The Low Carb 6-Week Challenge Rapid Fire Q&A - Part 3

A: This question pops up in the Facebook group and it is reported on in the media every now and then. After watching this video, please head to the Facebook group and in the search bar type in ‘red meat and bowel cancer’ and you can hear me have a little rant about this topic. But what I’ll say here is that there has NEVER and I repeat NEVER been a study that has been able to link the consumption of red meat to bowel cancer, not even one! In fact, there has never been a study to show an association between red meat and ANY lifestyle disease. What generally happens in most studies is that red meat and processed meat are lumped together in one category and you can imagine that the outcomes from that are going to bevery different as opposed to just having red meat in a category by itself.

Red meat is highly nutritious, it keeps us satiated, it will aid your health NOT hinder you. Buy good quality unprocessed red meat and enjoy it!

A: The trend of drink ACV began in the Paleo community and has now been carried forward to the low carb/keto world. There many claims related to this but none which have been backed by good science. There have been a few odd studies showing an improvement in insulin resistance directly after having anything with the acetic acid component of vinegar rather than the ‘apple cider’ part – this means that any vinegar will do the trick. It is pretty revolting to have a shot of apple cider vinegar and probably the same impact by just including any vinegar in a salad dressing or sauce. You’ll get the same effect and at least it will taste nice. I wouldn’t totally dismiss that there may be some benefits that we discover in the future but I wouldn’t go mad forcing this stuff down either

A: Yes you can – kombucha is made with sugar or a form of sugar (honey, syrup etc), however this sugar is fermented, so in essence the bacteria consume the sugar and not us. There is usually a small amount of sugar left over, usually between 1-5g per 100ml, which may or may not result in an insulin spike (depends on the individual). If having homemade kombucha you can leave it to ferment for longer, this results in less sugar remaining. However it then becomes a palatability thing, as if more fermented it starts tasting a bit like vinegar. Commercial kombucha have sweeteners added to ensure they remain palatable. There are many benefits in consuming fermented foods and so having this as part of your diet here and there is a good thing. Make sure you have the kombucha together with a meal to prevent any additional insulin spikes in your day

A: This comes back to the very first challenge that I set for you – you need to have a strong enough WHY. When your why is strong enough and well defined enough, then the instant gratification you get from a a piece of bread, a couple of beers, that piece of cake, whatever, will just not seem worth it anymore. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to take the time to work out the specifics of your WHY. This is not as simple as it may at first seem. Sometimes it takes a few weeks or maybe months to get a handle on your why – sometimes it is totally different to what you first thought it was BUT when you discover it, it is so powerful and such a driving force. Take sometime to sit down, write some points down, chat to a close friend about it, keep asking yourself the question ‘but why’ over and over again. Here’s an example – I want to lose weight, but why? So that I can fit into my cloths more comfortably, but why? So that I feel comfortable and confident, but why? And keep going until you get to something that strikes a nerve – once you’ve found it, your path to success is clear.

A: Legumes are not the worst thing you can eat but they are not ideal either. They will offer some protein (but not particularly high when compared to animal sources). The problem is that they are high in carbs, so in order to get the protein, you are getting the carbs too. Bioavailability of nutrients in legumes is compromised by the body’s ability to digest them – yes they may be high in all sorts of nutrients but we are not actually getting most of these. Preparation is really important is you do choose to have these – this includes soaking and adequate cooking. There have been suggestions that legumes negatively impact gut microbiome, so this is something to consider and keep in mind. Consider personal carb tolerance – if you are more insulin sensitive then perhaps legumes could become a part of your diet in time and in small amounts once you are fat adapted, for now I would be suggesting they are not. Finally if you are vegetarian then these will probably be a way of maintaining variety in your low carb diet but I’d still avoid them or keep them to a minimal during this challenge as your body is adapting.

A: This question follows nicely from the legume question, as peanuts are actually not a nut they are a legume and hence you will find them on my red list and everything I’ve just said applies to peanut too. Carb levels in peanuts are about 16g per 100g – a lot higher as compared to almonds or macadamias. There are some great tasting nut butters of all sorts of varieties on the market so I’d encourage you to source these out. Make sure they are 100% nuts, nothing else added