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Kava, LCHF, Health, Weight, Exercise.

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Capitán Bastos

Presanteur
Ok, so yes I am dieting for the first time in my life.
Will be a week tomorrow.
I find that kava helps my accepting that I can't have pasta. Pasta is the one thing I miss the most.
However, I noticed that Kava Candy has 1g carbs per lozenge.
I can have 20g of carbs a day and I think I had the already most days from cashews, walnuts, almonds and raspberries.
Does anyone have any idea of how much carbs approximately would be in three shells of kava?
I believe it would be mostly fibers though, and my understanding is that you can subtract fibres from carbs and get the actual quantity of carbs in regards to the diet.

Is anyone else here on this diet?
If so, I have a recipe that I found is working in terms of flavor and also is easy to prepare.
1) Whole fat sour cream or créme fraiche, stir in powdered Carolina reaper.
2) diced feta cheese
3) chicken/tuna/salmon/pork chops
4) mix
5) cherry tomatoes (handful) and leafy greens, arugula, flat leaf parsley, spinach etc..
6) mix and eat.
 

Jerome

Kava Lover
I largely eat a LCHF diet and I've gained no weight drinking copious cups of kava. I think it's been mentioned on here any starches in kava would likely be classified as resistant, which would mean undigestible by your body.

I drink lots of coconut milk. Goes well with the kava and is loaded with good saturated fat.

Recipe looks tasty. I love good feta.
 

Zac Imiola (Herbalist)

Kava Connoisseur
The only thing I ever worry about when people go on low carb deit. You have to make sure your still getting enough. The brain feeds on two things . Oxygen and glucose... obviously short term carbs aka sugar is a bad source for your brain lol... so what does that leave? Fructose and glucose from non sugar ( long term ) Carbo hydrates.
That alone is why. Lol:) sorry! Sorry for being a ranting raven
 

Jerome

Kava Lover
With a diet as low as 20 grams of carbs daily, I'm assuming the captain is shooting for a ketogenic response. Apparently the brain can function on ketones, but for me I always felt a little foggy. It sure does burn the fat off quick.
 

Crunked

Proselytizer
I have been on a LCHF way of life since 2001. Kava has not affected my weight at all. I add the following comments:
  • "The one nutrient we don't need at all is carbohydrate." (Professor David Ludwig, MD, PhD, Professor of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, p71 of Always Hungry? 2016)
  • Cashews (not a true nut) are relatively high in carbs compared to other 'nuts'.
  • Sorbitol is the sweetener used in Kava Candy. I really enjoy Kava Candy, in moderation, because sorbitol can cause gastric consequences depending on the dose and your susceptibility (YMMV).
  • There are LC substitutes for pasta. Two I use are spiralized zucchini and home made pasta. You will need a pasta attachment or a Norpro (or similar) for the pasta, see the thread.
 
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dino9832

Kava Enthusiast
Ok, so yes I am dieting for the first time in my life....
Awesome! I tried counting calories once. It's hell! Come to find out, most foods are super foods. Crammed packed with carbs! Like concentrated food, but we still end up eating enough to fill our stomachs. One time, I got a hold of some kettle baked chips. The bag wasn't very big either. I did the math. That bag of chips had the same calories as six acorn squashes! I could have EASILY eaten that whole bag. But, there's no way I could eat that much acorn squash in one sitting..lol.
Anyhow, I lost 60lbs. Went from 205lbs to 145lbs. All while eating natural foods. No supplements or pills.

My diet isn't a Low Carb High Fat diet, but here's a recipe that I came up with.
Fish and Vegetable Soup
100g Fish Fillet (like Tilapia)
100g Broccoli
100g Mushrooms
100g Brussel Sprouts
1 Roma (Plum) Tomato
1 cup Water
15g Basalmic Vinegar
1 Bouillon cube
A bit of Curry Powder
A slice of lemon with peel
Optional:
15g Olive Oil (extra calories, but provides more satiety)
15g Soy Sauce (A bit more salty)
Note: 15g is about a table spoon.
I use a 1 1/2 quart pot.
Add:
Water
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Bouillon
Curry Powder
Sliced Tomato
Slice of Lemon
Tougher vegetables (like brussel sprouts)
to pot and bring to a boil.
As the mixture comes to a boil, add other vegetables.
It may seem like there's not enough water, but the vegetables add quite a bit as they cook.
Press vegetables down with a cooking spoon.
Once the mixture has boiled down and everything is covered in fluid, add fish.
Try to submerge the fish as much as possible.
Cover and let entire mixture simmer for about 4 minutes.
Add Basalmic Vinegar last.
Remove lemon peel if you can get to it!
 

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Capitán Bastos

Presanteur
With a diet as low as 20 grams of carbs daily, I'm assuming the captain is shooting for a ketogenic response. Apparently the brain can function on ketones, but for me I always felt a little foggy. It sure does burn the fat off quick.
You're right.
I start hard on the diet, with only 20g carbs, with moderate exercise.
Eventually, I will increase carbs little by little while intensifying the work out.
Or that's the plan. Last night I struggled though. Colleague of mine had her birthday and there were FOUR different types of chocolate cakes in the fridge.
 

Capitán Bastos

Presanteur
@dino9832 Congrats on the results!
Recipe looks good, in fact, I used to make vegetable or tomato soup and alternate between fish and chicken breast.
Have to sear the chicken first, but place the proteine in the serving bowl and pour piping hot soup/stock over it and it's usuall cooked perfectly by the time it gets to the table, after adding a little frou frou.
 

Jerome

Kava Lover
If the LCHF diet is working for you, give intermittent fasting a googling. Its a fairly recent experience in the history of human DNA to have access to food 24/7 and our body's are capable, and actually benefit, from going hungry for a while. I'm down to a svelte 175 lb from a peak of 215.
 

dino9832

Kava Enthusiast
There's a condition known as being "Fat Adapted."
Basically, the body has two sources of energy. Glucose(carbs) and fat. Picture a small tank of gasoline with a large valve. That's what the glucose source looks like. Great for drag racing! Now, picture a huge tank with a little bitty valve. That's the fat source and is what the typical American has.

Keep in mind that both valves work pretty much all the time. But, the body prefers to use the glucose tap heavier than the fat tap. After all, the body worked hard to to go through all the conversion to store energy as fat. It is NOT going to just readily give it up!

There's good news though. You can TRAIN your body to increase the size of the fat valve. Basically by cutting out the carbs. Especially with exercise and minimal carbs. Slow and prolonged cardio works great. FYI, 30 minutes of cardio is the golden number (from what I've read.) It gives you the maximum returns. Although, and hour doesn't hurt!..lol.

Elliptical or bicycle is what I'm into. I used to carb-load before a workout. I quit doing that.
Next, I went to a sugar free sports drink mix. I use NUUN tablets for this. They work great! No sticky saliva, and they don't taste bad.
My next step was NOT eating anything more than my typical daily meal BEFORE the workout. When I ride, I just jump on the bike. No planning around meals. I MAY eat an apple. Apples are great! I don't even get nauseous if I eat one right before a workout. On a bicycle ride, I DO eat a cliff bar at the halfway point. I don't eat anything on the elliptical, and do a solid hour of HIIT(high impact interval training) for 30 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of steady state with about a 150bpm heart rate.

Okay, here's where I'm stretching things. Just my own personal observations. After a ride (21 miles at 15mph, about 1:20 of time,) if I don't eat soon...I crash. I feel blah. I figured it's low blood sugar. But, once I miss that hour window of opportunity after a workout, it is HARD to recover. I read that cardio changes your metabolism, and the body is in a modified state for awhile. I tried eating popcorn (450 calories of simple carbs to the max!.) It was only temporary. I tried rice (340 calories.) Again, simple carbs. What works best? An apple. :/ About 100 calories.

My theory is that the apple is slow released carbs. Like a constant drip. Rice and popcorn are stored in the liver and the excess turned to fat. Then...it's gone and quick! FYI, I read that the liver can store enough glucose for an hour of cardio. What typically happens with me, is that I eat a little more that night. The next day I'm hungrier than usual also. Like, can't wait for lunch!

What Does It Mean to Be Fat-Adapted?
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/#axzz3xi9gyTPA
How Grains Are Killing You Slowly
http://wellnessmama.com/575/how-grains-are-killing-you-slowly/
The Complete Guide to Carbohydrates
http://wellnessmama.com/1117/guide-to-carbohydrates/
How to Burn Fat Instead of Sugar and Never Bonk Again
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/burning-fat-for-fuel/
 

Capitán Bastos

Presanteur
I put an order in for a couple of Fitbit Charge HR for the wife and myself.
I'm 6'6 and 224lbs now, shooting for 170-180lbs and 10-15% body fat.
Below is my last dinner. 180g chicken breast with skin fried in 10g rape seed oil, 75g bacon, 300g spinach (wilted in bacon fat lol) 100g full fat creme fraiche with Carolina reaper powder.
I also had my daily vitamins. Omega 3 capsules is 15 calories and the vitamin B complex is 5 calories. I use MyFitnessPal for calculating calories, macros and nutrients. Total calories was 820 for this meal.

Btw the last couple of days I've had this weird metallic taste in my mouth and my breath is a deterrent.
 

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dino9832

Kava Enthusiast
Dude! I'd have a shiny coat of hair with that much grease!..lol. My body fat is about 16%, so 15% might be a tough goal. I don't think the body fat scales are very accurate. Mine tends to fluctuate a lot between days.

You might want to consider adding more vegetables to your diet. Veggies take up space while not providing many calories. The fiber is awesome! Plus, the vitamins come on with every meal. The body can only use so many vitamins at a time. The rest is passed through urine. So, multiple doses throughout the day is the way to go. Another benefit of fiber is having a daily bowl movement. Hey, I get a lot of reading done!..lol.

Here's some advice on vegetables. I got a Bullet Blender for Christmas, and I love it! I've been eating vegetables for years, but the Bullet makes it SO easy. So blend up about 150 grams of veggies with some flavoring. I use cummin, soy sauce, lemon juice, and tabasco sauce. Then, I add 1/2 an avocado and a small tomato. It makes a creamy sort of slush. Drink something like that about 40 minutes before your meal. Take it like medicine if you have to. Hell, kava doesn't taste good either..lol. You'll feel fuller, and probably eat less at mealtime.

Heart rate is a great way of keeping pace during a workout. For weight loss, a steady level of cardio is the way to go. Don't make it too extreme. Otherwise, you'll dread it and have a hard time motivating yourself. I have a personal saying "The hardest part of the workout is from the couch to the elliptical!" I'd recommend picking a heart rate that's difficult, but doesn't leave you gasping for breath. Like, maybe being able to carry on a conversation, but in shorter sentences. Find the heart rate that gets you there, and adjust speed or intensity setting(elliptical, treadmill, etc..) based on that.

As for kava, NO KRUNKING BEFORE THE WORKOUT! For me anyways..lol. I DO drink a little for motivation. But, not enough to effect performance. So praise kava in that it helps motivation! Life doesn't seem so bad, and I have kava to look forward too when I'm done. :)

Veggie_Stomach.jpg
 

Capitán Bastos

Presanteur
@dino9832 My man! I find it really motivating that you take your time and share your thoughts, experiences and advice. Dieting like I do now, is not easy all the time. Especially on bread delivery days. Dog Nam, that is a challenge. Your enthusiasm really shines through and I truly feel you actually care. Thank you for that.

I do eat veggies. Kale, spinach, brocolli, asparagus, tomatoes (technically not a veggie) and more. I eat avocados and raspberries (not together). Also macadamia nuts. Actually I'm @ work right now (night shift in the secure psych wars) and I have 100g raspberries and 140g macadamia with me. Plus copious amounts of water.

I currently weigh in @ 207,4lbs.

I have a bullit as well.
In the mornings (or around 9pm on work days) I make a cup of coffee with my beloved AeroPress. I add the coffee and 25-50 grams of farm sourced butter or coconut oil and emulsify with the bullit. Adding cinnamon actually makes this a pleasant experience. And this stuff, is like a drug. In fact, just olive or coconut oil on it's own gives me a great boost. If I get a touch of the caffeine jitters, I break out a candy or two. Really, I feel great.

And bowel movements? Like clockwork, never had any issues from the get go. In fact, it's even better now that I've cut down my carb intake.
 

dino9832

Kava Enthusiast
@dino9832 My man! I find it really motivating that you take your time and share your thoughts, experiences and advice. Dieting like I do now, is not easy all the time. Especially on bread delivery days. Dog Nam, that is a challenge. Your enthusiasm really shines through and I truly feel you actually care. Thank you for that.....
Thanks. I AM passionate about this. Years ago, I had a physical after skipping many years since my last. Imagine how I felt when I found out I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes! Plus, I was overweight. Well sure! Doesn't everyone pack on a few pounds as they get old? My grandfather died from diabetes complications. He was a strong WWII veteran, who believed that men lived hard, drank, ate well, and their hearts exploded in the end..lol. He had a heart attack, lost both legs due to poor circulation. Then, had a stroke before he even gained consciousness. He couldn't speak, and was obviously confined to a wheel chair. Another stroke, and he was mentally incompetent. Yet, still was mentally aware. He lived like that for 10 years!

Anyhow, quality of life. I was devastated. The doc said "Oh, and if you lost 10-15lbs, it might help." Yeah, it might, it might not, or it might make the numbers a little better. Well, I was put on blood pressure meds, and told to come back in 3 months. I cleaned up my diet by cutting out things like bread. My A1C(blood sugar) numbers came down. So, they didn't put me on meds. Hmmm. So, I decided to break out my old bicycle and get some exercise. Cleaned up my diet even more. Numbers were better.

A fighting chance! I wasn't doomed due to genetics, I had a fighting chance! Dude, it was on! I became obsessed. To hell with stroking out with a doughnut clutched in one hand and a soda in the other! I was riding my bike, and found it was more like meditation/contemplation time. It was like a new self-discovery period for me. After years and years of routine. I read everything I could about diets and nutrition. I even bought...the dreaded elliptical. SOB! It took me months before I could complete a full 30 minute workout. But, I'd hit the thing every weekend and worked up a sweat.

You have to understand that it takes time to shift your metabolism around. Slowly building up cardio. Building muscles. And, all sorts of weird things going on in your body. Also, as you loose a little fat, you gain muscle. The scale needle stays the same. :/ But, eventually I dropped some actual weight. It'd plateaued, then it'd drop again. Then it started dropping quick! Clothes were getting loose. I was hitting tighter belt notches. Meanwhile, I was doing some serious cracking down on my diet, and ramping up my exercise routine.

I started wearing old clothes. The one's I'd grown out of..lol. Hunting around for old belts. I freaking grew(shrunk?) out of my belt! Then, ran out of old clothes and had to ACTUALLY GO CLOTHES SHOPPING. I hate shopping for clothes with a passion. I always have. So, this was the first time in my life I ever actually enjoyed clothes shopping!

Man, it's been a long, strange trip. But, my blood pressure is 120/70 (normal). No meds either. My cholesterol is normal. And, my A1C is right on the edge of normal and PREdiabetic. I still have diabetes, but I won't have any complications because I don't eat enough simple carbs.

Sorry for the long ramble. But, hopefully it inspires others. Because just me loosing all that weight has inspired friends, relatives, and co-workers. I hear all kinds of stories also. People trying, and people who have turned their lives around. It's like a secret that the medical industry, pharmaceutical companies, diet industry, food industry, etc.. don't want you to hear. Or, maybe the docs just know you won't listen? Sure, they won't deny it. But, nobody's really shouting about how exercise and simple, whole foods are all the majority of us needs. The surprising thing is that eventually your food cravings become more healthy. Like walking into a gas station during a long road trip, and thinking "blah" to all the chips and candy bars. Then, your eyes light up as you see a metal tree/rack of bananas! :)
 

dino9832

Kava Enthusiast
Oh, and that FitBit Surge is awesome! I'd love to see what my heart rate does throughout the day. Especially while I was sleeping. I have a Garmin Vivoactive, but it only reads heart rate with a chest strap. It does monitor sleep patterns though. All good information.
 

Capitán Bastos

Presanteur
@dino9832 you devil! I now realize how much I miss bananas!

A great read as always! Sad to hear about your grandfather, but in a way he was right and seem to have been an inspiration to you. You went to battle as well it seems. I'm Rooting for you!

That's my next Kava t shirt! "I'm ROOTING for you!"
 
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