Low Carbohydrate Healthy Fat Eating

Low Carbohydrate Healthy Fat Eating blog posts

Steak and avocado

Posted by Gary

You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe if you don’t care for my rambling palaver.

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It feels like my life has been dominated by Velcro since August 2023.

Dear Reader, 

Introduction 

I hope you’ve had a good week. I’ve enjoyed a busy week. It’s hard for me to believe it is now February 2024. It felt like yesterday that I dropped that blade through my foot. 

I’m excited to see Kathleen soon. 

Work has been good, with more international meetings keeping me awake. 

How is the foot? 

What’s happened this week? 

I mentioned last week that I was concerned by some pressure pain. That settled by the end of the weekend. 

On Wednesday afternoon, I attended the orthopædic team’s outpatient clinic. I think I was the last patient to be seen. It was a very busy clinic. 

I had the cast removed, and unfortunately, in the process, the registered nurse who cut it off nicked some skin over the medial aspect of the hallux metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ). She was surprised because the bone saw was not meant to cut skin. Fortunately, the laceration was superficial, and apart from the immediate pain and some blood, I wasn’t too concerned. 

I was then seen by the duty orthopædic trainee, who examined my foot and ankle. She asked me to extend and flex my ankle as well as pronate and supinate my foot. Then she asked me to independently extend and flex my toes, especially my big toe (hallux). As I did this, she palpated the dorsum of my foot over the wound where the tendon repair was. She was happy she could feel the tendon moving. 

I had four questions for the trainee. Would I need to sleep in the boot? Can I shower without the boot? Can I flex my ankle so I can wear trousers? Can I stop taking the oral anticoagulant that was prescribed for the prevention of deep venous thrombosis? 

I need to sleep in the boot for three weeks. 😢

I can shower without the boot. 😊

I can flex and extend my ankle with care. 😊 While I’ve not worn trousers since Christmas day at church, it’s good to know I have this option. The occasional cold day in Canberra (yes, it’s summer) has meant I needed to wrap a towel around my legs. 

No more anticoagulant medication. 😊

I was then asked to wait to see a physiotherapist for a controlled ankle movement (CAM) boot fitting. She explained the range of movement (ROM) I should try to achieve and the limitations I need to observe. She then fitted me with a CAM boot, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me. 

The CAM boot means much more mobility. 

Lake Ginninderra
CAM Boot

What have I been watching? 

Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager 

I continue to alternate between the two series, one episode at a time. 

I am about midway through each series and love the stories. Some of my favourite character interactions occur at this point in both series. 

Michael Dorn, who plays Worf, joins DS9 and starts a relationship with Jadzia Dax. Terry Farrell plays Dax, and she’s one of my favourite actors. In VOY, Jeri Ryan joins the cast as Seven of Nine. Likewise, Ryan is a favourite actor, too. The character development of Seven is fantastic.

What have I been listening to? 

Georgia Ede on Zöe Harcombe’s podcast 

Georgia Ede is a psychiatrist from the USA who uses nutrition to augment her psychiatric training in helping patients with psychiatric diseases. 

Georgia follows a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, which she believes minimises the inflammation caused by many foods. 

You can find it online if you’d like to listen to the show. An automatically generated transcript is also available online.

Georgia Ede has also written, “Change your diet, change your mind”(Ede, 2024). I’ve got this book lined up to listen to soon. 

Recipe — Steak and avocado

With the extra freedom afforded me by the CAM boot, I thought I’d cook a steak on the stove. I can now stand for a few minutes at a time, so it won’t be as dangerous. 

I chose a scotch fillet steak with a bit of rib attached.  

Equipment 

  • Frypan 

Ingredients 

  • Steak 
  • Salt 
  • Fat — beef
  • Avocado 

Instructions 

  1. Dry brine the steak overnight. 
  2. Heat the frypan to moderate heat and add a little beef fat. 
  3. Cook the steak, turning it every 30 seconds. 
  4. Cook until the meat is done to the desired internal temperature. 
  5. Allow the steak to rest for at least five minutes. 
  6. Serve with an avocado cheek.  
  7. If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the meat will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the steak and just bite into it. This minimises washing. 
  8. If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, meat and some plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination. 
  9. If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots. 
  10. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this steak won’t be suitable. 
  11. Always give thanks to the Lord. 
  12. Eat with whatever implements you prefer. 

Photographs

Scotch fillet steak

Thoughts on the meal 

It was nice having a pan-fried steak. Over the last five weeks, I’ve been enjoying thinly sliced scotch fillet steaks cooked in the air fryer. These steaks will continue to be my staple as I recover; tonight’s steak is a treat.

Final thoughts 

  • Since adapting to a low carbohydrate diet, my mental acuity has improved. I’m looking forward to learning more from Georgia Ede’s book.
  • As I rewatch episodes from DS9 and VOY, characters who I once didn’t like are growing on me. For example, Kira Nerys and Julian Bashir were characters who I found annoying on DS9. Neelix is still annoying on VOY, but not as much as in previous viewings.
  • Have you had to wear a CAM boot? How did you feel about the experience?
  • Flexing and extending ankles and toes. Do you know the difference?
  • Star Trek aficionados will know the series, episode, and character who introduced Velcro to humankind.

Disclaimer and comments

This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine. 

For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals. 

References 

Ede, G. (2024). Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind: A Food-First Plan to Optimize Your Mental Health. Hodder & Stoughton.

Simple food for healing

Posted by Gary

If you’re not seeing new posts each week, I suggest refreshing your browser and clearing your browser’s browser cache regularly.

If you continue having problems, message me via the blog’s contact page.

Dear Reader,

Introduction

I hope you’ve had a good week. My week has been busy with this and that. On Thursday and Friday evenings, I had meetings (using Zoom) with international participants, which meant late nights.

How is the foot?

What’s happened this week?

My foot has been feeling uncomfortable this week. I think I’ve developed a pressure-related bruise around the heel and ankle. I’m hoping a pressure sore has not developed.

According to my care plan, I will have the cast removed this week and will be given a controlled ankle motion (CAM) boot. I hope this will allow me to be more mobile.

What have I been watching?

Star Trek — Kelvin Timeline

Friday was a gazetted public holiday, so I spent time sitting atop my bed watching Star Trek movies from the Kelvin Universe.

There are many Star Trek aficionados who do not rate these movies. They comment on social media that JJ Abrams’ movies were an abomination. I agree with some of the criticism; however, the themes of the movies are still Star Trek and still good. I was happy to watch the three movies over the course of the day. Watching the three Kelvin timeline movies again and watching them in a more focused manner helped me glean some insights I’d not understood before. While the JJ Abrams cinematography is not to my liking, the writing and story of these movies are authentic Star Trek.

Given a choice, I don’t watch many movies directed and produced by JJ Abram.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager

I continue to alternate between the two series, one episode at a time.

I’m now in meatier episodes from both series. I’m enjoying them more and more.

Recipe — No recipe

I don’t have a recipe to share this week. My routine has become almost robotic.

I shared with Kathleen the other day, that I started thinking this week that my mindset may be moving from live to eat, to eat to live. I know the next time I see Kathleen, we’re going to enjoy many meals together, so for now, I’m eating to live so I can heal and recover.

While I’ll still be eating mostly meat with Kathleen, I’m looking forward to her company while we eat and enjoy the food.

My routine is basic, safe, and easy to manage on one leg.

Breakfast consists of eggs cooked in butter. There may or may not be some grated cheddar cheese added. The eggs vary from scrambled to an omelette.

Lunch may be a small tin of sardines in spring water or salmon or tuna in spring water. As a treat, there may be tinned corned beef or spam. If I feel like it, I’ll add some olives for a bit of variety.

Dinner has become a simple affair. Oddly, while I know some would use terms like mundane and boring, I find I’m enjoying the simplicity. I still have a sense of control over what I eat and how it’s cooked, yet it’s like having a ready-made meal in terms of speed and ease.

I’m buying thinly sliced scotch fillet steaks (known as ribeye steaks in North America) or lamb when I can get it. I usually seek lamb loin chops, but over the last couple of weeks, I’ve not been able to get any. I’ve resorted to lamb cutlets. The lamb cutlet is great for tender, flavourful meat but generally lacks fat. One of my favourite things about lamb is the fat. I like lamb fat rather than beef fat. I’d like to genetically engineer cattle to have lamb fat, and I’d be happy.

Cooking meat in an air fryer may not appeal to most people, but it’s very satisfying for me while on crutches.

Porterhouse steak with melted cheddar and olives
Porterhouse steak and cheddar cheese
Porterhouse steak and olives
Cheese omelette
Scotch fillet steak with butter and olives
Scotch fillet steak with butter, avocado, and olives
Tinned corned beef with cheddar cheese
Scotch fillet steak with avocado and butter
Scotch fillet steak with olives and cheddar cheese
Lamb cutlets and avocado
Scrambled eggs with butter and cream

Thoughts on the meal

All these meals are fine for what I’m trying to achieve. Minimal inflammatory food. Protein essential minerals and vitamins for connective tissue repair and health. Minimum carbohydrates for metabolic health.

You may wonder about vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The current thinking is that a diet low in carbohydrates doesn’t require extra vitamin C supplementation. There is sufficient vitamin C in meat.  

Final thoughts

  • Have you watched the Star Trek movies produced (and two directed) by JJ Abrams? What did you think of them?
  • If you’re Australian-based, what did you do on the gazetted public holiday on Friday (26 January)?

Disclaimer and comments

This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.

For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.

No food photos

Posted by Gary

If you’re not seeing new posts each week, I suggest refreshing your browser and clearing your browser’s browser cache regularly.

If you continue having problems, message me via the blog’s contact page.

Dear Reader,

Introduction

I hope you’ve had a good week. I’ve been doing well. Life is generally good.

How is the foot?

What’s happened this week?

There’s nothing really to report this week. I caught an Uber to work on Monday because I needed to be there to complete some tasks I couldn’t do from home. It was good to see people and be in another environment.

On Monday, it was pouring rain. To avoid getting my cast wet, I applied a thick ziplock bag and then a heavy-duty rubbish bag to my leg and secured them with rubber bands.

Extensor Hallucis Longus repair Plastic protection

My eldest daughter visited me on the weekend to help with a few tasks in the flat. There have been some things I needed help with.

Having Kathleen visit and help when I came home from the hospital was amazing. She is amazing.

Having one of my daughters visit me was fantastic. I am looking forward to the time when I can fly again to see my daughters and parents.

What have I been watching?

Reacher (season 2)

I’m a fan of the Reacher audiobooks. My father and one of my brothers read the books in paperback form.

The television adaption of the books has been good. Television and movie adaptions are rarely faithful to the book versions. Reacher season 2 was good because it introduced the members of Reacher’s unit, the 110th.

The season has eight episodes, and Amazon Prime released them one at a time.  

Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager

I continue to alternate between the two series, one episode at a time.

Recipe — Air fryer steak

I had planned on lamb chops because my daughter loves lamb. I tried twice to have the supermarket deliver lamb chops. Each time, the lamb chops failed to materialise.

Instead, I resorted to thinly sliced scotch fillet steaks. I use the air fryer because it’s safer when I can’t bear weight on my left leg. Even with a high stool to sit on, it’s awkward, and I’d prefer to be safe rather than sorry.

Equipment

  • Air fryer

Ingredients

  • Thinly sliced scotch fillet steak
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Avocado
  • Olives
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Vinegar

Instructions

  1. Cook the steaks on a rack for 9 minutes at 180 °C.
  2. Allow the steak to rest before serving.
  3. Make a simple salad with lettuce leaves, avocado, olives, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and salt.
  4. If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the meat will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the leg and just bite into it. This minimises washing.
  5. If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, meat and some plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
  6. If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
  7. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this meal won’t be suitable.
  8. Always give thanks to the Lord.
  9. Eat with whatever implements you prefer.

Thoughts on the meal

This meal was nothing special. When I visit Brisbane next, I will cook something special for my daughter and her partner, as well as the rest of my daughters and my parents.

Final thoughts

  • Have you watched the Reacher series on TV? What did you think?

Disclaimer and comments

This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.

For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.

Fake spam

Posted by Gary

If you’re not seeing new posts each week, I suggest refreshing your browser and clearing your browser’s browser cache regularly.

If you continue having problems, message me via the blog’s contact page.

Dear Reader,

I hope you’ve had a good week.

How is the foot?

What’s happened this week?

There’s nothing really to report this week. I’m using crutches to get around. The kitchen stool which Kathleen got me makes a big difference in the kitchen. I am so grateful for Kathleen in my life.

Unlike the situation associated with the straight leg brace for the knee, I can bend my knee and sit without excess discomfort. It means I can work at my dining table. I can still take part in virtual meetings.

While it is convenient to work from home, my upstairs neighbours are undertaking renovations. For days, there has been the constant noise of power tools and hammering.

What have I been watching?

Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager

I continue to alternate between the two series, one episode at a time.

There is a DS9 episode named “Move Along Home”. Many regard it as one of the worst Star Trek experiences ever produced. It is pretty weak, but it’s still Star Trek, so I watched it.

In VOY, there is an episode named “Threshold”, which is regarded similarly. It’s still Star Trek, so I watched it.

What have I been listening to?

No such thing as a fish

Now that my favourite host, Anna, has returned from maternity leave, I’ve restarted listening to this comedy podcast.

To help overcome the problem of getting to sleep with tinnitus, I’ve been listening to older episodes and falling asleep to the podcast.

Recipe — Fake Spam

This post isn’t a recipe but a description. I’m unable to get out and buy groceries, so I rely on supermarket delivery.

I always mark “no substitution” to avoid receiving products I don’t want. This process doesn’t always work.

I added classic Spam to my list and received Plumrose spiced ham. The tins look very similar, and for all I know, the Plumrose and Spam production lines may be the same. That said, when I opened the bag and saw this, I was disappointed.

My first thought was how my spam-loving siblings across the South Pacific and Southeast Asia would react to an error like this.

Equipment

  • Air fryer or oven

Ingredients

  • Fake spam

Instructions

  1. Peel back the tab on the tin to open it and discard the sheet of metal attached to the tab.
  2. Invert the tin and slam it down on the cutting board.
  3. If you slam it hard enough, the vacuum holding the meat in the tin is overcome and the meat slides out. In my mind it’s like a coup contrecoup head injury. If you’re not familiar with the term coup contrecoup, look it up in a search engine. The consistency of the fake spam (and spam for that matter) is similar to a mammalian brain.
  4. Slice off a good wodge of fake spam and lay it on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
  5. Cook in an air fryer for between 10 and 15 minutes at about 180 °C.
  6. Wait for the fake spam to cool a little and then plunge a fork through it and take small bites while holding the fork. Be careful, it will be hot and the mucosa and epithelium of the hard palate are delicate and sensitive.
  7. Don’t forget, always give thanks to the Lord.
Plumrose Spiced Ham

Thoughts on the meal

I split the tin into three portions and had some for lunch over three days.

Not surprisingly, this Plumrose spiced ham tastes similar to Spam.

I think I’ll look at the prices of each and choose the cheaper version whenever I’m craving Spam/Spiced ham.

When I’m more mobile, I’ll probably do things like dice the meat and fry it and add it to scrambled eggs or an omelette. Other serving suggestions include frying slices with eggs in butter.

Prior to my low carbohydrate healthy fat way of eating, I’d happily use Spam in meals like fried rice. I expect the Plumrose spiced ham would perform just as well.

I wonder if Hawaiian spam-lovers would use Plumrose spiced ham to make “spam” musabi.

Final thoughts

  • Have you eaten Plumrose spiced ham? What did you think?

Disclaimer and comments

This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.

For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.

Extensor hallucis longus tendon

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

No, this is not a Chinese beef tendon stew recipe.

Thanks, Kathleen, for writing a guest post last week to cover my absence due to injury. What I’m more thankful for and love about Kathleen is that she dropped everything and flew to Canberra to help me. Thank you, Love

The injury

The Wednesday after Christmas, I was packing an old heavy food processor. As I was lifting it, a blade fell from the bowl and penetrated the medial dorsum of my left foot, lacerating the overlying skin and severing my extensor hallucis longus tendon. The bleeding was impressive. I got to the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department via an Uber. Did you know that kitchen paper towels and rubber bands work to staunch venous blood? I will buy a proper first aid kit.

Extensor Hallucis Longus repair Staunching venous blood loss using paper towel and rubber bands.

After about six hours in the ED and being seen by an advanced practice nurse who had a cautious examination, an orthopædic registrar confirmed my suspicion about my EHL tendon. I was admitted to an orthopædic ward, put in a back slab, and had intravenous cephazolin started (in orthopædic doses).

The admitting registrar put me on an emergency surgical list, and the repair occurred on Thursday morning. The surgeon’s incision widened the skin laceration to explore the wound. After the trainee cleaned the wound and repaired the tendon, another back slab was applied. I’ve finished the oral cephalexin. The discharging resident prescribed cephalexin for me to prevent post-operative infection. He prescribed rivaroxaban for 42 days to avoid deep vein thrombosis.

This is the plaster of Paris back slab. The big toe has a dressing because the surgeons attempted to insert a K-wire to fix the position of the toe, but they couldn’t get it to stay in a good position.

My experience in the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department, Orthopædic ward, and Operating theatres has been excellent both times this year. All the personnel have been A1.

Yesterday, I attended the outpatient clinic and was fitted with a fibreglass cast. I’ll wear this for the next four weeks. Then, a CAM boot for six weeks. The first six weeks are non-weight-bearing on the foot.

Purple fibreglass cast

I’ve elected not to share an intraoperative photograph. I was sent the photograph while I was in the recovery ward. It depicts the operative field with the wound widened and opened along with both ends of the tendon exposed ready for repair.

That’s two surgical procedures in four months, and I’ll be in some orthopædic support until April. I’m hoping everything heals.

What am I eating?

This injury is more difficult to live with compared with a fractured patella plus its ruptured retinaculum.

With the knee, I was in a straight leg brace and could bear weight on the leg. The tendon repair requires six weeks of not bearing weight through the foot.

I can cook simple meals but must be careful with every step to ensure I am steady and safe.

I’m getting essential food products delivered from my local supermarket.

The main items are butter, avocado, beef, lamb, and eggs (BABLE).

My choice of beef and lamb are thinly sliced scotch fillet steaks and lamb chops, respectively.

I’m scrambling eggs in butter for breakfast. Eating leftover meat for lunch, and then cooking meat in an air fryer for tea.

Thin-cut scotch fillet steak cooked in the air fryer
Leftover beef short rib meat with smoked cheddar cheese and some butter
Lamb chops and avocado
Lamb chops
Thinly sliced scotch fillet with Jarlsberg cheese, avocado, and butter

The most essential tool for me in my kitchen now is a stool. Kathleen looked on Facebook Marketplace, found two stools for a reasonable price, bought them and went to pick them up for me. I use the stool to hop around the kitchen by placing two hands on the seat, lifting and moving the stool, and then hopping on my right leg. When I get the stool positioned, I can sit. Moving objects involves the refrigerator and the bench tops in small movements. Everything takes a long time to complete.

Cooking and cleaning dishes while seated feels weird.

I’m not shooting photographs (with a proper camera) of anything now and probably won’t until I can start bearing weight on the injured leg. I’ll use the camera app in my smart device to capture images like the ones I’ve included in this post.

Lesson for the future

Wear steel-capped shoes inside.

I put a teatowel on the cast with rubber bands to avoid slipping on the kitchen tiles.