LCHF Family 017: Non-scale Victories and Motivation Released: October 5, 2017 Welcome to all our new listeners who heard us from Vinnie Tortorich's podcast! If you missed our interview of Vinnie about student athletes, you can find it here. Today's episode is a short and sweet one with just Anne. She talks about non-scale victories--those changes that happen that can't be tracked with numbers but keep us going when the scale stops moving. Being observant of these milestones can be really helpful ways of helping out children take ownership of their food decisions! A reminder that we've covered breakfasts and school lunches in earlier episodes. It's been fun watching pictures come in on Twitter of people who have tried some of the suggestions with their kids. Keep the pictures coming! Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 016: Eating Out while LCHF Released: September 28, 2017   So, how do you eat out and stick to your commitment to stay low carb, high fat? Listen to today's episode for some guidance and ideas from Anne and Adam. Anne wants to make a couple of disclaimers: First, I realized as I edited this episode, that I throw around the term "natural sugar," and I think I need to define what I mean, because white sugar comes from sugar cane and is, therefore, natural sugar. When I talk about natural sugar, what I really mean is naturally occurring sugar or, in other words, sugar that occurs in a food because nature put it there, not the cook. Also, I mentioned that when I eat out, I try to stick to many options that are under 20 gr carbs and 4 gr sugar. That's what I do. That's not some hard and fast rule that you also need to follow. You may opt for a meal with 50gr carbs or 80 gr carbs and then eat accordingly the rest of your day. Don't paralyze yourself by trying to follow the general guideline I set for myself. Below is our list of restaurants that are either specifically designed for low-carb, high-fat eaters or they are more than happy to work with requests. If you're ever in these areas, check them out! If you know of one in your area, or find one while traveling, let me know about your experience there by emailing [email protected] and I'll add them to the list. Center Grill, East Granby, CT. The Center Grill is only open for breakfast and lunch. Their breakfast menu is full of LCHF options as long as you swap out the free toast and hash browns for a different side, which they are happy to do. Try the fried cauliflower! Belly of the Beast, Northampton, MA. Their menu is not going to look LCHF to you at first, but when you find out they are willing to do any of their sandwiches as a salad instead, your heart will rejoice--honestly rejoice--because the meats in this restaurant are super delicious. The chicken wings are massive, and the bone broth is a revelation. If you have been basing your idea of broth on what you can get in a cardboard carton at the store, you are in for a true surprise when you have it here and find out just how delicious it really is. India House, Northampton, MA. A truly family-run Indian restaurant that will accommodate special food requests. The owners really understand the idea that food has an impact on your general well-being. Last time we were in, they were testing out curried cauliflower rice and it was delicious. (And you all know our family is not usually a fan of cauliflower rice!) Riff's North, Turners Falls, MA. A small burger/chicken/Mexican joint with a bar and outdoor seating in good weather. Delicious and willing to work with LCHF diners! Whately Diner, Whately, MA. Good ole American Diner food, but they have omelettes, burgers and dinner dishes that are LCHF if you substitute the fries or chips for one of their other side options, which they are more than happy to do. Cultured Caveman, Portland, OR. This place is paleo and gluten-free, so not all items qualify as LCHF or are free of sugars, but much of the menu works and their website has ingredient lists available for you to look at beforehand. Good Food Low Carb Cafe, Madison, WI. Not just a restaurant, but a couple of roving food trucks as well! Check the website for their daily locations! Cafe Mediterranean, several locations throughout the Philippines. Many delicious LCHF options on the menu, ranging from hummus to grilled kebabs. All options come with bread or a grain side, but they are happy to substitute those for additional grilled vegetables or a Greek salad. Paleo Canteen, Glasgow, Scotland. One thing I did not know when we recorded, but I found out as I prepared the show notes, is that you can search for "Low Carb Restaurants" near your location on yelp.com. It will then show you restaurants in your area that might qualify. They won't necessarily have an entire menu of LCHF options, but they have indicated that they have LCHF options. Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 015: LCHF Casseroles Released: September 21, 2017   Alright, busy people, let's talk casseroles. You can totally have casseroles when you're eating a low-carb, high-fat diet. You just need to think beyond the standard, noodle-and-canned-soup variety. The great thing about a casserole is you can make it ahead of time and throw it in the fridge or freezer to bake later. Or, make it at dinner time and use the time it's in the oven to get other stuff done. They are great one-pot options for busy folks, and we have a list of options for you! From DietDoctor, we have the Pesto Chicken Casserole with Feta and Olives, as well as the Stuffed Cabbage Casserole. (And, in case you're curious, the casserole Anne loved and the kids vetoed forever is the Flying Jacob Casserole. Try it and see if you like it. If you do, invite Anne over so she can eat it again.) _____ Chicken Broccoli Bake -- Again, I don't know who to credit this to. If it's you, let me know. I copied the recipe onto scrap paper and am reproducing it here from my notes, but I will happily change this to a link to your site! Ingredients: 1.5 lbs. boneless chicken 1 tsp. salt 8 oz. cream cheese 1 c. chicken broth 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream 1 tsp. mustard powder 1 lb. chopped broccoli florets. (Frozen, or fresh. If you only have fresh, steam them first.) 1 c. cheddar Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Season chicken with the salt and bake it for 30 minutes. Cut it into 1" pieces when it's done. 3. Heat the chicken broth and the cream together in a saucepan. Whisk in the cream cheese and add the mustard powder. 4. Mix the chicken into the sauce. 5. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheddar. 6. Cover and freeze it to use later, or bake it immediately in 350F oven for 30-40 minutes. If you freeze it for later, let it thaw before baking. _____ Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole. Crustless Caramelized Onions and Cheese. "Just Like the Real Thing" Lasagna. (So, so good...) And of course, Eat Happy. Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 014: LCHF Breakfasts Released: September 14, 2017   We've had it drilled into us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And it is, if you remember that breakfast doesn't has to happen in the early hours of the day. You break your fast with whatever meal you first eat for the day and it's ok to wait until you're hungry to eat in the morning. Your body has stored energy it can run on--it's called fat. Most days, Anne and Adam don't eat breakfast anymore, and Kai and Abby don't bother with it some days, either. But, when you are wanting something along the lines of a traditional breakfast, what can you have? So many of us are used to thinking of breakfast as an excuse to eat what boils down to dessert. Without sugars and cereals and other high-carb foods, what's left? Plenty. So many options, in fact, that we're going to have to do at least one more episode to cover your options, but for now, here are links to some of the options we shared in the show. For the rest, you're going to need to listen! Bulletproof coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. This is essentially a hot beverage with fat, blended to help keep the fat from just forming a layer on the top of your drink. (If you don't mind the fat floating to the top, you don't have to blend it!) You don't have to buy a special MCT oil for these, either. MCT oil is basically a highly refined coconut oil. You can just use coconut oil, or even switch it out for heavy whipping cream or butter. When we make bulletproof tea, we literally just brew up some peppermint tea and add a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream or coconut oil. Make bacon in the oven for a big family, or just do a bunch ahead of time to last the week. (Good luck not eating it all the first day!) Almond flour pancakes. I use heavy whipping cream instead of the coconut milk, and I don't add the sugar or sweetener. These are Kai's favorite pancake option. Coconut flour pancakes. I leave out the sweeteners entirely. Be sure to let the batter rest before you start cooking the pancakes! Coconut flour is notorious for it's scratchier texture. Letting the mixture rest for a few minutes helps soften up the texture and improves the mouthfeel. If you haven't liked coconut-flour pancakes in the past, it may be worth trying them again and making sure to let them rest. Almond flour waffles. If you couldn't tell from the episode, these are amazing. To best enjoy these, use a "normal" waffle iron, rather than a Belgian waffle iron. The topping to waffle ratio just works better with a thinner waffle. In our family, we top these with whipped heavy whipping cream and berries. Fathead bagels. You aren't going to get the crispy outer shell with these, but they do have the density of a good bagel. When we make a batch of these, we make enough so that we can use some for sandwiches later in the day. Slow cooker, crustless broccoli quiche. Crustless is a bit of a misnomer. This quiche forms its own crust-like layer as it bakes and the food directly in contact with the slow cooker insert gets crispy. I mention this for the sake of listeners with kids who wan't abide anything with a "burned" type crispiness. Thought it's not really burned, it is hardened and may turn some kids off. That said, it is universally liked in our home. Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 013: Vinnie Tortorich Shares Insights for Student Athletes Released: September 7, 2017 In this episode, Anne and Adam interview Mr. NSNG himself, Vinnie Tortorich. He shares some great insight into whether student athletes can eat an LCHF diet (yes) and how they should fuel during a sport. We were surprised by his advice about teens fueling during sports. He said theyshould have a small amount of sugar (preferably in the form of fruit). However, his argument for this is that kids tend to tell us what we want to hear. They will tell us that they are staying LCHF, while also having chips and sodas with their friends when we aren't around. So, most student athletes, in Vinnie's view, should still rely on some glucose when they are in a physically demanding sport because they aren't, generally speaking, fat adapted. This is something you should try to maintain an open dialogue with your kids about. As many of you know, Kai gets to pick a non-lchf compliant food every week. That was our comprimise for her to be mostly LCHF. Even still, we know there are times when the kids are at a party or something and they have something they "shouldn't" have that will likely affect their fat adaption. If you are too hard-line strict with them, they may sneak foods without letting you know. If you are 100% sure of everything your child is eating, and you know they are keeping things LCHF all the time--this does happen as there are some kids who are really driven in these ways--then you don't need to give them a source of ready sugar as they train or play their sport, because they will function as any other fat adapted athlete and draw their energy from their body's energy stores. Vinnie is a personal trainer with a book and podcast devoted to helping people live without sugar and grains and reap the health benefits that come from doing so. (Parents: Be aware that neither the book nor the podcast are child friendly, though he does have short episodes geared toward kids that are released every other Sunday!) Vinnie mentioned his vitamin company, Pure Vitamin Club, and his personal consults. You don't have to pay for either to be successful with NSNG, though I will say that we love his vitamins (and they're much higher quality than the ones we had been buying!), and Adam has done a consult with Vinnie in the past and found it very helpful. It was an honor to have Vinnie on as our first interview. We were surprised by some of his answers and learned a lot. Hopefully, you will, too! Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 012: When Are Treats OK? Released: August 31, 2017 Adam is back this episode to talk about when it's ok to have a treat when you're eating LCHF. One of the major changes most people have to internalize when they switch to low-carb, high-fat eating is to think of treats as treats, and not just something sweet. A treat is meant to be a rare occurrence. In our family, we have treats at immediate family members' birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and when we're traveling in a foreign land and want to try a local food. So, in theory, we have about a dozen or so treats throughout the year in the form of a food that is not usually considered LCHF compliant. That's what we do. What you do as a family will depend on your family. Have that conversation so that everyone is on board and the decision is made before you find yourself facing down a buffet table at an event. One of the ways we were able to convince Kai to agree to try LCHF was to agree to allow her one non-compliant food item per week. Considering the fact that she basically lived on cheese and pasta before switching to LCHF, this has been a huge improvement in her diet and knowing that she has that treat waiting for her helps her stay compliant the rest of the week. As parents, sometimes we have to meet our kids halfway. There are some treat-like things that you can make that are actually LCHF compliant, as long as you have them only occasionally. These include berries and cherries (either plain or with heavy cream), berry ice cream (listen to the episode for directions!), and fat bombs. I put together a list of fat bombs that require no sweeteners at all for our episode about school lunches. When you do decide to have a treat, maybe you want to make a cake for a family birthday or take a cheesecake to a potluck that you can have without totally diving into the sugar pond, check out the last section of Eat Happy. Anna's lemon cake is my favorite cake of all time. It's amazing! Remember: the goal is health. Save your treats for special occasions, not just because George at the office has a birthday or you happen to see a new candy bar at the check-out lane. Not only is it better for your health, but it makes the special times that much more special. Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 011: Movie Snacks Released: August 24, 2017   In this episode, Anne and Abby talk about options for snacking in the movies without breaking your new low-carb, high-fat eating habit. The movies are one of those places where most people have a habit of eating certain foods just because they are in that certain place doing that certain thing. These situational foods can be tricky as you switch to a new way of eating because the old habit is so strong that, if you don't plan ahead, it's very easy to sabotage yourself. Luckily, planning ahead is not hard at all! Here are some links to some make-ahead options: Almond Flour Crackers, for when you're looking for something crunchy. But, if you're looking for something crunchy, bacon is also an option, amiright? Veggie Chips. For this recipe, instead of soybean oil, use refined coconut oil. It's a better oil for your body, and the refined versions have a neutral flavor. Regular coconut oil works, too, they will just have a slightly coconutty taste to them. The following are some of the options we listed in the podcast that you can buy ahead of time. The links are provided so you can see what they look like when you go to the store. Some of them are more expensive on Amazon than at your grocery store, so check prices locally before you order. My favorite dark chocolate. (Remember: one bar is several servings!) Epic Salt and Pepper Pork Rinds. Nuts. Cheese Crisps. (You can also make your own.) LaCroix. (There are tons of other flavors!) And, because it came up again on the show, our favorite LCHF pizza. If you decide to smuggle something into the theater, I hope it is less awkward than it was for this guy: [embed]https://youtu.be/05OCOa1Oj7U[/embed] Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 010: Fat Head Kids Released: August 17, 2017 In this episode, Anne and Kai review Fat Head Kids, as well as the documentaries Super Size Me and Fat Head. It's been our experience that the kids were much more willing to stick with low-carb, high-fat eating once they understood the science behind it. Fat Head Kids is a great introduction to the science behind LCHF eating for kids in 4th - 7th grades. Older kids would probably be more interested in some of the popular science books that address the topic, like The Obesity Code, Wheat Belly, or Why We Get Fat And What to Do About It. Because Anne can't let the girls relax on their summer vacation, they were assigned to watch the Super Size Me and Fat Head documentaries back to back one day, and then discuss what they learned. Not only were they able to pick up on some of the misrepresentations made in Super Size Me on their own, but we all had a great discussion afterward about how to spot bias in documentaries and the importance of double checking sources. If you decide to give this a go with your own kids, keep in mind that Super Size Me is rated PG-13 for language and adult conversations. (Clearly, fast food isn't the best food. We hope no one thinks our appreciation for Fat Head is an endorsement for a fast-food based diet.) Speaking of which, much buzz has been made about What the Health? on Netflix. So many people have been accepting it at face value, but there is a lot to question in their methods and reporting. We offer the following links as a sampling of some of the counterarguments made by doctors, nurses, and fitness experts: Podcasts: Vinnie Tortorich interviews Nina Teicholz. Vinnie Tortorich interviews Nicole Recine. Articles: Nina Teicholz on DietDoctor.com. A takedown on Vox. A Vegan dietician's review. YouTube: Debunking What the Health? with Dr. Neal Barnard. A real doctor watches What the Health? Please be aware that some of these links are more child-appropriate than others. Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 009: School Lunches Released: August 10, 2017 In this episode, we share a bunch of options for healthy, nutritious, real-food, LCHF lunches for your kiddos (or yourself)! First off, Amazon has a bunch of options for bento-style lunch boxes. These will help a great deal in reducing waste as you pack your child's lunch. This one comes in three colors, is leak proof, and the company offers coordinating ice packs. This option would be best for elementary-age appetites. This option is also leak proof but holds up to a liter of food, so would be better for teens and adults. Also, check out these adorable cookie cutters! Or these animal-shaped ones! Perfect for sprucing up an elementary child's cheese and deli meat. Make the food fun! Abby has some of these and loves to use them from time to time when she makes lunch. If you're thinking of making some LCHF-friendly crackers, here are recipes for 100% cheese crackers (you don't have to add the spices!) and almond flour crackers. There's also a recipe in Eat Happy. Great options for all your crackery needs! If you want to try a tamagoyaki-style omelet, here's a link to a pan, and here are one, two, three recipes. As you can see in the 2nd recipe, you don't NEED the special pan. It's just there if you want to be "official" about it. Remember to use butter, coconut, or olive oil in your preparation, and leave out the sugar in these recipes! That video I mentioned about keeping an avocado green is available here. From personal experience since recording this episode, I can vouch for the "leave the pit in the avocado" method. It seems to keep it green for 2-3 days. Fathead rolls, 90-second almond bread (scroll to the very bottom), cloud bread, and keto loaf are all options for those days when they are really hankering for a sandwich. Gnocchi made from cheese and egg--great for an LCHF-style pasta salad. I'm not linking you to any fat bombs that require artificial sweetener or honey or agave or dates or, or, or. If they do mention a sweetener, it's listed as optional. Walk away from the fake stuff. It's no good for you or your kids. Even stevia. I dug through TONS of recipes that included that chemically, fake junk so you don't have to. Ok, off my soapbox... Here's an orange walnut fat bomb, cinnamon bun fat bomb, coconut fat bomb, ginger fat bomb (This one doesn't say the sweetener is optional, but it's such a small amount, you should be safe leaving it out. Try it and let me know if it doesn't work!), lemon fat bomb, almond pistachio fat bombs, and healthy Valentine hearts. Remember: I picked these because the sweetener is optional. Don't even add it! Fat bombs sometimes soften up at room temperature, so if you send these in a school lunch, make sure they are packed right up against the ice pack! AND, just for fun: Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.

LCHF Family 008: PIZZA! Released: August 3, 2017 Let's face it: most of us aren't going to stick to any way of eating if it doesn't include pizza. Luckily, there are still ways to have pizza and stay LCHF. In fact, pizza is already high fat. The flour-based crust is the only real issue, and we offer 4 options (plus a bonus in the episode)! A cauliflower crust recipe is available here or in Eat Happy. This crust is the one the family started out with. It's a delicious crust, but it does have its downsides. First of all, it is time consuming to make. You have to rice the cauliflower, steam it, then let it cool down (or burn your hands) so you can squeeze every bit of moisture out that you possibly can, and then procede with the recipe. The resulting crust almost never holds together well enough to pick it up to eat, so you have to use a knife and fork. The fat head crust is available here or in Eat Happy. (Seriously, if you haven't already bought Eat Happy, you really need to!) Anne is not a fan of this crust, and since she's the one who makes the pizza, the LCHF Family doesn't eat this one often. If you make the crust thick enough, it is possible to pick up and eat fat head crust pizza. However, when you're eating it that thick, you can really tell it's made out of almond flour. There is a certain grittiness that results. Others in the family like it, but Anne can't get past the mouth feel. The third is the egg and mozzarella option found here. This recipe from Diet Doctor is the concensus option. The flavor is fairly neutral, it can be made into a thin crust and is still liftable. It's also really quick to make: shredd the cheese, mix with egg, spread in pan. Easy-peasy. And finally, the chicken crust option, as follows. Remember, this makes 6-8 servings, so alter the recipe accordingly. This is Kai's favorite, hands down. It is pretty tasty, but it's more involved to make and more expensive, so it's not something we make every time we have pizza. It had turned out to be liftable, and it does taste good. It's also very filling, so you don't have to make a ton of pizza for the family if you opt for this crust. Chicken Crust for Pizza

For the most control, grind the chicken meat yourself in a food processor until it is finely ground. This allows you to opt for fattier dark meats for a stronger chicken flavor to the crust, or a white meat for less chicken flavor. Also, you can control how much skin is included in the grind. This is also a good way to include some organ meats like liver for additional vitamins.

• 24 oz ground chicken, raw
• 16 oz freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (Not powdered)
• 4 eggs
• freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F
   

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.
   

3. Line one large cookie sheet (18" x 12" or larger, or use several smaller pans) with parchment paper.
   

4. Press the dough flat in the pan, spreading it as thinly as you wish.
   

5. Bake for 20 minutes, until the crust beings to turn golden.
   

6. Remove from oven and top as you wish.
   

7. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and golden.
   

8. Remove from oven, cut and serve.
   

Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things you find at those links helps us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.