LCHF – Scam or Miracle?

Sugar has always been a big part of my everyday life. In fact, in all and every appearance. I grew up in a family that have taken (and still take) many coffee breaks (fika) accompanied with the necessary sweets (in unashamed quantities). Buns, biscuits, chocolates and candy – the more the merrier. It has worked perfectly up until now, my medical results have always been (and still are) perfect – but the last year I have experienced more and more inflammations, aches, my arthrosis feels worse than ever, etc.

Therefore, I decided to stop using sugar all together and initially even go down on a low carbohydrate diet to see if it makes any difference.

So, now I’m nine days into my new diet. Far too early to draw any conclusions, but I’m very proud that I’ve actually stopped with all ”pure” sugar such as candy, pastries, sugar, jam – you name it. Nothing, zilch, nada in nine days.

Do I feel any better? Again, let me come back with an answer later. I feel a bit weak, a little out of appetite, I have a hard time finding things to eat to compensate for less carbohydrates. I’ve lost over three pounds, my fat percentage is reduced by 1% unit and my visceral fat has also been reduced. But is this due to my change of diet? I haven’t got a clue. I have always fluctuated in those parameters.

Well this is not about whether LCHF is a scam or a miracle (LCHF can by definition not be either one of the two). It’s rather about whether the result of abiding by a low carbohydrate diet deteriorates or does nothing to your health, or if it actually improves your health. This is of course extremely stigmatized, something I quickly find out after surfing the net for a while (I’m surprised that people can be bothered). It is (almost) impossible to sort out the facts and the empiricism around low carbohydrate diets.

It is mostly mudslinging to be honest.

I seem to be able to choose between a stroke (if I follow LCHF – see Is the LCHF Diet a Threat to Public Health? or diabetes (if I do not follow LCHF – see Diabetes – How to Normalize Your Blood Sugar). However, I think I think it’s about choosing different levels of health.

• I believe in organic food.
• I believe that a happy cow is better than a Belgian Blue.
• I believe that as small quantities of Roundup as possible (none) on the vegetables is good thing.
• I think GMO (genetic modification of the food) eventually will create the mad-human- disease
• I don’t believe in e-numbers
• I don’t believe in azo dyes – I want a brilliant black car – not caviar (E151)
• I don’t believe in margarine (see how margarine is made)

So I thought it best to make the journey myself and I’m doing it right now. I’m monitoring this with excitement and so far also with confidence.

In the end I’ll decide wether LCHF is a good thing or not (for me) 🙂