Easy LCHF Christmas Food

This is our second Christmas doing LCHF.  Last year was a great hit so we are continuing on that success. I know it isn't actually christmas yet but today was my daughter's girl's group christmas party and we played host.  Everyone bought something to share but we also provided some savoury and sweet foods for the group.

Pretty much everything today will be seen again for the big day with family so a good practice run!

Last year I did some individual ginger cakes but this year I am going to have a go at a ginger style biscuit that is grain free and LCHF so will keep you posted on that one.

On the menu today we had the following:

Starters

Herbed Kefir dip

spinach and cheese dip

camembert

crackers

carrot sticks

Main meal

LCHF sausages from Casalinga

Home made Sauerkraut

green salad with feta cheese and olives

Desserts

LCHF trifle

Kombucha jellies

GAPS chocolate cake

Strawberry santas

Herbed kefir dip

1c kefir cheese

1/2 cream cheese

2 garlic cloves crushed

S&P to taste

2 tbs fresh cut chives

1tbs fresh cut parsley

2tbs fresh cut basil

If you don't have kefir cheese you can just use cream cheese however if you ferment milk, kefir cheese is super easy to make.  Simply remove your milk grains then let your fermented milk strain through a cloth and colander overnight.  The whey will strain away and leave a thick cheese in the cloth.  Use your way as a starter for veg ferments.

To make the dip, simply combine all ingredients. This is much better made the day before you actually want it as the herb flavours will intensify over time.

You can pretty much add any herbs you like to the mix.

Kombucha Jelly

1c water

1c berry puree

2c kombucha or kefir

1tbs vanilla

4tbs great lakes gelatin

Combine gelatin and water in a saucepan and let sit for 10min.  Gently bring up to simmer and add berry puree and vanilla, let simmer for a few minutes then remove from heat.

When mix is tepid stir in the kombucha or kefir then pour into moulds or tray and refrigerate until firm.

LCHF Trifle

1 sm cake, I used this recipe  

kombucha jelly

1c mixed berries

1c coconut custard from Quirky Jo (I skip the sugar though)

Double Cream

Cut cake and jelly into cubes.  Simply layer, cake, jelly, berries & custard then top with cream and decorate as you wish. 

Too easy huh!

Tasmanian guide to buying LCHF friendly produce

One of the hardest things I have found with changing our lifestyle has been finding user friendly cafes and shops.  

There is a lot of footwork and internet stalking initially, to find what you want.  

The latter made even more difficult because, lets face it Tasmanian businesses just don't seem to get the internet thing.  They either don't have a website or the website they sent up in 2006 hasn't been touched since then.

So, to help other folk out I have come up with a document.  And, well, being a virgo this is what I do LOL

Because this WOE (way of eating) is relatively new to us Tasmanians the demand on businesses hasn't be high for the products we want.

However, I am not one to shy away from asking.  I figure the worst they can do is say no, and really that doesn't do them any favours does it!

I have been pleasantly surprised with most responses and am pleased to say that most places that I ask for a specific request either agree straight up or at the very least agree to consider my request. 

Only this week I put the challenge out to Conmurra Farm where I buy my meat to see if they would do some paleo sausages.  I asked that they be just meat, fat and seasoning with no filler at all.  They gladly took this on board and sent me a kilo of pork and a kilo of beef with my order to try out!  

And a great price of under $10 per kilo!

You can't get better service than that!

Also, if you are a first time buyer thru the link above you get a discount!

Obviously I can't buy all my food through Conmurra.  

Below is a run down of where I get most of my bits and bobs for the week:

Wholesome House - Mowbray

David and Lee are awesome!  They stock most of what I need and if they don't then they will do their utmost to source it and get it in for you.   

They stock all Ashgrove products, organic seasonal fruit/veg, MCT oil, coconut oil, ACV in bulk, bulk nuts/nutmeal/nut butter, herbs/spices loose, ghee, eggs, sauerkraut plus much more!  

They also have a great range of water filters, which is really important to keeping healthy.  I have a reverse osmosis filter that I bought from them and truly it is the best thing I have spent money on and has paid for itself in no time! 

If you don't filter your water I highly recommend researching the benefits and consider doing it. 

I also try and do my veg shopping at Harvest Market most Saturdays. There are two great stalls there that sell chemical free veg.  They are really reasonably priced and you are supporting local independent businesses at the same time.

I also buy my coffee at Harvest from Ritual Coffee.  Another local small business.  His coffee is great tasting and good quality so well worth the $$$

Steve & Grace's greengrocer out at Youngtown have avocados super cheap most of the time. I got some for 65c each this week!  And, the greengrocer in Mowbray often has cauliflower cheap too.

But to do the leg work for you

I have created a guide to buying LCHF/paleo.  

This is downloadable and printable for you to use.

Obviously it doesn't list every business in Tasmania.  It has many Launceston businesses who were contacted and a few in other areas around the state.

It also doesn't list every item.  I think most people know where to buy eggs or almond meal from.  The products included are the ones I see most people asking about on websites, forums and FB groups.  

If you have a product you find tricky to buy or you know of a business that stocks loads of good stuff then please leave a comment and I can add it to the list.  

I would love to be able to include more businesses out side of Launceston.

Launceston LCHF Buyers Guide

head down and bum up and back to work!

I am heading in for that last 15kg.  

I am hoping to stick with LCHF way of eating rather than doing another HCG round.  

I want to join a local gym that supports LCHF and build some lean muscle and increase by strength so I can't really do that if I am doing HCG.

I have come so far and I know there is never a finish as such, as this is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix diet that has an end date.  

But I know that I really only need to lose another 10-15kg to be within a healthy weight range and not obese.  

Did you know I have lost almost half my starting body weight.  

Not far off and that blows me away.  

I forget how big I was and it is funny because I feel like I am so teensy now, and compared to what I was I kind of am LOL

So, while I am feeling proud and bold I am going to share my current before and after.

I am nervous and a bit cringy doing this 

but 

I want all those people out there who think it is 

impossible, 

are overwhelmed, 

depressed 

and 

not confident 

that it can be done.

I fell off the wagon

Well, not me personally.  But I hear it all the time.  I am in quite a few bucket loads of groups on facebook  for HCG protocol, banting, LCHF, paleo peeps and every day there are several posts lamenting how they (the writer) have failed and fallen of the wagon.  Generally followed with self flagellation to an extreme.

Seriously, don't!  JUST DON'T!!!

Life is too short to beat yourself up over this shit.

At the end of the day all you can do is continue on eating what you know works for you.  

Take a look at why you 'fell off'

What caused you to eat something you feel you shouldn't have.

What exactly did you eat?

Life is there for living and food is there not only to fuel your body but also to enjoy.  

Maybe next time take a look at what you think you are craving, can that be satisfied with something that isn't going to hurt you or make you ill.

Sugar craving, try some almonds

Chocolate craving, have some super dark chocolate with high cacao 

But please, don't make yourself feel bad over it.

This is a life change. 

If it were a diet and you were trying to lose weight by a certain period then you might feel disappointed that that wasn't happening.

Because eating real food that your body agrees with is a lifestyle you are not time limited.

You cannot fail

Pulled Mexican Chicken

OMG!

I promised I would blog this recipe ages ago and haven't been near the joint!

Apologies all round.

No excuses, well mostly because none required.  Real life has been hectic and finding the time to sit and blog has been difficult.

Anyway, one of our fave meals here is pulled beef from the Handle the Heat website.  It is a no fail totally amazeballs recipe and you really should do yourself a favour and try it sometime.

I usually get the biggest and cheapest piece of beef I can fit in my slow cooker and freeze meal portions of it to keep us going for a bit.

But I digress and really want to show you a winner winner chicken dinner I created.

This really was very simple and delicious.

All you need is:

6 large chicken thigh drumsticks

2 large onions sliced

3 cloves garlic

1/4c tomato paste

1tsp smoky paprika

2tsp chilli flakes

1tsp oregano

1/2c chicken stock or water

2tbs apple cider vinegar

In a fry pan fry your onions in the fat of your choice.  I use coconut oil but olive oil, ghee or butter will do.  Sweat them right down then add in all the other spices and tomato paste and fry well. 

  

Lastly add the stock and apple cider vinegr and stir until simmering.  

Pour this mixture over the chicken thighs in your slow cooker, cover and cook for at least 4hrs on high.  

This helps the chicken breakdown and brings the goodness out of the chicken bones.

When you see the chicken falling away from the bone you can pull the bones and gristly bits out of the pot with some tongs.  Then shred your meat.  I do this with two forks and just pull the meat apart.  I let it simmer for another hour or so with the lid half off to help the liquid reduce.

We serve with lettuce, baby spinach, tomato, cheese and big dollops of sour cream.   

Kids love theirs in wraps but I prefer to wrap mine up in big lettuce leaves.

This amount gives the three of us two main meals and I did have some of the chicken with eggs for breakfast the following day, so it is an economical meal too

ENJOY

old style salmon pate

Are you after something that has ALL THE FAT!

Look no further!

This stuff is the best.

My first ever job was in a cafe run by an old Polish man.  

He was ancient even back then (and a bit touchy feely if you get my drift!).

We are talking early 1980s and the cafe was pretty with it!!  

Toasties, tin soup, packet cheesecakes LOL

Having said that, I remember he used to make bone broth and drink it every single day.  Back then as a 13 year old I thought that was pretty weird.  Could explain why he was so active and still running a business in his late 70s

One of the things we served was salmon pate.

Now I know there are some flash smoked salmon recipes out there but this one covers the high fat quota beautifully!

What you will need:

2 x 130gr tins of salmon in springwater

250gr block of good quality butter, diced into small pieces

juice of half a lemon or about 1-2 tbs juice

1/2tsp dried dill

S&P to taste

Put all ingredients into a food processor/TMX/Bellini (oooh using those two in the same sentence, how cheeky)

Blitz until smooth and creamy.

So very simple and tastes divine.

This will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days but I doubt it will last that long!

If you do refrigerate just remember to take it out and let it sit for a while to soften as it will have a dry crumbly texture due to the butter hardening. 

Serve on veg such as celery, mushrooms or cucumber or on raw crackers.  If you aren't watching your carb intake then go the crusty sourdough!!

My hips measure what!!!

Okay, seriously slack in the update department and I do apologise. 

When I finished round 3 in November 

I was 68.3kg.   

Today I am 65.4kg  

Not a huge loss but I figure throw christmas and raw cheesecake cheesecakes in there, I haven't done too badly.  

I have been following Low Carb High Fat principals but not to the point of macro counts or anything. Just clean eating, good amount of fat and trying to cut the carbs as much as possible.  

There is a fantastic guideline on Tim Noakes' website Real Meal Revolution that lists foods you should and shouldn't eat.

The interesting thing has been my measurements.

People have been commenting on how much weight I am still losing and my clothes are getting looser, despite not actually losing much on the scales.  Yet I was totally surprised at my last measurements that I have lost so much on hips and waist.  When I look in the mirror I can start to see some waist line curves too. 

I guess my skin is pulling into shape, which is good as having loads of saggy skin is my biggest fear. I expect at my age to have some and that I will have to live with that but I do hope I lose some of the arm bat-wings and inner thigh sag.

So, how are things looking to date??

From 111kg to 65.4kg ?

I have to say I am pretty pleased so far.  I hope to lose another 10-15kg in all and then reassess the situation.
I trust that my body will stop when all excess abnormal fat has been used up.

I still am not overly active.  I try to walk a few times a week but did get a bit slack for a few weeks.  

Have started again this week as I want to motivate my kids and the best way is to lead by example.

So how do I look after 11mths and almost 

46kg gone??

 

How do I feel?

I still have no real pain.  I do see a chiro regularly but suspect I inherited my dad's skeletal fuck ups and have a back that goes out all too readily.

My mobility is fantastic, I really notice the difference and love that I can move with ease.  Simple things like cutting toenails don't require contortionist tricks any more and I can actually paint my nails!

I can walk distances without pain and can even jog!!

Any Issues?

I have had some abdominal discomfort, this came on during the phase 4 period on HCG Protocol   I really had no idea what it was other than a fist like feeling that gave out referred pain to my ribs.  It would come and go but I couldn't pin it down to one thing causing it.  I figured it was part of detox and left it at that.  The last few weeks I found it was worsening to the point of being quite uncomfortable and the rib pain getting stronger.  I also had some constipation that seemed to go with it.  I am on various LCHF/banting groups on facebook so started to ask around and do some reading up on liver/gallblander.  I also asked Jo from Primal Living about the fat consumption and side effects.  

Anyway, to cut a long story short it seems the sudden jump to high fat may have aggravated my gallbladder.  Not sure about stones but I think it is unhappy.  

Unfortunately I suspect it is dairy that is causing the issue.  Which pisses me off no end as I love cheese and butter!   On reading up I have found that coconut oil doesn't require the gallbladder to digest so I have been using that more than butter and cutting back on cheese.  I have also been upping the water kefir, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar and taking a chinese herbal  liver tonic and my symptoms have disappeared.

I intend on going to see someone at Gary Fettke's clinic the Diabete's Health Centre.  It is funny as I either hear people say they haven't heard of it or think it is just for diabetics.  I will report back with a review once I have been.

What am I eating then?

I tend to have my main meal at breakfast.  Usually eggs, sauerkraut, bacon or a paleo sausage  and avocado.  Occasionally I will do a smoothie and use  Grass Fed Whey Protein isolate as the protein.  I received a sample of this at a conference and thought I might buy some more as it is a good way to get your protein.

This usually does me until dinner time.  I will occasionally have a snack of some nuts, pate  or cheese (insert sad face) but a mid morning coffee with cream generally does me.

For dinner, I make sure I have a really good helping of green salad or veg with some meat, sauerkraut and more avocado.

I have days where I stick to under 20gr of carbs and sometimes I go over.  I don't stress too much as I figure in the bigger scheme of things I am doing pretty well.  Today I bought an icecream for the kids and I had one too.  Full of sugar, crap and carbs but it is the first one in 11mths and I don't care.

Tomorrow I will be back on track again :)

Have I missed anything in my update.  Probably.  I'll blame having a newborn in the house, even though she isn't here tonight LOL

If I hav missed something or you would like to know something please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you :)

Fat Bombs are Da BOMB!!

So, since transitioning from HCG Protocol to LCHF I have had to make some adjustments.  

This has included increasing my fat consumption. 

An easy way to do this is by making fat bombs.  

Not only are they a great way of upping your fat intake to the percentage you are after but they are  good for you and taste fantastic!

These can just be a tasty treat even if you aren't doing LCHF.

Very quick and easy to make, I swear they took about 15 minutes and if I can do them with a newborn in the house, anyone can!

Ingredients

1/3c coconut oil

60gr cacao butter

2tbs raw cacao

100gr crushed macadamias

1/4 shredded coconut

pinch of himalayan seaweed salt to taste 

1tbs stevia powder or you can use a liquid sweetener like raw honey

Method

In a double saucepan or a bowl over a saucepan of hot water melt the cacao butter, raw cacao, salt and sweetener.  Stir in the coconut oil making sure it is well combined then add the dry ingredients.

Spoon into chocolate molds or a baking dish and refrigerate until firm, I used a silicon ice cube tray.  You can freeze to speed up the process if you want.

Keep refrigerated, if they last that long!

I buy my ingredients from either changing habits online store or iherb where you can get great discounts, especially if you are a first time customer  

I said LOW carb, NOT NO carb!!!

I am constantly astounded at the comments 

I see/hear from people regarding LCHF (Low carb, high fat).  

These generally range from people assuming you are depriving yourself of tasty food and treats through to people getting quite defensive about you 'cutting an entire food group'.

I have to assume they have no idea what it is I do and haven't done any research themselves, they just jump to conclusions and decide they should voice them far and wide.

Cutting out processed carbs, that are mostly grain foods and then saying you are depriving yourself of carbs entirely is the same as telling a vegetarian they need meat to get their protein!!

Total bullshit in my honest opinion!

It never ceases to amaze me that people feel should feel so strongly about what another person consumes.  At the end of the day we really only need to worry about our own health and habits I would have thought.
I do share links and info I come across, whether people choose to take it on board is entirely up to them and I am beastly careless if they do or not.
I would love for others to feel as great as I do and I do feel sad when I see or hear people lamenting their poor health and I wonder if dietary changes would make a difference.

In our house hold we have completely cut carbohydrates from processed foods and wheat/grain based foods.   We have minimised fruit, beans and pulses.  Does this mean we are getting NO carbs?  Obviously not, since fruit, vegetables, dairy and other sources still contain carbs.

Another concern by the opinionated masses is whether we can get through the day due to lack of energy, since carbs are the only source of fuel in their 'professional' opinion.

Since changing my diet I am now able to walk several kilometres a week where as before giving up carbs I was too sick.

A great site that addresses this is Mark's Daily Apple.  

Another great site with fabulous podcasts is Jimmy Moore's site.   

 Jimmy has loads of info on ketonic lifestyle and how to maintain it.
Also check out what Tim Noakes has to say on his site.  He does some great podcasts that he shares on his twitter feed to.

But you know, at the end of the day you do what suits you.  This suits me perfectly.  I haven't felt this great in forever and I love that others who are joining me are feeling the benefits too.

LCHF almond crumbed chicken with blue cheese dressing

My big two kidlets are away with their dad at the moment so I am cooking just for me.  

(if you don't count the bazillion bottles I seem to make)

This is a wondrous thing for a few reasons.

I get to eat what I want!

I can eat when I want.

I never hear negative feedback prior/during or after the meal

Very little washing up.

More for me :)

Don't get me wrong, I do miss them but this is a treat!

This meal was worthy of it's own post it was so amazing

I have been wanting to have a go at crumbing chicken but wasn't sure how it would go without the regular flour/breadcrumb combo. 

I was kinda making it up as I went and hit the jackpot..

If you make it let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

Chicken

6 chicken drumsticks (or any pieces you like really)

1/4c buckwheat flour

1 egg whisked with 2 tbs milk

3/4c of almond meal.  (I ground my own almonds but not too fine as I like texture)

Blue Cheese Sauce

1/4c blue cheese

3tbs sour cream

1tbs mayonaisse

1tbs lemon juice

pinch of salt

Coat chicken in flour then the egg mix.  Roll in almond meal and refrigerate for at least 30 min.  

I find this firms it all up and stops the crumb falling off when cooking. 

I oven baked mine but you could fry in coconut oil just as easily.

Pop on lined oven dish and bake at 200c for around 30min or until completely cooked through.

These released just enough juices/fat to help the almonds roast up and become crispy golden and totally delicious.

You could serve with anything you like.  I chose a salad with freshly pod peas, avocado, olives, fetta and greens.

Topped with the blue cheese sauce.

For the sauce pop all ingredients into a blender and blitz until combined, it is that easy.  

Trust me this sauce is amazeballs!

I also had enough for steak the following night.

Please let me know what you think :)

What did Christmas look like at your house??

Everyone talks about how hard it is at christmas time to stay on track with food.  Not to over indulge, eat crap, drink too much etc

I must admit I was in a bit of a quandary of what to do as I was host and knew that not everyone was on board with my food choices.  

I got the children to write a list of what they wanted.  I was surprised as their choices were pretty good:

potato bake (with white potatoes please mum!)

bean and avocado salad

mushrooms

chicken

ham

and cheese in our stockings!

So, I went to work.  The meat and salad side of things were the same as every year pretty much and simple.  All made with good fresh produce (other than tinned 4 bean mix), olive oil and fresh herbs.

I did a cheese plate with cheeses from Ashgrove (and yes the kids did get cheese in their stockings!) along with some naturally leavened sourdough from Apiece Bakery for the bread eaters.

I also got some smoked salmon and whipped up these beauties from Ditch the Carbs!

Salmon and cream cheese egg bites.  They are divine, although next time I will put more salmon in them.

I usually make up small platters for friends and family at christmas time but this year with a newborn in the house I was a little challenged for time and spare hands. 

I did manage to make this pale green christmas that was delicious 

                                                    along with some strawberry truffles.

My boy wanted real trifle (meaning processed cake, sugary jelly and packet custard).   

Um, no.

LOL

He wasn't actually home when I made this and on boxing day I asked him what he thought.  He told me it was amazing and he was so glad I made a 'real' one.  

Imagine his surprise when I told him how I made it!

This 'real trifle' was broken up paleo ginger cake, jelly made with juice, agar agar and passionfruit pulp, fresh berries, fresh mango, quirky's coconut caramel custard and ashgrove cream.

 No added sugars or grains and tasted divine!

Lastly was the request for a raw cheesecake, fast becoming a fave in this household but a treat due to the expense of nuts!

I use the I Quit Sugar recipe for this.  

The texture was quite stiff when making this and I was concerned about it but needn't have been. 

 I made it four days in advance and popped it in the freezer.  

Pulled it out christmas eve and left it in the fridge.  

I swear to god this is heaven in a baking dish!

So, christmas was sugar free, grain free (for me) and successfully low carb high fat.  I didn't feel like I missed out on anything or was deprived and I don't think my kids did either. 

What was your christmas like?

Christmas Ginger Cakes

I think ginger and christmas go together almost as well as Pru and Trude don't you!

As soon as christmas comes around I start thinking gingerbread men, houses and cakes.

Since this is our first christmas doing the LCHF thang I had to give some serious thought to what my baking would be.  

As it is I have cut back seriously on what I am doing as having a newborn in the house has impacted on available time somewhat LOL

As much as I love gingerbread I didn't want to go down the whole wheat/sugar road so I got to thinking about alternatives and decided to play around with my bean cake recipe and see what I could come up with.

The ingredients aren't all that different which is great as I think you could tweak this recipe to suit whatever your taste buds fancy.

Ingredients

400gr tin of white beans

4 eggs

120gr butter (melted)

3tbs agave/honey/maple syrup (treacle would give a more traditional flavour)

2tbs coconut flour

1/2tsp bi-carb

1/2tsp baking powder

1.5tbs dried ginger

1tbs cinnamon

1/2tsp salt

Method

Turn oven onto 200c to heat.

Drain and wash your beans well.  

Blend beans with one egg until smooth.  Add remaining eggs and all other ingredients.  

Blend until well combined.

Now, you can bake this in a ring tin for around 30min but as I am putting some of these into a christmas  hamper for my aunt I thought it best to make them as cupcakes.

If you do this they only took 20min to bake and come up a beautiful golden brown.  

I intend on adding a cashew cream icing just before I deliver them.

Quick look!! A recipe book up for grabs!

I promised and I have delivered!

I have up for grabs a copy of this great book!

I am loving this.  

Not only does it have some great recipes perfect for summer, such as:

Chargrilled Lamb kebabs with coconut dressing

Barbecued pork belly on skewers

Green Mango salad

and paleo doughnuts!!!!!!  (I know, right!)

It also devotes the first half of the book to exercises.   

Luke and Scott share their knowledge to help you gain muscular strength and fitness from home or at work.

There is a large range of exercises to work on all your body.  Each one has an easy and hard version with clear instructions and a page of photos for you to follow.

You can follow Luke at:
www.trainerluke.com
www.facebook.com/thebondiPT
www.instagram.com/trainer_luke

Or Scott at:
www.scottgoodingfitness.com.au
www.facebook.com/ScottGoodingFitness
www.instagram.com/scottyfit

I am not one for the gym so I was really excited when this came in the post and wasn't JUST a recipe book.

So, how do you get yourself a copy???

Simply leave a comment telling me what your fave paleo/low carb high fat/primal meal is, come visit me over on facebook and share the love!

My son the foody will choose his favourite meal suggestion on 12 December so we can have your copy in the post before christmas.

It is that easy!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This competition ‘is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.’  A copy of Clean Living Quick & Easy was supplied to me for review and a copy to give away by Luke & Scott and Hatchett Australia.

Open to residents of Australia only.

Question time with Luke and Scott

In my journey of reaching and maintaining good health I have come across some great people, recipe books and speakers.  I am loving the path I am on and love being able to share what I have learnt with others.

When I received a copy of Clean Living Cookbook by Luke & Scott 

for my birthday I was rapt.  

I have said previously what a fabulous book it is, filled with amazing recipes.  

I have since got their Paleo Sweets book (OMG!) and their Paleo Breakfasts book,both of which I would thoroughly recommend.

But, I wanted more.  I emailed the guys and told them how much I appreciated their books and asked if they would like to answer some reader questions.   These guys are awesome and very kindly agreed to not only a question/answer session but also a give away of their newest book Clean Living Quick & Easy.  

How great is that!!

So, to get the ball rolling, here are the answers 

to your questions.

1. Were you eating a paleo diet completely before MKR or did you develop more afterwards?

Luke: I was eating what I considered to be healthy, but certainly not paleo. It was a great and exciting learning curve for me once the show finished, as I really wanted to regain my health and look and feel my best, so I 100% completely embraced paleo upon completion of filming. My physical and mental transformation was quick and really quite exceptional. 

Scott:  Prior to MKR I was paleo but arguably not as purist as i now am.  My understanding of nutrition has evolved over the last 2-3 years and so has the foods I include and don't include in my diet.

2. Many sporting people will insist on eating carbs for energy.  What are your views on this?

Luke: I have trained my body to use ketones for energy. Which in its simplest form is when our body uses fat as energy as opposed to carbohydrates. If I need to exert myself in an intense way and need more of an energy burst, I will make smart carb choices such as a banana or some berries for the added boost my body needs. At the end of the day, you need to listen to your body and do what works for you.

Scott: Generally speaking we fixate on carbs being the source of our energy for training and sport. The fact of the matter is we can perform exceptionally well on a ketogenic diet, I would say that if you training volume include considerable amount of high intensity training then some safe starches are fine.

3. Will your sweets book come out in hard copy?

Luke: All of our books will be released in the same format as the others in the Clean Living Series. We look for uniformity across the brand. One day down the track we might bring out a massive hard copy collection. You will have to wait and see.

Scott: Our next book FAST FOOD has heaps of amazing sweet recipes, all of which can be made in no time, with little fuss.

4. You use a huge amount of seafood in your current book.  Will the next book have more land animals?

Luke: Yes, you will see lots of land animals ranging from grassed beef, organic free range chicken to free range pork, and of course, lots of different varieties of sustainable seafood choices.

Scott: It's not deliberate to include more seafood vs land animals, I guess it just works out that way.  We do try to keep the sources of protein as varied as we can and include some cheaper cuts to keep budgets low.  We feel its important that if you do choose to eat meat then you should respect the animal and eat nose to tail. 

5.  You seemed a bit reluctant to use high fat in MKR.  Do you still follow this principal as strictly or have you changed your views?

Luke: We were very reluctant to use bad quality food sources, but have always been really excited to use good quality fats that come from meat, avocados, nuts and seeds. On the show we really wanted to reflect making the healthier choice with the options on offer. And we certainly steered away from sugar.

Scott: I don't recall being reluctant to use fat - we often spoke of the benefits of eating full fat over reduced fat products.  Im a huge advocate for the high fat diet; we have lived in a world where saturated fat has been the bad guy for 40-50 years and now the tide is slowly turning which is good news for health.  The sooner we pull away from vegetable oils and trans-fats the better off we'll be. 

6. Will you be doing a book tour with the next book?  How about a visit to Tasmania?

Luke: We will be doing a series of pop-up restaurants around the country. Melbourne and Sydney are first of the block and we will announce more dates to follow. We love being able to reach our fan base and connect with people who really embody our clean living lifestyle.

Scott: We would absolutely love to come to Tasmania to do book tour.  Tasmania is one of my favorite places to visit and boasts some of the best scenery I've ever seen.

7.  Eating a paleo inspired diet isn't the norm for most people, particularly those who are active. What prompted the shift from a high carb diet to this for you?

Luke: In fact, we have seen the opposite to this statement. We have seen that highly active people are more so switched on to how they fuel there bodies and what effect food has on their performance. It is sometimes the supermarkets and advertising campaigns in health and fitness magazines that tell a different story that we still need high amounts of carbs to function. To me, it seems the healthier more active people are the more educated and informed, because they care.

Scott: The shift came from listening to my body and witnessing the telltale signs of a high carb diet - lethargy, mood change and energy dips.  The shift was also a consequence of reading as most as i could around the subject - arming myself with as much info to make informed choices around nutrition.

8. What are your thoughts on electrolyte replacements such as Hydralyte during sustained physical activity (eg 4+ hours of cycling, tri, ironman etc). Do you have any ideas on alternatives?

Luke: My choice is always to go natural. Coconut water is natures superfood sports drink, 100% natural and so good for you. A way better option.

Scott: Its imperative to ingest some form of electrolyte replacements during sustained exertion, otherwise performance will be impaired and diminish.

9. What are your thoughts on the HCG Protocol and the concept of reaching leptin sensitivity.

Luke: Not my specialty thanks x

Scott: My thoughts are that we should shift our focus from weight management to health.  Once we start eating for health then our weight will naturally revert to its optimum.  Forget quick fixes, fads and short cuts - food should be enjoyed with an eating plan which has longevity and one you can sustain indefinitely.  I encourage people that are hoping to lose weight to eat real food, minimise their intake of carbs/sugar and embrace a high fat diet.

Thanks to both Luke and Scott for helping out here and their generous offer of donating a copy of their latest book for a competition.  

Keep your eye on this space

 if you 

would like to win your own copy.