In the first post in this series, John presented a 5,000-foot view of what a ketogenic diet looks like. If you’re completely unfamiliar with a keto diet, we suggest you read that post first. In this post today, I’ll share why I went keto. In the next post, John will be sharing his story.

The important takeaway in these next two posts is that not everyone goes on a keto diet for the same reasons. Some go on it to treat a specific illness while some go on it because it may have the potential to prevent certain diseases. Others go on it because they want to lose a lot of weight quickly, some believe it’s a healthy way of eating, and others are seeking enhanced sports performance.

Let me tell you why I decided to go keto and why you may want to consider it too. 

Why I Went Keto

John always jokes that when we first met, every time we’d go out to lunch and I’d always order the big salad. Seinfeld wasn’t a thing yet so I wasn’t copying Elaine.

I’ve been a low-carb eater since I was a teen. Obesity and type 2 diabetes run in my family, and that’s something I’ve fought hard to avoid my whole life.

Preventing weight gain was an ongoing battle for me, and I fought it by limiting carbs.

However, after I had four children, you can guess what happened. Yes, I put on the inevitable extra pounds. Since I was still going low-carb, I lost some of the weight, but there were still 20 stubborn pounds that refused to leave.

When I turned 60, still low-carb and after 3 years of strength training, those pounds had increased to 23. And I just couldn’t lose them. Now, 23 pounds may not seem like a lot to some. But when you’re 5’1” and those pounds show up in the wrong places, you want them gone with a passion. But even more so I wanted those pounds gone because I knew I would feel better and be a better version of myself overall.

So, I needed to take a more radical approach.

That’s why I turned to a keto diet.

Ultra Low-Carb Diets Result In Fat Loss

By now it’s no secret that low-carb diets promote fat loss. When you consume carbs, they’re turned into glucose in your digestive tract which is then sent into your bloodstream. Your pancreas releases insulin which takes the glucose out of your bloodstream and sends it to your cells to be used as energy.

However, if you’re eating excess carbs and your cells have enough glucose for energy, insulin acts as a storage hormone and packs that glucose into your cells where it’s converted to fat.

Now, if you continue to consume excess carbs, particularly refined carbs (like pasta, bread, rice, sugar, and fructose) and carb dense veggies like potatoes, over a long span of time (years), insulin will not only continue to pack glucose into your cells, it will lock it in and you’ll get fatter. This is called the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of weight gain.

But, here’s a bigger problem. If you continue to eat excess refined carbs long enough whereby insulin is constantly spiked, then it can lead to serious conditions such as insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

However, if you engage in carb restriction and decrease insulin secretion, then eventually you’ll lose fat. And the stricter your carb restriction, the more weight you should lose in a quicker amount of time.

So, in order to lose the excess weight quickly, I decided to go keto. As John mentioned last week, the ketogenic diet is ultra low-carb (<30 net carbs/day). At this amount of carbs, fat loss should happen quickly.

Before I go any further there’s something important I want to point out that has seemed to confuse many individuals who consider going keto.

If You Just Want To Lose Fat You Don’t Have To Go Keto 

Here’s the thing. If you just want to lose fat, you don’t have to go keto. You don’t have to produce ketones to lose a lot of weight quickly.

Since carbohydrate restriction and lowering the amount of insulin your pancreas is secreting are the important factors in weight loss, you don’t have to be concerned with ketone numbers.

If you have a specific medical condition you’re trying to heal, sure go ahead and strive to produce ketone levels above 0.5mmol. But if you just want to lose weight, it’s not necessary.

If you have a specific medical condition you’re trying to heal, sure go ahead and strive to produce ketone levels above 0.5mmol. But if you just want to lose weight, it’s not necessary.

That being said there was another reason why I wanted to be on a keto diet.

A SURPRISING BLOOD TEST

Right before going keto, I had a blood panel done. To my surprise, my HbA1c (an average of 3 months blood glucose) was borderline pre-diabetic. That was a big surprise!

A high HbA1c probably indicated a certain degree of insulin resistance. How could that be after years of going low-carb? Answer: Maybe for my body, it wasn’t low carb enough.

So, in order to lose those extra pounds quickly and bring down my HbA1c, keto was the way to go. But my reasons didn’t stop there.

A FAMILY HISTORY OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

If you’ve had a family member or a close friend who has suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), you know how horrible the disease is.

My mom, Shirley, developed AD at 72 years old. For the next 10 years, I experienced all the pain and suffering of watching my once happy and vibrant mom have her memories, personality, and life drain away. It was devastating. My mom was my best friend.

Imagine having a conversation with your mom and out of the blue she says, “I don’t have any children.” You reply, “I’m your daughter. I’ll always be your child, and I need you to be my mom.” She responds with, “No, I don’t remember having you.” Whoa, stop, get out the kleenex.

I don’t talk about this much because I get so choked up that I just can’t talk.

The sad thing is I wish I knew then what I know now. When my mom got AD, the doctors told us there was no treatment for the disease, and they had no clue why people got it. That meant that my mom would just get progressively worse.

Today, this is not the case. We now have good evidence showing that a keto diet can be a powerful tool for preventing and treating AD. I wish I’d known this when my mom was suffering from Alzheimer’s.

In order to get a good idea of why ketosis and a keto diet might be effective for AD, it’s important to have some knowledge of what the disease is all about. John wrote the following science section on Alzheimer’s. Since he’s a science geek, it may be a little science-heavy, but the information really helped me understand the disease.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Researchers are now beginning to discover that AD might actually be a metabolic disease mediated by the brain’s response to insulin. Growing evidence appears to confirm that AD is highly associated with poor glucose utilization and insulin resistance (IR) within the brain itself.

Many scientists are starting to refer to AD as brain diabetes or type 3 diabetes.

The important thing to understand is that AD is a problem of energy deficiency within the brain. The brain is simply not getting enough fuel to sustain its important functions. While our brains only constitute about 2% of our body’s mass, it uses about 20-25% of our total body’s energy. And it needs all that energy to function well.

If fuel is in short supply, brain neurons that work the hardest, those responsible for memory and cognition, will be among the first to suffer decline.

But here’s the big problem. Brain energy deprivation caused by poor glucose utilization and IR could begin in individuals as early as their 30s or 40s. This means that AD might start as a silent process that takes years to eventually manifest. By the time the disease is discovered, it could be too late to treat it successfully.

Below is a summary of the important risk factors for AD. Again, there’s some science here, but if you can get through it, you’ll really understand why ketosis can be an important therapy for Alzheimer’s patients. If you’re really not into science, scroll down to Your Brain And Ketones section.

Associated Risk Factors For AD

ADVANCED AGE

As of 2017, there are approximately 5.3 million Americans over the age of 65 suffering from AD and approximately 200,000 individuals under age 65 have younger-onset AD.Thus AD appears to be a disease associated with old age. However, while symptoms usually manifest in advanced age the disease was probably active for decades.

THE APOE4 GENE

People who carry the ApoE4 gene are 4 to 15 times more likely to develop AD. However, not everyone who has the gene develops AD, and some people who have AD don’t even have the gene. Therefore, the gene is not sufficient to cause AD.

So, why is there an increased risk for AD in ApoE4 positive individuals? Doctors are not sure, but there is some evidence that a high carbohydrate Western Pattern Diet could induce the gene to cause pathology. See here and here.

CHRONICALLY ELEVATED INSULIN LEVELS

A risk factor that seems to play an important role in AD is chronically elevated insulin levels, also known as hyperinsulinemia (see here, here and here).

Generally, when a person goes to their physician for a check-up, the doctor will perform a fasting blood glucose test (FBG). If your FBG is within normal limits, your doctor will conclude you don’t have diabetes.

If you have a really good doctor, they might perform a HbA1c blood test. This is a lot more reliable than a simple FBS.

Now, this is where it gets tricky. As I mentioned before, a high Hb1Ac, but a normal FBG level is evidence of a degree of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance (IR).

Unfortunately, doctors rarely check insulin levels. Therefore, an individual could have IR for years and never know it. This could mean that diseases closely linked to IR like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, gout, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), PCOS, and AD may be in their germinating phase.

We now suspect this was the case with Barbara’s mom. She was never diagnosed with diabetes, but her doctor told her to watch her sugar. Add this to the fact that she was overweight her entire life. She probably had insulin resistance for years before developing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease.

There is now compelling evidence that AD is a form of brain diabetes. Like diabetes, AD exhibits altered glucose metabolism, inflammation, and insulin resistance.

AMYLOID BETA (A?) PLAQUES

If you’re familiar with AD, you’ve probably heard that amyloid beta (A?) plaques play a major role in causing the disease. A? is a protein that is often secreted by neurons in response to an injury. Normally, this protein is removed by the glymphatic system.

However, if A? is not removed, it can form plaques that block the synapses between neurons thus interfering with neuronal communication. Blocked signaling between neurons can lead to the symptoms found in AD such as cognitive decline and memory loss.

Here’s where things get interesting. While it’s true that individuals with AD have been found to have amyloid plaques, it’s also true that others who had AD didn’t have them. And some individuals who didn’t have AD were found to have A? plaques. See here.

While A? plaques could make AD worse, they’re probably not the main cause.

Concerning AD and A? plaques, the authors of this study concluded that,

Therefore, low regional CMRglc [glucose utilization] appears to be a very early event in the disease process, well before any clinical signs of dementia are evident, and well before cell loss or plaque deposition is predicted to have occurred.

See also here and here. So again energy deficit seems to be the be the big factor in AD.

BETA-AMYLOID AND INSULIN-DEGRADING ENZYME

As I mentioned before, A? must be removed so as not to create plaques. Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) which degrades A is important in this process. However, degrading A? is not IDE’s main purpose. Its main purpose is to clear excess insulin.

So, when an individual’s insulin levels are high, IDE’s main job becomes clearing insulin and its secondary concern, clearing is ignored. This could pave the way for increased A? plaques formation.

Interestingly, people with the ApoE 4 gene appear to produce less IDE.

Okay, what’s the takeaway here? Very simple. When it comes to Alzheimer’s risk, it’s mainly about insulin resistance, energy deficit in the brain, and many times the presence of the ApoE4 gene. Let’s see where the ketogenic diet comes in.

Your Brain And Ketones

As we’ve seen, Alzheimer’s Disease is primarily caused by poor glucose metabolism in brain neurons. Because neurons are prevented from using glucose as an energy source, they are essentially being starved to death.

Now, get ready for some good news. Glucose is not the only fuel your brain can use. It can also use ketones as an alternative energy source. Ketone metabolism by brain mitochondria isn’t impeded by the same factors that hamper glucose utilization.

While your brain will always metabolize some glucose, ketones can provide up to 60% of your brain’s energy. A blood concentration of 0.3–0.5 mMol of ketones, supplies 3–5% of whole brain energy requirements, a 1.5 mMol concentration provides about 18%, and at 6 mMol, they supply about 60% of brain fuel.

Theoretically, this means that ketones can supply a large part of brain energy which could theoretically limit cognitive decline.

But is there evidence that this is the case? There sure is.

A KETOGENIC DIET HELPS WITH AD

A small study of 23 older adults with mild cognitive impairment compared the effects of a high carbohydrate versus a very low carbohydrate diet (<35 grams) over the course of 6 weeks. The low-carb diet was designed to specifically cause ketosis.

Remember that an effect of an ultra low-carb high-fat diet is the production of ketones in the liver. These ketones can then provide the energy needed by the brain.

The researchers found that the low-carb group had improved memory performance whereas the high-carb group experienced no improvement.

This result was even produced at a relatively low average ketone reading of 5.4 mg/dl. This is about 0.5 mMol. Dr.s Phinney and Volek suggest that ketones above 0.5 mMol of concentration in the blood constitute a ketotic state.

The study also found that memory improved as ketone levels increased.

The authors concluded that,

These findings indicate that very low carbohydrate consumption, even in the short-term, can improve memory function in older adults with increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

MCT OIL SUPPLEMENTATION HELPS IN AD

MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil is a fat harvested from coconut and palm kernel oil. It has the unique ability to pass from the digestive tract right to the liver where it’s metabolized into ketones. These ketones pass into the bloodstream where they can be used for energy by the brain.

These two studies (here & here) found that MCT raised ketone levels sufficiently so that improvements in AD and mild cognitive impairment were observed. The best results occurred with higher ketone levels.

However, there’s a caveat to these studies. Both studies found that individuals with the ApoE4 gene did not fare as well as those without it. This could be because both studies did not control for a low-carb diet and were only interested in MCT results.

Remember, as I mentioned in the risk factors above, individuals with the ApoE4 gene do much better on a low-carb diet than a high-carb one.

COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil contains about 60% MCT oil. The consumption of coconut oil should, therefore, produce some increase in ketone levels in the bloodstream.

Watch this to see a remarkable video on how Dr. Mary Newport treated her husband’s Alzheimer’s condition. The remission of his symptoms was astounding.

Interestingly, even though Mr. Newport was ApoE4 positive and not on a low-carb diet, he still experienced significant improvement from coconut oil alone.

As time went on, Mr. Newport was enrolled in a study that tested a relatively new medical food called a ketone ester. This improved his condition even more.

KETONE SALTS AND ESTERS

Ketone salts are precursors to ketones manufactured in a lab. When taken orally, they raise ketones in the blood quickly and to a high level (approx 6 mMol). They can be purchased commercially, but there has been some controversy concerning their use.

Ketone esters are also manufactured in a lab and they can also raise ketones quickly.

This study, which included Mr. Newport alone, showed that ketone esters can produce significant improvement in AD patients.

Since ketone esters are still relatively new products, there are still some questions concerning their use in the general public. They’re quite expensive, and users say the taste is absolutely horrible.

For more information on ketone esters, listen to this podcast with Dr. Ben Greenfield and Dr. Richard Veech here. Dr. Veech was the doctor who administered ketone esters to Mr. Davenport.

Note that while MCT oil and exogenous ketones like ketone esters can create ketosis, in order to be effective they have to be constantly administered. A keto diet, on the other hand, will cause ketones to be constantly produced.

However, a keto diet may not raise ketone levels to the degree exogenous ketones will. But unless you’re treating an active disease, this may not be necessary.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Back to Barbara.

Well, we covered a lot here. A ketogenic diet can cause rapid weight loss and be healthy at the same time. In a future post, I’ll describe how I lost 23 pounds in a few months on the keto diet.

In the treatment of AD, research has confirmed that creating ketosis through a keto diet, MCT oil, or ketone esters is an important therapy. And ketosis is also being used to treat Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and many other diseases.

If you have a family history of AD or have the ApoE4 gene or some of the other risk factors, then going keto could be an important preventative tool.

I don’t know if I’m ApoE4 positive. I asked my doctor to do the test, but she didn’t do it. She didn’t think it was necessary. Not necessary? I have a family history of AD and diabetes. And if I have the ApoE4 gene it could increase my chances of AD by 15 times. It’s a constant battle trying to educate our physicians (remember, I had to demand a HbA1c be done). Next time I’ll demand an ApoE4 test.

To guard against AD and to continue to lower my HbA1c, I try to keep my daily intake of net carbs to less than 30 net grams. Am I in ketosis every day? I don’t know for sure, but it’s not necessary to check ketones at this point. However, my blood did test positive for ketones.

So there you have it. What do you think? I encourage you to join in the conversation. Comments are awesome?  In our next post, John will share why he went keto. Then we’ll show you how we’re doing it.

This article originally appeared on glutenfreehomestead.com.

The post Our Keto Journey Part 2: Getting Rid Of Stubborn Pounds And Guarding Against Alzheimer’s appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.

Today Barbara, my better half and founder of The Gluten Free Homestead has a recipe for you. Thanks to Barbara for sharing this incredible recipe.

This morning John and I went on a walk around our neighborhood. What a lovely, crisp fall day! John commented that these kinds of days remind him of long-ago autumn Sundays when he was a kid. His mom would spend the afternoon making a roast, and his family would eat dinner a little early while watching the football game. His description of his mom’s tender, juicy roasts made me smile.

It definitely is roast weather, and I couldn’t wait to make my first roast of the season. But not just any roast. I wanted this one to be extra-special. To be an absolute feast of flavors. The secret? A mouthwatering spice rub and a Dijon basting sauce. I carefully picked a medley of spices that would beautifully compliment the roasted pork: basil, cumin, ground cloves, rosemary, and pepper.

For the juiciest roast, the most important tip that I can give you is to brine it. Just soak the meat in salt water for about 24 hours. This traps the moisture in the meat. Rinse the salt water off and pat dry when finished brining. You’ll be left with tenderized, juicy meat. Get the full recipe at The Gluten Free Homestead.

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The post Low-Carb Wednesday: How To Make Tender Juicy Pork Roast appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.

Today Barbara, my better half and founder of The Gluten Free Homestead has a recipe for you. Thanks to Barbara for sharing this delicious recipe.

I’m so excited to share the recipe for this savory frittata with goat cheese, leeks, and sage. It’s one of John’s favorite breakfasts and I think you’re going to love it too. The sweet leeks, creamy goat cheese, and delicately earthy sage make for a lovely blend of flavors.

Let’s talk about the ingredients. I chose goat cheese because of its subtle tart taste with a creamy texture. Also, because it’s closer in comparison to human milk than that of a cow, some people with low tolerance to cow’s milk can tolerate goat’s milk. Read more about goat cheese here.

The cheese I used is a Chèvre from the Vermont Creamery. This is an absolutely wonderful cheese. They proudly state that their goats’ milk comes from high quality, sustainable, and environmentally sound farms. If you have any goat cheese left over after making this recipe, I highly recommend crumbling it over a green salad. It’ll really turn it into something special.

Next, we have the leeks. These are extremely good for you. Like garlic and onions, leeks belong to a vegetable family called the Allium vegetables. See here for all the health benefits.

 Here’s a tip for preparing the leeks.

To clean leeks, cut off the dark green tough leaves. Next, cut a thin slice from the root and run the leeks under water to wash away all the soil from the inner layers. Finally, slice crossways up to the root end and discard the end.

Then, let the sliced leeks sit for at least 10 minutes before cooking.

When leeks are sliced, they release a natural defense compound called allicin. While allicin serves to protect Allium vegetables from their enemies, it’s also a potent antimicrobial which helps our immune systems.

Waiting 10 minutes after slicing dramatically increases the expression of allicin in the leeks. If you have allowed your leeks to sit for 10 minutes, you can cook them on low or medium heat for a short period of time (up to 15 minutes) without destroying the allicin.

So, it’s a good idea to slice the leeks first and let them sit before preparing the rest of your meal. This is a good rule of thumb for garlic and onions, as well.

I hope you enjoy this delicious healthy frittata. Get the full recipe at The Gluten Free Homestead.

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The post Low-Carb Wednesday: Frittata With Goat Cheese, Leeks, And Sage appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.

You know those crazy days when you need to get dinner on the table quick, and you’d really rather have reservations booked at the fancy steakhouse?

Why not turn your own kitchen into a steakhouse?

Today, I’m sharing my super easy steps for cooking the juiciest flat iron steak. Marinated and seared to perfection. And topped with a luscious red wine sauce.

This dish is super quick to make too. You’ll start marinating your steak earlier in the day, and when it’s time to cook, it takes just 20 minutes, tops.

This is one of my go-to low-carb meals. Our teenage sons love it. Since they’re working out, they’re burning calories fast and have trouble putting on weight. Since steak is ruminant meat (cows get their nutrients from plant-based food), the meat has a high quality fat content.

Flat iron steak is a thin lean steak cut from the shoulder portion, and it’s less expensive than some other cuts. As always, I recommend grass-fed beef. It’s healthier and contains more nutrients than its grain-fed counterpart.

It sometimes can be difficult to find grass-fed beef in supermarkets (and often I’ve seen supermarkets overpricing these meats).  I’ve been ordering from a local supplier in upstate New York. If you’re not in New York, you may be able to locate a local farm in your area at this site.

So, what’s the secret to a really tender and juicy flat iron steak? Marinate it for at least 4 hours and then quickly pan sear it. After pan searing the steak, you can take the flavor to the next level by accompanying the steak with a sauce made from the pan drippings. Get the full recipe at The Gluten Free Homestead.

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The post Low-Carb Wednesday: How To Make A Perfect Pan Seared Flat Iron Steak appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.

Today Barbara, my better half and founder of The Gluten Free Homestead has a recipe for you. Thanks to Barbara for sharing this slow cooker recipe.

This is the ultimate low-carb, paleo and gluten-free comfort food. Seared beef short ribs simmer in your slow cooker in a beautiful red wine sauce until the meat is so tender and juicy it literally falls right off the bone.

These mouthwatering short ribs are one of my go-to recipes when I know I’m going to have a busy day, but I want to enjoy a savory dish for dinner. They take just twenty minutes to prepare in the morning, and then I leave them in the slow cooker and let them cook all day until my family sits down to eat in the evening.

There are three ways to butcher short ribs: English, flanken, and boneless. It’s cheaper to buy the cut with the bone still attached, and that’s certainly nothing to complain about as the bones give the sauce added flavor. In the flanken style, the ribs are thinly cut across the bone. Each slice ends up having a few pieces of bone. Ribs butchered English style are cut parallel to the bone. The English style works best for this dish (flanken style ribs need to be cooked quickly over high heat).

I always recommend grass-fed beef as it’s healthier and contains more nutrients than its grain-fed counterpart. However, it sometimes can be difficult to find grass-fed beef in supermarkets (and often I’ve seen supermarkets overpricing these meats). That’s why I was delighted to discover US Wellness Meats. Their grass-fed beef is recognized for its exceptional taste, quality and health benefits, and you can order directly online from their website to have it delivered to your door. How easy is that?

Braising is one of the most popular ways to cook short ribs. It turns the toughest and most inexpensive cuts into the most succulent meats you’ve ever tasted. First, the ribs are seared in a pan until they’re browned on either side. Searing the ribs extracts the collagen and breaks down the connective tissue, browning the outside and giving the meat an incredible depth of flavor. Then, the pot is covered, and the meat cooks in a sauce for several hours on the stove at a very low simmer, until it is soft and gently falls away from the bone when cut with a fork.

The braising process can be quite time-consuming so if you use a slow cooker for the second step it can be left unattended. (If you’re looking to invest in a high-quality slow cooker, I recommend this one by Hamilton Beach). The ribs simmer slowly all day while you tackle the other things on your to-do list. When you Ireturn at the end of the day, the most delicious beef awaits you. Get the full recipe at The Gluten Free Homestead.

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The post Low-Carb Wednesday: Delicious Short Ribs appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.

Today Barbara, my better half and founder of  The Gluten Free Homestead has a recipe for you. This recipe is a perfect dinner for two. Barbara has prepared a free eBook of Dinner for 2 recipes for you, so be sure to check out how to get your copy below!

Today I have a new twist on an old favorite for you. Mmm… lamb chops are so delicious; a little bit beefy and a little bit mildly-sweet. The rib bone makes a nice little handle with a nugget of meat to savor with each bite! And this time you can try a new sauce on the chops: chermoula.

Sauces are a wonderful way to add a new twist to favorite meals. Chermoula is a spicy herb marinade or sauce used in Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian cuisine. It usually is served over fish, but it can also be used with meat. What better meat for this sauce than lamb? I tweaked my version of Chermoula until the combination of spices was the perfect balance of flavors. It’s super easy to whip together, and you’ll have a tasty dinner in a matter of minutes. 

I know lamb chops can be a tad pricey, but sometimes you can find them on sale. Paired with chermoula, you’ll have a meal that’s naturally gluten free and paleo. Eating foods this scrumptious is a special treat. Oh, and pair them with flavorful roasted sweet potatoes (yes, many consider sweet potatoes part of a paleo diet). They make an excellent combination. But if you’re following a low-carb way of eating, you may want to serve these lamb chops with your favorite low carb side dish.

You will marinate the lamb chops in a little garlic, oil, and oregano. Marinating tenderizes the meat and locks in the juices and the oil prevents the chops from sticking to the broiling pan. Let them sit and marinate while mixing together wonderful chermoula sauce.

This delicate sauce begins with roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and cilantro. Only use a tablespoon of each for a thin vinaigrette sauce. Toss the greens with chopped shallots. Add roasted ground cumin, coriander, sweet balsamic vinegar, and oil. All those interesting flavors combine to make chermoula’s spicy aromatic taste which certainly enhances the lamb. Cover and refrigerate your sauce while the flavors meld and bloom. 

Now to the chops. Simply, sprinkle them with salt on both sides and broil for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

This recipe is incredibly easy. Chermoula sauce elevates tasty lamb chops to irresistible. Go ahead and serve some up tonight. Get the full recipe at The Gluten Free Homestead.

Free Dinner for 2 eBook

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also enjoy the eBook Dinner for 2 that has more easy and delicious recipes for you to try when cooking for two. Get a free copy here.

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The post Low-Carb Wednesday: Broiled Lamb Chops appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.

Today Barbara, my better half and founder of The Gluten Free Homestead has a recipe for you. Thanks to Barbara for sharing this incredible recipe.

Pan-seared scallops with beurre blanc sauce is an excellent choice when you want to prepare a special, scrumptious, low-carb meal. If you’re following a low-carb diet, you will find that low carb, gluten-free meals can still be delicious and exciting. Yay!

Beurre blanc is a French warm butter sauce that’s perfect with scallops or any type of fish. You will love how it compliments the mild seafood flavor of the fluffy, seared scallops.

With very little effort, this recipe delivers a delightful meal. And you can impress your friends and family by making a classic French dish.

Choose Dry Scallops

Here’s a tip when choosing your scallops. Look for “dry” sea scallops, not “soaked” scallops. “Soaked” scallops have been treated in a bath of water and chemical preservatives. When you try to sear them, the water will be released, and they’ll be difficult to brown. They can also be tough to eat.

Serve these scallops over seasoned cauliflower rice which is a healthy low carb alternative to regular rice. It will make your scallops look especially beautiful when plated. You can get my seasoned cauliflower rice recipe here. Then pour warm sauce over the scallops and savor every bite.

If you want a meal that’s special (I’m thinking date night) but at the same time, low stress and low-carb, pan-seared scallops with beurre blanc sauce are for you. Get the recipe and more cooking tips at The Gluten Free Homestead.

Have a happy, healthy day.

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The post Low-Carb Wednesday: Pan-Seared Scallops with Beurre Blanc Sauce appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.

Today’s guest post is offered up by my better half Barbara, founder of The Gluten Free Homestead. Thanks to Barbara for sharing this incredible recipe.

Who doesn’t love a delicious, healthy meal that’s ready in just fifteen minutes?

Tacos are always a great go-to meal on busy days because they come together so quickly. And I love that you can skip the taco shells for a low carb twist. I’ve filled these taco bowls with our favorite taco fillings: spicy beef, spinach and broccoli sprouts, creamy guacamole, sweet tomatoes, and chunky salsa.

Basically, the sky’s the limit on what you can include; whatever your favorite healthy toppings are.

They make a wonderful low-carb, gluten-free, and paleo lunch or dinner.

These taco bowls fit right into our low carb meal plan.  I hope you enjoy these taco bowls with all the taste of tacos without the unnecessary carbs. Get the recipe at The Gluten Free Homestead.

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The post Low-Carb Wednesday: Skinny Low Carb Taco Bowls appeared first on The Progressing Pilgrim.