Older Bolder Life

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My Personal Nutritional Ketosis Report Card 10 January: Through Week 36

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It’s been a few months since I shared my personal perspectives while engaging with a run of nutritional ketosis; my last update was here (15 August 2018), and here’s my post outlining why I wanted to give NK a run.

My Nutritional Ketosis Report Card at Week 36

Once again, for the most part, I’m pleased as punch overall after spending now slightly over eight months in nutritional ketosis, though for at least two weeks (one over the holidays), I’m sure I was drifting in and out of NK during the week.

My schedule is for the most part the same as I outlined in the 15 August post linked above, save for altering my walking routine due to a fairly impressive plantar fasciitis and calcaneal stress fracture (dammit).

A Closer Look at a Few Metrics

As noted in my last personal NK update, I have continued tracking a fairly close estimation of my macronutrients –

Up until starting my NK run, I’d lost 100 pounds without tracking a single calorie consumed over the 15 months window we’d been eating a fairly compliant LC/MP/HF diet around our camp, though of note been in a weight loss stall for several months (Dec-Feb).

I did however, principally at first as a learning tool, and later in part due to my medical training induced affinity for objective data, track a fairly specific diary of my daily carb intake (net carbs), which from the get go were always under 100 per day, and most often under 60 gm/day.

Again, largely as a matter of intellectual curiosity, when starting my NK run, I decided to track, as closely as possible, daily intake of carbs, protein, and fat, and to calculate my total caloric intake and deficit against my estimated BMR (adjusted for activity), as well as the percentages of carb / protein / fat contributions to my total calories.

Please note this point about tracking data: I still don’t recommend that most folks I work with track their intake as obsessively as I have been; it’s simply not necessary to make nutritional ketosis work for most. If you’re a data nut like me, go for it. Over the 36 weeks in NK thus far, the rolling averages of my intake and macronutrient accounting include –

Daily Carb Grams: 22.9 (91.4 calories)
Daily Protein Grams: 81.5 (326 calories)
Daily Fat Grams: 122.9 (1106.1 calories)

Average Total Calories per Day: 1525
Average Calorie Deficit per Day: –1565.7

Average Carbs as Percent of Total Calories per Day: 6.0%
Average Protein as Percent of Total Calories per Day: 21.4%
Average Fat as Percent of Total Calories per Day: 72.5%

Of note, without any conscious effort on my part, the trend of eating less protein and less calories overall continued most weeks, and several weeks I’ve dropped my carb grams to less than 20 g/day just to mix things up a bit, with no change in cognition, energy levels, exercise tolerance, hunger, or satiety.

Weight loss during my 36 week run now totals 59 pounds, fairly consistent with what I noted previously.

My Nutritional Ketosis Week 36 Bottom Line: Let’s Make It a Year

Overall I’ve been extraordinarily pleased with the results of my NK trial, especially in the context of my daily ability to engage with my life tasks, consistently and impressively improve my personal fitness, and chip away at the primary goals I originally outlined.

At this point, barring any unforeseen changes, I plan to ride the keto train to complete a full year in nutritional ketosis. Another report to follow in April.

the Older Bolder Friday Feast 4 January: Thai-Inspired Slow Roasted Short Ribs

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Last March or April Chef Libby sent us this jaw-droppingly good recipe for Thai-Inspired Slow Roasted Short Ribs that she’d adapted from one published in Bon Appetit. She noted back then that she significantly upped the ‘spice package’ for the spice-infused coconut milk the ribs slowly roast in for nearly six hours (!).

She also added a bit of heat, in the form of a sliced jalapeno or fresno chile, to the toasted coconut, cilantro, and lime gremolata sprinkled over the top.

Our daughter Jess from Missoula recently visited over the holidays, and I slow roasted five pounds of short ribs using this recipe one coolish, windy afternoon her first day in town. The enticing aromas of coconut, ginger, and lemongrass drove us crazy during the last half of the roasting time, and we all agreed this was probably the best tasting short rib prep any of us had ever chased around a plate.

Libby also had shared a tip last year about using lemongrass; if you’re not feeling up to actually prepping lemongrass stalks, you can certainly using some of the pre-prepared lemongrass purees that are available in produce sections around the country. (We’re big lemongrass fans, so I actually used both…)

Take your time with this one, and get those ribs fall-off-the-bone tender.

4-5 lb beef short ribs
Good salt

3 lemongrass stalks (see note above)
2 medium shallots, trimmed and chopped
5 large garlic cloves
3 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, chopped
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 tbsp + 1 tsp good curry powder
1 can (14-ounces) full fat, unsweetened coconut milk
Optional: 1 tbsp fish sauce

For the gremolata
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
1 jalapeno or fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, sliced into half rings
2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice (one average lime)
Salt to taste

Preheat your trusty oven to 250.

Trim the uppermost three quarters of the lemongrass stalks off and lay in the bottom on your dutch oven or large cast iron skillet (if using the prepared lemongrass puree, skip this step of course). Salt the short ribs generously and lay atop the lemongrass, bone side up.

Into the blender go the coconut milk, shallots, garlic, jalapenos, ginger, curry, the lemongrass (at least 1 tbsp of the puree if using, grate the bottom quarters of the stalks in otherwise), and the optional fish sauce, puree until smooth. Pour over the ribs, and slide into the oven.

Roast at 250 for 3.5 hours; you’re looking for the meat to begin to tenderize, and the liquids to reduce by roughly half. (It will look broken and oily, don’t worry about that). At 3.5 hours, turn the ribs on their sides and throw it back into the oven for another 2 hours (maybe 2.5) until the meat is fall apart tender.

During the last hour, toast the coconut until golden (10-15 minutes), set aside to cool. When cool, combine with the cilantro and sliced pepper; add the fresh lime juice and salt just before serving.

When the ribs are done, serve hot with the gremolata spooned over the top.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 2 January: Fasolakia (Greek-Style Green Beans)

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I’m almost ashamed to admit that my lovely wife and I had never truly tasted genuine Fasolakia (Greek-style green beans) until a couple of years ago, at a then newly discovered wonderful little family-owned Greek place in a nearby town.

The tender green beans, coated with a rich, tomatoey, and well-spiced sauce became a favorite and often were part of a Greek gyro salad dinner for us in the months following our discovery. The restaurant is owned and managed by a charming Greek immigrant in his late 70s; he’s working every single day we venture in, and always welcoming and chatty.

I finally pestered him for the spices used in their version of this dish, and he rattled off the list below, including the admonition to use “lots of garlic and oregano”, and to not forget the spritz of fresh lemon juice at the end.

We also follow his technique of simmering for 15 minutes on the stovetop and then braising in the oven to finish, though you’ll find lots of recipes that complete the entire process on the stovetop. And while we most often prefer to use fresh vegetables, this is one recipe where frozen green beans work like a charm.

1.5 lb fresh green beans, or bout 8 cups frozen green beans (2 small bags)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
1 medium onion, trimmed, grated
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 tbsp good dried oregano (maybe a bit more)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 14.5-ounce cans organic diced tomatoes
3 tbsp organic tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Good salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
Optional: 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

Preheat your trusty oven to 300.

Heat 1/4 cup of your oil of choice in a dutch oven or oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion (and any onion juice that’s collected while grating). Sauté for 5-6 minutes until the onion has softened and is just beginning to color and the liquid has reduced a bit.

Sprinkle in the dried oregano, cumin, and the garlic, sauté for another minute or so, then add the green beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, along with at least a teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook (uncovered) for 15 minutes, stirring several times. Now cover and pop into the oven for another 30-40 minutes (check halfway through to see if you need to a little water). When the beans are tender, stir in at least another tbsp of oil, 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, and the parsley. Adjust seasonings and serve hot.

Enjoy.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know (Links and Stuff) 15 December 2018

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Three out of five adults do NO resistive exercise training.

Sex is good for older adults.

Do body weight swings bring health risks? Yep.

A time to fast. If you only read one article today, read this one; we’ll be looking at this one in more detail in a later post…

A Mediterranean diet impressively drops CVD risk.

Do you believe you think better when eating fruits and veges? You probably do.

The diet impacts mood bandwagon is garnering more attention.

Interesting read on CrossFit and their physician recruitment.

Keto Corner

Ketogenic diets as part of cancer treatment.

Lab anomalies in pedi patients on ketogenic diets. Makes you wonder about phosphorous levels in adults following a ketogenic plan…

Our recipes from the week

Our House Chile Lime Vinaigrette

Dutch Oven Roasted Beets

Boeuf Bourguignon

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 30 November: Puerco Guisada

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As we turn the corner from late fall into early winter, here’s one to help you beat back the crush of winter’s hand – Puerco Guisada, a south Texas / Mexico inspired take on the spicy ‘meat in gravy’ stew (carne guisada) gracing every worthy taco stand from Austin to the southern border in Texas.

One might certainly argue this dish is traditionally made with beef (carne guisada) – and you can certainly do that by exchanging the pork with a cut of chuck or bottom round – though the pork version seems a tad lighter and sweeter to us.

This puerco guisada is another one of those recipes that are so simple they’re child’s play, thought there are a couple of caveats to note. Flavors are dramatically improved by actually browning the meat in the oil up front; if you overcrowd the meat it steams and doesn’t brown. Browning in two or three batches works wonders and leaves a hoard of those tasty browned ‘pan crispins’ behind to scrape up and flavor the stew.

The other caveat pertains to the peppers; jalapenos and serranos can very dramatically in their heat level. Cut off a small chip of the pepper and touch it to your tongue to get an idea about the heat; the last two jalapenos I picked out of the bin were searingly hot, so we left out the serranos on that batch (even though they add a slightly different heat and flavor pattern).

This Puerco Guisada makes for a killer bowl of spicy goodness standing alone (with a few toppings of course) and it makes a mouth-watering taco or burrito too. We’ve even been known to use it to make a puerco guisada huevos rancheros for breakfast when special company is in the house.

4ish pounds of pork shoulder or loin, trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tbsp avocado oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
14-oz can diced tomatoes with liquid or 3 fresh tomatoes with seeds and core, diced
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp good chili powder
2 tsp (preferably Mexican) oregano
1/2 cup chopped cilantro or more
2 bay leaves
2 cups of water
1 bottle cerveza (Corona or Negro Modelo for the spirit of things)
Optional: 1 tbsp masa if needed for thickening

In your trusty dutch oven, heat 1/3 of the oil over medium high heat and brown 1/3 of the meat; remove to a plate and repeat to brown all the meat.

Add a splash of oil if needed, and sauté the onions and peppers until soft; then add the garlic, and cook, stirring now and again, for another couple of minutes.

Now add the pork back to the dutch oven, along with the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, water and beer. Stir until well combined, turn up the heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.

Now turn down to a simmer and let it go low and slow for 4 to 5 hours, stirring once an hour; you’ll notice the pork begins to tenderize and break down a bit, thickening the mixture as the water cooks off. (You can always add the masa at the end to thicken it more, though we never do.)

Traditionally this would be served steaming hot in a big bowl, sprinkled with grated cheese, maybe a few chopped fresh peppers, cilantro, and fresh or pickled onions. The possibilities are endless as noted above.

Enjoy.

Keto Thursday: Digging into the History Behind Today’s Nutritional Ketosis

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Over the past few weeks I’ve been spending a portion of my research time digging into the history of nutritional ketosis.

As most nutritional ketosis advocates know, formal discussion of NK in modern medical literature appears to have first been reported by Guelpa and Marie in 1911, two Parisian physicians who noted that fasting had consistent, demonstrably favorable impacts in epilepsy.

Perhaps even more interestingly, fasting is reportedly the only therapeutic measure against epilepsy documented in the Hippocratic collection (disclosure – I haven’t read all the Hippocratic collection), and there’s even a purported reference to fasting for a child with an apparent seizure disorder during Jesus’ time (Mark 9:14-29, KJV).

For those with an interest, I’ve listed below several more current references / links which are fairly easy, if not lengthy, reads. I certainly can’t vouch for the absolute accuracy of the information reported therein, though if you read through all you’ll note the consistencies.

History of the ketogenic diet (Epilepsia, 2008)

History and Origin of the Ketogenic Diet (Chapter two of Epilepsy and the Ketogenic Diet, pp 31-50)

The Origin (and future) of the Ketogenic Diet Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 (Robb Wolfe’s team)

Do ketogenic diets have a place in human evolution? (Break Nutrition, 2017)

the Older Bolder Life Salad Sunday 25 November: Thai-Inspired Celery Salad

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Here’s a nifty salad to get you back on track if you’ve wandered a bit during the holiday break – a Thai-Inspired Celery Salad.

Celery doesn’t necessarily get a lot of love in many kitchens beyond nut butter and pimento cheese-stuffed celery sticks (if you grew up in the South, you know what I’m talking about with the pimento cheese…).

We’re long time celery fans around our camp; for instance, I can’t imagine serving a chicken or tuna salad without celery included, celery leaves work wonders in flavoring soups and other dishes, and a crispy, crunchy stalk or two, sliced thinly, winds up in most of the salads we serve as well.

Finally, celery packs a host of health benefits in its long, green stalks, including a very low soluble carb burden, and meaningful amounts of vitamin K, folate, vitamins C, B6, and A, as well manganese, calcium, riboflavin, and manganese. Celery packs a host of phytonutrients too; perhaps we’ll spend a bit of time at some point digging a bit deeper into those, though in the context of today’s recipe, we like celery because it tastes great in this salad too…

Update: I came back and updated this recipe on the 25 of February, after making a few changes along the way since last November – another dressing option and 1/2 of a large sliced and peeled cucumber…

The final winning point for this recipe – ten minutes or less prep time even with average “knife skills”.

8-9 celery stalks, with leaves, thinly sliced on a diagonal
2 small or 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, thinly sliced
7-8 trimmed green onions, thinly sliced
1-2 red chiles (think a Fresno here), stemmed, thinly sliced
1 and 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

Dressing #1
4-5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1-2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1-3 tsp red chile pepper flakes
Good salt and pepper to taste

Dressing #2
4 tbsp avocado or EV olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp good fish sauce
Good salt and pepper to taste

Optional
1/3 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts (or nut of your choice)
1-2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Combine the prepped celery, green onions, chiles, and cilantro; toss to combine evenly. Whisk the dressing one final time, pour over the salad, and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with the peanuts (if using) and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Snack Wednesday 21 November: Citrus Spiced Olive Mix

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On this day before Thanksgiving, a preparation and travel day for many, here’s a simple snack or side dish we’ve served at family and friend gatherings many times before, a Citrus Spiced Olive Mix.

Friends and readers here know the goodness that olives (and olive oil) bring to any healthy food discussion, and even something this easy to prepare can really dress up your holiday, entertainment, or everyday table.

Adjust the spices as you see fit, though try it as written once to see what you think. We typically add a bit more red pepper flakes than listed…

3 cups good mixed olives (your choice, with pits)
1 cup EVOO (or 1/2 cup EVOO and 1/2 cup avocado oil)
Three 3-inch strips of orange peel (see notes)
Three 2-inch strips of lemon peel (see notes)
Two 2-inch strips of grapefruit peel, optional (see notes)
1 jar roasted red peppers, cut into strips
3 bay leaves (freshness matters!)
1 small-medium head of garlic, cut in half
1 tbsp fresh whole coriander, toasted, roughly crushed
2 tsp fresh whole fennel seeds, toasted, roughly crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fresh whole black peppercorns, roughly crushed

Place the olives in a medium mixing bowl, stir to combine the different types.

Over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, combine the oil(s), the various citrus peels, the garlic, and bay leaves. Cook, keeping an eye on the mixture, until the garlic (the cut edges) has slightly browned and the oil is fragrant. Remove from the heat and let the oil infuse for 90 minutes, then remove and discard the garlic.

To the olives add the roasted red peppers, the coriander and fennel seeds, the peppercorns, and the red pepper flakes, then pour the infused-oil mixture over all. Stir/toss to coat, and marinate at room temp for at least 2 hours before serving. Will hold in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Enjoy.