and Prevents Cancer Initiation" by Ho, et al. A friend commented and said

"Seems pretty staunchly anti-fat, that one... in particular, this bit piques my interest:

"In humans, most epidemiologic studies examining high protein diets and cancer progression have been confounded by not taking into account protein source, fat content, and red meat consumption. This is important because high fat increases cancer risk (56) and plant protein seems to decrease whereas animal protein increases cancer mortality (57). Interestingly, colonic cancer-inducing damage caused by red meats may be avoided with high amylose, low CHO diets (58).""

To which I replied:

"So 56, the study by Zhang, is based on the Nurses’ health study. It had huge underlying flaws in execution and structure, so as a rule I disregard any findings derived from it. On top of that, it lumped trans fats in with saturated fats in their conclusions. Clearly not the same. And trans fats showed a much higher correlation with non-hodgkins lymphoma. The second study, by Fung, is also based on the Nurses’ health initiative. Beyond that, it is such a vague data analysis that I can’t comment. I don’t know what they used as a “cancer related” or “cardiovascular related” death. The last study, 58, by Toden, in terms of the damaging proteins is talking about casein, which is milk protein. Lots of people have various dairy sensitivities, and it is evolutionarily novel, which is why I try to limit them. Also, I don’t think it’s a surprise that healthy starches have a protective effect on the intestines. That is why we eat vegetables. So the take away from that one: if you’re a rat eating all your food as ground beef (LEAN, I will jump in to remind that fat also has a protective effect…) then getting your veggies is important. In short, I don’t think any of these are due any serious consideration in reevaluating my nutritional choices. "

It's always nice to have a reason to turn a critical eye toward data. Don't forget: always check the method's section!

Ketosis/fat citations

2011-07-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a long list of citations. For those of you like me, you're welcome. For the rest of you- I'm so sorry. Just scroll past it and don't worry about it.

The Effects of a High-protein, Low-fat, Ketogenic Diet on Adolescents With Morbid Obesity: Body Composition, Blood Chemistries, and Sleep Abnormalities
Steven M. Willi, MD, Mary Joan Oexmann, MS, RD Nancy M. Wright, MD, Nancy A. Collop, MD, L. Lyndon Key Jr, MD
Notes: Quick fat loss, no damage to blood profiles, improved sleep

Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation alters the 6-mo change in fat oxidation during sleep
Rachel N Close, Dale A Schoeller, Abigail C Watras and Elizabeth H Nora
Notes: CLA intake results in more fat breakdown and energy usage during sleep.

A Low Carbohydrate, High Protein Diet Slows Tumor Growth and Prevents Cancer Initiation.
Ho VW, Leung K, Hsu A, Luk B, Lai J, Shen SY, Minchinton AI, Waterhouse D, Bally MB, Lin W, Nelson BH, Sly LM, Krystal G.

Change in Food Cravings, Food Preferences, and Appetite During a Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diet
Corby K. Martin, Diane Rosenbaum, Hongmei Han, Paula J. Geiselman, Holly R. Wyatt, James O. Hill, Carrie Brill, Brooke Bailer, Bernard V. Miller III, Rick Stein, Sam Klein and Gary D. Foster

The role of reducing intakes of saturated fat in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: where does the evidence stand in 2010?
Arne Astrup, Jørn Dyerberg, Peter Elwood, Kjeld Hermansen, Frank B Hu, Marianne Uhre Jakobsen, Frans J Kok, Ronald M Krauss, Jean Michel Lecerf, Philippe LeGrand, Paul Nestel, Ulf Risérus, Tom Sanders, Andrew Sinclair, Steen Stender, Tine Tholstrup, and Walter C Willett

"Acute high fat feeding influences cardiac function and confers cardio protection against ischemic injury," at the meeting Experimental Biology 2011 (EB 2011). Lauren Haar, Xiaoping Ren, Yong Liu, Min Jiang, Sheryl Koch, Michael Tranter, Jack Rubinstein and W.K. Jones

The Effects of Consuming Frequent, Higher Protein Meals on Appetite and Satiety During Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Men
Heather J. Leidy, Minghua Tang, Cheryl L.H. Armstrong, Carmen B. Martin and Wayne W. Campbell

A new york times article entitled, "Is sugar toxic?" by Dr. Gary Taubes

Cafeteria Diet Is a Robust Model of Human Metabolic Syndrome With Liver and Adipose Inflammation: Comparison to High-Fat Diet
Brante P. Sampey, Amanda M. Vanhoose, Helena M. Winfield, Alex J. Freemerman, Michael J. Muehlbauer, Patrick T. Fueger, Christopher B. Newgard and Liza Makowski

Prevention and reversal of diet-induced leptin resistance with a sugar-free diet despite high fat content
Alexandra Shapiroa1, Nihal Tümera, Yongxin Gaoa, Kit-Yan Chenga and Philip J. Scarpace

"Trends in weight gain have paralleled trends in intake of added sugars, according to a review of 27 years of Minnesota Heart Survey data presented at an American Heart Association (AHA) event. "

Myocardial Late Gadolinium Enhancement: Prevalence, Pattern, and Prognostic Relevance in Marathon Runners
Frank Breuckmann, MD, Stefan Möhlenkamp, MD, Kai Nassenstein, MD, Nils Lehmann, PhD, Susanne Ladd, MD, Axel Schmermund, MD, Burkhard Sievers, MD, Thomas Schlosser, MD,Karl-Heinz Jöckel, PhD, Gerd Heusch, MD, PhD, Raimund Erbel, MD and Jörg Barkhausen, MD

Exercise prevents the accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and their remnants seen when changing to a high-carbohydrate diet.
Koutsari C, Karpe F, Humphreys SM, Frayn KN, Hardman AE.

"Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century - a Time for Food" by Darius Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH and David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD

"Are Carbs More Addictive Than Cocaine?" An article by Paul John Scott

Protein-enriched meal replacements do not adversely affect liver, kidney or bone density: an outpatient randomized controlled trial
Zhaoping Li, Leo Treyzon, Steve Chen, Eric Yan, Gail Thames and Catherine L Carpenter

The colonisation of Europe and our western diseases
W.J. Lutz

Dietary predictors of 5-year changes in waist circumference.
Halkjaer J, Tjønneland A, Overvad K, Sørensen TI.
Danish Cancer Society Institute of Cancer Epidemiology

The western diet and lifestyle and diseases of civilization
Pedro Carrera-Bastos, Maelan Fontes-Villalba, James H O’Keefe, Staffan Lindeberg, Loren Cordain

Insulin sensitivity regulates cholesterol metabolism to a greater extent than obesity: lessons from the METSIM Study
Helena Gylling, Maarit Hallikainen, Jussi Pihlajamäki, Piia Simonen, Johanna Kuusisto, Markku Laakso† and Tatu A. Miettinen

Relationships of maternal zinc intake from animal foods with fetal growth
Yo A. Leea, Ji-Yun Hwanga, Hyesook Kima, Eun-Hee Haa, Hyesook Parka, Mina Haa, Yangho Kima, Yun-Chul Honga and Namsoo Chang

High-protein low-carbohydrate diets: what is the rationale?
Luca Busetto, Mariangela Marangon, Fabio De Stefano

Gluten Causes Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Subjects Without Celiac Disease: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
Jessica R Biesiekierski B, Evan D Newnham MD, Peter M Irving MD, Jacqueline S Barrett PhD, Melissa Haines James D Doecke , Susan J Shepherd, Jane G Muir PhD, and Peter R Gibson MD

Ketogenic diets: An historical antiepileptic therapy with promising potentialities for the aging brain
Marta Baliettia, Corresponding Author Contact Information, Tiziana Casolia, Giuseppina Di Stefanoa, Belinda Giorgettia, Giorgio Aicardic, and Patrizia Fattoretti

Short-term weight loss and hepatic triglyceride reduction: evidence of a metabolic advantage with dietary carbohydrate restriction
Jeffrey D Browning, Jonathan A Baker, Thomas Rogers, Jeannie Davis, Santhosh Satapati, and Shawn C Burgess

A Diet High in Meat Protein and Potential Renal Acid Load Increases Fractional Calcium Absorption and Urinary Calcium Excretion without Affecting Markers of Bone Resorption or Formation in Postmenopausal Women
Jay J. Cao, LuAnn K. Johnson, and Janet R. Hunt

Protein consumption and bone mineral density in the elderly : the Rancho Bernardo Study.
Promislow JH, Goodman-Gruen D, Slymen DJ, Barrett-Connor E.

Carbohydrate-enriched diet impairs cardiac performance by decreasing the utilization of fatty acid and glucose
Laura C.J. Pôrto

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children
Mencin, Ali A; Lavine, Joel E

A high ratio of dietary n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer
Christina D. Williams, Brian M. Whitley, Cathrine Hoyo, Delores J. Grant, Jared D. Iraggi, Kathryn A. Newman, Leah Gerber, Loretta A. Taylor, Madeline G. McKeever, Stephen J. Freedland

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease
Patty W Siri-Tarino, Qi Sun, Frank B Hu, and Ronald M Krauss
Endocrine Practice. 2010;16(5):864-873

Hyperinsulinemia and the Development of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Nondiabetic Adults
Eun-Jung Rhee, MD, PhD, Won-Young Lee, MD, PhD, Yong-Kyun Cho, MD, PhD, Byung-Ik Kim, MD, PhD, Ki-Chul Sung, MD, PhD

Gastrointestinal transit, post-prandial lipaemia and satiety following 3 days high-fat diet in men
M E Clegg, P McKenna, C McClean, G W Davison, T Trinick, E Duly and A Shafat

Role of diet and fuel overabundance in the development and progression of heart failure.
Cardiovasc Res (2008) 79 (2): 269-278. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvn074

Where I've been

2011-07-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I was scarce for a while. The run down:

Finals.

Moving.

Graduation (kind of).

Physics (hence "kind of").

Obviously there's more details than that, but I think that sufficiently covers it. Once I settle in to my schedule, posting should pick back up again. I have some great news and great studies on the nutrition front, so stay tuned!

(Many thanks to AnnBee for the wonderful photos!)

Quick! Someone is wrong on the internet!

2011-07-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

(Comic from XKCD.com)

I was sent this article by a friend:

High protein diets are extremely seductive. After all, they can cause a massive amount of weight loss in a very short amount of time. But there is a catch, most of the weight is water.
Even worse, there are many additional side effects that accompany high protein diets.
So, without further ado, here is how high protein diets can decrease your health:
1. Fast muscle catabolism: This process literally happens over night when you restrict carbohydrates. You see, without carbohydrates your body turns to its own tissues for energy. In other words, you put your muscle tissue on the dinner plate.
2. Increased cortisol: This further accelerates muscle breakdown while simultaneously decreasing your immunity. You see, cortisol has an immunity suppressing effect. This is one of the many reasons people feel so weak when on high protein diets.
3. Decreased mental speed: Your nervous system runs best on a steady supply of sugar. Without carbs, your body has to convert muscle protein into sugar-a slow process. So the best strategy here is to not take out carbs if you want best mental functioning.
4. Less serotonin: Your levels of serotonin go up as your carbohydrate intake goes up. Taking out carbs from the equation will cause your serotonin levels to plummet. So make sure you are prepared for this worsened mental state before going into ketosis.
5. Decreased exercise output: You cannot reach your exercise potential without carbohydrates in your diet. You see, carbs are what give your muscles energy to function at peak capacities. Unfortunately, a decrease in intensity translates into less calories burned.
6. Flaccid muscle appearance: If your muscles aren’t stocked up with carbs, they lose their toned appearance because of dehydration. And this can be very demoralizing when trying to lose weight to look more toned.
High protein diets may seem enticing because of the initial weight loss they induce. But keep in mind that this weight loss is short lived. So think about the points in this article before going high protein.

And I responded with the following:

I can't believe how incredibly flawed this is. Let me address them one by one for you.

1- Muscle catabolism. Muscle catabolism can occur on low-carb only in two instances: insufficient protein and insufficient calories. In fact, muscle catabolism can occur on ANY calorie-restricted diet. So if someone is calorie restricted in addition to low-carb (totally unnecessary) then they may be at risk of minor muscle catabolism. And the entire diet hinges on sufficient fat and protein intake... lacks of these will of course cause problems.

2- Increased cortisol. This is the only one with some merit, but has a very simple remedy. Cortisol increases in response to lowered leptin levels after about a week with restricted carbohydrates. The best answer? Once a week, have a big ol' carb binge of fruit or rice or something similar. This avoids the slowing of dietary benefits due to the lowered leptin, as well (which notoriously slows weight loss).

3- Decreased mental speed. Ketosis is actually an adaptation to be protective of the brain. Our brains are entirely based upon fats and cholesterol, NOT carbohydrates. Have you heard of myelin sheaths? Even check wikipedia: "the dry mass of myelin is about 70 - 85 % lipids and about 15 - 30 % proteins" And so it goes for the entire brain. Some people do suffer minor mental fog when switching to ketosis because the body needs a period of metabolic recalibration. Given the body's desire to retain fats, if it is not used to burning fat for fuel (AKA ketosis) it will resist this process. For a brief time of conversion, those coming from high-carb low-fat diets may struggle. Best solution? Increase the saturated fats, the basis of healthy ketogenesis and brain metabolism. (And in no way related to heart disease- look for the myriad of research, a small fraction of which I'll cite at the bottom- a courtesty the author was unwilling to provide. Maybe because you could not find any?) Further, the statement "Without carbs, your body has to convert muscle protein into sugar" is scientifically inaccurate. In ketosis, it is triglycerides that are converted to ketone bodies and "The ketone bodies acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate are used for energy" (wiki, again).

4- Less serotonin. I'm shocked this was brought up as a positive. Our bodies can become addicted to carbohydrates as a temporary mood boost and you view this as positive? When it makes our serotonin receptors less sensitive to serotonin release in other instances? Any wonder why so many dieters find cutting out sugar so difficult? It is ADDICTIVE, and carbohydrates=sugar. Ecstacy are a great way to increase dopamine, that doesn't mean we should encourage dropping E. Rather, try and keep your receptors sensitive and find good healthy ways to get a boost- like sex or hiking.

5- Decreased exercise output. Now this is just silly. Personally I can say I can run further and lift heavier than I ever have in my life, and I've been low-carb for 5 months. How could this be possible if I was unable to burn these calories? And biochemically, we can see how this doesn't make sense. Ketosis takes triglycerides, cleaves them, then converts these to various molecules which the body then uses as fuel. In long exercise sessions, the body is already using ketosis, even without full time ketosis. To quote wikipedia again: "During starvation or a long physical training session, the body starts using fatty acids instead of glucose." Glycogen stores don't last long. What do you think you're doing then? Retroactively accessing sugar? No. You're burning fat. Now wouldn't it be nice to do that all the time? You can with ketosis.

6- Flacid muscle appearance. If you are eating so many carbs that your muscles seem to decrease in size upon not eating them, PLEASE go and check your blood sugar. This is a clear indication of edema and a precursor to diabetes. Further, this contradicts your own claim that ketogenesis makes you lose water weight. If you're losing water weight, you muscles will become more defined, not less. Muscles are made of protein (that is why we get so much protein when we eat meat...). Carbohydrates do not somehow float around in muscles making them bulkier. We store glycogen, but that occurs even in ketosis (no diet is carbohydrate-free, and healthy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, and good fruits like squash all have sufficient carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores).

I am saddened that these ideas are being spread to people who may not have the scientific background to detect the flaws (I have a BS in Zoology- a degree requiring FAR more biochemistry and physiology than your own. In fact, medical school require only one or two additional terms of biochemistry beyond this degree. However, this knowledge need not be limited those educated in biochemistry. As I adequately showed, wikipedia can be an excellent starting resource for understanding biochemical processes.) I would also like to scold the author for the complete lack of research used. People are not dumb, and are fully capable to investigate sources of their own volition. Please give them the opportunity, next time. I will in this case. Here are some studies where you will find evidence to support the benefits of Ketosis and high fat, low carbohydrate diets.

A Low Carbohydrate, High Protein Diet Slows Tumor Growth and Prevents Cancer Initiation.

Ho VW, Leung K, Hsu A, Luk B, Lai J, Shen SY, Minchinton AI, Waterhouse D, Bally MB, Lin W, Nelson BH, Sly LM, Krystal G.

Change in Food Cravings, Food Preferences, and Appetite During a Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diet

Corby K. Martin, Diane Rosenbaum, Hongmei Han, Paula J. Geiselman, Holly R. Wyatt, James O. Hill, Carrie Brill, Brooke Bailer, Bernard V. Miller III, Rick Stein, Sam Klein and Gary D. Foster

The role of reducing intakes of saturated fat in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: where does the evidence stand in 2010?

Arne Astrup, Jørn Dyerberg, Peter Elwood, Kjeld Hermansen, Frank B Hu, Marianne Uhre Jakobsen, Frans J Kok, Ronald M Krauss, Jean Michel Lecerf, Philippe LeGrand, Paul Nestel, Ulf Risérus, Tom Sanders, Andrew Sinclair, Steen Stender, Tine Tholstrup, and Walter C Willett

"Acute high fat feeding influences cardiac function and confers cardio protection against ischemic injury," at the meeting Experimental Biology 2011 (EB 2011). Lauren Haar, Xiaoping Ren, Yong Liu, Min Jiang, Sheryl Koch, Michael Tranter, Jack Rubinstein and W.K. Jones

The Effects of Consuming Frequent, Higher Protein Meals on Appetite and Satiety During Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Men

Heather J. Leidy, Minghua Tang, Cheryl L.H. Armstrong, Carmen B. Martin and Wayne W. Campbell

A new york times article entitled, "Is sugar toxic?" by Dr. Gary Taubes

Cafeteria Diet Is a Robust Model of Human Metabolic Syndrome With Liver and Adipose Inflammation: Comparison to High-Fat Diet

Brante P. Sampey, Amanda M. Vanhoose, Helena M. Winfield, Alex J. Freemerman, Michael J. Muehlbauer, Patrick T. Fueger, Christopher B. Newgard and Liza Makowski

Prevention and reversal of diet-induced leptin resistance with a sugar-free diet despite high fat content

Alexandra Shapiroa1, Nihal Tümera, Yongxin Gaoa, Kit-Yan Chenga and Philip J. Scarpace

"Trends in weight gain have paralleled trends in intake of added sugars, according to a review of 27 years of Minnesota Heart Survey data presented at an American Heart Association (AHA) event. "

Myocardial Late Gadolinium Enhancement: Prevalence, Pattern, and Prognostic Relevance in Marathon Runners

Frank Breuckmann, MD, Stefan Möhlenkamp, MD, Kai Nassenstein, MD, Nils Lehmann, PhD, Susanne Ladd, MD, Axel Schmermund, MD, Burkhard Sievers, MD, Thomas Schlosser, MD,Karl-Heinz Jöckel, PhD, Gerd Heusch, MD, PhD, Raimund Erbel, MD and Jörg Barkhausen, MD

Exercise prevents the accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and their remnants seen when changing to a high-carbohydrate diet.

Koutsari C, Karpe F, Humphreys SM, Frayn KN, Hardman AE.

"Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century - a Time for Food" by Darius Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH and David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD.

"Are Carbs More Addictive Than Cocaine?" An article by Paul John Scott

Protein-enriched meal replacements do not adversely affect liver, kidney or bone density: an outpatient randomized controlled trial

Zhaoping Li, Leo Treyzon, Steve Chen, Eric Yan, Gail Thames and Catherine L Carpenter

The colonisation of Europe and our western diseases

W.J. Lutz

Dietary predictors of 5-year changes in waist circumference.

Halkjaer J, Tjønneland A, Overvad K, Sørensen TI.

Danish Cancer Society Institute of Cancer Epidemiology

The western diet and lifestyle and diseases of civilization

Pedro Carrera-Bastos, Maelan Fontes-Villalba, James H O’Keefe, Staffan Lindeberg, Loren Cordain

Insulin sensitivity regulates cholesterol metabolism to a greater extent than obesity: lessons from the METSIM Study

Helena Gylling, Maarit Hallikainen, Jussi Pihlajamäki, Piia Simonen, Johanna Kuusisto, Markku Laakso† and Tatu A. Miettinen

Relationships of maternal zinc intake from animal foods with fetal growth

Yo A. Leea, Ji-Yun Hwanga, Hyesook Kima, Eun-Hee Haa, Hyesook Parka, Mina Haa, Yangho Kima, Yun-Chul Honga and Namsoo Chang

High-protein low-carbohydrate diets: what is the rationale?

Luca Busetto, Mariangela Marangon, Fabio De Stefano

Gluten Causes Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Subjects Without Celiac Disease: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Jessica R Biesiekierski B, Evan D Newnham MD, Peter M Irving MD, Jacqueline S Barrett PhD, Melissa Haines James D Doecke , Susan J Shepherd, Jane G Muir PhD, and Peter R Gibson MD

Ketogenic diets: An historical antiepileptic therapy with promising potentialities for the aging brain

Marta Baliettia, Corresponding Author Contact Information, Tiziana Casolia, Giuseppina Di Stefanoa, Belinda Giorgettia, Giorgio Aicardic, and Patrizia Fattoretti

Short-term weight loss and hepatic triglyceride reduction: evidence of a metabolic advantage with dietary carbohydrate restriction

Jeffrey D Browning, Jonathan A Baker, Thomas Rogers, Jeannie Davis, Santhosh Satapati, and Shawn C Burgess

A Diet High in Meat Protein and Potential Renal Acid Load Increases Fractional Calcium Absorption and Urinary Calcium Excretion without Affecting Markers of Bone Resorption or Formation in Postmenopausal Women

Jay J. Cao, LuAnn K. Johnson, and Janet R. Hunt

Protein consumption and bone mineral density in the elderly : the Rancho Bernardo Study.

Promislow JH, Goodman-Gruen D, Slymen DJ, Barrett-Connor E.

Carbohydrate-enriched diet impairs cardiac performance by decreasing the utilization of fatty acid and glucose

Laura C.J. Pôrto

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children

Mencin, Ali A; Lavine, Joel E

A high ratio of dietary n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer

Christina D. Williams, Brian M. Whitley, Cathrine Hoyo, Delores J. Grant, Jared D. Iraggi, Kathryn A. Newman, Leah Gerber, Loretta A. Taylor, Madeline G. McKeever, Stephen J. Freedland

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease

Patty W Siri-Tarino, Qi Sun, Frank B Hu, and Ronald M Krauss

Endocrine Practice. 2010;16(5):864-873

Hyperinsulinemia and the Development of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Nondiabetic Adults

Eun-Jung Rhee, MD, PhD, Won-Young Lee, MD, PhD, Yong-Kyun Cho, MD, PhD, Byung-Ik Kim, MD, PhD, Ki-Chul Sung, MD, PhD

Gastrointestinal transit, post-prandial lipaemia and satiety following 3 days high-fat diet in men

M E Clegg, P McKenna, C McClean, G W Davison, T Trinick, E Duly and A Shafat

Role of diet and fuel overabundance in the development and progression of heart failure.

Cardiovasc Res (2008) 79 (2): 269-278. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvn074