ArcaMax

When I was a young girl of 12, I became obsessed with weight. Twiggy was the super model at the time and she was rail thin. I thought I needed to be like that. I wasn’t obese by any means. Turns out I was a normal 12 year old, but I was worried I was too fat to be in my sister’s wedding so I started trying to diet.

The first thing I did was go buy a tiny book that listed the number of calories in various foods. They sold these little pocket versions by the checkout at the grocery store. I bought one of those books and rather than carry it around with me, I set out to memorize it. I did memorize it.

I did such a good job that as I grew older I could still recite what was in that little manual. I knew the calorie count for all my favorite things.

I knew a hard boiled egg was 75 calories.
I knew an 8 oz glass of whole milk was 140.
I knew a tablespoon of peanut butter was 90.

I memorized pages of items that I wanted to be able to eat. I was told it was all about counting calories. I was good at math.

Trouble is, that wasn’t really what I needed to learn. That was the conventional wisdom at the time, but even though I counted calories like a maven, I gained weight.

What I know now is different. Reality and new science prove it wasn’t about calories in/calories out. It was really about what you eat and how your body decides to process it...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:

Green Bean Casserole
Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cheesy Cheddar Poofs

LOVE these cheesy bits for an appetizer. They go great while you are sipping your wine.

This is not a completely original Zola recipe. I saw a version very similar to this online and I just adjusted it to suit my tastes. The BEST low carb bites you could ask for. My guests raved! The person who designed this recipe didn’t take credit so I guess that person will remain anonymous but I am very grateful.

Servings: Makes about 18

Ingredients:

6 oz of cream cheese softened
2 cups of grated cheddar (in this recipe it will be worth it to buy a good block of cheddar and grate it yourself)
2 eggs
1 tsp of salt
¼ t of chili powder (or to taste)
½ cup of almond flour
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Then, in a medium bowl add your ingredients. Thoroughly mix with a spoon or spatula. Drop by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until light brown. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. They will be about a quarter-inch thick and moist. Carefully remove them from the cookie sheet and serve warm or at room temperature.

If you want them to taste like the biscuits at Red Lobster, add a half teaspoon of garlic powder.

I can see myself making these with a combo of cheddar and blue cheese...

Or Gruyere...or Mozzarella and Parmesan combined. All would be very yummy!

If you want to make a stiffer cracker, squish the spoonfuls down gently with the bottom of a glass to flatten them before you bake them. Then keep a close eye as they bake. They will cool to a stiffer consistency and taste a lot like Cheez-Its.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola