lets try that again

Summer in Texas is good for Salads

And cooking in the Instant Pot

Eating on the patio with a chiminea burning piñon wood 

This is Beef Stew

Things are getting back to normal for me....

Cooking with friends and getting out a little more.

It's about time, too!

Also, I found this pic from 2011... and 2017

I am not sure about the face!

Two years ago this weekend, I broke my leg.

I never dreamed it would take this long to get back on my feet.

Literally. And in all areas of my life.

So yeah!

2 years later

 

 

   

labs 2017

 

So my labs were done again. And all the blood work is fine. 

Even the Iron, which was previously low. So yay! 

I am no longer anemic. 

(I am still waiting for the Ha1C report from this year.)

The UA was also fine, which proves that my kidneys have not
*asploded* from all this meat I eat. And bacon. LOL

Here is a yearly comparison from when I started keeping records.

I think the actual numbers mean little, and the trends mean more. 

Unless a specific number is waaay off the charts. 

And stays off the charts.

I also did the ratios. 

I am not worried at all about the Total Cholesterol, 

because my HDL is so high. 

I am not worried at all about the LDL, 

because I am not sure it is a true marker of risk. 

Also, the ratios are all excellent. 

What is Total Cholesterol?
Keep in mind that Total Cholesterol is HDL + LDL + (Trig x .20)
See how that works? 
When your Triglycerides are low 
(Think about the structure of the word - "glyceride".... its all about fructose)
The Total Chol is very close to just the HDL + LDL! 

What is NON- HDL?
Glad you asked. It is a newer way to measure lower realms of the LDL.
Some say to divide the Trig by 5, then add that value to the LDL.
Other say it is LDL + VLDL. 
(Think:VAP, which many labs have discontinued.)
Still other say it should be 30 points above the LDL.

Ahhhh... the future...
I imagine we will see a new, shiny replacement for non-LDL in a few years.
I long for the day when all of these numbers are understood
In the light of Ketogenic, Paleo, and Low Carb Lifestyles.
Only then, will we understand that carbs have very little place
In ANY healthy diet or lifestyle.
Just my 2 cents worth. You are welcome.

AND as a sidenote, 
After 8 years of Low Carbing and loving it....
I have come to one conclusion. 
Most of us eat too much. Just way too much.
We eat too fast, and we eat too much junk.
Even LC junk.
What the heck is wrong with us? (Myself included.)
Maybe micronutrient malnutrition?
Maybe boredom? Maybe ulcers (who like to be "fed")?
Maybe we replaced our Fattie Food Addictions 
With a LC alternative? Still chomping after all these years?
Maybe our bodies have an impaired metabolism. (Ya think?)

There are groups on FB that eat tons of coconut oil.
Tons of bacon and tons of eggs every day.
Its easy to see that moderation might be a good thing.
Even during a fat fast, an egg fast, etc.

So onward and downward we go!

instant pot

 

 

 

 

Everywhere I go to cook for someone, they always call back. 

And go on and on about how good the food was 

and how much better they felt when they ate it. 

The Instant Pot is a raging success and the beat tool 

I have in my Low Carb bag of tricks 

What is an Instant Pot- you may ask? 

Well! The Instant Pot is a modern, computerized pressure cooker. 

It plugs in, instead of cooking on the stove top. I

t's about $100 on Amazon. And no, I don't work there.  😁

So I cook up a batch every two or three days. 

It is so versatile, it can cook stew, soup, meats of any kind. 

Even can cook a cheesecake! 

mothers day

 

 

 

 

 

Tag along with me for a few days. This is likely what you'll see. 

This is the end of  Nurses Week. I think that if people could actually work their butt off, I would have no butt. 

Not complaining! Just full of inflammation lately. Leg cramps. Dehydrated. Kinda cranky and always have a headache. Like they say, "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!" 

Low Carb is not easy. Well, it's actually very easy. And fun. And tasty. But it takes some preparation. All things take preparation. The key is being prepared. 

happy blogaversary to me!

Time to celebrate!

A virtual celebration with Pete's Cheese Balls

Shrimp

Goats - named Squishy and Squashy

A new patio in a new place

Pretty Spring Flowers

OXO is the best food storage system PERIOD.

Trader Joe's RibEyes

A few more celebrations here and there

And a virtual night with fun people -

Thanks for being with me through the past 8 years!

And now... back to business