Getting There from Here

The Lake at Lullwater Park on Emory Campus.

I have been trying for days now to find my way back to the land of sugar-free and low-carb. I lost my way over a week ago, and it has been a battle ever since. I started to panic, thinking that I might never locate it again. I felt like a character from Lost in search of the mysterious island -- unsure of how I arrived there in the first place, desperate to return, and clueless on how to get there again. Maybe it really was just a fluke. Maybe it's not possible to get there from here. Maybe it requires a cataclysmic event or perfect planetary alignment. Maybe it is simply beyond my control.

But then I remembered the simple commitment I made in the beginning. Just cut out the sugar, grains, and refined carbohydrates. I ate as much as I needed of meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and nuts to feel satisfied . I also included some dairy. In the first few days, I needed more food to feel satisfied. But as my body adjusted to eating more protein/fat and fewer carbohydrates, the cravings disappeared, and the hunger subsided. And that will happen again after a few days. So there's no need to panic. Just cut out the sugar, grains, and refined carbs. It's not mysterious or magic. It just requires commitment to abstain from the thing that makes me crazy. I can do this. I have two sugar-free days under my belt. I'm well on my way, and feeling a little better.

Tuesday night dinner.
Meatloaf, broccoli, and creamy cauliflower.

The creamy cauliflower is a reasonable low-carb replacement for rice or mashed potatoes. Quite tasty, easy to make, and is as good leftover as it is on day 1. I found the recipe in Protein Power by Michael Eades, M.D.

Creamy Cauliflower

1 large head of cauliflower
2 T butter, melted
1/2 Boursin Cheese with Herbs and Garlic, at room temp
1 T cream
salt and pepper to taste

Steam (or boil) the cauliflower until tender. I prefer steaming because you don't lose all the flavor and nutrients in the water.

Place the cooked cauliflower in the work bowl of a food processor. Add the melted butter, cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Process in pulses to start and then on high until smooth. Add more cream if needed to achieve a smooth puree that holds its shape like mashed potatoes. (I don't own a food processor so I just mashed mine with a fork and then used a hand mixer. The texture was maybe not as smooth as it would have been with a food processor, but it was still good).