LOW CARB REDUX

I am back to low carb eating. It is the single dietary approach that seems to work for me. I am a carb addict, and I do better eating far less carbs in general, and no processed carbs specifically, such as Fritos, tortilla chips, breads, crackers, cookies, popcorn, potato chips, French fries, pasta, cake, pie, candy bars, soft drinks, breakfast cereals, and all the other carb loading Franken-foods I used to achieve an obese weight of 300 pounds and Type 2 diabetes as a bonus.

GRAIN AND MOSTLY DAIRY FREE

I have not eaten any grains for about a month now. On day four without eating grains I went through a withdrawal crisis at night--the thought of living without eating grains seemed impossible, and I craved popcorn. Thanks to listening to "Grain Brain" on Audible in the car, I resisted. After that, the cravings disappeared. I feel so much better now I don't want to go back to the way I felt eating grains.
Today I also eliminated almost all dairy products. Milk was giving me gas and bloating, which I realized after eliminating wheat caused my stomach to not be bloated, then drinking milk fired it back up to swallowed basketball status overnight. I did not drink much milk, but I would eat an entire large container of Greek yogurt, which while most of the lactose was predigested, I found out that dairy products tend to cause a large release of insulin, beyond what there sugar content would suggest. I want to be smaller, so I don't need to drink stuff designed to make a baby cow.

So I started about a month ago at 300 pounds. Fasting morning sugars in the 160-210 range. I've not seen a 90 blood sugar yet. I went from insulin resistant to pre-diabetic to finally diabetic. My doctor gave me three more months before he wants to put me on medication. Both my parents had adult on-set diabetes. I don't want to have to take insulin.

I am determined to lower my carbohydrates and lose weight and exercise more and see what happens. I hope that my pancreas can heal itself and get my blood sugars in the normal range. I have read lots of success stories, and I want to be one of them, and then I can help others who want to change their diet and life.

THE YES LIST
Beef, chicken, fish, pork, shrimp, etc. Grass Fed when I can find it.
Eggs.
Some hard cheeses--very low lactose and very low insulin response.
Coconut oil, olive oil, grass-fed butter, heavy cream.
Non-starchy vegetables.
Berries.
Nuts and seeds.
Quest protein powders.

THE NO LIST
No grains or grain products--no chips, cookies, muffins, bagels, bread, rolls, pastries, pizza, popcorn.
No milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt,
No sweeteners--artificial or natural.
No fruits except berries.

I have my physical on August 27, 2015. I will see what this diet has accomplished and will share the results.

Weight Loss

I now attempt once again to do the hardest thing in my life - lose weight.

GLUTEN

As much as I LOVE bread, and especially with butter on it, I have found that eating gluten causes all sorts of issues with me, namely this list--

sinus issues
watery eyes
bloating
depression
weight gain
ravenous appetite
foggy thinking
tiredness

What makes it difficult to pin down is that it is hard to equate gluten to these symptoms as they come on at different times, and not immediately after eating gluten.

40 DAYS OF PLANT-BASED EATING

I started my plant-based diet January 7, 2013, at 305#. Today, February 17, 2013, 40 days later, I weigh 277.5, 27.5 pounds gone. It feels weird to eat so much and still lose weight. I have a new love for ripe bananas. I used to think they were off limits on weight loss and pre-diabetic diets. Not anymore. My blood sugar was 94 today. One of the lowest readings in the last 40 days. I walked for an hour on the treadmill and walked outside with my daughter as well. I even jogged a little down an alley. It did not kill me. I think when I lose 50 more pounds I can probably jog as much as I want to.

A VIRTUOUS CYCLE

I have dropped 20 pounds so far on greens and beans. I have changed my weight goal from 250 pounds to 220 pounds as I am now convinced I can get there. Not only that, I am pretty sure that is where my body will naturally end up on a largely vegan diet. I have more energy to exercise so that fuels the motivation to keep moving, and moving melts the fat away. It is a virtuous cycle, compared to the vicious cycle I was previously on.

High fasting sugar

My fasting blood sugar in the morning has been in the 155 range. I am sticking to a vegan diet for a month to see what happens. According to Dr. Fuhrman, my blood sugar will normalize. I already feel different. Much better mental clarity, though I need to eat on schedule. I weighed 296 this morning. A drop of 9 pounds off my world record 305 during Christmas. I can breathe again.

Hard to believe a diet can do this

It's hard to believe a diet can make such a different in one's mental state. I underestimated the profound effect than unstable blood sugar can have on the mind, despite reading a multitude of health books and diet books the last 30 years. After the initial withdrawal symptoms, after three days on lots of non-starchy vegetables, beans, brown rice, nuts, berries, and seeds I find myself completely freed from food cravings and mental fog. And this is without quitting coffee or the occasional whisky. It is like my body clock moved back 10 years. It's a diet I can follow, as I ate this way for several years. And I can have hot sauce. It's a simple change really--instead of a large bag of tortilla chips I grab a bag of carrot chips. After the first few bites, I'm watching the TV show and I don't even realize I am eating carrots. And I saved myself 1200 calories and a wild swing in blood sugar. Yes, I was that bad.

DR. JOEL FUHRMAN DIABETES DIET

I started a new diet plan yesterday. I got a Christmas gift card for Barnes and Noble, and I saw Dr. Joel Fuhrman's new book about beating diabetes. Since I am pre-diabetic, and have insulin resistance, I thought it would be a good read. I decided to try the diet as I could understand it. It allows for a lot of beans, which other diabetic diets said were too high in carbohydrates. I find beans and rice satisfying with some vegetables, essentially a macrobiotic diet I ate for years and taught.

I weighed 301 pounds this morning. I peaked at 305 pounds during Christmas 2012. Sausage balls. My goal weight is 250 pounds, which is still over the chart limit for my 6'4" frame no matter how large I say that frame is. I will see what life is like at 250 and deicide where to go from there.

My daughter turns 18 soon, and will leave for college next fall, so this is my last chance to demonstrate to her the power of natural foods. My son needs a diet plan too, as his friend Caleb said yesterday--he's tired of eating at fast food places.

This is the desire of my heart and I know that God will grant me the power to do it.

BRANDING

I don't think hippies in the late 60's--early 70's wore branded clothing except for jeans. Everywhere I look I see kids wearing shirts that promote a particular brand. And they paid good money for that brand name. I've seen some $25 t-shirts that would sell for $10 otherwise.

"He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." Daniel 2:21

Whatever wisdom you have, you got from God....Furthermore, whatever knowledge you are able to take in and assimilate into your life is made possible because of the ability God has given you to discern, perceive, and understand....Ideas may seem to come out of nowhere, but in truth, they have a source--either God or the enemy of our souls working in the imagination and lustful desires. Feelings may seem to erupt spontaneously, but in truth, they have a source--the heart, which is turned toward or away from God.

April 29

"God's Way Day by Day" by Charles F. Stanley

FREEBIRD'S AND CHIPOTLE

Freebird's and Chipotle are my heroes. They are miniature cafeterias that happen to use tortillas and salad bases instead of china dishes. In Fort Worth my parent's used to take me to Finley's Cafeteria on Camp Bowie when I was a kid. Unlike the other cafeterias like Colonial and Luby's in Fort Worth, Finley's was small, almost tiny. I remember the food came through one window between the kitchen and the serving line. Everything was made from scratch, and it was excellent. So I knew even when I was eight years old that cafeterias did not have to be giant industrial complexes--they could be small neighborhood feeding stations serving quality food. That's what I want The Simple Cafe to be--a small neighborhood feeding station serving natural foods in a fun vibrant atmosphere.

MANNA MUFFINS

I told my friend John Boswell that I was not going to get stressed about how the natural food rebirth was going to play out, that I was instead going to trust God to work out all the details in His good timing. The latest example of how this works has come with the humble and generally under-appreciated muffin.

Doing THE SIMPLE CAFE from the ground up is too hard without research, and tested recipes, so we are going to use the extra production capacity of one of our Orlando's Restaurants to make muffins, once I develop the recipes at my home kitchen. Monday through Friday the delivery kitchen sits idle, waiting for something to do. The plan is to make a line of both sweet and savory muffins, based on a common base recipe of organic whole wheat flour, local honey, sea salt, and sometimes a dash of melted butter or light olive oil. Then we twist things by adding things like pepperoni and mozzarella, or cheddar and bacon. In the future, I hope that people can special order dozens of their favorite muffins for their office or freezer.

I registered the domain name that I think covers this concept--MannaMuffins. No site up there yet, in fact it takes you to the old Orlando's site now, but I am working on that soon.

All in God's perfect timing. Like Solomon asked God, please pray for me to have wisdom.

THE SIMPLE CAFE RESTARTS

Now that the second Caprock Cafe is open, I have started work on The Simple Cafe again. It is an idea borne out of necessity, as even with four restaurants at which I can eat for free, I find it hard to figure out what to eat for dinner. My latest emergency food is one that I have used in the past--stir fry some vegetables in just a little bit of olive oil, then when they are done, toss in some cooked brown rice. It is a meal that, for lack of a better description, just feels right.

LOSING WEIGHT

I figured out today that the rest of my life will start when I lose some more weight. Being smaller is such a visual indicator that I have enough self-control to effect a real change in my physical body that it translates into all sorts of opportunities opening up. Not to mention I can walk around much easier.

The key for me is avoiding like the plague any form of refined carbohydrate, and focusing on eating lots of protein and lots of non-starchy vegetables--broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, spinach, romaine, greens, etc.

When I eat simple carbs my brain gets fuzzy and I get bone-tired.

"THE NEW TAMALE"

Toasted Nori seaweed sheets filled with short grain brown rice and...almost infinite choices!

I am talking about making a new "tamale", a "Renegade Wrap" (John Boswell's label), something portable to eat on the move that won't kill you.

Imagine this one--toasted nori sheets filled with organic short grain brown rice, pinto beans, sharp cheddar cheese, and sliced jalapenos. Some bits of umeboshi salted plum for those who favor the sour and salty taste.

I don't see any sushi tuna swimming around the Lubbock area, but pinto beans are plentiful. This combination has a lot of what current science is saying to eat--whole grains, complex carbs, spicy food, trace minerals.

Portable, replicable, tasty, easy to make, understandable, simple.

Menu item Number One--NORIMAKI SUSHI--West Texas style.

Sushi means "rice sandwich" in Japanese. The filling doesn't need to include raw fish.

This is fun. Keep on rolling...

NO JUDGEMENT

One of the most liberating aspects of the Christian faith is the command not to judge others. This attitude needs to be present in any business that seeks to educate the masses about the value of a proper diet. I do not want to attack the popular ways of eating that are prevalent in society at large, as that is a waste of energy, but rather I want to present an alternative way of eating, and stand ready to give a defense of its various and sundry merits. Nutritional evangelism if you will. From even a brief consideration of the state of America's health at large, it is evident that our current dietary practices are causing millions to suffer through life and are sending other millions to an early grave.

People are confused about what to eat, but things are not as complicated nor as contradictory as they first appear. The main issues confronting most people are a lack of time to cook at home and a lack of healthy eating choices that are both convenient and affordable.

To be honest, I don't have have much time to cook at home, or more accurately, I don't seem to take the time to cook at home. I would just as soon go purchase my food prepared by someone else, but the lack of convenient and affordable healthy prepared food choices drives me back to my own kitchen.

I think America is ready for a restaurant concept that prepares food simply, healthfully, affordably, and conveniently, at least for those who live in its surrounding areas. Subway is a concept that comes to mind, as it contains all of those aspects, though its healthfulness is relative to a Big Mac. There is no doubt a Subway sandwich is not as damaging to one's health as french fries and double-meat burgers, but there are still foods to eat that are even healthier than a Subway sandwich on white bread with processed deli meat and nutritionally empty iceberg lettuce.

I am not being judgemental here either, just factual. Subway deserves a lot of credit for giving people a better alternative to some fast food items--I just want to raise the bar. I'd like to see an affordable natural food franchise model develop that resists the tendency to become top-heavy in corporate management and expensive for the operators and customers.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

I have a Charles Stanley daily flip calendar. Today's quote is Matthew 5:16--

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Charles adds this commentary, which, in light of yesterday's post, is fitting--

"The life characterized by the fruit of the Spirit cannot help being noticed. It stands out like a candle in a dark room... Today, our world desperately needs to see men and women whose lives transcend the norm. The world needs to see husbands and wives who really love each other. The world needs to see Christian businessmen and businesswomen who put honesty before profit and integrity ahead of a paycheck.... Our world needs to see some fruit. Real fruit."

The world also needs to see more real vegetables and whole grains served with love. A simpler way to eat, for nourishment, not endless entertainment. A cleaner diet that frees the mind for higher purposes and energizes the body for the work of the Lord. The Simple Cafe.

I went shopping at WalMart today with wife and daughter. We went in for an area rug and left with the rug and $300 worth of other stuff we did not know we wanted. Unlike some, I do not have any bad feelings towards WalMart. I figure their size actually creates opportunities for others. The stores that go out of business because WalMart is selling the same stuff cheaper could be replaced by new stores that are selling what WalMart is NOT selling at all. Case in point--I wanted unhulled sesame seeds to make gomasio, but there were not to be found at WalMart except in the bird seed bags. It's off to the local health food store, which is a tiny little footprint compared to WalMart, but they do have sesame seeds, and several other things I want that WalMart does not sell and probably never will.

THE STORY CONTINUES

This is not a new story, but an old one that has been under construction for my whole life, after my birth in 1953 in Fort Worth, Texas. The food part of the story probably began when I ate sourdough bread in San Francisco on a trip there with my parents around 1964.

The journey began in earnest when I traveled around the eastern United States in 1976 after graduating from Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas with a degree in business management. I remodeled a 1971 VW SuperBeetle with a bed on the passenger side and toured for six months. I read WALDEN by Henry David Thoreau 14 times on a hillside while backpacking in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I later read his journals in the Library of Congress that fall. You could say I am a fan of simplicity.

That trip was so successful, I took a beautiful young lady I met in Lubbock (she pulled me into her bedroom the first time I went to her house and rocked my world!) after I returned, on a month long trip the following summer of 1977. We spent a couple of weeks hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, visiting one of her aunts in Atlanta, Georgia, and recovering from a bad case of tonsillitis at her other aunt's house.

In the fall of 1977 I found myself a Tom's Toasted Peanut route truck driver. I also baked whole wheat bread in a small rent house I shared with my girlfriend in Lubbock, Texas, and delivered it to a collection of 45 friends and regular customers each Monday night. I wanted to feed the world better food, so I started looking for a place to open up a natural food bakery. The first location I called thought I would cause too many parking issues at lunch, and the second call I made eventually led me to a partnership with an Italian restaurant owner, Mike Cea, June 6, 1978. My girlfriend designed the logo around an Italian plate, and I was a restaurateur. She later moved to New York to pursue her dreams as a design artist (after I cheated on her--my one and only indiscretion in a serious relationship). She runs her own respected design firm today.

I tried making the whole wheat bread at Orlando's, but the market was not yet ready for natural foods, especially inside an Italian restaurant, and I ran out of world-changing steam. Before I quit as a baker though, I met my wife Karen when she came into Orlando's to get a menu for her employer, Bob Skibell, the owner of Gardski's Loft. What kept her at the bar taking to me as a luscious loaf of freshly baked banana nut bread. To give you an idea of the quality of the bread it was made with Arrowhead Mills expeller-pressed corn oil, raw local honey, stone ground whole wheat flour, eggs, real bananas, pure vanilla, and raw walnuts. It was dense, moist, and evidently good enough to secure me a wife.

I did open and run a health food store called The Alternative Food Company from 1981 to 1984, funded with $7,000 from my new wife Karen's car accident settlement, which she loaned me after I signed the note payable to her. I sold the health food store in 1984 to help fund the construction of a second Orlando's location. The AFC still stands and is now operated by its fourth owner. I still get a founder's discount there!

In 1997 we opened the Caprock Cafe, a fun little neighborhood burger bar.

Now, as our board discusses what to do next, I am beginning to want to do something new, something healthy, something that will help people find a better way in life. I want to feed people something that is good for them even if they ate it every day.

The Simple Cafe is such a place. The world's first open-source restaurant with all its recipes available to anyone on the cafe's website. You read it here first. The first example of my Internet Copyright Theory.