Snealing - A Low Carb Diet Lifestyle

I have struggled with my weight for all of my life. I've lost hundreds of pounds (collectively over the years) and gained it back and then some. The very easiest and best way I've found to lose weight is with a low carbohydrate diet. Without realizing what I've been doing, I've been "snealing!" I have just learned about snealing in the last couple of days, and I will share what that means, but first; some background.

Dismissed as a fad by many and as dangerous by some, the low carbohydrate diet continues to be employed by many people, in spite of the misinformation and vilifying of its proponents. The online argument as to whether the low carb - high protein diet of Dr. Atkins killed him still rages on the internet. Many times when people see me eschewing white bread, pasta, and the "healthy" breakfast cereals, in favor of a 4 egg omelet with cheese, they get this shocked look on their face and say something like, "My arteries are hardening just watching you eat that," and all the while they are pounding back a sugared up, large muffin. I've heard all of this, including the medical reports that attempt to stop low carb dieting. They all seem to lack substance as far as I'm concerned. I'm not a doctor and I'm not a scientific researcher, but I can speak to my own experience.

It is important to mention that, as I speak from my own experience, I am not prescribing for anyone to venture forth on any particular kind of diet. So I will speak in terms of my personal experience as to what has worked for me. You be the judge and see your own doctor for advice concerning your health, diet, and well being. As for me, I don't talk too much to my doctor about it. I've read and researched to the degree I can, and I have implemented what I've learned and, when I do it right, it works!

Snealing. It is an interesting word and when I first heard it I thought it was some kind of game; kind of like snipe hunting was when I was a teenager growing up in the cornfields of Northeast Indiana. But this word is a good word with great application to those who want to lose weight and maintain that weight loss, in a healthy way. It sure is to me. I have been snealing and I had no idea that I was!

The "sneal," or "snealing" is a term coined by Dr. Ray Powell. Dr. Powell is a proponent of low carb dieting. The word "sneal" and the word "snealing" may be copyright protected by Dr. Powell, so I can't co-opt it, but I wish I had come up with it. It's a great word!

Snealing refers to eating that replaces snacking. We are taught that snacks should be full of white flour, white sugar, and of no nutritional value whatsoever. It is interesting that the "little" indulgences of snacking that we do, because we deserve it, are setting into motion those things that we really don't want. We're looking for some kind of fulfillment in our indulgences, but like most instant gratification actions the result is not what we desire. So what differentiates a sneal from a snack?

According to Dr. Powell, a sneal is fruits, veggies and lean protein - meat. What is absent from the sneal, and found in the snack, are the elements of diet that are not nutritious and in fact are deleterious to our body and well being. Absent are the villains called white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour, vast amounts of salt, and hydrogenated fats, and other ingredients that I can't even pronounce that sound like they were recovered from an EPA toxic dump super site!

Snealing is the key to a good diet. It is a lifestyle that I am working very hard to cultivate for myself. I eat more often, with smaller portions (for the most part), and I am never really hungry. Now I'm not saying that I'm perfect at this "snealing" concept, but I am striving for it and I'm probably about 95% there. And it works. I don't crave the All American Snack like I used to. I can't tell you the last time a Hostess treat was even in our house, let alone eaten by me. I don't want it, and I used to crave it. That's the beauty of low carb dieting. The craving for those starchy, sugared up high carb snacks fades away. It's a miracle! Well not really a miracle, just the fact that I have broken my addiction to the death snack. Every now and then I can have a sweet snack made with whole wheat, oatmeal, and honey, or something like that and it doesn't knock me off the wagon.

Dr. Powell, being a proponent of low carb dieting, is also an entrepreneur. Now that is good for him and I don't want to take anything away from what he's doing. I have looked over his website and have some observations.

The first thing I noticed is that not all of his sneal products have ingredient and complete nutritional information to review on the site. Secondly, some of his sneal offerings have soy protein that studies have shown to be detrimental to people of all ages and gender. Soy studies indicate that it causes premature menstrual cycles in girls as young as seven and causes a lowering of testosterone and an elevation of estrogen in males. This is something that can drastically change the life of a developing young boy.

The other thing I noticed is that I can't afford Dr. Powell's sneal products. In fact I don't normally buy any of the low carb diet food products online or at the local grocer or otherwise. I make my own. And in fact, much of the same food we have consumed for years still fits, if prepared properly and eaten apart from the "junk" food of high starch-high sugar additions.

Maybe I can't say I am really snealing, since I don't consume Dr, Powell's products. But I can say I am changing my lifestyle to a more healthy way of living.

Remember that most people shied away from junk foods until the last few generations. Our fore parents ate the food they grew at home. Processed foods weren't even invented at the time. But an entire industry was born to provide us with packaged death! Some would say there is a conspiracy, and that may be true. In my way of believing it is true. But that is a story for a different time. The fact is we have grown into a lazy, instant gratification society that is killing itself without even realizing what we are doing. We're like the frog placed in the water, in a pan on the stove. As the fire is slowly turned up the frog doesn't realize he's being boiled to death until it's too late. That is who we are if we don't wake up and smell the coffee!

The bottom line for me is that I make healthy choices about what I put into my body. I eat beef, chicken, and fish for my primary sources of protein. My carb intake consists of oatmeal most every morning, without processed sugar (sometimes with honey), an occasional whole grain bread, lots of green vegetables, lots of water and I supplement with nuts, peanut butter, milk, and fruit in moderation. This is definitely not the All American Snack I grew up with, but it is satisfying, and I feel better.

I'm not saying that Dr. Powell's products are bad. They appear to be good, for the most part. And if you want them and can afford them hit the order button. But if you are looking for a healthy diet you can do it on your own, and do it more affordably, by making good choices when you shop and creating recipes using those healthy choices.