'Sweet Enough' Low-Carb Catering Service Promoting Lifestyle Changes

One of the things I've learned in life is when you find something you are extraordinarily passionate about and you're good at it, then you need to pursue that with every fiber of your being so that the infectiousness of what drives you will begin to influence others. That's what Bridget Hart has decided to do.

This spunky professional chef, who loves to teach other how to cook as well as providing in-home catering, has started the Denver, Colorado-based Sweet Enough Personal Chef & Catering Services business to provide sizzling low-carb dishes that will tantalize your tastebuds. Bridget is a big believer in using fresh, whole foods with just the right herbs and spices to complement the meal.

She is a graduate of the Cook Street School of Fine Cooking accelerated Food & Wine Career Program in Denver with more than over 13 years of combined experience in the fields of special event planning and execution, conference services, catering, and cooking. Additionally, Bridget has traveled and trained under master chefs in France and Italy and has even been featured on The Food Network with her world-famous Aspen Buffalo Burgers.

Because she understands the dire need for proper nutrition in response to the obesity crisis, Bridget volunteers her time to help teache cooking and nutrition to people at risk for hunger, many of whom are afflicted with obesity and diabetes. This helps keep her grounded in all that she does.

"My passion is sharing my belief that the enjoyment of good food, well-presented, does not have to be reserved for special occasions," Bridget stated. "Delicious healthy food does not have to be complex in preparation, and deprivation or denial should not be a part of anyone's eating habits. I can help you to eat well, without sacrificing a healthful way of living or, most importantly, flavor and enjoyment!"

Specializing in low-carb/low-glycemic meals, Bridget offers these sample menu items to tease you with a little about what she can do. The web site is relatively new, so keep checking back for updates and more extensive recipes.

Interestingly, she does have a blog you can check out called Cooking Without Carbs which will highlight some of her favorite low-carb recipes for you to enjoy. It's new too, so be sure to bookmark it to see what she posts from time to time.

A very strong advocate for livin' la vida low-carb for the past seven years, Bridget says she is all about "encouraging and celebrating this lifestyle."

"Whether you've chosen this path to lose weight, regulate your blood sugar, improve your heart health, or just upgrade your daily diet, I can help you meet your goals and enjoy healthy, balanced, and delicious meals," Bridget exclaimed.

Acknowledging that variety can sometimes be a challenge on the low-carb lifestyle, Bridget said that's why she wanted to start her own business.

"Many people not familiar with our lifestyle mistakenly think it's all about just meat, cheese and eggs," she admitted, but "we know that's not true. Yet, how many times have you 'run out' of creative and satisfying ideas for what you can and cannot eat? When was the last time you had what you would consider a 'gourmet' meal? And I won't even ask about dessert!"

Like me, Bridget believes people should make up their own mind whether livin' la vida low-carb is the healthy lifestyle for them. She doesn't believe in going on a "diet" or even following a healthy "nutritional plan." Instead, it's all about the lifestyle change.

"Health must come from a holistic approach, and this approach includes not only the traditional factors of what we eat and physical activity level, but also the less obvious, like where you live, where you work and what you do for a living, who you live with, your daily obligations, the health of your loved ones, etc. Yes, sometimes your health is directly determined by what you're eating, but it also has a lot to do with what's eating you," Bridget concluded.

How profound and I like that! It's not just what YOU are eating, but what's EATING you! HA! Stress and life can indeed wreak havoc on your low-carb plan as I have often discussed here at my blog. Bridget reminds us that you need to take care of yourself and enjoy your healthy lifestyle without worrying about meal preparation and carb counting. That's why she wants to be YOUR personal low-carb chef.

She wants to free up time for you to focus on yourself and your family without the hustle and bustle of the day to day.

"Let me help you to help yourself, by providing cost-efficient, lifestyle-specific meals to you in your home," Bridget said about her new business. "Whether your entire family is participating in, or just supporting your lifestyle, I can work with you individually to plan menus that will please everyone at your table."

She also specializes in party preparation regardless of the number of people attending your event. Little will your guests know they will be eating low-carb. Shhhh, don't tell 'em!

Finally, Bridget LOVES helping people who love to cook to take all of their favorite recipes and make them low-carb ones instead.

"Sweet Enough will come to your home and show you the ropes of low-carb/low glycemic cooking and menu planning," she explained. "Whether you're just starting out, or are a long-time low-carber, I bet I can show you some great new methods, recipes, hints and tips that will renew your motivation and get those creative cooking juices going again!"

Lesson topics include Low-Carb/Low-Glycemic Lifestyle for Beginners, Alternative Grains & Baking, Low-Carb Desserts, and Quick & Easy Entrees. Groups are welcomed and Bridget will be there.

Right now, her business is limited to the Denver metropolitan market, but she is willing to travel for special events in your area. For more information about Bridget Hart and her "Sweet Enough" low-carb catering business, feel free to e-mail her at bridget@bridget-hart.com.

1-18-07 UPDATE: By popular request from so many of my readers, you can access Bridget's Aspen Buffalo Burger recipe that was featured on The Food Network by clicking here. ENJOY!

Join Denver Low-Carb Living Meetup Group

Author Karen Rysavy recently joined this new Denver support group

Do you live in the Denver, Colorado area and want some accountability in your low-carb lifestyle? If so, then you are in luck! My friend and low-carb chef extraordinaire Bridget Hart has started a brand new Denver Low-Carb Living Meetup Group for veterans and newbies of low-carb dieting.

Bridget wanted to bring together people in the greater Denver area who are supporters of the low-carb and low-glycemic lifestyle no matter why they are doing it. Whether it is controlling blood sugar levels as a diabetic, weight loss, or just trying to eat healthier than you ever have before, this new group wants to provided a means for "encouragement, get motivated, share recipes and resources."

After just a few meetings, the group has already built up to 21 members and they are cordially inviting YOU to join them, too, if you are near Denver, Colorado.

There is one rather famous member in this group--low-carb author, entrepreneur, and 7-year veteran of livin' la vida low-carb Karen Rysavy from TrulyLowCarb.com.

I had the brief privilege of working with Karen as a contributing writer at Low-Carb Energy magazine last year before they decided to shut down the print magazine for good. Boy, don't you know they wish they'd hung on for a little while longer now that livin' la vida low-carb is making a big comeback in 2007! Oh well, live and learn, right? :)

Man, I wish I lived in the Denver, Colorado area now so I could join this new meetup group. If I'm ever in Denver or if Bridget would like to have me come there for a visit to speak to the group, then I'm there baby! How fun would that be?

You can learn more about the Denver Low-Carb Living Meetup Group and sign up to become the newest member by clicking here.

A Low-Carb Blitzkrieg Of News For You

I feel like I've been playing catch-up for over a month with so much to blog about and no time to do it. So, as has often become my custom when I'm on information overload to blog about, we're just gonna let loose all this great low-carb information so you can see all the latest happenings in the grand world of livin' la vida low-carb! ENJOY!

HIGH-FAT DIET STUDIES ON MICE DISTORT THE FINDINGS

This should come as no surprise, but a new survey published in the April 2008 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism from researchers at the University of California-Davis found that most research of a high-fat diet conducted on mice is inaccurately portrayed. It all centers around the macronutrient makeup and quality of the foods the researchers are feeding these mice and it's a fascinating look at how you cannot extrapolate information for humans based on these mice comparisons. Remember this the next time you hear a damning study on high-fat diets that were conducted in mice and now they want to scare YOU from eating fat as a result.

SEVEN EGGS A WEEK WILL KILL YA? NOT!

Speaking of bad research, did you hear about this one last month published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition? I brought it up in my interview with Drs. Mike & Mary Dan Eades earlier this month, but it's just as preposterous as anything I've seen coming out of the research community. The researchers portend that eating a total of seven eggs or more will lead to higher mortality rates. YIKES! If I read that headline, then I'd be running scared of eggs myself. But I know they're healthy and I eat at least seven eggs A DAY! When will this kind of scaremongering of healthy nutritious foods like eggs ever end?

CONDOLEEZA RICE EATS A LOW-CARB DIET

A couple of years ago I highlighted that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice uses a regular exercise routine to keep her health in order and stay in shape. Now we learn from this news story that she is "sticking to a low carb diet" during the week as she shares in an interview she did with Fitness magazine. COOL! If one of the top government leaders can be livin' la vida low-carb and lovin' it, then why can't we get the USDA and the FDA to start recommending it for health, too? Hmmmmm?

IT'S NOT LOW-CARB VS. LOW-FAT--IT'S EITHER ONE!

Many people often make the mistake that I want everyone to be following a low-carb diet to lose weight and get healthy. Not so. I guess we can blame it on my enthusiasm for livin' la vida low-carb, but actually I'm all about people getting locked in to the diet that's right for them and then doing it forever. That's it! People like Dr. Dean Ornish say he's tired of the "diet wars" and yet he is unwilling to admit that a low-carb diet is a necessarily healthy one for people to try. But the latest research has found that you indeed should find the diet that works for you. And for me, that's the healthy low-carb lifestyle--now and forevermore!

FAT HEAD MOVIE CLOSE TO FINDING A DISTRIBUTOR

In November 2007 I shared with you about a new entertaining documentary film about the subject of obesity called Fat Head. In fact, I conducted an interview with the filmmaker Tom Naughton in December and he's been working behind-the-scenes ever since to try to land a distribution deal for his very funny movie about how we've been scammed into thinking fat makes us fat. You'll be pleased to know Naughton has already secured international distribution through a Canadian company who will be taking Fat Head to the prestigious Cannes film festival this week to lobby for domestic distribution within the United States. Cross your fingers on this one because this is merely the first in a long line of documentaries to come on this subject. Low-carb is making a BIG comeback in the trenches and cultural-cutting flicks like this are gonna speed up that process.

THE BODY NEEDS CARBS CRAP CONTINUES

I get so tired of reading columns like this one blaming low-carb for why athletes are afraid to consume carbohydrates when we all KNOW that you NEED them to perform. I'm gonna keep saying this over and over again--your body does NOT need carbs. It needs fat and it needs some protein, but there is no dietary requirement at all for carbohydrate. NONE! Even still, there's this perception that if you are training with weights or for athletic performance that you need these gobs and gobs of carbohydrates to "fuel" your workouts. You may recall this Olympic athlete who challenged me on this last year. In fact, the lead trainer at the gym I go to said I need to be eating big plates full of rice, pasta, potatoes and other high-carb crap both prior to and after my lifting. WHAT?! Do I have "stupid" written on my forehead? It's this kind of thinking that confuses a lot of people about carbs. Are they REALLY necessary? I think you know the answer to that question now.

NAMED TO ANOTHER "TOP ONLINE HEALTH BLOGS" LIST

I always count it a real privilege when my blog is added to one of the "best of" lists for diet and health sites on the Internet because it reminds me of the tremendous responsibility I have to continue providing the best content I possibly can. When FoxNews.com named my blog one of the best health blogs of 2006, I was stunned! That came out of nowhere, but it was super cool. I've received several more awards like that since, including this latest one from a web site in the UK called Keep The Doctor Away. The only other blogs I recognized were Diabetes Mine by my blogging friend Amy Tenderich and Men's Health where my fellow low-carber Adam Campbell is an editor and writer.

CUTTING FOOD INTAKE INEFFECTIVE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Well, look what we have here! Dietitians at UCLA are noticing an increasing trend among the students who are trying to lose weight--they are cutting back on portions and the weight loss is not sustainable. SHAZAM! Ya think? Although their opinion of the Atkins low-carb diet is skewed (your brain needs carbs for energy, yadda yadda yadda!), I like the fact that they address this issue of "starvation mode" when you cut your calories and portions down too low. AWESOME!

"DIARY OF A CARB PHOBE" BY GARY TAUBES

If you happened to miss this outstanding Prevention magazine column written by Gary Taubes from Good Calories, Bad Calories fame, then it is well worth checking out. Anyone who has joined this low-carb revolution will be able to relate to just about everything Taubes wrote in this piece. By the way, I'll be sharing my two-part interview with Gary Taubes that I conducted at that Nutrition & Metabolism conference in Phoenix last month on my podcast show on May 19th and May 22nd! You're gonna LOVE it! :)

HELLO PEOPLE, LOW-CARB ISN'T HIGH-PROTEIN!

It's bad enough all the hyperbole that is thrown around about livin' la vida low-carb these days, but there's one that really makes no logical sense at all. I'm sure you've heard low-carb described as a "high-protein" diet as this one does. In my experience with low-carb, I wouldn't necessarily call it that. Instead, it's more of a high-FAT diet which serves as your body's energy fuel in the absence of carbohydrates. Yes, protein is important to consume, but not more than your body needs or it can turn into glucose (carbs) in the body through a process known as gluconeogenesis. Don't you just wish some of these reporters would take a few moments to educate themselves on this stuff?!

LIMITING RICE SALES IS BAD WHY?

Remember all the hoopla that happened a few weeks ago when stories like this one came out reporting that Sam's Club will begin limiting the sale of rice to no more than four 20-pound bags? Oh the horrors! Yeah right! I don't think this is such a bad thing if you ask me. Maybe if we get away from these commodities that are experiencing record price increases (except for eggs which have gone up in price by more than 35% since 2005), then perhaps our collective weight and health would be better. It's just a thought to me, but I see no downside in limiting the sale of these foods. Maybe people will go back to eating delicious low-carb vegetables, meats, and cheeses again for a change. The market forces could lead people that way. Although this editorial blames it on "those Atkins Diet people again, trying to scare us away from carbohydrates." Who...us? Would we do such a thing? Great Scott!

WHOLE GRAIN COUNCIL SAYS LOW-CARB CRAZE OVER

You can't blame them for trying, but the Whole Grains Council is desperately trying to fool themselves into believing the low-carb lifestyle has gone extinct. DREAM ON! Keep on extolling the virtues of eating pasta, bread and rice while obesity and diabetes become more and more prevalent. When people realize the ruse you pulled fooling them into believing your whole grains are healthy, then you'll have a lot of explaining to do.

STEVIA CLOSER TO FDA APPROVAL AS SWEETENER

One of the most closely-watched things happening right now as it relates to sweeteners is what the Food & Drug Administration is gonna do with the plant-based one called stevia. Despite being readily available and sold as a sweetener all around the world, the geniuses who run the FDA have yet to get on the bandwagon and approve it in the US. But one year ago I told you about The Coca-Cola Company lobbying the FDA to approve stevia so they can begin selling stevia-sweetened Diet Coke in the United States for people who try to avoid artificial sweeteners. Now another company is getting in on the action--Corn Products International wants to market stevia as a sweetener under the name brand Enliten. At some point, the FDA will have to cave in to this growing demand which could spell doom for Nutrasweet and other artificial sweeteners with questionable side effects.

"HEALTHY" RESTAURANT GUIDE STUCK ON STUPID

I always hate it when I see recommendations for "healthy" meals at popular restaurants because invariably that means cutting the fat, calories, and portion sizes. Sure, there's some credence to low-carb in the column, but they consider bacon and fat in the "danger zone" at Bob Evan's while they describe the Meat Lover's Scramble from Denny's by saying it "is as bad for you as it sounds." No it's not! I enjoy that meal because it has ham, sausage and bacon mixed with eggs along with a side of bacon and sausage. Then I substitute mixed veggies and a salad for the carby stuff and it's an EXCELLENT low-carb meal. Who are these dopey people writing these articles?

LOW-CARB SUCCESS DONATES ONE OF HIS KIDNEYS

This is a really cool story! A friend of Michael A. Moore (no relation to me!) needed a kidney transplant and Michael wanted to help. He was a match for his friend, but he had one problem--he was pre-diabetic and needed to lose some weight. So what did he do? Michael went on the Atkins diet and bike riding to lose 50 pounds! WOW! What an act of love and friendship to help out his buddy Steve. Check out this Good Morning America interview on YouTube about this incredible story.

DEBATE: CAN LOW-CARB ROB YOUR CHILD OF NUTRIENTS?

Diabetes Health has a fascinating pro and con about whether putting a child on a low-carb diet is good or not. Con obviously thinks the diet is lacking in nutrition, but the pro brilliantly outlined just the opposite--this way of eating is a very nutrient-dense and healthy way for just about ANYONE to eat. I've even blogged about this issue of whether low-carb living is healthy for children or not several years ago.

BLOGGER ASKS FOR YOUR EXPERIENCE ON A LOW-CARB DIET

This blogging preacher named Chris Brauns wants to know what your experiences have been following a low-carb diet. Share your story with him and how livin' la vida low-carb has changed YOUR life. :)

SUSTAINABLE TABLE IDENTIFIES LOCAL HEALTH FOODS

You may recall that President Bush recently gave a speech in response to rising food prices where he encouraged Americans to start buying food from local farmers as a means for communities to be more self sustaining. That's the mission of the non-profit group called Sustainable Table. Get fresh food grown locally that is organic and super-healthy for you. Go to their web site to enter your zip code and find out how you can support this self sustaining food source for your healthy low-carb lifestyle.

LOCAL BIGGEST LOSER WINNER USED THE ATKINS DIET

I love stories like this one! When Donna Orr chose to go into a competition to see who could lose the most weight as a percentage among her co-workers, she knew exactly what she needed to do--the Atkins low-carb diet, baby! She ditched the bread and potatoes and replaced those with meat, green beans, and salad. Also, she did 30-45 minutes of exercise daily. WOO HOO!!! Way to go, Donna. :D

EDUCATE YOURSELF ON ALL THE SUGAR ALTERNATIVES

Once again, Diabetes Health has an outstanding column about artificial sweeteners. There's still much debate within the low-carb community about these and I fall on the side that they can help you get past your addiction to sugar and should be used. Others feel when you eat low-carb, it's better to try to kick your desire for sweet so you'll never go back to sugar again. I can see both sides, but for me I want to have my sweet and I'd rather it be something other than sugar when I have it! :) Go educate yourself more about the various sweeteners in this well-researched column.

YES, A HIGH-FAT DIET CURES SEIZURES

I have blogged about this before, but it's worth repeating again in light of the recent media attention given to this published study in the May 3, 2008 issue of the scientific journal Lancet Neurology. What diet are the wanting to put these epileptic children on--a very high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet (VLCK) and it works wonders for treating seizures effectively without the use of medications. As low-carb brain surgeon Dr. Larry McCleary explained so well in his book The Brain Trust Program, ketone bodies are the preferred fuel for your brain rather than sugar/carbs which can only be created in the absence of carbohydrate and the addition of fat in the diet. For these children, it means a life with multiple seizures versus one that is closer to that of a normal child. Who said livin' la vida low-carb wasn't for children anyway?!

"AVOID THE LOW-CARB HYPE," BUT EAT LOW-CARB? HUH?

Here we have yet another example of journalistic idiocy on display from a duh-duh-duh dietitian who urges people to follow some rather easy ways to improve their mood through diet. Wanna know what one of her five tips are? "Avoid the low-carb diet hype. When one considers the overall health implications, carbohydrates should still be the most predominant nutrient in our diet." What hype? There's no upside to eating gobs and gobs of carbs no matter how "healthy" you think they are. My diet has about 5% or less carbohydrates a day compared with the upwards of 60-70% carbs that dietitians like this one think I should eat. And yet look what she says people should be doing instead of "low-carb": "Try to limit the refined carbohydrates such as white flour and white sugar-based products." Ummm, hello?!?! That's low-carb living. Man, this gets really frustrating sometimes dealing with such nincompoops!

LOW-CARB AND GLOBAL WARMING HAVE A CONNECTION?

Okay, now this is a stretch and I've blogged about it before. But this vegan chick from Dean Ornish's PETA-loving front group Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has repeated the claim that low-carb diets are "quite harmful to both human health and the environment" because (GET THIS!) "livestock production is a key contributor to deforestation and a major source of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming." Oh really! What's with these radical anti-meat vegetarians? They just keep showing the world what a whacked out group of people they really are (who does something like this with a sane mind?).

I'VE BEEN BLOGGED AND NOW YOU CAN REVIEW MY SITE

There's a great new site I recently found called Blogged that lists various blogs across the Internet according to category and they've listed the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog at their site. You can see the latest posts, similar blogs, and even write a review about my blog (that'd be cool!). Go ahead and check it out for yourself.

DIABETES CONTROL LOW-CARB MEETUP IN ST. LOUIS

I've previously shared about local low-carb Meetup groups in Denver, Colorado with the amazing Bridget Hart leading the group as well as Jen's Triangle Low-Carb Cooking Meetup in Durham, NC where Christine and I were privileged to attend and meet so many of the wonderful people there. Now there's a new one to tell you about for those of you who live in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Led by Mary, a Type 2 diabetic who went on Dr. Richard Bernstein's diet to control her disease, this group seeks to help anyone wishing to learn more about the healthy low-carb lifestyle in that area. In fact, they have a meeting coming up on May 20, 2008 at 7:00PM. CHECK IT OUT!!!

VEGGIE FATS NEEDED FOR BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL?

These so-called "experts" absolutely kill me with their silliness. Here's a column about livin' la vida low-carb and blood sugar control and the author says if you decide to cut your carbs, make sure you don't replace them with animal fats and proteins, but rather vegetable fats and proteins (this has also been repeated on a food blog called "Fanatic Cook"). Why? According to him, it will help you lose more weight and control your diabetes better. But we also see from this "expert" that you should lower your fat intake and increase your whole grains while living as a diabetic, too. How credible can you be when you're telling a diabetic to stuff their mouths with the very thing that causes their blood sugars to rise? Come on! Is this the best America's finest health leaders have to offer as sound diet advice?

30 DAYS, $30, AND AN APPRECIATION FOR GOOD FOOD

Maria Gajewski went on a self-imposed 30-day diet where she wasn't allowed to spend more than $30 on groceries. So she basically lived on rice and beans for a month! EEEK! Maria donated the leftover money she would have spent on groceries to her favorite local charity, but what's the point? Last May, low-carb blogger Regina Wilshire showed us how she fed her entire family on $3 a day which was about a dollar per person. It was difficult, but she managed. I suppose this just goes to show you that despite the more challenging economic times we live in, it is possible to eat on a very low income. Regina's was pretty healthy...Maria's not so much.

YOU CAN BUY KIMKINS-DIET.COM FOR ONLY $457! OH JOY!

Finally, just when you thought the whole Kimkins diet scam saga was about to go away, along comes somebody trying to get rid of the URL Kimkins-Diet.com to capitalize on the continued interest in this story. Perhaps this would be a good URL for one of the anti-Kimkins bloggers to gobble up and reap the benefits of the traffic. Is it worth $457 for that, though? Who knows? And if you ask me, who cares?

And, that's a wrap! See, I told ya I had a blitzkrieg of low-carb news to share with you. I've unloaded a lot, but there's always something to share. Feel free to pass on your low-carb news and headlines that you see to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I'd love to hear from you and share anything interesting with everyone. THANKS for reading!