Starting On Your Own Low Carbohydrate Vegetarian Diet Plan

October 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment

If you are ready to start losing weight, then a low carbohydrate vegetarian diet might be what you are looking for.  There are many low carb diets out there, but for the most part these involve consuming unhealthy amounts of fat and cholesterol.   While a low carbohydrate vegetarian diet seems difficult to start in the long run you will be in much better shape if you alter your eating habits and incorporate portions of the diet with your regular meals.

Substitutions And Alternatives

When looking at planning a low carb vegetarian meal you have to decide if you want to do a low carb vegan meal or not.  Personally, I think a simple vegetarian meal is the healthier option.  If you have never gone on a vegetarian diet before than going all the way to a vegan diet can be ultimately unhealthy.

A large component of vegetarian food is pasta and bread.  Those two things are out of the low carbohydrate vegetarian diet so you will need to find foods to make up for the calories as well as add in proteins and solid nutrition.  One of the best foods to eat on a vegetarian diet is tofu.  Tofu is high in protein so you will hopefully lose more fat than calories.  The amount of protein calories in tofu is ten times the carbohydrate calories, a very solid ratio.

You can cook tofu a number of ways in an infinite number of styles.  Asian cooking and stir-frying it is probably your best option however.  You can mix tofu with just about any vegetables in a stir-fry recipe that is extremely nutritious and delicious.

Aside from tofu there are many other vegetarian foods that you can try.  Eggs are a great source of protein and have almost no carbohydrates.  The can be high in cholesterol, but for the most part eggs in moderation are very good for you.  Nuts are also a fantastic source of protein, although they can be a bit higher in fat than your other protein options and should be used sparingly on your low carbohydrate vegetarian diet.

As you can see, compared to both nuts and eggs, tofu is a better option.  It has all the positives with very few of the negatives.  If you have never cooked with it before, a low carbohydrate vegetarian diet is a great way to start familiarizing yourself with tofu.  There are hundreds of cookbooks with recipes that you can try to bring healthy and responsible eating into your everyday life.

If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

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What Is A Good Low Carb Recipe?

September 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment

low

If you want to start following a low carb diet, you are going to need to find not only one good low carb recipe, but quite a few, so that you can have an easy low carb recipe book that you can use for meal planning. This will make it much more realistic that you will actually be able to stick to your diet and lose the weight, rather than trying to come up with ideas every day.

Cabbage And Bacon

If you are looking for a low carb recipe, there are a few in particular that you are going to want to try out. One is the roasted cabbage with bacon recipe, and for this all you need is 2 lb. head of green cabbage, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 4 oz. good quality slab bacon diced into ¼-inch cubes, coarse sea salt, and red wine vinegar or lemon wedges.

First you want to preheat the oven to 350ºF, which you should do about a half hour before you start making the recipe, in order to have the oven hot enough when it comes time to put the food into the oven to cook.

Now you want to start the preparation process. Trim the stem of the cabbage and remove one layer of the outer leaves. Cut the cabbage into half and then cut each half into three even wedges. Now you want to use the oil to coat a rimmed baking sheet and place the cabbage wedges onto it, trying to keep them about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Then sprinkle with half of the cubed bacon.

The cabbage should be roasted for about twenty minutes or until browned, then the cabbage turn over add the rest of the bacon and roast for another twenty minutes or so. Sprinkle with salt and serve with vinegar or lemon wedges. This is a great low carb recipe but there are many, many more to choose from.

Low Carb Salad Dressing

Another low carb recipe is blue cheese dressing. If you want a quick low carb recipe this one is perfect for you. All you need is 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled, 1 cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp. minced garlic, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, and some salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare this low carb recipe all you need to do is mix all the ingredients in a bowl or container, cover and refrigerate overnight, use as needed for up to one week, after which the remains should be thrown out.

Perfect for summer, all of these low carb recipe ideas are quick and easy to make, and make it much easier to stick to the diet and achieve the body that you have always desired.

If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

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Serving A Great High Protein, Low Carb Meal

September 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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If you want to plan a high protein, low carb meal you will want to start with your knowledge of what carbohydrates you should restrict. A lot of the carbohydrates that need to be restricted in this type of meal are those found in white rice, crackers, pasta and jam. These foods should not be served in a high protein, low carb meal.

To start off the meal well, you should serve a large salad. Any type of salad is good to serve. You can make a spinach salad that contains all those great vegetables as well as cheese and maybe some fruit. Go light on the salad dressing or use vinaigrette in order to flavor the salad. The most important thing is that you serve the type of salad that your family and friends enjoy the most.

When you are planning the main course of your high protein, low carb meal, you will want to make sure to have some type of meat as a part of the meal. Meat such as chicken, fish, pork and beef are all high in protein and will make a great addition to any meal. The best choice for everyone would probably be a serving of fish. Salmon, tuna or any other kind of fish that your family enjoys will be great as the main course in your high protein, low carb meal. Make sure that you are eating a lean cut of any meat and that your serving is not too large. Also cook it in a healthy way such as boiling or baking. Avoid frying any foods. This will add unnecessary fats.

Serve your fish with a good serving of vegetables, such as asparagus. Steam the asparagus and flavor it with a little lemon. Also, you can serve whole grain rice with this meal. Usually rice is not present in a high protein, low carb meal but if you use portion control and use whole grain rice, you will be fine.

If you want to serve your family a great tasting, healthy dessert you can make fruit smoothies with just some skim milk, ice and fruit blended to together.

If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

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Can You Eat Out With Low Carb Diet Meal Plans?

September 4, 2008 | 1 Comment

lowcarb

You’ve set your sights on a low carb diet meal plan but your friends have just invited you to go out to dinner. What are you going to do? Surely you’re not going to be able to find foods that fit within your low carb diet meal plan at a restaurant, can you? Of course you can. The internet is loaded with low carb diet menu plans that you can use to make good choices even when eating out. By learning about the content of the foods on the menus, and by making good food choices by researching the low carb diet menu plans, you can stay on your low carb diet meal plan even if you happen to be eating out.

Good Choices

You open the menu and automatically you’re faced with fattening cheeseburgers, desserts, and even the salads are loaded with fattening items. However, many restaurants nowadays know that people are on low carb diet meal plans and thus they usually have special areas on their menus just for you. They’ll have, for example, chicken breast and vegetables, salads for low carb diet meal plans, and much more. The food is usually very good and you can stay on your plan while enjoying your friend’s company. After all, isn’t that what eating out is usually all about anyways? Sure, it’s about the food too, but you have to make good choices if you hope to stay on your plan and these menu items are the way to do it.

What If There Aren’t Low Carb Options

You open the menu and you find that they don’t have a special section for people like you who are on a low carb diet meal plan. What are you going to do? Well, you can order a chicken sandwich and discard the bun, or you can order a salad without the croutons, or just tailor the menu items to fit your needs. Most restaurants will prepare a meal to your liking so just make good choices. It’s going to be difficult, as you’re going to be tempted to eat those fattening menu items, but you must remain strong if you hope to succeed in your weight loss attempt.

You can follow a low carb diet meal plan and still enjoy great foods, even while eating out. Just make sure you make good food choices, tailor the menu to become low carb if they don’t already offer that option and don’t give in to cravings or peer pressure. Just imagine how happy you’ll be later on when you can finally fit into your old pair of jeans that haven’t fit you for years.
If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

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Some Low Carb Diet Lunch Recipes To Make Things Interesting

September 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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You’ve decided that you’re finally going to eat healthy. You don’t know if you want to follow a high protein low carb diet or a low carb vegetarian diet, you just know that there should be low carb included in whatever meal plan you choose. That’s a good idea as the fewer carbs you eat, the more your body will use your fat stores for energy.

For breakfast, you can eat things like egg whites with turkey sausage and maybe a slice of whole wheat toast. For dinner, you should eat mostly protein, or vegetables if you’re following a low carb vegetarian diet. For your low carb diet lunch, however, you need more carbs as this is when your energy levels are usually the highest.

Your Work Life

You don’t want your low carb diet lunch to interfere with work. If you don’t eat enough carbs, your body will feel very tired. You’ll feel moody and you could end up going off on someone at your office, or your place of employment. That could get you fired. This is definitely what you don’t want. So for breakfast and your low carb diet lunch, make sure you eat enough carbs to satiate yourself. This way, you’ll have plenty of energy to get through your day, and hopefully your workout.

Less Carbs As The Day Goes On

The idea behind a low carb diet, whether it’s a high protein diet or a low carb vegetarian diet, is that you want to eat your carbs early in the day when your body is more likely to burn them for energy. As the day goes on, you want to curb your carb intake so that your body will use your fat stores. So for your breakfast, and your low carb diet lunch, eat just enough carbs to satisfy yourself and get you through your day. For dinner, eat even less carbs or cut them out completely because your body is more likely to turn these to fat because you’ll probably be going to sleep soon and your body doesn’t need as much energy.

Get Exercise

To increase your fat loss results, get some kind of exercise a few times per week along with your breakfast and low carb diet lunch so that you can use those carbs for energy, burn your fat stores, and feel good all at the same time. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins which give you a natural high. This will help you achieve your results and help you feel good all while you’re making good low carb diet lunch, breakfast and dinner choices.

If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

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How To Make A Low Carb Diet Food List Quickly

August 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

lowcarbdiet

There are many delicious and nutritious foods for low carb diets that you can include on a low carb diet food list. This is a great way to make dieting fun and easy. By cutting carbohydrates out of your diet and following a strict exercise regime, you will be able to lose fat and gain muscle in as little as a few weeks, keeping in mind that full results will probably not be seen until at least six weeks.

Beans

Beans are one of the most important foods to include on a low carb diet food list. Beans offer a lot of protein, and are important to include in any diet to ensure that you are getting the nutrition your body needs.

Eggs and Dairy

Another food group that needs to be included on any low carb diet food list is eggs and dairy. These also offer a lot of protein and not only that but they also allow you a lot more variety and versatility with your diet, because there are so many different products included in this food group including eggs, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and all cheeses.

Meat

Meat is of course necessary for a low carb diet food list, but you do have to be careful with which meats you include. Beef such as hamburger patties and steak have high amounts of protein and are also quite low in carbohydrates, and chicken is particularly low in carbohydrates and calories. So it is one of the favored meats for a low carb diet.

When you are making a low carb diet food list, make sure that you also include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you use these as side dishes to your meals or as snacks to keep you satisfied throughout the day, you should always be stocked up on fruits and vegetables. The best idea is to have them in single serving packages, Ziploc bags for instance, so whenever you have a craving you can just open the fridge and grab one of these bags to nosh on. The reason that so many people stray from their diets is due to snacking. They get a craving and want something right away, which is usually cookies, cakes and other quick and easy but unhealthy foods.

Making a low carb diet food list will be one of the best things that you ever do, just make sure to bring it back after you take it to the supermarket with you so you can use it again in the future.

If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

fatloss4idiots

How To Make A Low Carb Diet Food List Quickly

August 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

lowcarbdiet

There are many delicious and nutritious foods for low carb diets that you can include on a low carb diet food list. This is a great way to make dieting fun and easy. By cutting carbohydrates out of your diet and following a strict exercise regime, you will be able to lose fat and gain muscle in as little as a few weeks, keeping in mind that full results will probably not be seen until at least six weeks.

Beans

Beans are one of the most important foods to include on a low carb diet food list. Beans offer a lot of protein, and are important to include in any diet to ensure that you are getting the nutrition your body needs.

Eggs and Dairy

Another food group that needs to be included on any low carb diet food list is eggs and dairy. These also offer a lot of protein and not only that but they also allow you a lot more variety and versatility with your diet, because there are so many different products included in this food group including eggs, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and all cheeses.

Meat

Meat is of course necessary for a low carb diet food list, but you do have to be careful with which meats you include. Beef such as hamburger patties and steak have high amounts of protein and are also quite low in carbohydrates, and chicken is particularly low in carbohydrates and calories. So it is one of the favored meats for a low carb diet.

When you are making a low carb diet food list, make sure that you also include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you use these as side dishes to your meals or as snacks to keep you satisfied throughout the day, you should always be stocked up on fruits and vegetables. The best idea is to have them in single serving packages, Ziploc bags for instance, so whenever you have a craving you can just open the fridge and grab one of these bags to nosh on. The reason that so many people stray from their diets is due to snacking. They get a craving and want something right away, which is usually cookies, cakes and other quick and easy but unhealthy foods.

Making a low carb diet food list will be one of the best things that you ever do, just make sure to bring it back after you take it to the supermarket with you so you can use it again in the future.

If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

fatloss4idiots

What The New “Low-Carb” Study REALLY Says

July 21, 2008 | 1 Comment

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

A news media feeding frenzy erupted recently when a new diet study broke in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Almost all the reporters got it wrong, wrong WRONG! So did most of the gloating low carb forumites and bloggers. Come to think of it, almost everyone interpreted this study wrong. Some valuable insights came out of this study, but almost everyone missed them because they were too busy believing what the news said or defending their own cherished belief systems …

NJEM

The new study, titled, “Weight Loss With a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet” was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in issue 359, number 3.

I quickly read the full text of the research paper the day it was published. Then, I shook my head in dismay as I scanned the news headlines. I found it amusing that the media turned this into a three ring circus, putting a misleading “low carb versus high carb,” “Atkins vindicated” or “Diet wars” spin on the story. But that’s mainstream journalism for you, right? Gotta sell those papers!

Just look at some of these headlines:

“Study Tips Scales in Atkins Diets Favor: Low Carb Regimen Better Than Low Fat Diet For Weight And Cholesterol, Major Study Shows. “

“Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets Face Off “ “The Never-Ending Diet Wars” “Low Carb Beats Low Fat in Diet Duel.” “Atkins Diet is Safe and Far More Effective Than a Low-Fat One, Study Says” “Unrestricted Low-Carb Diet Wins Hands Down” Some of these headlines are hilarious! I wonder if any of these reporters actually read the whole study. Geez. Is it too much trouble to read 13 pages before you write a story that will be read by millions of already confused people suffering the pain and frustration of obesity?

Here’s a quick look at the study design.

The low fat restricted calorie diet was based on American Heart Association guidelines. Calorie intake was set at 1500 for women, 1800 a day for men with 30% of calories from fat, and only 10% from saturated fat. Participants were instructed to eat low fat grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes and to limit their consumption of additional fats, sweets and high fat snacks.

The Mediterranean diet group was placed on a moderate fat, restricted calorie program rich in vegetables and low in red meat, with poultry and fish replacing beef and lamb. Energy intake was restricted to 1500 calories per day for women and 1800 calories per day for men with a goal of no more than 35% of calorie from fat. Added fat came mostly from nuts and olive oil.

The low carb diet was a non-restricted calorie plan aimed at providing 20 grams of carbs per day for the 2 month induction phase with a gradual increase to 120 grams per day to maintain the weight loss. Intakes of total calories, protein and fat were not limited. However, the participants were counseled to choose vegetarian sources of protein (more on that bizarre-twist shortly).

The study subjects were mostly male (86%), overweight (BMI 31) and middle age (mean age 52)

Here were the study results:

There were some health improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure and other parameters in the Mediterranean and low carb group that bested the high carb group. That was the focus of many articles and discussions that appeared on the net this week. However, I’d like to focus on the weight loss aspect as I’m not a medical doctor and fat loss is the primary subject matter of this website. All three groups lost weight. The low carb group lost 5.5 kilos, the Mediterranean group lost 4.6 kilos and the low fat group lost 3.3 kilograms…. IN TWO YEARS! Whoopee!

My conclusion would be that the results were similar and that none of the diets worked very well over the long term!

Amanda Gardner of the US News and World Report Health Day was one of the few reporters who got it right:

“Diet plans produce similar results: Study finds Mediterranean and low-carb diets work just as well as low fat ones.”

Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times also came close with her headline:

“Long term diet study suggests success is hard to come by: In a tightly controlled experiment, obese people lost an average of just 6 to 10 pounds over two years.”

Even this headline wasn’t 100% accurate. The study was HARDLY tightly controlled. Tightly controlled means metabolic ward studies where the researchers actually count and control the calorie intake.

The problem is, you can’t lock people in a hospital or research center ward for two years. So in this study, they used a food frequency questionnaire. Sure, like we believe what people report about their eating habits at restaurants and at home behind closed doors! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

“No! I swear Dr. Schwarzfuchs! I swear I didn’t eat those donuts over the weekend! I stayed on my Mediterranean diet. Honest!”

One of the most firmly established facts in dietetics research is that almost everyone underreports their food intake BADLY, sometimes by as much as 50%. I’m not saying everyone “lies,” they just forget or don’t know. In fact, this underreporting of calorie intake is such a huge problem that it makes obesity research very difficult to do and conclusions difficult to draw from free-living studies. Another blunder in the news reports is that this study didn’t really follow Atkins diet parameters OR even the traditional low fat diet for that matter, so it’s not an “Atkin’s versus Ornish” showdown at all. If you actually take the time to read the full text of the research paper it doesn’t say ANYTHING like, “Atkins is the best after all.” That’s the spin that some of the news media cooked up (and what the Atkins foundation was hoping for). It says, “The diet was based on the Atkins diet.” However, the sentence right before that says, “The participants were counseled to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein.” Vegetarian Atkins? The chart on page 236 says the low carb diet provided 40% of calories from carbs at 6, 12 and 24 months. If I’m reading that data properly, then the only low carb period was a brief induction phase in the very beginning. Does that sound like Atkins? 40% carb sounds more like the Zone diet or my own Burn The Fat program to me.

The Atkins Foundation, which partially supported this study, told reporters, “We feel vindicated.” HA! They should have paid the reporters and told the researchers they felt ripped off and they wanted a refund for misuse of their research grant!

After carefully reading the full text of this study, there are many interesting findings we could talk about, from the differences in results between men and women to the improvements in health markers. Here’s what the study really says that stood out to me. It’s what I would have talked about if the newspapers or TV stations had called me:

1. “Mediterranean and low carb diets may be effective alternatives to low-fat diets.”

I can agree completely with that statement. All three diets created a calorie deficit. All three groups lost weight. Low carb lost a little more, which is the usual finding because low carb diets often control appetite and calorie intake automatically (you eat less even if you don’t count calories). Also, if body composition is not indicated, there’s an initial water weight loss that makes low carb diets look more effective in the very early stages.

2. “Personal preferences and metabolic considerations might inform individualized tailoring of dietary interventions.”

Absolutely! Nutrition should be individualized based on goals, health status, body type, activity level and numerous other factors. Different people have different phenotypes. Some people are more predisposed to thrive on a low carb approach. Others feel like crap on low carbs and do better with more carbs or a middle of the road approach. Those who dogmatically follow and defend one type of diet or the other are only handcuffing themselves by limiting their options. Iris Shai, a researcher in the study said, “We can’t rely on one diet fits all.” Hmm, far cry from “Atkins wins hands down,” wouldn’t you say?

3. “The rate of adherence to a study diet was 95.4% at 1 year and 84.6% at 2 years.”

THIS was the part of most interest to me. When I read this, immediately I could have cared less about the silly low carb versus high carb wars that the news reporters were jumping on. I wanted to know WHY the subjects were able to stick with it so well. Of course, that’s boring stuff to journalists… adherence? What does that word mean anyway? Yawn - not interesting enough for prime time, I guess. But it was interesting to me, and I hope YOU pay attention to what I found. The authors of the study wrote:

“This trial suggests a model that might be applied more broadly in the workplace. Using the employer as a health coach could be an effective way to improve health. The model of group intervention with the use of dietary group sessions, spousal support, food labels, and monthly weighing in the workplace within the framework of a health promotion campaign might yield weight reduction and long term health benefits.”

Hmmmmm, lets see: * Dietician coaching
* Group meetings
* Motivational phone calls
* Spousal support
* Workplace monitoring (corporate health program)
* Food labels - calorie monitoring
* Weigh-ins (required and monitored)

Wow, everything helpful to long term fat loss that sticks. Can you say, ACCOUNTABILITY? These factors help explain the better adherence.

By the way, the adherence rate for the low carb group was the lowest.

90.4% in low fat group
85.3% in the Mediterranean group
78% in the low carb group

Here’s the bottom line, the way I see it:

First, please, please, please learn how to find and read primary research and take the news media stories with a grain of salt. If you want to know who died, what burned down or what hurricane is coming, tune in to the news – they do a GREAT job at that. If you want to know how to lose weight or improve your health, look up the original research papers instead of taking second hand information at face value.

Second, those who prefer a low carb approach; more power to them. Most studies, this one included, show at the very least that low carb is an option and it’s not necessarily an unhealthy one if done intelligently. I also have no qualms with someone claiming that low carb diets are slightly more effective for weight loss, especially in the short term, free living situations. Is low carb superior for fat loss in the long haul? That’s STILL highly debatable. It’s probably superior for some people, but not for others.

Third, low carb people, listen up! Even if low carb is superior, that doesn’t mean calories don’t count. Deny this at your own peril. In fact, this study shows the reverse. The low carb group was in a larger negative energy balance than the high carb and Mediterranean group (according to the data published in this paper), which easily explains the greater weight loss. Posting the calories contained in foods in the cafeteria may have improved the results and helped with compliance in all groups.

When energy intake is matched calorie for calorie, the advantage of a low carb diet shrinks or disappears. For most people, low carb is a hunger management or calorie control weight loss advantage, not metabolic magic (sorry, no magic folks!)

Fourth, choose the nutrition program that’s most appropriate for your personal preferences, your current health condition, your genetics (or phenotype) and most important of all… the one you can stick with. Then tend your own garden instead of wasting time criticizing how the other guy is eating. Your results will speak for themselves in the end. Take your shirt off and show us.

venuto

If I were forced to choose only one approach (and thank god I’m not), I would recommend avoiding the extremes of very low carb or very low fat or very high fat or very high carbs. Balance makes the most sense to me, and the research suggests that this helps produce the highest compliance rate. That’s not rocket science either, it’s common sense. If you have a serious fat loss goal, as when I compete in bodybuilding, then a further reduction in carbs and increase in protein makes perfect sense to me as a peaking diet. If an extremely low or extremely high carb diet worked for you, great. But generalizing your experience to the entire rest of the world makes no sense. Arguing from extremes is the weakest form of argument. The reason I have THREE nutrition plans (three phases) in my own fat loss program is because programs with flexibility and room for individualization beat the others hands down in the long term. In fact, I wrote an entire chapter in my e-book about unique body types, how to determine yours and how to individualize your nutrition – it’s THAT important. If you have more choices, you have more power. The people who are shackled by dogma and narrow thinking are stuck. They also risk missing what’s really important. Things like: Personalization
Adherence
Long-term Maintenance
Accountability
Social Support

and

CALORIES!

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com
PS. If you want to learn more about a balanced, flexible and proven approach, which teaches nutritional individuality and which can produce similar weight loss in one month, month after month, that the subjects of this study produced in TWO YEARS, (if you ADHERE to it!), then visit my fat loss website.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

Finding Good Vegetarian Low Carb Recipes

July 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment

vegetariandiet

There are many vegetarian low carb recipes out there but selecting a good one for you and your family can be difficult. The thing I have found that works best when on a low carb diet for vegetarians is to have a collection of your favorite foods at home and work out your vegetarian low carb recipes around them.

Basic Ingredients For Vegetarian Low Carb Recipes

The first ingredient that I use in the majority of my vegetarian low carb recipes is tofu. Tofu is literally the wonder food of the vegetarian world. If you have been a meat eater before and are looking for something that is nutritious and can emulate the flavor and texture of meat, tofu is your friend.

You are going to want to start simple with this ingredient and work you way up to proficiency with it. This ingredient is incredibly versatile and can be used in just about any vegetarian low carb recipes that you find. Whether it is Asian or Italian you can work tofu in if you use it right.

The next ingredient I find to be very flexible and usable in lot of vegetarian low carb recipes is egg. Eggs are wonderfully flexible and capable of providing needed protein. It is especially important to make sure that you have the right amount of protein when on a vegetarian diet, as it is very easy to not have enough. Protein is often overlooked in recipes, so it may be up to you to make sure that you and your family are getting the amount that you need.

Another good staple ingredient in vegetarian cooking is nut. Coconuts, peanuts and cashews all have their own unique flavor and add taste and texture to any vegetarian meal. Coconut milk is very healthy and can be a lower fat alternative to cow’s milk. Peanuts can make wonderful sauces and cashews can spruce up even the blandest of meals.

Another useful food for vegetarian low carb recipes is peppers. These can provide a shot of flavor with very few calories. There are also many valuable nutrients and vitamins in peppers, so do not be afraid to try them in just about anything.

Well there you have some basic ideas to get your vegetarian low carb recipes off the ground. The key is being willing to experiment and try new things so don’t be afraid to give new things a shot.

If you want to know more about Low Carb Diet and you dont have to starve at all learn more here :

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Low carb cheesecake recipe, Low carb chicken recipe

June 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment

cheesecake

Following a low carb diet can definitely be difficult, especially at the very beginning when you are trying to cut out a significant amount of calories from your diet. With ideas like the low carb cheesecake recipe and low carb chicken recipe however, you will still get delicious food without the carbohydrates, making it much easier to stick to your low carb diet.

Pleasure Without The Guilt

There are quite a few different low carb cheesecake recipe ideas to choose from, but if you are looking for a really delicious, low carb cheesecake recipe, this is one that you are going to want to try out.

If you want the definitive cheesecake, one that is smooth and rich and oh so tasty, here is a great option. The New York style cheesecake with Brazil nut crust is a tasty treat that is very low in carbohydrates.

For this recipe you will need 2 cups raw Brazil nuts, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 teaspoon brown Sugar Twin, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt to make the crust. For the filling you will need 2 1/2 lbs. cream cheese at room temperature, a pinch of salt, 5 tablespoons granular Splenda, 5 tablespoons granular Sugar Twin, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 large egg yolks and 6 large whole eggs.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF for this low carb cheesecake recipe, and line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper is very important and you should not skip this step because if you do the cheesecake will end up sticking and you will not be able to get it out of the pan.

You want to roast the raw nuts for about fifteen minutes, and while they are toasting melt the butter. Then you want to transfer the nuts to a food processor, pulsing them until they are finely chopped because you do not want any large sized nuts in the recipe. Add the remaining crust ingredients and pulse to combine them all together until they are well mixed, and then pat evenly into the bottom of the spring form pan and place in the fridge.

Next you want to increase the oven temperature to 400ºF, beat the cream cheese until smooth in a separate bowl, add the sweeteners, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until combined, then add the egg yolks and then the eggs two at a time, beating until incorporated. Carefully pour this filling over the crust and put on the pan, bake for ten minutes, reduce temperature back to 350ºF and bake for nearly two hours or until set.

This low carb cheesecake recipe will make you think you are cheating because it is so good!

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