Karl Mac Mc Kinnon wrote:

>   The only way to deal with food addiction is
> total abstanance.  NeanderThin cuts out every "drug food" I can think
> of.  Without complex carbohydrates the only "eat more!" food I can think
> of is rasins mixed with nuts (fat and sugar at once), and I think I can
> handle that O.K.


Well, I "graduated" from Atkins to NeanderThin about 5 months ago. (I
reached my goal soon thereafter and have been maintaining, though
thinking about a "new, improved" goal.)

It turns out I do have an "eat more!" food on NT, namely almond butter.
I used to be a peanut butter freak, and I tried various nut butters as a
substitute.(I eat them right out of the jar.) At first, they were all a
bit disappointing by comparison to the peanut butter standard, but
gradually almond butter emerged as a definite favorite.

It is to the point now that I can't stop with one or two spoonfuls, but
need to eat half a jar at a time (approx 1000 cals worth). And I'm sure
I would prefer it to PB by now.

The other nut butters (e.g. hazelnut, hazelnut + raisins) don't produce
the same reaction. AB seems addictive. I read on one of these lists that
almonds produce high levels of serotonin, similar to carbs. I do find
that after eating a large "dessert" of AB in the evening that I fall
asleep on the couch, something I normally never do any more since
low-carbing. It really seems like a "drug" effect.

I like whole almonds as well, but don't feel addicted. I can stop after
a couple. Maybe because it's so hard to eat the equivalent of a half jar
of butter!

The solution seems obvious, of course--but I continue to buy and consume
a couple jarfuls per week!

Fortunately, I am holding my own with respect to weight, though I did
have to fight off a couple new pounds.

Tom
Amsterdam NL