questions for low carb people

natachan

1) How do I store lard?

2) What are some low carb snacks that will boost my calories?

3) Is peanut oil a hydrogenated oil or is it OK? Or should I simply stick to butter and lard?

4) I've set my goals to 200g of carbs (100g below the FDA's guidelines) but I'm wondering if 100g would be attainable. I want to keep my insulin low so I can burn my own fat.

I'm not a vegetarian so none of those answers.

Other than that any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Dragonwolf

1) How do I store lard?

I don't use lard, so someone that does, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, you should be able to store it at room tempurature (or "in a cool, dry place"). If you buy lard (as opposed to making your own), it should tell you if it needs refrigerated. Just make sure the container seals well to limit its exposure to air.

2) What are some low carb snacks that will boost my calories?

Nuts, nuts, nuts! Also, avacado is fairly nutrient-dense as far as fruits and veggies go. Beef jerky (the good stuff with minimal ingredients) is good, too, as is cheese (if you do dairy).

3) Is peanut oil a hydrogenated oil or is it OK? Or should I simply stick to butter and lard?

Hydrogenation turns oils that are normally liquid into solid, so if your peanut oil is liquid, it shouldn't be hydrogenated, and you're good on that front. However, peanut oil has a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut_oil#Nutritional_content ), which tend to oxidize easily (which is bad), and may already be oxidized, depending on the processing method in your choice of oil. On that front, you're probably better off sticking to lard or butter.

If you want a "healthier" fat to use, give coconut oil a try. Try to make sure to get the best quality you can find. It's pricier than other oils (especially when you go the high quality route), but worth it, in my opinion. You can get refined versions if you don't like the coconut taste or smell. The main fatty acids in coconut oil are medium chain triglycerides, which have a number of benefits ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-chain_triglycerides#Dietary_relevance ).

4) I've set my goals to 200g of carbs (100g below the FDA's guidelines) but I'm wondering if 100g would be attainable. I want to keep my insulin low so I can burn my own fat.

I'm not a vegetarian so none of those answers.

Other than that any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You sure can!

Here are some of the ways:

1. Cut way down/out grain-based foods. Grains have a ton of carbs for not much in the way of nutrients compared to other foods.
2. Cut out sugar (obviously). If you need sweetener, go with something like Stevia, or a whole-food sugar like honey (which has other nutritional benefits).
3. Make your own foods from scratch. A lot of foods, even ones that are supposedly not sweet, have a surprising amount of sugar in them. Making your own allows you to control the ingredients.
4. Cut down/out milk and lactose-containing dairy products. Lactose is the sugar found in milk, which drives up its carb count. Replace your milk uses for things like cream or non-dairy products (but watch the carbs, there, too), or cut them out completely.
5. Watch your fruit intake. Fruits have a lot of sugar, obviously, which will drive up your carbs. Try going for the nutrient rich fruits, such as berries, and the not-so-sweet ones like avacado and tomato.
6. Go easy on, or cut out, potatoes. Especially the "white" potatoes (gold, red skin, Idaho, etc). They are quite high in carbs. Try sweet potatoes, instead, though they are still up there, too, so watch your portions.

If you haven't already, check out the Paleo and Primal diets. marksdailyapple.com is a good place to start with that, his stuff is right in line with what you're looking to do.