Low-Carb Benefits for Pregnancy
with References and Links,
Easy and Delicious Recipes for:
Low-Carb Muffins,
Low-Carb Pancakes,
and How to Get Zero Carb Maple Syrup!
Twitter at: CR
Hornbeck-Kaiser@cr_hb Hashtag:
#1to5weightloss
Per the above title for
this particular article:
I. My Personal LCR Update
Several
years after initially visiting Craig Johnson, PA at my osteopath’s family
practice, I got the opportunity to see him again. He was pleased to verify my weight change from
244 pounds to 175 pounds. It was also a
pleasure to give him a copy of my book, 1 to 5 Weight-Loss without
Dieting, and to point out the passage in which he is featured at the
beginning of my LCR journey.
Yep
– several years of low carb feasting and my weight continues to hold at a Body
Mass Index reading under 25!
(A
BMI of 25 to 29.99 measures varying degrees of being overweight while a BMI of
30 or above is considered obese. Two
thirds of American adults and one third of American children have a BMI of 25
or above.)
One
of the great benefits of the LCR regimen (beyond getting to eat constantly!) once excess pounds are shed and solid nutrition becomes the norm is the increase in
energy, vitality and stamina. In addition
to weight training and cycling,
I’m also enjoying some vigorous international
folk dancing with two different local groups.
As
an aside, I had to laugh at a t-shirt sported by one of the group leaders. It read:
“Have
an international affair . . . take up folk dancing!”
These
are nice people and folk dancing is a lot of good, clean, fun cardio
exercise: I recommend it!
II. Low-Carb Benefits for Pregnancy
A plus to being married to an infant development specialist and having
a daughter who is a nurse is the opportunity to get their expert input on the
benefits of a properly undertaken – see 1 to 5 Weight-Loss without
Dieting – low carb regimen.
While
adequate nourishment is a key ingredient to a successful pregnancy, pregnant
women consuming a high carb diet may create an unhealthy host environment for
the children developing in their wombs: Excessively high birth weights and abnormal infant brain development may then result.
Gestational diabetes
occurs because the hormonal changes of pregnancy make it more difficult
for your body to effectively use insulin. When insulin cannot do its
job of lowering blood sugar to normal levels, the result is abnormally
high glucose
(blood sugar) levels. Most women have no symptoms. While this condition
is usually not dangerous for the mother, it poses several problems for
the fetus. Specifically, macrosomia (excessive growth) of the fetus can
increase the likelihood of cesarean delivery and the risk of birth
injuries. When glucose levels are well controlled, macrosomia is less
likely. http://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/third-trimester-complications
Please keep in mind -- as explained in 1 to 5 Weight-Loss without Dieting -- that our bodies produce insulin in response to the presence of glucose that results from consuming (especially high glycemic) carbohydrates such as breads, pastas, fruits, sugar based hard and soft beverages, protein shakes, starchy vegetables, cakes, candies, bagels, cinnamon rolls, pies, and other sweets.
Hormones produced during pregnancy make it difficult for the body to appropriately use insulin which is required so that cells may absorb the glucose in the blood to provide cellular energy. The result is elevated levels of glucose in the blood which in turn impacts the fetus developing in the womb.
Although pregnant women may not show visible signs of this process, both the baby's and the mother's health are at risk. Pregnant women with elevated glucose levels are at greater risk for developing diabetes. Children developing in the wombs of such women are more likely to have abnormally elevated birth weights and to manifest abnormal brain development.
According to Healthline.com for women who develop gestational diabetes " . . . there is up to a 50% chance of developing diabetes
later in life which can be decreased through lifestyle modifications
like diet and weight control. It is also important to note that
gestational diabetes will often complicate future pregnancies . . ."
Acccording to the DANA Foundation, "The
many pregnant women who have diabetes or develop it during pregnancy
have another reason to control their blood sugar: Abnormal glucose levels
could affect their child’s memory, and damage might not be reversible.
[as explained in 1 to 5 Weight-Loss without Dieting, elevated glucose is associated with insulin resistance - a prediabetic condition]
A
continuing study based at the University of Minnesota has tested
children of diabetic mothers from day one through age 8 (and counting)
and found consistent problems with their memory; specifically, their
ability to recognize their mother’s voice (at birth), face (at 6
months), and sequences of actions (ages 3 and up). Researchers suspect
that the impairment is caused by damage to the hippocampus, which
rapidly develops during the third trimester of pregnancy.
'If
the glucose levels in the mother fluctuate greatly … the fetus will
also have high fluctuations in their glucose levels, which then leads to
iron deficiency and oxygen deficiency' to the brain, says Tracy DeBoer
of the University of California at Davis, one of the researchers. These
deficiencies have been shown in animals to be especially damaging to
hippocampus development, she says." http://www.dana.org/Publications/Brainwork/Details.aspx?id=43695
With these things in mind, it
would be interesting to see the correlation between the increase in developmental maladies and the epidemic of obesity
that has resulted from the increasingly “carbaholic” (high glycemic [high
sugar], high carb) diet that has become the norm in America over the last fifty
plus years.
At least some of the increase in detrimental infant developmental problems seen in recent
generations may actually result from our growing addiction to high glycemic, high carb
eating.
Therefore, if
you want healthy children, adequate nutrition is a must and eliminating high
glycemic, high carb foods appears to be a crucial step!
The 1 to 5 Weight-Loss without Dieting book clearly presents the simple, easy and enjoyable process through which a low-carb, high protein, high healthful fat regimen may be undertaken. In line with this, here are some delightfully delicious low-carb applications:
III. Easy and Delicious Low-Carb Muffin & Pancake Recipes
1. First, Easy and
Delicious Low-Carb Pancakes
Three
eggs beaten in a 2 cup measuring cup.
One
tablespoon of avocado or olive oil.
One
quarter teaspoon of salt,
One
quarter teaspoon of Vietnamese/Saigon cinnamon,
One
tablespoon of granulated Stevia,
One
tablespoon of baking powder,
Two
tablespoons of coconut flour
- Mix the above dry ingredients into the beaten eggs.
Fill
the two cup measuring cup (already containing the above ingredients) with
almond flour to the one and one quarter cup mark and blend with the other
ingredients.
Now
blend in one third of a cup of rich sour cream (I like the Daisy whole fat
brand).
Warm
your non-stick frying pan on your stove to a setting of "4" (on a scale of 1 to 10) and
melt in and coat the pan with one tablespoon of butter.
Pour
three ovals of batter into the pan (the batter may look like it has run
together, but as they cook the butter separates the pancakes which also shrink
away from one another.
Place
4 to 6 blueberries into each pancake.
It
takes about two to three minutes for the first side to cook (they will begin to
smell done).
CAREFULLY
flip each pancake and let the new side cook a minute or so.
Once the ingredients have been set out, the batter takes just a couple of minutes to prepare. In my experience, left over batter refrigerates well for at least a couple of days, but – since raw eggs are involved – use your own discretion in order to protect from bacterial contamination.
2. Second, Delicious
Low-Carb Muffins
Use
the recipe above.
Preheat
your oven to 425 degrees.
Decide
if you want plain muffins or add savory ingredients of your choice. For instance, onion powder and sharp cheddar
cheese, fresh herbs from your garden (perhaps freshly chopped chives), fresh blueberries
(per the pancakes above), or perhaps freshly grated lemon peel and poppy seeds!
Butter
your muffin pan cavities.
Fill
each cavity about two thirds full with your batter.
Bake
at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on your elevation, humidity and
oven performance). The muffins will
smell done and will develop a golden brown exterior: Delicious!
By
the way, each muffin is about 2 grams of carbs and each pancake is about 1 gram
of carbs depending on how large you pour them.
I
serve the muffins with lots of fresh, creamy butter. In addition to the butter – for the pancakes –
I like Walden Farms (zero carb) Maple Syrup.
The pancakes served with freshly prepared eggs and bacon are stellar –
we even have them for dinner!
IV. As promised, here are some useful links:
3. DietKeto.com (my book
is recommended on this site and the site’s author has a similar experience to
my own – there is excellent information on this site!)
1 to 5 Weight-Loss without Dieting
is a simple, enjoyable, easily
adopted, step-by-step lifestyle change that aids your body in losing weight
without dieting while -- at the same time -- overcoming dietary patterns that
lead to insulin resistance. Through the
approach there are no pains from hunger, no fad diets, no "magic"
pills, no paraphernalia, no unrealistic exercise regimens or embarrassing
weigh-ins.
1 to 5 Weight-Loss without
Dieting delightfully deals
with these issues by presenting simple, step-by-step instruction on how to
feast continually and lose weight at the same time!
(By the way, you don't need a Kindle to use the Kindle
version: A free app is automatically
available from Amazon that will enable your cell phone, computer or tablet to
display Kindle books.)
Sound good? You owe it to yourself to
read this book!