Need guidance in low carb dieting...

EXACTLY!! I suspect you and I are on similar paths at the moment. I went to a kombocha tea making workshop last night and the woman who ran it is a clinical nutritionist and spent most of the two hours talking about gut microbiomes! (I was gobsmacked that I knew exactly what she was talking about and how simply she put it all)

This sort of particular 'food craving' could also be applied to the foods that I love that are particularly bad for inflammation, like tomatoes - I LOVE tomatoes.

Eggs seem to be problematic for me also, which is not surprising how much I love them.

sigh...... I love food.

Flip, did you get any ideas from the workshop about how to help the gut jungle get back in balance?  Also, many years ago because there are allergies in the family I did a lot of reading, and there is a tendency for people who some kinds of food sensitivities to actually crave the food.  I can't remember exactly, but it might have been something about withdrawal symptoms which are alleviated by eating the offending food.

Cooncidently this woman works at the same place as me (completely different area).  I asked her the same question only yesterday - I'll let you know what she says when she gets back to me.  just off the top of my head I remember her saying that you need to eat probiotic foods (fermented etc) every few days to repleat your 'supply' of good bacteria.??

I know she said (and I checked yesterday) that is takes up to two years for the gut to recover after taking antibiotics. This I can believe because I got PMR a few months after taking some serious doses of antibiotics for influenza and bronchitis. The whole time I was taking them all I ate/drank was chocolate milk and orange juice - never touched the stuff before or after!

The good news is that the appendix (if you still have one!) keeps a store of all the different types of bacteria 'just in case'... so it's a matter of eating and drinking the right stuff to encourage the 'good' bacteria to reproduce back to optimum levels.

I'm going to google the food craving= sensitivities stuff, thanks :-)

my favorite fermented food at the moment is Indian dosa.  I can buy the batter ready made and fermented at the Indian grocers, and make dosa pancakes for breakfast.  It is made with rice and lentils, so it actually does have fiber.  Delicious. 

What does cooking fermented foods do to its value as a source of gut flora and fauna?

 

Might want to avoid it if you are watching carbs!

(from Wikipedia)

Dosa, a common breakfast dish and street food, is high in carbohydrates, and contains no sugar or saturated fats. As its constituent ingredients are rice and urad dal (Vigna mungo), it is also a source of protein. The fermentation process increases the vitamin B and vitamin C content.[9][10] There are also instant mix products for making dosa, with somewhat lower nutritional benefits. Dosa are considered a high glycemic index food and should be avoided by diabetics. Dosa are high in fat but are considered low in calorie.

No idea but good point.   But I know some nasty bacteria survive in cooked rice which is  why you sometimes get ill in restaurants that serve rice kept warm for long periods.

    I really like dosa and I am so happy I no longer have to make it from scratch.  I am not Indian but learned how to make it long ago. 

   It is rather amazing what you sometimes learn that are most unexpected when you look up these things.  Apparently fenugreek lowers blood sugar, as does cinnamen, so dosa recipes for diabetics call for a teaspoon fenugreek.  Also curcumin in turmeric significantly reduces development of type II diabetes in pre-diabetics.  Now I need to think up some easy good recipes to put in the dosa!  There has been a lot of research on Indian diets which is most interesting to read.  

indian food is my absolute favourite - I wonder if I love it because it's bad for me!!??? lol

I thought Indian cooking was one of the more healthy cuisines?  

 

I was thinking of it in relation to the AIP... no chilli, no seed spices

Ah, ok.  But I'm sure if you investigate you can find all kinds of reasons why these spices are good for you!

trust me, I can find justification for just about anything I want to do, particularly if it's bad for me!

Just google is chili good for us and you will find that it is considered one of the world's healthiest foods.  One of its benefits is allegedly to fight inflammation....  So there you go.  You can eat chili with a clear conscience.  I'm sure the paleo hunters hadn't found everything yet....

I recently read something quite surprising.  Despite high rates of diabetes and poverty, Hispanics in the U.S.A. have a longer life expectancy than whites!  Apparently they have much lower rates of cancer and heart disease.  It must be the chilis, beans, garlic and cumin!

Love Indian food and spices! But darn acid reflux doesn't.  

I was taking Aloe Vera juice for my stomach, I think it really helped, but I noticed my blood sugar would drop (I'm very reactive hypoglyceimic ), so I had to stop it. But if anyone doesn't react that way, I suggest it.

Yes it has yucky after taste, I just hold my nose, take a shot of it, and rinse with sip of water. 

My Rheumy made me stop legumes, rice, potatoes... I think more due to the processing them now has ruined the healthful benefits, sad if our soils are getting depleted of good nutrients, guess due to insecticides? Ha, I wonder if insects would be better for us! Hee, Hee.

Layne, I guess there is a movement to introduce more insects into our diet as a cheap and healthy  source of protein.  Would you be allowed to eat some of those forbidden foods if they were home grown (by you or someone else) or organically grown?

Good question Anhaga. I do sneak in organic whole grain bread toasted with breakfast more often now days!