Lets get the SKINNY on the Atkins Diet

CookingWithCarlo.com ^ | Oct 4 2003 | Carlo3b Dad, Chef, Author

[carlo3b]

 

Lets get the SKINNY on the Atkins Diet

By: Master Chef, Carlo J. Morelli

Because of a Doctor named Atkins and his hypothesis of weight loss and diet, everything that was UP, is now DOWN, and everything that was FAT is now getting a great deal THINNER.

The Atkins diet is basically the polar opposite of the prevailing knowledge we have been taught about healthy eating since the word "calorie" was brought into vogue some 50 years ago.

For the past 30 plus years, this controversial diet has quite simply never been far from the spotlight, or the bestseller list. Celebrities loved it. Health experts hated it. However, more than a few high profile, beautiful people, support the Atkins theory of weight loss, not just in theory, but in full frontal, or even more appropriately they stand behind it.

What made Dr Atkins Diet so difficult for the medical, and nutritional establishment to swallow, was his near total repudiation of their unanimous conclusions on weight, health, fitness and diet. After the years that the medical community spent building a solid consensus, and food pyramids, Atkins had the audacity to blame them for the failing physical health of the American people.

He suggested that people on his diet should eat foods like cheese, steak and sausages - which are high in fat - but not those that are high in carbohydrate, like pasta, bread and cereals. OUTRAGEOUS, claimed the so-called experts, DANGEROUS, was the clarion cry, and some went so far to suggest FATAL, could be the result. That was decades ago. Legions of people say the fine Doctor was right, and the so-called pros were WRONG!

Well, who is right, and which one needs to eat their words. Here are some facts that can not be disputed. Running parallel to the time line of the the growing health awareness campaign, concerning the average American diet.. phenomenal weight gain has been attributed to be the single most damaging health concern. However, it has to be said, the same approximate starting point in time, coincides with the popularity of the TV, thus TV dinners and such activities as channel surfing in lieu of... well, you understand where this is going..

Further, the same period gave birth to the beginning of the famous fad diets that dominated the conversations, airwaves and the market place. Each of these utopian gastronomic innovations, promised Venus like results.. Of course none did, and that gave way to the DIET PILL. The various miracle pills promised, that without changing our ways of living that got us to where we were, they promised and promised, and finally they just pooped out.

STAY AWAY FROM MEAT, stay away from milk, no eggs, apples, chicken, soda, just stay away from chips... well,  just stay away from me!  Eat fish and everything natural, the nanny crowd told us.. Sure, easy for those who lived by the swordfish can die by it, for all I care. But that ain't me, too many Moe said

Desperate to fit into last years bathing suit, folks began pursuing crash diets in hopes of losing unwanted pounds in a few days. Eat apples, bushels of them, chased with wine. California and Washington state's wallets bulged, but so did everyone's midsection.. Broccoli, was the next panacea, but that caused gasterea. Followed by cabbage, grapes, then watermelon, and then finally just water, gallons of it.. and the unwanted pounds will just float away.

All during this tumultuous period, spanning over 40 years, the medical and diet constabulary kept preaching variety, balance, and building on blocks of food groups, recommended daily servings, counting, counting everything, and vitamins.. blue ones, green ones, big ones, little ones, and oh yeah.. exercise. We sure needed exercise, after taking exactly, 77,000 milamorons of assorted vitamins.

Lest we forget EXERCISE!  Health clubs popped up everywhere, and everyone was now sweating, jogging, pumping, cycling. The economy in the health and fitness industries grew and grew, but unfortunately so did the size of our collective gut!  Exercised worked then and it works now.. no argument, but most of the people living in our fast paced country simply wouldn't or can't devote that much time to the Stairmasters.

Labels, by golly, it was the labels, IF MANUFACTURERS WOULD JUST TELL US THE TRUTH.. put it on the box, package, bag, can.. everything in black and white each and every milimicrogram, and how many.. croscamelose sodiumdelcamicium are in it, so we can judge for ourselves.. the health nut crowds demanded, everyone would manage their own weight..

After decades of gaining, and billions of dollars, in labeling, counting, sweating, weighting, and popping, and after eating, lite, low, high, less, joining anything with a promising name.. burp.. we are fatter than ever, and dangerously ill with obesity causing heart, lung, and diabetic seizures.. it brings us to WHERE?

Were the experts wrong? Is balance, counting and labels the only way to a healthy life? NO, attitude is. If you are really fat or getting that way and feeling the weight of it on your mind and body, you have to make a decision. You and only you can change your direction and your dress, or belt size. There can be no, South Beach, Palm beach, or beached wale, that will make a difference without you demanding it of yourself.

The good news is Atkins, and modifications of it, works for most people. If you are truly serious about losing weight, there is now a way to do it that millions of people have proved, if you can believe millions of people. Even the naysayers have begun to come around, and have finally published the first real study of its kind, American scientists have found that over 12 months Atkins dieters lost more weight than those on a conventional low calorie diet, says the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine!! YIKES..

If you don't think that little tidbit choked as it came out, you have been sleeping over the past 30 years. Atkins has been saying to anyone that would listen, and apparently millions have, that Carbohydrate provides energy, and Dr Atkins' theory is that if carbohydrate intake is restricted a body will get its energy by burning fat instead, which will result in weight loss. It's that simple!

Followers of the diet can't get enough of it - they say it works. But some medical experts have still raised serious concerns about the diet's long-term safety. Somewhere close is the real answer, and if you follow the letter of this learned Doctor's diet guidelines, as well as your own body clock, you will lose the weight you wish, and most of all, keep it off.

---

The Major Benefits of the Diet, in short. Excerpts courtesy of The Atkins Center.

Diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, cereal, and other mainly "low-fat" processed foods increase your body's production of insulin. When insulin is at high levels in the body, the food you eat can get readily converted into body fat, in the form of triglycerides (to top it off, high triglyceride levels in the body are one of the greatest risk factors for heart disease).

Even worse, high carbohydrate meals tend to leave you less satisfied than those that contain adequate fat levels; so you eat more and get hungrier sooner. If you find this hard to believe, think about how much pasta you can eat at lunch and then how hungry you are running to the vending machine for another "carbo-fix" in the mid-afternoon. If the pasta you ate was really giving your body what it needed, you would stay full until dinner time. So the typical low-protein, low-fat meal leaves you eating more and hungry sooner.

So what should you do? Get off the insulin generating roller coaster of the low-fat diet and start cutting down on your carbohydrate consumption, especially the worst offenders: sugar, white flour and other refined carbohydrate-based products. What can you expect from this? Three wonderful results:

1) You'll start to burn fat for energy: Since carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source, you'll rarely use your secondary energy source, you own body fat, for energy unless you restrict carbohydrate consumption. This offers a lifetime of body fat burning, which is the goal of most people trying to lose weight.

2) You won't feel hungry in between meals: The biggest battle that most people have with weight loss is the constant obsession with food (for example, if you've ever thought about dinner when you're eating lunch). Again, much of this is caused by blood sugar fluctuations that are aggravated by carbohydrate consumption (especially the refined kind). By cutting the carbs, you'll maintain a more even blood sugar level throughout the day. No more false hunger pains or mid-afternoon brain drains.

3) Your overall health will improve and you'll feel better: Many of the toxins you take into your body are stored in your fat cells. By getting your body to burn stored fat, you allow it to clean itself out. Combined with the benefits of stable blood sugar, the end result is that many common ailments you have been experiencing could well be alleviated. Fatigue, irritability, depression, headaches, and even many forms of joint and muscular pain simply go away. Furthermore, you should see a significant improvement in your blood profile, (including cholesterol and blood pressure levels). All this leads to better health and well-being-- something all of us strive to bring into our lives.

Key Information About Sugar

It contains no vitamins. No minerals. It is 100% carbohydrate. So it must be metabolized immediately. The stores of nutrients built up in your body are called out like militia men, to "charge" the sugar, and similar forms like glucose and fructose, and turn it into ready energy, depleting your body in the process. Sugar is an energy sucker: the Anti-Nutrient.

White flour is its second-cousin—almost as bad. When you partner the two together— flour and sugar—it spells disaster for anyone trying to maintain a healthy body, let alone someone who is fighting disease or trying to lose weight. If they are consumed on a regular basis, the body is in a constant state of nutritional deficiency. If you don't believe that sugar is an anti-nutrient, try having a rich dessert after dinner on a night you're feeling under the weather – you'll be sure to wake up the next morning with a full-blown illness.

What's frightening is that in recent years, the government and other advisory groups like the American Medical Association have encouraged the consumption of flour by unveiling a new food pyramid that is based on grains and recommends six to eleven servings a day. And no distinction is made between white processed flour, which is stripped of the nutrients, especially important trace minerals, and the much more healthy whole grains (unless you have a food allergy). And the result? Americans now think they're making healthy choices by loading up on cereals, pasta, crackers and breads. We even have products like Pop-Tarts®, with 39 grams of carbohydrate, 20 of which are sugar, carrying the American Heart Association Seal Of Approval. It is a travesty.

So how do we protect ourselves and stay healthy? One thing we can do is eat a healthy, balanced diet of low-carbohydrate foods. And when our foods fail us, as they often do after being picked, shipped, stripped, processed and packaged, we can protect ourselves with solid vita-nutrient support. It is critical that you include this extra "insurance policy" to take you into the kind of healthy life we all want to lead.

(Pop-Tarts® is a registered trademark of Kellogg's USA, Inc.)

Answering The Critics

While mainstream medicine and nutrition have, on the whole, criticized the Atkins Diet, the facts speak for themselves:

Dr. Atkins and his colleagues at The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York have treated over 60,000 patients using the Atkins Diet as a primary protocol. These patients experience all the beneficial effects detailed above, as well as improved blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and a lower or completely eradicated dependence on prescription drugs.

While the mainstream critics continue to lament the consumption of fat as the root of America's weight problem, only carbohydrate consumption (mostly refined) has increased in the past few decades, while fat consumption has declined (as the "low-fat/high carb" diet has been promoted as the best nutritional option for every living person). During this time:

Obesity, which in the past had consistently applied to about 25% of the population, increased to 33%
Heart disease now accounts for 50% of all deaths, up from 40% in the 1970s
Cases of diabetes are growing in near epidemic proportions (in fact, children are now contracting adult-onset diabetes)
Hypertension, chronic fatigue and attention-deficit-disorder are now well recognized conditions.
All of these conditions are linked not by the amount of fat in ones diet, but by blood sugar disturbances and insulin disorders caused by excessive refined carbohydrate consumption (FYI: The average person now consumes over 150 pounds of sugar a year, up from less then 10 pounds in the 19th century).

While medical and nutritional journals are filled with studies documenting the body's requirement of essential fatty acids and essential amino acids (derived from protein), there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. Why then does the FDA recommend an average of 16 servings a day?

The Atkins Diet is not a no-carbohydrate diet. The diet focuses on very limited consumption of the types of carbohydrates that tend to spike blood sugar levels the most, including non-whole grain bread, pastas, refined sugar products, juices, and high sugar/starchy fruits and vegetables. Atkins Dieters learn to determine their personal sensitivity to carbohydrates, as a way to manage their weight and health for life.

[carlo3b]

Done!! :)

[carlo3b]

Done.. :):)

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks for posting this, Carlo. Fortunately, I don't worry about diets…. yet, lol.

[carlo3b]

Any successful diet depends on your personal;

 
A) Commitment... You simply refuse to go on in your current condition, and you are ready to set a timetable, with reasonable goals to lose your excess weight! You know that unless you keep to your timetable you will have lost valuable time and effort and will not succeed.

B) Discipline .. Nothing, nothing, will keep you from succeeding in accomplishing your goal and changing your bad eating habits! You have become the weight that you are by what you eat on you current eating habit.

C) Exercise.. You are prepared to set aside a minimum amount of time each day, to do any kind of exercise which is more than you are currently doing. You understand that the amount of weight loss and increased energy you experience will probably parallel the amount of time you devote to this task.

D) Enjoy yourself! This doesn't have to be work. Think of yourself as you will look when you finally reach your goal.. WOO HOO
 

[carlo3b]

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

• 1/2 cup Splenda or Sugar Twin Spoonable or any of the many great sugar substitutes
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Baked 9” pie crust (see “related recipes” below)
• 2 large bananas, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup prepared sugar-free whipped topping mix


1) In medium non-stick saucepan, combine Sugar sub., cornstarch, salt, and cream of tartar. Gradually stir in milk until well blended.
2) Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Continue cooking and whisking for one minute. Remove from heat.
3) In medium bowl, whisk at least 1/2 of hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Whisk this mixture into remaining mixture in saucepan. Return saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and yellow food coloring, if using. Cover and cool to room temperature.
4) In prepared piecrust, arrange banana slices to cover the bottom and sides of the crust. Top with prepared filling, making sure to completely cover the bananas. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set.
5) On a cookie sheet spread shredded coconut, and bake under broiler until slightly browned
6) To serve, top with sugar-free whipped topping, and springle coconut.
 Chilling Time: 3 hours
 Refrigerate leftovers for no more than 2 days.
 

Pie Crust
•  1 cup all-purpose flour
•  1/4 tsp salt
•  1/2 cup very cold unsalted butter
•  2 1/2 to 3 Tbsp. ice cold water


Preheat oven to 400°F
1) Combine flour with salt in a medium bowl. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut in unsalted butter or vegetable shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2) Sprinkle in 1 Tbsp. at a time of ice water, until mixture just holds together. Do not over mix.
3) Gather pastry into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
4) 5. Roll out dough on piece of parchment paper. Transfer to 8 or 9 inch pie shell. Flute edges and secure to sides to prevent shrinkage. Prick bottom and sides with a fork.
5) To blind-bake your piecrust: Place piece of parchment paper in bottom of pie shell. Fill with uncooked dry beans or pie weights.
6) Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven, remove parchment paper and pie weights (if using), and cool completely.
 

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

For the holidays this year, it's going to be my turn to cook (first time). I'm not really a cook - basically all I do is fish and salad. (In fact, I just took a cooking class where I learned how to cook fish in parchment paper.) Is there a tasty salmon recipe that you know of?

Also, I need simple ideas for the other courses. I don't even know what order the courses are supposed to go in. Appetizers, salad, fish, dessert - or appetizers, fish, salad, dessert. (I haven't thought about the appetizers yet.) Do I need a vegetable to go with the fish, or is fish alone on the plate enough? How about pasta as a course? All I need is a fabulous sauce. Acckkk!! I've got just over 2-1/2 months to plan this, and I'm already stressing.

This dinner party will be non-meat, because two of the people don't eat meat, and one doesn't eat fish or meat. So I was thinking it's easier to do fish for us all, and maybe pasta for the non-fish/non-meat eater - or maybe pasta for us all. You have no idea how difficult this is going to be.

Any and all ideas appreciated. I'm going to try out any suggested recipes beforehand. :)

[wimpycat]

Please un-ping me.

[carlo3b]

FReeper Food 101..  :)

You should add this to your basic recipe list.. consider this recipe more of a suggestion rather than a true recipe because just about any fish can be substituted for the salmon, and the butter goes equally well on grilled beef, chicken, and pork.

Grilled Salmon with Mustard Butter

• 4 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 Tbs. Dijon style mustard
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 Tbs. chopped chives
• 2 Tbs. chopped parsley
• 1 Tsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 - 6 salmon steaks or fillets, about 6 - 8 oz each
• 2 Tbs. olive oil

1) Combine the butter, mustards, herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
2) Roll the mixture into a log about 4 inches (10 cm) long and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until firm.
3) Rub the salmon steaks with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4) Place on a grill over moderate heat and cook, turning once, until the flesh is firm to the touch and opaque throughout.
5) Place a 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick slice of the butter on each portion.
Serves 4 to 6. ENJOY!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Mmmmmm mmmmmm thanks, Carlo.

[thedilg]

A ping to put me on the list.

Godspeed. The Dilg

[carlo3b]

Depinged.. ;o)

[carlo3b]

Pa da pinged... YeHaaaaaaaaa!

[carlo3b]

Chicken with Fresh Herbs & Vegetables

Fresh vegetables and herbs wed blissfully to tender chicken breasts in a dish that will please nearly everyone. Colorful, delicious, and packed with nutrition!

• 1/4 cup Keto* Crumbs or low carb bread crumbs
• 6 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 10 large mushrooms, quartered
• 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Combine Keto or bread crumbs and 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and dredge chicken in mixture.

Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet.

Add mushrooms and bell pepper to skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, and salt; return chicken to skillet. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano, and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

If you don't have fresh herbs, substitute 1 tablespoon dried basil and 1 teaspoon dried oregano.

Makes 4 servings –– 5.8 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
 

Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche

• 1 lb. very lean hamburger
• 1 small chopped onion
• 4 slices crisp-cooked bacon, chopped in bits
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup half-n-half
• 8 oz. shredded chedder or swiss cheese
• garlic powder to taste (optional)
• white pepper

Brown hamburger in skillet with onion. Remove and mix in bowl with bacon pieces, breaking up any larger clumps with a fork or pastry mixer until you have a fine mix. Drain well of any excess grease and press into the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine remaining ingredients in mixer bowl and whip well. Pour mixture over beef "crust" and bake 40-45 minutes until top is browned and "set". Cool 15-20 minutes before slicing. This can be packaged in Ziplocs or plastic containers for meals quickly microwaved over the next 3-5 days. (Does not freeze well, though.)

Makes 6 servings –– 2.2 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
 

Green Beans with Bacon and Almonds

• One 16 oz package frozen French style green beans, thawed
• One 16 oz package bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Fry bacon, draining off all fat, but leaving bits in the pan. Add thawed green beans and heat through, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bacon and almonds, and heat another 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings –– 3.9 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
 

Garlic Eggplant & Zucchini

This recipe calls for your veggies to be grilled. To approximate this dish indoors, set your broiler pan on the highest rack. Broilers vary significantly, so check after 30 seconds to make sure yours isn't excessively hot.

• 1 medium eggplant (or 3 skinny Japanese eggplants)
• 3 small zucchini
• olive oil for brushing
• coarse Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (leaves only)

If using standard (globe-type) eggplant, slice into 1/2" disks. Salt generously and set aside for 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. If using Japanese eggplant, simply slice eggplant in half lengthwise. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise.

Brush vegetables with olive oil; salt and pepper. Grill over medium coals until somewhat softened and golden, about 4 - 8 minutes per side, depending on heat.

Meanwhile, combine garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Remove vegetables to platter. Drizzle with garlic-oil-vinegar sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and crushed red pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings –– 4.7 grams of carbohydrate per serving.

Swiss Cheese Cobb Salad

• 1 (10-ounce) bag (6 cups) mixed salad greens
• 1/4 pound Swiss Cheese, cubed
• 1 medium (1 cup) green pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium (1 cup) red pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium (1 cup) tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 pound Ham, cubed
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
• 3/4 cup Bleu Cheese salad dressing

Place salad greens on large platter or in large shallow bowl. Place cheese in row down center of greens. Place half of each remaining ingredient in vertical rows from cheese to one side of platter. Repeat on other side of cheese with remaining ingredients. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.

Serve with salad dressing.

Makes 6 servings –– 4.5 grams carbohydrate per serving.

Grilled Sirloin Salad

• 1 1/4 lb. boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 3/4-inch thick Tenderloin may be substituted for top sirloin.
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 cups gourmet salad greens mix
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into slices
• 1/2 cup prepared ranch or blue cheese dressing
• salt

Seasoning:

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a small bowl, combine seasoning ingredients. Press evenly into both sides of beef steak. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 13-16 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness; turn occasionally.

Season steak with salt, as desired. Drizzle with lemon juice. Carve steak crosswise into thin slices.

In large bowl, combine salad mix and tomatoes; toss gently. Arrange beef on top of salad. Serve with low carb dressing of choice (Blue Cheese is terrific here!)

Makes 4 servings –– 3.9 grams of carbohydrate per serving.
 

Chocolate Chipper Cheesecake Crust:

• 1/4 cup almond or walnut flour (finely ground nut meal)
• 4 Keto Chocolate Biscotti Cookies - finely crushed
• 2 Tablespoons Splenda
• 4 Tablespoons butter - melted

Filling:

• 5 (8-oz) packages full fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup DaVinci Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Oat Flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugarfree vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix the crust ingredients and press into bottom of springform or cheesecake pan.

Mix cream cheese, Splenda, DaVinci Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low after each, just until blended. Blend in oat flour and mix again. Then blend in sour cream.

Add Sugar Free Chocolate Chips and stir in gently with a large spoon (don't use mixer!) and pour over crust. (If you like, reserve some for top of cake ... when cake begins to "set", sprinkle additional decorative chips over top and finish baking.)

Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around the rim of the pan to loosen cake and allow to cool before removing the springform pan ring. Refrigerate overnight.

This makes a LARGE cake! Total carbs in cake: 102 At 20 servings: 5.1 carbs per slice. At 24 servings: 4.25 carbs per slice.

 Dr. Pepper Cake

• 1 1/2 cups high gluten flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup granulated Splenda
• 1/4 cup Diabetisweet
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 Tablespoons Dutch-Process Cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 large egg whites (room temp)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup cold Diet Dr. Pepper *
• 2 Tablespoons Buttermilk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 Grease and flour (use the gluten flour) two 8" or 9" round cake pans. Preheat oven to 325°F.

In large mixing bowl, sift together high gluten flour, almond flour, granulated Splenda, Diabetisweet, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Pause and sprinkle cream of tartar over egg whites, then continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In small bowl, mix cold Diet Dr. Pepper with egg yolks and whisk well. Add oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture and beat till smooth.

Add 1/2 of the whipped egg whites to the batter mixture and beat again until well blended (but no more than a minute.)

Then carefully add batter to remainder of whipped egg whites and mix gently using a rubber/plastic spatula, being careful not to break down whites, until batter is fully incorporated.

Pour into cake pans evenly and bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes turning half-way through. Keep an eye on them and don't overbake. Baking time can vary a bit depending on oven, elevation, etc. Cake is done when lightly golden brown on top and puffed and cracked at edges. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool on cake racks. When fully cool, assemble and frost with your favorite low-carb frosting. (A chocolate/peanut butter/cream cheese frosting is great on this cake!)

Keto product line. Recipes from a wonderful site Low Carb Luxury.

[hawkk]

I'm sure it's been posted somewhere, but just how many carbs is a person to have in a day?? Thanks!

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

That sounds good! I'm going to try it!

Place on a grill over moderate heat and cook, turning once, until the flesh is firm to the touch and opaque throughout.

One question, how would I cook it in my oven? In parchment? Not in parchment? In the broiler section? (I've never used the broiler before.) At 500 degress for 10 minutes? Or what do you suggest?

[umgud]

I am on a low carb diet of my own design. It's real simple. I quit 99% of sugars (candy, sweets, sodas, etc.), I've cut out the bulk of all high carb foods. It's not a strict well defined regimen. I just have to be creative, especially when traveling, which is often. You have to know that I ate poorly and excercised infrequently. My ideal weight should be around 165 lbs, but I balloened to 200 in the last few years. Since starting my low carb diet 3 weeks ago , I've lost 14 pounds! To me, this won't be a diet, but a new way to eat. I already feel better.

[Jen]

Keep me on the list, Carlo. LOVE your recipes.

One of my weaknesses is ice cream, but many of the low-carb varieties taste so bland and the texture is wierd. Ick! I recently found "Slender" brand at Kroger and it's really good! I can't tell the difference between it and regular ice cream and there are several flavors. Yummmmmmm!

[grimalkin]

He sounds like an a**... just smile and then forget about it.

I don't normally discuss how I eat with others. If they ask, I say that I don't eat sugar and flour. If they throw a bunch of negative opinions my way, I just say it's my business and not theirs.

[Tulsa Brian]

Hey, include me, too ;-)

[MosesKnows]

Here are some facts that can not be disputed

Whatever you eat is your diet and what ever diet you have will follow this simple basic fact. If you consume more calories than you expend in energy you will gain weight. You can count calories, carbs, votes, or the number of stars but that fact will not be altered.

Eat fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and small amounts of fish for nutrition. All other foods are eaten for fun as they are unnecessary for a human's nutrition.