A day out in London...

And I found a South African shop, bought loads of biltong (dried meat), a traditional snack from home. Lots of fat and protein. Can't get a better LCHF snack than that. AND the kids love it too!

So what do they offer for kids on board the flight to London. A kids box sounds like an alternative. NOT!

It only had candy, where is the food part here? But for 'adults' there are various alternatives as salmon sallad or chicken sallad...

Which works for kids too!

Ben & Jerrys have a new ice cream out, adapted to us in the nordic countries.

SWEET cream Ice Cream, chocolate cookie pieces, chocolatey peace signs (?) & chocolate fudge swirl. This is Nordic? Sounds more American to me!

Nordic would be more 'vanilla snow flakes, butter buttons and coffee beans'.

Although ice cream is a part of the past, I prefer to do my own with heavy cream (whipped), raspberries, vanilla, coconut and egg yolk! Very fresh, very nice and pretty Nordic!

I only make low carb high fat food at home. My 7 yr old loves it. I fried minced organic meat in lots of coconut oil, spices, onion, leek, and cream... Served with tomatoes (her favorite) and broccoli with melted butter over!

One happy and full child! :)

The youth in America are suffering from obesity and diabetes, it's worse than what medical experts earlier have thought. Obesity rates in children is climbing as is Type 2 diabetes!

The disease progresses more rapidly in children than in adults and is more difficutl to treat.

Obesity-Linked Diabetes in Children Resists Treatment

A study with 699 children between the ages of 10 - 17 was done during a period of 4 years. Researches were shocked at how poorly the oral drugs performed on these children compared to how they perfom on adults.

Results of the study can be read here: The New England Journal of Medicine.

I somehow feel enraged when reading this! What is happening out there? What part of this do people not understand! What is the (simple) cause, and what (simple) measures can we do to avoid Type 2 diabetes from staying on the increase?

Type 2 diabetes in children is increasing and creeping down in the ages, there are chilrden that are getting Type 2 diabetes, and they are 10 year olds???

The way too high carbohydrate and low fat diets has been going on for too long! And the diabetic children are given the same diet to eat! No wonder it's impossible to control their blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes is only reversable with low carb eating and increasing the intake of fats (not margarines). Due to the crazy fear of fat, the high carb eating industry has exploded instead, at the same pace, Type 2 diabetes is also exploding!

Let's make a change!

Synthetic food dyes (colorants) are common all over the world. But the question that needs to be asked is if all colorants are ok?

Synthetic food dyes are produced in different ways, (and I am sure the economy has a lot to do with which colorants are used! Cheaper production?)

Every country have their own rules for which colorants are legal to use or not. The differecne is what the raw materials are made of: chemicals or natural products.

In USA it is the FDA, Food and drug administration that sets the standard. The synthetic food dyes used in US are identifeid as having potential cancer-causing chemicals (The potential carcinogenity is largely based on small-scale animal testing in laboratories) and known to trigger allergic reactions, and increas hyperactivity! (In 2009, Britain asked food companies to phase out the use of most food dyes in children's food over concerns some studies had raised about their link to hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder and related health issues.)

They have NO nutritional value at all, and are used only for aesthetic reasons. To give foods and products color.

In the UK these colorants have now been replaced by natural colorants from e.g. strawberries, pumpkins, carrots, etc...

In USA they use for e.g. a red colorant called RED 40, this is used in amongst other things fanta strawberry. Fanta orange contains YELLOW 6.

These colorants are not ok! I am shocked that they are allowed here.

And this we give to 'our' children on a daily basis!

Scary thought...

Here is the list (to avoid):

Citrus Red 2
Red 3
Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Blue 1
Blue 2
Green 3

Whenever I am in the US I just have to get my nails done. This time as well!

But not only a manicure, I did a pedicure and waxing of my legs and eyebrows. Busy day at the beauty parlor! :) Nice time spent...

And for those that have kids with them, the kids get candy pops while trying to wait patiently for mom or dad! :(

We went to a big shoe store today too. Very big!

I don't mean to criticize so, but I am shocked. And not so suprised as to why America is so overweight, mostly obese.

Right next to the children's shoes, near the cash out counter I find this, also very large, shelf! Of candy! In a shoe shop?

This country needs change, BIG change! Towards better health! Start with the kids...

A Swedish company has made a cooling lunchbox.  I know how often I have food with me when travelling for e.g.  And my kids that take food with to school and on outings. 

The lid keeps the food cool for 7 hours!  You just put it in the freezer overnight and the next day it's ready to keep your food fresh! Me like!

This juice for babies is from 1 years old, the reason for that is the small screw top that a baby can get stuck in their throat - but the contents is fine for babies under 1 years.  This is what the website tells us.

But that's not enough!  This baby juice contains 11 grams carbs per 100 grams.  A coca cola contains 10,6 grams carbs per 100 gram. 

Sqeezy has MORE carbohydrates (sugar) than coke!

On the packagingt it says:

"No junk: no artificial flavoring or preservatives, unsweetened, 100% fruit."

11 grams of carbs is the equevelent to 5,5 sugar lumps... But it is organic, which probably makes many parents think it's a good choice for their little baby/child.

I would think that people would react if they saw a 1 year old or younger drinking a can of coke, yet not many react when seeing a baby with a Sqeezy, in its colorful and child-friendly packaging!

Babies and chlldren should drink milk or water - now that's a healthy and good choice!  What do you think?

This is pretty scary! A children's book for 4-6 year olds about Maggie who is fat and gets bullied at school for it.  She then starts to eat less, do more exercise and looses the excess weight at the same time becomes popular in school!

What does this tell us? What does this tell the children! You are worthless when fat, and popular when thin! You have to eat less food too look good! The children have to take responsibility! NOT OK!

No 4-6 year old decides what to eat,  they don't buy and cook their food.

Kids definately choose sweet, sugar and starch IF they have the choice - but who gives them that choice? Who is responsible? Certainly not the kids!!!

What do you think?

At the indoor pool today we had our pick nick lunch with us... As did the next family.  The difference in what we give our kids to eat is pretty scary!

Their food:
Chocolate milk, sweet buns/muffins, cookies and cooldrinks ('juice')...

Our lunch consisted of 80%meat sausages, boiled eggs, cheese, salami, tomatoes and water... (And cream for the coffee)!

So many people just don't realize how foods affect children: moods, temper, agression, hunger....

We had 4 very calm and satisfied children after our meal anyway that could carry on playing without becoming over- or hyperactive!

Today my little sweetheart turns 7!  Strawberries in bed, and pressies!

Later today is her party with 8 little friends... I am not comfortable with the whole candy, cake and soda thing - even if she only has a birthday once a year! 

So keep tuned and later you can see how I organize a healthy birthday party with happy kids! :)

There has been an analysis done on ready-made childrens foods.  The results are pretty scary!

Fast and easy seems to be what parents are looking for.   'Testfakta' a Swedish testing group, have tested various jars of baby food.  The result shows that it's not a lot of nourishment in a jar, and way to little energy for a baby/toddler.

In order for the baby to eat what is required for their body they would need to eat 6 jars of food!

They speak about the fact that those that make their own baby food use much more protein in form of meats and fish which provides much more nourishment.  They found also that several of the jars contained transfats (!) which is not allowed in baby foods in Sweden anyway!

Whilst on the subject! The jars with fruits for babys and toddlers are pure sugar bombs! 

Apple juice (sugar), pears (sugar), pear juice (sugar), water (expensive water then), rice starch (sugar) and vitamin c!

So the only good thing here from what I can see is vitamin c, and that the baby easily eats in bigger amount by eating cabbage, broccoli, etc...

If possible, make your own baby food, freeze in smaller portions and give your child an even bettar start in life! :)

My daughter is going on an outing/field trip with school... She should bring her own lunch.  Sausage (85% meat), ham, cheese, tomatoes, yellow peppars and a nectarine.  Fruit works fine with her, in small amounts and not so often, and always with food!

My daughter said to me earlier: "This is like a bowl of candy." :) And it is!

Personally cockail tomatoes are a bit too sweet for me, I can easily overeat! But one or two every now and then works ok.  Daughter on the other hand loves them and she gets to eat as much as she wants.

I am working a bit on a project - babies and food.  I believe babies are fine low carbing it.  Potatoes and carrots fine, and berries too.  But the rice, flour, cereal, bread, bisctuits, juices - for med it's a 'no go'!

I would love to hear about your ideas, tips and knowledge.

What should babies 4-6 mths avoid?

What do they enjoy?

Do you give them coconut oil?

How about eggs, cream?

What is the best food to start with?

Please let me know from your experience what works well or not so well! :)

This evening I had a barbeque with my teenagers... A great evening, good LCHF food and sunshine.

Steak, lime and chili butter, lime mushrooms and broccoli mash!

A nice family dinner on a Saturday evening! I loved it.  Usually they are all busy with friends! So this was luxury! :)

Today my 6 yr old said they had hamburgers at school and that she had said no thanks to ketchup! *happy mom here* !  Her main reason is that she gets sore and red around her mouth - but she also knows it's lots of sugar there too.

I think ketchup should be forbidden in schools and pre-schools/day care...

Ketchup is crap! 

There are 23.8g carbohydrates, one tablespoon is the equivalent to 1 block of sugar.  That is scary! Shocking...

I wonder if parents would think it ok if their kids got to have one block of sugar with their hamburger or hot dog? I don't think so! But same same!

Ketchup is hidden behind a healthy looking picture of tomatoes and tricks children (and adults) to the hidden adictiveness of sugar!

Sukralos is another common ingredient in ketchup, which is a sweetner that contains clor - not ok out in nature, but ok in our bodies??? I don't think so!

Ketchup is crap!

Some bottles of ketchup have only 18% tomatoes and more and more use sweeteners like sukralos.

Ketchup IS CRAP!

The great low carb blogger Jimmy Moore (the largest low carb blog out there) 'Livin´la vida low carb blog' has something called podcasts.  I asked myself - what is that?

I started to ask around on the cruise amongst us low carbers what a podcast was and how exactly it works. What I found out was that a podcast with Jimmy is an interview, in a group and with a fellow guest.  A conversation that gets recorded.  It is live, nothing gets deleted and there are no re-takes.  *Getting nervous at this point*

Present was Jimmy Moore, his wife Christine Moore, Debbie Hobbs (fellow guest) and Mindy Noxon Iannotti (working with Jimmy).  Jimmy let us know what the topics were and what we were going to discuss: LCHF in Sweden, tips on snacks for kids and a recipe that I should suggest (I suggested my egg wraps).  He also wanted to know our favorite speaker that day on the cruise!

Let the show begin: Low Carb Conversations with Jimmy Moore and Friends

It was really fun! And Jimmy and Mindy (the interviewers) are so down to earth, fun and easy going people!

I LOVED this!!!!

Of course I will let you know when it sends (early June)... Keep ears posted!

Brrr cold between the toes! :)

My 6 yr old also eats LCHF, although with moderation.  She has no problems with weight or illness so she can have some carbs.  She often has a slice of bread in the morning with lots of butter! Every now and then even fruits.

Juice we avoid. White bread we avoid. Jams are a no no...

She is full of energy and really is healthy from the lowcarb high fat eating!

Children do great on LCHF! They should always eat lots of good fats - they need it! But carbs they don't need - especially not the 'fast carbs' like breads, rice, PASTA, sugar, sweets, juice, soft drinks... The carbs they should eat are all veg, potatoes and sallads. 

They use the energy that carbs give their bodies, but they are even better off without the 'bad carbs'.  In what way? Their moods are better, they are not hungry as soon as they would be if they ate lots of carbs, they are less agressive, they don't get cravings, their stomach works well, they sleep well...

Nowhere at all does it stat the carbohydrates are essential for the body!!!

Here is my 6-yr olds dinner.  Sausage with 85% meat content, avocado, tuna with mayonnaise, cashew nuts, cheese and some sallad.  She is as happy as Larry! ;)