Cheers

Do You Eat Enough?

Shelley

I know you know that my mom died of poor health due to her vascular dementia. You know that if you’ve been following me for a while. Speaking of that, check this out…

Sorry, I had to brag, for just a WordPress moment. WordPress greeted me this morning with this:

These days, I take the wins when they show up, right?

Back to my mom. I have a confession to make about my mom and my role in her life as she spent her last 5 years of life. Her husband had passed away, and after that, the care she took for herself led her down a path of comfort food. Perkins’s muffins over coffee every Monday were her way to start out the week. She loved sweets – they were the glucose spikes driving her diabetes out of whack.

That wasn’t a good thing as it only escalated all of the nasty metabolic markers she had leading to her stroke in 2007 and death in 2012. It truly breaks my heart seeing all of the people who during this pandemic are laughing off the COVID 25 or worse COVID 35 pounds gained. Please don’t take any offense to that comment, that’s not why I shared it. Find comfort in knowing it was your choice to do so. And you can choose a different path if you want to, or not. Mr. and I decided on a different path in January of 2020 and believe it or not, people shame us for it.

“Do you eat enough?”

Mr. and I July 16, 2022

What’s my confession? Well, here it is, “I wish I would’ve known back then what I know now about ketosis and the health benefits for those at high risk for metabolic diseases. Especially diabetes and cancer. I could’ve helped my mom and maybe she would still be alive.”

Here’s the clincher: cancer cells don’t have the ability to use ketones for fuel.

Dr. Boz

Diabetes is what kickstarted my mom’s history of poor health. While there may be some doctors who still believe the route of care is to medicate or add sliding scale insulin, – there are others who have dug deep to find alternative pathways and are succeeding to the point of helping clients not only lose weight but reverse their diabetes. And CANCER! Along with reversing the other nasties like HTN, High Cholesterol, Strokes, Heart Attacks, etc.

Mr. and I were on that poorly designed metabolic path from 2009 – 2020, under the instruction of his physician. Cut out the salt, cut out the fat, cut out the red meat, eat 300 carbs a day, etc. As a result of that ‘plan’ when I was trying to help my mom and her eating habits, I defaulted to that plan.

In retrospect, I removed the foods that she was eating that were helping her body produce ketones for fuel if she hadn’t been consuming all the other wrong foods that were feeding her glucose and insulin spikes instead. We need glucose, but we humans can also run on ketones for fuel and lose weight at the same time. The meat and cheese tray, pickled fish, etc. that I thought were bad for her were really good for her.

Mr. and I wish to scream at the top of our lungs, “You don’t have to be on medications, you don’t have to be in pain, you don’t have to be overweight, it is really just a matter of learning what not to eat and what fuel your body can use!” Big Pharma doesn’t think that thinking is advantageous. Follow the money!

Did you know that the Navy Seals eat a ketogenic diet to prevent seizures while they’re deep in the water on missions?

Hmm…

I’ve been looking for a book that explains this so well that others may think, “Hmm…maybe I should do my own research?” After reading Yvette’s recent post on Death and Dying Part 2 (link here), I listened to Dr. Bosworth’s speech at the KetoCon convention in Austin, TX. There she was telling the audience, “I’m an internal medicine doctor and you don’t need me, you can do this all on your own.”

Prove it to me Dr. Bosworth…so I ordered her book. It arrived yesterday.

With a cup of Matcha and thankful anticipation for some much-needed rain outside, I washed away the guilt of not doing any cleaning around the house. That left me diving into the book.

I’m not very far into the book yet, because, I remembered that Dr. Boz loves sardines for her meals. I’ve been hearing a lot about sardines lately from others who eat a low-carb, healthy-fat diet. So I asked Mr. if he wanted to join me for a snack. He did!

We did…and with some lemon juice and mustard, it was a win.

And then for dinner, over more conversation about the book, we enjoyed air-fried salmon with Teriyaki sauce.

My hope for you is that you find a way to know you’re not necessarily stuck with your disease(s). What if it is by treatment and by the food choices you make? When Dr. Bosworth is asked by her patients, “Doc, what would you do if the person you love the most was dying of cancer?”

My answer, “Fight it ANY WAY YOU CAN!”

Dr. Bosworth

Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “the first 2-5 words at the top of the closest printed matter.” Open (if necessary) the closest printed matter to you. Use the first 2-5 words at the top of the page any way you’d like in your post. Have fun!

PS – Are you a sardine fan? Do you know that sardines are also called sprats? What’s your favorite comfort food? Have you heard of Dr. Bosworth?

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

114 thoughts on “Do You Eat Enough?”

  1. I applaud your efforts. Taking care of yourself is important. If you can find a way to do that and still enjoy life, you’re doing well. No sardines for me, thanks.

    1. Thank you, Dan. I agree, it’s important for all of us to take care of ourselves and that definitely includes finding ways to enjoy life.
      Sardines are magic health bullets – but if you get some bad ones they become dreaded and non-desirable. They are packed with so many great vitamins and minerals I’m willing to add butter, salt, lemon juice and mustard to eat 1/2 a can for a snack. 🤣😆

    2. Just wanted to add that our enjoyment level went up 1000% because this kind of eating and lifestyle leads to energy – better sleep – Clarity of thought and less colds and less illness –
      So it might seem strict or like “deprived” but the rich foods and stevia kind of desserts we do eat help us thrive and feel so much more alive –
      But I know it seems like it would be boring or not enjoyable – but in my experience it has been the opposite

      1. Thanks for adding to the discussion. I agree 1000% too. I don’t miss carbs and I feel satiated all the time. It’s been the easiest diet to maintain once we figured out how to switch safely our fuel source from glucose to fat. It’s been a fun learning experience too.
        Have you heard of the French Paradox in their eating? That’s intriguing to me – I do think there is something to our relationship with food that matters too.
        I agree with you Keto is far from boring. It has been enjoyable for sure!

        1. I heard a little about the French eating and it has always been in the back of my mind – and sometimes resonated with me that they Cupid eat biter and filet mignon and be all content and healthy!
          And Dan had such a good point about enjoying food and eating doesn’t have to be miserable (and I feel bad for those who over count calories and for those who are so hungry all the time and don’t realize they are so lacking in vitamins and fats – etc)
          Anyhow – hope you and Dan have a great day!

          1. There’s a short video (1/2 hour) on the French Paradox YouTube and why French women are not obese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QyQmL-mlV0.
            They have a respect for food and enjoy it as well as wine. They do have better ingredients to cook with in France compared to our GMO options here in US. Their butter is rich and so are their cheeses. We had a foreign exchange student live with us for 3 weeks 10 years ago. It was so fun to have her make us recipes from her country. Rich stuff! Their philosophy is to enjoy your meals, so perhaps Dan has a bit of France in him? He’s right – food should be enjoyed. I’d add and not just consumed without thought about how nutritional it may or may not be.
            I hope you have a great day too!

          2. Thanks for the link – I’ll check it out ☀️😊
            And we enjoy our food so much we don’t like to dine out that much anymore
            We just make better stuff and then we can 100% sure it doesn’t have the junk stuff

          3. I hope you saw Anne’s reply on her thoughts of the video. She’s from France and debunked it. 😉
            Yes to home cooking!

  3. I’m not sure that I could change my diet to the extent you guys have, Shelley. You two look great in the photo! Have a good new week!

    1. Hi John – Being the same age as Mr., I have a hunch you would do great with the diet if you gave it a chance. It is really very easy once you understand it. All of us Baby Boomers benefit from learning what we were taught/told about health as questionable – it is worth challenging.

      Thank you – we’re feeling great too. We ended up getting lost in our State Capitol which has MANY stairs, our former selves would’ve been exhausted and winded – instead it was fun to be able to navigate them right along with our 27 year old kids. 😉

      I hope you have a great week too!

  4. Congrats on blog success and congrats for trying to do the best for your health and really studying about it to learn more.

    1. Thank you, Anita – I appreciate your support and encouragement.
      PS – thank you too for sharing your garden photos and words of kindness wisdom. 🤗😊🥰

  5. Ya had me until sardines… 🙂 Interesting that people would shame you; I think that says more about them than you. I agree that the typical American diet – in addition to all the toxins around us – is a big problem. Sadly, we seem to be exporting the junk diet we eat to other countries, and they are starting to have similar problems.

    1. LOL – I can relate to your distain against the sardines. I used to wrinkle my nose at them – there was no way I was going to try them. Not sure why, probably by how they look in the can? And how they smell. But then…I looked at their nutrient denseness. High in Vit A, B12, VITAMIN D (the vitamin that we all are deficient in), Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Calcium. They are little powerhouses. And if you get a good can of them, they taste good.

      I agree with you – there are so many toxins and it’s sad to see the SAD diet expanding to other countries. I do find it interesting that in the UK they won’t allow the nasty seed oils we use here in their production of the foods though. They know better.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I’m sharing the link to your post about prescription drugs – great advice! https://retirementallychallenged.com/2022/07/09/are-you-paying-too-much-for-prescription-drugs/

  6. Congrats on the 100K Shelley! And good work on the food research and the life change. I’m in agreement with you that many illnesses and diseases could be improved or healed with food and lifestyle changes.

    1. Hi, Lisa! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

      We’re thankful for our choices and are still learning and experimenting. Dr. Bosworth lives in Florida now. She loves helping Baby Boomers learn healthier ways of living.

      Speaking of Florida – have you been to Seed to Table? I love that store. I’m jealous of the fresh produce you have in FL. We don’t have that as much here.

        1. LOL – silly me, I assumed the beach in FL! I love to visit there too. I’ve never been to the desert or to the Southwest. I don’t get out much, I guess 🤣😂🤣😆

          2. I’m there too! I close my eyes and listen to the corn blowing in the wind and can sometimes hear the ocean. I wouldn’t want to go barefoot in the corn though… 🌽🏖🌻😎🌞⛱

  7. Congratulations on the views! I don’t know that Doctor, but it seems to be working for you! I don’t like sardines, or fish in general that much. But I do agree that diet is really important for wellness and to fight disease.

    1. Hi Dawn, thank you!
      I hadn’t heard of Dr. Boz before either, but am very thankful to have stumbled upon her. In retrospect, Mr. and I learned many of the lessons she teaches in the book by mistake or by trial and error. I kind of wish I would’ve had her book before we started the journey. But, I’m thankful to read the reassurance that we’ve been on the right track.
      What we fuel our bodies with is a controllable answer to better health.
      PS – Sardines are high in Vitamin D – that Vitamin that makes us at risk for so many diseases, especially since we live in states that we don’t get enough sunshine! Copper used to love sardines – they are loaded with vitamins and minerals. 🙂

  8. Yay you Shelley – 100,000 views. That’s quite an accomplishment, so be proud of yourself for that. Also bee proud of you and Mr. for following such a healthy diet. I have heard that sardines are good for you for calcium intake – much more calcium than dairy products. My father used to eat sardines and I tried some a few times, but have not bought them for myself. I don’t eat red meat, just chicken and fish – I like salmon and tuna. I should lose a few carbs, but that would have to b in the bread department as I have eaten a bowl of oatmeal every morning for decades and it is good for heart health and keeping your cholesterol in check. I am so careful with what I eat, though I am now only learning of the dangers of skimping on sleep … I am now attempting to repair that issue and will be off to bed in the next few minutes. I have not heard of this doctor/author. I am not a candy eater, but have the square of 92% dark chocolate every morning – it does not taste like chocolate enough to feel like I’m splurging on a sweet treat. I don’t eat sweets, but my downfall is Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers (whole grain) …. I figure they are baked, but yes, have carbs and a little salt. They are not really that high in sodium.

    1. Thank you, Linda. I waited to reply, hoping you had gone to bed and were resting peacefully!
      We were carb-loading fans prior to this switch. Oatmeal too. Remember me and my Tostitos and beer?! Sigh. We went cold-turkey from the carbs and eat less than or close to 20 carbs per day and (literally eat turkey too) we’ve learned a lot about what works and doesn’t work. YAY for 92% dark chocolate, that’s great for you. Alter Eco Organic brand is very good, have you tried that? My kiddos loved Goldfish crackers when they were little. It was a fun snack to carry along on our outings.
      Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it’s fun to hear what works for you.

      1. I remember your Tostitos and beer, but then again you rationed them so you weren’t totally bad, right? You set them out in a dish. I cannot have Goldfish around as I will eat them, but I have no other treats around, salty or sweet, so justify it that way. I need to cut down my carbs. The last time they didn’t have the skinny bread, so the regular sliced bread is too much bread.

        1. I used to love the Tostitos since they had only 3 ingredients. I think I also craved the sodium and the potassium in them. Then I learned about how bad the seed oils are for us. And the corn. The only good thing was the salt, but it was likely not good sea salt. Vegetable oil (any kind of it) is toxic to us and is one of the leading reasons for ill health. You’re wise to ditch the Goldfish. Take a journey for yourself to find out what the ingredients are in them. You can’t find the actual package ingredients on their website (they tell you all the wonderful healthy things they’re putting in them), but if you go to Walmart online and see the pictures – scroll all the way down to the bottom of the photos to see the ingredient list and scroll up to see the nutritional info. There are 20 g of empty carbs, extremely low fiber, and they contain vegetable oils and wheat in 55 crackers. All those items contribute to allergies and food sensitivities. They are not good for us to eat, despite their marketing scheme. Having said that, we had a box of them in our cupboard for years – our kids loved snacking on them. They kind of melt in your mouth and are cute. Grab a bag of Siete chips with sea salt, you won’t want to eat the whole bag in one setting and their ingredients are much better for you if you’re craving a salty snack. Try Egglife wraps for fun instead of bread sometime. 🙂

          1. I tried Off the Eaten Path’s Chickpea Veggie Crisps one day. They were stocking them on a shelf – those were wonderful, nice and crispy. Goldfish are good, but lack the crispy texture. I just googled Siete chips and Egglife wraps – Meijer has the chips and I didn’t know they made grain-free chips. Meijer also has the Egglife wraps (plain and Southwest) and looked where – dairy case, but says limited supplies. I will try both of them next week when I go shopping. Thanks for the tip Shelley.

          2. Skip on buying the OTEPCPVC – the only ingredient in their list that is good for you is the SEA SALT. The rest are all grains that cause inflammation, along with a seed oil, and the sugars do so too. The processed flours add to the carb count. (PS – I tried them once too and they pack a tastiness that is directly related to the sugars in the product).
            Ingredients are: Rice Flour, Chickpea Flour, Dried Green Peas, Sunflower Oil, Dried Black Beans, Dried Purple Sweet Potato, Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Calcium Lactate, Salt, Vegetable Juice (Color), and Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant).
            I hope you like the recommended items, just removing bread for a couple weeks is a huge win in removing inflammatory foods from your diet. Baby steps is a great plan!

          3. I am going to the grocery store Monday before we get this new heat wave (mid-90s a good part of next week) and I will look for those two items. I wrote down the names and the location in the store. I only tried them once and ate too many at one sitting as they tasted so good. I thought you were going to say the good ingredient was the chickpeas. I used to buy them sometimes for salads. If I eliminate bread it is a start, but I’m still reluctant to give up my oatmeal, a 365-day-a-year fixture in my diet.

          4. Yay – baby steps, Linda. Making one diet switch is a huge accomplishment. And keeps the control with you. Pat yourself on your back!
            I used to eat oatmeal every day too – my dad still does. There are days when I think about it, then Mr. makes us a version made without oats that we’ve enjoyed. The difference in how we feel and how long we’re satiated was the key. And the lack of spikes in our blood sugars. Speaking of that, having our own glucometer and test strips was the game changer in showing us what our bodies were doing with the food we’re eating. Hmm…that sounds like another post for another day!
            I hope your shopping trip was a success and that you’re staying cool!

          5. I will make adjustment, baby steps as you say. I really like my Goldfish as a treat and I don’t eat sweets, so that is how I justify them. It is supposed to be a stellar weekend for us – yay. Have to build up the miles – next week will be brutally hot (but not snow as you point out). 🙂

          6. Yes, baby steps! Remember how I loved my Tostitos? I haven’t had a ‘chip’ like that in a very long time, don’t miss them at all. You’ll do what is right for you, Linda, I admire you for giving new things a try.
            Yes for the weather – yesterday there were hints of fall in the air. I’m thankful the heat will return to keep summer still alive!
            Happy Trails to you!

          7. Wow, that cold there – no snow for you for a while yet I hope! I’m looking forward to the weekend as the humidity and heat disappear for a few days.

          9. I did have a wonderful weekend Shelley – walked my socks off and took a ton of photos. It might be weeks until I look at those pictures but I had fun taking them. Hope you two got out and enjoyed the sweltering heat. We have a bad storm tomorrow evening and a week of hot, hot, hot too. Enough already!

          10. Yay!!! I’m so happy to hear you had a great weekend. We did get out to enjoy our weather too – despite the heat!

          13. Yes, we get your leftovers! 🙂 That’s too hot and just uncomfortable. We get a coolish day and it sticks around a day only.

          14. We ended up with a big thunder, lightning, and driving rain storm starting at 1:30 am. Just started raining again – we need the rain, but the loud thunder and light show woke us up (even with the sound machine running). I’m thankful to hear it is still raining – hopefully it deters the rabbits long enough for some green grass to sprout for them to eat instead of my flowers! LOL

          15. Ours is happening now – I have the A/C off and if it rumbles I’ll turn this computer off, but so far just a teeming rain, so that’s good. Our severe storm advisory was to expire at 7:30, but I’m following on Twitter and it has not yet. The perils of Summertime, heat-fueled storms. The rabbits will look for that nice green grass – mine is mostly all brown except one side where my neighbor fertilized thinking it was his lawn – so that has to be mowed. Grrr.

          16. I hope the storm was mild and that you got some rest. The rabbits returned after the storm and ate more of my flowers that perked up with the rain. Sigh.
            Oh, my, that’s a twist to the yard work. Especially when it’s so hot for mowing. 😏😓

          17. The storm was mild – thank you. We got a lot of rain as it was very muggy out there this morning and everything was soaking wet. A good rain, though I looked and Wunderground reported only 0.5 inch. I think we got more than that. We have another storm tonight, not as bad. A lot of people lost power and a two-story Tudor home in Detroit had a huge tree fall and actually hit one of the two children sleeping on the second floor. The boy said his head hurt but he has been released from the hospital already. Oh, your rabbits were happy to see perky flowers – nice. They like their flowers dewy and moist. Sigh.

            Yes, I just take out my push mower for that as it’s faster and yes I can do it in a few minutes, but still a pain when there is nothing else to do out there. Except weeds – the weeds are growing like … well … a weed. 🙂

          18. Glad the storm wasn’t too bad. Sorry to hear about the Tudor home and family.

            I always enjoyed using a push mower – it was exercise and fun to watch the wheels turn as it cut the grass. If we used one of those now we’d be out there mowing for the full day!
            The tall weed look is prevalent here, we don’t want to mow when the grass is so dry.

          19. We had a whopper rain storm last night Shelley. It rained like we should build an ark. I walked this morning, but it felt like a sauna bath and it was foggy as well. I see the grass is greening up already from the two days of rain. I have an electric mower and electric equipment and/or lithium-powered yard tools. This time of year with the grass so brown, I could have gotten away with only cutting it every third week, except for that one side that was fertilized and grows like a weed. Sigh. I have used the electric edger in the past and saw sparks if it hit the cement and too close for comfort when you have dry and brown grass.

          20. We got 1.5 inches of rain from midnight to 1:30, it came down hard! We needed it, though.
            You’re wise to pay attention to the equipment and the dry grass. Yard work is just one of those things you end up having to do when you own a home. Sounds like you have it figured out well.

          21. That’s a lot of rain Shelley – no watering the garden for you for a while. Yes, lots of things to attend to to keep everything in top shape.

          22. Sadly, we’re in such a deficit I needed to water plants in the afternoon. I don’t mind outside tasks when the weather is nice. It’s the winter that I’m not so fond of.

          23. I know what you mean Shelley. It was finally nice today, coolish, but I had a yearly allergist appointment followed by an eye doctor appointment … tomorrow I’m going out for a long walk.

          24. Aw, dang that you were tied up in appointments and didn’t get a chance to enjoy the day as much. I hope the longer walk the next day was good!!

          25. It was Shelley, both yesterday and today were gorgeous, one more day, Friday, before we get some rain on the weekend. Can’t complain (like I usually do!)

          27. Indeed – today was another gorgeous day. Too bad we have some rain this weekend though. They had frost in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula last night. Too early for that!

  9. I love fish, but sardines are a hard sell. LOL. We don’t eat Keto religiously, but one of our favorite recipes is Keto…egg roll in a bowl. And I know when we’re eating “near Keto” I feel really good. So I am sure there is something to it. I don’t take any meds so far. My mom is 90 and has only thyroid replacement which she’s been on since I was a child. So I really believe some of it is genetic. My great grandmother walked 3 miles/day into town and back most of her life and lived to 93. Her daughter (my grandmother) fought weight all her life and wasn’t into exercise that I know of, but she lived to 90. Who knows? Might as well keep the odds in your favor. Unless it includes sardines. Blech. 🤣

    1. Hi Laurel!!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Eating good for you fish like salmon helps keep you healthy. You’re genetically blessed and if you eat Keto-like most of the time, you’re doing your heart and metabolism a huge favor. I love the egg roll in a bowl, one of my favorites too!
      That’s so wonderful to live a healthy life for that long. And only a thyroid issue. WOW!
      I agree – do what we can to keep the odds in your favor for a healthy life.
      Well…LOL – I was right there with you on the sardines just by the look of them. And the smell. I remember growing up with smelt fries. And having to pick the heads, fins and the spine bones out of them. The sweet corn cobs with butter and salt accompanied them. Pure Wisconsin dinner cooked outside on the camp stove in our front yard. The frying of the fish in batter and bad for us oils was delicious. Fresh fish is my favorite. We rarely bought fish as my dad loves to fish.
      Once Mr. and I switched to eating Skip Jack my tastes changed a bit. Then I tried kippers with mustard and that wasn’t too bad. Then I heard the benefits of all the nutrients in a 1/2 can of sardines. Once a week or twice a week it is tolerable. If you mix it with chopped onions, a little olive oil, pepper and mustard to taste you can’t tell it isn’t tuna and it tastes less bitter than tuna. It is very important to get a good brand of it though – we’ve tried a can of something that we both went running with our sample to the garbage can!
      Thanks again for sharing your thoughts – it is always a joy to hear from you! 🥰

  10. Hi Shelley
    We get our sardines from Costco or lidls – and we have this close out store we love (one of my good friends that I met in yoga class in 2015 is a retired doctor and we nicknamed him
    Magnesium Mike because we actually met officially while giving our yoga teacher magnesium – she had adrenal fatigue and shared it often during classes – anyhow – I was bringing her CALM and he had a bag of mag chloride granules – new to us and now my husband dissolves those granules each day with ascorbic acid powder) anyhow – mag mike told us about the close out store and so glad – sometimes they have a variety of wild caught sardines and hubs brings some on hikes and we buy some for the dogs
    – makes their hair so healthy and is also Brain food!
    —
    I don’t love the taste but have learned not all sardines are created equal !
    And looks like you and the mr found a tasty way to snack

    1. Hi Yvette! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. That’s cute you gave that Mike a nickname. I’ve heard of CALM, but haven’t tried it. I do take magnesium glycinate every day. I notice when I don’t. I’ve heard that just taking a bath in Epsom salts for 40 minutes works too.
      Sardines for hikes that’s a great idea – the can is small and the snack provides fuel and fat for the hike. Yes – Copper loved sardines. When he was feeling down, we’d feed him some and he gobbled it right up.
      With enough butter, salt, onions, and mustard, they’re getting more tolerable for me. I wish we had a Costco to shop at. We did order some on Amazon that we’re waiting for the shipment of. No salt, no oil, just water. The oils and the salts used in some brands may be sketchy if you know what I mean?
      Thank you for sharing your thoughts!!

      1. Shelley – it is crazy how they taint things when they add a bit of salt
        Great example is with peanuts –
        The unsalted ones have only peanuts
        The ones with a hint of salt have like 20 ingredients – including crappy oil and sugar?? Wow! I am sure they coat it to get the salt to stay and then add sugar for extra taste
        But you are right about the sneaky stuff
        –
        And I heard a while back that the subway stores in Ireland added so much sugar to their breads they were not allowed to call it bread anymore
        It was classified as cake!
        —

        1. It is crazy. I used to look at the sodium and then I learned it’s the added sugars that are the major problem. Salt (healthy sea salt) is our friend and keeps us from over-eating.
          Hidden sugars and seed oils are the major problem. If the ingredient lists are over 7 and do not include just normal whole food words it’s a processed product to leave right there on the store shelf. We rarely go anywhere in the middle aisles in the store. Marketing and packaging of less good for you food is where we got suckered many a time.
          Yikes on the bread at Subway in Ireland! I’m sure there’s plenty of sugar in the bread here too – just no one is calling them out for their ingredients? How else would you make tasteless wheat taste good? I used to like Subway…! LOL. I’d still go there but I’d ask for the meat and cheese without the bread and be just fine with that. 🙂

          1. Hi Shelley – I think subway meats have nitrites and is all processed meat / and wonder if the cheese is a “good product”?
            –
            And I have heard that before about staying away from those middle aisles and long list of foods – (you sound like my spouse!!)
            –
            And side note on the oils
            Even tho I have known they are bad bad bad
            I still found myself eating salt and vinegar chips with the bad oils!
            Duh!
            It can be a hard to find alternatives and not that I need to eat Chips but do like them
            Anyhow – our grocery store called wegmans has a huge bag of chips with oknky avocado oil and salt – and only 5$
            So when in the mood
            Good alternative

          2. So many choices and information to sift through. I’d take the meat and cheese over the bread any day now. The extra ingredients (like dextrose, aka, added sugars are what need to be avoided). There are definitely cleaner versions available than what you can get at any fast food restaurant.
            Chips – to get me over my former Tostitos (bite size) addiction, chased down by a beer (CARBLOADED SNACK), I switched to Siete Sea Salt. The ingredients are WAY better than the simple trifecta in Tostitos.
            Happy snacking to you.

          3. Hi – yeah we have Been enjoying the siete brand for a long time and while I don’t “love” them- my family does and Shelley – so happy to see they have come down in price
            – like I think they were 7$ a bag and a while back hubs bought three bags from target for a great price – and Costco sells the bigger bags (I know you don’t have Costco – lol)
            And speaking of siete
            They use cassava flour and we got a recipe for cassava flour tortillas and have a small iron tortilla press – sure is nice to have options for eating

          4. Yes – it’s good they did come down in price. I’m happy to report that I’ve lost my love for chips. My Tostito addiction has been cured (for now).
            Yes, the cassava flour is better for us indeed. They do sell tortillas, but they are WAY too expensive for the size and the carbs are just too high. Making your own sounds fun. When we need a wrap fix, we go with Egg Life. Their everything bagel flavor works well with tuna salad (or sardines 🤣) It is true – options are nice!!

          5. Did you post about the egg tortillas? I think you did
            And we buy them once in a while (like when we had people over and it was fun to show them alternatives)
            –
            But they are expensive and not really needed for us either
            –
            Shelley – the first time I heard bread was bad for you I was shocked
            I mean they had manna from heaven in the OT
            And bread has been a staple since BC
            But then I slowly learned about the glue in the gut it becomes
            And how the corrupted fields and chemicals and all that – (you likely know even more on that )
            And finally I got it thru my think head!
            And do not need or crave bread –
            Woo hoo

          6. I don’t know if I posted about the egg life wraps or not? I could do that sometime. They definitely fill the role of an avenue to get food to the mouth. We get them occasionally to make a quick dinner. They are expensive.
            Bread is bad in so many ways. I’m like you, I’m over it and don’t crave it at all. When we do feel like a sandwich, we have some keto bread recipes, chaffles, or the egg life wraps. That’s wonderful that you no longer crave the bread!! Way to go!

  11. Thanks for mentioning my post Shelley –
    And I still need to share a post about the book hubs for at Keto-con (not sure I like it and your Boz book sounds MUCH better)
    –
    And people can be so judgmental about alternative eating because we have been brainwashed and lied to for so long –
    And no disrespect for the awesome Bill Gates – but I saw a snippet of bill having lunch with warren buffet (getting money for outreach) and Bill Gates was critical of Buffet using salt on his fatty hamburger
    Sigh!
    This who vegetarian and grains “lie” – along with toxic industrial seed oils – is making so many people sick (brain fog – skin tags – less bone density – less energy – auto immune afflictions – pre cancer terrain – leading to dementia etc)
    —
    And sorry about your momma!
    That reminds me I’m Suzanne Somer’s book “breakthrough” she has a note to her mother and it says “if I knew then what I know now – you would likely still be alive”
    -/
    And Shelley – my grandmother had what max would call “bread head” and not only did she die young (70?) but the quality of life is poor!
    That is what folks don’t get
    –
    Keto living is freeing and brings better quality of life
    Even tho the word keto bugs me because it is now becoming ambiguous and layered
    —

    1. You’re welcome, Yvette. Thank you for your thoughts – excellent points you’ve shared. The point about being lied to is spot on – if we follow the money, we’re doomed to follow the carbs, and follow the food pyramid to the epitome of unhealthiness! There is a strong connection to all of that and dementia. Dr. Bosworth is a huge advocate for preventing all of the metabolic problems that lead to declining brain health. Carb-addiction is no different from other drugs, and it is fostered by the food readily available to us. Enabling us onto the unhealthy path to diseases that ‘require’ medication to slow. Dementia by definition has over 120 different manifestations. Our diet, IMHO contributes to the majority of them. In 1915 doctors knew how to eat to prevent health issues, wonder why in 1918 (pandemic time) we ended up taking us on a path to poor eating? Hmm… 🤔🤨😏 the coincidences to our pandemic are mindboggling.
      Yes, Keto in the form of low-carb, healthy fat eating is easy and healthy – a win-win as long as you’re able to get past the old rumors about Keto is bad.
      Happy LCHF eating to you and your hubby!!

      1. Thanks for sharing all that Shelley
        And your posts will be a good resource in the web atmosphere –
        I think I mentioned to you that in 2014 I was sick with a Parasite infection and it led me to scouring websites (and books of course) but the website investigating work led to a lot of inactive sites and blogs and i was a sponge for ideas and truth
        And I even found short YouTube videos from James Sloan – he retired from medicine and then made these short videos to “give back”
        And whew! I am grateful to so many folks I never met and glad it wasn’t censored out (scary to think of the extreme filtering that is going on) anyhow – one f the reasons I do try to share some of my views online (because I am kind of private and it would be easier to just email pals and share thoughts that way) but one thing that drives me is knowing that even if one or two folks benefit from something left about lessons learned – well that is a huge win!
        And so even if I told you before – I think it is even more important now
        –
        But I do try to be kind and not argumentative
        For example / a little while ago a lady posted about her soup recipe and in the comments someone asked
        “Have you thought about using a vegetable broth instead of the bone broth”
        Ugh
        I feel like speaking up would have been not welcomed in that instance – but I wanted to say
        “And so what you are implying here is that the vegetable broth would make the soup better?
        And so rather than having bone broth with collagen, b- vitamins, and rich nutrients – you are indicating that vegetables (survival foods) make a better broth? Nope!”
        Anyhow / mind boggling indeed

        1. Excellent points, Yvette – thanks for sharing. Mr. and I were talking the other day about that. It has come down to us that we’re both angry that the lessons taught (bought) for us to learn about food and nutrition are funded by those who pull the financial strings. And the side of the media that is paid for by them. Lab numbers don’t lie, and metabolic disease is higher than ever before. It’s due to something? Diet or the news? Or both? Oops…got me on my soapbox I guess.
          We’re all humans and we tend to support what works for us. We don’t know it isn’t working until we question if there is a better way. We tried the DASH diet to control diabetes and HTN and cholesterol and Mr. got worse, and so did I. We’ve reversed much of those effects in 2.5 years. That’s powerful stuff IMHO. And it’s been the easiest diet to stick to. I do need to say we’re not social bunnies, so we don’t have the pressures of eating out and getting the servings presented on the menus. This past weekend we ate brunch/lunch with our kids at a delightful and popular restaurant with ‘healthy vegan’ choices and I got brave – I ordered a burger, with cheddar cheese, a side of avocado and a Sunnyside egg. It was delicious and I felt full and great the rest of the day. No bun, 3 fries (just to remember I don’t like them) and no carbs. It was easy and filling. Moral of that story – you can eat Keto and still enjoy the company of those who don’t. Each person can still believe they are doing what is best for themselves.
          It is mind boggling indeed. I agree – bone broth, the more gelatin-like the better. We’re going to make some and try a 72 hour fast soon (I just have to break the news to Mr.! LOL – he’ll be up for it!). 🤣😁😊

          1. The burger you mentioned reminds me of one they call “the hangover” burger with the egg and cheese (and bacon I think)
            –
            Good luck with the fast!
            Your body will love you for it

          2. LOL – that sounds about right, if only they’d just offer it without the bun. I think I forgot to mention the bacon? I did add that too.

            Yes, fasting is great. We always eat in an 8 hour window, sometimes we get to 24 hours between meals. We’re toying with a 72 hour, but think we better go for 36 first.

          3. Well thanks again for sharing about your goals and all that – I would love to do longer fasting than a day and so just hearing about what you both do is a type of modeling for me
            Before the pandemic i taught college classes on campus that went from 8 am to 1
            And I would fast on those days until 2 or 3 in afternoon and it felt great! And now I don’t eat breakfast so usually fast til 11 – but I really liked those teaching days because what people don’t realize is how much mental clarity one has on a fast

          4. Yes – the clarity is the best feeling!!! You’re on the right track – eat only when you’re hungry. Eat all meals in a short window of time. Our window is usually 8 hours or less.
            Happy fasting to you!

          7. He does the cooking – it’s been a creative challenge for him to learn all of this and execute meals accordingly. It’s been fun to watch him do so and I get to taste the yummy offerings!

  12. Why not? Adding water, fibers and vitamins and blood analysis.
    But do not forget that salmon, tuna, makerel,herring, Anchovies .. and sardine are fatty fishes. Only once a month each of them, they must be eaten alternately so as not to always swallow the same heavy metals etc. accumulated in these fishes belonging to the end of the food chain.

    1. Favor the meat of small animals given that the ecological impact of meat consumption is disastrous. In my case, I eat eggs every day which allows me to have my dose of animal protein (which I could also replace with vegetable protein, I know…) and this with a minimal impact on the environment. Eating chicken will have the lowest impact on the environment with around 3-3.5 kgCO2eq/kg net meat. duck, rabbit (4.4 kg CO2eq/kg net meat); Beef is the “champion” of ecological impact with 34.5 kg CO2eq / kg of net meat in France. What about Intensive U.S. beef farming? but that has to 1. be worse and 2. be unacceptable in terms of animal treatment, (but that’s another debate).

      1. Thank you for sharing additional thoughts to consider, Anne. I know you’ve done LOTS of research that I haven’t so I’m open to hearing your take on things, especially from another country’s perspective.
        Our chicken production here in the US is nasty stuff – but, we’ve been able to find better sources for our daily eggs. It’s amazing to see the color of the egg yolks in farmed versus free-range eggs. And in the summer a local hobby farm is a great source for us. Cattle, with beef and dairy/cheese are HUGE sources in Wisconsin’s livelihood. Farming is the way of life here. I have many dear friends who farm not only grains but cattle for their livelihood.
        Oh, boy, yes, the whole discussion about environment is another debate for sure! 😉

        1. But you know where to hunt rabbits. Les recettes sont nombreuses. Just kidding!

          1. LOL – trust me, the thought HAS crossed our minds. When I was a child and my family was very tight with food budget, we ate what my dad hunted and fished. Hasenfpeffer stew was a recipe used to keep our family fed.

    2. Great questions, Anne! The fatty fishes have taken a bad rap for what reason? I’m not sure. We definitely don’t eat the farmed versions – they are loaded with the heavy metals, etc. Wild caught and not a daily meal, we prefer a variety of foods that aren’t in the middle aisles of the grocery stores.
      Have you seen this video, what do you think, is it accurate? I don’t tend to trust 60 minutes, but I did find it interesting to listen/question? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QyQmL-mlV0

      1. Thank you! 🙂 Lot of good points… in your answers.

        Is fish good for health?
        With you I say “Yes”, because it contains omega 3 and omega 6 (which our body does not produce and which are essential to us), especially fatty fish. Fish is also sources of protein and vitamins.
        But the sea is also a receptacle for land pollution: mercury linked to gold panning, plastics, dioxin linked to industry, persistent organic pollutants (pesticides) linked to agriculture … accumulate more in fat and are therefore more present in oily fish….
        Adding these poisons are all the more concentrated the closer you are to the coast.

        Predatory species tend to “bio-accumulate” toxins pollutants in their organism. The age of the fish also plays in favor of accumulation.
        For instance :
        · An insect larva eats 1 unit of toxin. This toxin remains in his body.
        · A small fish eats 10 of these insect larvae. He therefore absorbs 10 times 1 unit, therefore 10 units of toxin, in his body.
        · A big fish swallows 10 of these small fish. He therefore accumulates 10 times 10 units of toxin, or 100 units, in his body. And so on up to the big predators (including polar bears +++).
        Apparently sardines are fat but not big predators, it’s not the worst species.

        Pollutants are absorbed through food (e.g. sediment) and through the water needed for respiration. The contaminating substances are then distributed in the blood via the digestive tract, the gills and the integument. They then accumulate in certain organs carrying out a metabolism (liver, kidneys) and then excreted in the nervous system. They are also stored in lipids. Many pollutants accumulate in fat (the same for us human beings…).

        Aquaculture closer to shore and with the intervention of drug treatment produces more contaminated fish than wild fish.
        Fish from aquaculture are fed with
        – FISH MEAL (residues of fishing not consumed by humans and thus contribute to the collapse of fish stocks, overfishing),
        – antibiotics…,
        – in an environment with an algaecide such as atrazine (in France, the use of the herbicide atrazine was banned in 2001,in agriculture or landscape gardening but not in aquaculture). Atrazine, a herbicide used in maize cultivation, is suspected of acting as an endocrine disruptor or even of being carcinogenic.

        It is therefore advisable to eat fish that is not overfished ( granting them long life and reproduction) and to diversify our consumption of different fish species.

        2. Hi Anne, thank you so much for the additional information to consider. Many valid points. I’ll have to research where the sardines came from in the brand that we buy. It’s the Season Brand – they have been in business for 100 years. We buy the version in water with no salt so we can add our own olive oil and sea salt. The ad write up says: TAKING PRIDE IN SUSTAINABILITY – Caring for our Ocean Ecosystem is really important to the Season Brand. We have been certified sustainable by Friend of the Sea, which is more than a seal of approval for us… It’s a badge of honor. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it’s a healthy snack, better than a McDonald’s burger for sure! 😉
          When I read all the details you shared, it makes me ponder. It’s a wonder we humans can even survive in the world we live in. The chemicals are in the water, in our soil/land, therefore in our food, on our skin, and in our digestive systems. Guess choosing wisely is to our benefit.
          Thank you again for sharing!

      2. What about the movie?
        A bit caricatural to promote wine and restaurants, French bakeries abroad…
        Historically the cuisine differs according to family and regional traditions, for example: butter in Brittany, olive oil in the south, cheeses in the mountains, in Normandy, cassoulet from the southwest, sauerkraut in the east …
        BUT IF TRADITIONAL CUISINE IS ALWAYS RECIPE, international cultures mingle and dietetics is everywhere. It is advisable to “eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day”.
        The dictatorship of thinness is a social marker. With less money fruits and vegetables are expensive, starchy foods nourish and satiate.
        WHO STILL TAKES THE TIME TO COOK? The Covid crisis has brought some back to their kitchens, but many prefer to eat pre-packaged dishes that are too greasy, salty, sweet with preservatives, synthetic dyes, flavor enhancers, hydrogenated vegetable oils… long live chemistry!
        Examples: grated cut vegetables with sauce, pizza, sandwich, hamburgers, mussels and fries, quiches, sweet creamy desserts, pre-cut fruit salad…
        My menus are dictated by the reports of my pulmonologist, cardiologist with my weight curve as a horizon. So farewell to the non-control of wine, bread, croissants, fries, butter, fresh cream, fatty meats (beef, mutton, pork), sugar … with rare exceptions.

        1. I love your take on the video – that’s exactly what I thought when I watched it. It’s so fun to hear what someone in France thinks about it. 60 minutes always has a clickbait motive to their movies.
          I did hear, and maybe I’m wrong, but your flour and butters are processed less than they are here in the US? Is that true?
          Choosing food wisely, within our budgets is a good thing for us to focus on. At least in the US the skyrocketing of metabolic syndrome which leads to all of the diseases one would seek out a pulmonologist and cardiologist for is directly linked to the diet and then subsequent prescription treatment that leads, sadly, to many people into thinking if their markers are within controlled measurements, then they must be doing something right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iaIlPfX-iA&ab_channel=DietDoctor
          I think that if we focus on whole foods and not processed foods, we’d all be better off. There are bad, good, better, and best choices to be made.
          Sugar, especially processed sugar and all the other names it goes by is BAD for us!

          1. About flour:
            Complete or semi-complete cereals are better for your health: more satiating, more fibre, lower glycemic index, more vitamins… Specialists talk about useful calories. But it is necessary to prefer organic farming because the pesticides are concentrated on the surface on the integuments.

          2. Hi! I rescued this comment from my trash bin. I’ll never understand how WordPress determines when to send it to the trash. The only flours we use now are either coconut or almond (almond sparingly as almonds are highly processed nuts). I’ve heard cassava flour is good too. We’ve made an oatmeal taste-alike cereal a couple of times with chia seeds. I agree that organic farming is better. I tend to believe there is an over-emphasis on grains in the diet. There’s much research to support that. I wholeheartedly agree pesticides are bad news!

          3. To denounce Big pharma is to forget all the drugs that calm pain, fights infection, save lives… anti-COVID vaccines, while the big agri-food industry is thriving.

          4. I think some of their efforts are truly just for financial gains for them. The Big entities stand to gain a lot. Life-saving treatment is a blessing, that’s for sure.

        2. Lack of exercise, overwork and stress are other incriminating factors to focus on.

  13. Are you a sardine fan? Yes! My dad ate them for breakfast, on margarine-covered toast! He was a Type 2 diabetic and a lot of his diet was carried over from his WWII youth in England. It also included a breakfast option of margarine slathered toast topped with a layer of Hershey Bars!
    Do you know that sardines are also called sprats? I didn’t know this alternate name for sardines but I’d bet Dad did!
    What’s your favorite comfort food? Sorry, I could not give up my carbs so I’m thinking pizza, pasta and a whole lot of other starches.
    Have you heard of Dr. Bosworth? No

    1. The sardines are growing on me. My dad canned fish for us when growing up so we didn’t have to buy sardines. I could see him enjoying them though. I heard that in England they recommend that you wait 6-8 years before opening a can to get the most health benefits of them? I’ve never heard of toast, butter, and Hershey Bars – oh, my, that’s a carb loaded snack!
      Yes, I learned that too that they’re called sprats. We read the label on our can.
      If I had a dime for every time we said, or I’ve heard someone say, “I could never give up my carbs,” I’d be rich. We said the same thing and we’ve proven to ourselves it can be done. When we found a recipe for pizza that was low carb, it was a game changing moment!
      Dr. Bosworth has a series called the American Traddiction. It’s on YouTube for free – worth the watch if you’ve got time to spare!
      Thank you for stopping by and for sharing your thoughts!!

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