Our Low-Carb Lifestyle!

Photographs © Nina Courtney Wagaman

 
Healthy Eating =  Low-Carb High Fat Adequate Protein Higher Cholesterol Real Food =  Meat Poultry Fish Shellfish Non-starchy vegetables Low-sugar fruit (occasionally) Wild foods like mushrooms Tree Nuts (not peanuts) Sea vegetables like kelp Good Fats =  Butter Lard Coconut Oil Palm Oil Suet & Tallow Chicken Fat Unfiltered EV Olive Oil gh Bad Fats =  Canola Oil Flaxseed Oil Peanut Oil Corn Oil Cottonseed Oil Sunflower Oil Safflower Oil Soybean Oil Hydrogenated Oils Margarine Shortening Unhealthy Eating =  Processed Foods Grains & Brans Sugars from any source Polyunsaturates High-Fructose Corn Syrup Preservatives & Additives Synthetic Colors & Flavors Low-Fat or Nonfat Products Unfermented Soy Products Fruit Juices & Dried Fruit Artificial Sweeteners  
We all need to become dedicated label readers! Only about 1% of what is sold in a typical grocery store is fit for human consumption. Yes, it is that bad. Shop the perimeter of the store– the produce department; the meat, fish, poultry departments; the dairy case; the cheese counter. Some frozen vegetables may make food preparation more convenient. Condiments and spices are important for keeping things interesting. You need only venture into the center aisles for these few things, and for an excellent, COOC-certified olive oil. gh

What We Eat

PROTEINS & FATS: FATS & OILS h Unsalted butter, Plugra and/or ghee Coconut oil (we buy extra virgin from Mountain Rose Herbs) Fresh lard, suet or tallow from naturally raised animals Extra virgin, cold-pressed, unfiltered olive oil Cold-pressed nut oils for salad dressings & drizzling Coconut milk (not the “lite” type) FRESH PROTEIN SOURCES h Any & all cuts of Beef– grassfed is best Any & all cuts of Pork– naturally raised is best. Any & all cuts of Poultry– naturally raised, which “free range” often isn’t Any & all cuts of Lamb or mutton Organ meats from naturally raised animals Fresh Eggs from poultry (ducks too)– from pastured birds. Fish & Shellfish– not farm-raised CHEESES & DAIRY h Real full-fat cheeses of any type (no low-fat, soy or American cheese) Triple-cream Brie, white cheddar, Jarlsberg, gouda, Parmesan Monterey, mozzarella, Stilton, chevré, Havarti, et cetera Cream cheese, full-fat ricotta or cottage cheese Cultured full-fat yogurt with the highest fat content you can find Heavy cream (the ingredients should read “Cream”. Period.) Half-and-half only if you can’t find real cream Real sour cream CANNED PROTEIN SOURCES h Sardines, herring & mackerel in water or olive oil Tuna & wild salmon in water Chicken, Turkey & Beef (watch out for preservatives) Smoked Herring (without added vegetable oil) Clams & Oysters (not smoked, in olive oil) PRESERVED PROTEIN SOURCES h Sausages & bacon (without nitrites) Jerky (watch out for sugar- better to make your own) Pemmican, pork rinds Pickled eggs, herring CARBOHYDRATES: VEGETABLES h Dark, leafy greens like kale, mustard greens, collards & chard Salad greens like romaine, butter, spinach, & mesclun Summer squash like zucchini, crookneck, & pattypan Peppers like green & red bell, chiles Alliums like red and yellow onions, scallions, shallots, & garlic Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts Green beans, snow peas (not sweet peas) Green & red cabbage, Napa cabbage, endive, escarole Celery, cardoon, artichokes Eggplant, asparagus, cucumbers Turnips, kohlrabi, rutabaga Mushrooms, fresh or dried Fresh herbs Seaweed (a wonderful source of minerals) FRUITS h Avocado & coconut Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries Cantaloupe & red grapes (on occasion) Canned organic tomatoes, tomato sauce & paste FROZEN FOODS h Green beans, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower Whole cranberries, blueberries (unsweetened) Meats, Poultry and Fish– natural or wild NUTS & SEEDS h Raw almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews Dry-roasted almonds & macadamia nuts (no added oils) Hazelnuts, macadamia, Brazil nuts Raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds CONDIMENTS & SPICES h Pickles without sugar or sodium benzoate Black & green olives (no preservatives) Green or red salsa Canned green chiles Sauerkraut Taco & enchilada sauce Horseradish & wasabi powder (the pastes have “other stuff”) Tamari sauce & miso (naturally fermented soy) Fish sauce & toasted sesame oil Olive oil mayonnaise (without sugar) Clam juice, fish broth, chicken & beef broth (best to make your own!) Pure vanilla (without sugar) All the herbs & spices your heart desires 
This is merely a “short list” to get you started. You will find much inspiration on the many low-carb websites, blogs and books, especially cookbooks. Discover the joys of cooking and eating Real Food!
EAT: natural fats animal proteins pastured eggs raw nuts & seeds non-starchy vegetables pastured, raw dairy local, fresh, organic
Begin your journey of discovery at our BOOKS! page.shapeimage_12_link_0shapeimage_12_link_1shapeimage_12_link_2shapeimage_12_link_3shapeimage_12_link_4