Several years back, when I was writing for United Media, I wrote a column about pork. I mentioned that it is both the most popular meat on earth, and one of the most controversial. In societies with food taboos, pork is one of the meats most likely to be shunned. And even among folks who have no religious constrictions against particular foods, pork is often thought of as a guilty pleasure, something that's tasty, but not really good for us. Heart attack on a plate and all that.
Read More »Plan Your Low-Carb Super Bowl Party by Dana Carpender
Confession: I am perhaps the only person in the entire state of Indiana who will not be watching the Colts play in the Super Bowl next weekend. It's partly that I simply find football - and other games - dull, and so does That Nice Boy I Married. It's also because having worked with some pro-footballers in my career as a massage therapist, I know all too well just exactly what they're doing to their bodies. I can't watch all those 300 pound guys run sideways into each other's knees. Ouch.
Read More »100 Calorie Pack Advertising Gimmicks by Dana Carpender
We have ads touting low calorie soup, low calorie cereal, low calorie yogurt, as opposed to that "high calorie" yogurt - you know, with a whole 100 calories per serving. Oh, and the soup is advertised as having only 80 calories per serving "and no fat." Welcome to the post-100-calorie-pack advertising gimmick.
Read More »Diets Don’t Work. However, Diet Does by Dana Carpender
How many of you made a New Year's Resolution to go on a diet? The statement "diets don't work, but diet does" emphasizes the importance of adopting a sustainable, well-balanced, and personalized dietary approach, such as a low-carb diet, instead of relying on short-term, extreme, or fad diets that may not provide long-lasting results. A low-carb diet, when properly implemented, can help individuals achieve their health and weight loss goals while still enjoying a variety of nutrient-rich foods
Read More »Can I Have Alcohol On My Low-Carb Lifestyle? By Dana Carpender – Includes City Lights Low-Carb Cosmo Recipe
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, whether it comes from beer, wine, liquor, or mixed drinks. It's also carb-free. It does, however, slow metabolism quite a lot so don't expect to actually lose weight if you're making merry. Includes Dana's City Lights Low-Carb Cosmo Recipe.
Read More »Dana Carpender’s Low Carb Holiday Party Guide
The party season is upon us! From now until January 2nd, there will be caroling parties, open-house brunches, tree-trimming parties, gift-wrapping parties, and just plain all-out merriment.
Read More »Dana Carpender Asks “How About A Hot Cup Of Coffee?” on Your Low-Carb Diet
Dana Carpender discusses the benefits of a hot cup of coffee on a low carb diet. Americans have long chosen coffee over tea, some say as a result of the British tax on tea that led to the Boston Tea Party. But in the past twenty years coffee has gone from national habit to national obsession. Is all this coffee on a low-carb diet good for us or bad for us? Depends.
Read More »Dana Carpender Asks Is Obesity Catching?
Oh, boy. This obesity research stuff just gets more and more interesting. Did you know there's research suggesting that there may actually be an obesity virus?
Read More »Ask Dana Carpender About Agave Nectar
Dana, What are your thoughts on Agave Nectar? The bottle says it has 16 grams of carbs per tablespoon and 60 calories, the same as honey. But it also says it has a low glycemic index. Is agave nectar easy on the blood sugar after all or not?
Read More »Do We Need So Much Fiber? by Dana Carpender
For quite some time now I have made a name and a some-time living as a nutritional heretic. I don't believe in a "balanced diet," I think animal fat and cholesterol are among the most healthful foods, I consider fruit juice to be little better than soda pop, I'm all for cutting whole categories of food out of my diet. Here's my latest heresy: I am unconvinced of the value of fiber.
Read More »Is Pumpkin Low Carb? Includes Low Carb Chili Lime Pumpkin Seed Recipe
Dana Carpender shares the many ways pumpkin can fit into a low carb diet including her Low Carb Chili Lime Pumpkin Seed recipe. If your only experience with pumpkin has to do with jack-o-lanterns and high-carb pie, rethink this tasty vegetable. Pumpkin is lower carb than most winter squashes, and one of the best sources of pro-vitamin A around.
Read More »How to Have a Healthy Low-Carb Halloween
Recently, on a website I frequent, there was a discussion of Halloween plans. There I first encountered the concept of "trunk-or-treat," a Halloween event that is apparently gaining popularity across the country. People dress their kids up in costumes, pack candy in their cars, and go to a predesignated parking lot. There the children run from car to car, collecting candy.
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