# low carb?



## Lovelizz (Jul 6, 2011)

I feel like I am insulin resistant and have felt great in the past on atkins, but I know ketosis is hard on the body and the kidneys (I am donating a kidney to my brother soon) so I want to avoid that...but still want the benefit of a low carb diet. Is low carb good for hypothyroid? Suggestions?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Lovelizz said:


> I feel like I am insulin resistant and have felt great in the past on atkins, but I know ketosis is hard on the body and the kidneys (I am donating a kidney to my brother soon) so I want to avoid that...but still want the benefit of a low carb diet. Is low carb good for hypothyroid? Suggestions?


Yes; but you must be kind to yourself and your kidneys. So, here is what I purport.

Simple carbs are sugars and flours which includes cereals (most of them.)

Complex carbs are veggies,popcorn, fruits, nuts, seeds and any high fiber cereal like rolled oats.

So, if you eliminate the simple carbs completely, you should lose weight. Eat well and eat sensibly.

You can look all this on the 'net if you like.


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## Lovelizz (Jul 6, 2011)

thanks Andros, you are always so helpful! What do you think about brown rice??? The main simple carbs I have problems with are pretzels and bread...but I really only eat whole wheat bread.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Lovelizz said:


> thanks Andros, you are always so helpful! What do you think about brown rice??? The main simple carbs I have problems with are pretzels and bread...but I really only eat whole wheat bread.


Brown rice is excellent. One of the best choices. Hey, get on the popcorn train! LOL!


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I am missing bread. Gonna learn how to make my own. I think going gluten free is worth it. I have only had 4 days in a row before I ate something that was not gluten free. Now I am on day 2, I think I notice some change. There's really quite a lot to eat, and if one is really creative, it seems like everything is ok, with modifications.

I keep thinking about what Andros said about cleaning up our acts, and smiling. I guess it takes an illness to get us healthier!


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## Lovelizz (Jul 6, 2011)

After reading about gluten free, I think that sounds a little healthier for me than low carb...it kind of makes more sense to me! And I live someplace with a LOT of gluten free options at restaurants...in fact I thought people must all have celiac here when I first moved here a few months ago. We have health stores everywhere and gluten free all over the place. There's a gluten free grocery store about 2 miles from my house. I'm going to Texas tomorrow to visit with family for a week and then when i come back I'm going to start gluten free.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Lovelizz said:


> After reading about gluten free, I think that sounds a little healthier for me than low carb...it kind of makes more sense to me! And I live someplace with a LOT of gluten free options at restaurants...in fact I thought people must all have celiac here when I first moved here a few months ago. We have health stores everywhere and gluten free all over the place. There's a gluten free grocery store about 2 miles from my house. I'm going to Texas tomorrow to visit with family for a week and then when i come back I'm going to start gluten free.


After reading more about gluten free, it benefits so many people with different maladies, that I am surprised more people don't give it a try. Besides the bread, I haven't found too much that can't be made gluten free so there isn't any feeling of deprivation.

I had planned on just doing it myself, and the husband is on board. He may reap some benefits as he has a type of IBS.

Good for you on your new beginning! Lucky too that you have a ton of resources in your area. I haven't checked to see if we have much here in rural Vermont!

Have fun in Texas! We went to San Antonio last year, lots of fun and a nice respite from the tundra!


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## McKenna (Jun 23, 2010)

Quinoa is also an excellent alternative to white rice. You can cook it in a rice cooker.... really easy! I usually make a cold salad with it, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, green onion, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Oh, and a bit of jalapeno since I like spicy things. Super yum! You can also make it into a hot breakfast cereal which is good too.

I buy brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta. Both of which are excellent.

For bread, (webster, I miss bread too!) I buy Against the Grain baguettes which are out of this world. And I DON'T like most gluten free breads. I'm not a big corn bread/corn meal fan or I would probably eat that too.

I think it took me about a month of eating GF before I really noticed a difference. It was worth it for me, plus my antibodies went down, which was my ultimate goal.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Do you rinse the quinoa first? I didn't know there was quinoa pasta too! TYVM!


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## McKenna (Jun 23, 2010)

I get Ancient Harvest brand quinoa and you don't have to rinse it. I have not tried other brands but you might have to rinse other types.

Yep, Ancient Harvest makes quinoa pasta. There's corn flour in it too.
I also buy Tinkyada brown rice pasta, which is good too. And sometimes the Asian rice noodles, all different brands.


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## Lovelizz (Jul 6, 2011)

I LOVE quinoa already! I like it with Mexican spices...yum! I actually just moved here from Texas a few months ago...we have like 3 whole foods stores in all of Houston, but there are health food stores on every block it seems here...i live about 5 mins from Portland, OR...probably the most health conscious city I've ever been to! Every restaurant has vegetarian options and most have gluten free also.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

What good news about the quinoa...I have yet to try it. Can't find the Asian noodles, but I only looked in the grocery store so far. Andros mentioned making cream soups and such, I will be interested in that towards winter. I am going to look for the bread McKenna mentioned. After reading that scary article about food & additives, I am really looking forward to embracing gluten free.


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## McKenna (Jun 23, 2010)

Lovelizz said:


> I LOVE quinoa already! I like it with Mexican spices...yum! I actually just moved here from Texas a few months ago...we have like 3 whole foods stores in all of Houston, but there are health food stores on every block it seems here...i live about 5 mins from Portland, OR...probably the most health conscious city I've ever been to! Every restaurant has vegetarian options and most have gluten free also.


Lovelizz, what kind of spices do you put in? Cumin, chili powder, garlic? Do you eat it hot or cold? I'm always looking for new recipes!

I'm so jealous that you have such great options! I'm noticing more and more grocery stores around here stocking gluten free products and I spoke with the manager of one of them who told me to make a list of the products I would like to see and he would try to get them. The closest store that sells the bread I like is about 25 miles from here, so when I travel that way I stop to pick up a package. They are frozen so they last a while, but they sell out quick. People love that brand of bread.

I also check menus online for popular restaurants to see what gluten free options they have, like Outback Steakhouse and Olive Garden. (yes, Olive Garden has a gluten free menu too! LOL!) I've had the pasta at Olive Garden and I think it's a corn based pasta....not bad. They will also give you a seperate bowl of salad without crutons.

Webster, cream soups are great too, just watch what you thicken them with. Use cornstarch or tapioca starch instead of flour.
All our local grocery stores carry asian noodles in the asian food sections near the soy sauce, etc. Look around the Thai sections too, since Thai food uses rice noodles too.

I forgot to mention Chebe bread mix! You will not miss pizza when you use chebe for a crust. It's a mix that makes a chewy, cheesy crust. You can make buns with it but we like it rolled out and baked or grilled for a pizza crust. I just made grilled pizza this week with a chebe mix, I added my own spices and grilled it with pesto, fresh tomatoes, 4 cheese blend and capers. YUM! Amazon sells it if you can't find it in a grocery store. Against the Grain (my fav bread) also makes pizza crust and buns, but I've not tried them yet. I bet they would be really good too.


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