Tahoe dinner and breakfast
A number of readers have expressed an interest in how MD and I eat. I’ve shown some photos in previous posts, but since I had my camera out taking photos of Tahoe I decided to throw in a couple of meals so that you can see exactly what we eat. The above photo is my dinner plate last night, which was all cooked on the grill except for the tomatoes. What you can’t see in this photo is the glass of red wine (it was a Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet, if you’re interested). We had berries and heavy cream for dessert and a cup of decaf Americano.
Below is my plate at breakfast this morning. Besides the eggs, bacon, fruit and toast (we allow ourselves one slice of low-carb bread for breakfast on Sundays but no other days) you can see, we split a bottle of cheap champagne (a low-alcohol (11%) Prosecco brut, which we also do only on Sunday mornings)colored with a little orange juice, and Cafe Americano.
Who says you can’t eat well on a low-carb diet?
Interestingly enough, I manage to ‘maintain’ 111 lbs on my 5′ 2″ eating as many (or more) calories as you. Not only do I eat 3 eggs and meat for breakfast, but include veggies and cheese in my omelette and have a bowl of lacto-fermented oatmeal with my berries. Not only do I not gain weight, I have to pay attention to make sure I don’t lose.
Oh yeah, and I just finished Gary Taubes book. It was every bit as interesting and enlightening as advertised. Now fingers crossed that it can change some thinking……
Hi Sue–
You must be a fast reader. I, too, hope it changes some thinking. But, one never knows…
Cheers–
MRE
Well, my addictive and annoying personality just can’t resist one more rhyme, although not a limerick this time. I promise it’s the last!
Two focused doctors researched food
And found the fats and proteins good.
Omega 3′s the thing, said they
To make you healthy every day.
Some low carb veg and fresh caught fish
Combine to make a tasty dish.
Bleu cheese and heavy cream are fine;
And just a bit of dry red wine.
Obesity soon took a hike,
Hurrah! for Mary Dan and Mike.
So much for that- you can see I need a hobby! Meanwhile, although the meat is nicely rare, isn’t the bacon too well done? Somehow, I have the idea that overbrowned meats are carcinogenic????? Am I wrong?
Hi Dorothy–
Thanks for the poem.
No, I don’t think the bacon is too well done. It looks a little brown, but it was brown before cooking. I think it was the way it was cured.
There is some speculation that overcooked meats are carcinogenic, but since I never overcook mine, I don’t really worry about it.
Cheers–
MRE
Wonderful pics! I notice that the steak meal seems more high protein/low carb while the breakfast meal seems more high fat/low carb. Is this by design? Also, please consider writing a post concerning the effect of high fat/low carb and high protein/low carb diets on thyroid function.
Hi Annie–
I’ll add your post suggestion to my list. Thanks. And, no, the way the meals were laid out wasn’t for any purpose other than to eat the things we enjoy while keeping the carbs low.
Cheers–
MRE
Hi Dr. Eades,
I have a question that is not related to this post at all but I thought you or one of your kind readers might be able to help out. We just purchased a rather expensive espresso machine and it makes decent espresso but no matter what I do I cannot get it to produce any crema on the top of my shots. Any hints?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Ed–
Maybe you should try switching brands of coffee. We find that different brands produce different levels of crema.
Let me know how it works out for you.
Cheers–
MRE
Sir thanks.
I grew up in Yorkshire/Derbyshire where Ida daft as a brush Leverington would fill us with all manner of sat fats and i never even questioned that lard was purely porky.
Thanks much Sir.
By way of a more serious PS:- While not waxing poetic- I just received news today from Amazon that my pre-ordered Taubes book has shipped. I’m looking forward to getting and reading it, but I actually don’t need whatever reinforcement it may offer in order to maintain this way of eating. Many years ago, I knew Atkins (whatever ills befell him later) had an answer to weight loss. And, more seriously- health! I seem to remember one early book of his had a chapter heading: “Cholesterol: the Paper Tiger”. I seesawed up and down, perhaps depending on the demands of my current love life.
Things got more serious in 2003, when I was admitted to a local hospital with pneumonia. They put me on steroids, and my blood sugar rocketed. Turned out my A1C was over 11. I knew that the insulin shots I was getting, and the continued steroids, were dangerous, so I signed myself out. Luckily, I found Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, and want to give credit where it’s due- and I learned all the whys and wherewithals of diabetes.
A no fun disease!
But it seems to me that EVERYONE today is a candidate for diabetes. Lord knows how to handle it, as long as the ADA and doctors advocate drugs and insulin and a low fat and high carb diet. Eat whatever you want; we’ll cure it with a pill. Oh yeah, somewhere along the way you lost your feet, and went blind. Even in my own close family, no one, except my dear husband, wants to hear it. Frustrating? You bet!
It’s terribly sad, as a senior citizen, to lie in your hospital bed while being interviewed by a 23 year old “registered dietitian” who knows absolutely NOTHING about nutrition. And, in the space of a year, to bring that A1C down from over 11 to 5.8 (yeah, I know normal is even lower) and receive a congratulatory call from your doctor, who NEVER asks what you did to achieve it!
Bitter, bitter! Poetry is better! Or maybe Bach!
Hi Dorothy–
Thanks for the rant. I assure you that I appreciate your sentiments and understand what you’ve gone through as do many others who have received the same kind of treatment. I’m glad your sugars are getting under control. You’re in good hands with Dr. Bernstein.
Best–
MRE
Hi dr eades-
i wanted to comment on your excellent post re: the starvation studies and the yudkin follow-up. i’m a chiropractor and i work with quite a few eating disorder patients; anorexics, bulimics, “gymarexics”, “recovered” ed patients with serious residual weight problems, etc. i’ve found there is a group of overweight compulsive-eater types that report that when they eat “some carbs” (more fruit and limited grains) they don’t overeat or feel compulsive. however, their weight creeps up. when we switch them to a lower-carb paleo diet they do ok for a week and then, consistently, begin binging on high-protein foods(5’6″ female eating a ribeye steak and four pieces of chicken in one sitting, for example). they report feeling better on fewer carbs, but completely out-of-control. and, they stop losing weight. then, frustrated, they “relapse” on worse foods such as chips, bread, sugary snacks, etc.
i have seen this time and time again and it seems to contradict yudkin’s observations of self-limiting to 1500 calories when carbohydrates are limited.
do you have any insight into this?
and, thanks for a great blog.
Hi Gareth–
I’ve seen the same phenomenon as you. I’ve had readers write me and send me food diaries showing huge intakes of meat and other low-carb/no-carb foods and demanding to know why they’re not losing weight. I’m always amazed at the fact that they’re not gaining, given how much they eat. But it’s difficult to gain a lot of weight if your insulin level is low. You simply can’t store the fat. If you add a bunch of carbs to the mix, however, her comes the fat like crazy.
Most people will spontanously reduce their caloric intake when they start eating low-carb because low-carb foods, i.e., fat and protein, are pretty satiating. But not for everyone. And Yudkin’s observations don’t apply to these people. I have to tell them that if they want to lose, they have to limit the amount of low-carb foods or they will simply stay about the same. I believe there is a metabolic advantage to low-carb dieting, but it’s probably not enough to overcome the intake of these people who can eat huge amounts of low-carb foods without becoming satiated.
Hope this helps.
Cheers–
MRE
I am a fast reader, but not that fast! That book is not an easy read, and I expect to be doing a fair bit of rereading before I get a solid understanding of parts of it. I guess it wasn’t quite as well guarded in advance of the release date as a Harry Potter, and I was happy to find my copy in my mailbox almost a whole week ahead.
Hi, Dr. Mike,
I was wondering what you and MD do about calcium intake and whether you feel it’s necessary to take supplements for that. I started LC again this week and this time I’m not getting resistance from my partner due to the diagnosis of borderline hypertension. I’m 58 (on 9/30–can it be?) and my goal is an 80 pound loss. I’ve maintained a 20 lb loss for 3 years so I know I can do it and the week is going well. I KNOW this is the healthiest way for me to live and I like eating this way but I want to avoid osteoporosis.
Thanks–you do all of us a great service by maintaining this website.
Hi Barb–
Many, many things play a role in the prevention of osteoporosis that are more important than calcium. One in particular, vitamin D, plays a much stronger role, but there isn’t a lobby for vitamin D like there is for the dairy industry. I myself take 5,0000 IU of vitamin D3 daily (vitamin D3 is the only type one should take). The protein that you get in a low-carb diet also helps to maintain bone health. A study done with elderly subjects a few years ago showed that those who got the most protein had the least osteoporotic bones, and those who got the most animal protein had the strongest bones of all.
Cheers–
MRE
That looks like Whole Foods’ pepper bacon, which is awesome. I use a bed of spinach to soak up all the fat. (I’m alone at home in this opinion, but I just figure the fat is the whole point of bacon. Why throw any away?)
Grass-fed note: Even Safeway- on the Peninsula, at least- now offers some grass-fed ground beef, joining Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Maybe that newly remodeled Safeway in Truckee has some, too.
You have a very good eye, seyont. That’s exactly what it is.
Cheers–
MRE
1) Niman Ranch makes a nitrate-free bacon, which can be ordered from their website or found in many national stores. Trader Joe’s carries it for about $4/pkg, but it is probably more elsewhere. TJ also has their own brand of uncured bacon for about a half dollar less. Uncured is the other description to look for besides nitrate-free. Note that even those types use a celery extract, which makes naturally occurring nitrates.
2) Egg-phobia is taking a long time to go away, isn’t it? I also eat three eggs over easy cooked in 1-2 TBL butter nearly every morning, plus sometimes more eggs in other dishes later in the day.
3) Wow, I want to take Sue’s speed-reading course! My copy of Taubes book just arrived yesterday and I’ve barely found time to crack the cover, let alone finish the book. But I daresay the housework will probably slide the next few days…
Cheers,
Anna
Hi Anna–
I’m curious as to how you’ll like Taubes’ book. Please let me know.
Cheers–
MRE
Dr. Mike,
I got my Taubes book yesterday, and I’m so excited, although it’s going to require some serious reading! However, this caption at the ABC news website excerpt of the book makes me wonder if the media are already missing the point: “Author says whole grains and green veggies keep you thin.”
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3654291&page=1
It’s almost enough to make me believe in conspiracy theories. How those hemorrhoids could even glance through the book and some up with that caption beggars belief.
Cheers–
MRE
This is my “One comment to rule them all”.
Kevin and I have enjoyed your blog immensely over the past few weeks. I’m just getting over my addiction to the Pavarotti/Adams video.
Your “fructose crystals” post was hilarious, the “cures of the past” was rather sad (your contest would have a lot more takers if the winner got a copy of Taubes book
). But your “observational studies” was the best. You should be a professor!
Your dinner plate looks just like ours, though your tomatoes are missing some basil
Costco now has Coleman Natural bacon and beef hot dogs. While I suspect their farms are not exactly following the most preferred (pasture) practices, it’s still an order of magnitude better than most.
Wellshire Farms makes a good bacon, too.
Trader Joe’s has a sprouted grain bread that has 4 ecc/slice. It tastes best when completely smothered in butter. Danish butter.
I would like to ask you where you go to get good salami?
Is it possible to even get real salami in the US anymore?
Did you smuggle any wild boar salami home from Italy?
Thanks for the fantastic blog.
Karen J
Hi Karen J–
Thanks for the all-purpose, info-rich comment.
It is possible to get real salami in the US. In fact MD put up a blog post about it a while back.
And, no, we didn’t smuggle any wild boar sausage home with us. I wish we had.
Cheers–
MRE
ok, then, I’ll meet you at OB’s in Truckee, for karaoke night, hahaa! unless I get banned there too…
I may just head up to the Strand, if Amazon doesn’t hurry up and ship my copy. Looks like pretty dry reading tho….
Let’s meet for breakfast at the Squeeze In in Truckee. Stupendous omelets (will substitute tomatoes or fruit for the hash browns) and ice cold mimosas.
I certainly didn’t think the book was dry reading at all. I guess it depends upon what one wants to get out of it.
Cheers–
MRE
Wow.
Looks better than the fruit and nut Fuhrman oatmeal I ate this morning..and ended up starving an hour later.
I hate to put this here, but I’m a little scared of low-carb. Is the meat at the supermarket okay or should I only settle for grass fed meat? I can get nitrite free bacon, but the rest…
Hi Hiabbe–
Grass-fed is probably the best, but good hormone-free, antibiotic-free beef is pretty easy to find.
Cheers–
MRE
I, like many other low-carbin’ gals enjoy wine and spirits (no mixer). I tend to drink mainly on the weekends and holidays rather than daily. I’m wondering what you and your wife think of the recent reports (ABC News yesterday) that alcohol — whether spirits, beer or wine — increases breast cancer risk?? I always thought that any purported risk was negated if one supplemented with folic acid. Also, none of the studies seem to deal with binge drinking (5+ drinks one or two days per week for example) — rather they speak of steady, daily intake.
Hi Annie–
These reports are all based on observational studies, which can’t prove causality. No one truly knows whether alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer or not, but my hunch is that in moderation it probably isn’t.
Best–
MRE
Hello Dr. Eades. I really enjoy your latests posts. I have send several of them winging to friends. I am trying to get a few ideas across so I can send all my friends Taubes book and maybe they will actually read it. Meanwhile, I’d like to make a comment on the observations from the chiropractor. I experienced a similar effect when I first began LCing. I ate a lot and a lot of fat and a lot of protein. I was never diagnosed with an eating disorder but yet I felt as if my body was making up for years of nutritional starvation. Many many packages of bacon and steak later my appetite has settled down again. But for a while I acted as if I had been starving. I believe I had been. Nowadays I marvel about my total lack of interest in the dessert lines at buffets and similar “treats.” And I thank God for my vastly improved health. Tip of the hat again to you two and Mr. T.
Hi Marilyn–
You deserve most of the credit for your turn around. You should be proud of yourself.
Cheers–
MRE
Hi, Dr. Mike,
I am one happy LC gal today–I’ve lost 11 lbs and feel great. In past LC experiences, I have second-guessed my success, wondering if my LC plan was healthy. Those times I met some resistance from my partner (an MD) and friends who thought I was nuts; eventually LC eating ended and the weight piled back on–a familiar story to many of us, as I’ve read. Here’s where I’m stumped: Is it safe for me to eat as few calories as I’m consuming if I feel sated? I’m 58, 5’4″ and weight 245. I eat about 100 gms of high-quality animal protein a day, drink 64 oz of water, and consumer my 25 gms of carbs as veggies and some berries. I’m eating about 1500 calories per day but some days I have to eat 1/2 cup of almonds to get that many calories because I don’t feel hunger. This is really a dream come true for me but I worry about those infrequent days that I’m so satisfied that I only eat 1200 calories. I’ll appreciate your input!
Thanks, Mike!
Barb
Hi Barb–
If you are 5’4″ and weigh 245 pounds you have got plenty of nutrients in storage to go along with the 1500 per day that you’re eating. Once you’ve burned off most of the excess body fat you’re carrying I wouldn’t be surprised to see your appetite return because then your body will need to get energy from the food you eat instead of from the food you ate over the past few years (i.e., body fat). Hope this explanation makes sense.
Cheers–
MRE