There but for the grace of God, go I Anonymous 8:49 AM

It would be enough to be an Ancestral Diet advocate simply because it has helped me and many others shed excess pounds. And if you look around the Interwebz you don't have to go very far to find many people who have adjusted their eating habits to a more Ancestral way and have healed themselves of Diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides...the list goes on. For myself, I didn't have any diagnosed maladies, other than being obese, when I began low carbing, but that doesn't mean I wasn't headed in that direction. All I need to do to keep myself on the straight and narrow is take a look at my mother; she, a woman in her late 60's who has had several strokes, a heart attack, diagnosed with Atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, Diabetes, and has had a double heart bypass, more than one abdominal and lower limb bypass, and has had a leg amputated below the knee. My mother, off and on throughout her adulthood, followed Atkins. It was, however, more off than on. She was never really very obese, but definitely had the top-heavy apple shape. She would use the low carb approach to shed some extra pounds and then go right back to eating whatever she wanted, until the cycle started all over again, never considering it a lifestyle change. She has paid for that, and dearly. Of course, I am sure that in the scheme of things she had never thought a low carb diet was anything more than a tool to lose some weight when needed, and until now there wasn't the evidence we have that cutting out sugar, grains, and processed carby junk was really good for you.

By the time my mother was the age I am now (47 next month!) she had already been diagnosed with malignant hypertension, and was on a host of medications. At the same time my grandmother, who was also an on again, off again Atkins follower, was also diabetic, had high blood pressure, and was obese. She just couldn't seem to give up her toast and margarine in the mornings. It didn't help that this was at the height of the low fat fad. Grandma's doctor, of course, recommended a low fat diet, and me (being the "cook" of the family) dutifully prepared low fat meals ahead and froze them for her so they would be at the ready for her to eat. I feel pretty guilty for that now, knowing I contributed to her death not long after when she had a massive coronary.

I have counseled with my mother as to what she should be eating, but unfortunately she still seems to think that eating sugar free cookies is okay because they are sugar free and she can always take some insulin to compensate for the way they make her blood glucose rise to dangerous levels. After all, the doctors and dietitians tell her that's what she should be eating. I am making headway with her, and she is allowing me to prepare healthier foods for her, up to and including cookies made from nut flours and coconut flours instead of wheat flour. Her 68th birthday was last week, and today I am baking her a chocolate cake with raspberry glaze, at her request...made from coconut flour, of course. Some would call that a bad thing, "smoking candy cigarettes," but I don't see it that way. At this point, she wants her damned cookies, and if I can provide her with a healthier option, why would anyone say it was a horrible exchange?

It may be too late for her to recover from all the damage that has already been done by eating crap her whole life. But I have to try, and if it prolongs her life even by a little, it's full of WIN. She doesn't want to die yet, she says she has more work to do. I am selfish and want her around for as long as I can have her, and knowing the pain and suffering she has already endured, if it makes the rest of her life a little more tolerable, it will be worth it.

If genetics plays any role in disease (and there is evidence for that in some cases), the deck is stacked against me. I will fight for my health until the end. The only thing I can hope for is that my diet and lifestyle will keep me healthy, and thus far I have seen nothing but positive things health-wise. On a positive genetic note, my great grandparents lived to be almost 100 years old. God love their saturated fat eating hearts!

Having seen all that my mother has been through, it is my motivation for staying the course in this lifestyle. It is also the reason why I continue to champion an Ancestral way of eating, and try to get the word out to other family members, friends, and virtual strangers through this blog. I do care. I would hope we can all live the happiest, healthiest lives possible, and I believe an Ancestral approach to eating is the best and easiest way to do that.

My beautiful mother, in better days.

Low Carb vs. Low Calorie, Low Fat Anonymous 7:06 PM

I can't tell you the number of times I have heard, "Well, if you just watch your calories and fat you'll lose weight!"  I know, I know, it has been what we've been told for decades now, "Eat less, exercise more...it's all about calories in vs. calories out!"

When I tell others about low carb eating I am often met with comments that include, "I lost all my weight just watching my calories and exercising. It's what works best for me." I can't help but wonder when I hear things like that how long it will be before that person goes face down in the feed bag, because you know, if you've ever lost weight like that yourself, that what is really happening is you're starving. If you have followed a low calorie, low fat diet for any length of time you may have lost weight, but you have also robbed your body of important nutrients, and it may shock you to know that much of the weight you've lost may not necessarily be all fat (or even mostly fat); a low calorie, low fat diet makes it so your body consumes its lean tissue, too. That includes one of the most important of the organs of your body - - the heart.

So, what is the advantage of losing weight and maintaining that weight with low carb eating vs. low fat, low calorie eating?

1. You keep your muscle mass when you eat low carb.
2. You don't really have to count anything on low carb once you learn what foods you can eat.
3. You don't ever have to be hungry.
4. You don't have to exercise until you fall over from exhaustion.
5. You keep your brain healthier and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
6. You don't feel like you have to take a nap after lunch.
7. Bacon. Real Bacon.
8. If you have suffered from acid reflux it will disappear.
9. If you are diabetic you may be able to reduce your medication intake (with doctors supervision), or completely eliminate the need for it.
10. If you take anti-depressants, you may find you don't need those anymore, either.
11. Butter. Real Butter.
12. Low carb eating lowers blood pressure.
13. A low carb diet lowers triglycerides.
14. Did I mention Bacon? ;-)

And really, this way of eating goes beyond weight loss. The weight loss is a happy side-effect. This is really about good health.

Guinea Pigs, Unite! (Or Not) Anonymous 9:45 AM

Obviously, doing a low carb way of eating has done a lot of good for me. I have struggled for a while to find an appropriate "label" to describe my way of living/eating, and have come to the conclusion that I am just not going to find one; at least not one that already exists. Perhaps that is not a bad thing. I have never really liked being labeled anyway, why do it now?

Recently a high profile Paleo blogger has abandoned ship, renouncing what he has touted as an optimal way of eating in favor of a more pesce-vegetarian, low fat diet with underpinnings of Chinese medical and religious philosophies (or, that's what I can gather out of it, at least). I find this all rather peculiar, since he has only fairly recently mentioned any issues he has had with the Paleo diet he has followed for 14 years, but he is obviously having some health issues (whether those issues are primarily related to what he believes they are related to is an entirely different story).

Paleo, Primal, Low Carb, Archevore, Atkins, Weston Price, Whole Food...what have I left out? All of these philosophies have contributed to the way I eat today. For the most part I shun grass grains and sugar, and most starches, though occasionally I will have some potatoes fried in lard or tallow, or some white rice. My way of eating is actually changing all the time. Changing, but not really diverting from a high fat, moderate protein, low carb model of eating. Some things I eat may or may not work for someone else. Why is that? Simply, we've all walked different roads, and the damage I have done to my body over the years with whatever toxins or "mal-nutrients" I have ingested has effected my particular genetic makeup in its own individual way. I have done a lot of damage, I am sure. I did eat low fat/low calorie for extended periods of time, and was anorexic during certain points in my life. I also ingested a bunch of processed foods and vegetable oils. Who knows what lasting effects that will have on my mortal body in the long run? Only time will tell, but right now, as I live in the present, I know that I feel better and perform better with very few carbohydrates and little processed foods.

I do believe everyone has to find their own best diet. I will not, however, ever believe that there is any good in Veg*ism, Low Fat or Low Calorie eating.

I will continue to read, research, and glean information about what could be beneficial to add and/or delete from my way of eating. I am a self-made guinea pig for my own well-being.