 
### My Low Carb Story,  
Diet Book,  
Cookbook,  
and  
Shopping List

By

Fernando Urias

Copyright 2010 Fernando Urias

Published by Fernando Urias at Smashwords

Revised May 3, 2020 by Fernando Urias

Smashwords Edition License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free e-book. You are welcomed to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works. Thank you for your support.

Also by Fernando Urias, published at Smashwords:

An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook

The Automatic Time Management System

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Disclaimer

Acknowledgements

My Low Carb Story

Counting Grams of Carbohydrate

Counting Grams of Other Nutrients

My Diet Book

Water

Protein

Fiber

Vitamins and Minerals

Fat

Carbohydrate

Summary of My Nutrient Needs

Lists of the Food with the Nutrients I Need

The Water List

The Protein List

The Fiber List

The Fat List

The High Net Carbohydrate List (Food That I Will Not Eat)

My Shopping List

My Low Carbohydrate Food Stock

What happens to the Human Body When it goes into a Low Carbohydrate Diet?

Fun with Exercise

The Weight Scale

Conclusion

Final Notes

My Cookbook

Kitchen Tips

Drink Recipes

Water

Creamed Coffee

Office Coffee

Iced Coffee

Hot Beef Broth

Bottled Diet Green Iced Tea

Cold Brew Iced Tea

Hot Tea

Diet Soda

Lemonade with Splenda

Breakfast Recipes

Over Easy Eggs with Bacon

Over Easy Eggs on Ham Topped with Salsa

Over Easy Eggs with Raw Tomatoes and Onions

Over Easy Eggs with a Pork Chop

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Onions, and Green Bell Peppers

Scrambled Eggs with Sausage

Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar Cheese

Scrambled Eggs with Cream Cheese

Scrambled Eggs with a Hot Dog

Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms

Swiss Cheese Omelet

Eggs Poached in Creamed Spinach

Mid-Morning Snack Recipes

Bacon Slices

Sausage Link

Hard-Boiled Egg

Appetizer Eggs

Avocado with Salt

Rotisserie Chicken

Sardines with Onions

Tuna with a Pickled Serrano Pepper

Spiral Ham

Hot Beef Broth with Butter

Lunch at Home Recipes

Chef Salad

Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Salad

Rotisserie Chicken on Lettuce

Tuna Salad on Romaine Lettuce Leaves

Chicken Salad on Iceberg Lettuce

Caesar Shrimp Wraps

Lunch at the Office Recipes

Hot Beef Broth with Salted Pork Skins

Microwaved Rotisserie Chicken

Roasted Cornish Hen

Subway Chopped Salads

McDonald's Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad

TGI Friday's Cobb Salad

Mid-Afternoon Snack Recipes

Sugar-Free Chewing Gum

Almonds

Pecans

Pumpkin Seeds

Dinner Appetizer Recipes

Iceberg Lettuce with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Romaine Lettuce with Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese

Cucumber with Lime, Salt, and Paprika

Coleslaw

Raw Cabbage with Oil and Vinegar

Black Olives

Canned Green Beans with Mayonnaise

Artichokes with Mayonnaise and Mustard Sauce

Dinner Recipes

Ground Beef with Broccoli

Ground Beef Mexican Style

Ground Beef with Spinach and Mushrooms

Pan-Fried Hamburger Patties with Lettuce and Tomatoes

Pan-Fried Mini Hamburger Patties with Lettuce and Tomatoes

Pan-Fried Sirloin Steak

Pan-Fried Tilapia Fish Fillets with Butter

Roasted Chicken Wings

Stir Fry Chicken

Stir Fry Pork

Pork Spareribs

Shrimp with Bacon

Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes

Microwave Fresh Green Beans

Mushrooms with Butter

Cabbage with Bacon

Creamed Spinach

Boiled Brussel Sprouts

Zucchini with Parmesan Cheese

Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette

Cauliflower and Cheese

Broccoli with Cheddar Cheese

Dessert Recipes

Decaf Coffee with Heavy Cream

Diet Jell-O with Heavy Cream

Hot Chocolate

Key Lime Cream Cheese

Vanilla Cream Cheese

Diet Soda with Heavy Cream

Strawberries and Cream

Late Night Snack Recipes

Swiss Cheese Slice

Turkey Breast Slice

Splenda Chocolate Thins with Pecans

Celery with Cream Cheese

Sauces

One Cup Home Made Mayonnaise

One Cup Salsa

One Serving Basic Vinaigrette

One Serving Mustard Vinaigrette

End of Table of Contents

(Back to Top)
Introduction

I have been in a low carbohydrate diet for twenty-two years.

I am writing "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook," which will be published December 25, 2020 and when I reviewed this book to pull out some of information, I realized that it needed improvement.

It is comforting to find out that I have learned to write better in the last nine years.

The improvements made are not major shifts in the way I think about dieting but minor changes suggested by the wisdom that sometimes comes with time and experience.

One of the improvements was not to worry about fiber. The combination of fat in the diet and the bulk of low carbohydrate vegetables turned out to be sufficient to have trouble-free vowel movements.

Another improvement in the book was to add recipes using the format that I am using for "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook."

This edition of this book is much better than the 2010 edition.

I hope 250,000 people that downloaded this book in the past will download it again to benefit from the improvements.

I also hope that they will like the improvements so much that they will immediately pre-order a copy of "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook."

In this future book, I will narrate what I have learned in addition to the science presented by Dr. Atkins and Dr. Bernstein. It will be a complete operating manual of the human body describing essential nutrition as a base to know how to lose weight and how to maintain weight to maximize health and longevity.

(Back to Top)
Disclaimer

I have decided to follow a low carbohydrate diet for the rest of my life. I made this decision based on what I have learned about dieting, nutrition, and the results of two clinical tests on my heart.

Check with your doctor if you decide to imitate any of my eating habits.

This is very important if you take insulin or other diabetic medicines because a low carbohydrate diet may require a reduction on the dosages.

I did not have to worry about any medicine dosages because I am not taking any and I am not diabetic.

It is not the intention for this book to give medical advice.

(Back to Top)
Acknowledgements

I want to thank my wife and my two sons for the patience they had with a husband and dad that insisted on writing a book at the expense of family time.

(Back to Top)
My Low Carb Story

In 1998, I heard about the Atkins diet in a Sunday brunch with my family at the Golden Corral, an all-you-can-eat restaurant in El Paso Texas. One of my brothers had a plate piled up with grilled chicken thighs. I told him that the plate looked unbalanced because the chicken thighs were about to fall off from his plate. He thought I was talking about dieting. He told me not to worry, that he would have a salad later and that he was doing the Atkins diet.

When he explained to me what the diet was about, I could not believe him. I was certain that he had misread the book (he tends to do this) or that he had not read it at all.

That evening I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a copy of "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution."

I was able to start reading it the following weekend on my way to Sierra Blanca in New Mexico, in a snow skiing trip.

The first chapters of the book convinced me to try the Atkins Induction Diet, the first phase of the diet, which requires limiting carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams per day.

In those days, I had no idea what was or was not a carbohydrate. I just ate whatever was available and looked appetizing.

I remember reading a book about nutrition a few years before that talked about eating natural foods and I just put it aside and never thought about it again. I was thinking on how to eat healthy but I was not interested because my potbelly had not appeared yet.

That Friday night at the 2-bedroom time-share equipped with a kitchen, after I thought I understood the Atkins Induction Diet, I went to Walmart to buy food for everybody. That night I ate half of a rotisserie chicken and a large salad from a pre-washed lettuce bag that I seasoned with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper.

The next morning, true to the diet, I had three eggs, bacon, and coffee. I had also bought pancakes and syrup, but this was upon special request. I did not touch them although I had to make them. I also did not touch the sugar-glazed donuts.

After breakfast, we went up to the Sierra Blanca Mountain to ski. I skied and followed the diet all day Saturday and Sunday.

They sell grilled hamburgers at the top of the mountain. At lunchtime, I had to buy two, eat the beef patties and vegetables, and throw away the bread. I did not order French fries as I used to and I ordered a cup of hot coffee instead of the customary sugar soda.

The dinner Saturday night at the Cattle Baron was easy to pick since they have a wonderful Prime Rib Steak and a large salad bar.

On Sunday morning, I knew the drill. I had eggs and bacon again.

On Sunday evening, I usually would be tired for the three-hour drive back to El Paso but this time I felt different. After two days in the diet and snow skiing, I felt strong and alert.

As usual, I bought a large cup of coffee to help me stay awake in the highway but I remember thinking that I did not need it.

After driving three hours and arriving home, instead of wanting to drop to bed to sleep, I checked my e-mail and worked for a couple of hours.

Something was different with my body metabolism. I felt awake and energetic.

I stayed in the diet for the rest of the week and lost five pounds.

At 6 feet 1 inch tall and 213 pounds heavy, I wanted to lose 13 pounds to round down my weight to 200. I thought that by losing 13 pounds, I would get rid of a small potbelly that had popped out in the last few years.

I did not know at the time that to enter the normal range for my height using the Body Mass Index (BMI) I had to get below a BMI of 25 and my target weight should have been 189 pounds. (The BMI number can be obtained by entering height and weight in one of the BMI calculators available in the internet. I googled "BMI Calculator" and several programs appeared). To enter the normal range for my height I should have targeted a weight reduction of 24 pounds instead of only 13 pounds.

I felt fine before starting the diet but I felt better afterwards. I almost looked fine before starting the diet but I have to admit that my main motivation was to look better. I would not pose for a magazine but I was not too embarrassed to show my small potbelly at the pool when I took my sons to swim. Health and longevity were not in my radar.

When I started the diet, I was happy with the loss of five pounds in one week and I was ready to stay in the diet longer if I could lose more weight eating unlimited amounts of eggs, bacon, salads, low carbohydrate vegetables, beef, chicken, pork, and seafood, since I like them all.

I stayed in the diet the next week and lost an additional five pounds.

In the third week, according to the Atkins guidelines, I was supposed to go into a second phase adding five grams of carbohydrate per day every week to slow down the weight loss but I did not do this. I stayed in the Atkins Induction Diet another week and lost an additional three pounds.

I had reached my target weight in three weeks and I was delighted. I had lost weight I had struggled to lose for months in three weeks and I had felt strong, awake, and never hungry.

Since I had lost as much weight as I wanted to lose, I thought that I could be off the strict Atkins Induction Diet but I modified my eating habits with my newly acquired knowledge.

I learned that sugar is a carbohydrate and that I should avoid it.

I changed my regular sugar soda for diet soda.

I substituted the sugar in my coffee with Splenda.

I stopped eating unlimited amounts of tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants, although I would still have one tortilla chip to taste every salsa.

In the course of the following year, I lost an additional seven pounds.

The Atkins diet starts with an induction phase that restricts carbohydrate to 20 grams per day. This was quite a change from my I-Do-Not-Care-What-I-Eat diet where I was probably eating 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrate per day without thinking about it.

The Atkins Induction Diet is a strict diet that consists of food that contains only protein and fat. The only carbohydrate allowed is incidental carbohydrate in eggs and cheese and the low carbohydrate content in low carbohydrate vegetables. Dr. Atkins adds vitamin pills to make sure that all nutrients are covered.

After two weeks in the Atkins Induction Diet, the second phase consists of adding 5 grams of carbohydrate per day every week until weight loss stops. Dr. Atkins called the amount of carbohydrate that is consumed when weight loss stops the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintaining" or "CCLM." This is supposed to be the amount of carbohydrate that the body burns according to the metabolism and activity of each person.

I thought that by adding 5 grams of carbohydrate per day every week, I could eventually go up to my normal consumption of 200 to 300 grams per day but I found out this is not what happens.

Other Atkins books report low CCLM levels. They are in the 40 to 80 grams per day range.

Further experience is reported that the CCLM for a sedentary person is 25 to 40 grams per day, 40 to 90 grams for an active person, and it may go over 90 grams per day only for a dedicated athlete.

These numbers are much lower than the range of 200 to 300 grams from my I-Do-Not-Care-What-I-Eat diet.

I learned from Dr. Atkins that carbohydrate is the nutrient that increases body fat. This happens because carbohydrate triggers the secretion of insulin, which is the fat building hormone. Insulin converts dietary carbohydrate into body fat. I learned from Dr. Atkins to pay attention to the grams of carbohydrate in my food instead of the calories although I never have been a strict counter of either.

In 2002, at 46 years of age and after four years of low carbohydrate eating, I decided that it was time to perform a general medical examination on my body. It was an easy decision since the medical insurance with my employer at the time would pay for the cost. All I had to do was to show up.

If the President of the United States has a general medical examination every year because his job is very important, I thought my job was just as important, at least to me.

My doctor prescribed eight clinical tests to check the state of my health. All the tests came out great except for an Electrocardiogram (ECG) performed while I was jogging.

The doctor had an ECG done on my chest while I lay down in the doctor's couch and the results were fine but when I had another ECG jogging on a treadmill, the results were scary.

On the day of the test, the ECG technician attached wires to my chest and I then asked me to walk on a treadmill. After a few minutes of walking, the ECG technician increased the speed of the treadmill to a brisk walk and then turned his back to arrange the graph paper that was spewing out of the printer.

A few more minutes passed and he increased the speed of the treadmill to a slight jog. He looked at the graph paper a few minutes and surprise! He informed me that he had to stop the test because I had flunked it.

He asked me to sit down and he excused himself to call my doctor.

He used a phone that was attached to a wall behind a curtain, just like the curtain used by the Wizard of Oz. I could only see his feet but I could hear the conversation. My doctor was surprised with the ECG results and he asked the ECG technician to show the results to a cardiologist that was in the clinic.

Half an hour later, the technician and the cardiologist showed up in the lab with admittance papers for me to enter the hospital across the street. The cardiologist asked me not to drive home, to call my wife, and to enter to the hospital right away. He informed me that the jogging ECG had a 30% chance of error but if it was correct, the results indicated that I had several arteries seriously blocked and that I was in danger of an imminent heart attack. He said he was busy the next morning but due to the seriousness of my situation, he would fit an angioplasty procedure in his schedule late in the morning.

An angioplasty is a procedure where the doctor would insert a thin tube with a small TV camera in an artery in my leg and slide it all the way up to my heart. Once he could see the problem area from the inside, he would fix the artery blockades by shooting them with a laser beam. Wow! He sounded like a doctor from Star Wars. I had to remind myself that he was talking about my heart. I just hoped that if he would be blasting cholesterol clots with a laser gun in one of my arteries, the debris from the blast would flow away from the heart posing no danger, just like the debris that floats away in space in the Star War movies.

I went to the hospital and I got in. The doctor showed up in my hospital room around 9 pm to tell me that he would fix what he could to get me out of danger but he may not be able to fix it all. He said that we might have to schedule another procedure a few weeks later to fix the rest.

Lying in bed at the hospital, with a needle stuck in my arm, I got calls from my parents and my siblings with sympathies. One of brothers suggested that I write a will. One of my sisters scolded me for eating so much fat all those years and told me that I had brought it all up upon myself.

I asked my wife not to bother to come to the hospital that evening because the kids had to go to school in the morning. She agreed and she said she would come early in the morning after getting rid of them.

That night I could not sleep. Nurses would come in and out of the room every thirty minutes to check on something. One time was to reload the bag with liquid that was feeding the intravenous needle in my arm, another time to reconnect my heart pulse-monitoring sensor, another time to give me a pill that I was supposed to take, and so on all night long.

The doctor said that I could stay awake during the operation but the next day, the procedure did not start until 1 pm.

Before it started, I took a pill to numb the pain that I would feel from poking my leg and I fell asleep right away.

I woke up when two strong male nurses picked up my body from the operating table and placed it in a rolling bed that would take it to the recovery room.

The doctor was talking to my wife in the hall. "What happened?" I asked the guys. "The doctor said you have the heart of a 24-year old youngster, totally clean." Great! I started to think that the Atkins Induction Diet was not so bad after all. Not only it made me look better, but it also kept my arteries clean.

Losing excess weight is healthy but I did not have the feeling that the food I was eating in the Atkins Induction Diet was healthy. I thought the diet was worth doing for the benefits of weight loss but maybe it would not be healthy to do it for a long time.

Later I bought the "Atkins for Life" book where I found testimonials of people that stayed in the Atkins Induction Diet for months and lost large amounts of weight. They report losing weight without any apparent ill and with great benefit.

Another piece of interesting information that I found from the "Atkins for Life" book was that some of these people, after losing considerable amounts of weight and embarking in an exercise program, found out that their Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance or CCLM was low, around 50 grams per day, even after adding exercise.

I started to suspect that the limitation to 20 grams of carbohydrate per day of the Atkins Induction Diet might not be too low after all.

I continued to limit my carbohydrate intake and in 2006, at the El Paso Public Library, I ran across another great book: "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. The Complete Guide to Achieve Normal Blood Sugars" by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, M.D.

In this book, Dr. Bernstein, a type-1 diabetic, explains how he arrived at the conclusion from treating himself and other patients, that a person should keep carbohydrate intake below 30 grams per day to keep blood sugar low and stable.

He goes to the extent of specifying that an adult should not eat more than 6 grams of carbohydrate at breakfast, no more than 12 grams at lunch, and no more than 12 grams at dinner.

He explains that the lower breakfast requirement is necessary because of the dawn phenomenon, a higher blood sugar that in the morning from glucose produced by the body during the night. A constant blood sugar will result if the carbohydrate intake in the morning is lower.

Dr. Bernstein recommends his diet as a healthy diet for life due to the many benefits that result from having stable and low blood sugar.

He also discovered, from measuring the effect of different foods in his blood sugar, that all carbohydrates, simple or complex, are pretty much the same because the digestive system transforms them all into glucose.

He found out this by checking his blood sugar after eating different foods and he demonstrates this in a YouTube video where he chews a piece of bread and manages to turn a glucose strip purple.

Later I bought a copy of this book to have it at home without having to worry about returning it to the library. I have replaced it about six times because I keep on giving it away to people that need it more than I do.

Dr. Bernstein is a type-1 diabetic, diagnosed when he was 12 years old. He developed his "Diabetes Solution" to treat himself before he became a doctor when he was an engineer trying to find out how to have a normal life given the prospects of an early death typical of a type-1 diabetic. Excited about his findings, he tried to publish his results but he could not find magazines or doctors willing to listen. He decided to become a doctor to help other people. He was 45 years old at the time.

In March 2020, he is 85 years old and he is still releasing videos in YouTube. I believe he holds the world record for the age of a type-1 diabetic person.

He originally designed his diet for himself and later for his diabetic patients but he concluded as a doctor that the benefits of his diet are nearly as profound for those who do not have diabetes as for those who do. The title to the first chapter of another of his books, "The Diabetes Diet," says this clearly: "Why a Low-Carbohydrate Diet is the Only Answer for Diabetics and a Very Good Answer for Everyone Else."

Dr. Bernstein discovered that all carbohydrate, not only sugar, has to be carefully limited to achieve constant blood sugar. He writes: "As I discovered in years of experimenting in myself, and then in my medical practice, that the real dietary problem for diabetics is not only fast acting carbohydrate but also large amounts of any carbohydrate. In either case, the result is high blood sugars requiring large amounts of insulin to try to contain them" (page 129. Carbohydrate. The Basic Food Groups. "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. The Complete Guide to Achieve Normal Blood Sugars. 4th Edition".)

He made his discoveries by eating different foods and poking himself several times in the day to find out the effect that each food had in his blood sugar.

Dr. Bernstein gave me the medical justification to stay in a low carbohydrate diet for life. I was relieved that the Atkins Induction Diet was healthy after all and that I had not caused unseen damage to my body.

I started to recommend Dr. Bernstein's diet to my friends and family. I recommended Dr. Bernstein diet for the strength of its medical justification and the Atkins Induction Diet for the information and accessibility of the www.atkins.com website.

Today, Dr. Bernstein also has free information on his www.diabetes-book.com website and he has posted 134 free videos in his "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes University" playlist in YouTube.

In 2008, at the age of 52, I went jogging around the neighborhood and I felt a small discomfort in my chest. This is after 10 years of low carbohydrate eating and still weighing around 200 pounds. I thought it was heartburn, which is an irritation of the esophagus, not the heart. I made an appointment to see a gastroenterologist, the doctor that cures the esophagus.

This doctor prescribed heartburn medicine and asked me to stay away from lime, wine, and spicy food, all of which I was having plenty at the time.

He suggested that I see a cardiologist to discard the possibility of heart trouble. I told him that according to the results of the angioplasty procedure a few years back, my heart should be in good shape and I was sure that my problem was in the esophagus.

In return, he told me the story of a cardiologist doctor friend of him in Bombay that had a pain in his chest, dismissed it as heartburn, and died of a heart attack. "You are kidding me." I said. "You are making up this story just to convince me to see a cardiologist." "No." He said. "It is a true story." Wow. I did not know that cardiologists could die of heart attacks.

I made an appointment with a live cardiologist in the new town where I was living at the time.

When I arrived at the cardiology clinic, an ECG was done on my chest once again while I lay down and it came out fine.

I told the new cardiologist my story of the results of my jogging ECG and the angioplasty procedure a few years before to the new cardiologist and this doctor thought it was a good idea to repeat the jogging ECG test. He had the equipment available right there in his clinic.

Once again, I hopped in a treadmill with electrodes attached to my chest. Once again, I flunked the test somewhere in the middle. Since we knew we were in safe territory because of the results of the previous test, this time the test went all the way to the end. Apparently at some point in my jogging activity one of the pulses of my heart, as shows in the ECG, disappears.

Since the other cardiologist had already looked inside my heart arteries with the angioplasty procedure, this doctor thought that it was better to do a different test. He prescribed an angiogram to look at the blood irrigation around my heart.

In this test, the doctor would inject a radioactive substance in one of my veins and the radioactive isotopes would travel to my heart where they would make the blood irrigation around my heart visible with x-rays. This time, instead of thinking of Star Wars, I felt that I would become one of the X-men after this procedure.

The doctor warned me that he expected to see dark spots in some of the pictures, indicating that there would be some dead tissue where blood irrigation may be lacking. He said not to worry about it because it was normal for men my age to have some dark spots.

In the lab, a nurse injected the radioactive substance in my arm and after the injection, the technician strapped me to an inclined bed that rotated in small angles and took an x-ray picture of my heart at every stopping location. I was turned around 360 degrees. I like to think that the machine took a picture was taken every fifteen degrees for a total of twenty-four pictures, just like the hours of the day around the world, but I did not count them.

After the test, the doctor asked me to come back in a couple of weeks to review the results.

On the day I came back, the doctor had to leave the clinic for a hospital emergency and the receptionist wanted to give me an appointment to come another day.

Since the drive to the clinic was long, I asked her if another cardiologist in the clinic could interpret the results of my test. I did not expect any bad news so I thought than any cardiologist could show me and interpret the results of the test.

A person working with the receptionist took me to a small consultation rooms where a few minutes later a good-looking female cardiologist showed up with my file. She must have been an angel from heaven that appeared just to give me good news. I almost got a heart attack when she sat next to me to show me the pictures.

The pictures were small. They were about twenty-four in one page and they looked like small Christmas light bulbs of the old type, the ones that we used to have before LEDs came into existence. There were no dark spots in any of the pictures. There was not even one in all the pictures.

She said that my heart was in great shape, with perfect blood irrigation. She instructed me to take the heartburn medicine and to be moderate with spicy food.

This is one of the times in my life when I have felt good that I was not normal, since being normal would have meant that my heart would have dark spots.

I have been enjoying meals of animal protein food with their corresponding fat accompanied with lettuce salads dressed in olive oil, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper. I also have been enjoying having the knowledge and ability to maintain my weight without going hungry.

My meals are hearty and I do not need snacks although sometimes I use a snack to substitute a meal. Instead of getting a snack at work, I get a cup of coffee and a bottle of water a couple of times during the day.

I have struggled to enter the normal range for my height at 189 pounds although I have been there a couple of times. I blame the carbohydrate food that I eat in the diet and the times when I do not follow it. This is a diet that works only if it is followed it but it does not work if it is not followed. This is good news because there are some diets that do not work even if they are followed.

Thinking that I was complying with the diet, I used to drink up to 6 cups of coffee throughout the day with two sugar-free half-and-half tubs in each. Each tub had 1.5 grams of carbohydrate. This was a total of 18 grams for carbohydrate just in the half-and-half cream.

Since then, I have found half-and-half cream tubs with 0.5 grams of carbohydrate. I have these Land O'Lakes Mini-Moo's half-and-half tubs at the office because they do not require refrigeration.

I also have reduced my coffee intake by replacing one or two cups of coffee with cups of beef bouillon made from powder, also not requiring refrigeration.

I also used to eat one or two miniature chocolates with sugar at night and sometimes I would eat too many. Later I found out how to make my own chocolates with coconut oil, cocoa powder, pecan pieces, and liquid Splenda modifying a recipe from Sheila at sugarfreesheila.com. Eventually, the craving for chocolate went away.

There are some foods that I have trouble eating without corn tortillas like Mexican barbeque.

I also find it hard to resist, for social reasons, a slice of cake at work when it is somebody´s birthday and I want to pretend to be a normal person. Maybe it is an excuse that I give myself to taste the cake. One of these days, I will come out of the closet and declare that I am a low carbohydrate eater always.

I am a little frustrated that I cannot stay below 189 pounds but I congratulate myself thinking of the weight and medical problems I would have experienced if I had kept on eating 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrate per day for so many years.

I stay in the diet most of the time but I find an excuse not to follow it in social settings or special occasions, for example, having a meal at an expensive restaurant in a business trip.

Every time that I do not follow the diet, my weight increases by several pounds and it takes me a few days to get back to the weight that I had before the transgression.

The high increase in weight that I experience just for a single high carbohydrate meal leads me to believe that I would have not been able to do the phases of the Atkins diet and that it is better to stay below 30 grams all the time, for life, as recommended by Dr. Bernstein.

I violate the diet knowingly on special occasions counting that I can recover in a few days and not cause too much damage to my body due to the violation.

When I violate the diet in a social setting and I talk about it at the same time I am violating it, usually at dessert, I tell people that my diet is a diet that I follow when nobody is looking but nobody believes me.

I continued to read on the subject of low carbohydrate eating and in the Christmas of 2009, I bought "Living Low Carb" by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS.

This book is an encyclopedia of low carbohydrate knowledge.

Dr. Bowden saved me many hours of reading.

The book includes a short description of 38 low carbohydrate diets and fitness programs. In addition to Dr. Atkins and Dr. Bernstein's diets, the book lists low carbohydrate diets that are less strict and allow a higher carbohydrate intake, for example, Barry Sears, PhD, "The Zone" and Drs. Michael R. Eades, MD, and Mary Dan Eades, MD, "Protein Power."

One of my friends from High School swears by "The Zone Diet" and he is in good shape.

In a Thanksgiving Holiday, we were out of town at my sister-in-law's place. I went into a Walgreens pharmacy to buy some toiletries and I found paperback copies of "Protein Power." I bought one copy for each of my in-laws. That did not go too well. I do not think they appreciated my gesture even when I had the diplomacy of not distributing the books until after dinner.

I have low triglycerides, high HDL cholesterol, and I would suspect that I have a low level of insulin in my blood although I have never measured it. I hope my profile fits the profile described in the following excerpt from page 53 of "Living Low Carb":

"In 1992, researchers collected data on people who were both mentally and physically fit and were at least a hundred years old. They had three common factors: Low triglycerides, high HDL cholesterol, and low levels of fasting insulin. Vincenzo Mariglina, et.al. "Normal Values in Extreme Old Age". Annals of the new Academy of Sciences 673 (December 22, 1992) p. 23-28.

(Back to Top)
Counting Grams of Carbohydrate

When I was younger, I did not pay attention to the amount of carbohydrate that I would eat. It was easy for me to eat large amounts of carbohydrate food without thinking about it. Carbohydrate is abundant in most common foods.

I have gone into a convenience store and had difficulty finding something that was not a high carbohydrate food. I usually exit with a cup of coffee, a bottle of water, a bag of pork skins, a package of sliced ham, or a package of cheese.

I learned to read the labels in packaged food and I have been surprised many times with the large amount of carbohydrate contained in many foods. For example, my favorite cereal used to be frosted corn flakes and I used to have one or two bowls, depending on my hunger.

The Nutrition Facts Table in the box says that the serving size is 3/4 cup and that one serving size has 26 grams of carbohydrate. My bowl had probably twice that amount and two bowls were probably exceeding 100 grams of carbohydrate. Dr. Bernstein says not to eat more than 6 grams for breakfast. I was way off.

From the "Atkins for Life" book, I learned to subtract the fiber content from the total carbohydrate content to come out with a net carbohydrate count. Fiber is a carbohydrate but it is not digestible and it does not enter the bloodstream. It has no impact in blood sugar.

Sugar alcohols cannot be subtracted from total carbohydrate since they are reported by Dr. Bernstein to cause a blood sugar rise (page 151). The subtraction of fiber is not necessary for most low carbohydrate vegetables because they only contain a few grams of fiber but it was necessary for me to justify eating avocados.

If I google "avocado nutrition" and I change the quantity to one avocado, it will show that one avocado weighing 201 grams, which is a large one, has 17 grams of carbohydrate. This is a large number to be included in a low carbohydrate diet with a limit of 6 and 12 grams per meal. If I take into account that the fiber content is 13 grams and I subtract it from the total, the net carbohydrate count is only 4 grams, making it a feasible addition to a low carbohydrate diet.

Dr. Bernstein does not mention the net carbohydrate subtraction and warns, "One-half small avocado contains about 6 grams of carbohydrate" (page 159) showing that he is not aware of this trick.

I will subtract fiber from the count unless I find evidence that fiber spikes insulin but I will not subtract sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol since Dr. Bernstein list them as substances that raise blood sugar, although not as much as plain sugar. He has a chapter in his book on sugar substitutes (page 148).

An avocado with salt is one of my favorite snacks to substitute breakfast.

The total carbohydrate and fiber content of processed foods are listed in the Nutrition Facts labels of packaged foods or can be googled in the internet. The net carbohydrate content is not listed but I can make the subtraction easily in my head because I went to grammar school before the existence of electronic calculators.

The following menu shows what I used to eat in a typical day when I did not pay attention to the carbohydrate content of my food:

Food Description, Serving Size, and Net Carbohydrate in Grams

**Breakfast  
** Bowl of cereal, 2 cups: 68 grams.  
Milk, 1 cup: 12 grams.  
Banana, 1 medium banana: 24 grams.  
Coffee, 1.5 cups: 0 grams.  
Creamer with sugar, 2 tubs: 10 grams.

Breakfast Total: 114 grams.

**Lunch  
** Hamburger sandwich, 1 adult size sandwich: 41 grams.  
French fries, 1 medium bag (4 ounces): 44 grams.  
Soda, 1 medium cup (21 fluid ounces): 46 grams.

Lunch Total: 131 grams.

**Afternoon Snack  
** Coffee, 1 cup: 0 grams.  
Creamer with sugar, 2 tubs: 10 grams.  
Doughnut (glazed), 1 regular doughnut (3-inch diameter): 21 grams.

Afternoon Snack Total: 31 grams.

**Dinner  
** Iceberg lettuce salad, 2 cups: 2 grams.  
Sirloin steak, 8 ounces: 0 grams.  
Potato (baked), 1 medium (173 grams): 33 grams.  
Pasta, 2 cups: 81 grams.  
Bread (white), 1 roll: 31 grams.  
Beer, 12 fluid ounces: 13 grams.  
Ice cream, 1 cup: 31 grams.

Dinner Total: 191 grams.

**Home Movie  
** Microwave popcorn, 5 cups: 25 grams.  
Sugar Soda, 12 fluid ounces: 39 grams.

Home Movie Total: 64 grams.

Total for the day: 531 grams.

I could eat and drink 531 grams of net carbohydrate in a day without even thinking about it. This is a large amount of carbohydrate compared to 30 grams per day maximum recommended by Dr. Bernstein. Even if I became an active person with a high CCLM (Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance), I was destined to become obese if I had not changed to a low carbohydrate diet.

The following menu is typical of what I have been eating and drinking since I have been limiting my carbohydrate intake:

**Breakfast  
** Eggs, 3 large eggs: 2 grams.  
Bacon, 3 strips: 0 grams.  
Coffee, 1.5 cups: 0 grams.  
Splenda, 1 squirt: 0 grams.  
Half-and-half creamer, 2 tubs: 1 gram.

Breakfast Total: 3 grams.

**Lunch  
** Ham, 3 ounces: 1 gram.  
Cheese, 3 ounces: 5 grams.  
Lettuce, 2 cups: 2 grams.

Lunch Total: 8 grams.

**Afternoon Snack  
** Coffee, 1 cup: 0 grams.  
Splenda, 1 squirt: 0 grams.  
Half-and-half creamer, 2 tubs: 1 gram.  
Water, 16.9 fluid ounces: 0 grams.

Afternoon Snack Total: 1 gram.

**Dinner  
** Iceberg lettuce salad, 3 cups: 3 grams.  
Roast Chicken, 1 half: 0 grams.  
Broccoli, 1 cup: 4 grams.  
Jicama, 1 cup: 5 grams.

Dinner Total: 12 grams.

**Home Movie  
** Turkey breast, 3 slices: 0 grams.  
Swiss cheese, 3 slices: 5 grams.  
Iced tea, 12 fluid ounces: 0 grams.

Home Movie Total: 5 grams.

Total for the day: 29 grams.

Eating low carbohydrate took me from 531 grams to 29 grams per day. This is a great reduction in carbohydrate intake. But why am I not counting the calories of the other nutrients? Should I be counting them? Should I be counting the calories or grams from the fat and protein in eggs, bacon, and the rest of the food?

(Back to Top)
Counting Grams of Other Nutrients

When a pediatrician prescribes medicine to a child with an infection, he calculates the amount of antibiotic in milligrams or in milliliters according to the child's weight and height. Food can be calculated in the same way choosing the right amounts of each food in grams according to the weight and height of a person.

Since I am heavier than I am supposed to be according to my height, a food prescription of how many grams of each nutrient I should eat would be according to my height, my health, and taking into account that I am slightly overweight.

If I can go to the doctor to get a medicine prescription specified in milligrams to cure an ailment, I should be able to follow a prescription of the food I need in the right amounts in grams or ounces to avoid suffering ailments that would make me go to the doctor.

When I see the amount of suffering the wrong food in the wrong quantities has caused to so many dear obese and diabetic people that I know, I think food should be planned and eaten just as if it was a medicine prescription.

A good reason to think about the grams of the different nutrients instead of calories is that the body processes the different nutrients in entirely different biochemical ways.

A calorie is the amount of heat that takes to raise one gram of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees centigrade. The caloric content of a portion of food is the amount of heat that it generates in an oven. The caloric measurement does not describe the biochemistry by which the body takes the nutrient.

Protein, fat, and carbohydrate cause different reactions in the human body when they enter the digestive system. It makes more sense to know the weight of each nutrient instead of just knowing their caloric value. The caloric value of a food is simply not enough information about the impact of that particular food in the human body.

In 1956, Professor Alan Kekwick, director of the Institute of Clinical Research and Experimental Medicine at London's Middlesex Hospital and Dr. Gaston L.S. Pawan, senior research biochemist of the hospital's medical unit placed three groups of obese people on a 1,000 calorie per day diet.

The first group had 90% of the calories coming from protein, the second group had 90% of the calories coming from fat, and the third group had 90% of the calories coming from carbohydrate.

The protein group lost 0.6 pounds of weight per day on average, the fat group lost the most weight at a rate of 0.9 pounds per day, and the carbohydrate group maintained their weight.

The experiment shows that the body processes protein, fat, and carbohydrate in different ways and that the assimilation of food in the human body is not equivalent to burning of food in an oven.

My interpretation of Professor Kekwick's experiments is as follows:

The protein group had 90% of 1,000 calories coming from protein. This is 900 calories. Since 1 gram of protein has 4 calories, 900 calories divided by 4 gives 225 grams of protein. This amount of protein is more protein than an adult person needs. The amount of pure protein desired has to be multiplied by 5 to get the amount of protein food, which in this case it would be 1,125 grams. This is a lot of food, about 2.5 pounds, or almost 40 ounces.

Dr. Bernstein recommendations for a daily intake of protein to maintain muscle mass is from 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of the ideal weight of a person (see page 180. Protein. Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. Footnote: "This would amount to 11.7-14.0 ounces of protein [food] daily for a nonathletic individual whose ideal body weight is 155 pounds"). If the ideal weights of the people in this experiment were 155 pounds, the daily amount of protein food they should eat would be between 11.7 to 14.0 ounces per day and not 40.0 ounces as designed by the experiment. The people in this group ate several times more protein per day then they should have and they still lost weight at a rapid pace.

The experiment suggests that excess protein is wasted. It seems that the body took the protein that it needed and discarded the rest. It appears that the body did not use protein as fuel as long as there was fat available to burn. Since there was no fat in the diet, the fat burned had to be the fat from their bodies. Since protein was available in excess, the weight loss can be attributable to the loss of fat the body used as fuel.

The group would also have considerable weight loss attributable to water. Without carbohydrate in the diet, the bodies of these people switched from a carbohydrate-burning metabolism to a fat burning metabolism, entering "Benign Dietary Ketosis," as Dr. Atkins called it or "Nutritional Ketosis" as Dr. Stephen D. Phinney (co-author of "The New Atkins for a New You") calls it. When this happens, a substantial amount of water is released. The water loss is an effect that happens only during the switch from a carbohydrate metabolism to a fat metabolism. This water weight is gained rapidly in a metabolism switch going the opposite way, from ketosis to eating carbohydrate.

The fat group lost the most weight at a loss of 0.9 pounds per day. This great loss of weight does not mean that this is the best diet but it is pointing in an interesting direction. This is the ketogenic direction. The objective of a diet is usually to lose weight but at the same time, it should be to stay healthy. Could it be healthy to eat fat only? Since 1 gram of fat has 9 calories. 90% of 1,000 calories is 900 calories. 900 calories divided by 9 calories per gram results in 100 grams of fat. This amount of fat is the equivalent of 1.1 sticks of butter (1 stick of butter weighs 113 grams, about 4 ounces, has 92 grams of fat, and 810 calories). This group was fasting with fat. Dr. Atkins called this diet a "fat fast." (Chapter 18: "Treating Extreme Metabolic Resistance: The Unique Fat Fast".) This explains the great weight loss.

Initially I thought that this group could not lose fat weight because of the large amount of fat in the diet but later I realized that their daily fat intake of 1.1 sticks of butter with 900 calories might have not been enough to meet their caloric requirements. If their caloric requirements were 2,000 calories per day, the number used in the food labels, they had a deficit of 1,100 calories.

In addition to losing fat weight, some of the weight loss would be attributable to protein loss because they did not have any protein in their diet. Losing protein weight may not be a desirable outcome.

They also lost a substantial amount of water. In the absence of carbohydrate, the people in this group also entered into nutritional ketosis and lost a substantial amount of water in the switch of metabolisms.

This group lost weight due to losses of fat, protein, and water. This explains the great weight loss. This would be the hardest diet to do, eating only a little bit more than one stick of butter per day.

The carbohydrate group ate 1,000 calories where 90% of the calories were from carbohydrate. This would be 900 calories. Since 1 gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, this group would have been eating 225 grams of carbohydrate per day.

This is much more than Dr. Bernstein's recommendation of no more than 30 grams per day but it is less than the amount I was eating before I started restricting my carbohydrate intake.

The blood sugar of the members of this group must have been going up with every meal. If the people in the group ate the 225 grams of carbohydrate divided into 3 meals, every meal would have had 75 grams of carbohydrate, raising blood sugar three times per day.

The bad news is that this group maintained their weight. Why? How is it possible that 900 calories of fat resulted in great weight loss and 900 calories of carbohydrate are sufficient to maintain weight?

The reason is that the ingestion of carbohydrate triggers high doses of insulin secreted to bring high blood sugar down and the high level of insulin shuts down the burning of body fat.

The results of this group show the futility of trying to lose weight in a diet with substantial amounts of carbohydrate when a calorie intake of 900 calories of carbohydrate per day is sufficient to maintain weight. People doing diets with a high carbohydrate content will experience high blood sugar and high blood insulin. They will not lose weight and they will get diabetes type-2.

This group, like the fat group, deprived of protein, must have also experienced protein loss. Since they maintained their weight, it means that their protein loss was replaced with body fat that they produced from the carbohydrate ingested.

This group got fatter than they thought. This is not a good outcome for their body profile.

This group did not lose any water because their bodies did not enter into nutritional ketosis and stayed in a carbohydrate-burning metabolism. I would think that the people on this group felt hungry all the time due to the lack of fat and protein in their diet. They also would have felt tired in a few days when their bodies slowed down their metabolism to survive with 1,000 calories per day but the test was not long enough to show this. In a few days in this diet, they would deplete their glycogen stores since their carbohydrate intake might have not been enough to cover the needs of the day and they would probably would feel weak. The insulin that this amount of carbohydrate produces would not allow them to get energy from their fat stores.

Putting all the results together, it seems that in the absence of carbohydrate but in the presence of fat, the body burns fat and it does not burn protein. In the presence of carbohydrate, it processes all the carbohydrate first and it does not burn fat. Protein is not burned as fuel as long as carbohydrate or fat are present.

The different response of the body to the different nutrients in this experiment supports the idea that it is better to count and control the weight of each of the different nutrients and that the calorie information of the food does not convey enough information to define the proper diet.

The experiment also shows that keeping carbohydrate intake low is the most relevant policy for weight loss.

Another observation from this experiment is that the bulk of the food makes the maintainability of the diet for the protein group diet easier than the other two groups.

The protein group would eat 2.5 pounds of food where 90% of the calories would come from protein. A protein food that has 90% of the calories from protein is shrimp. This group might have been eating the equivalent in volume of 2.5 pounds of shrimp per day. This is a lot of shrimp.

If I had to opportunity to volunteer for this experiment and I could pick which group to join, I would join this group. I would like to lose weight eating all the shrimp I could eat.

The fat group would have the hardest time eating only a little bit more than one stick of butter. I would prefer to eat 2.5 pounds of shrimp and lose some weight although not as much.

The weight of the carbohydrate food eaten by the carbohydrate group would be dependent on the food chosen. 225 grams of net carbohydrate can be found in 5,370 grams of broccoli (11.8 pounds), 585 grams of whole wheat bread (1.3 pounds), or 225 grams of sugar (0.5 pound, a little bit more than 1 cup).

The question is: What is healthier, more desirable, and more sustainable? To eat 2.5 pounds of shrimp and lose considerable weight, to eat 1.1 sticks of butter and lose a lot of weight, or to eat a combination of carbohydrate not exceeding 1,000 calories, choosing portions from 11.8 pounds of broccoli, 1.3 pounds of whole wheat bread, and 1 cup of sugar?

The right answer is probably that none of these diets would healthy in the long term.

The protein diet has excess protein.

The fat diet is a fast, not sustainable at all, and it has no protein.

The carbohydrate diet has a roller coaster blood sugar and no protein.

I am thinking that I can improve on these three diets by eating some shrimp but not so much, cook it in butter with garlic salt, and toss it with broccoli but sorry, I am getting ahead of myself.

(Back to Top)
My Diet Book

What shall I eat? For each macronutrient, I have considered what happens in the body when I ingest it. Now I have to find out what is the recommended daily amount and decide how much to eat and drink based on the recommendations and my preferred eating habits.

(Back to Top)
Water

I drink a small amount of water with my meals. Food mixes in the stomach with acids and enzymes that break it down into smaller molecules. The nutrients are then absorbed through the intestinal walls into a vein called the portal vein that takes the components of the nutrients into the liver for further processing. Water is necessary for this process to work efficiently but the question is how much.

I found out that I have a better digestion when I eat without extra water or liquid. The water that is already in the food seems to be enough for the digestion process. I only need a couple of sips here and there to swallow if the food feels too dry.

I believe that a lot of liquid taken with a meal may dilute the gastric juices and make digestion more difficult.

This belief came to me in a natural way while trying to be more efficient.

When I did not know better, I used to grab a sugar soda as part of my lunch and sit down to eat with friends at the office cafeteria. I would talk, listen, and eat without worry and invariably, at the end of my meal, I would be finished with my food but I would still have a drink that was almost full because during the meal I would have sipped my drink only a couple of times. Since I do not like to waste food or drink, I felt I had to stay in the table several minutes to finish my drink.

I decided to eat lunch without a drink and get back to work when the food was gone. This was more efficient and never gave me any digestion problems.

The low amount of water that I have in my meals was somewhat compensated when I went to a low carbohydrate diet since lunch included a large salad consisting of two cups of lettuce which are mostly water.

I decided to grab a cup of coffee with half-and-half cream and Splenda in a to-go cup at the beginning of my lunch, use it for the two or three sips that I need, and take it to my desk when lunch is over. This cup of coffee is part of my water intake and it serves as my dessert.

The change from a sugar soda to a cup of coffee reduced my carbohydrate intake from liquids at lunch from 39 grams of sugar in a soda to 3 grams of carbohydrate in the cup of coffee due to the half-and-half cream and the Splenda packet.

My water intake in the other meals is also low. I have a cup of coffee with half-and-half cream and Splenda with breakfast.

I used to have a glass of wine (4 fluid ounces) with dinner. I used to drink wine if I knew that I was not going to drive anymore that night but later I found out that alcohol stalled my weight loss and I had to restrict alcohol to only on Friday and Saturday nights using the excuse that I do not have to get up early the next day.

The net carbohydrate content of a 4-ounce glass of wine is only 2 grams so I do not have to worry too much about the carbohydrate content but I have to consider about the alcohol content. The calorie count of alcohol is 7 calories per gram and contributes to the stall in the weight loss but I think the toxicity of alcohol puts the liver to work on eliminating the alcohol from the blood instead of working in the conversion of fat to energy.

I decided to drink water and decaf coffee at dinner and avoid alcohol, including wine and beer.

Beer is a high carbohydrate drink that I usually do not drink because I prefer wine. If a low carbohydrate beer is the only low carbohydrate option available at a barbeque party, I may drink one of the low carbohydrate beers that have around 3 grams of net carbohydrate per bottle if I do not mind stalling my weight loss for a day.

The body needs water to function properly. The body needs water for all the chemistry that happens in the stomach, liver, kidneys, blood circulation system, and the rest of the body. Since I do not drink water with my meals, I have to drink water between meals.

When I finish the coffee that I take to my desk after breakfast or lunch, I have the opportunity to drink a bottle of water. This is usually one hour after the meal. I always have a half-liter (16.9 fluid ounces) plastic bottle in my desk that I refill at this time. Sometimes I will get both the water and a cup of coffee because I chug the water at room temperature and sip coffee. I do not like to sip water. I carry a case of water bottles in the car to replace the water bottle in my desk on Mondays since on Friday I throw away the plastic bottle that I used the whole week.

The easiest recommendation to remember for water is 8x8 (eight times eight). This means eight glasses of 8 fluid ounces. Eight fluid ounces is 1 cup, which would be a small glass of water. 8x8 totals 64 fluid ounces, which would be 2 quarts of water per day. If I think of my half-liter (16.9 fluid ounces) bottle of water as being two 8-fluid-ounce glasses, I should have to go to the water fountain four times per day to complete two quarts. I drink one 16-fluid ounce glass of water before I leave the bathroom in the morning and that leaves three bottles of water that need to be drank at the office between meals.

I will take one in the middle of the morning, after my first office coffee, and I will take one in the middle of the afternoon.

I will have a few sips of water with the supplement pills after dinner but I do not drink the whole glass to avoid waking up at night to go to the bathroom. I try not to drink water after dinner.

Three half-liter drinks give me more water than I need. With this water-drinking habit, I go to the bathroom often and my wastewater is pale yellow. I take the light color of my wastewater to be an indication that the amount of water I am drinking is sufficient. I do not mind if I skip a bottle every once in a while and sometimes I will drink less if I am going to have a full day of meetings and I want to avoid the trouble of going to the bathroom too often.

An advantage I gained from going to the bathroom several times in the day is that by washing my hands every time, I have avoided catching colds. I do not get sick often and I think washing my hands several times during the day keeps the germs away from my hands and nose. In conclusion, I consider 8x8 (2 quarts) as a maximum and I try to comply with at least half this amount, 1 quart of water per day. I usually drink 1.5 quarts of fresh water per day without any additives and I complete the 2 quarts with the other liquids that I drink.

(Back to Top)
Protein

After water, protein is the largest component of a lean human body. Protein is part of the structure of the body and it does not seem that the body uses dietary protein as fuel. Protein becomes fuel for the body only under starvation when all the fat is gone. The body uses protein to repair body tissue, bones, and muscles. In the absence of carbohydrate, the liver produces glucose using protein to fill the needs of the brain. This is why carbohydrate is not essential for life. Digestion breaks protein into amino acids. The body takes the amino acids from the blood to repair itself.

Dr. Kekwick's experiment result with the protein group suggest that excess protein is wasted. I do not know if excess protein is wasted in the digestive system without any harm or if it is wasted through the liver through more complex biochemical reactions that may not be benign. I think it is probably wise to eat the right amount of protein and not to eat protein in excess.

It is also probably wise not to be deficient. If I do not eat sufficient protein, my body will take the protein it needs from my muscles to repair my kidneys, liver, pancreas, lungs, stomach, and all the organs that my body needs to function. I do not want to lose my muscles. They are not that big and I do not want them to become smaller.

Many of the animal proteins have a good deal of fat, and this may be the reason that one of the most common dietetic errors that people make is to be short on protein.

The protein requirement for a person is believed to be between 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of ideal weight (0.454 to 0.545 grams per pound of ideal weight or around 0.5 grams per pound of ideal weight).

To calculate my ideal weight at my height of 6 feet 1 inch, I went to an Ideal Weight calculator in the internet and it told me it should be 176 pounds. I looked for a BMI calculator and this weight would be a BMI of 23.3, which is within the normal range from 18.5 to 24.9.

With this ideal weight number, I should eat 88 grams of protein daily. This comes from multiplying 0.5 grams per pound times 176.5 pounds. 88 grams multiplied by 5 to get the amount of protein food would result in 440 grams (15.5 ounces) of protein food. This is a little bit less than 1 pound (16 ounces) of protein food per day.

I would like to split this protein food as 5 ounces for breakfast (3 eggs), 4 ounces for lunch (ham and cheese on a Chef Salad), and 6.5 ounces for dinner. Since most days I will be skipping one of the early meals, I can increase the protein food at dinner.

If I use as a measurement the size of a 5-ounce can of tuna, which contains 4 ounces of dry weight of tuna, to remind me how much protein to eat in every meal. I think that I could to eat the volume of one can of tuna for breakfast (about 3 eggs). Lunch could be a salad with the volume of one can of tuna. (2 slices of ham and 2 slices of cheese with lettuce in a Chef Salad). Dinner could be the volume of one-and-one-half cans of tuna for dinner (two ground beef patties) with a cooked low carbohydrate vegetable. If I skip a meal, I can add more protein food at dinner.

If I skip a meal, I cannot add the carbohydrate of a skipped meal because I would be exceeding the 12-gram maximum recommendation for dinner, it would raise my blood sugar, and carbohydrate is not essential.

Another option to complete the protein requirement if I miss a meal is to add a protein food snack late at night before going to bed.

I will only add more protein food at dinner or as a late night snack if I feel hungry. If I have excess weight due to excess fat in my body, I probably also have excess protein. In other words, the protein guideline is a target but for an overweight person, less is better.

(Back to Top)
Fiber

If I had a diet of only water, protein, and fat, I thought I could have digestive problems but I found out that I did not. I thought there would be nothing to carry the protein through my digestive system and that the recommended amount of fiber would help but I found out that it is not necessary.

I found out that fiber is not essential because by eating protein food with its accompanying fat without vegetables for a few months in "The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet" by Dr. Irwin M. Stillman, my bowel movements were less frequent but without constipation.

When I added back low carbohydrate vegetables per Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Diet, the diet was more pleasurable and the bowel movements were more regular.

I believe the daily recommendation for fiber of 25 grams per day is too high. The low carbohydrate vegetables that I eat contain only a small fraction of the 25 grams recommended and I had not any problems going to the bathroom.

I have concluded that fiber does not need to be supplemented.

I think it is a good idea to subtract the fiber from the total carbs to obtain the net carbohydrate content and allow me to eat avocados. The subtraction adds an incentive to eat low carbohydrate vegetables that contain fiber but I am not going to worry if I do not approach the recommended 25 grams per day. For most other foods that do not contain a significant amount of fiber, I go with the total carbohydrate count.

The amount of low carbohydrate vegetables permitted using Dr. Bernstein's rule of 6 grams at breakfast, 12 grams at lunch, 12 grams at dinner, and not exceeding 30 grams per day contain enough fiber to have a good digestion with or without the fiber subtraction.

(Back to Top)
Vitamins and Minerals

The functions that vitamins and minerals perform in the body are an extensive subject and I do not cover here to keep things simple. I will review the subject deeper in "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook."

In regards to vitamins and minerals, Dr. Atkins and Dr. Bernstein have different opinions. Dr. Atkins recommends doses of vitamins that are in excess of recognized daily requirements. Dr. Bernstein writes that in his diet, that includes meats and low carbohydrate vegetables, vitamin supplements are not needed. He does not recommend excessive doses of vitamins.

Since my two favorite doctors have different opinions, I will take the middle course by having a one per day multivitamin and multimineral complex that covers 100% of most daily requirements.

I will not be bothered too much if I miss a day or two because eggs, meat, and low carbohydrate vegetables contain many of the necessary micronutrients.

Some people complain of weakness or light-headedness at the beginning of the Atkins Induction Diet, calling it the "Atkins Flu." I did not experience this problem but Dr. Stephen D. Phinney (co-author of "The New Atkins for a New You") suggests that this is due to the loss of salt from the diuretic effect of the diet and is avoided by drinking a cup of chicken or beef bouillon, which are mainly salt, twice per day.

Dr. Phinney shows bouillon cubes that he carries with him in his travels in one of his YouTube videos. I found it more practical to use bullion powder because it dissolves easier.

I was not successful to substitute coffee with hot tea at the office but I was able to do it with beef bouillon.

If it is lunchtime, I can have a cup of beef bouillon prepared with powder. This is enough to get rid of the hunger. If not, I will have a few pork skins as a snack with some water and call it a lunch. I try to substitute two cups of coffee with two cups of bouillon in a working day but I usually only do one and the working day is over and it is time to drive home.

On weekends, I have frozen beef, chicken, or bone broth from previous cooking sessions.

New information is coming out that increasing salt intake in a low carbohydrate diet is a healthy improvement not only for the Atkins Induction Diet but also for the duration of a low carbohydrate lifestyle (See "The Salt Fix" by Dr. James J. DiNicolantonio or listen to episode 71 of the 2 Keto Dudes at 2ketodudes.com).

The only mineral that I had to add based on an analysis of the food that I eat that I did for "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook" is a magnesium pill that covers 60% of the daily requirements.

Dr. Bernstein adds a vitamin D pill for people in the north because they do not get enough sun but I do not think I need this pill in Houston, Texas if I go to the park on weekends.

(Back to Top)
Fat

Water, protein, vitamins, and minerals are necessary for survival and nobody would argue about this. It is more difficult to make the case for fat.

Fat is necessary for several functions of the body. Several organs use fat, including the nervous system and the brain. Most of the brain is actually composed of fatty acids. Fat in the body also makes the skin more flexible and oily.

I noticed this when I switched to a low carbohydrate diet with a larger content of fat. My skin complexion became smother and less dry. I suspect the same happened in the walls of my arteries minimizing the possibility of a vessel rupture. This is important for the brain where the breakdown of a brittle tiny blood vessel can cause a stroke.

I believe saturated fat makes the arteries flexible but without clogging them because the cholesterol that goes up when saturated fat is ingested is the "good" HDL cholesterol. This HDL cholesterol is not that the kind that sticks to the arteries walls. The two clinical studies done in my heart are a proof of this.

In the digestive system, fat breaks down into fatty acids. Some of the fatty acids pass through in the digestive system and some are absorbed by the intestinal wall and taken to the liver.

Fat does not trigger a large insulin response from the pancreas.

I thought that at low levels of insulin, fat was either burned or wasted but not stored but I when I ate a lot of fat for a few weeks in a ketogenic diet, my weight increased. This means that at low levels of insulin, fat can be absorbed by the fat cells. At a low level of insulin, the fat cells job is still to store fat if they see an excess. To lose weight in a ketogenic diet, the fat intake has to be less than the calories burned in a day.

This means that at a low level of carbohydrate, the body runs on fat for fuel but there has to be a caloric deficit in fat for weight loss to occur. Maybe the "calories in calories out" theory of weight loss works for fat calories only in the absence of carbohydrate. It appears that even when the body is not converting carbohydrate into fat, the fat cells are still ready to pick up excess fat and store it if they can. This is their job.

Most animal proteins have some quantity of fat. For example, one chicken thigh with the skin (135 grams, 4.8 ounces) contains 28 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat. The first question to answer is whether fat should be removed as much as possible from the proteins that are being eaten. The answer appears that it is not necessary and it is not desirable. Studies by Vilhjalmur Stefansson published in 1935 report that the Eskimos live in a fat and meat diet for months at a time without being overweight and without having any ill effects. Stefansson found out that fat is needed in the diet. He narrates a story of some people that ate only lean meats while living with the Eskimos and they got sick in two weeks. The Eskimos knew the cure for that illness. They gave them fat to eat.

When he went back to the city, he recreated the condition, healing it again with fat and concluding that fat is necessary for health, at least in a predominantly meat diet.

The Eskimos had recommended a three to one ratio of protein food to fat food. This is a lot of fat.

If I should be eating 14.7 ounces of protein food in a day, a three to one ratio for fat would be 4.9 ounces of fat or 140 grams of fat per day. This quantity of fat would give me 1,260 calories and it would be the equivalent of about 1.5 sticks of butter. If I am burning 2,000 calories per day, I would still have a caloric deficit of 740 calories without counting the calories of protein.

The 14.7 ounces of protein came from the assumption of eating 83.5 grams of protein, which would be 334 calories, still leaving me with a caloric deficit of 406 calories. I do not eat this large amount of fat but the good news is that I can cook with good fats as desired and I do not have to worry about removing fat from food that contains it.

One way to decide how much fat to eat would be to emulate an egg, which must be the closest edible food that we have to be a perfect food.

A large egg weighs 50 grams, has 78 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0.6 grams of carbohydrate, and 6 grams of protein. If I extrapolate these macros to a 2,000-calorie consumption of one day, it would be 862 calories from fat, 103 calories from carbohydrate, and 1,035 calories from protein.

In grams of the macronutrient, this would be 216 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbohydrate, and 256 grams of protein.

In grams of food, this would be about 216 grams of fat food (2 sticks of butter), 657 grams of a low carbohydrate vegetable (1.5 pounds of broccoli), and 1,066 grams of animal protein food (2.3 pounds of shrimp). This is a lot of food even if it is divided in three meals.

The ratio of protein food to fat food came out to be 5 to 1 instead of 3 to 1 as the Eskimos recommend. These amounts of food show that calories will be greatly reduced if carbohydrate is minimized in a diet even if the three meals of the day are generous.

To keep things simple, I will think that I will target a 1 to 1 ratio of protein food to fat food, enough to cook well the protein food, without worrying about adding or removing unnecessary fat. For example, 1 slice of cooked bacon weighs 8.1 grams. Its total fat is 3.5 grams and its total protein is 2.9 grams so I can tell that bacon is a little bit in the fatty side because 3.5 grams/2.9 grams is more than a 1 to 1 ratio.

The other recommendation in the ketogenic literature is to avoid fats that contain omega-6 oils. This means I can use butter, bacon fat, olive oil, or coconut oil, but avoid vegetable oils that contain omega-6 oils such as safflower oil (75%), sunflower oil (69%), corn oil (59%), soybean oil (58%), cottonseed oil (53%), peanut oil (32%) or canola oil (28%). It is believed that they contribute to inflammation. I also need to avoid any generally labeled vegetable oils because they are a combination of these.

With this strategy, I have enough fat in the diet to avoid getting sick like Stefansson. I do not think that I will get close to 140 grams per day and I believe that a quantity of fat that is lower than this number is what has resulted in a caloric deficit that made me lose weight.

The next question is whether I should add any fats. The answer is that I have to add omega-3 oils. These oils are missing from a typical diet because fish is not consumed in a sufficient quantity.

Omega-3 fats are contained in the oil that comes from fish. One of the recommendations is to supplement with 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 oils, which would come in about 3,000 milligrams of fish oil. This would be three pills of fish oil per day. Omega-3's can lower blood cholesterol and lower triglycerides. There is also a large amount of omega-3 oil in flaxseed oil, which should be fine to consume, but it is short-chained oil and it cannot substitute fish oil. Omega-3 oils are sold as being good for the heart and they are but they contribute to several processes in the body, including brain functions, cell membranes, and eye health.

There are three main types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. They are all mixed in the foods that have fat. The saturation refers to the hydrogen spaces in the fat acid that are open. Saturated fats have none. Monounsaturated fats have one space available. Polyunsaturated fats have more than one space.

There are several kinds of polyunsaturated fats depending on which hydrogen location. This is where the omega-3s and omega-6s come about.

Saturated fats are found in higher proportion in animal proteins. They are in abundance in beef, pork, tallow, lard, butter, and coconut oil. Saturated fats are stable and natural. They increase the "good" HDL cholesterol. At a low level of carbohydrate, they will burn together with body fat but if too much is eaten, weight loss may not occur because the body will burn the dietary fat instead of the body fat.

At a high level of carbohydrate, the dietary fat will not be burned because the body will be in a carbohydrate-burning metabolism, where the body will be burning carbohydrate, storing excess carbohydrate as fat, and storing excess dietary fat too.

Monounsaturated fats, with one hydrogen position open, lower "bad" LDL low-density cholesterol and maintain "good" HDL high-density cholesterol. They are contained in olive oil, avocados, and almonds. Polyunsaturated fats have two hydrogen positions open. They have different positions open and according to the order of the position, they are classified as omega-6´s, omega-3´s, and other omega numbers.

Omega-6 oils are abundant in many vegetable oils and although a small amount of omega-6 oils are essential, their consumption should be restricted because we eat too much and they contribute to inflammation.

Coconut oil is acceptable because it is mainly saturated fat.

Olive oil is acceptable because it is mainly monounsaturated fat.

The recommended ratio between Omega-6 and Omega-3 is a one to one ratio but because of the great availability of Omega-6's in vegetable oils, the ratio in the typical diet is twenty to one.

If I only take 1,000 milligrams of Omega-3's in the diet as a supplement (about 3,000 milligrams of fish oil), I should limit the amount of Omega-6's to 1,000 milligrams per day, which is a low amount and it is already included in the food I eat. The only way to be close to the one to one ratio in omega-6s vs omega-3s oil consumption is to avoid omega-6 oils altogether.

Trans-fats are to be avoided. They are hydrogenated vegetable oil and shortenings. This means that the empty hydrogen locations were filled with a hydrogenation process to make a liquid oil become solid, like margarine and shortening. They should be avoided because they raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.

A low carbohydrate diet is naturally low in trans-fats because it avoids high carbohydrate foods that are normally prepared with trans-fats such as cakes, muffins, pastries, doughnuts, and some commercially fried carbohydrates like French fries.

(Back to Top)
Carbohydrate

From the moment that a carbohydrate enters my mouth, a process starts to convert it to glucose. It does not matter if the carbohydrate is simple or complex.

The glycemic index is a comparison of the effect of a given food in the blood sugar compared to 100 grams of glucose. The glycemic index of a baked potato is 98%. This means that eating a baked potato is almost equal to eating a cup of sugar.

Glucose dissolves easily in water and the intestinal walls easily absorb it. The glucose enters the portal vein into the liver. Some glucose passes to the blood stream, raising the sugar level of the blood from a desired level of 83 mg/dl to a value higher than 140 mg/dl for a normal non-diabetic person. It goes much higher in diabetic people. This is not good for the human body.

The liver converts glucose into glycogen and stores it in the liver and the muscles. Some other starts a conversion into triglycerides, which is the newly created fat traveling in the blood. The increase in blood sugar signals the pancreas to produce insulin to lower blood sugar to the body desired level of 83 mg/dl. I cannot call 83 mg/dl a normal blood sugar because most people today, eating a standard high carbohydrate diet, are running higher blood sugars.

The pancreas secretes high amounts of insulin to speed up the conversion of excess glucose into glycogen and triglycerides. Insulin is the fat building hormone. The excess triglycerides are in turn converted into low density or LDL cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol and the triglycerides contribute to the fat deposits in the walls of the blood vessels causing atherosclerosis (artery clogging).

The liver creates excess triglycerides as a defense mechanism to lower blood sugar. It is the excess carbohydrate consumption causes artery clogging and increases the chances of a heart attack. A high carbohydrate diet increases triglycerides, which is the best marker to predict heart attacks. The insulin assists the fat cells to absorb the extra glycogen and triglycerides that are traveling in the blood and this causes obesity and inflammation.

Another effect of a high level of insulin is that it prevents fat burning. As long as there are high levels of sugar and insulin in the blood, the body will be in a carbohydrate-burning metabolism and it will not burn fat. All the fat that is created and ingested is stored. This is how a high carbohydrate diet causes obesity.

The high level of insulin causes other undesirable effects. It starts a vicious circle of high and low and sugar swings. When high insulin in the blood finally lowers blood sugar to the desired level, the blood will still have high insulin and blood sugar will go too low making a person feel hungry and craving more food. If a person eats carbohydrate to satisfy the craving, the cycle starts again.

If a person eats a large amount of carbohydrate in three meals during the day, the body is going through a blood sugar roller coaster three times a day. This is not good for the pancreas and other organs.

Eventually, the body becomes insulin resistant and the pancreas produces the maximum insulin possible (hyperinsulinemia) to lower blood sugar to a healthy level and failing in the attempt. This is how a diet high in carbohydrate causes type-2 diabetes.

It seems to me that when protein and fat are ingested, the intestines absorb what is needed depending on the concentrations already existing in the body. If the body does not need any protein, the intestines may not absorb it. This is not the case for carbohydrate. It appears that all carbohydrate is converted into glucose, which is soluble in water and the intestinal walls rapidly absorb it all. The body in turn has to respond to reduce the high level of blood sugar by converting the glucose into glycogen and triglycerides using a process that works well to save fuel for a rainy day but also it also as a defense mechanism to reduce the ill effects of high sugar in the blood.

High sugar and insulin in the blood for long periods cause the ailments that are common in advanced diabetics. They cause glaucoma, blindness, amputation, neuropathy, retinopathy, kidney disease, nerve damage, cardiovascular problems, and many other health problems.

Carbohydrate is pure energy and it is not an essential nutrient. Eskimos survive for months at a time on a diet consisting of only protein and fat diet with zero carbohydrate. It is not possible to survive in a diet of only carbohydrate. A diet of only carbohydrate would cause a person to lose protein stores and suffer many complications for the lack of essential proteins and fats.

The recommended amount of carbohydrate to maintain constant blood sugar is given by Dr. Bernstein' guidelines. His suggestion of staying below 30 grams per day for life is one of the best nutritional recommendations that can be given to a human being. It is as good a recommendation or probably better than to stop smoking. Dr. Bernstein recommends 30 grams per day for life with the aim of maintaining stable blood sugar and specifying to be no more than 6 grams at breakfast, no more than 12 grams at lunch, and no more than 12 grams at dinner.

This will be my plan for the rest of my life and any amount of carbohydrate that I eat over this guideline will be considered a violation of the diet.

Dr. Bernstein does not subtract fiber from the total carbohydrate to come up with net carbs maybe because it is not necessary for most foods but I need to do it to include avocados in my diet.

I am thinking of counting the full carbohydrate to make it easier when reading labels or googling nutrition in the internet but use the subtraction only as an exception for food with a high fiber content, such as an avocado.

(Back to Top)
Summary of My Nutrient Needs:

**Water:** 8x8. This is eight glasses of 8 fluid ounces each per day. This is a total of 64 fluid ounces or 2 quarts. It is to be chugged between meals and it is a maximum. The minimum is 1 quart per day.

**Protein:** Between 0.454 and 0.545 grams per pound of ideal weight. For me, at 6 feet 1 inch tall, this is 83.5 grams of protein per day. This number has to be multiplied by 5 to get 416.5 grams per day of protein food, which is 14.7 ounces or 0.9 pounds. This is almost 1 pound of protein food per day. I would like to divide it into 5 ounces for breakfast, 4 ounces for lunch, and 5.7 ounces for dinner. This would be mean to have meat, pork, fish, eggs, or chicken in every meal. I will skip a meal or two when I am not hungry.

**Fiber:** The fiber in the low carbohydrate vegetables allowed in the diet is sufficient to have healthy bowel movements. Fiber does not have to be supplemented. I usually have three cups of lettuce with dinner and this has been enough fiber to have good bowel movements every day.

**Vitamins and Minerals:** One multivitamin/multimineral pill per day. I also have added one magnesium pill per day that covers 60% of the daily requirements. I will show this conclusion in the analysis I did for "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook."

**Fat:** Up to 140 grams (4.9 ounces) per day of saturated and monounsaturated fats. This comes from the Eskimo guideline of going up to one third of the protein food. Add 1 gram of omega-3's oils contained in 3 fish oil capsules daily. I will have one pill after every meal and enough to complete three after dinner. Avoid trans-fats. Avoid vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed, peanut, and canola oils that have a high content of omega-6 oils. Use butter, lard, fallow, olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil for cooking or as ingredients.

**Net Carbohydrate:** No more than 6 grams at breakfast, no more than 12 grams at lunch, no more than 12 grams at dinner, and no more than 30 grams per day.

(Back to Top)
Lists of the Food with the Nutrients I Need

Now that I know the nutrients that my body needs, I can make lists of the food that contain them. I have discussed the nutrients in order of importance. Water first, followed by protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, fat, and carbohydrate at the end. I will go through the food lists in the same order.

(Back to Top)
The Water List

The best liquid for body health is fresh water. I prefer to drink water at room temperature or just a little colder than room temperature. When the water is too cold, it is pleasant in my mouth but I drink less. When the water is at a fresh temperature, I can drink a 16.9 fluid-ounce bottle almost without stopping. I chug the whole bottle and go back to sip coffee.

Tap water, where is drinkable, is a great choice because it is usually at the right temperature and it is inexpensive. I have read that it is a waste of money to buy bottled water because it is almost equal to tap water but if I am going to buy something where there is no faucet, bottled water is a better deal than water with sugar. If I used to pay money for bottled sugar water, might as well pay for plain bottled water because it is much healthier.

If I feel like drinking flavored water, I buy a flavored diet drink with zero grams of carbohydrate. I always check the carbohydrate content of what I want to drink. Many supposedly healthy drinks have a great deal of sugar.

One of the surprising facts revealed in Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book is that packets of powdered sugar substitutes have sugar on them. It may be only 0.9 grams per packet but there is no need to have this added sugar when there are squirt bottles of liquid sugar substitutes available that have 0.0 grams of sugar per squirt. It does not matter if the packet is yellow, pink, blue, or green, the first ingredient is usually sugar.

I will use a packet of a powdered sugar substitute in my coffee when it is the only low carbohydrate option, as it is in Starbucks, but at home and in the office I always have squirt bottles of liquid Splenda to use with my coffee and liquid stevia to put on my tea.

Drink, Serving and Net Carbs in grams:

Water, 16.9 fluid ounces: 0.0 grams  
Coffee (black), 1 cup: 0.0 grams  
Diet soft drink, 12 fluid ounces: 0.0 grams  
Half-and-half cream 15 ml tub: 0.9 grams  
Half-and-half cream, 1 tablespoon: 0.6 grams  
Heavy cream, 1 tablespoon: 0.4 grams  
Iced tea with stevia, 10 fluid ounces: 0.0 grams  
Liquid sugar substitute, 1 Splenda squirt: 0.0 grams  
Liquid sugar substitute, 1 stevia squirt: 0.0 grams  
Powdered sugar substitute, 1 packet: 0.9 grams

(Back to Top)
The Protein List

For the protein list, I need to know the amount of net carbohydrate in the protein food to make sure that I do not exceed the net carbohydrate maximum. The protein content does not worry me because using my "can of tuna" measurement for protein food. I will eat protein food in the volume of one can for breakfast, one can for lunch, and one-and-one-half cans for dinner. This will cover the protein requirements of one day for a total of about one pound of protein food per day.

Most animal protein food is about one-fifth protein.

A thing to consider is that the fatter the protein food is, the less protein it will contain.

The fiber and carbohydrate content of most protein foods is small except for some cheeses like cottage and Swiss that can have up to 1.5 grams per ounce, which is the weight of one normal slice.

The fat content is large, sometimes in a one to one ratio, but I am not concerned about the fat neither since I am not going to get close to the recommended amount of 140 grams daily.

For example, one Swiss cheese slice (1 ounce) contains 8 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein.

For servings of 4 ounces, the following is the net carbohydrate content of some protein foods:

Food and Net Carbs in grams in 4 ounces of food:

Bacon: 1.7 grams  
Canned tuna: 0.0 grams  
Cheddar cheese: 1.9 grams  
Chicken: 0.0 grams  
Cottage cheese: 4.8 grams  
Eggs: 1.7 grams  
Fish: 0.0 grams  
Ham: 2.3 grams  
Ribeye steak: 0.0 grams  
Roast beef: 0.0 grams  
Sausage (without additives): 0.0 grams  
Shrimp: 0.0 grams  
Swiss cheese: 7.5 grams  
Turkey: 0.0 grams  
Turkey ham: 2.9 grams

I used to have tofu in this list but I have removed it because I learned that soy and its products are not good for the brain. I owe this information to Lierre Keith from her book: "The Vegetarian Myth."

(Back to Top)
The Fiber List

The main reason to eat fiber is to have a good digestion. I have a good digestion and I am not close to the 25 grams per day minimum recommendation.

I think that the relatively large amount of fat that I eat with the combination of low carbohydrate vegetables is sufficient to have good digestion and bowel movements.

I think that a large percentage of the fat just goes through the digestive system without being absorbed by the intestinal walls.

I have been eating a large salad of 3 cups of lettuce, which contain only about 1.5 grams of fiber, and I have not had any bowel movement problems.

I can have a variety of low carbohydrate vegetables as long as I do not go over the 6/12/12/30 net carbohydrate guideline. This is easy to do with low carbohydrate salad vegetables like lettuce and cucumbers but I have to watch the carbohydrate content of others, such as zucchini, that has 3 grams of carbohydrate per cup.

I can buy a one-pound bag of fresh green beans and cook it in the microwave but I have to limit myself because they are so good I can eat them all with just a little bit of salt. One pound of green beans contains 17 grams of net carbohydrate, violating the 12-gram maximum recommendation for dinner.

High carbohydrate vegetables, like corn and potatoes are out of the question. 1 cup of corn has 112 grams of net carbohydrates. One large potato (3-inch diameter, about 369 grams, the size I used to eat) has 56 grams of net carbohydrates.

If I wanted to eat as much lettuce as I could up to total 12 grams of net carbohydrate, I could have 10 cups, which would be a huge salad but this is not necessary nor desirable. 10 cups of lettuce would only provide 5 grams for fiber. A better meal would be to eat 3 cups of lettuce and 1 cup of a hot low carbohydrate vegetable at dinner, like broccoli.

This means that the ideal dinner for me would be a large 3-cup salad followed by 8 ounces of an animal protein with a 1-cup serving of a low carbohydrate vegetable.

The ideal breakfast would be three eggs with something.

The ideal lunch would be a Chef Salad.

This is a lot of food. I usually skip a meal.

The following are some of the foods that have fiber without having a high amount of net carbohydrate:

Food, Serving Size, Net Carbohydrates, and Fiber

Almonds, 1 ounce, 23 nuts: Net Carbs: 5.0 grams. Fiber: 4.0 grams  
Avocado, 1 medium: Net Carbs: 4.0 grams. Fiber: 13.0 grams  
Asparagus, 6 spears: Net Carbs: 2.4 grams. Fiber: 1.0 gram  
Black Olives, 1 ounce, 12 medium: Net Carbs: 1.4 grams. Fiber: 1.0 gram  
Broccoli, 1 cup: Net Carbs: 1.7 grams. Fiber: 2.5 grams  
Bell Peppers, 1 medium: Net Carbs: 3.4 grams. Fiber: 1.0 gram  
Celery, 1 stalk: Net Carbs: 0.8 grams. Fiber: 1.0 gram  
Cucumber, 1 medium: Net Carbs: 2.8 grams. Fiber: 1.0 gram  
Eggplant, 1 cup: Net Carbs: 2.0 grams. Fiber: 1.0 gram  
Lettuce, 3 cups: Net Carbs: 1.8 grams. Fiber: 1.5 grams  
Mushrooms, 1 cup: Net Carbs: 2.0 grams. Fiber: 1.0 gram  
Okra, 4 ounces: Net Carbs: 5.0 grams. Fiber: 3.0 grams  
Pecans, 1 ounce, 20 halves: Net Carbs: 1.2 grams. Fiber: 2.7 grams  
Sauerkraut, 1 cup: Net Carbs: 4.2 grams. Fiber: 6.0 grams  
Spinach, 1 cup: Net Carbs: 0.4 grams. Fiber: 2.0 grams  
Squash, 1 cup: Net Carbs: 2.8 grams. Fiber: 2.0 grams  
Turnips, 1 cup: Net Carbs: 4.6 grams. Fiber: 3.0 grams  
Zucchini, 2 cups: Net Carbs: 6.6 grams. Fiber: 5.0 grams

(Back to Top)
The Fat List

Some protein foods have substantial amounts of fat in them. For example, 1 pound (453.6 grams) of ground beef, labeled 72% beef, has 28% fat. It has 72% beef (.72 x 453.6 = 326.6 grams of beef) that divided by 5 gives 65.3 grams of protein and it has 28% fat (.28 x 452.6 = 127 grams of fat, of which is 127 grams are true fat because in fat, there is no multiplier from fat to fat food.

This is the ground beef with the lowest cost. The amount of fat in this ground beef makes it easier to cook and it makes beef patties with a fat content similar to a rib eye but it is too much fat to make the dish palatable when served with vegetables. The fat can be removed to make the dish better through the process of browning the meat, after which, that fat can saved for other purposes.

There is no need to add fats to the diet except for Omega-3 oil pills. There is no need to remove fats because the fats that come with the protein food are not enough to reach a three to one ratio.

There is no need to shy away from cooking with butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or lard.

Oils and fats that contain omega-6 oils are to be avoided.

Trans-fats are to be avoided.

The daily requirement for omega-3 oils is 1 gram per day, which would be contained in 3 grams of fish oil, or 3 pills of 1 gram each.

Food, Serving Size, Net Carbs, and Omega-3 Oils

Fish Oil, 1 pill: Net Carbs: 0.0. Omega-3 Oils: 0.3 grams  
Fish (high content: Salmon, trout, tuna, sardines) 4 ounces: Net Carbs: 0.0. Omega-3 Oils: 3.0 grams  
Fish (medium content: shrimp, white fish, catfish, crab, oysters) 4 ounces: Net Carbs: 0.0. Omega-3 Oils: 1.0 gram  
Sardines, 1 can (4 ounces): Net Carbs: 0.0 grams. Omega-3 Oils: 3.0 grams  
Tuna, 1 can (4 ounces): Net Carbs: 0.0 grams. Omega-3 Oils: 0.5 grams

(Back to Top)
The High Net Carbohydrate List (Food That I Will Not Eat)

The diet is limited to 6 grams at breakfast, 12 grams at lunch, 12 grams at dinner, and a total of no more than 30 grams per day. Since this budget is needed to be used to include low carbohydrate vegetables in the diet, to add the fiber and micronutrients they contain, food with a high carbohydrate content due to sugar and starches cannot be included.

The following is a partial list of the food that I will not eat because it is too high in net carbohydrate:

Food, Serving, and Net Carbs in grams:

Apple, 1 medium, 3 inches diameter: 22 grams  
Apple juice, 1 cup: 29 grams  
Apple pie, 1 slice, 1/8 of 9" pie: 57 grams  
Bagel, 1 bagel, 2.5 ounces: 38 grams  
Banana, 1 medium: 27 grams  
Beans, 1 cup: 36 grams  
Beer, 12 fluid ounces: 13 grams  
Beer (light), 12 fluid ounces: 7 grams  
Bread (white), 1 dinner roll: 30 grams  
Carrot, 1 cup: 8.7 grams  
Chocolate cake, 3 ounces: 38 grams  
Chocolate candy, 1 ounce: 17 grams  
Coffee (cappuccino), 1 cup: 7 grams  
Coffee (latte), 1 cup: 9 grams  
Coffee (mocha), 1 cup: 22 grams  
Coffee flavored syrup, 2 tablespoons: 20 grams  
Cola soda, 12 fluid ounces: 39 grams  
Corn, 1 cup: 32 grams  
Corn flakes, 1 cup: 23 grams  
Corn muffin, 1 muffin, 2.0 ounces: 29 grams  
Corn on the cob, 1 regular: 32 grams  
Doughnut (glazed), 1 regular: 27 grams  
Energy drink, 8 fluid ounces: 45 grams  
Fig, 1 large: 12 grams  
Frosted corn flakes, 1 cup: 34 grams  
Ice cream, 1 cup: 31 grams  
Iced tea (sweetened), 12 fluid ounces: 38 grams  
Jam, 1 tablespoon: 5 grams  
Lentils, 1 cup: 24 grams  
Lemon lime soda, 12 fluid ounces: 37 grams  
Lemon pie, 1 slice, 1/8 of 9-inch pie: 53 grams  
Margarita cocktail, 8 fluid ounces: 25 grams  
Milk (regular), 12 fluid ounces: 17 grams  
Milk (2%), 12 fluid ounces: 18 grams  
Milk (0%), 12 fluid ounces: 20 grams  
Milk (chocolate), 12 fluid ounces: 39 grams  
Orange, 1 medium: 16 grams  
Orange juice, 1 cup: 27 grams  
Pancake, 1 six-inches: 22 grams  
Pasta, 1 cup: 40 grams  
Pear, 1 medium: 21 grams  
Pecan pie, 1 slice, 1/8 of a 9-inch pie: 64 grams  
Potato (baked), 1 medium: 31 grams  
Potato chips, 1 ounce bag: 15 grams  
Pretzel (soft), 1 regular, 2.2 ounces: 43 grams  
Pretzels, 1 one-ounce bag: 25 grams  
Pumpkin pie, 1 slice, 1/8 of 9-inch pie: 41 grams  
Rice, 1 cup: 45 grams  
Soda (regular), 12 fluid ounces: 39 grams  
Sports drink, 12 fluid ounces: 20 grams  
Sugar, 1 teaspoon: 4 grams  
Sugar substitute packets, 1 packet: 1 gram  
Tortilla (corn), 1 regular: 12 grams  
Tortilla (wheat flour), 8 inch diameter: 25 grams  
Tortilla chips, 1 one-ounce bag: 18 grams  
Vegetable juice, 8 fluid ounces: 11 grams  
Waffle, 1 seven-inches: 25 grams  
Wine (sweet), 8 fluid ounces: 8 grams  
Wine cooler, 12 fluid ounces: 36 grams  
Yogurt (plain whole), 1 cup: 11 grams  
Yogurt (plain low fat), 1 cup: 17 grams

(Back to Top)
My Shopping List

To eat a low carbohydrate meal at a moment's notice at home, it is essential to have a good stock of low carbohydrate food.

The idea is to have the ability to prepare a low carbohydrate snack or meal in a time and effort that competes against opening a bag of potato chips.

I can pick a slice of Swiss cheese in a few seconds, break it in eight pieces, and enjoy each piece as long as possible, if it is available in the refrigerator.

If I am willing to invest a little bit of more time, I can wash, slice, and heat a cooked sausage link in the microwave for one minute. This time is short enough that it is worth going through the process of preparing the food instead of opening a bag of potato chips knowing that this effort will keep me from spiking my insulin, gaining weight, and screwing up my health.

I am be able to cook low carbohydrate meals in minutes if the ingredients are already in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.

For dinner, I like to broil a full pan of pork chops. It takes 20 minutes. I will eat a salad while the pork chops broil in the oven. I can have dinner with one or two pork chops and freeze the rest in 1-quart bags and single servings, to be eaten as a snack later or as another dinner.

This is faster than going to the car, driving to a fast food place, ordering through the window, and wait for the food to be prepared.

It is also faster than waiting for a pizza order to arrive after ordering by phone. I hate waiting for somebody to bring something.

The left over frozen pork chops will be available in any other day by heating them up in the microwave for two minutes. Since the pork chops are frozen, I do not have any pressure to eat them the next day.

With a food stock in mind, my shopping list becomes the items that are missing.

My shopping list is in my smartphone. I write down anything that is missing the moment that I notice it is missing or going low and I buy it in the next stop at the supermarket.

The shopping list has saved me from many extra trips.

When my wife asks me to get something, I pull out my smart phone to write what she wants in my shopping list that usually will already have a couple of items in it. I will start writing and she will ask, "Can't you remember? Why do you have to write it down?" She continues, challenging the capabilities of my brain. "I do not have to remember," I answer, "I have a smartphone," demonstrating a reasonable intelligence in the use of electronic tools. I find out that relying on my brain to remember is stressful and unreliable and forgetting is a cause of frustration.

The funny consequence of writing what I need to buy is that I usually remember what I write but I forget what I did not write. The smart conclusion from knowing this deep truth about the workings of my brain is that I should write everything. It results in a happier life. By the time I finish writing, my wife would have thought of something else. By the time I go to the store, I will have five items in the list. I used to go to the store with the count only and be frustrated with four items in the cart and not being able to remember the fifth. Why suffer? After years of doing this, I have created the habit of writing them all down and I have a relaxed trip to the store every time I go.

I will buy from the top of my head remembering most of the items but when I cannot think of anything else to throw in the shopping cart, I pull out the list and usually there will be one or two items that I did not recall that I would have missed if I did not have a written list. I hate to arrive home to find out I am missing something.

Keeping a shopping list is an error proof method of getting all the groceries home. It reduces the stress of making a trip to the store.

Once I have the shopping list, I can listen to a YouTube of Dr. Bernstein or a podcast of the 2ketodudes.com on my way to the store without worrying about what I am going to buy. I love the unrestricted-data plan that I purchased with my phone because I have listened to many YouTube videos about diet on my way to the grocery store and to work.

I have a low stress level due to my shopping list and other action lists that I keep.

Keeping a written list of anything that needs to be done is also an effective way to accomplish business objectives at work. To see how I use shopping lists at work to control projects and achieve objectives, you might want to buy "The Automated Time Management System" book available in smashwords.com or any major eBook retailer.

This book demonstrates the power of the shopping list to be effective in business and in life.

Having a list of things to do is an effective way to accomplish objectives and it reduces stress because I can rest mentally knowing that the pending actions are written and they will stubbornly stay in the list until they are done and I erase them or I erase them because I decide not to do them.

If I want to prepare a recipe with ingredients that are not in the stock, I will add them to the shopping list or make a shopping list just for that recipe.

Below is the stock of low carbohydrate food that I try to keep at home.

(Back to Top)
My Low Carbohydrate Food Stock

**Food and Quantity:**

Avocados: 7 hard avocados  
Bacon: 1 pound  
Balsamic vinegar: 1 flask  
Black olives: 1 can  
Butter: 1 pound  
Cabbage, pre-washed, shredded, 1 bag (12 ounces)  
Chicken: 1 rotisserie  
Coffee: 1 pound  
Cold meats: 1 package  
Eggs: 12  
Fish: 2 pounds frozen tilapia fillets  
Frozen broccoli microwave bag: 1 bag  
Frozen cauliflower microwave bag: 1 bag  
Green beans: 1 can  
Green olives: 1 flask  
Ground beef: 1 pound  
Half-and-Half cream: 1 quart  
Heavy cream: 1 quart  
Jalapenos, sliced and pickled: 1 can  
Lettuce: 1 bag (16 ounces)  
Mayonnaise, olive oil based: 1 bottle  
Mustard: 1 bottle  
Olive oil: 1 quart  
One gallon Zip Lock bags: 1 box  
One quart Zip Lock bags: 1 box  
Pecans: 1 bag (16 ounces)  
Pumpkin seeds, roasted, salted: 1 pound  
Sardines: 1 can (4 ounces)  
Sausage, cooked: 4 links (1 pound)  
Spinach: 1 can (14.5 ounces)  
Splenda liquid: 1 squirt bottle  
Stevia liquid: 1 squirt bottle  
Sugar free Jell-O: 1 package  
Swiss cheese slices: 1 package  
Roma tomatoes: 7 tomatoes  
Turkey meat: 1 package  
Water bottles: 1 case

(Back to Top)
What happens to the Human Body When it goes into a Low Carbohydrate Diet?

Before I describe the change in the human body when it goes into a low carbohydrate diet, I need to describe the state of a human body in the Standard American Diet (SAD) where the carbohydrate content is high in every meal, three times per day.

The human body has a system to maintain a constant blood sugar at around 83 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter). With a high carbohydrate meal, the blood sugar increases to 140 mg/dl or more requiring the pancreas to produce insulin to bring blood sugar down to the desired level of 83 mg/dl. In the standard diet, this is happening at least three times per day.

With a high amount of carbohydrate in the diet for many days in three meals per day, the body is always in a carbohydrate burning metabolism. The stores of glucose in the form of glycogen are full. Excess carbohydrate is constantly being converted into fat. The level of triglycerides in the blood is high. Insulin level in the blood is high. The body cannot use its own fat for fuel because the high level of insulin in the blood prevents it.

If the person stops eating for a couple of hours, the high level of insulin drives blood sugar low making the person hungry. A person on this diet can perform normally for many years before the symptoms of diabetes will appear. Eventually, the body becomes insensitive to insulin and the insulin produced by the pancreas at a maximum level is not enough to lower blood sugar to a healthy level. This would be the onset of type-2 diabetes.

When carbohydrate is omitted from the diet in a person that has been in a high carbohydrate diet for a long time, the first effect is that the digestive system and the liver will run out of glucose. To maintain the desired blood sugar level around 83 mg/dl, the pancreas will stop creating insulin and will start to create glucagon, a hormone that starts the process of obtaining glucose from stored glycogen. It takes about three days for the glycogen stores of a person to be depleted. During this time, the body is still in a carbohydrate-burning metabolism but blood sugar is constant.

The depletion of glycogen results in a rapid weight loss because a great quantity of water is released.

When the glycogen is exhausted, the body starts breaking down fat into ketones to provide energy. The body enters into a fat burning metabolism. This state of the body was called "Benign Dietary Ketosis" by Dr. Atkins. It was renamed "Nutritional Ketosis" by Dr. Stephen D. Phinney (page 4. "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living"). The brain and the body work better with ketones than with glucose and the feeling is one of alertness. This explains why I felt so alert and energetic when I was coming back from my skiing trip.

Weight loss continues but at a slower rate as the body burns fat but only if the calories burned by the person are higher than the calories of the fat ingested. The calories-in/calories-out theory may be true only in ketosis and only in regards to fat calories.

The brain will feed mainly with ketones. For the glucose needs of the brain, which are small, the liver will produce the necessary glucose from protein.

Next, I would like to say a few words on what happens in the state where the carbohydrate level is low for many days and the body uses fat for energy.

Dr. Phinney defined a state of fat adaptation. In this state, the body learns to use the fat available in the diet and in the body to fuel the day activities. Hunger goes away because the insulin level in the blood is low and the body feeds with body fat. This explains why people that are fat adapted tend naturally toward Intermittent Fasting (IF) and other fasting schemes. They are not hungry. Skipping a meal is easy. After some adaptation, skipping one meal becomes the norm. One day, skipping two meals becomes easy and sometime later, skipping two meals becomes the norm.

Ketosis is a benign state for the brain, the eyes, the pancreas, the liver, and the whole human body because blood sugar is low, insulin level is low, and ketones feed the body better than glucose.

An interesting state to describe is what happens when my body has been many days in nutritional ketosis, it is fat adapted, and I incur in a violation of the diet by eating a normal carbohydrate meal. I have noticed that the weight gain from a single meal weighing half-a-pound can be up to two pounds.

I believe this happens because there is a great water absorption that the body needs to process the carbohydrate and convert it into glycogen. If it is only one meal, it takes me three days in the low carbohydrate diet to lose the water weight, enter nutritional ketosis again, and reach the weight that I had before the high carbohydrate meal.

When in a state of ketosis, if a high carbohydrate food hits the system, the human body prioritizes the burning of the carbohydrate. One of the processes to facilitate this is to stop burning fat.

The body exhibits a similar response with alcohol. This means that the body is restricted to the energy of the ingested carbohydrates or alcohol until they are exhausted.

If the inflow of carbohydrates is maintained at a level that turns off fat usage but not high enough to meet all calorie needs, the person will feel a low level of energy. The body will prioritize the burning of carbohydrate and it will not allow the use of fat stores.

Finally, I would like to describe the state of "Ketoacidosis." This is the state reached by a type-1 diabetic person when the pancreas fails totally and the patient takes too long to detect the lack of insulin. The scant knowledge of "Ketoacidosis" and the ignorance about "Nutritional Ketosis" are part of the reason doctors and dietitians are afraid of ketosis.

When the pancreas of a person fails totally, the definition of type-1 diabetes, the person is not able to produce insulin to reduce glucose in the blood. Blood glucose raises to toxic levels due to the lack of insulin. Since the body cannot use glucose for energy, it will turn on the ketosis process. The sick person will run glucose and ketones high to the point of being nauseated, one of the symptoms that something is wrong. If the condition is not treated with injected insulin, the person can reach diabetic coma and death. The only way to stop the unregulated high glucose and the production of ketones is to inject insulin.

This crisis cannot happen in a person that has a functioning pancreas because the pancreas will produce enough insulin to prevent the production of ketones. Most type-2 diabetes cases are the opposite of type-1. The symptoms are the same, an inability to control blood sugar but the causes are different, a type-1 diabetic cannot control blood sugar due to lack of insulin and the type-2 diabetic cannot control blood sugar usually with excess insulin or hyperinsulinemia.

If a healthy person stops eating carbohydrate, in a few days, the person will enter nutritional ketosis at a level of 0.5 millimoles per liter and can get as high as 3.0 with exercise and fasting. This state of ketosis disappears in a few minutes with the ingestion of a single meal with carbohydrate. Nutritional ketosis is a different state than ketoacidosis. A type-1 diabetic person with an untreated disease, will reach ketoacidosis where the ketone levels approaching 15.0 millimolar, as described in Dr. Stephen D. Phinney and Dr. Jeff S. Volek book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" (page 5). The ingestion of a meal high in carbohydrate by a person in ketoacidosis will not make a difference to improve the condition of the person because the person cannot produce any insulin.

(Back to Top)
Fun with Exercise

Exercise is good for the body and it will increase the amount of calories that will be burned but it is not possible to compensate a bad diet with exercise.

A diet that contains an excessive amount of carbohydrate would require many hours in the gym. If I do enough exercise to be an active person, my Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance could increase to 90 grams, but this would be to no avail if I would eat 531 grams, as I showed in my typical menu.

If I wanted to burn 531 grams of carbohydrate, which would be 2,124 calories, I would have to lift weights for more than 10 hours every day and I do not have the time to do this.

I think it is better to use a diet to fix a dietetic problem and use exercise to have fun.

Use physical exercise to win a competition, to play a game, to walk the dog, to take the kids to the park, to walk a shopping mall, or to do any activity that is fun to do but it should not be the main tactic to lose weight.

(Back to Top)
The Weight Scale

To achieve results, they have to be measured.

I like to weigh myself every morning after drying my body coming out of the shower. At this time, I would have gotten rid of most of my wastewater because this is the first thing I do after I wake up and before getting in the shower. My weight should be at the lowest point possible. Getting a measurement of my weight at this time of the day eliminates the variables of water, clothes, and meals.

This measurement in the morning tells me where I stand and serves as a reminder at the start of my day to watch what I eat.

If my weight increased from the previous day, I review what I ate the previous day that was not right. If I lost weight, I congratulate myself and make a note of what I ate to reinforce the behavior. I record my weight and the meals in my smart phone.

Some people recommend weighing weekly or no weighing at all but for me, it is easier to keep a daily routine. It will be on a weekend day with a late shower or no shower at all when I will forget to check my weight. If I had a diet lapse during the weekend, it will be the scale on Monday morning that will remind me to get back on track.

Weighing myself in the scale every day is an inexpensive way to measure progress and it is easier than pricking my finger to draw blood to measure blood sugar.

I also like measure the ketones in my wastewater.

I buy a bottle of 50 ketone strips for $6.95 at Walmart. They are out of them often. I suppose there may be many people using them.

When I get up in the morning, my first priority is to get rid of the wastewater accumulated at night. The test is the last thing in my mind at that moment.

When I get out of the shower and dry myself, I will wonder if I am in ketosis. I will go to the toilet and I will have a little bit of wastewater to pee in one of strips and turn it purple.

This is also my last chance I have to get rid of the last drop of wastewater to minimize my weight before hopping in the scale.

Having a purple or pink strip in the morning is a great consolation in the days that my weight does not go down because I think that I am in "Nutritional Ketosis" and my body is in a healthy state even if I did not lose weight.

I tried to use the pee strips at night but they become very unreliable because of the activities and meals of the day.

Measuring the presence of ketosis using the strips helps me during the day when I am tempted to eat a bite of a high carbohydrate food and the thought that the strip will not be purple the next morning holds me from committing the crime.

Peeing on a strip, like weighing myself seems to me easier than pricking my finger to measure blood sugar. Since I am not diabetic, I do not have a blood glucose meter.

Another measurement that I will start doing that I just heard from Dr. Ken Berry is the "waist to height ratio."

Instead of that name, I will call it the "belly button ratio" because it is a measurement of the circumference of the belly starting at the belly button, not the waist.

This measurement changes slowly and I will only perform it every time I hit a 10 pound loss mark.

It should be below 0.50. Mine is right now 42/73 or 0.57 indicating that I still have some weight to lose.

(Back to Top)
Conclusion

This book was a short summary of what I had learned about low carbohydrate dieting at the time of its first publication. Since then, I have experimented with the Stillman diet that has adequate protein but low fat and the Keto diet that also has adequate protein and plenty of fat.

Of all the diets I have done, I find Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Diet to be the most compelling for health. The objective of maintaining a constant blood sugar defines a healthy diet and fixes many other things. I think everybody not only Type-1 diabetics should read his "Diabetes Solution" book.

By looking at so many theories and diets in books and in the internet that do not agree with Dr. Bernstein's guidelines I can tell many people do not have a clue. People do not read. Even some of the people that ask Dr. Bernstein questions in his monthly podcasts have not read his book. It is to the point that is not funny to see Dr. Bernstein in his videos in YouTube answering questions and too many times his recommendation is, "read my book." It reminds me of Sheila at sugarfreesheila.com that will not answer letters if it is obvious that the person asking questions has not read Dr. Atkins' book.

After learning Dr. Atkins and Dr. Bernstein's recommendations, the next question is how you do it. This is where a cookbook can help. The cookbook section on the first edition of this book was too simple and without explicit recipes. I have added some recipes using the new recipe format that I am using for "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook." Adding good recipes was one of the feedback requests for improvement that I received from the people that read the first edition of this book. The recipes are still simple because I like eggs, salads, and meats.

Cooking in a simple way has been enough for me. I can go for weeks just using the recipes in this book. If I want to cook with more complexity or variety, I look into one of the books in low carbohydrate dieting or I look for a recipe in the internet. Dr. Atkins and Dr. Bernstein's books have cooking sections and there are hundreds of recipes available in the internet.

Noteworthy for recipes in the internet is Linda Low Carb at genaw.com.

Even with so many recipes available, I still find myself needing a menu to suggest what I can eat.

I have always liked eggs, steak, and salads and a lack of variety does not affect me much but it is easier to decide what to cook if I have a list of the possibilities at hand.

I enjoy not being hungry, having found out what it takes to stay healthy, knowing how to maintain a stable weight, and keeping an alert mind.

I am not yet at my ideal weight but I am certain that by going into a low carbohydrate diet twenty-two years ago I avoided the health disaster that I see in many people around me.

(Back to Top)
Final Notes

Dear reader,

I hope that you have enjoyed reading these pages and that you will benefit from the information contained in them. If you think that "My Low Carb Story" can help somebody that you know, please share this book.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or correction, please send me an email to uriasf@aol.com and I will review it before the next edition.

I have kept on trying new recipes, which I have been adding to my future book titled "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook". This book is available for pre-order at a discounted price and I am working hard to publish it in December 25, 2020.

Fernando Urias

May 3, 2020.

(Back to Top)
My Cookbook

I like butter and olive oil. I am talking about real natural butter. To cook, I do not use butter substitutes, like margarine, because they have a high amount of trans-fats. I like to use unsalted butter and add salt separately. The salted butter in the supermarket is too salty for me.

I do not use oils that are high in omega-6, such as safflower oil (75%), sunflower oil (69%), corn oil (59%), soybean oil (58%), cottonseed oil (53%), peanut oil (32%), or canola oil (28%). I read that they contribute to inflammation.

I use olive oil because I like it and it is mainly mono-unsaturated oil but the flavor is strong. Other acceptable oil is coconut oil that is composed mainly of saturated fats. I have coconut oil in the house to make chocolate thins with pecans but I do not use it for cooking.

I have two cups of bacon fat that I do not get to use often.

(Back to My Cookbook)

Kitchen Tips

I use half-slices of an onion as a measurement instead of tablespoons. I would not know how to measure a tablespoon of onions unless the onion was minced. Some half-slices are smaller than others are so if I think that one half-slice is too small, I will throw another small half-slice into the pot. I use shakes of salt and ground black pepper as a measurement instead of fractions of a teaspoon. There is a large variation on the amount of salt or ground black pepper that would come out of the shaker but since a shake is a small amount. Salt is adjusted to personal taste and it is easier to adjust with shakes that than trying to measure fractions of a teaspoon. This is what this section is about, little tricks to make cooking more automatic without having to stop for a measurement.

One Chopped Roma Tomato

One Half-Slice of an Onion

One Shake Ground Black Pepper

One Shake Salt

One-Tablespoon Butter

(Back to My Cookbook)
One Chopped Roma Tomato

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

2.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Tomatoes and tomato products are in Dr. Bernstein's forbidden list because of their carbohydrate content. Many tomato products have added sugar but one small raw tomato can be included. One small size Roma tomato (123 grams) has 3.9 grams of carbohydrate making it at best, a borderline vegetable. If we subtract 1.2 grams of fiber, the net carbohydrate content of 2.7 makes a feasible addition to a breakfast with a 6.0 carbohydrate limit. Regular ketchup does not fit. One tablespoon of ketchup (17 grams) has 4.4 of net carbohydrate and cannot be included in the diet.

1 small Roma Tomato (123 grams)

1. Take **1 small Roma tomato (123 grams)** out of the refrigerator, wash it with cold water, and place in a vegetable cutting table.

2. Cut a small slice to remove the pith. Continue cutting in slices.

3. Dice the end slice by cutting in four pieces.

4. Take two slices and cut them in thirds. Turn them 90 degrees and cut then in thirds again. Repeat for all slices.

5. Make four cuts around the pith in the first slice to maximize the tomato utilization and throw away the pith only.

(Back to Kitchen Tips)
One Half-Slice of an Onion

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to serve. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Many recipes measure chopped onions in tablespoons. I prefer to keep an onion cut in halves and use a slice of one of the halves (about 1 tablespoon) as the measurement. I keep the onion halves in the same plastic bag that brought the onion from the grocery store. I keep the bag in the refrigerator for the onion to be ready for a cold salad. To avoid irritation in the eyes, I always keep the cut side of the onion halves down to the cutting board or away from my face.

1 large onion (4-inch diameter)

1. Take **1 large onion (4-inch diameter)** out of the refrigerator. Remove all outer leaves and roots that will fall down easily and place it in a vegetable cutting board.

2. Cut a small slice with the stem to create a flat surface.

3. Place the onion upside down on the newly created flat surface with the roots on the top side.

4. Cut in half through the roots.

5. Remove the outer layer of one of the halves with your fingers and place the half onion on the cutting board with the cut side down to board and the roots pointing to the side of the less dominant hand.

6. Hold the half onion with your less dominant hand with the fingers curled and with the dominant hand, cut one slice from the half onion.

7. Use half-slice of an onion in a recipe.

8. Save the rest of the onion halves in the bag from the grocery store.

To dice one half-slice of an onion:

1. Align the square edge of the slice half with the knife and cut parallel to the square edge in the desired size.

2. Turn the cut onion 90 degrees and repeat the cuts to get dice size.

(Back to Kitchen Tips)

One Shake Ground Black Pepper

1 serving. 0 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

One teaspoon of ground black pepper has about 32 shakes of ground black pepper, depending on the size of the peppershaker. Since a shake of ground black pepper is a smaller unit than 1/8 teaspoon, it is more precise to specify shakes of ground black pepper and add more if desired. Four shakes of ground black pepper are about 1/8 teaspoon.

1 shake ground black pepper

1. Season with **1 shake ground black pepper.**

2. Shake more to taste.

Variations:

• Substitute **1 grind of black pepper** for 1 shake of pepper. I find this to be more flavorful but a lot of work when cooking a large piece of meat.

(Back to Kitchen Tips)

One Shake Salt

1 serving. 0 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

One teaspoon of salt has about 64 shakes of salt, depending on the size of the saltshaker. Since the salt in 1 shake of salt is a smaller unit than 1/8 teaspoon, it is more precise to specify shakes of salt and add more according to taste. Eight shakes of salt are about 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

1 shake salt

1. Season with **1 shake salt.**

2. Shake more to taste.

(Back to Kitchen Tips)

One-Tablespoon Butter

1 serving. 0 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

One stick of butter has 8 tablespoons. In most recipes, I use 1 tablespoon and this would be about 1/2 inch from a stick. I usually cut a little bit less than that.

1 tablespoon butter (1/2 inch)

1. Cut **1 tablespoon butter (1/2 inch)** by cutting about 1/2 inch from the stick.

2. Place the butter in the pan.

(Back to Kitchen Tips)

Drink Recipes

The most important drink is water. Water from the tap or bottled without added ingredients is the healthiest drink in the world.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Water

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I drink fresh water from the faucet instead of cold water from the refrigerator in order to be able to chug it.

At home, I fill up a sixteen-ounce plastic cup with tap water and chug it in the bathroom before I exit the bathroom to get dressed.

At the office, I use a one half-liter (16.9 fluid ounces) plastic bottle the whole week. I open a new water bottle on Monday, refill it throughout the week, and throw away the empty plastic bottle on Friday afternoon before leaving the office. I refill it at the water fountain but the water is too cold to chug it. I take it to my desk and let it sit for an hour or so until it reaches room temperature.

1 water bottle (16.9 fluid ounces)

1. Open **1 water bottle (16.9 fluid ounces).**

2. Chug the water.

3. Refill the water bottle.

4. Go back to sip coffee or a drink with flavor but zero net carbohydrate.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Creamed Coffee

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 5 minutes to heat and drip. 4 ingredients. Easy.

1.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I make a cup of coffee with half-and-half cream and Splenda in the morning before leaving my apartment. If I am hungry but in a rush and do not have time to warm up something and eat it, I will make the coffee with heavy cream.

At home, I use a Bialetti filter holder and filter. The worst thing that I could do to my coffee would be to add a regular liquid sweetener creamer. They come in several tempting flavors, like hazelnut and French vanilla, but they contain 5 grams of sugar per tablespoon. Since I use half a cup of the creamer, a commercial creamer would add 40 grams of carbohydrate (8 tablespoons), almost the same amount of carbohydrate of a regular soda.

The heavy cream that I put in my coffee gives my coffee a great creamy flavor and only adds 1.6 grams of carbohydrate. I use liquid Splenda to sweeten it, adding 0.0 grams of carbohydrate instead of 0.9 grams of sugar that come in the Splenda packets. This coffee is a version of Bullet Proof Coffee because of the amount of heavy cream. I tried butter and coconut oil but they do not dissolve well. I did not like them. The half cup of heavy cream contains 48 grams of fat, making it a significant contributor to my fat needs of the day.

1.5 cups water

1 tablespoon ground coffee

1 Splenda squirt

0.5 cup heavy cream

1. Put **1.5 cups water** in a measuring glass cup in the microwave until it starts boiling, about 3 minutes.

2. Place the Bialetti filter holder on top of a 16-fluid-ounce paper cup and install the coffee drip filter.

3. Put **1 tablespoon ground coffee** in the filter.

4. When the water starts to boil, remove it from the microwave oven and pour it slowly being careful of getting all the ground coffee submerged.

5. When all the water has dripped, in about 1 minute, remove the coffee holder from the cup of coffee and place in a kitchen cup to finish dripping.

6. Add **1 Splenda squirt.**

7. Add **0.5 cup heavy cream** and stir.

8. Place a lid on the cup to take the lidded cup to the car.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Office Coffee

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 2 minutes to brew. 4 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

In the office, I sip coffee with half-and-half cream and Splenda. I have a Keurig coffee maker in my desk that makes one cup at a time.

I have Land-of-Lakes Mini Moo's Half-and-Half creamer tubs listed with zero carbohydrate. They are convenient for the office because they do not require refrigeration. I use two tubs per 10-ounce cup of coffee. I count the carbs as 0.9 carbohydrate per tub because food manufacturers can say zero carbs when the content can be up to 0.9 grams.

10 fluid ounces water

1 Keurig K-cup pod

2 Land-o-Lakes Mini-Moos Half-and-Half tubs

1 Splenda squirt

1. Pour **10 fluid ounces water** in the Keurig water receptacle and close the lid. Turn on the coffee maker.

2. Put **1 Keurig K-cup pod** in the holder and close the lid.

3. Push the brew button. Since it takes 2 minutes to brew, I have to do the following steps in less than 2 minutes.

4. Place a sleeve in an empty cup to allow picking it up hot.

5. Shake **2 Land-o-Lakes Mini-Moos Half-and-Half tubs** and empty them in the empty 12-ounce cup.

6. Add **1 Splenda squirt.**

7. Place the cup under the spout.

8. When the coffee maker finishes brewing, remove the cup of coffee from the brewer and stir.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Iced Coffee

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 2 minutes to drip. 5 ingredients. Easy.

1.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I used to have iced coffee very often when I had a 10-cup coffee maker that would shut down automatically after one hour and I could use the left over coffee at room temperature in the afternoon.

I would fill a glass with ice, add 1 Splenda squirt, add 1 tablespoon half-and-half cream, and fill up the glass with room temperature coffee. I would move the ice up and down with a small spoon to mix well.

This is a cold drink with 0.4 grams of net carbohydrate compared to the 39 grams of sugar contained in a 12 fluid-ounces sugar drink.

If I wanted iced coffee today, I would have to make coffee in my 2-cup mug and then pour it on ice.

Since I learned how to make cold brew iced tea, I do not have iced coffee very often.

1 cup ice cubes

1 Splenda squirt

2 tablespoons half-and-half cream

1 cup leftover coffee at room temperature

1. Fill 1 tall glass with **1 cup ice cubes.**

2. Add **1 Splenda squirt.**

3. Add **2 tablespoons half-and-half cream**.

8. Fill with **1 cup leftover coffee at room temperature.**

9. Pour the coffee slowly on the ice. If the coffee is hot, pour the coffee slowly on the ice without letting the hot coffee touch the sides of the tall glass.

10. Use a spoon to move the ice up and down to mix.

To make coffee at home in a 10 cup coffee brewer:

5 servings. 2 minutes to prepare. 5 minutes to brew. 2 ingredients. Easy.

1.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I sip coffee all day long. I used to make a 10-cup carafe and drink it hot in the morning and iced in the afternoon until it was finished. Now I make 1.5 cups at a time and end up drinking it hot all day.

10 cups fresh water

5 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee

1. Rinse the carafe from the coffee maker.

2. Fill the carafe with **10 cups of fresh water** and pour in the coffee maker reservoir. Place the empty carafe in the coffee maker receptacle.

3. Remove the used coffee grounds and filter from coffee filter holder. Install a new coffee filter and install in its place in the coffee maker.

4. Add **5 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee.**

5. Turn on the coffee maker.

6. When the coffee is ready, pour coffee in a mug and prepare as creamed coffee or office coffee.

7. Turn off the coffee maker when the needs for hot coffee are fulfilled.

8. Use room temperature coffee two hours later to prepare iced coffee.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Hot Beef Broth

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 3 minutes to boil. 2 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

In a low carbohydrate diet, the body loses a great deal of water. This water exits with a lot of salt. Dr. Stephen D. Phinney recommends two daily servings of chicken broth to replenish salt. I prefer beef broth. The bouillon powder that I use contains MSG, a flavor enhancer that was thought to be bad but it turns out that it is ok.

At the office, I will have beef broth with a few pork skins and that will be my lunch.

At home, I will have frozen broth in the freezer from one of the meats that I might have prepared. I also have the option to add more food to the broth to make it a snack that can substitute a meal, for example, a celery stick or a hard-boiled egg.

1.5 cups water

1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder

1. Put **1.5 cups water** in a measuring cup in the microwave until it starts boiling, about 3 minutes.

2. Put **1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder** in the empty cup.

3. When the water starts boiling, remove the cup from the microwave oven and pour slowly on the powder.

4. Dissolve well with a spoon.

5. Let cool off for a few minutes because it will be too hot to sip right away.

Variations:

• Add **1 tablespoon of butter** to increase the energy content before it cools off and stir.

• Add **1 tablespoon of coconut oil** instead of butter.

• Cut **1 hard-boiled egg** in quarters and add.

• Use **1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder** instead of beef bouillon powder.

• Add **1 tablespoon bacon fat** left over from cooking bacon instead of adding butter.

• Add **1 tablespoon tallow (beef fat)** left over from cooking ground beef patties instead of adding butter.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Bottled Diet Green Iced Tea

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

My favorite drink at restaurants used to be iced tea. I used to order unsweetened tea and add 1 packet of Splenda, which I would count as 1 gram of sugar. When I stopped having liquids with lunch, I switched to water to avoid the extra cost since I would only take a couple of sips anyway.

At home, I was occasionally having bottled diet green iced tea until I found out how to make a cold brew. I had to buy diet green tea made from green tea because diet bottled black tea is hard to find.

1 bottle diet green tea (16.9 fluid ounces).

1. Take **1 bottle diet green tea (16.9 fluid ounces)** out of the refrigerator.

2. Open it.

3. Drink it at your leisure.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Cold Brew Iced Tea

1 serving. 0 minutes to prepare. 1 minute to serve. 2 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Unsweetened tea made at home is inexpensive and healthy. The problem is the time it takes to prepare. I used to wait for a few minutes for the water to boil, a few minutes for the tea to brew, and then a few minutes more for the ice to cool it down. I solved the waiting problem by going to a cold brew. It takes 24 hours but it requires minimum time of preparation. The cold brew has the advantage that it does not require ice when serving.

1.5 cups unsweetened cold brew tea

1 liquid stevia squirt

1. Pour **1.5 cups unsweetened cold brew tea** in a tall glass.

2. Add **1 liquid stevia squirt.**

3. Mix with a spoon.

4. Drink.

To do a cold brew:

1 quart water

4 tea bags

1. Use **1 quart of water** to fill a 1-quart pitcher that has a lid. Let go about 1/2 cup of water to make room for the tea bags.

2. Place **4 tea bags** in the pitcher, one at a time, with the bags touching the water and the strings coming outside of the pitcher.

3. Pour a little bit of more water slowly to make sure the tea bags are wet and in the water.

4. Put a lid in the pitcher and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

5. After 24 hours, remove the tea bags using the strings and place them in a bowl next to the tea before throwing them in the trash.

6. Put the lid back on the pitcher and put the pitcher back in the refrigerator.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Hot Tea

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 5 minutes to heat and brew. 3 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I have been substituting tea for coffee occasionally. I have enjoyed Earl Gray, Green, Black, Chai Vanilla, Chamomile, Mint, and other teas with flavor but coffee is my preference. I use Stevia as a substitute sweetener. I can use Stevia in tea because it has a slight herbal flavor but I did not like this flavor in my coffee.

10 fluid ounces water

1 tea bag

1 stevia squirt

1. Put **10 fluid ounces water** in the Keurig water receptacle and close the lid. Turn on the coffee maker.

2. Open the pod holder and remove the used pod. Close the holder without adding a coffee pod.

3. Push the brew button. It will take 2 minutes to heat up.

4. Add **1 tea bag** to the empty cup and place under the spout faster than 2 minutes to avoid spilling hot water.

5. When the coffee maker finishes pouring, remove the cup of tea from the coffee maker and let it steep for several minutes.

6. Remove the tea bag and throw it in the trash.

7. Add **1 stevia squirt** and stir.

Variations:

• Shake **2 Land-o-Lakes Mini-Moos Half-and-Half tubs** and empty them in the tea if the flavor is Vanilla Chai.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Diet Soda

1 serving. 0 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Pure water is better than diet soda but diet soda is better than soda with sugar. There is some negative literature on the effects of the chemicals of diet soda but the long-term consequences are far less certain than the immediate ill effects of sugar. I prefer fresh water to diet soda but if I am in a place where there is no water available and the choice is between diet and regular soda, I will have diet soda.

1 can of cold diet soda (12 ounces).

1. Open **1 cold can of diet soda (12 ounces).**

2. Drink.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Lemonade with Splenda

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

2.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

One medium size lime (2-inch diameter) has a high carbohydrate content compared to the zero carbohydrate drinks available but sometimes I will make lemonade if have half a lime left over from a fish dinner.

I make lemonade with green limes from Mexico and I call it lemonade because in Mexico, the name of the green limes is lemons and the lemons from the USA, the yellow kind, are nonexistent.

6 ice cubes

1/2 medium lime (2-inch diameter)

1 squirt stevia liquid

1/2 cup water

1. Place **6 ice cubes** or more to fill a large drinking glass.

2. Squeeze **1/2 medium lime (2-inch diameter)** on the ice using a lime juicer.

3. Add **1 squirt stevia liquid.**

4. Fill with **1/2 cup water** or more. Use a teaspoon to lower the ice in the water a couple of times for the juice and stevia to dissolve in the water.

5. Drink.

(Back to Drink Recipes)
Breakfast Recipes

Since eggs have a low carbohydrate content (0.6 net carbs per one large 50 gram egg), they are a good choice for breakfast.

Since I like eggs, I can have them with anything that does not have carbohydrate or that has less than 6 grams of carbohydrate.

Fiber is low in a low carbohydrate breakfast so it is not a bad idea to add low carbohydrate vegetables that have some fiber, such as avocados, tomatoes, onions, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, or mushrooms.

My favorite breakfast is three over easy eggs with one chopped raw Roma tomato and a chopped half-slice of a raw onion. This is the breakfast that Lola prepared for me when I was a kid staying overnight at my mother's mom house.

I used to have a three-egg breakfast every day when I was working from home. Now I work at an office and I can have eggs only on weekends.

On weekdays, I will leave to the office with a cup of coffee with half-and-half cream and Splenda. If am a little hungry, I will use heavy cream instead of half-and-half cream. If I am hungry, I will have a snack from the mid-morning list, usually a sausage link, or an avocado.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Over Easy Eggs with Bacon

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

2.1 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a good breakfast to enter into a fat burning metabolism and to last until dinner.

6 half-slices bacon

1 tablespoon butter

3 eggs

3 shakes salt

1. Use kitchen scissors to cut a bacon package in half.

2. Place a clean paper napkin in a microwave-safe 10-inch flat plate.

3. Spread **6 half-slices bacon** on the napkin without touching each other.

4. Place another napkin on top of the bacon.

5. Place in the microwave oven and heat on a high setting 1 minute for a plump consistency. Add 30 seconds for crispy.

6. Put **1 tablespoon butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet and place it over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, turn off the heat, swirl the pan to spread the butter until it is all melted, and place the pan in a cold burner to avoid burning the butter.

7. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

8. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

9. Return the pan to the hot burner and turn on to high.

10. When the eggs start to bubble, change the heat to low.

11. When the white of the eggs is cooked all around the yolks, separate the eggs with a turner by cutting out each egg leaving egg white around the three egg yolks.

12. Slide the turner below one egg until the egg is totally on top. Flip the egg to cook the top. Repeat for the other eggs.

13. Cook the other side 5 seconds for over easy, 10 seconds for over medium, or 30 seconds for a cooked yolk. Break the yolks with the turner after flipping for fully cooked yolks.

14. Slide the eggs on a serving plate.

15. Use **3 shakes salt** to season the eggs.

16. Remove the top napkin from the bacon plate. Pick the bacon with kitchen tongs and place it in the serving plate next to the eggs.

17. Save the rest of the raw bacon in a 1-quart Ziploc bag in the refrigerator. A bacon package cut in half fits justly in a 1-quart bag.

Variations:

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** on top of the eggs after the salt.

• Spoon **3 tablespoons of salsa** in the pan and return the pan to the heat. Raise to high heat. When the salsa starts to bubble, use the turner to spread and warm uniformly. Pour one third of the salsa on top of each egg. Turn off the heater and place the empty pan in a cold burner.

• For presentation, instead of sliding the eggs into the serving plate, pick them up individually and flip them over in the serving plate to show the over easy side.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Over Easy Eggs on Ham Topped with Salsa

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

4.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is my low carbohydrate version of "Huevos Rancheros" (Eggs ranch style).

Using ham slices instead of corn tortillas brings the net carbohydrate count below the 6 grams limit for breakfast.

3 thin ham slices (3 ounces)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of salsa

1. Spread **3 thin ham slices (3 ounces)** in a microwave-safe serving plate with minimum overlap, cover with a kitchen napkin, and heat on high for 30 seconds.

2. Place **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet on high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, swirl the pan to spread the butter until it all melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and place the pan in a cold burner to avoid burning the butter.

3. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

4. Tap one egg on top of the buttered pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs. Move the pan to the hot burner and set the heat to high.

5. When the eggs start to bubble, turn the heat to low.

6. When the egg white is cooked all around the yolks, separate the eggs with the turner.

7. Slide the turner below one egg until the egg is totally on top. Flip the egg to cook the top. Repeat for the other eggs.

8. Cook the other side 5 seconds for over easy, 15 seconds for over medium, or 30 seconds for a fully cooked yolk. Break the yolks with the turner after flipping for a fully cooked yolk.

9. Remove the paper napkin from the ham slices. Slide the eggs on top of ham slices. Place the pan in a cold burner.

10. Spoon **3 tablespoons of salsa** in the pan and return the pan to high heat. When the salsa starts to bubble, use the turner to spread the salsa and warm uniformly. Pour one third of the salsa on top of each egg.

11. Turn the burner off and place the empty pan in a cold burner.

12. Cut the eggs and pick a bite with a fork making sure that it has ham, egg, and salsa.

Variations:

• Add **3 shakes salt** , one on each egg.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** , one on each egg.

• Use **1 tablespoon bacon fat** instead of butter.

• For presentation, instead of sliding the eggs into the serving plate, picked them up individually and flip them over to show the over easy cooked side. Place each egg centered on each ham slice.

• Use **1 avocado** to add in the three spaces between the eggs to prepare the plate that is showing in the cover of this book following these instructions:

1. Place a clean paper napkin on a plate.

2. Wash 1 avocado and remove the pin of the stem with your fingers if it has not fallen off. Put the pin in the plate below the napkin. Dry the avocado with the paper napkin and place it on the serving plate. Place the paper napkin in the counter.

3. Pick the avocado with your less dominant hand and using a knife in your dominant hand, place the knife centered in the small circle from the pin and align the knife to cut the avocado lengthwise and in the middle of the small circle. Cut the little circle in half and move the knife gently until it cuts down and hits the pit. Gyrate the knife in the avocado to cut it all around the pit into two lengthwise halves. Remove the knife from the avocado and place the blade on the plate with the handle resting in the counter.

4. Grab the avocado with both hands and separate the halves. Place the halves in the plate.

5. Pick the half that has the pit and place it in your less dominant hand. Pick the knife with your dominant hand. Place the knife flat in the avocado flesh with the sharp edge touching the pit. Wiggle the knife a little bit to loosen the pit. Place the pit on the plate by turning your hand that has the avocado half over the plate to drop the pit. Place the pitiless half on the plate and the knife on the counter. This is a safe way to remove the pit.

6. Pick one-half with your less dominant hand and with the other hand, use a small metal spoon to take some of the avocado pulp from the edge in a bite-sized piece and place it in the spaces between the eggs. Repeat until all the avocado is on the plate. Repeat for the other avocado half.

7. Add 6 shakes of salt to the avocado in the plate, two shakes in each location between the eggs.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Over Easy Eggs with Raw Tomatoes and Onions

1 serving. 5 minutes to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

5.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is the breakfast that Lola prepared for me when I would stay overnight at my mother's mum's house when I was a kid.

I like to make four cut to the eggs on top of the vegetables, turn them 90 degrees, and make four more cuts for the yolks to break and mix.

I love the flavor of the tomato juice mixed with the egg yolks.

1 Roma tomato

1 half-slice of an onion

3 shakes salt

3 shakes ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

3 eggs

1. Wash **1 Roma tomato**. Chop it in a vegetable cutting board and spread it in a serving plate.

3. Dice **1 half-slice of an onion** and sprinkle it on the tomato.

4. Season the vegetables with **3 shakes salt.**

5. Add **3 shakes ground black pepper.**

6. Put **1 tablespoon butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet and place it over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, turn off the heat, swirl the pan to spread the butter until it is all melted, and place the pan in a cold burner to avoid burning the butter.

7. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

8. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

9. Return the pan to the hot burner and turn on to high.

10. When the eggs start to bubble, change the heat to low.

11. When the white of the eggs is cooked all around the yolks, separate the eggs with a turner by cutting out each egg leaving egg white around the three egg yolks.

12. Slide the turner below one egg until the egg is totally on top. Flip the egg to cook the top. Repeat for the other eggs.

13. Cook the other side 5 seconds for over easy, 10 seconds for over medium, or 30 seconds for a cooked yolk. Break the yolks with the turner after flipping for fully cooked yolks.

14. Slide the eggs on the serving plate on top of the vegetables.

15. Use **3 shakes salt** to season the eggs.

16. Add **3 shakes ground black pepper**.

Variations:

• For presentation, instead of sliding the eggs into the serving plate, picked them up individually and flip them over to show the over easy cooked side.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Over Easy Eggs with a Pork Chop

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

2.1 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a big breakfast to stay in a fat burning metabolism and not be hungry until dinner.

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 quarter-inch-thick pork chop (3 ounces)

11 shakes salt

8 shakes ground black pepper

3 eggs

1. Heat **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in 10-inch non-stick skillet on high heat. When it starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl to distribute in the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** and swirl to mix the oil with the butter. Return to the cold burner.

3. Uncover **1 quarter-inch-thick pork chop** in its original package.

4. Season the top with **4 shakes salt.**

5. Add **4 shakes ground black pepper.**

6. Place the steak in the oil and butter with the seasoned side down.

7. Season the unseasoned side with **4 shakes salt.**

8. Add **4 shakes ground black pepper.**

9. Place in the hot burner on high heat until it starts to sizzle. Turn it over and sear the other side. Turn over as many times as necessary to obtain a golden color on both sides.

10. Place the steak in the serving plate.

11. Place the pan in a cold burner.

12. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

13. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

14. Return the pan to the high heat burner.

15. When the eggs start to bubble, change the heat to low.

16. When the white is cooked all around the yolks, separate the eggs with a turner by cutting out each egg and leaving egg white all around the egg yolks.

17. Slide the turner below one egg until the egg is totally on top. Flip the egg to cook the top.

18. Repeat for the other eggs.

19. Cook the other side 5 seconds for over easy, 10 seconds for over medium, or 30 seconds for a cooked yolk. Break the yolks with the turner after flipping for fully cooked yolks.

20. Slide the eggs on a serving plate next to the pork chop.

21. Season the eggs with **3 shakes salt**.

Variations:

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** on top of the eggs after serving.

• Spoon **3 tablespoons of salsa** in the pan and return the pan to the hot burner. Raise to high heat. When the salsa starts to bubble, use the turner to spread and warm uniformly. Pour one third of the salsa on top of each egg. Turnoff the heater and place the empty pan in a cold burner.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Onions, and Green Bell Peppers

1 serving. 5 minutes to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

5.3 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Eggs Mexican Style ("Huevos a la Mexicana") is an all-time favorite breakfast in Mexico. The net carbohydrate content is almost 6 grams because of the contribution of the Roma tomato but since I usually do not eat them until noon, I have ample room in the 12 gram net carbohydrate budget for lunch.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 Roma tomato

1 half-slice of an onion

1 side green bell pepper

6 shakes salt

3 eggs

1. Place **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl it to distribute the butter until it melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Wash **1 Roma tomato.** Chop it in a vegetable cutting board and add it to the pan.

3. Dice **1 half-slice of an onion** and add it to the pan.

4. Wash **1 green bell pepper** , slice one side, dice the side, and add it to the pan.

5. Add **6 shakes salt** to the vegetables.

6. Mix the vegetables with a turner and spread evenly to receive the eggs.

7. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

8. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

9. Place the pan in the hot burner and set the heat to high.

10. Break the yolks using a heat-resistant rubber turner and scramble with the vegetables. Keep on scrambling by scraping the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan and mixing it with the raw egg on top until they are cooked to the desired consistency, usually soft but without any liquid, about 5 minutes.

11. Transfer to a serving plate.

12. Place the pan in a cold burner and turn off the heat.

Variations:

• For a smoother version, beat the eggs in a separate container with the salt before adding them to the hot pan. I skip this step to save time and avoid having to clean more utensils. The way they come out from scrambling directly into the frying pan is good enough for me.

• If it is preferred to have the vegetables more cooked, sauté the vegetables in the butter for a couple of minutes before adding the eggs.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** on top of the vegetables after adding the salt.

• Add **1 tablespoon heavy cream** to the eggs before scrambling for a more creamy texture. Do this in the frying pan or in the mixing bowl.

• For a spicier version, place **3 pickled jalapeño pepper rounds** in a cutting board, dice them, and add them after the bell pepper. I do not like to use raw jalapeño peppers because I cannot tell their heat index. Pickled jalapeños are more consistent in their spiciness.

• For a spicy version, add **3 tablespoons of salsa** to the vegetables after the salt.

• Add **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** before scrambling.

• Sprinkle **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** on top after serving and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds.

• For a Mexican herb flavor, wash **6 cilantro sprigs** and chop them. Add them to the vegetables, on top after the cheese, or both times. In the last case, add six more cilantro sprigs.

• For a more typical version, wash **1 serrano pepper** , slice it in small rounds, and use it in addition or instead of the green bell pepper slice. The traditional "Huevos a la Mexicana" are prepared with a small serrano pepper including the veins and seeds. This can be too spicy depending on the origin of the serrano pepper. If the serrano pepper is too hot, eat the spicy eggs but leave the serrano pepper rounds in the plate. When slicing spicy peppers, the pepper spiciness can get in the hands, eyes, and nose. Always wash hands after handling hot chili peppers and do not touch eyes or nose.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Scrambled Eggs with Sausage

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Heating cooked sausage and adding eggs to them is one of the easiest and more appetizing breakfasts I like to make.

1 fully cooked sausage link (4 ounces)

3 eggs

1. Wash **1 fully cooked sausage link (4 ounces)** in cold tap water and place it on a cutting board.

2. Cut longwise in half. Cut each half longwise into quarters. Align the four quarters and dice into small triangles.

3. Place the diced sausage on a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the sausage starts to sizzle, use a turner to flip it around to heat it up uniformly until it is all hot, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner. Spread the sausage evenly to receive the eggs.

4. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

5. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

6. Place the pan in the hot burner and set the heat to high.

7. Break the yolks using a heat-resistant rubber turner and scramble with the sausage. Keep on scrambling by scraping the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan and mixing it with the raw egg on top until the eggs are cooked to the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

8. Transfer to a serving plate.

9. Place the pan in a cold burner and turn off the heat.

Variations:

• For a smoother version, beat the eggs with a fork in a mixing bowl before putting them in the frying pan. I skip this step to save time and avoid having to clean more utensils. The way they come out from scrambling directly into the frying pan is good enough for me.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** on top of the eggs before scrambling.

• Add **1 tablespoon heavy cream** to the eggs before scrambling if a more creamy texture is desired.

• Add **3 tablespoons of salsa** before scrambling.

• Add **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** before scrambling.

• Sprinkle **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** on top after serving and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar Cheese

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 4 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

These eggs with cheese can be enjoyed as an omelet but it is easier to throw the cheese on top of eggs after they have been scrambled.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 eggs

3 shakes salt

2 slices cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1. Place **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl it to distribute the butter until it all melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

3. Season with **3 shakes salt.**

4. Place the pan in the hot burner and set the heat to high. Break the yolks using a heat-resistant rubber turner and scramble. Keep on scrambling by scraping the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan and mixing it with the raw egg on top until they are cooked to the desired consistency, usually soft but without any liquid, about 5 minutes.

5. Transfer the eggs to a microwave-safe serving plate. Place the pan in a cold burner and turn off the heat.

6. Place **2 slices cheddar cheese (2 ounces)** on top tearing the slices as necessary to cover all the egg scramble in a single layer. Place any leftover cheese on the plate next to egg in a single layer. It will melt and make a cheese crisp.

7. Place the plate in a microwave oven for 30 seconds in high power to melt the cheese.

8. Serve warm.

Variations:

• Add 3 shakes **ground black pepper** to the eggs before scrambling.

• Add **1 tablespoon heavy cream** to the eggs before scrambling for a more creamy texture.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Scrambled Eggs with Cream Cheese

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 4 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This a variation with the cream cheese mixed with the eggs to make creamed flavored scrambled eggs.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 eggs

3 shakes salt

1/4 package cream cheese (2 ounces)

1. Place **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl it to distribute the butter until it all melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

3. Season with **3 shakes salt.**

4. Add **1/4 package cream cheese (2 ounces)** by cutting thin slices with a knife from the cream cheese block and dropping them on top of the eggs using the turner to remove the cheese from the knife.

5. Place the pan in the hot burner and set the heat to high. Break the yolks using a heat-resistant rubber turner and scramble. Keep on scrambling by scraping the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan and mixing it with the raw egg on top to the desired consistency, usually soft but without any liquid, about 5 minutes.

6. Transfer the eggs to a microwave-safe serving plate. Place the pan in a cold burner and turn off the heat.

7. Serve warm.

Variations:

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** to the eggs before scrambling.

• Add **1 tablespoon heavy cream** to the eggs before scrambling for a more creamy texture.

• Add **2 thin slices cream cheese (1 ounce)** on top of the eggs. Place in the microwave oven for 30 seconds on high to melt the cheese on top.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Scrambled Eggs with a Hot Dog

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 4 minutes to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a favorite breakfast for kids.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 fully cooked hot dog (3 ounces)

3 eggs

1. Place **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl it to distribute the butter until all melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Wash **1 fully cooked hot dog (3 ounces)** in cold tap water and place it in a cutting board.

3. Cut longwise in half. Cut each half longwise into quarters. Align the four quarters and cut in small triangles.

4. Add the diced hot dog to the pan with butter. Spread the diced hot dog to receive the eggs.

5. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

6. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

7. Place the pan in the hot burner and set the heat to high.

8. Break the yolks using a heat-resistant rubber turner and scramble with the sausage. Keep on scrambling by scraping the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan and mixing it with the raw egg on top until the eggs are reach the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

9. Transfer to a serving plate.

10. Place the pan in a cold burner and turn off the heat.

Variations:

• For a smoother version, beat the eggs with a fork in a mixing bowl before adding them to the frying pan. I skip this step to save time and avoid having to clean more utensils. The way they come out from scrambling directly into the frying pan is good enough for me.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** to the eggs before scrambling.

• Add **1 tablespoon heavy cream** to the eggs before scrambling for a more creamy texture.

• Add **3 tablespoons of salsa** before scrambling.

• Add **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** before scrambling.

• Sprinkle **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** on top after serving and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Scrambled Eggs with Ham

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a breakfast with enough protein for an active morning.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 slices ham (3 ounces)

3 eggs

1. Place **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl it to distribute the butter until it all melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Place **3 slices ham (3 ounces)** in a cutting board and dice them. Place the diced ham on the pan and spread the ham bits to receive the eggs.

3. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

4. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

5. Place the pan in the hot burner and set the heat to high.

6. Break the yolks using a heat-resistant rubber turner and scramble with the sausage. Keep on scrambling by scraping the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan and mixing it with the raw egg on top until the eggs reach the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

7. Transfer to a serving plate.

8. Place the pan in a cold burner and turn off the heat.

Variations:

• For a smoother version, beat the eggs with a fork in a mixing bowl before adding them to the frying pan. I skip this step to save time and avoid having to clean more utensils. The way they come out from scrambling directly into the frying pan is good enough for me.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** to the eggs before scrambling.

• Add **1 tablespoon heavy cream** to the eggs before scrambling for a more creamy texture.

• Add **3 tablespoons of salsa** before scrambling.

• Add **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** before scrambling.

• Sprinkle **1 grab shredded cheese (1 ounce)** on top after serving and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I buy pre-sliced mushrooms and save one step. I use 2 tablespoons of butter because the mushrooms will absorb some.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 layer sliced mushrooms (1 ounce)

3 shakes salt

3 eggs

1. Place **2 tablespoons unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl it to distribute the butter until it all melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Place **1 layer sliced mushrooms (1 ounce)** in the pan and return to high heat. When the mushrooms start to sizzle, turn the heat off and place the pan in a cold burner.

3. Turn the mushrooms over using kitchen tongs to start cooking the other side.

4. Season with **3 shakes salt.**

5. Place the pan on the hot burner on high heat. When the mushrooms start sizzling again, turn the heat off again, and place the pan in a cold burner again.

6. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator.

7. Tap one egg on top of the pan using the edge of the turner. Open the shell with both hands and drop the egg in the skillet. Repeat for the other two eggs.

8. Place the pan on the hot burner with heat high.

9. Break the yolks using a heat-resistant rubber turner and scramble with the mushrooms. Keep on scrambling by scraping the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan and mixing it with the raw egg on top until the eggs reach the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

10. Transfer to a serving plate.

11. Place the pan in a cold burner and turn off the heat.

Variations:

• For a smoother version, beat the eggs with a fork in a mixing bowl before adding them to the frying pan. I skip this step to save time and avoid having to clean more utensils. The way they come out from scrambling directly into the frying pan is good enough for me.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** to the eggs before scrambling.

• Add **1 tablespoon heavy cream** to the eggs before scrambling for a more creamy texture.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Swiss Cheese Omelet

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Medium difficulty.

3.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is an easy way to make an omelet. I labeled it medium difficulty because of the trick needed to turn the frying pan over the serving plate to serve the omelet with the seams down. It is easier to do with shredded cheese but I prefer to use a slice of Swiss. It distributes itself and melts just to the right point.

3 eggs

3 shakes salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 Swiss cheese slice (1 ounce)

1. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator. Tap one egg on top of a mixing bowl using the edge of a fork. Place the fork down, open the shell with both hands, and drop the egg in the bowl. Place the shells in an empty slot in the egg container. Repeat for the other two eggs.

2. Add **3 shakes salt.**

3. Beat the eggs lightly with the fork until mixed. Do not overbeat. Set aside.

4. Prepare a serving plate to receive the omelet because the omelet has to be placed in the serving plate immediately when it is ready.

5. Heat **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl it to distribute the butter until it all melts and covers the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a cold burner to avoid burning the butter.

6. Mix the eggs one last time and pour them slowly in the pan. Pick up the pan and tilt slightly to distribute the eggs evenly and place the pan on high heat. When the eggs begin to bubble, lift one side of the eggs with a narrow turner and tilt the pan for the raw egg to flow under on that side. Repeat in all sides until there is no more running egg. Place the pan in a cold burner. Turn off the heat.

7. Pick **1 Swiss cheese slice (1 ounce)** and fold it in half. Use your fingers to tear the slice in halves.

8. Place one-half of the cheese slice in the middle third of the omelet from one edge to the center lined up with the handle of the pan. Place the other half also in the middle third of the omelet from the other edge to the center. In this way, the cheese will cover the middle third of the omelet.

9. With the turner, fold one edge of the omelet toward the center to cover the cheese. In this way, the folded third of the omelet will cover the center third with the cheese.

10. Slowly slide and push the omelet in the pan to make the unfolded third reach the edge of the pan. Slide the turner under the omelet if necessary.

11. Continue sliding and pushing the omelet into the serving plate and deposit the unfolded third on the middle third of the serving plate. Turn the pan slowly over the serving plate for the omelet to fall on top of the unfolded third in the serving plate. The omelet will end up in the serving plate with the folds underneath.

12. Place the empty pan in a cold burner.

Variations:

• Place **1 tablespoon butter** in the pan and return the pan to high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, swirl the pan to melt the butter. Pour the melted butter on top of the omelet. Turn off the heat and place the empty pan in a cold burner.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** on the eggs before scrambling.

• Use **1 grab shredded cheddar cheese (1 ounce)** to place in the middle third of the omelet instead of the Swiss cheese slice. This is easier to distribute than the Swiss cheese slice but I prefer the flavor of Swiss cheese. Use any other cheese, shredded or sliced.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Eggs Poached in Creamed Spinach

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

3.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Canned spinach is inexpensive. I prefer the taste of fresh spinach but the cost and convenience of canned spinach makes this breakfast worthwhile.

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 slices cream cheese (1 ounce)

1 can spinach (14.5 ounces)

3 eggs

1. Heat **1/2 cup heavy cream** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat.

2. Add **2 slices cream cheese (1 ounce)** before the heavy cream starts to boil.

3. When the heavy cream starts to boil, turn off the heat and place the pan in a cold burner. Mix well with a turner to dissolve the cream cheese in the heavy cream.

4. Open **1 can spinach (14.5 ounces)** out and empty it on the pan without draining. Place the pan on high heat.

5. Mix the spinach with the cream. When the liquid starts to boil, turn off the heat and place the pan in a cold burner. Distribute the spinach flat in the pan. Mark three holes in the spinach to drop the eggs.

6. Take **3 eggs** out of the refrigerator and crack one in each one of the holes.

7. Place on high heat until the liquid starts to boil.

8. Change the heat to low and cover.

9. When the eggs are white on top, turn the heat off. Cut the spinach with the spatula into three portions with each portion containing one whole egg with spinach all around.

10. Slide the spatula below the spinach of one egg and transfer it to a serving plate leaving the extra liquid behind. Repeat for the other eggs.

Variations:

• Add **3 shakes ground nutmeg** after the cream cheese.

• Add **3 shakes ground black pepper** after the cream cheese.

(Back to Breakfast Recipes)
Mid-Morning Snack Recipes

I can eat three eggs for breakfast late on a Saturday. After this breakfast, I do not need to snack and I feel full sometimes until 6 pm, making it possible to survive a weekend day with only two meals.

The following list of mid-morning snacks is really a list of breakfast substitutes for a working day. In a working day, if I wake up hungry and I have time, I will have one of these protein or fat snacks with a cup of coffee instead of a full breakfast.

I will have another cup of coffee when I get to the office that will be enough to carry me to lunch.

If I am running late, I will just have creamed coffee and skip breakfast altogether.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Bacon Slices

1 serving. 1 minute to get. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.1 grams net carbohydrate per slice

Bacon has protein, fat, and salt, making it an ideal low carbohydrate snack. I can make 3 slices in the microwave in a few minutes as shown above in the Over Easy Eggs with Bacon recipe or I can just take a couple of half-slices from a bag of previously baked bacon.

2 bacon slice halves (1.0 ounce)

1. Take **2 bacon slice halves (1.0 ounce)** from a 1-quart zip-lock bag from the refrigerator.

2. Eat it.

3. Close the container and place it back in the refrigerator.

To bake a whole sliced bacon package:

12 servings. 2 minutes to prepare. 20 minutes to bake. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.1 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I have shown above how to microwave six half-slices of bacon to accompany eggs. If I want to cook the whole one-pound package to have it available for snacking or for a BLT salad, baking is an easier way to do it.

1 package bacon slices (12 ounces)

1. Prepare a rack in the middle of the oven. Turn the oven on and set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cover a walled nonstick rectangular (13x17 inches) oven pan with extra wide aluminum foil. There is no need to spray with cooking spray for bacon although it may stick a little bit.

3. Cut **1 package bacon slices (12 ounces)** in half using kitchen scissors.

4. Pick one-half of the package and take the bacon out with its cardboard. Pick individual pieces and place them in the aluminum-covered pan touching each other but without overlapping. Continue until the whole pan is covered. Save any leftover bacon in a 1-quart zip-lock bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator.

5. Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Take out, turn over each half-slice using kitchen tongs, and bake for 5 minutes more. Take out to place in paper napkins. Bake 5 more minutes if it is desired to be crispier.

6. Place a paper napkin on a 10-inch plate to receive the bacon.

7. Take the pan out of the oven. Pick each piece with kitchen tongs and place on the napkin next to each other but without overlapping until one layer is complete. Place a napkin in top of the bacon layer and continue placing bacon on top of the napkin.

8. When all of the bacon is in the napkin, make a little canal in one of the corners of the aluminum foil and pour the bacon fat into a ceramic cup to be used somewhere else.

9. Fold the aluminum foil starting from the outside, crumble it, and throw it in the trash. Wipe the pan with a clean paper towel and put away.

10. Pick the half-slices of bacon with kitchen tongs and place them in a 1-quart zip-lock bag in the refrigerator to snack later.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Sausage Link

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 1 minute to heat. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

There are so many sausages to try! I owe to Dr. Ken Berry not to worry about nitrates in processed meats.

1 cooked sausage link

1. Take out a cutting board and knife.

2. Place a paper napkin on a 10-inch microwave-safe plate.

3. Wash **1 cooked sausage link** in the sink with cold tap water. Place it on the cutting board and slice it.

4. Place the slices on the paper napkin on the microwave-safe plate without touching each other.

5. Place a second napkin on top.

6. Place in the microwave oven and heat in a high setting for 1 minute.

7. Remove the top napkin and eat with a small fork.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Hard-Boiled Egg

1 serving. 1 minute to peel. 0 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

0.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

To have a hard-boiled egg as a snack, it has to be prepared in advance. I usually make one layer of eggs while preparing dinner when I notice there are none left in the refrigerator. I used to store them unshelled in an open container but when I changed the method to peel them all right away, I started storing them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. They do not last very long like this. They have to be consumed in 2 or 3 days.

1 peeled hard-boiled egg

1 shake salt

1. Prepare a small serving bowl to receive the egg.

2. Take **1 peeled hard-boiled egg** out of the refrigerator and place it on the bowl.

3. Season with **1 shake salt** and pick it up to take a bite.

4. When finished, rinse the bowl and place it in the dishwasher.

Variations:

• Add **1 shake ground black pepper**.

• Use **3 drops of Tabasco or Louisiana hot sauce** instead of salt.

• Add **1 shake paprika**.

To hard-boil one layer of eggs:

7 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 15 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I use a saucepan (3 quarts) that is deep enough to fit 1 layer of eggs plus half inch of water above them. This saucepan fits seven eggs in a single layer.

1 layer of raw eggs (about 7)

1. Place **1 layer of raw eggs (about 7)** carefully in the bottom of a saucepan.

2. Fill the saucepan with cold tap water until the water is half inch over the eggs.

3. Place the saucepan on high heat uncovered until the water starts to boil, about 5 minutes.

4. When the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and start the timer for 10 minutes.

5. When the eggs have been simmering for 10 minutes, use the lid of the saucepan to hold the eggs while draining the hot water in the sink. After all the water is gone, shake the saucepan back and forth or sideways or both to break the peelings of all the eggs. Fill up with clean cold water from the faucet and place the saucepan in a cold burner.

6. Prepare a large bowl to collect the peelings and another one with a lid to collect the peeled eggs and be placed in the refrigerator at the end.

7. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, in about 5 minutes, pick one egg and peel it from an existing crack. Do not crack them all around since it is easier to peel it when the peeling is left in large portions. If the egg is not cracked at all, give it one tap in a hard surface to obtain one crack and start peeling from there.

8. Place the peel in the bowl for peelings. Submerge the egg in the warm water as many times as necessary to facilitate the peeling. Submerge the egg in the war water when it is completely peeled to remove any small pieces of peel.

9. Place the clean peeled egg in the bowl for this purpose.

10. When all the eggs are peeled. Use the lid of the bowl to hold the eggs while getting rid of any excess water in the container. Place the lid on and place the container in the refrigerator.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Appetizer Eggs

1 serving. 3 minutes to peel. 0 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

1.8 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I only make three because if I make more, I will eat them all. The recipe to make a layer of hard-boiled eggs is under one hard-boiled egg.

3 peeled hard-boiled eggs

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

3 shakes salt

3 shakes ground black pepper

6 shakes paprika

1. Take out a flat serving plate to receive the eggs.

2. Take **3 peeled hard-boiled eggs** out of the refrigerator and place them in the serving plate.

3. Cut one egg lengthwise. Squeeze the yolk into a small mixing bowl. Repeat for the other eggs.

4. Add **1 tablespoon mayonnaise** to the yolks.

5. Add **1 teaspoon mustard.**

6. Season with **3 shakes salt.**

7. Add **3 shakes ground black pepper.**

8. Mash and mix well with a large fork.

9. Use a teaspoon to pick half teaspoon of the mixture and place in the holes of the halves.

10. Sprinkle with **6 shakes paprika.**

Variations:

• Use **3 drops Tabasco or Louisiana hot sauce** instead of salt.

To hard-boil one layer of eggs:

7 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 15 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I use a saucepan (3 quarts) that is deep enough to fit 1 layer of eggs plus half inch of water above them. This saucepan fits seven eggs in a single layer.

1 layer of raw eggs (about 7)

1. Place **1 layer of raw eggs (about 7)** carefully in the bottom of a saucepan.

2. Fill the saucepan with cold tap water until the water is half inch over the eggs.

3. Place the saucepan on high heat uncovered until the water starts to boil, about 5 minutes.

4. When the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and start the timer for 10 minutes.

5. When the eggs have been simmering for 10 minutes, use the lid of the saucepan to hold the eggs while draining the hot water in the sink. After all the water is gone, shake the saucepan back and forth or sideways or both to break the peelings of all the eggs. Fill up with clean cold water from the faucet and place the saucepan in a cold burner.

6. Prepare a large bowl to collect the peelings and another one with a lid to collect the peeled eggs and be placed in the refrigerator at the end.

7. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, in about 5 minutes, pick one egg and peel it from an existing crack. Do not crack them all around since it is easier to peel it when the peeling is left in large portions. If the egg is not cracked at all, give it one tap in a hard surface to obtain one crack and start peeling from there.

8. Place the peel in the bowl for peelings. Submerge the egg in the warm water as many times as necessary to facilitate the peeling. Submerge the egg in the war water when it is completely peeled to remove any small pieces of peel.

9. Place the clean peeled egg in the bowl for this purpose.

10. When all the eggs are peeled. Use the lid of the bowl to hold the eggs while getting rid of any excess water in the container. Place the lid on and place the container in the refrigerator.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Avocado with Salt

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I added avocados to my diet to increase my potassium and magnesium intake. I can eat them simply with salt. I buy avocados that are hard, not ripe, and place them in the refrigerator. Every time I go to the store, I buy enough to complete seven avocados. This is a Kanban of seven in Lean Manufacturing parlance.

Every morning I take them all out and grab them one by one using my whole hand, not my fingertips. Any one that feels that is not as hard as it was in the store is a candidate to go to the serving plate. I eat one with coffee in the morning.

They take longer to ripe in the refrigerator than in the fruit basket (that I do not have anymore) but they are more appetizing if they are already cold. If none of the avocados is ready, I do not try to eat one because they will be too hard to cut. I will just put them all back in the refrigerator and eat a sausage link or a slice of cheese.

1 avocado

6 shakes salt

1. Place a clean paper napkin on a serving plate.

2. Wash **1 avocado** and remove the pin of the stem with your fingers if it has not fallen off. Put the pin in the serving plate below the napkin. Dry the avocado with the paper napkin and place it on the serving plate.

3. Pick the avocado with your less dominant hand and using a knife in your dominant hand, place the knife centered in the small circle where the pin was. Align the knife to cut the avocado lengthwise. Cut the little circle in half and move the knife gently down and back and forth until it cuts down and hits the pit. Gyrate the knife in the avocado to cut it all around into two lengthwise halves around the pit. Remove the knife from the avocado and place it on the side of the serving plate.

4. Grab the avocado with both hands and separate the halves. Place the halves in the plate.

5. Pick the half that has the pit and place it in your less dominant hand. Pick the knife with your dominant hand. Place the knife flat in the avocado flesh with the sharp edge touching the pit. Wiggle the knife a little bit to loosen the pit. Place the pit on the plate by turning your hand that has the avocado half over the plate to drop the pit. Place the pitiless half on the plate and the knife on the counter. This is a safe way to remove the pit.

6. Add **6 shakes salt** splitting the shakes between the halves.

7. Pick one-half of the avocado with your less dominant hand and with the other hand, use a small metal spoon to take some of the avocado pulp from the edge and eat it.

Variations:

• Add **6 drops vinegar** in the holes of the halves. Dip the spoon with salted avocado in the vinegar before eating.

• Squeeze **1/2 lime** in the holes of the halves instead of vinegar. Dip the spoon with salted avocado in the lime juice before eating.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Rotisserie Chicken

1 serving. 1 minute to grab. 1 minute to warm up. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

A cooked rotisserie chicken cost less than a raw chicken. How is this possible? The answer is simple. It weighs less. Rotisserie chickens are convenient but they are usually small and overcooked. I have a simple recipe to roast a chicken in "An Essential Nutrition Diet and Cookbook" under high heat resulting in a juicy chicken but it is hard to go to the trouble of roasting one when I can grab one already roasted at the exit cash register of the supermarket.

1 piece of rotisserie chicken

1. Remove **1 piece of rotisserie chicken** from a chicken bought at the store and place it in a microwave-safe dish. Put a paper napkin on top and heat on high for 30 seconds.

2. Take out of the microwave oven and eat with utensils.

Variations:

• Eat it cold from the refrigerator.

• Put **1 tablespoon salsa (hot sauce)** on top after it is warmed up and return it to the microwave oven for 20 seconds to warm up the sauce.

• Add **1 pickled jalapeno pepper** on the side.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Sardines with Onions

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I think canned sardines go well with onion slices. I just have to make sure I do not have a social engagement later because the odor of both will linger.

1 half-slice of an onion

1 can sardines (4.25 ounces)

6 shakes salt

1. Cut **1 half-slice of an onion** in half to have quarter strips in a large flat serving plate with rims to contain the liquid. Move the onion quarters strips to one side of the plate.

2. Open **1 can sardines (4.25 ounces)** and turn it over on the other side of the serving plate.

3. Season both with **6 shakes salt.**

4. Use a fork to pick a bite of sardine and stick it in an onion quarter before bringing it to your mouth.

Variations:

• Add **5 drops of Louisiana sauce** to the sardines.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Tuna with a Pickled Serrano Pepper

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

1.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

The simplest way to eat a can of tuna is to spice it with a pickled serrano pepper. There is no need to drain the tuna since the tuna water tastes like tuna and it blends well with the vinegar from the pickled pepper.

1 can tuna (5 ounces)

1 pickled serrano pepper

1. Open **1 can tuna (5 ounces)** and empty it on a flat serving plate with rims to contain the liquid.

2. Place **1 pickled serrano pepper** on the side.

3. Eat the tuna alternating a small bite of tuna in a fork with a small bite from the pepper.

Variations:

• Use **1 pickled jalapeno pepper** instead of the pickled serrano pepper.

• Use **5 pickled jalapeno pepper rounds** instead of the pickled serrano pepper.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Spiral Ham

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 1 minute to heat. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I like to warm up a large ham occasionally for dinner. After I do, I can have ham slices for dinner and freeze the rest of the ham in one-serving packages to eat for several days. I like the spiral sliced ham leg because it is already sliced. It is a little bit more expensive than the non-sliced leg. In the morning, I can take one grab of ham with a cup of coffee on the run.

1 piece ham (1 ounce)

1. Take **1 piece ham (1 ounce)** out of a 1-quart zip-lock bag from the refrigerator.

2. Eat it cold or place it in a paper plate to warm up for 30 seconds on high in the microwave.

To Heat a Whole Ham:

8 servings. 3 minutes to prepare. 2 hours to heat. 1 ingredient. Medium difficulty.

0.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Whole hams are often on special at low prices. It is much cheaper to buy a whole ham, split it in one-pound bags, and freeze them instead of buying expensive individual six-ounce packages. I labeled the recipe medium difficulty because although it is easy to put in the oven, the ham is heavy and it requires carving to clean up the bones.

1 spiral ham (about 4 pounds)

1. Follow the instructions in the ham package that should be similar to the following.

2. Prepare a rack in the middle of the oven.

3. Turn oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

4. Place **1 spiral ham (about 4 pounds)** in the sink. Remove the wrapping with kitchen scissors. Wash the ham with cold running water.

5. Line up a 17x11 inch pan sturdy enough and with walls to contain the liquid using extra wide aluminum paper to facilitate cleaning.

6. Place the ham bone down on the pan.

7. Warm up 20 minutes per pound. A 4-pound ham will take 80 minutes (1 hour and 20 minutes)

8. Take out and let it cool down for 20 minutes. Eat the ham hot, warm, or cold.

9. After dinner, when the ham has cooled off, carve out the ham and pack in 1-quart bags, about 1 pound each. Put one bag to with ham for the next day in the refrigerator and the rest in bags for the freezer. Eat the ham from the refrigerator cold or after warming up in a microwave oven for 30 seconds. The ham from the freezer may need 2 minutes in the microwave oven to be warm enough to eat.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Hot Beef Broth with Butter

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 3 minutes to boil. 3 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

At home, I will add 1 tablespoon of butter or bacon fat to the broth to increase the fat content. The fat will not dissolve well in the broth. It will come to the surface where it can be sipped from the top with the salty broth.

1.5 cups water

1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder

1 tablespoon butter

1. Put **1.5 cups water** in a measuring cup in the microwave until it starts boiling, about 3 minutes.

2. Put **1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder** in the empty cup.

3. When the water starts boiling, remove the cup from the microwave oven and pour slowly on the powder.

4. Dissolve well with a spoon.

5. Add **1 tablespoon** butter and stir.

6. Let cool off for a few minutes because it will be too hot to sip right away.

Variations:

• Use **1 tablespoon of coconut oil** instead of butter.

• Cut **1 hard-boiled egg** in quarters and add.

• Use **1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder** instead of beef bouillon powder.

• Use **1 tablespoon bacon fat** left over from cooking bacon instead of butter.

• Use **1 tablespoon tallow (beef fat)** left over from cooking ground beef patties.

(Back to Mid-Morning Snack Recipes)
Lunch at Home Recipes

At lunch, a Chef Salad is a great plate for me. I can prepare a bed of lettuce with chopped onions and a Roma tomato, add 3 slices of cheese and 3 slices of ham cut into strips, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a little bit of salt and ground black pepper and I am set for the meal. My first meal of the day in a workday may be lunch at noon. At home, I will usually eat eggs but it will be noon before I eat them. I should call it brunch.

(Back to Lunch at Home Recipes)
Chef Salad

1 serving. 15 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 7 ingredients. Easy.

11.9 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This was my first meal of the day at noon for several months at the Houston cafeteria. At the salad bar in a restaurant close to my office, I could add ingredients that I may not have at home, such as artichoke hearts in vinegar. At home, I make the salad much simpler. I keep all ingredients in the refrigerator to have them cold when I start making the salad.

3 cups of iceberg lettuce

2 slices of ham (2 ounces)

2 slices of Swiss cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1. Spread **3 cups of iceberg lettuce** from a lettuce bag in a 10-inch serving plate.

2. Cut **2 slices of ham (about 2 ounces)** into strips and arrange them on top.

3. Cut **2 slices of Swiss cheese (about 2 ounces)** into squares and arrange them on top.

4. Pour **1/4 cup olive oil** over the lettuce.

5. Sprinkle **1 teaspoon vinegar** over all the ingredients.

6. Add **6 shakes salt.**

7. Add **6 shakes ground black pepper.**

8. Pick ham and cheese with lettuce in every bite.

Variations:

• Cut **1 half-slice of an onion** , chop it, and sprinkle it on top of the lettuce before adding the ham and cheese.

• Wash **1 green bell pepper** , cut one side, cut it into strips, and add before the ham and cheese.

• Wash **1 Roma tomato.** Cut a thin slice to remove the pith. Cut in eights and distribute on top before the oil and vinegar are poured. Make four cuts around the pith to recover the tomato around the pith. Add to the salad.

• Wash **1 cucumber** , slice a few rounds, and add them before pouring the oil and vinegar. Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler before slicing.

• Add **8 pitted black olives** before the oil and vinegar are poured.

• Cut **1 hard-boiled egg** in eights and distribute them on the salad before the oil and vinegar are poured.

• Use **6 shakes garlic** salt instead of regular salt.

(Back to Lunch at Home Recipes)
Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Salad

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 1 minute to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

4.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is like a BLT sandwich without the bread. One of the things I liked about BLT sandwiches when I used to have them was the combination of flavors of bacon with mayonnaise. I can put 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise in the middle of the salad to pick as I eat the bacon, lettuce, and tomato. I like all four to be included in every bite.

6 half-slices bacon

3 cups of lettuce

1 Roma tomato

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1. Place a kitchen napkin on top of a 10-inch microwave safe paper plate.

2. Place **6 half-slices bacon** on top of the napkin without touching each other. Cover with another napkin and cook on high for 1 minute for plump, 2 minutes for crispy.

3. Spread **3 cups of lettuce** from a lettuce bag in a 10-inch serving plate.

4. Wash **1 Roma tomato,** cut the edge that has the pith, cut it in half lengthwise twice to get quarters. Cut the quarters in half to get eights and distribute them on top of the lettuce. Make four cuts around the pith to recover the tomato around the pith.

5. Remove bacon from the microwave plate using kitchen tongs and place it on top of the lettuce and tomato.

6. Spoon **2 tablespoons mayonnaise** in the center of the salad.

7. Eat with a fork grabbing lettuce and tomato and dipping in the mayonnaise.

(Back to Lunch at Home Recipes)
Rotisserie Chicken on Lettuce

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

4.5 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

The easiest salad to make is to throw some rotisserie chicken meat on top of lettuce from a bag.

3 cups of iceberg lettuce

4 grabs rotisserie chicken (4 ounces)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1. Spread **3 cups of iceberg lettuce** from a lettuce bag in a 10-inch serving plate.

2. Take **4 grabs rotisserie chicken (4 ounces)** taking one grab at a time, shredding it into bite-sized pieces, and arranging the chicken on top.

3. Pour **1/4 cup olive oil** over the salad.

4. Sprinkle **1 teaspoon vinegar** over all the ingredients.

5. Add **6 shakes salt.**

6. Add **6 shakes ground black pepper.**

7. Pick chicken with lettuce in every bite.

Variations:

• Cut **1 half-slice of an onion** , chop it, and sprinkle it on top of the lettuce before adding the chicken.

• Wash **1 green bell pepper** , cut one side, cut the side into strips, and add the strips before adding the chicken.

• Wash **1 Roma tomato** , cut the edge with the pith, cut the rest in eights, and distribute them on top of the salad before the oil and vinegar are poured.

• Wash **1 cucumber,** slice a few rounds, and add before pouring the oil and vinegar. Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler before slicing.

• Add **8 pitted black olives** before the oil and vinegar are poured.

• Cut **1 hard-boiled egg** in quarters and distribute it on the salad before the oil and vinegar are poured.

(Back to Lunch at Home Recipes)
Tuna Salad on Romaine Lettuce Leaves

1 serving. 10 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

0.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a low carbohydrate way to eat a tuna salad.

4 romaine lettuce leaves

1 can of tuna (5 ounces)

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

1. Remove **4 romaine lettuce leaves** from a romaine lettuce. Take one and rinse both sides under cold running water. Shake off excess water and place in a bowl to drip. Repeat for all.

2. Dry one of the leaves with a clean paper towel and place it in a serving plate. Repeat for all leaves.

3. Empty **1 can of tuna (5 ounces)** in a mixing bowl without draining. Draining will result in a drier consistency but it is not necessary.

4. Add **3 tablespoons of mayonnaise.**

5. Add **1 teaspoon mustard.**

6. Fold well with the mayonnaise spoon.

7. Serve 1/4 of the tuna in a line along the length of each leaf. Pick one with the tuna inside. Star biting from the narrow end of the lettuce leaf. Fold the wide edge when reaching the end.

Variations:

• Chop **4 pimento-stuffed green olives** and add to the tuna before folding.

• Wash **1 celery stick** , cut the ends and discard them. Cut the celery in half lengthwise twice to quarters, chop the quarters thin, and add before folding.

• Chop **1 small dill pickle** and add before folding.

• Add **4 shakes ground black pepper** before folding.

• Add **4 shakes salt** before folding.

• Chop **4 pickled jalapeno rounds** and add before folding.

• Chop **1 hard-boiled egg** and add it to the bowl before folding.

• Spread **1 cup pre-washed Romaine lettuce** in the plate instead of using Romaine lettuce leaves and put the tuna salad in the center.

(Back to Lunch at Home Recipes)
Chicken Salad on Iceberg Lettuce

1 serving. 5 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

0.3 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is one of the meals to prepare with leftover rotisserie chicken.

1 cup rotisserie chicken meat (5 ounces)

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon mustard

2 cups pre-washed Iceberg lettuce from a bag

1. Dice **1 cup rotisserie chicken meat (5 ounces)** and put it in a mixing bowl.

2. Add **2 tablespoons of mayonnaise.**

3. Add **1/2 teaspoon mustard.**

4. Fold well with the mayonnaise spoon.

5. Spread **2 cups pre-washed Iceberg lettuce from a bag** in a 10-inch serving plate.

6. Serve the chicken salad in the center of the lettuce.

7. Eat with the lettuce.

Variations:

• Chop **1 ounce pecan pieces** and add before folding.

• Add **4 shakes salt** before folding.

• Add **4 shakes ground black pepper** before folding.

• Wash **1 celery stick** , cut the ends and discard them. Cut the celery in half lengthwise, chop it thin, and add before folding.

• Chop **1 small dill pickle** and add before folding.

• Chop **1 half-slice of an onion** and add before folding.

• Chop **4 pickled jalapeno rounds** and add before folding.

(Back to Lunch at Home Recipes)
Caesar Shrimp Wraps

1 serving. 10 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

0.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I was not lucky to visit Disneyland in Los Angeles as a kid. In a trip to an Electronic Equipment Trade Show in Orange County, I stayed at a hotel across the street from Disneyland. I managed to have lunch in one of the Disney restaurants with doors to the outside world where I had the best Caesar salad with shrimp that I had tasted until then. Do not feel sorry for me, I was able to visit Disneyland with my kids a few years later and I tried several of their internal restaurants.

4 ounces frozen cooked peeled shrimp

4 romaine lettuce leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 lime

4 shakes salt

1. Place **4 ounces frozen cooked peeled shrimp** in a large mixing bowl. Fill with cold water.

2. Remove **4 romaine lettuce leaves** from a romaine lettuce. Take one and rinse both sides under running cold water. Shake off excess water and place in a bowl to drip. Repeat for all leaves. Leave the remaining leaves in the lettuce core for future use.

3. Dry one leaf with a clean paper towel on both sides and place it in a serving plate. Repeat for all leaves.

4. Pour **2 tablespoons of olive oil** in a medium-size mixing bowl.

5. Add **1 teaspoon of vinegar.**

6. Add **1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.**

7. Add **1/2 teaspoon of mustard.**

8. Add **1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.**

9. Cut **1 lime** in half and squeeze the juice of both halves on the bowl.

10. Add **4 shakes salt.**

11. Mix all the dressing ingredients well using the same spoon.

12. Separate all the shrimp and remove all external ice. Drain the shrimp. Fill the container with cold water again, rinse, and drain again. Pick the shrimp with your fingers leaving the water behind and add it to the dressing in the bowl. Fold the shrimp with the dressing and coat it well with the dressing.

13. Place 1/5 of the shrimp with dressing on each of the lettuce leaves following the length of the leaves. Spoon more dressing on each leaf and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.

14. Eat by picking up the lettuce leaf with your fingers and start biting from the narrow side. Fold the wider side of the lettuce leaf as it becomes smaller.

Variations:

• Add **4 shakes ground black pepper** before mixing the dressing.

• Add **1 shake garlic powder** before mixing the dressing.

• Spread **1 cup pre-washed Romaine lettuce from a bag** in the plate instead of washing Romaine lettuce leaves and put the shrimp in the center.

• Open **1 can anchovies** and add them in a single line along the line of the lettuce leaves.

(Back to Lunch at Home Recipes)
Lunch at the Office Recipes

I used to go out to lunch. These days I just eat a few pork skins with beef broth. I heat up the broth but it is too hot to sip. I will have the pork skins with water and sip the broth after I have eaten a few pork skins.

To eat out, a good choice was Subway where I used to order a chopped salad with meats. If I was very hungry, I used to order extra meat paying some extra money. I used to do this every Friday at the airport for dinner.

(Back to Lunch at the Office Recipes)
Hot Beef Broth with Salted Pork Skins

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 2 minutes to heat. 3 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Dr. Stephen D. Phinney YouTube video convinced me to add broth to my diet. I prefer beef broth to chicken broth. Apparently, it is good to add salt because in a low carbohydrate diet, the kidneys get back into a normal function, where they do not hold salt anymore. I prefer broth powder to bouillon cubes because it dissolves faster.

I can take pork skins from Walmart and other stores but I found pork skins at Fiesta markets in Houston that have fat attached delicious and not dry.

10 fluid ounces water

1 teaspoon beef broth powder

1 ounce salted pork skins

1. Put **10 fluid ounces water** in the Keurig water receptacle and close the lid. Turn on the coffee maker. Push the brew button. It takes 2 minutes to heat the water. Do the following steps in less than 2 minutes.

2. Place a sleeve in the cup to allow picking it up when it is still hot.

3. Put **1 teaspoon beef broth powder** in a 10-fluid-ounce coffee paper cup. Place the cup under the spout.

4. Take out a bag with at least **1 ounce salted pork skins** and open.

5. When the coffee maker finishes pouring, remove the cup of coffee from the coffee maker and stir with a small spoon.

6. Eat one pork skin at a time accompanied by a sip of the beef broth.

Variations:

• If the broth is too hot to drink, eat the pork skins with water and have the broth later.

(Back to Lunch at the Office Recipes)
Microwaved Rotisserie Chicken

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 1 minute to heat up. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

When I was flying to work in Houston, sometimes I would buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner, eat the legs and wings, and leave the chicken breast in the hotel refrigerator in its original packaging and its plastic grocery bag with a loose knot on top.

The next morning I would take it to work and put it in the office refrigerator. At lunchtime, I could microwave it and eat it if it was still there. The lunch area had plastic utensils and napkins that I could use to eat properly.

1/2 rotisserie chicken (1 pound).

1. Take **1/2 rotisserie chicken (1 pound)** out of the refrigerator, remove it from the grocery bag, place it on a paper plate, remove the lid, put a paper napkin on top, and place it the microwave. Heat it on high for 1 minute.

2. Take the dish out of the microwave oven and eat it using plastic utensils.

(Back to Lunch at the Office Recipes)
Roasted Cornish Hen

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 2 minutes to heat up. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Cornish hens are small hens that weigh about one pound each. They are available frozen at the store. They are not expensive. I used a recipe to roast a turkey from a frozen state that works well and decided to try it on frozen Cornish hens. It also worked great. I can cook six hens at the same time because this is the number that fits in my oven pan. I can eat one for dinner and freeze the rest in one-quart zip lock bags for lunch or dinner in the future. Imagine the surprise of my office friends when they see me pulling a sizzling one-pound Cornish hen from the microwave oven for lunch.

1 cooked frozen Cornish hen (1 pound).

1. Take 1 cooked frozen Cornish hen (1 pound) in its 1-quart zip lock bag out of the freezer and place it in a microwave-safe serving dish. Heat on high for 1 minute to loosen the ice in the bag.

2. Take the dish out of the microwave, place it on a steady surface, open the bag, and turn it over in a serving plate. Get rid of the zip lock bag.

3. Arrange the Cornish hen in the center of the plate, breast side up and place a clean kitchen napkin on top. Place the dish back in the microwave oven and heat on high for 1 more minute.

4. Take the dish out of the microwave oven, remove the paper napkin, and serve.

To roast frozen raw Cornish hens:

6 servings. 5 minutes to prepare. 1.5 hours to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I cook six hens at a time because this is the number that fits in my medium sized pan. If I use my large pan, I might be able to fit eight but I have not tried it.

6 wrapped frozen raw Cornish hens (1 pound each)

24 shakes salt

24 shakes ground black pepper

1. Prepare a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Set the oven at 325°F.

3. Take out a sturdy oven sheet with short walls and cover the bottom with aluminum foil to facilitate cleaning afterwards.

4. Spray with olive oil cooking spray making sure that the cooking spray tip is aligned to the red mark on top and the spraying is done with the can and the pan in a vertical orientation. Put the pan aside.

5. Rinse **6 wrapped frozen Cornish hens (1 pound each)** in cold water in a clean sink to facilitate the removal of the wrapping and any external ice.

6. Remove the outer wrapping with kitchen scissors and throw away.

7. Rinse the unwrapped hens in cold water in the sink and remove all exterior ice.

8. Rinse hands with cold tap water and dry with paper towels.

9. Pick the salter with the dominant hand and use the less dominant hand to manipulate the hens.

10. Season each hen with **4 shakes salt** all around in the sink while they are still wet.

11. Pick the peppershaker with the dominant hand.

12. Season each with **4 shakes ground black pepper** all around in the sink while they are still wet.

13. Place the seasoned frozen hens, breast side up, over the aluminum foil in the pan and put the pan in the oven.

14. Roast until the internal temperature of one of the hens measures 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 90 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer on the breast of one of the hens or inspect the cavity of one of the hens to make sure that the inside is cooked and the juices run clear. If they are not ready, replace the pan back in the oven and check every 15 minutes until they are ready.

15. When they are ready, remove from the oven, place on top of the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let them rest for 30 minutes before serving.

16. Wash both hands with soap.

Variations:

• Melt **2 tablespoons of butter** in the microwave oven for 15 seconds and brush on the skin of the hens after 30 minutes of roasting to obtain a crispier skin.

• Use **poultry seasoning** in addition to the salt and ground black pepper or instead of the ground black pepper while they are still wet in the kitchen sink.

• Use **dried thyme** in addition to the salt and ground black pepper or instead of the ground black pepper while they are still wet in the kitchen sink.

• Use **dried rosemary** in addition to the salt and ground black pepper or instead of the ground black pepper while they are still wet in the kitchen sink.

(Back to Lunch at the Office Recipes)
Subway Chopped Salads

1 serving. 1 minute to order. 5 minutes to wait. 1 ingredient. Easy.

9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I like several of the Subway salads. I order all the vegetables and I get about 3 cups of salad vegetables in a salad plate that can barely be closed. I usually have them with oil, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper. Avoiding the bread keeps me from consuming 40 grams of carbohydrate. If I am very hungry, I will order double meat paying a little bit more.

Most of the Subway salads are below 12 grams of net carbohydrate and fit the lunch 12-gram net carb objective. They are listed below. The following salads are not below 12 grams: Corned Beef Reuben Salad (15 grams), Meatball Marinara Salad (21 grams), and Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Salad (30 grams).

The salads can be ordered chopped but I prefer the larger pieces of vegetables and meats.

1 Subway Salad

1. Order **1 Subway Salad** that is below 12 grams of net carbohydrate. Say "no thank you" when they offer saltine crackers.

Variations:

• **Subway Turkey Breast Salad** : 9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Black Forest Ham Salad** : 9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Chicken and Bacon Ranch Salad** : 11.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Cold Cut Combo Salad** : 9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Italian B.M.T. (Registered Mark) Salad** : 9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Oven Roasted Chicken Salad** : 9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Roast Beef Salad** : 8.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Rotisserie Style Chicken Salad** : 8.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Spicy Italian Salad** : 9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Steak and Cheese Salad** : 12.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Subway Club (Registered Mark) Salad** : 9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Tuna Salad:** 7.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

• **Veggie Delite (Registered Mark) Salad:** 7.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

(Back to Lunch at the Office Recipes)
McDonald's Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad

1 serving. 1 minute to order. 5 minutes to wait. 1 ingredient. Easy.

6.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is the only salad with protein at McDonalds that is below the 12-gram guideline for net carbohydrate. The Bacon Ranch Salad with Buttermilk Crispy Chicken has 24 grams, the Southwest Buttermilk Crispy Chicken has 38 grams, and the Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad has 21 grams. This proves that even for salads, the net carbohydrate content has to be checked.

1 McDonald's Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad

1. Order **1 McDonald's Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad.**

2. Eat it.

(Back to Lunch at the Office Recipes)
TGI Fridays Cobb Salad

1 serving. 1 minute to order. 10 minutes to wait. 1 ingredient. Easy.

10.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I remember my first visit to TGI Fridays in Austin and spotting a Cobb salad. Hey! I thought. I can have one of those! This happened at a time when I was not yet thinking low carb. The salad has romaine lettuce, kale, smoked bacon, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, tomatoes, avocado, red onions, crumbled blue cheese, and green goddess dressing on the side. The title in the menu was as follows:

1 Million Dollar Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken (lunch portion) and Green Goddess Dressing

1. Order a **1 Million Dollar Cobb with Grilled Chicken (lunch portion) and Green Goddess Dressing**

2. Eat it.

(Back to Lunch at the Office Recipes)
Mid-Afternoon Snack Recipes

If I skipped breakfast and lunch, I may be hungry when I get to the car at the office parking lot for the drive home. It is a one-hour commute.

I have sugar-free chewing gum and nuts in the car to snack in the way home. I put a good podcast in my phone and start driving to get home. When I arrive, I am not hungry anymore and I can go to the gym before preparing dinner.

Acceptable low carbohydrate snacks are almonds or pecans. Macadamia nuts are better and they were Dr. Atkins favorite but they are expensive.

Peanuts, cashews, and pistachios are a little higher in carbs so they have to be more limited.

The one that works the best for me because of the work that needs to be done to eat them is pumpkin seeds. I do not like the dried out versions at convenience stores. I have to go to Sprouts, a health food supermarket, to get the plump ones with salt that are available in bulk.

(Back to Mid-Afternoon Snack Recipes)
Sugar-Free Chewing Gum

1 serving. 0 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

2.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Sugar-free chewing gum is still a high carbohydrate snack with 2.0 grams of carbohydrate. The main ingredient is sorbitol. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that raises blood sugar less than table sugar but it is not neutral. For this reason, it is included in Dr. Bernstein list of stealth sugars. I limit myself to one stick of gum per hour, having one in the car on my way to work and one on my way home before switching to almonds or pecans. I also have the rule of not chewing gum outside of the car.

1 sugar-free chewing gum stick

1. Take 1 sugar-free chewing gum stick and from its container. Remove the aluminum foil wrapping. Start chewing.

(Back to Mid-Afternoon Snack Recipes)
Almonds

1 serving. 0 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

2.5 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Almonds are high in magnesium. Sometimes I substitute them for pecans to eat in the car on my way home from the office. I have a nut rule: only one at a time.

1 ounce almonds (23 kernels)

1. Open a bag containing **1 ounce almonds (23 kernels)** and pick one.

2. Put it in your mouth.

3. Chew it until it becomes almond butter.

4. Swallow it.

5. Repeat for another kernel.

6. Close the bag when finished without exceeding 23 kernels.

Variations:

• Use **1 ounce flavored almonds (23 kernels)** available in several flavors but check the net carbohydrate impact of the flavoring before buying. My favorite is the smoke flavor.

(Back to Mid-Afternoon Snack Recipes)
Pecans

1 serving. 0 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

1.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Pecans are cheaper than macadamia nuts and they have similar amounts of fat and net carbohydrate. Macadamia nuts were Dr. Atkins favorite. I usually eat them in the car in my way home from the office. They take away some of the hunger allowing me to prepare dinner more calmly or to go to the gym before dinner. The rule I use to eat nuts is that I can only have one at a time in my hand, only one in my mouth, and swallow the one in my mouth only when it is nut butter. I also do not exceed one ounce, 19 halves, in one trip.

1 ounce pecan halves (19 halves)

1. Open a bag containing **1 ounce pecan halves (19 halves)** and pick one.

2. Put it in your mouth.

3. Chew it until it becomes pecan butter.

4. Swallow it.

5. Repeat for another pecan half.

6. Close the bag when finished without exceeding 19 halves.

Variations:

1. Use **1 ounce pecan halves (19 halves) roasted and salted** but do not use honey or sugar coated pecans.

(Back to Mid-Afternoon Snack Recipes)
Pumpkin Seeds

1 serving. 0 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

1.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Pumpkin seeds with shells can be bought at any convenience store but they are usually too salty and too thin. I prefer to get them bulk at Sprouts, a health food supermarket. These are lightly salted and very plump.

This is my favorite snack in the car, where I pop on seed in my mouth, I have acquired the skill to break it, extract the inside with my tongue, and take out the peel to place in an empty coffee cup.

They keep me awake while driving.

They have a lot of magnesium and fiber and they are low carbohydrate.

Sunflower seeds are also good but they are smaller.

I do not buy the peeled pumpkin seeds that come roasted, with salt, and sometimes with chili powder. If I buy them, I would eat too many.

1 ounce salted roasted unshelled pumpkin seeds

1. Open a bag containing **1 ounce salted roasted unshelled pumpkin seeds** and pick one.

2. Put it in your mouth.

3. Remove the peel using teeth and tongue.

4. Remove the peel from the mouth and put it in an empty coffee cup.

5. Chew and eat the inside.

6. Repeat for another seed.

6. Close the bag when finished.

Variations:

1. Use **1 ounce salted roasted unshelled sunflower seeds.**

(Back to Mid-Afternoon Snack Recipes)
Dinner Appetizer Recipes

A dinner appetizer is the food that I start eating while preparing dinner. I like the appetizers to be low carbohydrate vegetables without protein in order not to spoil dinner.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Iceberg Lettuce with Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is my most common dinner appetizer because I can have it ready in 2 minutes. I am usually eating it while I prepare dinner. Balsamic vinegar has 2.7 grams of carbohydrate per tablespoon. I could use apple cider, wine, or white vinegar to reduce the net carbohydrate count but I like balsamic vinegar too much to change. I like to buy packages of pre-washed lettuce. They are cold in the refrigerator ready to eat. I only have one or two bags because they spoil fast. I can put the lettuce in a plate and add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. I can add variety to the salad with tomatoes, onions, cheese, hams, green olives, and black olives.

3 cups of pre-washed Iceberg lettuce from a bag

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1. Grab **3 cups of pre-washed Iceberg lettuce from a bag** and spread them in a 10-inch flat serving plate.

2. Drizzle with **1 tablespoon olive oil.**

3. Drizzle with **1 teaspoon vinegar.**

4. Season with **6 shakes salt.**

5. Add **6 shakes ground black pepper.**

6. Eat before or with dinner.

Variations:

• Chop **1 half-slice of an onion** and add before adding olive oil and vinegar.

• Wash **1 Roma tomato** , cut a slice to remove the pith, cut in eights, and distribute them on top of the lettuce before adding the olive oil.

• Wash **1 green bell pepper.** Cut one side. Cut the side into strips and add them on top of the lettuce before adding the olive oil.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Romaine Lettuce with Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

2.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a variation of my favorite appetizer. This is a salad that I might have before dinner or while cooking dinner.

1 bag of pre-washed Romaine lettuce

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 shakes Parmesan cheese.

1. Open 1 bag of pre-washed Romaine lettuce.

2. Fill one medium serving plate with lettuce in one layer, about 3 cups.

3. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

4. Season with 6 shakes Parmesan cheese.

5. Eat before or while cooking dinner.

Variations:

• Wash **4 Romaine lettuce leaves** and use instead of the bag of pre-washed Romaine lettuce following this procedure. Remove four romaine lettuce leaves from a romaine lettuce. Take one and rinse both sides under cold running water. Shake off excess water and place in a bowl to drip. Repeat for all. Dry one of the leaves with a clean paper towel and place it in a serving plate. Repeat for all leaves. Drizzle the olive oil and season with Parmesan cheese along the lines of the leaves.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Cucumber with Lime, Salt, and Paprika

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

3.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This appetizer can be bought in the streets outside of Mexico schools. The danger of a stomach ache is low because the lime juice kills the germs.

1 cucumber

1 lime

6 shakes salt

6 shakes paprika

1. Wash **1 cucumber** with cold tap water and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Slice it and spread the rounds in a serving plate.

2. Cut **1 lime** in half and squeeze the juice on the cucumber using a lime plier squeezer.

3. Season with **6 shakes salt.**

4. Add **6 shakes paprika.**

5. Eat before or with dinner.

Variations:

• The cucumber can be eaten without peeling if it is washed well, wiped, and dried with a clean paper towel.

• Use **olive oil, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper** instead of lime, salt, and paprika.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Coleslaw

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

2.5 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Buy a bag of cabbage already pre-washed and shredded but use it quickly because it spoils fast.

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 squirt stevia extract

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1 cup shredded cabbage from a bag

1. Add **2 tablespoons mayonnaise** to a large mixing bowl.

2. Add **1 teaspoon mustard.**

3. Add **1 tablespoon vinegar.**

4. Add **1 squirt stevia extract.**

5. Add **6 shakes salt.**

6. Add **6 shakes ground black pepper.**

7. Mix well with a spoon.

8. Add **1 cup shredded cabbage from a bag** and mix with the same spoon.

9. Toss the salad with two large spoons and place on a serving plate leaving excess liquid behind.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Raw Cabbage with Oil and Vinegar

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

2.5 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Buy a bag of cabbage already shredded but use it quickly because it spoils fast.

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1. Place **1 cup shredded cabbage** in a large mixing bowl.

2. Pour **1/4 cup olive oil** all around.

3. Sprinkle **1 teaspoon vinegar.**

4. Add **6 shakes salt.**

5. Add **6 shakes ground black pepper.**

6. Toss the salad with two large spoons and place on a serving plate leaving excess liquid behind.

Variations:

• Cut **1 side green bell pepper** , remove all the seeds and white material, cut in short sticks, and add.

• Chop **1 half-slice onion** and add.

• Slice **1 radish** and add.

• For a Mexican version, wash **1 grab cilantro leaves** , chop them and add before tossing.

• For a Mexican version, wash **1 fresh jalapeno pepper** , cut the sides leaving the seeds and white material behind. Slice the sides in long strips and add before tossing. This can be quite spicy depending on the origin of the jalapeno pepper. If the jalapeno pepper is too hot, eat the salad and leave the pepper sticks in the plate. When slicing spicy peppers, the pepper spiciness can get in the hands, eyes, and nose. Always wash hands after handling hot chili peppers and do not touch eyes or nose.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Black Olives

2 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

5.5 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Black olives come in cans that are easy to open and they do not need a can opener. I can have them served in less than 1 minute.

1 can black olives (14.5 ounces)

1. Prepare 2 small serving bowls.

2. Open **1 can black olives (14.5 ounces)** and drain it in the kitchen sink using the lid.

3. Split the drained olives in the two serving bowls.

4. Eat with a small fork.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Canned Green Beans with Mayonnaise

2 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to warm up. 2 ingredients. Easy.

3.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

A low carbohydrate vegetable improves with mayo.

1 can green beans (14.5 fluid ounces)

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1. Open **1 can green beans (14.5 fluid ounces)** and drain it in the kitchen sink using the lid to hold the green beans.

2. Place the drained green beans in a large serving bowl.

3. Add **1 tablespoon mayonnaise** and fold.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Artichokes with Mayonnaise and Mustard Sauce

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a low carbohydrate vegetable that has to be prepared in advanced but it makes a great dinner appetizer. I find artichokes cooked with salt and a bay leaf good enough to eat without dressing but the dressing is a great way to add fat.

1 boiled artichoke

1. Take **1 boiled artichoke** out of the refrigerator. Remove the plastic covering.

2. Place an empty large serving dish on the side to place the leaves after eating.

3. To eat, take one leaf from the outside of the artichoke and place it between your slightly clenched teeth with the meaty part down. Remove the meaty part by pulling the leaf with your and having the teeth loosely closed to leave the meaty portion in your mouth.

4. When you get to the heart, remove the fuzzy top layer, and enjoy pure heart.

Variations:

• Combine **1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon mustard, 4 shakes salt, and 4 shakes ground black pepper** in a cup and mix well. Pour in a bowl for dipping. Dip each leaf in the dressing before putting in your mouth.

To Boil Artichokes:

3 servings. 3 minutes to prepare. 1 hour to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

My large pot fits three large artichokes or four medium-sized.

1 quart water

1 tablespoon salt

1 bay leaf

3 large artichokes

1. Place **1 quart water** in a large pot on high heat.

2. Add **1 tablespoon salt** to the water.

3. Add **1 bay leaf** to the water.

4. When the water starts to boil, stir to make sure that all of the salt is dissolved.

5. Cut the stems of **3 large artichokes** flush with the bottoms. Cut 1/4 inch of the tips if they have thorns. Rinse them with cold tap water and leave them in the sink.

6. Place the artichokes in the boiling water with the bottom down. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover.

7. Cook until an artichoke leaf can be easily removed, about 1 hour.

8. Pick an artichoke with a slotted spoon and place in a small serving to cool off and to serve.

9. Eat according to the instructions above.

10. Wrap leftover artichokes with Saran wrap and place them in the refrigerator to eat as an appetizer in next dinner.

(Back to Dinner Appetizer Recipes)
Dinner Recipes

Dinner is better prepared at home, where I am not tempted by bread, rice, beans, tortillas, potatoes, and other carbohydrate fillers that are always served in restaurants.

A large salad followed by a portion of meat cooked in butter and oil makes a dinner for me. I try to add a serving of a cooked vegetable but most of time the salad is enough.

I can have a meat entry, a buttered low carbohydrate vegetable, a large salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and I feel that I ate at the most expensive restaurant in town for one third of the cost and in half of the time.

Cooking dinner is simple with butter. I can melt one tablespoon of butter, add one tablespoon of olive oil, place the pan on high heat, and cook any steak 2 minutes on each side.

For a low carbohydrate vegetable, I can put a vegetable in a pan with some water for steaming and a lid. In about 15 minutes, depending on the hardness of the vegetable, I get rid of the water, add butter, and salt in the same pan.

Every couple of weeks I am able to cook outside on charcoal. When I do this, I cook several pounds of different meats. I eat grilled meat that night with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapeño peppers, and avocados and save the extra meat in zip-lock plastic bags in the freezer. I heat them one minute in the microwave to loosen the bag. I place the meat in a microwave-safe plate and heat for another minute. They taste like if they had been smoked that same day.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Ground Beef with Broccoli

2 servings. 5 minutes to prepare. 15 minutes to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

8.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a recipe similar to the popular Chinese dish of beef and broccoli but using ground beef.

1 pound frozen cut broccoli

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Place a **1 pound frozen cut broccoli** in a microwave oven and cook according to the package directions, about 5 minutes on high.

2. Brown **1 pound ground beef** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet under high heat, breaking the meat with a turner and cooking evenly.

3. When the meat is cooked, turn off the heat, move the meat to one side of the pan, and tilt the pan with the meat on the upper side. Remove the fat from the lower side with a small spoon placing the fat in a ceramic cup to cool off.

4. When the broccoli finishes cooking, cut the microwave bag on one side being careful with the steam and add the broccoli from the microwave oven bag to the ground beef. Turn the heat to high. Fold.

5. Season with **1 tablespoon soy sauce.**

6. Keep on folding and when it is well mixed, turn off the heat, and serve.

Variations:

• Mince **1 half-slice of an onion** and add it before the broccoli is added. Mix it well with the browned meat.

• Cut the root end of **1 garlic clove**. Smash it with the side of the knife. Remove the peel. Dice it and add it before the broccoli is added. Mix it well with the browned meat.

• Season with **salt and ground black pepper** instead of soy sauce.

• Use **1 pound fresh cut broccoli** instead of frozen cut broccoli by boiling it for 10 minutes before adding it to the ground beef.

• Use **1 pound fresh cut broccoli** from a microwaveable bag instead of frozen cut broccoli by cooking it according to the package directions, about 5 minutes in high, before adding it to the ground beef.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Ground Beef Mexican Style

2 servings. 5 minutes to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

4.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

The Mexican name for this dish is "picadillo." It means, "Minced." It is ground beef prepared with low carbohydrate vegetables.

1 pound ground beef

1 half-slice of an onion

1 Roma tomato

1 bell pepper side

8 shakes salt

8 shakes ground black pepper

1. Brown **1 pound ground beef** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet on high heat.

2. When the meat is cooked, turn off the heat. Move the meat to one side of the pan and tilt the pan with the meat on the upper side. Remove the fat from the lower side with a small spoon placing the fat in a ceramic cup to cool off.

3. Dice **1 half-slice of an onion** and add it to the pan.

4. Dice **1 Roma tomato** and add it to the pan.

5. Wash **1 bell pepper** and cut 1 side. Dice the side and add it to the pan.

6. Add **8 shakes salt.**

7. Add **8 shakes ground black pepper.**

8. Place the pan on high heat.

9. Fold until the vegetables are cooked, about 5 minutes, and serve.

Variations:

• To add spiciness, dice **5 pickled jalapeno pepper rounds** and add them after the bell pepper.

• Cut the root end of **1 garlic clove.** Smash it with the side of the knife. Remove the peel. Dice and add before adding the onions.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Ground Beef with Spinach and Mushrooms

2 servings. 5 minutes to prepare. 15 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

8.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a recipe similar to the popular Japanese Sukiyaki but using ground beef.

1 pound frozen leaf spinach bag

1 pound ground beef

4 ounces raw sliced mushrooms

1 stalk celery

1 half-slice of an onion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Place a **1 pound frozen leaf spinach bag** in a microwave oven and cook according to the package directions, about 5 minutes on high.

2. Brown **1 pound ground beef** in a large non-stick skillet under high heat.

3. When the meat is cooked, turn the heat off, move the meat to one side of the pan, and tilt the pan with the meat on the upper side. Remove the fat from the lower side with a small spoon placing it in a ceramic cup to cool off.

4. Open **4 ounces raw sliced mushrooms** from the top and grab the sliced mushrooms to add to the meat. Do not turn the package over to void dropping any dirt from the package. Mix with meat.

5. Remove **1 celery stalk** from a celery head. Wash it. Cut in slices and add to the meat.

6. Separate **1 half-slice of an onion** into slices and add.

7. When the spinach is cooked, add it to the meat.

8. Season with **2 tablespoons soy sauce.**

9. Turn the heat to high and fold until the onion, mushrooms, and celery are cooked. Serve.

Variations:

• Season with **salt and ground black pepper** instead of soy sauce.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Pan-Fried Hamburger Patties with Lettuce and Tomatoes

1 serving, 3 minutes to prepare. 6 minutes to cook. 8 ingredients. Easy.

5.1 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Beef patties already made are convenient but they may have carbohydrate adders. Check that the content is pure beef. This is a recipe for a quick bun-less hamburger.

1 cup iceberg lettuce from a bag

1 half-slice of an onion

1 Roma tomato

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 shakes salt

8 shakes ground black pepper

2 beef patties (3 ounces each)

1. Spread **1 cup iceberg lettuce from a bag** in a 10-inch serving plate.

2. Separate **1 half-slice of an onion** into pieces and spread on the lettuce.

3. Wash **1 Roma tomato**. Slice it, cut the slices in quarters place on top of the lettuce.

4. Put **1 tablespoon of mayonnaise** distributed on top of the tomato slices.

5. Put **1 tablespoon of mustard** distributed on top of the mayonnaise.

6. Season the vegetables with salt and ground black pepper.

7. Heat **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in 10-inch non-stick skillet on high heat. When it starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl to distribute in the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a cold burner.

8. Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** and swirl again to mix the oil with the butter. Return to a cold burner.

9. Open a package with **2 beef patties (3 ounces each).**

10. Add **2 shakes salt** to each patty.

11. Add **2 shakes ground black pepper** to each patty.

12. Place on the pan with the seasoned side down on the oil and butter.

13. Add **salt and ground black pepper** on the other side.

14. Place the pan in the hot burner and turn the heat to high.

15. When they start sizzling, turn them over and lower the heat to medium.

16. Place a lid half closed on the pan to hold any spattering but let the humidity escape.

17. Flip as many times as necessary until desired doneness on both sides.

18. When the patties are done, place then on top of the vegetables.

19. Eat with a knife and fork. Cut a piece of the meat. Add tomato, onion, or lettuce to the fork. Dip in the mayonnaise or mustard, or both before taking the whole thing to your mouth.

Variations:

• Add **6 pickled jalapeno slices** on top of the patties.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Pan-Fried Mini Hamburger Patties with Lettuce and Tomatoes

2 servings, 3 minutes to prepare. 6 minutes to cook. 8 ingredients. Easy.

5.1 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

73% ground beef in one-pound tubes is the cheapest and can be cut in mini beef patties. It has enough fat to not need it to be cooked, to render it while cooking, and still remain juicy. The result is surprisingly good. This ground beef has 27% fat. This means that in 100 grams of beef, 27 grams will be fat. Keep in mind that a ribeye steak is 22% fat. It is more marbled that a ribeye steak.

1 cup iceberg pre-washed lettuce from a bag

1 onion half-slice

1 small Roma tomato (123 grams)

8 shakes salt

8 shakes ground black pepper

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mustard

1 pound ground beef tube (27% fat)

1. Spread **1 cup pre-washed iceberg lettuce from a bag** in a 10-inch serving plate.

2. Dice **1 onion half-slice** and sprinkle it around the lettuce in a circle.

3. Take **1 small Roma tomato (123 grams)** out of the refrigerator, wash it with cold water, and place it in a vegetable cutting table. Cut a slice on the top end to remove the pith. Cut the tomato lengthwise in half twice to obtain quarters. Cut the quarters in half to obtain eights. Distribute the tomato eights on top of the lettuce around in a circle. Make four cuts around the pith in the pith slice to maximize the tomato utilization. Throw away the pith center. Throw the four pieces from the pith end on top of the salad.

4. Season with **salt and ground black pepper.**

5. Put **1 tablespoon of mayonnaise** distributed in four dabs at 12, 3, 6, and 9 of the clock.

6. Put **1 tablespoon of mustard** distributed in four points between the mayonnaise dabs.

7. Place a **1 pound ground beef tube (27% fat)** in a meat cutting board with the plastic fold to the bottom. Slice it in one-inch thick slices starting with a sharp point to cut the plastic on top and a sharp knife to cut all the way down through the plastic in the bottom.

8. Pick one beef patty, remove the plastic, form in a good patty shape, and place in a 10-inch non-stick pan in a cold burner. Repeat for all slices.

9. Add **1 shake salt** to each patty.

10. Add **1 shake ground black pepper** to each patty.

11. Place the pan on high heat. There is no need to add oil since the ground beef patties will render their own fat.

12. When they start sizzling, turn them over and lower the heat to medium.

13. Add 1 shake salt to each patty.

14. Add 1 shake ground black pepper to each patty.

15. Place a lid half closed on the pan to hold any spattering but let the humidity escape if necessary.

16. Flip as many times as necessary until desired doneness on both sides.

17. When the patties are done, place three in the center of the vegetables.

18. Eat with a knife and fork. Cut a piece of the meat. Add tomato, onion, or lettuce before taking the whole thing to your mouth.

Variations:

• Add **6 pickled jalapeno slices** on top of the patties.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Pan-Fried Sirloin Steak

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 6 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

A steak with salt and butter is one of the best and simplest dishes to cook. The olive oil keeps the butter from burning. Coconut oil can be used instead of olive oil. I do not use seed oils.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sirloin steak (8 ounces)

8 shakes salt

1. Heat **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in 10-inch non-stick skillet on high heat. When it starts to sizzle, pick up the pan and swirl to distribute in the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a cold burner.

2. Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** and swirl again to mix the oil with the butter. Return to a cold burner.

3. Open **1 sirloin steak (8 ounces)** package to expose the steak.

4. Season the top with **4 shakes salt.**

5. Place the steak in the butter and oil mixture with the seasoned side down.

6. Season the unseasoned side with **4 shakes salt.**

7. Return the pan to high heat.

8. When the steak starts sizzling, turn the steak over. Sear both sides of the steak until brown, about 3 minutes per side for medium. Remove the pan from high heat temporarily if necessary to avoid burning the butter. Serve.

Variations:

• Add **1 tablespoon butter** to the pan on high heat and use it to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan. When it is all melted and well mixed, pour on top of the steak.

• Pour **2 tablespoons of red wine** after melting the butter in the variation above on high heat and reduce until syrupy before pouring over the steak.

• Add **2 tablespoons heavy cream** after melting the butter in the variation above on high heat and mix well before pouring over the steak.

• Add **4 shakes ground black pepper** after the salt on both sides.

• Use **1 Ribeye steak (8 ounces)** instead of a sirloin steak. They are more expensive but they are softer and have a higher content of fat.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Pan-Fried Tilapia Fish Fillets with Butter

1 serving, 3 minutes to prepare. 6 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

If I only want to make a couple of fish fillets, this is a delicious way to prepare them. I have a package of frozen tilapia fillets in the freezer that I cook when desired.

2 individually packed frozen tilapia fish fillets (3 ounces each)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

8 shakes salt

8 shakes ground black pepper

1. Place **2 individually packed frozen tilapia fish fillets (3 ounces each)** in a large bowl and cover with cold water to defrost. Add one more fillet if it will fit in one layer in a 10-inch non-stick pan.

2. Place **1 tablespoon butter** in a 10-inch non-stick pan over high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, swirl the pan to melt all the butter and cover the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and place the pan in a cold burner.

3. Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** to the butter, swirl to mix well, and return to a cold burner.

4. Cut one fish wrapping using kitchen scissors, take the fillet out, rinse it with cold running water from the faucet, let the water drip for a few seconds, and place it flat side down on a 10-inch plate for seasoning. Repeat for the other fillet placing it in the plate without overlapping. When all the fillets are in the plate, drain the plate in the sink holding the fillets with your hand.

5. Season the top side with **4 shakes salt and 4 shakes ground black pepper.**

6. Place the fillets in the pan with the flat side up and without overlapping.

7. Season the other side with **4 shakes salt and 4 shakes ground black pepper.**

8. Place the pan in the burner over high heat. When the fillets start to sizzle, carefully slide a turner underneath one of them to make sure it is not stuck to the pan. Repeat for the other fillets. Move the fillets around by swirling the pan.

9. When the fillets look white on the edges, carefully slide the turner below one fillet, hold the top with a wooden spoon, and pick it up. Turn over the fillet to be back in the pan with the uncooked portion on the pan. Repeat for the other fillets.

10. Swirl the pan to make sure the fillets are not stuck. Put back on high heat for 2 minutes.

11. When ready, slide the fillets in a serving plate without overlapping.

Variations:

• Pour the olive oil and butter left in the pan on top of the fillets.

• Squeeze **1/2 lime** on top of the fillets.

• Add **1 tablespoon butter** to the olive oil and butter and melt under high heat. When it starts to sizzle, squeeze **1/2 lime.** Mix well with a turner. When it starts bubbling, pour the sauce on top of the fish.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Roasted Chicken Wings

4 servings. 2 minutes to prepare. 30 minutes to bake. 2 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I like to roast chicken wings covering the surface of my large pan. This is about 2 pounds. I can freeze the extra cooked wings after they are cooked. To reheat cooked chicken wings, I place them in a microwave-safe plate, cover them with a paper napkin, and heat them for 2 minutes on high. Spraying the pan with olive oil spray is critical because the wings will stick to the foil.

2 pounds frozen chicken wings

16 shakes salt

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Set the oven to 350°F.

3. Take out a sturdy oven sheet with short walls and cover with an aluminum foil sheet large enough to cover the bottom and the walls of the pan. Push the foil against the corners of the bottom and wrap and around the walls.

4. Align the tip of an olive oil cooking spray with the red mark in the can. Shake well. Lift one side of the covered pan to set it vertical and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Place the pan next to the sink.

5. Open a **2 pound bag frozen chicken wings** and dump them in a clean sink.

6. Wash them in the kitchen sink with cold tap water to remove external ice and separate the pieces. If it is not possible to separate all the pieces with cold tap water, leave them and separate them later.

7. Add **16 shakes salt** while they are still wet in the sink.

8. Place the frozen and seasoned wings in the pan and in the oven and cook until fully defrosted, about 15 minutes.

9. Remove the pan from oven. Using kitchen tongs, turn the wings over to cook the other side. Separate all the wings. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more.

10. Take the pan out of the oven and place on top.

11. Place the wings on a serving plate if they are ready. Bake for 15 minutes more if necessary.

12. Turn off the oven.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Stir Fry Chicken

1 serving. 10 minutes to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 9 ingredients. Easy.

8.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a recipe from the Chinese buffet. Add rotisserie chicken to some low carbohydrate vegetables. This is a good recipe to use dry chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken and all the leftovers.

1/2 pound frozen cut broccoli florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 half-slice of an onion

1 celery stalk

1 side green bell pepper

1 grab of sliced mushrooms

1 grab of shredded cabbage

1/2 rotisserie chicken

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1. Put **1/2 pound frozen cut broccoli florets** in the microwave on high and cook according to the package directions, about 5 minutes.

2. Pour **1 tablespoon of olive** **oil** in a 10-inch frying pan. Swirl the pan to distribute the oil and place it in a cold burner.

3. Dice **1 half-slice of an onion** in a vegetable cutting board and add.

4. Wash **1 celery stalk** , slice it, and add.

5. Wash **1 bell pepper** , cut one side, dice it, and add it to the pan.

6. Take **1 grab sliced mushrooms** from the top of the mushrooms and add.

7. Add **1 grab of shredded cabbage** from a pre-washed shredded cabbage bag.

8. Turn the heat to high. When the vegetables start to sizzle, stir until cooked, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat off.

9. Add the broccoli from the microwave bag.

10. Take **1/2 rotisserie chicken** out of the refrigerator, remove the meat, and add to the vegetables.

11. Add **1 tablespoon of soy sauce.**

12. Turn the heat on and stir to mix the vegetables with the chicken and soy sauce. When the food starts to sizzle, it is ready to serve.

Variations:

• Add **1 shake garlic powder.**

• Cut the root end of **1 garlic clove**. Smash it with the side of the knife. Remove the peel. Dice it and add it before the broccoli. Mix it well. Do not use garlic powder if a garlic clove was used.

• Add **3 shakes ground ginger.**

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Stir Fry Pork

1 serving. 5 minutes to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 8 ingredients. Easy.

8.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Another recipe from the Chinese buffet.

8 ounces pork meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 half-slice of an onion

1 celery stalk

1 side green bell pepper

1 ounce of sliced mushrooms

1 grab of shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1. Cut **8 ounces pork meat** into strips in a meat cutting board.

2. Pour **1 tablespoon of olive** in a 10-inch frying pan. Swirl the pan to distribute the oil. Add the pork strips in a single layer and place it in a burner on high heat.

3. When the pork starts to sizzle, turn it over with kitchen tongs and turn off the heat.

4. Dice **1 half-slice of an onion** and add.

5. Wash **1 celery stalk** , slice it, and add.

6. Wash **1 bell pepper,** cut one side, dice it, and add.

7. Grab **1 ounce sliced mushrooms** and add.

8. Add **1 grab of shredded cabbage** from a pre-washed shredded cabbage bag.

9. Add **1 tablespoon of soy sauce.**

10. Turn the heat to high. When the food starts to sizzle, fold to mix well.

11. Cover and cook until the cabbage is done, about 5 minutes.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Pork Spareribs

4 servings. 10 minutes to prepare. 2 hours to roast. 3 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I like to roast pork ribs. They are usually inexpensive and the cooked ribs are savory.

1 pork ribs rack package (about 4 pounds)

16 shakes salt

16 shakes ground black pepper

1. Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Set the oven to roast at 275° Fahrenheit.

3. Prepare a sheet of extra wide aluminum foil large enough to cover the rib rack all around and seal, about 2.5 times on its widest section.

4. Open **1 pork ribs rack package (about 4 pounds)** in the sink. Remove the packaging.

5. Wash with cold tap water.

6. Season the top with **8 shakes salt** while they are still wet.

7. Add **8 shakes ground black pepper** while they are still wet.

8. Flip over and season the other side with **8 more shakes of salt and ground black pepper.**

9. Place the ribs in the center of the aluminum foil sheet with the meat side down. Wrap the aluminum foil and make a small fold on top to seal. Seal the two extremes.

10. Place in a pan large enough to contain the rack.

11. Place the pan in rack in the middle of the oven.

12. Roast until ready, about 2 hours.

13. Take the pan out of the oven and place on top of the oven.

14. Place the ribs on a clean cutting board to cut them individually and serve.

15. Turn off the oven.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Shrimp with Bacon

1 serving, 3 minutes to prepare. 6 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a combination of flavors from stuffed shrimp but avoiding the trouble of stuffing.

4 ounces of frozen peeled cooked shrimp

6 half-slices bacon

2 slices Swiss cheese

1. Put **4 ounces frozen peeled cooked shrimp** in a container with cold water to defrost.

2. Place **6 half-slices bacon** on a cutting board on top of each other. Dice them by cutting from the edge in 1/8 inch cuts.

3. Place the diced bacon in a 10-inch non-stick frying pan over high heat. When the bacon starts to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium. Use a turner to spread it and turn it over until it is all crispy and all the fat has been rendered.

4. Drain the shrimp. Fill the container will cold water and drain again. If the shrimp is not defrosted, fill with water and drain again until the shrimp reaches the temperature of the water. Drain one final time. Pick the drained shrimp with your fingers and place it on the bacon.

5. Continue sautéing until the shrimp reaches the temperature of the vegetables. Place in a microwave-safe serving plate and spread in a single layer.

6. Cut **2 slices Swiss cheese** with your fingers in four pieces and place one piece on each shrimp.

7. Place in the microwave oven and heat on high for one minute, for the cheese to melt.

8. Serve hot.

(Back to Dinner Recipes)
Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes

I start dinner with a 3-cup salad, start broiling the meat, and sometimes I force myself to prepare a side vegetable. Most of the time I do not get that far and my salad would be the only vegetable plate.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Microwave Fresh Green Beans

3 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 4 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Fresh green beans taste good even without salt. I would like to add olive oil or butter but it is convenient to serve them straight from the bag to the serving plate that is not worth dirtying another dish. Make sure that the instructions on the bag allow cooking in a microwavable oven. This would mean the plastic of the bag is safe to place in the microwave oven and it will not melt.

1 bag fresh pre-washed green beans (12 ounces)

1. Take **1 bag fresh pre-washed green beans** **(12 ounces)** out of the refrigerator.

2. Make a hole in the bag with a knife in one side of the bag.

3. Place the bag in a flat microwave-safe plate with the hole to the top.

4. Cook according to package directions, about 4 minutes on high.

5. Cut the top of the bag with kitchen scissors being careful not to burn your fingers with the steam. Pick a few green bean strings with kitchen tongs and place them in the serving plate.

6. Save the left over green beans in the refrigerator in a zip-lock bag to be eaten later cold or warmed up for 30 seconds in high.

Variations:

• Add **6 shakes salt** in the serving plate.

• Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** in the serving plate before adding salt.

• Melt **1 tablespoon butter** on a small frying pan and add it top in the serving plate.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Mushrooms with Butter

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 5 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

3.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

A low carbohydrate vegetable cooked fast in butter.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ounce pre-sliced mushrooms

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1. Put **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet and place it on high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick the pan and swirl it to melt the butter and cover the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a cold burner to avoid burning the butter.

2. Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** to the butter and swirl to mix well.

3. Add **6 shakes salt** to the oil and butter mixture.

4. Add **6 shakes ground black pepper.**

5. Spread 1 ounce pre-sliced mushrooms in a single layer and place the pan in the hot burner. Set the heat to high.

6. When the mushrooms start to sizzle, place the pan in a cold burner and use a turner to turn the mushrooms and have the other side of the mushrooms pick up the oil and butter.

7. Return the pan to the hot burner on high. When the mushrooms start to sizzle, use the turner to fold the mushrooms to pick up the oil, butter, salt, and ground black pepper.

8. Slide them into a serving plate.

Variations:

• Sprinkle **1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese** after serving.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Cabbage with Bacon

1 serving. 2 minutes to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

3.2 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a low carbohydrate vegetable side dish that uses bacon.

6 half-slices bacon

1 grab shredded cabbage

1. Place **6 half-slices bacon** on a cutting board on top of each other. Dice them by cutting from the edge in 1/8 inch cuts.

2. Place the diced bacon in a 10-inch non-stick frying pan over high heat. When the bacon starts to sizzle, use a turner to spread it. Turn it over until it is all crispy and all the fat has been rendered.

3. Add **1 grab shredded cabbage** and mix well until the cabbage is fried, about two minutes. Turn the heat to low.

4. Cover and cook until the cabbage is to the desired softness, about five minutes or more.

5. Serve as a side dish.

Variations:

• Add **8 shakes salt** if the bacon salt is not enough.

• Add **8 shakes ground black pepper.**

• Add **1 teaspoon vinegar** and toss before serving.

• Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** after the vinegar.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Creamed Spinach

2 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 5 minutes to warm up. 3 ingredients. Easy.

5.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a good way to add spinach to the diet. This side vegetable goes well next to chicken or any meat. Adding heavy cream and cream cheese to the canned spinach is good enough for me instead of cooking fresh spinach. Canned spinach already contains salt. I prefer the flavor of heavy cream and cream cheese to the flavor of nutmeg or ground black pepper.

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 slices cream cheese (1 ounce)

1 can spinach (14.5 ounces)

1. Heat **1/2 cup heavy cream** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat.

2. Add **2 slices cream cheese (1 ounce).**

3. When the heavy cream starts to boil, mix well with a turner to dissolve the cream cheese in the heavy cream. When the cheese is fully melted and mixed, turn off the heat. Place the pan in a cold burner.

4. Drain **1 can spinach (14.5 ounces)** in a glass and give the liquid to drink to somebody that needs potassium. Place the drained spinach in the frying pan over high heat.

5. Fold with a turner to mix the spinach with the cream until bubbling.

6. Serve hot.

Variations:

• Add **6 shakes ground black pepper** before folding.

• Add **6 shakes ground nutmeg** before folding.

• Add **1 grab Parmesan cheese** before folding, after serving, or at both times.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Boiled Brussels Sprouts

2 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

4.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I have made Brussels sprouts from a microwave bag but I prefer them boiled. Maybe it is because boiling softens the flavor a little bit.

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts

1. Place **1 pound bag fresh Brussels** sprouts in a 3-quart saucepan.

2. Fill out with fresh cold top water to rinse. Drain and re-fill with enough water to barely cover the sprouts. Place the pan on high heat to get to the boiling point.

3. When the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Pick the sprouts with a slotted spoon to leave the liquid behind and place them in a serving plate.

Variations:

• Add **4 shakes salt** after serving.

• Add **4 shakes ground black pepper** after serving.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Zucchini with Parmesan Cheese

1 serving. 5 minutes to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

One zucchini for one serving.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium zucchini (196 grams)

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1 grab parmesan cheese (1/2 ounce)

1. Put **1 tablespoon unsalted butter** in a 10-inch non-stick skillet and place it on high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, pick the pan and swirl it to melt the butter and cover the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a cold burner to avoid burning the butter. Turn off the heat of the hot burner.

2. Add **1 tablespoon olive oil** to the butter and swirl to mix well. Return the pan to the cold burner.

3. Wash **1 medium zucchini (196 grams)** in cold water.

4. In a vegetable cutting board, cut the ends and discard them. Slice the zucchini in rounds 1/4 inch thick.

5. Place the rounds in the pan to make one layer.

6. Place the pan on high heat.

7. When the zucchini rounds start to sizzle, turn the heat to medium. Turn the rounds over individually using kitchen tongs.

8. Add **3 shakes salt.**

9. Add **3 shakes ground black pepper.**

10. Turn the rounds over individually to season the other side.

11. Add **3 shakes salt to the other side.**

12. Add **3 shakes ground black pepper to the other side.**

13. Turn them over as necessary to even out the cooking on both sides.

14. Pick them up individually to place in a serving plate leaving the oil and butter behind.

15. Sprinkle with **1 grab Parmesan cheese (1/2 ounce).**

16. Enjoy.

Variations:

• Pour the **oil and butter** on the served zucchini rounds before sprinkling with parmesan cheese.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette

2 servings. 2 minutes to prepare. 15 minutes to cook. 7 ingredients. Easy.

5.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

When I grew up, I could eat half pound of asparagus every three days during season because my father had them planted in the backyard. We would eat them with a mustard vinaigrette, with mayonnaise, or with plain salt.

1 bunch asparagus (1 pound)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon vinegar

8 shakes salt

8 shakes ground black pepper

1. Wash **1 bunch asparagus (1 pound)** in cold running water and place them wet in a large (14 inch) pan that will fit them without cutting. Remove enough of the white portions to make them fit in the pan if they are too long.

2. Add **1/2 cup water** to the pan and place on high heat. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour **1/3 cup olive oil** in a small mixing bowl.

4. Add **1 tablespoon mustard.**

5. Add **1 tablespoon vinegar.**

6. Add **8 shakes salt.**

7. Add **8 shakes ground black pepper** and mix well with a fork.

8. When the asparagus is ready, pick several asparagus sticks with kitchen tongs from the thick side, and place them in a serving plate.

9. Drizzle mustard vinaigrette on top of the green area of the asparagus.

10. To eat, use a fork and knife to cut the tips and use a fork to bring the asparagus tips to your mouth. When all the tips are gone, pick one asparagus from the thick white part with your fingers to mop the vinaigrette with the green side, and place the thinner part in your mouth eating as much as possible. Place the white portion back in the serving plate.

Variations:

• Serve with **1/3 cup mayonnaise** instead of the mustard vinaigrette.

• Use **1/3 cup olive oil and 8 shakes salt** only instead of the mustard vinaigrette.

• Use **8 shakes salt** only instead of the mustard vinaigrette.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Cauliflower and Cheese

2 servings. 2 minutes to prepare. 15 minutes to cook. 7 ingredients. Easy.

5.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This Cauliflower and Cheese can substitute Mac and Cheese.

1 bag frozen cut cauliflower (12 ounces)

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 shakes salt

6 shakes ground black pepper

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Empty **1 bag frozen cut cauliflower (12 ounces)** in a pot and cover with cold tap water. Place on high heat until it starts to boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Drain using the lid and return to low heat.

2. Spread the florets in a microwave-safe dish.

2. Add **1/2 cup heavy cream** and fold.

4. Add **8 shakes salt.**

5. Add **8 shakes ground black pepper.**

6. Add **1 cup grated cheddar cheese** distributed on top.

7. Heat in a microwave oven on high for 30 seconds to melt the cheese.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Broccoli with Cheddar Cheese

2 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

4.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is easy broccoli.

1/2 pound frozen broccoli florets

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Place **1/2 pound of frozen broccoli florets** in a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover. Bring water to a full boil over high heat. When the water starts to boil, separate the broccoli florets with a fork. Reduce the heat to low, cover again and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain. Place the broccoli in a microwave safe serving plate.

2. Sprinkle **1 cup grated cheddar cheese** to cover the entire broccoli. Place the serving plate with the broccoli and cheese in the microwave oven for 30 seconds in high power to melt the cheese.

3. Serve hot.

Variations:

• Add **1 shake salt** before adding the cheese.

• Add **1 shake ground black pepper** before adding the cheese.

(Back to Dinner Side Vegetable Recipes)
Dessert Recipes

Dinner is usually finished with a sweet dessert. This can be done in a low carbohydrate diet using artificial sweeteners. Most of the time, a creamy decaf coffee sweetened with Splenda is enough dessert for me.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Decaf Coffee with Heavy Cream

1 serving. 3 minutes to prepare. 2 minutes to drip. 4 ingredients. Easy.

3.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I use decaf after dinner on weekdays in order not to disturb my sleep. This is a duplicate of the creamed coffee recipe above except that it is decaf. I repeat the recipe in the menu to remind me that I can have this as dessert instead of another dessert that may have more carbohydrate.

1.5 cups water

2 tablespoons ground decaf coffee

1 Splenda squirt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Put **1.5 cups water** in a measuring glass cup in the microwave until it starts boiling, about 3 minutes.

2. Place the filter holder on a mug or paper cup that will hold 2 cups (16 fluid ounces). Install a coffee drip filter.

3. Put **2 tablespoons ground decaf coffee** in the filter.

4. When the water starts to boil, remove the cup from the microwave oven and pour it slowly and all around in the ground coffee being careful of getting all the ground coffee wet and submerged in the water.

5. When all the water has dripped, in about 1 minute, remove the coffee holder from the cup of coffee and place in another cup aside.

6. Add **1 Splenda squirt.**

7. Add **1/2 cup heavy cream** and stir with a stirrer or small spoon.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Diet Jell-O with Heavy Cream

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

3.4 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Sugar-free gelatin can be prepared at home much cheaper than the one-serving ready-made packages that are available but the one-serving packages are convenient and a good way to eat heavy cream.

1 package ready-made sugar-free Jell-O (89 grams)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Open **1 package ready-made sugar-free Jell-O (89 grams)** and remove with a small spoon into a dessert serving bowl cutting it into small bite-sized bits.

2. Pour **1/2 cup heavy cream.** Mix and finish cutting the gelatin into small bite-sized bits using the spoon.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Hot Chocolate

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 5 minutes to heat up. 4 ingredients. Easy.

4.7 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Instead of a hot cup of coffee, if I have a sweet tooth moment, I will prepare a hot cup of chocolate. I like to cool off the coffee or chocolate with the cold heavy cream so I can start sipping it right away.

1.5 cup boiling water

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 squirts liquid Splenda

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Put **1.5 cups water** in a measuring plastic cup in the microwave until it starts boiling, about 3 minutes.

2. Place **3 tablespoons cocoa powder** in a 16-fluid-ounces mug.

3. Add the boiling water and stir until dissolved.

4. Add **2 squirts liquid Splenda** and stir.

5. Add **1/2 cup heavy cream**.

6. Sip while it is still hot.

Variations:

• Use **1/2 cup half-and-half cream** instead of heavy cream.

• Use **1/4 cup heavy cream** instead of 1/2 cup.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Key Lime Cream Cheese

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 1 minute to mix. 4 ingredients. Easy.

4.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

A lime flavor on cream cheese makes the dessert as good as key lime pie.

2 slices cream cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 lime

1 squirt liquid Splenda

1. Cut **2 slices of cream cheese** and place them in a small flat serving plate.

2. Pour **1/4 cup heavy cream** on a cup.

3. Squeeze **1/2 lime** on the heavy cream.

4. Add **1 squirt liquid Splenda.**

5. Mix well with a small spoon.

6. Pour the flavored cream on the cream cheese slices.

7. Eat with a small spoon by taking a small piece of cream cheese and lime cream in every bite.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Vanilla Cream Cheese

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 1 minute to mix. 3 ingredients. Easy.

1.5 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This dessert tastes like vanilla cheesecake.

2 slices cream cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Torani sugar-free French vanilla syrup

1. Cut **2 slices of cream cheese** and place them in a small flat serving plate.

2. Pour **1/4 cup heavy cream** on a cup.

3. Pour **1 tablespoon Torani sugar-free French vanilla syrup** on the heavy cream.

4. Mix well with a small spoon.

5. Pour the flavored cream on the cream cheese slices.

6. Eat with a small spoon by taking a small piece of cream cheese and lime cream in every bite.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Diet Soda with Heavy Cream

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

0.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Instead of a hot cup of coffee, if I have a sweet tooth moment but I prefer something cold, I will prepare a diet soda with cream that tastes like an ice cream float. A traditional ice cream float is prepared with root beer or coke but any flavor can be used as long as it is a diet soda with zero calories.

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cold diet soda can (12 ounces)

1. Pour **1/4 cup heavy cream** in a tall glass.

2. Tilting the glass, fill slowly with **1 cold diet soda can (12 ounces)** until the foam reaches the top of glass.

3. Drink as an ice cream float.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Strawberries and Cream

1 serving. 5 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 3 ingredients. Easy.

9.0 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

Most fruits cannot meet the 6/12/12 gram rule because the large amount of sugar they contain. A cup of strawberries has 9 grams of net carbohydrate and it might fit the 12-gram budget for dinner if the rest of the dinner was below 3 grams.

1 cup strawberries

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 squirts Splenda

1. Take **1 cup strawberries** out of the refrigerator.

2. Pick one strawberry and remove the leaves with your fingers. Place it in a dessert bowl. Repeat for more strawberries to complete 1 cup.

3. Fill the dessert cup with clean tap water to rinse the strawberries. Drain in the sink by turning the dessert cup over and holding the strawberries with your hand. Repeat one time.

4. Pour **1/2 cup heavy cream** over the strawberries.

5. Add **2 squirts liquid Splenda** on top of the heavy cream.

6. Fold with a small fork to coat all the strawberries and to mix the heavy cream with the Splenda.

7. Use the small fork to pick a strawberry, dip it in the cream, and take a bite. Take a sip of the heavy cream in between strawberries.

(Back to Dessert Recipes)
Late Night Snack Recipes

Eating protein and fat in every meal keeps me without hunger and without snacking. My dinner is pretty late and heavy so I do not need a late night snack. But if I am going to watch a movie on TV or if I had an early dinner, or if I skipped dinner altogether, a late night snack of some ham slices and cheese slices will fill the void. I never pick a high carbohydrate snack such as popcorn, pretzels, or potato chips.

A few times, I have picked a bag of pre-washed lettuce and I have eaten it like potato chips. I can eat it without any dressing.

(Back to Late Night Snack Recipes)
Swiss Cheese Slice

1 serving. 1 minute to get. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

1.5 grams net carbs per slice

I like to eat Swiss cheese. Each slice has 1.5 grams of net carbs, about the same carbohydrate content as cottage cheese. They can be included in the diet in limited quantities. The net carbohydrate count has to be counted.

Cheddar and other hard cheeses have less net carbs but Swiss cheese is my favorite.

1 Swiss cheese slice (1 ounce)

1. Take **1 Swiss cheese slice (1 ounce)** out of its original container. Fold in half twice to obtain four quarters.

2. Eat each quarter individually savoring every second.

3. Close the container and put it back in the refrigerator.

Variations:

• Use **1 slice cheddar cheese** instead of Swiss cheese.

• Use **1 slice any other hard cheese** instead of Swiss cheese.

(Back to Late Night Snack Recipes)
Turkey Breast Slice

1 serving. 1 minute to get. 0 minutes to cook. 1 ingredient. Easy.

0.5 grams net carbs per slice

I like to have turkey breast slices from Land O' Frost in the refrigerator because they provide a fast snack. They are processed meat and they contain some dextrose (sugar). This particular brand is not as low in carbohydrates as other brands with pure turkey breast slices. I like this brand because they are not dry due to their added fat content. It is interesting that people object to the additives of processed meats like this one but they do not mind eating 28.0 grams of carbohydrate in two slices of bread. Dr. Ken Berry has a good YouTube video about not worrying about nitrates, pointing out that celery has more nitrates than processed meat.

1 turkey breast slice (1 ounce)

1. Take **1 turkey breast slice** **(1 ounce)** out of its original container.

2. Eat it.

3. Close the container and place it back in the refrigerator.

Variations:

• Use **1 slice chopped ham** instead of turkey breast.

• Use **1 slice bologna** instead of turkey breast.

• Use **1 slice pastrami** instead of turkey breast.

• Use **1 slice any other processed meat** but check the carbohydrate content and count it in the total.

(Back to Late Night Snack Recipes)
Splenda Chocolate Thins with Pecans

4 servings. 2 minutes to prepare. 30 minutes to freeze. 4 ingredients. Easy.

1.3 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

I was surprised that cocoa powder dissolves easier in warm coconut oil than in water. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and needs to be melted before mixing it with the cocoa powder. This is a modified recipe based on a recipe from sugar free Sheila at Sugarfreesheila.com. If you want to see a great human body resulting from an Atkins style of living, go to this site.

3 tablespoons coconut oil

3 squirts Splenda liquid

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons pecan pieces

1. Put **3 tablespoons coconut oil** in a small microwave-safe mixing bowl or a ceramic cup.

2. Place in the microwave oven for 30 seconds on high to melt the oil. Remove from the microwave using a napkin to avoid burning the fingers.

3. Add **3 squirts Splenda** **liquid** and mix well.

4. Add **3 tablespoons cocoa powder.**

5. Mix with the spoon until it looks like melted chocolate.

6. Spread **2 tablespoons pecan pieces** in a 10-inch flat paper plate that have raised edges and a waxy finish, like Dixie. Pour the liquid all around the plate covering all the pecan pieces. Use a spoon to make sure that all the chocolate from the cup drips to the plate.

7. Place the plate carefully, without tipping, horizontally in the freezer.

8. When it is solid, in about 30 minutes, remove from the freezer, break in bite pieces, eat one, and put the rest in 1-quart bag back in the freezer.

9. Keep in the freezer except when eating.

(Back to Late Night Snack Recipes)
Celery with Cream Cheese

1 servings. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 2 ingredients. Easy.

0.6 grams of net carbohydrate per serving.

This is a good way to eat cream cheese.

1 stalk celery

1 ounce cream cheese

1. Remove **1 stalk celery** from a celery head. Wash it with cold water. Cut and discard the ends. Dry the celery with a clean dry paper towel.

Prepare 2 small serving bowls.

2. Cut **1 ounce cream cheese** with a knife in three small slices and place inside the celery stalk hull.

3. Eat cold.

4. Eat with a small fork.

(Back to Late Night Snack Recipes)
Sauces

Sauces are very useful to spice up a protein plate or to make vegetables better tasting.

(Back to Sauces)
One Cup Home-Made Mayonnaise

16 servings. 10 minutes to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

0.1 grams of net carbohydrate per serving

Bottled mayonnaise is made with oils that contain omega-6 oils, which I am minimizing.

Some mayo bottles that have oils without omega-6 oils but they usually contain a mixture that might still include them.

If I am up to it, I can prepare mayonnaise from scratch using olive oil. I always use a fresh egg that has been always in refrigeration. Depending on the mustard used, the mayonnaise will come out more yellow than bottled mayonnaise but the flavor will be superior.

Sometimes it is worth preparing it because I will have it with green beans, artichokes, chicken salad, tuna salad, coleslaw, and my BLT salad.

1 egg

1 teaspoon mustard

10 shakes salt

5 shakes ground black pepper

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 cup olive oil

1. Prepare one jar that has a lid and can fit an immersion blender through the top.

2. Crack **1 egg** in the jar.

4. Add **1 teaspoon mustard.**

5. Add **10 shakes salt.**

6. Add **5 shakes ground black pepper.**

7. Add **1 teaspoon vinegar.**

8. Add **1 cup olive oil.**

9. Place the immersion blender in the jar touching the bottom and start pulsing it. Hold the jar with one hand and move the immersion blender up and down while pulsing to create the emulsion. Remove the immersion blender, place the lid on the jar, and keep in the refrigerator. It will last for a few days.

Variations:

• Use **1 teaspoon Dijon mustard** instead of regular mustard.

• Add the juice of **1 lime** instead of vinegar or in addition to the vinegar.

(Back to Sauces)
One Cup Salsa

5 servings. 10 minutes to prepare. 10 minutes to cook. 6 ingredients. Easy.

0.5 grams of net carbohydrate per tablespoon

This is a general purpose "salsa" made with tomatoes. I use salsas bought at the store but it is always better to make one every occasionally. The taste of the sauce made at home is worth the effort.

1 small Roma tomato

1 jalapeno pepper

1 garlic clove

4 shakes salt.

2 shakes ground black pepper.

1/4 cup from the hot water.

1 onion slice.

1. Wash **1 small Roma tomato**. Remove the pith using a paring knife. Place it in a small saucepan.

2. Wash **1 jalapeno pepper** , cut the stem end, and add it to the saucepan.

3. Cut the root end of **1 garlic clove** , crush it, remove the peel, and add it to the saucepan.

4. Fill with water to cover and place over high heat. When the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

5. When the vegetables are cooked, pick them up with a slotted spoon and place them in a blender vase.

6. Add **4 shakes salt.**

7. Add **2 shakes ground black pepper.**

8 Add **1/4 cup from the hot water.**

9. Add **1 onion slice.**

10. Pulse blend for 5 seconds.

11. Serve warm the first time.

12. Refrigerate for later use and serve chilled or warm up before serving.

Variations:

• Add **1/8 teaspoon ground cumin** before pulse blending.

• Add **5 sprigs of cilantro** before pulse blending.

• Use **1 serrano pepper** instead of the jalapeño pepper.

(Back to Sauces)
One Serving Basic Vinaigrette

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 4 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per tablespoon

I eat this standard dressing with my lettuce salad. I place the ingredients directly in the salad instead of bothering to make a mix before. I only do it in a side cup when I want to add mustard.

2 level kitchen tablespoons vinegar

2 level kitchen tablespoons olive oil

4 shakes salt

2 shakes ground black pepper

1. Place **2 level kitchen tablespoons vinegar** in a cup.

2. Add **2 level kitchen tablespoons olive oil.**

3. Add **4 shakes salt.**

4. Add **2 shakes ground black pepper.**

5. Mix well with a small spoon.

6. Pour over the vegetables.

Variations:

• Use **1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar** instead of a non-sugar vinegar. I had to list balsamic vinegar as a variation because its sugar content.

(Back to Sauces)
One Serving Mustard Vinaigrette

1 serving. 1 minute to prepare. 0 minutes to cook. 5 ingredients. Easy.

0.0 grams of net carbohydrate per tablespoon

This dressing goes well with asparagus and zucchini. It does have to be prepared in a separate small bowl.

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil.

4 shakes salt

2 shakes ground black pepper

1. Place **1 tablespoon mustard** in a small bowl.

2. Add **1 tablespoon vinegar.**

3. Add **2 tablespoons olive oil.**

4. Add **4 shakes salt.**

5. Add **2 shakes ground black pepper.**

6. Mix well with a small spoon.

7. Pour over the vegetables.

Variations:

• Use **1 teaspoon Dijon mustard** instead of regular mustard.

(Back to Sauces)

End of Recipes

END OF BOOK
