Banting – Why am I Doing This?

My food life is becoming very interesting, what with all this Banter! It keeps me on the edge of my seat of addiction (read carb addiction) as I try to remember why I am doing this.

Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?

I have been at first plump, then overweight, plain fat and finally obese during most of my 64 years. For a brief, shining moment, with the help of a bariatric doctor who gave me injections and a 500 calorie diet, I was thin. Without going into all the psychological possibilities of why I might have eaten my way out of stress or depression, (I would spare you that) I am totally and utterly convinced that my weight gain is from carbs. Mostly breads, grains, starchy vegetables, legumes…and too much red wine. Mine was not a sugar addiction. I never liked Coke or fizzy drinks and got onto the vegetarian whole-foods wagon while in my early twenties in London. They were after all, “healthy” peace and brown rice hippie days.

When, after seven years of vegetarianism, I returned to my carnivorous ways, unfortunately the carbs came with me and so did the weight gain. I had a hysterectomy and put on weight, I gave up smoking and kilos piled on and then I just ate more and the kilos finally overwhelmed me. Of course I was eating more and more carbs and not doing too much exercise. I had become insulin resistant, had leaky gut syndrome and was pre-diabetic. Pharmaceutical medication was suggested which I refused as I am more into supplements and holistic healing than that which Big Pharma offers. I believe that food is indeed our medicine. But what food? I knew it needed to be natural, real food, but up until lowcarb I believed that brown rice, whole wheat pasta and beans were natural and healthy.

In the early turn of this century, I turned to Atkins and successfully lost 16 kilos and put on 22 when I gave up on the diet. I cannot remember what turned me, but I really missed bread and potatoes. I liked quinoa and millet, good alkaline grains, but they were only used when I entertained and needed some healthy grain or seed to put on the table. Pasta was a rare food but I did so enjoy it when it was put before me. “Healthy” seed bread, rice cakes and crackers, those were my quick go-to foods if I needed to assuage my hunger in a hurry. A main meal at night was the ubiquitous meat, starch and veg…and red wine.

I recognise my addiction to carbs and wine, but the memory of a good sourdough bruschetta topped with olive tapenade or delicious chilli coriander pesto still haunts me. This is the one thing that made me fear going back to a lowcarb diet. Every time I would try it out again, I made it to the second day and then sometimes not. Just plain freaked out. All I could see coming were extra kilos that would pile on if I ever dared to go back to eating bread.

What convinced me to change my food lifestyle again were the scientific facts put before me in The Real Meal Revolution. That and my brother’s success with the diet, (he of bygone bread and pizza making fame). Perhaps I am also a little better armed at this point in my weight shedding journey. My focus has moved from only weight loss to being healthy and I have continued to research alkaline diets, paleo, primal, GAPS, ketogenic, raw food and Ayurveda. My journey has led me to this juncture and I am now searching for as many Banting-friendly recipes as possible to fill the carb “hole” in my taste memory. Coconut breads, Atkins rolls, seed crackers, pasta and pizza made from cauliflower and the list goes on. This is a Banter’s search for tasty substitutes for starch and sugar comfort food carbs. Without those replacements I do declare I might fold.

I am still in favour of chlorophyll rich vegetables and green juices and I do think about the acidity of meat and the mucus forming properties of dairy but right now I have my sights set on doing this right according to the Banting way, which should be for life. I need to make it so for the sake of the years still left me, to enjoy life on this planet in good health.

So I shall eat fat and soldier on…