Low-carb breakfast, option 1

I've been on a low-carb diet for about three weeks now and the pounds just keep dropping off. I've been publishing photos of what I've been eating in Facebook, but friends have commented that they'd like the recipes as well. So I finally decided to start this blog on low-carb delights: the things I cook myself (including recipes) and also pictures of what I eat outside the home. Also some info on how I shop and some general info on low-carb diets, on GI and on nutrition in general.

So, here's my first breakfast option: bacon, scrambled eggs and Greek salad.

I cooked the bacon in the oven. I put the bacon into the cold oven, on the grids (so that the extra fat drips off). To save yourself on cleaning the oven, you can put a baking sheet underneath and line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or waxed paper, which you can then just throw away. Turn the oven on to 200 Celsius (400 F) and leave for 10 to 20 minutes. Typically it's been about 15 minutes. Do keep checking it, because it dries out too much very easily. It's a question of trial and error, you'll soon have it perfected.

There are many instructions on-line on how to cook scrambled eggs, so I won't go into the details other than to say that I cook them in butter and only add sea salt. You can just as well cook them in oil too. Do try to use cold-pressed oil whenever possible.

Greek salad has tomato, cucumber, a couple of olives (not too many), red onion, feta cheese, extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Do not use any low-fat varieties of cheese, because that's defeating the purpose. The whole point of low-carb eating is that fat is not fattening.

To put it simply, the slower food is digested, the less fattening it is. So, for example, sugar is digested very quickly, gives a sudden rush of energy and energy levels then drop. But, for examle, a piece of cheese is digested more slowly (because of the fat content) and is therefore less fattening - even if the sugar and the cheese have the same amount of calories. This is what a low "GI" (glycemic index) diet is based on. So don't use low fat versions of feta cheese: they only have more carbs.

Things that help food to be digested more slowly are: fat, anything acidic and fibre. So bread with butter is actually better than bread without it! And bread with lots of fibre is better than bread without much fibre.

Note: if you are using margarine, be very, very sure that it does not contains trans-fatty acids!! They are extremely bad for your health. Most margarines do contain those since they are created when vegetable oils (that are at a liquid state at room temperature) are heated and turn to solid. That process is what makes them harmful. But more on that in later posts.

Oh, almost forgot: that is not orange juice in the photo but diet orange soda. It is not a very healthy option (because of all the additives, etc.) but it is a low-carb and low GI option. Fruit juices are among the most fattening things you can consume, because they give nearly instant energy (the same goes for beer and sodas with sugar in them). Other good low-carb beverage choices are: water (still or sparkling), tea or coffee (without any milk, use full-fat cream if you must and absolutely no sugar - use artificial sweetner if needed). By the way, do try to find organically grown coffee: if it is not grown organically, it means that tons of chemicals are used to grow it and the workers on the farms are also often exposed to those harmful chemicals (as are you by drinking it).

I hope you enjoy this low-carb breakfast option.