Where Did the Hunger Go?

A lack of hunger is one of the benefits of a pretty high-fat, medium-protein, and (relatively) low carbohydrate food path (aka modified ketogenic food plan). It is also quite weird, and so unlike how I've eaten--and been driven to eat--all my life. And now that I've been supplementing my minerals (particularly magnesium, sodium, and potassium), I don't have cravings anymore, either.

There's also a certain mechanistic quality, which is curious, as well. It isn't to say that I don't look forward to eating certain foods, like salmon, for example. But it does mean that I eat because I know that's something I need to do, versus something I'm driven to do by cravings or sugar crashes/insulin rushes. I generally eat two meals a day, with the occasional snack, such as pork rinds or blueberries. (When I feel like a snack, in fact, I know it's time to eat).

I try to keep my meals about four or more hours apart, primarily so I can keep as low a level of insulin in my bloodstream as possible, one of the tools I learned from Dr. Bernstein's The Diabetes Diet. Though I'm not a diabetic, I was once diagnosed as insulin-resistant, meaning my body's cells had a diminished ability to respond to insulin. Or, as Laura Dolson says, "Insulin resistance happens when the cells essentially don't open the door when insulin comes knocking." This is a major reason I began eating low carb. Anything I can do to not boost insulin unnecessarily, I will do. 

For the same reason, I also make a point of not starting a meal with a carbohydrate, unless it is a slow-acting one, like spinach or salad greens. The one exception is if I'm going to the gym to lift within an hour or so of eating
(and then I'll eat 4 ounces or so of sweet potato, or maybe some blueberries). 

Here's a snapshot of a day's eating for me:

Breakfast:

• 1 1/2 cups of bone broth (I gave up coffee--quite easily in fact--about a month ago, and this is a perfect replacement)
• 5 ounces of grass-fed ground beef cooked w/3 cups of spinach in a tablespoon of coconut oil
• 2/3rd of a cup of blueberries

Dinner:

• 4 ounces of salmon pan-fried in coconut oil with scallions
• 2 or 3 cups of mixed salad greens
• 2 ounces of sweet potato

Pretty basic--it's easy to measure, and quick to prepare (except for the bone broth, which I make in big batches and freeze). Not surprisingly, I eat at home most of the time, so I do save money.

I have been lifting about 4 times a week--and walking a lot more, even on days I lift--so I'm eating more carbs (up to 70 grams, versus my normal daily intake of 40g) on gym days.