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Nutritional Values of Brisket . . . on the Fly . . .

My family and I enjoyed some “moist brisket” from Rudy’s Country Store and Barbecue this evening.  This is one of my favorite meals.  I ordered up 2 lbs knowing that I’d have some to save for later this week.  How do you calculate up the ketotic nutritional values for this meal?  Easy.

Nutritional values can often be found on the menu or on the web (you might have to ask for it).  Rudy’s Country Store kindly places their nutritional information on the web and you can locate it here.

Rudy's Moist Brisket

Now, the image above is 2 lbs of moist brisket (with extra bark) and nutritional values are calculated per 1/2 lbs. serving size as noted below.  (No, I did not eat this whole thing.)  I saved 3/4’s of it for another meal sometime in the next few days.

Rudys Moist Brisket Nutrintional Values

The Nutritional facts above can be somewhat misleading if you add up the grams of protein, fat and carbohydrate you end up with 93 grams total (the misleading part is that 93 grams does not equal 1/2 lbs.  The assumption is that the values are “pre-cooked”).   But what I am looking for is the ratio of fat per serving.  One serving size has 50 grams of fat and 41 grams of protein.  54% of this brisket is from fat.  If you eat the entire 1/2 lbs you’ll go over you protein needs for that meal (assuming that I need only 30-35 grams of protein per meal – 3 meals a day).  I only at about 1/3rd lbs. (totally stuffed afterwards) and so 54% of my meal was fat (keeps me in ketosis) and 1/3 lb of the brisket has about 27 grams protein.

Did I calculate all this up before I ate.  Absolutely not.  I just ate and amazingly, I got full somewhere between 1/4 lb and 1/3 lbs.  The key is listen to your body.  It will tell you when you are full (unless you are cheating and eating carbs with it, then all bets are off and the satiety signal is delayed).

By the way, it was delicious.

Cinnamon Swirl Cheese Cake . . . (I think this will be a desert on the menu in Heaven)

File Sep 30, 12 57 46 PM

While at the house last night, Jimmy Moore, his wife Christine, and my wife Tiffini made this delicious cinnamon swirl cheese cake from The Ketogenic Cookbook.  I think I have a new favorite!!!  I seriously have not had a better cheesecake and this one is lowcarb, gluten free and keeps you in ketosis.  Thank you Jimmy Moore and Maria Emmerich for such a yummy recipe.  (I even had some for breakfast this morning . . . . mmmmm).

If you want a great low carb recipe, pick up a copy of the book and turn to page 336.

Until next time . . .  keep the ketones high!

Snack Time . . . Bacon Chips & Guacamole!!

To maintain ketosis, the key is keeping the fat content high and the carb content low  . . .while moderating the protein intake.  Unless you are running triathalon’s, body building daily or exercising more than 45 minutes daily, most women don’t need more than 70-80 grams of protein per day.  Most men don’t need more than 80-90 grams per day.

Now, stop looking at your phone and go make some bacon chips . . . 🙂

Handy Charts for Maintaining Ketosis

I found these charts to be very helpful when trying to calculate your fat intake with a meal.  Fish can be challenging in calculating fat content.  After reading these charts, I’m craving some sashimi’ed mackerel and salmon.Cuts of Beef for Ketosis

Fish Keto Chart

Great charts like these can be found at http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/charts/

Enjoy!!

My Copy of The Ketogenic Cookbook Arrived!!!!

Look what I just got in the mail this afternoon. . . my copy of Jimmy Moore & Maria Emmerich’s The Ketogenic Cookbook! 

Wow. Great info, fantastic recipes (with amazing pictures, by the way!) and the most up to date ketogenic advise out there.  I’m impressed.

Picture 2

What a fantastic addition to my library.  I was going snap a few shots of my favorite dishes in it, but my wife picked it up while I was typing and won’t put it down. . . .

Thanks, Jimmy Moore’s Livn’ La Vida Low-Carb & Maria’s Mind Body Health!!

Lily's Chocolate . . . It's Quite Tastey!!

We just got a sample pack of Lily’s Chocolate.  This is a Stevia and erythritol sweetened chocolate that has no aftertaste and doesn’t cause the stomach upset that many experience with chicory root based products.  I am always looking for good low carbohydrate alternatives for snacks, as rescue foods, or to assist in baking.

My wife found this chocolate in a recipe that Carolyn Ketchum had posted on her website, All Day I Dream About Food.  It is quite tastey!! Thanks, Caroyln!! (By the way, I dream about food all day long, too.)

I scanned a copy of the wrapper for the Salted Almond & Milk Flavor.  I have to admit, I ate half the bar. It was that good!!

Lilys Stevia Sweetened Chocolate

For those looking for an alternative chocolate for a snack or to use in a recipe, this may be the answer.  You can find their whole line of chocolates here.

Hope this helps.

Why Does Your Chicken Salad Stop Weight Loss?

I have multiple patients that come to my office that we follow and treat for weight loss and metabolic syndrome.  They are discouraged that their weight loss has stopped or is very, very slow.  The most frequent problem I find when they bring in their food journals is the “healthy chicken salad.”

“What?! But, Doc, Chicken Salad is healthy?! RIGHT?”

The chicken salad shows up on their journal almost daily.  Somehow, we’ve been indoctrinated that the chicken salad is good for us.  I want you to look closely at the image that was recently shared on the internet below.  How is the nutrient value of your chicken salad any different than the Big Mac?

Burger Salad Comperison

Why is this unhealthy?  The carbohydrate content greater than 20-30 grams will cause a spike in insulin.  When insulin spikes, the body is told to store fat (and it will store fat for up to 12 hours) . . . Yes, the 24 grams of fat in the salad now become dangerous in the presence of an insulin spike.  In my patients with metabolic syndrome, they will produce between two and ten times the insulin and store two to ten times the fat. (Ten Big Macs would have tasted better . . . )

There is actually more carbohydrate in your salad than in the big mac.  Why not add a strawberry shake just to finish putting the nail in the coffin?  And we wonder why we are having trouble with weight loss?

The other issue, and probably of even greater importance, is that chicken breast has the second highest content of lysine & argenine (two of the 10 essential amino acids) count of all the poultry family.  This is second only to turkey breast, which also contains a large amount of tryptophan (a third essential amino acid that spikes insulin).  Why is this a problem?  Because argenine, tryptophan and lysine all stimulate an insulin response on their own, separate from glucose.  We need these amino acids, however, when our meals contain a predominance of these amino acids, it rasies insulin significantly in those who are insulin resistant (pre-diabetic).

Those 43 carbohydrates, plus the stimulus from a meat high in argenine, lysine and tryptophan, spike your insulin, kick you out of nutritional ketosis and slow weight loss for up to 48 hours.

Please, if you are following a low-carb or ketogenic diet, get rid of the chicken salad.

If you want to learn more about this, read my article on the eight most common reasons you can’t lose weight.

Carb Thoughts

A number of patients come in to the office struggling with loosing weight.  When I review their dietary journals with them, I notice that many of them never stop eating fruit (because, fruit is good for you, right?!).  Well, lets put it this way:

One banana for breakfast is equal to . . .

banana

. . . just over seven (7) teaspoons of sugar.

teaspoon sugar

Count them . . . seven (7) teaspoons.

If your eating a banana for breakfast, it is halting your weight loss for up to 12 hours.  Give the banana’s to the monkeys and cook up some sausage and eggs for breakfast tomorrow.

Tiffini’s Fat Bombs

There are a number of recipes for “Fat Bombs” on the internet, but this one is my wife’s version.  These have been a lifesaver for starting and maintaining a Low-Carbohydrate or Ketogenic diet over the last few years.  They are fantastic mid-meal or anytime Low-Carb snacks, full of satiating fat, that really help during the holidays.  I mentioned Fat Bombs to my patients in my Low-Carb Group Visit Class today and I promised to post them here:

Fat Bombs:

1 stick of real Butter softened

1 cup Coconut Oil

1/2-2/3 cup Erythritol

1 tsp liquid Stevia

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

1 cup Peanut Butter or Almond Butter

2 cups chopped Macadamia Nuts or slivered Almonds

1-2 cups of Coconut

Mix together and place 1-2 table spoon sized scoops in small muffin tin or on wax paper.  Must be kept refrigerated to remain firm.

Enjoy!!

Coconut Flour Conversion Chart

For those on a ketogenic or low-carbohydrate diet, whole wheat flour or almond flour is often substituted for with coconut flour. Found this cool chart at “Maria Mind Body Health.” Maria Emmerich has given me permission to post it here for you, my wonderful patients and followers.

We use many of Maria’s recipes in my home, but occasionally you may want to convert your own recipe and this chart will help. My wife is the cook in our family, and probably already knows how to do this, but for those just beginning your ketogenic journey, this will be a big help in recipe conversion.

Coconut flour conversion

I’ve had patient’s ask me in the room how to substitute for flour.  Here’s the answer. Remember, you have to double the eggs per cup. Thanks Maria!!