Lowcarbezine! 21 February 2001
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Hey, Gang --
I'm having another good week, here. My daffodils are starting to stick
their heads up, so what could be wrong in the world?
However, I've been told by Rich Oliver, my buddy who runs Low Carb
Grocery (Hi, Rich!) that some of you will read this first little
greeting, and then, when you see the copyright and subscription info
below, figure that's the whole 'zine! No, no! The rest of the 'zine is
*below the copyright info*. It's just that that info, while boring, is
important, and I have to be certain everyone sees it. So just scroll on
down, and you'll find the whole Lowcarbezine!, articles, reader letters,
recipes and all.
Which is why I always finish this greeting section by saying:
Read on!
Dana
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All contents copyright 2001 by Hold the Toast Press. All commercial
reproduction and/or use is expressly prohibited. As always, feel free
to forward Lowcarbezine! to any family or friends you feel might enjoy
it, provided that you forward it in its entirety.
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good, right?)
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The Other Insulin-Related Illness
When I first started researching a low carbohydrate diet, it emerged
that a whole cluster of health problems that strongly correlate with
obesity were not so much *caused* by obesity, but rather, seem to be
caused by
the same hyperinsulinemia that causes obesity as well. That disease
cluster includes high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia (high
cholesterol/triglycerides), heart disease, adult onset diabetes, and the
female cancers -- breast, ovarian, and cervical. Hyperinsulinemia may
not be the sole cause of these health problems, but it is seems clear
that it is a strong contributing factor. It also seems clear that
controlling blood insulin levels through diet is a good way to prevent
or treat these health problems.
Time to add another health problem to the list of insulin-linked
conditions. Ever heard of polycystic ovarian syndrome, also called
PCOS? You will.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome has only recently been recognized, and there
are many doctors who are still not up to speed on the symptoms of the
syndrome, so it is important that women become informed. The factor
which gives PCOS its name is ovarian cysts. A cyst is a small,
fluid-filled sac, sort of like a blister. There are several types of
cysts, some quite normal -- just a part of the ovulatory cycle -- and
some that can grow and even become cancerous over time, and must be
removed. (I have a dear friend who had a cyst bigger than a
grapefruit! When it was removed, the surgeon photographed it to put in
a medical textbook.) The "polycystic" in the name of PCOS means that
the ovaries grow a lot of cysts, sometimes becoming quite full of them.
This can cause pain, and can also cause irregular periods and fertility
problems.
However, PCOS is not simply a gynecological problem. It is a full-body,
systemic metabolic disorder with some very serious consequences.
Perhaps the most serious of these is the severe insulin resistance that
is part
of the syndrome; it means that women with PCOS are at a high risk for
adult onset diabetes, and all the health problems that go along with it
-- high blood fats, high blood pressure, heart disease, gradual
destruction of the cardiovascular system leading to things like
blindness and loss of extremities. It also increases your risk of breast
cancer, and because it messes up your menstrual cycle, it increases your
risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus), too.
We're talking serious stuff, here.
("What is insulin resistance?" I hear you cry. Here's an analogy for
you: Insulin functions much like a doorman -- when there is too much
glucose
(sugar) in your blood, it is insulin's job to open the doors on your
cells -- called "insulin receptors" -- and let that sugar in, getting it
out of the blood stream. Think of insulin resistance as the hinges on
the doors getting rusty, so it gets harder and harder to open those
doors. In turn, your body starts to crank out more and *more* and
*MORE* insulin, just to get those doors to open. Eventually, you reach
the point where your body can't make enough insulin to get enough doors
open to get the sugar out of your blood stream, and you have adult onset
or type II diabetes -- high insulin levels AND high blood sugar.)
Those high levels of insulin in turn cause the ovaries to make too much
testosterone. (Yes, women have testosterone too. We just are supposed
to have less than men.) Those high levels of testosterone can cause
irregular menstrual periods, infertility, facial hair growth, acne, and
thinning hair -- a sort of "male pattern baldness" in women.
Obesity is usually a part of the picture as well, and can make matters
worse, because stored body fat can itself effect levels of circulating
hormones.
So the overall symptom pattern of PCOS includes:
Irregular periods
Infertility
Acne
Facial hair growth
Thinning head hair
Ovarian pain
Obesity, especially abdominal obesity
If you have several of these symptoms, or if you have irregular periods
(defined as 6 or fewer periods in a year), you should see your doctor.
If you have a daughter with some or all of these symptoms, be aware that
PCOS can start quite young; I have here in front of me a med journal
article titled "Early metabolic abnormalities in adolescent girls with
polycystic ovarian syndrome", it details a study done on girls with PCOS
who were all of 12 years old. Get the kid to a doctor and on a low carb
diet *now*, and prevent years of trouble.
The doctor should *not* just do an ultrasound to look
for ovarian cysts -- many women have ovarian cysts and do not have
PCOS. To diagnose PCOS, your doctor should look at your menstrual
history, and do extensive blood tests, looking at levels of glucose, HDL
and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and especially of testosterone and
other sex hormones.
Once diagnosed with PCOS, a low carbohydrate diet becomes very
important, because it will lower the levels of insulin in your
bloodstream, which will, in turn, lower your body's runaway production
of testosterone. The weight loss that a low carb diet brings is also
helpful, since simple weight loss, however achieved, appears to lessen
insulin resistance, which in turn lowers blood insulin levels even
more. According to the articles I was able to find on the subject --
both popular press
articles and med journal stuff -- by lowering insulin levels and causing
weight loss, a low carb diet *by itself* has been sufficient for some
women to start menstruating again, and become pregnant. That's pretty
impressive.
Exercise is also important, since it is also a good way to increase
insulin sensitivity. (Yes, this means you. Go for a walk. :-) )
However, PCOS is a nasty and potentially very dangerous thing, and I
would *NOT* advise that -- if you recognize these symptoms in yourself
-- you simply go on a low carb diet, lose some weight, and call it quits
at that. You're playing games with your life, here. It is *VERY
IMPORTANT* that you be monitored by your doctor. If your doctor doesn't
understand PCOS, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR.
There are some drug treatments that help PCOS. Your doctor may
well put you on birth control pills; this will regularize your periods,
and by doing so, may prevent endometrial cancer. These can also combat
acne and help get rid of embarrassing facial hair. You may also be put
on Glucophage, a drug usually prescribed for diabetics, which increases
insulin sensitivity. (Rezulin has also been used, but has recently been
under fire for some nasty side effects.) Make sure that your doctor
understands that you
also plan to eat a low carbohydrate diet, so that he or she doesn't
prescribe more insulin-lowering drugs than you need.
There is no complete cure for PCOS at this time; indeed, it isn't even
well understood, nor are we certain how many women have PCOS, although
estimates run as high as ten percent of the female population. (!) The
good news is that a low carbohydrate diet, coupled with help from a
qualified physician, should help you prevent many of the most
devastating health consequences of PCOS. A low carb diet can also help
you lose some of the excess weight that comes with PCOS, and that is
very good news indeed, since in many women a loss as modest as 10% of
body weight is enough to regularize periods and allow the woman to
become pregnant.
(Note: I have had the occasional post from women who have gone on a low
carb diet, and then found their hair falling out. This isn't common --
certainly after 5 1/2 years of low carbing I have *pounds* of hair! --
but it's something I hear of from time to time. If you are one of those
women, I'd look at the other symptoms of PCOS and see if any of them
look familiar. If so, get to your doctor!)
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Tired of eggs for breakfast? How about a giant *MUFFIN*? Huge, low
carb, high protein ready-to-eat muffins! Chocolate, vanilla, blueberry,
banana, peanut butter, or apple spice!! Enough protein to fill you up
and keep you going all morning!! And only a few carbs each! YOU'VE
GOTTA TRY 'EM!
http://www.lowcarbgrocery.com
We now have _How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds!_ at a
discount!
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Still *More* Reader's New Year's Posts
>From reader Honey Ashton comes this great post:
Happy New Year to all Lowcarbezine readers. The year 2000 was in truth
pretty laid back for me, living with the same ol', same ol', until the
end.
My greatest accomplishments for the year 2000 involve two important
decisions. In reality my accomplishments are not finished task's but
rather two consequential beginnings.
The first of these truly does involve the low carb diet. I spent years
battling the bulge and even took harsh steps to control my weight. I
did the low fat thing and managed to gain weight. Did the Slim Fast
thing and although I didn't gain anything, I didn't lose a pound
either. Finally I stopped listening to all the experts and did a
little research.
Shortly after, I started eating vegetarian foods and basically created
my own eating plan that was very lax but involved oatmeal at least once
a day and a bunch of water. One week after I started this diet, low
and behold I lost 2 lbs. Over the next 18 months I managed to lose
about 40 more lbs. then stalled. I thought because I was losing the
weight slowly, I wouldn't gain it back. (Oh, by the way, does anyone
know why the body stalls??? I do. It's the body's way of resetting the
metabolism. There, now ya know.)
Finally I heard about the Atkins diet from my father who was actually
put on the diet because of his blood sugar. He told me a little about
it and I thought, "Okay Dad, your doctor is a quack!" Being the
protective, know-it-all daughter that I am I had to do some research on
this diet of his. Okay, those of us who follow the low carb thing
obviously possess incredible intelligence, myself included. I did the
research and was astonished on the science of the diet. Hey, it made
more sense then the low fat diet, vegetarian diet, and blew the
slim-fast plan completely out of the water. I had to give this a try,
which in the end brought me to an astounding conclusion as I made one of
my accomplishment decisions... I am going back to college to study
nutrition.
My second decision involves a dream that I am turning into reality. In
the past years I have written a couple of fictional short stories and
novelettes. About 3 years ago I posted one of my short stories (that I
wrote for a friend) and posted it on the internet. It turned out that
an editor that worked for subsidiary of a large publishing company saw
my story and offered a book deal on the base of my short story.
Of course I checked her and her publishing company out, talked to a
lawyer and did all the protective things as to not get swindled on a
dream and finally did a verbal agreement on a first draft. Because I am
a first time author there would be no money or written contract until
the final draft and the book
was accepted. This turned out to be a good thing because mid way
through writing my novel, I blocked! This block lasted for three
years. During which time I attended writing classes and joined groups,
etc. Finally in December, I broke the block and wrote another short
story for a different friend. After I gave the gift, I submitted it to
the house and once again I got an offer. This time there is a contract.
I figured my block was due to lack of education. During the past three
years I learned more about the art of writing, or in other words,
trained my talent such as a person who has musical talent, takes piano
lessons. The short story that ended my block was in truth about
1,000x better then my earlier writings. So my second great
accomplishment decision was to write and publish my first novel.
As for what brings me joy, the ability to feel good and the luxury to
follow a dream.
I hope everyone has a great 2001.
Honey Ashton (yes that is my real name)
Honey, I'm *very* impressed. Writing isn't easy, as I know -- the
hardest part is sitting down all alone and *thinking*! And I find
fiction about a thousand times harder than non-fiction, which could
explain why I write non-fiction! (So far. A couple of children's books
in the planning stages.)
Congratulations on both your writing career and your new studies!
Perhaps some day you'll be a guest columnist!
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Guest Column!
I'm very pleased to say that this week we have a guest columnist -- my
friend Diana Lee, the author of Baking Low Carb. Diana is a charming
and intelligent woman, not to mention beautiful and elegant enough that
I sort of fade when I stand next to her. ;-) I was fortunate enough to
have her as a cruiser on the Low Carb High Life Cruise -- since I love
her book, I was very excited when I heard she was coming along. She is
a long-time low carber, and her daughter Wende low carbs it, too.
Here's
what Di's got to say -- I call this article
What Part Don't You *Get*?!
My name is Diana Lee and I am by no means a writer, so when Dana asked
me to be a guest columnist I was flattered and intimidated! What would
I write about??? Then I thought, hey you aren't a professional pastry
chef or baker, but you wrote Baking Low Carb so why not give this a
whirl. So, I decided to just give this a try and beg your indulgence.
What part don't you get!!! After three years of low carbing, there are a
number of people I would love to say this to. From family members to
friends who have been with me on this journey, I find myself explaining
again and again what I can and can't eat. Of course I could say like
some people do that I eat nothing white but that would take care of
cauliflower and cream cheese...two of my staples! Or, I have thought of
handing out business cards that say....,I AM A LOW CARBER please give me
only meat and vegetables. Of course that doesn't work either because
potatoes
are one of the first vegetables that everyone serves!
Sometimes, when they ask about appetizers I say cheese, meat and most
dips are great but hold the chips, crackers and breads. Now, they look
at me and wonder if they should just hand me a spoon. Many is the time
I have dipped my cheese in dip. What happened to the good old days when
everyone served vegetables and dips?
Each and every time I am invited to someone's home (the same homes I've
been going to for 3 years) they ask me what can I eat....over and over
again. I always end up feeling bad because they always intend to serve
a casserole or pasta and sauces. I understand that many people serve
this to stretch the dollar so I always find it difficult saying I can't
eat
that and usually offer to just eat a salad....safe,
right?.....wrong...here comes
the salad with croutons and the only dressings available are the no fat,
low
fat kinds that are icky and loaded with carbs! By the way, I suggest
you carry a boiled egg along....if these are good friends, you can
always
add it to the salad and get some protein!
Now they have figured out you don't eat sugar, so to be nice they go out
and buy some sugar free ice cream so I can have dessert....I give up at
this point and just eat it...I just can't bear to explain to them about
fructose and the carbs in this ice-cream! I'm very tired!
I love this way of eating. I certainly don't feel cheated, in fact, I
eat better than most of them! I just long for the day that low carb
eating is as understood and accepted as low fat.
Dana's Note: If you don't have Diana's _Baking Low Carb_ yet, why not?
I mean, where else are you going to get recipes for stuff like Peanut
Butter Brownies and low carb Zucchini Bread?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967998808/lowcarbohysoluti I
hear Diana also has a bread baking book coming up; can't wait!
I laughed when Diana sent me this, because I know exactly how she
feels. I've had people ask what I can and cannot eat, and told them "I
don't eat sugar or starch", only to have them be terribly surprised when
I don't potatoes and ice cream cake. I've had people bring me low fat
sorbet, because after all, "It will be good for your diet." I've eaten
nothing but salad and olives at more church lunches than I care to
count, although in that case, no one was trying to cater to me. (Pet
peeve: When I started cooking church lunches, I was told to please make
sure that there was something that the low fat/vegetarian crowd could
eat. How come they're not supposed to make sure there's something *I*
can eat, huh?)
However, I have an edge over Di, in that I'm usually the one throwing
the dinner party! Indeed, since I'm always trying to come up with
recipes, I usually ask people to come over and let me cook, even if
they've asked me to dinner. So I control the menu, tra la. Di, on the
other hand, has confessed that while she loves to bake, she hates to
*cook*.
And Di? I *always* recommend that people serve veggies and dip! It's
hard to go wrong, since everyone can eat it. Having low fat types
over? Make your dip with yogurt instead of sour cream; 4 grams of
usable carb per cup, and still low fat.
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Why Pay More? We've got a *HUGE* selection of your favorite low carb
products, and *EVERYTHING* is at a *DISCOUNT*! Baja Bob's Margarita
Mix! Cheeter's Diet Treats Low Carb Crackers! Pumpkorn! Just The
Cheese Chips! And MUCH, MUCH MORE!!
We also carry Dana Carpender's _How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost
Forty Pounds!_ for just $9.99!
If you're Low Carb and Smart, you'll shop CarbSmart!
http://www.webbalah.net/carbsmart.html
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Reader Input Wanted!
If you hadn't noticed, we're creeping up on spring! That means we're
also fast approaching two holidays -- Passover and Easter. Not to
mention the Spring Equinox, called Eostre of yore, which is, of course,
where we get the name of the Christian holiday. And if there's another
holiday I've missed, please let me know!
So I'd love for you to send in your favorite low carb Easter or Passover
recipes, or any low carb recipe that seems suited to a spring feast!
Also, if you have a favorite spring recipe you'd like de-carbed, send it
along, and I'll do my best.
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Reader Comments About PCOS
I've had some readers write me about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and low
carbohydrate dieting. Here's what a couple of them had to say -- of
course, with something as personal as health problems, I've left their
names out of it:
"I have found a great number of women who are able to treat their
symptoms and win the battle against infertility do the l/c thing. I have
PCOS and since starting l/c I not only now get a period each month but I
am ovulating too, something that was not possible before, even with the
help of fertility drugs."
"I am 34, and have been dealing with PCOS for the past ten years, only
diagnosed for the last five. My doctor started treating it
appropriately, but didn't discuss with me that I could improve my health
by changing my diet. It wasn't until I got the internet almost two
years ago (I'm a late bloomer, I
guess) that I was able to research PCOS and discover the
carbohydrate-insulin connection. My doctor eventually did diagnose me
with hyperinsulinemia, thereby reinforcing the need for a low-carb
diet."
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Reader Review of _How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds!_
Get the whole scoop without reading ALL the books!
I've been low carbing for about 8 months, and have read LOTS of the most
recommended books. I
could have saved myself a great deal of time learning the different
approaches if I'd read Dana
Carpender's book FIRST! Now I know what to concentrate my reading on.
Just ordered another
copy to give to my sister and her family, so that they can learn more,
too.
amy in tucson
Thanks, Amy! One of the things that thrills me most is when someone
tells me they found my book so helpful that they bought a copy for a
friend or family member. :-)
You can read this and 24 other reader reviews of _How I Gave Up My Low
Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds!_ at Amazon :
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966883101/lowcarbohysoluti --
and of course, you can also order the book!
If you'd like to read the first chapter of the book for FREE, plus find
a bunch of other useful low carb info, visit:
http://www.holdthetoast.com . You can also see my smiling face and my
before-and-afters.
Or, for that matter, you can visit
http://www.webbalah.net/carbsmart.html , and order
_How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds_ from Carb Smart,
where it's at a discount. Low Carb Grocery has it at a discount, too --
http://www.lowcarbgrocery.com .
If you'd like to buy the book from a bookstore, you'll probably have to
special order it. If you're in the USA, this shouldn't be a problem --
just tell them that you want to order _How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and
Lost Forty Pounds!_ by Dana Carpender, and that the ISBN is
0-9668831-0-1. You could also tell them that they can order it through
Baker and Taylor; one of the country's biggest book wholesalers. We do
ship to Canadian bookstores.
If you're outside of the US, your best bet is to order from Amazon.com.
We can ship internationally from here at Hold the Toast, too, but we're
not set up for it big-time like Amazon is. If you're a book wholesaler
outside the US and interested in carrying _How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet
and Lost Forty Pounds!_, we'd love to hear from you!
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Product Review
Here's another snack product we tried on the Low Carb High Life Cruise
that I haven't covered till now: Snack Master's Jerky. This product
was sent to us by Low Carb Outfitters, and I liked it very much.
These jerkies come in both beef and turkey, and in three different
flavors: Original, Hot and Spicy, and Teriyaki. I like all of them!!
Of course, being me, I like Hot and Spicy best -- I love food that goes
up my sinuses and makes my nose run. ;-) But all of the flavors are
very good, and I found them much better and more interesting than the
jerkies I find at my local convenience store.
I think that jerkies have a *lot* to recommend them as a low carb staple
-- they're high protein, they travel well -- these even come in
resealable bags, great for purse or brief case -- and they're filling.
Because you have to *chew* them, they take some time to eat, so they
tend to satisfy you more than foods you can simply inhale. The fact
that they have a good, strong flavor also makes them satisfying.
Furthermore, unlike many of the low carb snacks on the market, these are
not processed foods, dependent on soy protein or other manufactured
products. They're just beef or turkey and spices. Now, I don't want to
run down stuff like protein chips and low carb crackers and such, I
think it's nice to have these things to add a little variety to our
diet. But I still think that the *majority* of our diet, the heart and
soul of our diet, should be natural, unprocessed, low carb foods --
meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, veggies, low sugar
fruits, rather than stuff like protein bars and soy-based cookies.
These jerkies fit the bill beautifully.
So if you like jerkies, or if you haven't ever *tried* jerkies, head
over to Low Carb Outfitters and check 'em out. Oh, and they've got the
Just The Cheese Chips we reviewed, too!
http://www.lowcarboutfitters.com
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Dana W. Carpender
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