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  #1   ^
Old Fri, Nov-05-04, 15:52
Karen's Avatar
Karen Karen is offline
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Default Low-carb Gourmet: Chef reinvents her cooking, and her life

November 3, 2004 Wednesday
Final Edition
REAL LIFE; The Curious Cook; Pg. C7

Low-carb Gourmet: Chef reinvents her cooking, and her life
Dee Hobsbawn-Smith, For The Calgary Herald

It's fascinating to watch an intelligent person change her mind and, in the process, reinvent herself and her life. Karen Barnaby, executive chef of Vancouver's Fish House in Stanley Park and prolific cookbook author, has done what few chefs do: She has examined her reasons for cooking and eating, and when they came up short, she changed her diet, then changed her life, too.

When her weight reached 235 pounds at the age of 40, Barnaby attempted to lose weight on a traditional low-fat diet, but gave up after 10 months and a meagre 10 pounds. Instead, inspired by a book she had read, she took a low-carb approach. She lost 70 pounds, and her old life left with the weight.

Now, 51/2 years later, energized, healthy and happy, Barnaby maintains her changes go deeper than altering her body image. She has chronicled her journey to low-carb lifestyle in her new book The Low-Carb Gourmet (HarperCollins), with recipes to guide and inspire. Barnaby's previous books include Pacific Passions, Screamingly Good Food, The Passionate Cook and the collaborative (Vancouver) Girls Who Dish trio of titles.

Food has long been Barnaby's comfort and emotional barometer. But it was also the cause of her daily ups and downs. An avid baker as well as a chef, Barnaby is surrounded by food at work. She routinely snacked, and "turned into a banshee" at 5 p.m. each day, due entirely, she believes, to blood sugar crashes stoked by her penchant for sweets. Within two weeks of her diet change, the banshee disappeared, replaced by a happy, buoyant woman full of energy.

Barnaby has opted for fat over carbohydrates as her fuel of choice. She does not eat any sugars, including honey, maple syrup and all the ingredients related to sugar (those ending in "ose" on labels). She has also chosen to eliminate all grains from her diet, so no pasta, barley, spelt, rice or pulses show up in her latest book, in direct and complete contrast to her earlier books, each of which included enough starch and sugar to dub her the queen of Canadian carbs. (There is a wildly inventive high-fat baked cheese "noodle" in Barnaby's new book that she layers into lasagna.) (Thanks to Digwig and Donald!)

Desserts in her new book are sweetened with a combination of Splenda (sucralose) and Canadian Sugar Twin (cyclamate), and she frankly suggests sweets be served only as an occasional treat. What she does cook is still wide-ranging and richly seasoned -- heavy on fish, meat, salad and vegetables. Her predilection for mayo and whipping cream in generous amounts takes a new mindset, which is her purpose entirely.

Following a diet with far-reaching implications has meant Barnaby, on tour to support her book, has learned to plan ahead, travelling with a case of oil-packed tuna and macadamia nuts and almonds in her pockets.

Barnaby has reexamined her life from other perspectives, as well. She is co-founder of the Internet's largest low-carb support group, www.lowcarber.org, which she says gets 5,000 hits daily. Seeing the struggles recorded there is a constant reminder diet is a process, without instant results. There is a contingency for starting a diet, and for ongoing maintenance.

Her advice: Don't expect instantaneous miracles, a diet is not a lifestyle in a box. It takes persistence, so keep a list of small ways in which you have succeeded. Perseverance is an amazing tool, she says, but it is the only tool that works

For Barnaby, the ups and downs of unstable blood glucose levels are gone, although she admits to falling off the low-carb wagon in Beijing in 2003, tempted by foods she had only read about. But after crankily dragging herself about the Chinese city, Barnaby realized she had sacrificed the quality of her trip for foods that did not serve her body chemistry.

The chef's self-described New Age tendencies led her on a personal journey after she exorcised her "sugar demons." She adopted a regular Pilates exercise program, a kinder chiropractor, cranial-sacral therapy and a belief in a larger force in her life. As for why cooks cook, she says: "Health does not drive most people who cook. Sheer taste and sensation is what drives most cooks, and that's fine for them. I can only lead by example."

Dee Hobsbawn-Smith is a food writer, chef and author.

Her newest book, The Curious Cook At Home: Recipes and Secrets Of An Adventurous Cook, is published by Whitecap Books.

deehs~nucleus.com
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Nov-05-04, 16:09
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tortoise tortoise is offline
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Wow, Karen, VERY COOL! CONGRATS!!
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  #3   ^
Old Fri, Nov-05-04, 16:35
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4beans4me 4beans4me is offline
Anyone?? Bueller?
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  #4   ^
Old Fri, Nov-05-04, 16:41
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MsTwacky MsTwacky is offline
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Plan: 12 steps
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Default

Very lovely article!!!!

It made me want to go to Canada to go eat at that restaurant. Or better yet....buy the book!!!!
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Nov-05-04, 17:00
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Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Plan: DDF
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Funny, back in the late 90's I did go to Vancouver and ate at the Fish House. It was one of the most glorious dinners I had ever had. Costly, but well worth the price. Of course, the setting was gorgeous too. I'd love to go back.
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Nov-06-04, 00:34
Karen's Avatar
Karen Karen is offline
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Plan: Ketogenic
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Quote:
Funny, back in the late 90's I did go to Vancouver and ate at the Fish House. It was one of the most glorious dinners I had ever had.
Cool! If you come back again, you can have dinner from our Low-Carb Menu. We're currently serving Pumpkin Chiffon Cheesecake as the LC dessert.

Karen
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, Nov-06-04, 17:32
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RCFletcher RCFletcher is offline
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Plan: Food Combining
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I'm coming sometime in the next week! I can't leave Vancouver without trying the Fish House. If I can find a copy of your book will you sign it for me!

Congratulations,
Robert
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  #8   ^
Old Sat, Nov-06-04, 17:59
wils wils is offline
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Plan: atkins
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Default

Just a suggestion, but Karen seems to answer quite a few questions under kitchen low carb recipes, farther down , under Karens Corner, she might see your question quicker if you try there!!! Good Luck. I walked into the local library today, and lo and behold in the new book rack is Karen's new book, so of course I checked it out. Excellent recipes. Enjoy!
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  #9   ^
Old Sat, Nov-06-04, 19:47
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mischa mischa is offline
Vorsicht! heiß
Posts: 55,817
 
Plan: SureSlim Wellness Clinic
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Congratulations Karen..can't wait to see your new Cookbook

I wish you a great weekend

hugs
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  #10   ^
Old Sat, Nov-06-04, 21:22
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CindySue48 CindySue48 is offline
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Plan: Atkins/Protein Power
Stats: 256/179/160 Female 68 inches
BF:38.9/27.2/24.3
Progress: 80%
Location: Triangle NC
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Can you post the link to the article?

I'd like to post it on another forum.
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  #11   ^
Old Sun, Nov-07-04, 02:11
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alrightguy alrightguy is offline
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Plan: Atkins
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Whoohooo Karen! Good for you! I can't wait to get the book for myself. It's on my Christmas wish list!
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  #12   ^
Old Sun, Nov-07-04, 08:17
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Kristine Kristine is offline
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Plan: Primal/P:E
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Really nicely written article!

Yay Karen!
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  #13   ^
Old Sun, Nov-07-04, 11:27
Karen's Avatar
Karen Karen is offline
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Plan: Ketogenic
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Default

Quote:
Can you post the link to the article? I'd like to post it on another forum.
You have to have a paid subscription to the Calgary Herald to get the link to the article. You can always copy and paste and link it to here.

Karen
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  #14   ^
Old Sun, Nov-07-04, 11:37
black57 black57 is offline
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Plan: atkins/intermit. fasting
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Karen, I am so proud of you and I am proud to know you, girl!
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  #15   ^
Old Sun, Nov-07-04, 15:01
CindySue48's Avatar
CindySue48 CindySue48 is offline
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Posts: 2,816
 
Plan: Atkins/Protein Power
Stats: 256/179/160 Female 68 inches
BF:38.9/27.2/24.3
Progress: 80%
Location: Triangle NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen
You have to have a paid subscription to the Calgary Herald to get the link to the article. You can always copy and paste and link it to here.

Karen


That will work!
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