90 – Listener Q&A about drinking, vegetarian and soy, self-image, fasting

2 thoughts on “90 – Listener Q&A about drinking, vegetarian and soy, self-image, fasting”

1. 

   Erik

   14 April 2012

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   I was sorry to hear about the Asian girl whose mother is unsupportive of her low carb / Paleo efforts.

   I didn’t catch which ethnicity we’re talking about here, but there are plenty of Asian foods which would fit well into that dietary approach. I would recommend curries with coconut milk, lettuce wraps, stir fries with lots of vegetables and some protein, fermented foods like Kim-Chi and others.

   You don’t even have to call it ‘low carb’ or ‘Paleo’. Most mothers would be thrilled if their daughter was to do a lot of their own cooking. If you stir fry some bok choy and Napa cabbage and some mushrooms and bean sprouts with some protein and add some coconut milk and spices, who’s going to object?

   If you’re going to adopt a non-standard diet, you’re going to have to learn to make your own food eventually anyway, if only so you know what to order in a restaurant.

   If your mom doesn’t want you to ‘diet like a Westerner’, maybe you could ask her for some tips on how to diet like an Easterner. For instance, I know of Zen Buddhists who eat all of their meals out of a single bowl, with chopsticks, and don’t get seconds. It would be hard to overload on carbs using that technique, even if the bowl was entirely filled with rice.

   I’m a middle-aged American male, and I’ve lost over 50 pounds. My favorite figure-friendly fast food restaurant is Panda Express. I get a Panda Bowl, which is usually a bowl of rice with an entree on top. But I swap out the rice for steamed vegetables and it’s a very healthy, low carb, high fiber meal with just enough fat and protein to make it satisfying.

   I didn’t catch what kind of food your mom is serving, but all you really have to do is swap out half the rice / noodles / other starchy carbs for a pile of vegetables and you’re good to go. If you can also manage to make a decent sauce with some coconut milk and some anti-inflammatory spices (turmeric, ginger, garlic, chili peppers), that’s a bonus. Good luck!

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     Wes

     14 April 2012

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     Thanks so much for the concern and all the useful information, Erik. I’ll inform Selly of it via email. I like how you’ve suggested finding some common culinary ground. Veggies with coconut or palm oil is a win/win. I agree that if people ate their carbs with chop sticks here in America, they might then be eating low-carb. ;) Cheers.