Bestselling Low-Carb Book Belittled For Being 'Unbalanced'

Helen Stracey claims low-carb doesn't "lead to permanent weight loss"

This BBC story points out that there is a new squabble underway between the editorial writers of a scientific journal and other health "experts" with the authors of a new low-carb/high-protein diet that has been wildly popular in Australia since it released seven months ago.

The editorial writers from the Nature journal in their December 22nd issue state that The Total Wellbeing Diet developed by Dr. Manny Noakes and Dr. Peter Clifton is limited in its ability to help people lose weight and says the claims that it is "scientifically proven" are "decidedly unsavoury."

The story states The Total Wellbeing Diet is "similar to the Atkins diet" because it calls for people to eat twice the amount of protein of a common diet. But I had my own concerns about The Total Wellbeing Diet created by the scientists at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) when I first heard about it because it seemed to restrict fat unnecessarily in order to acheive weight loss and improved health, something that Dr. Robert C. Atkins was NOT in favor of.

But I received a very kind reply from Dr. Noakes who explained that they tested their program extensively and found it to be highly successful on the study participants. Dr. Noakes added that more unsaturated fat could be added to the diet and it could still be an excellent way for people to lose weight and improve their overall health.

That's all I needed to hear to stand behind the CSIRO Total Wellingbeing Diet.

So, should it surprise anyone that this book is now being attacked from all sides by the so-called health "experts?" Get used to it, Dr. Noakes and Dr. Clifton. This is something Dr. Atkins had to deal with his entire life and it has continued on long after he passed away.

Over 550,000 copies of the book have already been sold in Australia and it released in the UK in September. The Total Wellbeing Diet will be coming to America in 2006 and Dr. Noakes will even be in attendance at the Nutritional & Metabolic Aspects of Carbohydrate Restriction conference in Brooklyn, New York in mid-January.

The quick success of the book has brought the critics out in droves.

"The diet is being promoted as beneficial for everyone, whereas the published research indicates that it is superior to a high-carbohydrate diet only for a sub-population of overweight women with symptoms of metabolic disorder," the Nature editor declared.

"The main trial showed no difference in weight loss compared with a conventional diet," noted Patrick Holford from the London-based Institute for Optimum Nutrition.

What would opposition to a low-carb/high-protein diet program be without SOMEBODY giving the standard low-fat/low-calorie/portion control response we've come to expect from these people? And we get it from a British dietitian no less! :)

"The only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you need, or to use up more calories by being more active," contended Helen Stracey from the British Dietetic Association.

Gee, where have we heard THAT lie before?! Sheez, you would think these people would come up with something that actually works rather than rehashing the same old failed message over and over and over again until they're blue in the face! But Stracey wasn't done with her comments against livin' la vida low-carb.

"Starchy carbohydrates such as bread cereals, pasta and potatoes should provide the bulk of each meal as they help to provide a sense of fullness and at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day," she continued.

Sense of fullness? What in the world are you talking about Ms. Stracey? Low-carb/high-protein foods like this one have been shown to provide better satiety than the carb-loaded foods you recommend for people to eat. In fact, French researchers found in November 2005 that eating a low-carb/high-protein diet makes the body feel full longer and you eat less calories.

And preliminary results released in October 2005 from a research study on people who are on a low-carb lifestyle found that vegetable consumption doubled for them when they started eating low-carb. So much for the theory that you don't eat fruits and vegetables on a low-carb diet!

There's one more quote from Stracey that needs to be addressed.

"Resorting to unbalanced, quick fix approaches may be harmful to your health, and is unlikely to lead to permanent weight loss, because as soon as you come 'off the diet' you are likely to go back to your original eating habits."

Unbalanced? Now that I'm livin' la vida low-carb, my eating habits are much more "balanced" than when I was scarfing down pounds of sugar, white flour, and starchy foods week after week, month after month, year after year as my body kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger eventually exceeding 400 pounds.

Don't lecture me on "balance," Ms. Stracey, because the typical person who has become overweight or obese has lost all sense of what that word means! A healthy and balanced diet is one that will enable you to lose weight and keep it off for good.

That's exactly what the low-carb lifestyle does for people. While it may lead to a quick weight loss (just as I lost 180 pounds in just one year doing it), that doesn't mean the weight loss cannot be sustainable over the long-term. The way you keep the weight off is you don't come "off the diet." You keep eating this wonderfully delicious way and avoid resorting back to "your original eating habits." That's why people got fat in the first place, Ms. Stracey! Changing those bad habits into good ones permanently is what livin' la vida low-carb does for people.

Do you ever feel like you're just talking to a brick wall? That's about what it's like explaining my support for low-carb living to these "experts" who couldn't care less what we think about it. They already have their preconceived notions about what it is and what they think about it.

Why don't we share with Helen Stracey what we think about her archaic and ill-informed opinions about the low-carb lifestyle? You can send her an e-mail at editor@bda.uk.com.

In a recent radio interview, Dr. Noakes explained why this book had to be written and why the criticism it is now receiving was actually expected.

"Look, I think this is really one of the reasons that we were a little hesitant about writing the book in the first place, because it was always going to be a situation where there was going to be some criticism," Dr. Noakes explained. "And what we felt was important though was to respond to public need for information on appropriate diet for weight management, and pushing the boundaries a bit in terms of what was considered to be mainstream advice is always going to be something that upsets the apple cart to a certain extent."

If Dr. Noakes felt like his research could help people get their weight problem under control, then why wouldn't he release his findings to the public? Every other mumbo-jumbo "diet" plan that hits the market these days doesn't go through this intensive examination and debate, so what is it about THIS one that is making the "experts" go bonkers?

Simply put, it's a low-carb approach. Low-carb is supposed to be dead as a doorknob according to the media and the health establishment. And yet here is another approach finding widespread success in the country of Australia. This scares the bajeebies out of those who oppose the low-carb lifestyle because it gives credibility to this particular way of eating that they so viciously oppose.

Dr. Noakes doesn't mind rocking the boat just a bit as long as it can be proven the Total Wellbeing Diet can be an effective tool for people desiring weight loss.

"It was important to demonstrate that this is not just another diet book by someone that claimed that this is the best way to lose weight, this is a book that had a lot of science behind it, that was done by a credible organisation," Dr. Noakes explained.

Noting the success of the book has led to much of the criticism that is out there about it now, Dr. Noakes said this will not deter their efforts to promote the science and research that proves they have discovered a weight loss method that could help turn the tide on the obesity epidemic.

You keep giving those health "experts" and their willing accomplices in the media large doses of the truth, Dr. Noakes. They oppose you because you stand in favor of something they fallaciously believe is harmful. But you have done the research and have written a book detailing your findings for everyone to see. If they don't like what they read, then that's their problem.

I applaud you and Dr. Clifton for standing firm in the midst of the challenges that come with opposition. Hang in there and know that people who are livin' la vida low-carb are proud of what you are doing to champion our cause. Keep fighting the good fight and I can't wait to meet you in Brooklyn in a few weeks.

Send an e-mail to Dr. Manny Noakes and Dr. Peter Clifton thanking them for everything they are doing on behalf of low-carb living.

1-2-06 UPDATE: Dr. Manny Noakes responded to my blog post today with some especially astute comments about the work of CSIRO in regards to health:

"It always seems to be a particular stumbling block in nutrition that personal beliefs seem to dominate over science. I can't agree that a high-protein diet alone can reverse the obseity epidemic but at least it provides a perfectly healthy alternative to current mainstream advice which doesn't suit everyone."

THANK YOU, Dr. Noakes. That is EXACTLY why I created this blog and provide the information about livin' la vida low-carb that I do. People will not know unless they are educated about the healthy benefits this way of eating affords them. THANKS again for being an anchor in the field of nutritional and metabolic research.

Did People Magazine Intentionally Omit Low-Carb Weight Loss Success Story?

People magazine features weight loss success stories -- but NO low-carb?!

I was standing in line today at Wal-Mart buying some stuff using a gift card I got for Christmas when I noticed the front cover of the January 9, 2006 issue of People magazine with a picture of two beautiful women on with a blaring all caps caption that read "Half Their Size!"

Of course, that immediately caught my attention and I started reading the article about all of these amazing weight loss transformations featuring 10 people who cumulatively lost over 2,000 pounds. WOW! What an inspiring message just in time for the new year. I was reliving some of my own pain and struggles losing weight in the stories of these weight loss champions.

But as I was looking through the front cover feature story, I couldn't help but notice something rather peculiar about these weight loss success stories -- NONE of them lose weight using the low-carb lifestyle. There were ones who had success on Jenny Craig, low-fat, Metabolife, low-calorie, portion control and others. But not even ONE of them had lost their weight by livin' la vida low-carb.

Really? You're kidding me, right? Of all the weight loss success stories they could find out in the United States of America, they couldn't even locate ONE low-carber to feature in their story? That sounds a little fishy if you ask me.

Why wouldn't People magazine want to feature a low-carb weight loss success story in an article about people who are now "Half Their Size?" There are plenty of examples of low-carb weight loss success stories from this past year that they could have chosen from, including John Smith who lose 300 pounds, Kent Altena who lost 189 pounds, or Karen Kimball who lost 148 pounds -- ALL of them on a low-carb program.

While it is admirable for People magazine to share such inspiring messages of hope and inspiration to their readers about the weight loss success of average, everyday Americans to help encourage people who need to lose weight to do it for themselves, it is blatantly dishonest to completely ignore a weight loss method that millions upon millions of people are still using to effective shed the pounds and get healthy.

I have lost nearly half of my original weight of 410 pounds thanks to the low-carb lifestyle and have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support and admiration for what I am doing here at my blog and with my book. To deny that genuine weight loss has happened to people like me, John, Kent, and Karen is unfairly skewing the numbers against low-carb living. That is also denying the general public the whole truth about the best methods for weight loss available to them.

If I was your average Joe reading this People magazine article, then I would conclude that NOBODY is doing low-carb to lose weight anymore or else they would have shown at least a singular example. But it wasn't in there. Was it a simple act of omission by the People magazine editor or did they purposely avoid any and all low-carb weight loss successes for whatever reason?

Why don't we ask the editor of People magazine that question for ourselves? You can write to them at Editor@people.com. If they simply forgot and are willing to print a follow-up story with low-carb weight loss stories, then all can be forgiven for the oversight. But if they choose to ignore our request for them to acknowledge low-carb weight loss successes, then we can only conclude that they intentionally did it to express their personal disgust for this way of eating.

Which is it People magazine?

1-1-06 UPDATE: Well, we have an interesting twist in this story now because I heard from one of the low-carb weight loss champions I listed in this post was actually contacted by People magazine for possible inclusion in this article.

Kent Altena has a strikingly similar story of incredible weight loss on low-carb as I do and looks great:


Here is what he wrote to me in an e-mail today:

Hey Jimmy,

It's funny you should mention this article because I was actually contacted by a People magazine writer presumably to do a story about my weight loss. She found my name and e-mail address off another website and their weight loss success stories. I am not sure if the contact by People was for this particular issue, but I assume it was.

I had a long discourse with the People reporter and I actually know of her through another person on the Atkins Diet Bulletin Board that I run. I forwarded before and after pictures as well as a magazine-ready article about my success story.

Guess what? I never heard back from People magazine at all. So not only did they not highlight a low-carb weight loss success story, but they intentionally ignored an article that was already written for them. I am not the conspiratorial type and could certainly believe it was due to my nonphotogenic look, but the editors of People magazine certainly had at least one low-carb success story to choose from for their article.

Is this an intriguing turn of events or what? So it does appear the eidtors of People magazine purposefully passed over an amazing low-carb weight loss success story despite the fact that he had provided everything they needed to run his story. Now I REALLY think we should all send an e-mail to the editor of People to express our concerns.

What will they have to say for themselves about this blatant act of omission?!

Meeting My Local Low-Carb Retailer, Supporting The Low-Carb Cause

I paid a visit to see Elaine at Low-Carb Connoisseur on Friday

My blog has given me the opportunity to meet so many people in the low-carb retailing business that I had no idea existed while I was losing weight on my low-carb program in 2004. People like Andrew from CarbSmart, Jason from LO-Carb U, Linda from Kick The Carbz, Michael from Low-Carb Central, Rosanna from Viva Low-Carb, Steve from LoCarb Life, and many, many more are heroes in my book for being courageous enough to put their money where their mouth is in support of the low-carb lifestyle.

And it just so happens that I've got a low-carb store less than an hour away from me in Anderson, South Carolina called Low-Carb Connoisseur. I was off work on Friday because of New Year's weekend and it was a gorgeous day with blue skies outside, so I decided to pay a visit to the town of Anderson (you might know about this town from the Cuba Gooding, Jr. movie a couple of years ago called Radio).

Anyway, it was great getting to meet Elaine in person for the first time and she graciously posed for this picture with me:



Her low-carb store serves the needs of the low-carb consumer each and every day as she ships out products for people who are livin' la vida low-carb. Be sure to check out her entire inventory of products, including some new sweet treats that are sweetened with ANYTHING but maltitol. You will NOT be disappointed.

People who support the low-carb lifestyle and desire products to help them as they lose weight and keep it off need to support these low-carb retailers who have been there when low-carb was hot, stayed in business when Wal-Mart and other stores almost put them under, and continue to bring you the very best low-carb products on the market today.

If people think all you can eat on a low-carb diet is bacon, eggs, and cheese, then they haven't seen what's available in low-carb stores lately. Check 'em out!

Amazing Ride In 2005 For This Low-Carber

It's hard for me to believe that the year 2005 is almost over now, but we're now knocking on the door of 2006. Whew! What happened to this year?! Did it fly by for you as fast as it did for me?! You know, they say that's a sign of getting older. Yikes! :-O

Anyway, I would be completely remiss if I didn't think back and ponder about all that has happened to this average, everyday Southern boy over this past year. When I lost 180 pounds in 2004 after making it my New Year's resolution that year to lose weight on the Atkins diet, I had no idea what an experience I was in store for.

And that story continued and grew in 2005.

It was one year ago today, on December 30, 2004, that I wrote a CommonVoice.com column entitled Make Atkins Your New Life Resolution when I first realized that my weight loss success story could give people hope and inspiration to lose weight for themselves by following a low-carb program like I did. The response to that column was overwhelmingly positive, so it got me thinking about what I could do to help people even further.

As January and February rolled around, I noticed something peculiar happening to me: I found myself repeating over and over and over again my story about how I lost nearly 200 pounds in 2004. If I had kept track, I'm sure it would have been at least a couple hundred times that I told the abbreviated version of what happened to my life in 2004 that helped me lose so much weight.

Isn't it a little silly to go up to someone who has lost a large amount of weight and simply ask, "How'd you do it?" Unless that person has several hours to stand there and let me provide a complete dissertation of HOW I did it, then the answer provided will fall way short of the complete story.

Because of that, several people urged me to write a book about it. While I enjoy writing immensely (can you tell?), I had never written a book before. The longest paper I wrote was my thesis for my Master's Degree for graduate school and that was only 50 double-spaced pages. But a book would have to be bigger than that. The wheels were turning as I considered it and began researching what it would take to make that happen.

In the meantime, I kept writing columns on CommonVoice.com which included comments about the government's new dietary guidelines as well as my experience being on low-carb beyond one year.

Then in April I made two very important decisions that played a major impact on my life in 2005.

The first was to begin a brand new blog to help encourage and educate people in their low-carb lifestyle. That blog I created was called "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" and is still in existence for the same purpose today that it was in the beginning. I have to thank my friend Mike Green who had created a blog just before I created mine and it looked like a lot of fun. Would you say I have fun writing at my blog? LOL!

With all the negativity about low-carb in the media and from the "experts," I thought it would be an excellent way for me to express my opinions about how livin' la vida low-carb has changed MY life so it could help others in their own weight loss journey. The response has been utterly remarkable.

The first month, I had 5000 pageviews. Then, 7500 came the next month and 10,000 in the month after that. In November, I reached in excess of 20,000 pageviews and the momentum has continued to build. I would have never imagined in my wildest dreams that this blog would become as widely read as it is. What is most amazing to me is that the potential to grow even MORE is certainly there. What a blessing you all are to me to grace me with YOUR presence each and every day.

Besides beginning this blog, omething else happened in April, too. I decided that I would write that book that people were asking me to write. Plus, it gave me a great response to people when they asked, "How'd you do it?" referrig to my weight loss. I would respond, "Read about it in my book!" LOL! You gotta love it!

I did ending up writing that book and it released in late October through Booklocker.com. It appears on Amazon.com and in many other places all over the Internet. Again, the response to that 188-page pouring out of my soul regarding my weight problem has been mindboggling. Every week, I hear from people all over the world wanting to thank me for so openly telling my story. THANK YOU for allowing me to be as open and honest about what happened to me and I pray it continues to touch the lives of many.

So what now? Was 2005 all there was for Jimmy Moore and now it's back to "normal" life again? Not hardly! I'm still out on my book tour sharing with people my story of success, including going to Milwaukee, Wisconsin next weekend and to Brooklyn, New York for a HUGE low-carb conference a couple of weeks later.

I'll keep blogging away and providing you the very latest information in the wonderful world of low-carb living. Also, be sure to check out the April 2006 issue of LowCarb Energy magazine which will feature my low-carb weight loss success story and where I will be introduced as a new contributing writer for the #1 low-carb magazine on the market! Pretty cool, eh?

This past year has been an amazing ride indeed for this low-carber. But I truly believe the BEST is yet to come! Happy New Year and great health to you all as you start or continue livin' la vida low-carb! God bless you!

12-30-05 UPDATE: Two of my reader who have been with me at this blog since the very beginning wrote e-mails to me that I would like to share with you:

The first one wrote:

I just wanted to cheer you on! Keep up the good words for Low Carb. I've been livin lo carb for over 3 yrs now. I have my diabetes under control and have maintained a 50 lb weight loss for this long. I will continue for the rest of my life. God willing. We have reason to be proud.

Love your columns. Keep standing up for low carb!!! I will also.

The second one wrote:

Hey Jimmy,

Just wanted to wish you a happy new year and tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. We corresponded briefly some time ago while I was in the throes of my first time around with Atkins. I've since had a baby and am now back on the low-carb bandwagon, and feeling better than ever!

I'm even taking a page out of your book (so to speak) and blogging about low-carb myself on my [Yahoo!] 360 page.

You really are an inspiration. God bless you!

THANK YOU both for your encouragement! It's nice to know that people are changing their lives and sharing their success with others. That's what makes this endeavor all worth it to me to hear about the influence many of you are having on those people within your spheres of influence.

Whether you know it or not, you ARE making an impression on a lot of people. Don't ever think livin' la vida low-carb is just about your weight loss. It is so much more than that because of all the eyeballs that are watching you, waiting for you to fail. When you don't, then you have a powerful testimony that is told without saying a single word. :)

Jared, Traffic, Bill O'Reilly & Low-Carb Man?

Last month I shared with you about an anonymous reviewer at Amazon.com posting a nonsensical "review" of my Livin' La Vida Low-Carb book.

Well, it happened again today from someone calling himself "Real Name" from the "Real World."

Am I THAT threatening to these people that they have to resort to fake names and addresses just to take a swipe at me?! I'm laughing my head off at these people because it is obvious to everyone how transparent they are in their hatred and disdain for the low-carb lifestyle and, by the virtue of my impassioned support for low-carb, me as well.

Describing me as "The Jared of Low-Carb" (uh, thanks, I think!), this "reviewer" obviously didn't read my book and simply wanted to make some point about me personally in his review:

"[This] man in the suit has just bought a new car with the profit he's made on your dreams"

A little less angst and less pride and this author may gain worldy respect. Mr. Moore sort of reminds me of Bill O'Reilly.

Does this make a lick of sense to you? It didn't me either.

Of course, I recognize the quote as a lyric from the Steve Winwood-led early 1970s band Traffic off of their Low Spark of High Heeled Boys album. Great CD, by the way which ironically came out the same year I was born.

I suppose Mr. "Real Name" thinks I am somehow profiteering immensely from the sale of my book on the backs of the hopes and dreams of people desiring to lose weight. HA! To quote Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the movie Jerry McGuire, "Show me the money!" LOL!

Seriously, does this person think I'm getting rich writing at this blog and from my book? Hardly. While a financial blessing would be a great benefit of what I am doing, it certainly is not my purpose in what I do. I earnestly desire to help people find the joy and freedom that I now experience because of the change that has happened in my life. That's why I invest so much time and effort into making this the best possible blog it can be. Money is NOT why I do it or I would have stopped a long time ago.

Losing close to 200 pounds has quite an effect on who you are as a person and your outlook on life. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I just feel like I've woken up from a comatose state and realized just how wonderfully awesome life is again. My enthusiasm for sharing my story is only exceeded by the enormous sense of newfound purpose I now feel I have to give people the hope and motivation that I had to accomplish their own weight loss success.

I make no apologies for that and will continue to encourage people as well as stand firm and defend the low-carb lifestyle from those who seek to destroy it forever. As long as I am able to make my voice heard, it WILL be heard regardless of what others may think my "motive" is for doing so. Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that I am a wide open book and that what you see is what you get.

In fact, I personally answer EVERY e-mail I receive from EVERYONE who writes to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I ENJOY hearing from people and helping them in their journey through livin' la vida low-carb. You don't believe me? Try sending me an e-mail and watch what happens. :)

The reviewer goes on to say that my "angst" and "pride" keep me from getting "worldly respect." But guess what, Mr. "Real Name?" I'm not looking for respect from this world because I am only required to please the God who created me. If people like what I do, then again that is a bonus. But I don't look for the accolades of the world to give me legitimacy. God has already done that by making me His child.

As for being angry and prideful, I suppose my writing style may come across to some as being rather DIRECT and IN YOUR FACE. That is purposeful because it is how I choose to write. If that offends people, then so be it. But I am not about to change that just because somebody thinks I'm being too arrogant or vile. I treat people with respect and simply point out the error in their ways when appropriate. Is this person trying to psychoanalyze me, too?!

Finally, being compared to a popular talk show host like Bill O'Reilly is an true honor. He is one of the most successful opinion hosts in the media today and has millions upon millions of people watch his television show on The Fox News Channel as well as listen to his Radio Factor show. If I had access to just an inkling of the number of people who are influenced by his shows each day, then I WOULD be a rich man. :)

I say all of that to say this: Why are these cowards hiding behind the cloak of secrecy? If you are truly against livin' la vida low-carb, then say it loud and say it proud. Rather than seeking to destroy those who support the low-carb lifestyle, how about telling us why you are against it so much? A healthy discussion focusing on the merits of low-carb would be an educational and entertaining endeavor, don't you think?

Is anyone up to the challenge of debating low-carb without resorting to futile personal attacks and fake names? Be a man and stand firm in your heartfelt convictions? Will the real low-carb haters please stand up? I'm waiting...

12-30-05 UPDATE: Here's another cowardly "review" posted today from yet another anonymous reviewer named Helena Handbasket (Hell in a handbasket) from New York:

"Don't waste your money on this book. If you have ever read a diet success story in a magazine or seen one on Oprah, you have basically read this book. The only difference is the overbearing conceit and the cutsy-poo writing style will make you cringe. Yeah, he lost weight. Yeah, low carb works; I follow the lifestyle myself and know a thing or two about it. As much, in fact, as Mr. Moore does; I can read, too. There is nothing new here except the fact that Mr. Moore is a legend in his own mind."

LOL! If this person is truly a low-carb weight loss success story, then why wouldn't he rejoice in the fact that someone else has also done the same. I don't know anyone who has lost weight on low-carb that is this envious of someone who has done the same.

It is very telling that these bad "reviews" of my book are all by people who are anonymous and this is their first review on Amazon.com. Hmmmm. Me thinks we're starting to drive the low-fatties crazy with my book. Sweeeeet!

Dannon Adds Splenda To Popular Yogurt Line, But Does That Make It Low-Carb?

Dannon's Light 'n Fit yogurt with Splenda debuts in January 2006

Yogurt giant Dannon is launching a brand new version of their popular Light 'n Fit line of products in January 2006 that are made with the preferred artificial sweetener of people who are livin' la vida low-carb -- SPLENDA!

This new Light 'n Fit nonfat yogurt with Splenda will be the first major yogurt line with only 60 calories for each 6 oz. serving and will be available nationwide by the end of January 2006. This newly reformulated version has the familiar smooth and creamy texture of the original, but has 1/3 fewer calories since it is made with Splenda.

It will be available in 12 flavors, including Blackberry Pie, Raspberry, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Vanilla, White Chocolate Raspberry, Peach, Cherry Vanilla, Blueberry, Lemon Chiffon, and Orange Mango.

Unfortunately, while it contains Splenda and has less calories, this new version of the Dannon Light 'n Fit yogurt has MORE carbohydrates and sugars than the original version does! I was stunned to find that it has a whopping 10-15 grams of total carbs, of which 7-10 grams come from the natural sugars found in milk. That's way too high for someone in the weight loss mode of the low-carb lifestyle. But if you are maintaining your weight and can afford that many carbs in your diet plan, then this product is certainly a tasty option for you.

Interestingly, Dannon has also reformulated their 7 fl oz. Light 'n Fit Smoothies also made with Splenda and it comes in six flavors -- Strawberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Strawberry Banana, Mixed Berry, Peach Passion, and Tropical. But, yet again this product is very high in carbs from a "low-carb" standpoint with 13 grams of total carbs, 12 of which are sugars.

That fact will make it very difficult for people trying to lose weight on low-carb to stay within their carbohydrate budget. However, if you are maintaining like I am and consuming as many as 100g carbs per day, then this is a delicious and refreshing alternative to an unhealthy candy bar or ice cream cone.


Registered dietitian Carolyn O'Neil provides nutrition advice

Additionally, Dannon has teamed up with registered dietitian Carolyn O'Neil to develop a weight loss plan called the Light ’n Fit™ Right Fit Plan™ to help people lose a pound a week by evaluating the individual's body mass index, examining their daily caloric intake, and making suggestions about healthy meal plans as well as exercise and journal tips.

Just as Subway restaurants disregarded the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle with their New Year's resolution promotion revealed earlier this week, so too is Dannon missing the boat with their weight loss promotion. I do not fault them for trying to help people lose weight and using their products to help people get there. But failing to understand the needs of people who are eating low-carb is part of the problem with their approach to marketing their product.

Looking at BMI, counting calories, and eating a so-called "balanced" diet -- all of which are recommended by Ms. O'Neill -- are NOT what livin' la vida low-carb is all about. Healthy living, the low-carb way, is radically different from that and simply adding Splenda to a product isn't going to make it better for you.

Dannon focuses way too much on the lower calorie count and the fact that their product is fat-free, but what about the carbs? That's what is most important to those of us on the low-carb lifestyle as we evaluate what we are going to put in our mouths to eat. When are companies going to "get" it?

I was honored that Dannon pre-selected the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog to be one of the first outlets to announce their brand new line of products with Splenda coming to the market next month. They said they did this as "a thank you for the honest and quality wieght-loss content you provide to the Web community."

While I appreciate their vote of confidence in what I do here, I could not in good conscience withhold my heartfelt concerns about their product from you. Companies like Dannon need to understand that healthy does not automatically equal low-fat and low-calorie. To low-carbers, especially ones who are still losing weight, healthy means sugar-free and 3g or less of carbohydrates per serving. Is that too much to ask for?

I do appreciate Dannon's Light 'n Fit Carb Control line of products which contain just 3g carbs, 1g of sugar and are sweetened with Splenda. These are a much better option for people losing weight on a low-carb lifestyle. I HIGHLY recommend them to low-carbers in any phase of the program to fill you need for yogurt.

Will I try the new Light 'n Fit yogurt with Splenda? You betcha! But I'll be careful not to overconsume them because of the sugar that is in it. Be looking for this product in your local grocery stores by late January 2006.

12-29-05 UPDATE: My friend Regina Wilshire provided some additional information about yogurt and carb counts that I was not aware of:

She wrote:

You may want to read up on yogurt and the carbohydrate content - some interesting analysis from Dr. Barry Lewis and Dr. Karen O'Mara, authors of the GO! Diet.

The live cultures (bacteria) in yogurt survive on the lactose in the milk by using it as their food source, thus actually lowering the lactose (sugar) content. Plain yogurt typically has 11g of carbohydrate listed on the label.

From their analysis those following a carbohydrate restricted diet would need to "count" only 4g of carbs due to the breakdown of the lactose by the various bacteria in the yogurt. Lora Ruffner of LowCarbLuxury.com has a good article about yogurt on her site.

In it she writes:

The problem with the stated carbohydrate content on the packages of fermented food products arises because the government makes manufacturers count the carbohydrates of food "by difference." That means they measure everything else including water and ash and fats and proteins. Then "by difference," they assume everything else is carbohydrate. This works quite well for most foods including milk.

However, to make yogurt, buttermilk and kefir, the milk is inoculated with the lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria use up almost all the milk sugar called "lactose" and convert it into lactic acid. It is this lactic acid which curds the milk and gives the taste to the product. Since these bacteria have "eaten" most of the milk sugar by the time you buy it (or make it yourself.) At the time you eat it, how can there be much carbohydrate left? It is the lactic acid which is counted as carbohydrate.

Therefore, you can eat up to a half cup of plain yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir and only count 2 grams of carbohydrates (Dr. Goldberg has measured this in his own laboratory.) One cup will contain about 4 grams of carbohydrates. Daily consumption colonizes the intestine with these bacteria to handle small amounts of lactose in yogurt (or even sugar-free ice cream later.)

GREAT information, Regina! THANKS so much for sharing. There needs to be a way for the average low-carber to KNOW about this stuff. Continuing the education process is a BIG part of that.

Class for today has now concluded from visiting Professor Wilshire. :)

So, EAT UP ON DANNON'S LIGHT 'N FIT YOGURT WITH SPLENDA WHEN IT COMES OUT IN JANUARY!

1-11-06 UPDATE: Well, I got to try the new Splenda-sweetened Light 'n Fit today from a sample that Dannon sent to me. I must confess that I am not a big fan of yogurt to begin with. However, with that said, I am not going to lie to you about this product: THIS STUFF IS SOOOOOOO GOOD!!! It is a creamy and refreshing way to enjoy the healthy low-carb benefits of yogurt without all the sugars that are typically found in most yogurts. You will DEFINITELY want to get some of this when it comes out later this month. Incredibly smooth, rich in flavor and oh so good for you, too! Perfect when you are livin' la vida low-carb, wouldn't you say? Eat up...TO YOUR HEALTH!

'Healthy Low-Carb Recipes' Blog Premiers

Are you looking for an inventory of low-carb recipes to help you in your low-carb lifestyle and don't know where to turn?

Then look no further than the brand new low-carb recipe blog called Healthy Low-Carb Recipes.

Created by Health Hack's "Mister Tut," this web site is in the process of becoming chock full of literally over 1,000 recipes available to you at your fingertips for breakfast, supper and everything in between!

In fact, people are encouraged to submit their own recipes for inclusion on the Healthy Low-Carb Recipes web site. Send "Mister Tut" an e-mail to have your recipe appear on the web site.

I'm not a big recipe guy, so be sure to check out Healthy Low-Carb Recipes often for some excellent selections for your low-carb lifestyle.

Low-Carb Is Not As Dead As They Said

Dietitian Leslie Beck says "low-carb craze could not be sustained"

This Globe And Mail story written by registered dietitian and nutrition consultant Leslie Beck underscores some of the year's biggest news in the field of nutrition. It should come as no surprise that she names the "crash of the low-carb diet" among her "highlights" of the year.

"Highlights," Ms. Beck? It's as if people like Beck are saying to themselves, "FINALLY, the low-carb fad is over and dead!" But I am still amazed that despite all of the hem-hawing that has been done this year in the media and among "experts" like this Beck lady, something rather peculiar has quietly happened underneath their noses.

According to the Opinion Dynamics Corp survey on low-carb, the number of people who are following a low-carb lifestyle to lose weight and restore their health INCREASED to its highest level ever at 15 percent in 2005! Besides my blog, have you heard about this information in any other media? Not likely because it shoots holes all through their premise that low-carb is a goner.

But if that many people are low-carbing, then how can they get away with the lie that low-carb is dead. I supposed Beck and her cohorts believe if they repeat a lie often enough that people may begin to believe it is true. Sadly, it seems much of the media and health experts are beginning to believe their own lie!

Beck continues the trend by her peers of bashing livin' la vida low-carb as if there is some badge of honor in doing so. She declares that it was a "bad year" for low-carb diets and is all too eager to tell us why.

"Concerned for their health and bored with bacon and eggs, bun-less burgers, and countless cheese sticks, dieters finally lost faith in the low-carb lifestyle," Beck smugly wrote.

Sayawhoahowawhat? "Concerned for their health?" "Bored?" "Lost faith in the low-carb lifestyle?" What planet is this lady living on? While the media has had a field day writing story after story about how low-carb is fading, dying or dead, tens of millions of Americans kept on their low-carb program, lost weight, and even maintained their weight loss with this incredible way of eating.

After losing 180 pounds on the Atkins diet in 2004, my goal in 2005 was to NOT gain the weight back. Mission accomplished. By continuing to eat a controlled-carb diet, I was able to not only maintain my weight loss, but also lose another 10 pounds this year. So many people are finding how easy this lifestyle change is to implement and are making it their permanent way to get thin and healthy and stay that way. My health has never been better in my entire life!

But Beck must not have been paying attention to success stories like mine in 2005 because she believes this year was the end of low-carb as we know it.

"This year was the demise of an era in which millions of North Americans adopted high-protein diets packed with meat and cheese and shunned breads, pasta, rice, fruit and milk in an effort to shed weight."

Isn't it obvious that these people don't have a clue in the world about what low-carb living is REALLY about? I don't shun bread. I eat lots of high-fiber breads with 3g carbs or less. And I don't give up pasta either thanks to the delicious alternative that Dreamfields pasta provide us low-carbers. I don't need rice, but could easily make some faux rice with chopped up cauliflower if I wanted to.

Fruits? I devour my fair share of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries dipped in whipped cream along with drizzled sugar-free chocolate. Oh yeah, that's what I call dieting, baby! As for milk, Hood makes an excellent low-carb milk that is the best on the market today (especially the chocolate milk! Mmmm!).

Is Beck really this ignorant or is she trying to perpetuate the continuous lie that is going around about livin' la vida low-carb? I would hope it is the former and not the latter, but there's really no telling. After all, she is a dietitian and you never know what THEY are thinking.

Naming the Atkins diet the "most popular low-carb regime" until 2004, Beck claims the "high in cholesterol-raising saturated fats" diet was replaced in popularity by Dr. Arthur Agatston's The South Beach Diet.

But how does Beck explain how The South Beach Diet book has been a bestseller and is still white hot heading into 2006? Isn't low-carb a goner? And what's this business about saturated fats, Ms. Beck? Haven't you heard that saturated fat can be good for you? The fat-phobia we are afflicted with in this country must end for the sake of the health of our citizens. Are you listening, Ms. Beck?

Claiming the number of people following a low-carb diet had "dramatically declined" by the end of 2004, Beck said so-called low-carb products stopped selling and the final nails in the coffin of low-carb were hammer shut when Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection in August.

NEWSFLASH, Ms. Beck: There are more people on the low-carb lifestyle in 2005 than watch American Idol on television! Did you even know that? Probably not because it doesn't fit the template of your biased opinion against low-carb.

The reason low-carb products stopped selling is there was a very warranted consumer backlash against all the imposter low-carb products sabotaging people's attempts to lose weight the low-carb way. When hidden sugars and excessive amounts of carbohydrates were added to these "low-carb" foods, people rebelled against them which hurt the entire industry. But there are a number of EXCELLENT and genuine low-carb products still available that will help people on their low-carb lifestyle.

And if one more person points to the Atkins Nutritionals bankruptcy as PROOF that low-carb is dead, I think I'm gonna scream! LOL! Seriously, there's more to low-carb than the Atkins company people. Low-carb's gonna keep on tickin' regardless of what ONE COMPANY decides to do to remain viable as a business. People will keep losing weight by watching their carb intake and the strong spirit of low-carb will live on in those of us who have committed to this way of eating for the rest of our lives.

Low-carb saved my life and I will NOT stop shouting it from the rooftops what a miracle it has been to me. I am a changed man because I started livin' la vida low-carb and I will not allow anyone or anything to stand in my way of proclaiming what has happened to me. That's why I wrote a book about it and am traveling around the country telling my story.

"Like other fads, the low-carb craze could not be sustained. So far, there's no clear contender for the next weight-loss fad," Beck concluded.

Is low-carb REALLY a "fad" diet? If so, then SO BE IT! That fad diet just so happened to help me lose nearly 200 pounds, increase my "good" cholesterol, take me off of breathing medicine, lower my blood pressure, increase my stamina, take away the aches and pains of daily life, improve my quality of living, and make me the thin and vibrant man I was always destined to become.

Simply put, livin' la vida low-carb is not just a catchy slogan I use. Rather, it describes exactly what millions of us following a controlled-carb lifestyle would say one accord:

LOW-CARB IS NOT AS DEAD AS THEY SAID!

Why? Because we are STILL livin' la vida low-carb. Sorry, Ms. Beck. You lose, we win. And that's just the way we like it!

Wanna help educate a real live dietitian about how successful low-carb livin' has been for you and other? Then feel free to send Leslie Beck, RD an e-mail at lesliebeck@ctv.ca. I'm sure she'll just LOVE hearing from all my readers! Let her know just how wrong she is about low-carb. :)

12-29-2005 UPDATE: You're gonna enjoy this response to Ms. Beck from one of my regular readers:

Dear Ms. Beck,

I was quite disappointed and rather worried after reading your article in Globe and Mail. For example, in said article you write that "nutrition flip-flops are to be expected". Personally, I don't see why that would be necessary nor to be expected. Nutrition, they always taught me, is based on hard, scientifically proven facts, not on falsifiable theorems or, worse even, the perceived wisdom of the day unlike some well-known "standard" diets.

However, as a researcher in nutritional science, I was even more disturbed and worried by a number of rather remarkable "statistics" and "facts" you rather happily disclosed to the public. You see, another thing they taught me at school was that, especially in nutritional science, one must be very certain of ones facts before disseminating them - especially to the public, since the opinion of a professional will likely influence the dietary habits of hundreds of thousands and perhaps even millions of people. That's quite some moral responsibility.

I think I can safely state that it is hardly a secret anymore that in several (if not almost all) countries of this world we are currently observing an obesity and diabetic epidemic of gargantuan proportions. It is completely out of control - all of this, of course, are well-documented scientific facts.

As a professional, registered dietitian and nutritionist, I presume you are aware of current, state-of-the-art nutritional science, major obesity studies, research papers as well as clinical and scientific research data. You are, according to the slogan on your website "Your source for credible and relevant nutrition information". Hence, I think I can safely assume you are indeed aware of the aforementioned scientific information.

To the unsuspecting populace, struggling with their obesity and/or related diet-driven "modern" illnesses, that is without any doubt a confident and assuring "slogan". But to be honest with you, personally, I found the last statement casu quo the disclaimer on your website "Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change" sadly, I might add, considerably more to the point.

I will tell you why.

Although I am completely willing to believe that you do what you do with passion, and the best interests of your patients in mind, it is however my contention that you are actually doing them a serious disservice. Why? Because you provide them, intentionally or not, with misrepresentations, perceived facts, half-truths as well as outright incorrect and incomplete information. Exhibit number one: your aforementioned article.

If you are indeed aware of the vast body of the latest scientific papers, research and data, it is close to impossible that you actually believe what you are writing and advising. To begin with, your statistics are all wrong. For example, you mention, among more of such dramatic statements, the "crash of the low-carb diet" and "Like other fads, the low-carb craze could not be sustained."

I can assure you that low-carb is not "dead". Maybe the majority of its critics died, but that was hardly surprising given the fact that their dietary belief systems were not based on any science known to man. In fact, as we speak more Americans and people all over the world are following a low-carb diet, with great success I might add, than ever before. Low-carb
magazines and internet blog sites are abundant and successful. You should not believe the media too quickly. After all, they have no interest in the truth, just in news. Any news, preferably bad news - because it sells better. Just like dietary nonsense sells better than nutritional science, and high-carb junk food sells better than proper, natural, wholesome foods.

So, based on many years of research in this field, as well as literal mountains of clinical and scientific evidence in nutritional research, I beg to differ. First, the low-carb dietary regimen is not a fad but, instead, based on rock-solid nutritional science. Proven, hard scientific facts, you as a professional should know that, especially since you so confidently assure the public of that knowledge in bold headlines. Secondly, significant and lasting successes have been observed in major obesities studies with controlled carbohydrate, low-carbohydrate and zero-carb diets. Hundreds of peer-reviewed, mainstream studies conclusively prove the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of low-carb diets. Hence, to call it a "fad" is hardly scientific and certainly not unbiased, "credible and relevant nutrition information"; nor is it healthy dietary advice.

All of this in marked contrast to many other diets that indeed have been shown to be based on fallacies. One of those fallacies is the low-fat diet you so happily defend, or the low-sodium diet, or the low-cholesterol diet, or the low-calorie diet, and many other varieties of such myths. Since you assure us to be THE Credible Source Of Absolute Dietary Truths, you must be aware of the fact that not controlled carbohydrate diets, but instead the low-fat/low-calorie diets are under serious scientific scrutiny at the moment. And for quite a few very good reasons indeed. In fact, many researchers and world-class scientists are now openly stating the obvious: the Food Pyramid is completely wrong, even after the latest long-overdue
"upgrade", and the evidence that it is exactly the opposite of what the obese need is overwhelming.

Why else would the office of the Surgeon General not be able to even conceptualize (let alone publish) the definitive report on the advantages of a low-fat diet, after 13 years (!) of promising it? Even after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on trials by this organization alone they are not able to write the definitive, scientific report on the very fats they have demonized for five decades. In fact they silently and secretly killed the entire project. Why? Because after "only" 11 years of promises it dawned on them that the science of the fat metabolism is a "little more" complicated than the simplistic, almost insulting stories the public is told. You know, the old, tried-and-true message: "eat less fat and more pasta, and exercise more". Sounds familiar, right? It should, because the low-fat phobists have been repeating that sacrosanct mantra for decades to everybody. One diet fits all. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Fat is evil, avoid the greasy killer like the plague.

While the opposite is true, of course. Not fat, but the consumption of refined carbohydrates from sugar, starches, flour and corn syrups are the real culprit of the current obesity and diabetic epidemic. And, incidentally, the root cause for many -if not most- "modern" illnesses.

I wonder why else a world class researcher like Jeppeson writes: "Low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets [15% protein, 60% carbohydrate, 25% fat] increase the risk of heart disease in post-menopausal women." [J Jeppeson, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65: 1027-33] if that low-fat diet is so healthy for everybody? And especially touted to "prevent cancers"?

Another random but nicely related example from the vast body of research evidence: A low-fat/high carbohydrate diet has been shown, for over 30 years, to significantly reduce and impair the phagocytosis activity, in other words the ability of these specific white blood cells to fight and mop up any bacteria or foreign bodies. Any person who eats largely
carbohydrate-based meals, particularly those containing sugars, starches, and snacks with small carbohydrate-based meals spread throughout the day - as the latest Food Pyramid advice suggests we should - could lose up to half [sic!] their immunity to disease for much of the waking day. No wonder cancers and infectious diseases are increasing...

Latest research from Sweden, for example, shows that starchy carbohydrates found in staple foods such as bread, cereals, potatoes and (over)processed white rice transform into acrylamide when heated up. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies acrylamide, a colorless, crystalline solid, as a medium hazard probable human carcinogen. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide induces gene mutations and has been found in animal tests to cause both benign and malignant stomach tumors. It is also known to cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. No wonder several researchers are already speaking of enormous global consequences for food production and consumption. One (real) expert in nutrition wrote:

"There is no doubt that although fats are blamed for most diseases today, there is much compelling evidence that carbohydrates are the real culprits. Whether this latest research from Sweden is confirmed or not, the fact that simple carbohydrates (sugars) and non-starch polysaccharides (fibre) have both been shown to be harmful in terms of increased cancer risk; and that ALL carbohydrates, including starches, have been shown to increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, is already sufficient reason to eat foods such as bread, pasta and starchy vegetables with care"

... and preferably not consume them at all, I might add.

But as a professional you should know all this. Without a doubt, then, you also are aware that these are just a few examples from a literal mountain of peer-reviewed, major scientific studies. There are thousands more, some with even more grave findings and consequences.

Now let us have a look on the favorite diet of most of our wonderful "health" experts: the low-fat, low-calorie or very low calorie (VLCD) diets. Low fat, of course, because dietitians believe that fat packs more calories than carbs. While this tiny bit of data is true, it is certainly not true in how the human metabolism works with fat or carbs. Many dietitians also believe that all fats are bad for you - another total travesty. The human body needs fats, proteins and salts in rather amazing quantities to remain efficient and healthy. There are essential fats and proteins, but there is no such thing as essential carbohydrates in nutritional science.

But you already know that...

On the most interesting topic of fat metabolism the authoritative United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare writes:

"On a high-fat diet, 4703 to 8471 excess calories were required for each kilogram of added weight [sic]. On a low fat VLCD [very low calorie diet], replacing fat calories with 8g/day of equivalent carbohydrate calories reduced weight loss by 1.68kg, corresponding to 3300 calories of carbohydrate/kilogram, possibly 2500 calories per kilogram for carbohydrate alone."

In case this is not abundantly clear, let me explain it to you. What they say here is that it takes 4,700 to 8,470 excess calories from fat to add a kilogram of weight, yet it takes only 2,500 to 3,300 calories from carbohydrate to add the same amount of weight. Therefore, the "Golden Rule of Orthodoxy" that says "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie" is not so meaningful after all: a carbohydrate calorie is obviously much more fattening than a fat calorie. So obviously some calories don't count half as
much as others.

In other words: the Calorie Theory as a scientific standard to heat a fixed, precisely determined quantity of water by 1 degree centigrade under controlled circumstances may be a proven fact, but the Calorie Theory as applied to nutritional science is absurd and a total fallacy - as the above scientific evidence proves. Hence, calorie-restricted diets, and portion control, are metabolically impossible. They even induce and necessitate recursive reduction of caloric intake, due to the natural regulatory metabolic mechanisms of the human body - which makes it even outright dangerous. Again, you as a professional should know that.

So far, the only "nutrition flip-flops" I see here are not exactly in favor of the low-fat theorem, or the low-calorie theorem for that matter.

As to the mechanism of weight gain, it is a well-established scientific fact that there is only one way to gain weight. I think I have already conclusively shown you that the calorie theory as applied to nutritional science is absurd, and thus not applicable for regulating body weight in any meaningful, let alone healthy, manner. So what is the mechanism then?

The facts are that a so-called low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet (the "healthy" diet) increases body weight. Carbs are the only nutrients that increase body weight. I know this is heresy to the "healthy eating" dictocrats, but it is demonstrably true: Carbohydrates – it doesn't matter whether these are in sugar, jam, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, fruit or vegetables – are all
exactly the same as far as the body is concerned: they are all ultimately converted to the blood sugar called glucose. In contrast to previous dietary myths, all carbohydrates are digested very quickly – within a few minutes. This means that within a very short time after a carb-rich "healthy" meal is consumed, for example the official ADA "Preferred Food" cup of pasta, the level of serum glucose will rise rapidly. Consuming fat does not raise serum glucose, and protein has been shown to have minimal impact too. It has been known to science for many decades that high blood glucose levels are extremely dangerous and, as levels of glucose rise rapidly in the bloodstream, the pancreas rapidly produces a large amount of insulin to take
the excess glucose out. Note that just as eating fat or protein does not raise blood glucose, it doesn't raise insulin levels either. This is an important point as insulin is the hormone ultimately responsible for body fat storage. And as fats do not elicit an insulin response, they cannot be stored as body fat. In other words: Those who tell you that eating fat makes
you fat, just don't understand how the body works.

Insulin takes the glucose out of the bloodstream. It is converted first into a form of starch called glycogen which is stored in the liver and in muscles. But as the body can store only a limited amount of glycogen in this way, all other excess glucose is stored as body fat. This is the process of putting on weight.

Anybody who tells it differently, does not understand the human metabolism or nutritional science, or doesn't understand both. In other words: there is no other mechanism known to science that causes weight gain than consumption of carbohydrates. Calories simply don't count within this process. It is also proven (as shown above) that calories from carbohydrate count twice to three times as much as calories from fat - even though fat contains more calories. The reason is, of course, that the human body doesn't react as simplistic as a bomb-type calorimeter. It is far more sophisticated and
intelligent.

And this is only part of the story. Because LOSING the weight can only be done by two mechanisms:

a) Starve oneself (so called "healthy" low-cal starvation diets or fasting);

OR

b) Reduce starches and sugars from which glucose is made and make the body use the preferred fuel: fat.

There is no other metabolical pathway.

As you know, in the presence of dietary carbohydrate, the preferred fuel is glucose and the capacity to mobilize fat is severely limited. Factors that increase blood glucose during dieting may stimulate insulin release and all the metabolic sequelae of circulating insulin. Fatty acid synthesis is activated and lipolysis is profoundly inhibited by insulin even at very low concentrations of the hormone. Insulin inhibits the production of hormone sensitive lipase, the fat-burning enzyme, thereby completely preventing the body's fat cells from releasing their fat and energy. This effectively stops the body from burning the stored fat and makes it almost completely impossible for the obese to lose the weight they have put on as a proven result of their "healthy" diet.

These hard, well-established scientific facts are the real reason why obese persons can gain weight on a 1000 calorie low-fat starvation diet and lose significant amounts of weight on a 2500 calorie high-fat diet, as is so often observed in several obesity studies.

And hence, these same facts are also the real reason for the rampant obesity and diabetic epidemic we see everywhere today. This indisputable scientific fact, the very basis of the metabolism of the human body, is completely and utterly ignored. And that is the root cause for the total failure of low-fat dieting, and also the exact reason why low-fat/high-carbohydrate diets will never work as intended. Whilst it may be relatively easy to fool the unsuspecting public, one cannot fool Mother Nature. Not to mention the grave dangers these diets pose - and not only in terms of the sad results: morbidly obese persons with severe signs of malnutrition, but certainly also in terms of health.

So what are the real fad diets here, I ask you?

a) The diets that are abundantly scientifically and clinically proven to be completely based on nutritional science and the conclusively proven inner workings of the human metabolism, like controlled-carbohydrate diets;

OR

b) The diets that are only touted by self-appointed health "experts" in populist periodicals and degenerated government bureaucrats, and have been dismissed by nutritional science as total impossibilities and even dangerous, like the low-fat fallacy, or perhaps the low-calorie lie, or maybe even the low-sodium and/or low-cholesterol nonsense?

I am sure you already know the answer.

For the sake of your patients and the countless millions of already failed, desperate, obese, and illness ridden low-fat dieters, I urge you to read the scientific literature before making any further dietary recommendations. I would personally ask them something different first, however. Not "how much do you eat" but "WHAT do you eat" or perhaps even, oh evil of evils, "do you consume enough fats?"

I realize that to you this may sound like total heretical doctrine, but just remember that one, single sentence, ANY scientist or ANY nutritional researcher can explain (and conclusively prove) to you:

"Consuming dietary fat does NOT make a person fat. Consuming ANY carbohydrate does. Therefore, select and consume your carbohydrates wisely".

That's essentially the message of those demonized low-carb diets. Now do you consider that bad advice, considering the scientific facts? Something to stay away from at all costs? A fad?

Once again, I am sure you already know the answer.

So please adjust your views to the facts instead of adjusting the facts to your views, like the AHA or ADA or all those other wonderful organizations so happily and so often do. It's simply not scientific, and certainly not befitting a "source for credible and relevant nutrition information".

Need I say more?! :)

Look Out Milwaukee, Low-Carb Man's Coming

I cannot wait until next weekend when I will be traveling to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as part of my book tour. I've never been to that part of the United States and I'm REALLY excited about the opportunity to make personal appearances on the radio and television, be featured in a couple of newspapers, and to speak and sign my book at the only low-carb store in the Milwaukee area.

What an honor to be the guest of Michael & Marilyn Kirtley from Low-Carb Central and they have my schedule loaded to the max while I am in town.

I'll be flying in next Thursday night and my book signing event will be advertised in the Journal Sentinel Food Section and Cue Calendar as well as the Hales Corner Hub.

Here's my schedule while I am in Milwaukee:

January 6, 2006
Interview on WTMJ at 11am


Radio interview on the WMCS "That's What I'm Talking About" show with Cassandra McShepherd from 12-2pm


Question & Answer session at Low Carb Central from 7-8pm

January 7, 2006
Television interview on Fox 6 Morning Show with Nicole Koglin at 8am


Book signing at Low-Carb Central from 1-3:30pm

WHEW! That weekend is gonna be quite eventful. If you live in or around the metropolitan Milwaukee area, I would love to have the opportunity to meet you when I am in your neck of the woods.

To learn more about my appearances in Milwaukee on January 6-7, call Michael Kirtley at 414-858-9108 or visit LowCarbCentral.biz. Look out Milwaukee, Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man's coming! :)

Joanne From Spokane Is Low-Carbin'

There's another new blog out there from someone who "made the decision to start Atkins in hopes of losing a significant amount of weight and creating a new lifestyle for myself and my family."

Joanne is a 23-year old mother of two little ones from Spokane, Washington and her intriguing blog is called "Illusions of Happiness."

The complexities of life and how they can have an effect on your weight loss could not be more evident than in the life of Joanne. I encourage you to visit her blog and read about all of the circumstances she has endured and why she now is so desperate to lose over 100 pounds of weight.

Here's how she describes her life right now:

"My clothes are uncomfortable, I'm exhausted all the time, I have mood swings, I can't carry either child for an extended period of time, and my body hurts."

Sound familiar anyone?

You can encourage Joanne by visiting her blog and writing her an e-mail of hope by sharing your own success livin' la vida low-carb. She sounds like someone who could use a positive word or two about life, too, if you feel so inclined.

Joanne, you will always have a friend to help you in your low-carb journey here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. Feel free to share your thoughts with us anytime. We care and we KNOW you can do this. WE BELIEVE IN YOU!!!

It's My Birthday & I'll Blog If I Want To :)

It's my birthday today so my present to myself is NO BLOGGING...Just for today!

ENJOY READING MY PREVIOUS POSTS TODAY and I'll be back at it tomorrow.

Take care!

Jimmy

Subway's Low-Fat New Year's Resolution Promotion Disregards Low-Carb's Benefits

Jared Fogle, spokesperson for Subway, is still pushing a low-fat diet

The fast food industry has for the most part failed at marketing their products as "healthy." Despite desperate attempts by many of them to boast of having salads, yogurt, fresh fruit and other so-called healthy alternatives to their usual fare, fast food restaurants are still known for their carbohydrate-loaded french fries, milkshakes, and other such food items.

However, there is one company in recent years that stands out as an exception to this rule and has even highlighted their products as "healthier" than most other fast food restaurants. That restaurant chain, of course, is Subway.

And since 2000, whenever you mention Subway, you've gotta mention the name of that guy who lost nearly 250 pounds by eating low-fat Subway sandwiches every day -- Jared Fogle.


JARED FOGLE - BEFORE & AFTER PICTURES

Jared's weight loss is quite impressive and I am so happy for him that he has maintained his unbelievable weight loss for five years and counting. According to the Subway web site, Jared eats a low-fat, low-calorie diet, drinks diet soda, and walks "whenever he can" to keep the weight off. If that's something he can live with for the rest of his life, then I so GO FOR IT, Jared!

Subway is hoping to help others who struggle with a weight problem by making recorded messages from Jared available to the public for a New Year's resolution hotline number during the first week of January.

Beginning Monday, January 2, 2006 through Sunday, January 8, 2006, the Subway-sponsored "Fresh Resolutions Hotline" will be available to offer "free support, advice and resources" from nutritionists at the American Dietetic Association.

While I think it is great that a fast food company would be willing to help others get healthy and lose weight in the new year, I cannot tell you how disappointed I am that they would turn over the reins of educating the public on this to the American Dietetic Association. This organization has historically shunned the low-carb lifestyle in favor of a low-fat diet and have allowed low-fat lunatics like Dr. Dean Ornish spread their foolish jibberish about how bad low-carb is to the masses.

As I have stated many times before, if someone chooses to lose and maintain their weight on a low-fat diet, then I am certainly not going to stand in their way. Whatever method one chooses to get their weight under control, I fully support them in the decision they make. Unfortunately, those who advocate a low-fat diet as the ONLY way to lose weight are only making the obesity problem worse by witholding the truth about low-carb and how it has helped so many people lose weight and keep it off for good!

The fact is that the low-fat diet failed me and it has failed many others who are desperately trying to lose weight as well. The monotonous message of cutting your fat and cutting your calories and cutting your portions while burning more calories than you take in to lose weight is as old as dirt!

But thank God for the low-carb lifestyle because it gave me hope that there is another way to get there without the hunger, deprivation, and disgusting low-fat diet. I can enjoy delicious foods in the quantities of MY choosing and not feel guilty about it one bit. Livin' la vida low-carb gave me freedom in my life like I have never experienced before. That freedom to choose the foods I wanted to eat that were within the required carbohydrate quantity that I needed to eat them allowed me to experience the 180+ pound weight loss success that I attained.

And I credit Subway for recognizing the need to serve the low-carb consumer by offering excellent low-carb choices on their menu. While I was losing weight, I often ate one of several of Subway's low-carb wraps which had only 9g net carbs. You couldn't beat the great taste and satisfying foods provided for us low-carbers. I even gave their low-carb wraps a free plug in my book. :)

In fact, after I lost my weight I wrote a letter to Subway telling them about my enormous weight loss success and noted that I often ate at Subway for their delicious wraps. They wrote me back and asked for some before and after pictures as well as my story to keep on file in case they decide to promote the low-carb wraps in the future. But based on this new promotion, it looks like Subway thinks the message of low-carb is out and promoting low-fat is what their customers need to hear. Meanwhile, obesity will keep getting worse and worse.

The toll-free Fresh Resolutions Hotline number is 1-877-NOW-FRESH and will be available from 3 p.m.-11 p.m. EST all next week. There will also be a web site located at Subwayfreshresolutions.com for daily telephone recordings from Jared himself that will last until the end of January. There will even be some randomly-selected "motivational messages" from Jared to people who opt-in for the caller list. You can sign-up now by clicking here.

There will be an in-store promotion with instant-win game cards from January 2-February 19 at Subway restaurants with several nice prizes including memberships to Bally Fitness and Blockbuster Online, all-inclusive vacations to a Beaches Family Resort, a $5,000 Chase savings account and $5,000 in free Citgo gas.

Subway's promotion is a great attempt to help people with a weight problem get going about doing something in 2006. But to blatantly disregard the healthy benefits of the low-carb lifestyle and to monopolize the nutritional information by ONLY promoting a low-fat, low-calorie diet for effective weight maintenance, Subway is doing a disservice to its consumer base and is, in essence, exacerbating the obesity problem.

Send a message to Subway and tell them how disappointed you are that they will be allowing the American Dietetic Association to be pushing their low-fat message to their customers while discounting the benefits of low-carb living.

Decade-Long Atkins Dieter Tells 'The Truth' About Low-Carb

It's not often that I come across someone who is as equally passionate about the low-carb lifestyle as I am, but I think I have finally met a person who fits the bill. And I am proud to say I consider him my friend.

While he wishes to remain anonymous at this time, he was very forthright about the convictions he holds regarding livin' la vida low-carb as a 10-year veteran and 200+ pound weight loss success story thanks to this way of eating.

The following was written by this low-carb champion who so selflessly honors both me and Dr. Robert C. Atkins for helping people understand why low-carb works and that it can help solve the obesity crisis we now face worldwide.

Sit back and enjoy this one, folks. Like me, he doesn't pull any punches and simply tells you THE TRUTH!

Why You Should Buy Good Books

About 5 years ago I wrote a number of articles that have been posted on the Internet, some of them for Amazon.com, some of them for University forums. Of course these articles were very supportive of low-carb diets, as I, at that time, lost 200+ pounds as a result of implementing the Atkins dietary regimen for a total of 4 years. I lost the weight in 18 months. Since then, I kept it off. So I could say that now, almost in 2006, I have like 10 years of personal experience with this amazing diet.

As a result of my weight loss, and my enthusiasm with this scientific way of eating, I wanted to know all about it - how it works and especially why it works. Don't forget that at that time, Dr. Atkins was vehemently attacked from all sides for his diet. He even had to defend himself before Congress!

All of it was still completely demonized. Although these days all of the critics, and their often imbecilic ideas about the diet, have been shown totally wrong, at that time the evidence for Dr. Atkins' brilliant dietary advice was not widely known outside of the scientific community. And although tens of millions of people bought his books, and followed the diet with great success, he was still more or less a lone voice in the desert of ignorance.

I wish now that I had done then what Jimmy Moore -- the successful, sympathetic and knowledgable author of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb -- has done since. Like Jimmy, I did my research, read the scientific papers, talked to actual scientists and nutritional researchers -- and found, rather quickly, the truth and (hence) why the diet worked and why it was definitely healthy and so very, very effective for the obese.

My friend Jimmy Moore is making a difference, and he totally deserves it. I feel almost guilty not to have done the same, because Dr. Atkins and his amazing diet made such a enormous difference in my life too. The low-carb dietary regimen deserves to be defended, because it contains one essential "nutrient" all others lack: the truth.

Well, we all know our history, don't we? Since those days, from the mid-90's to now, on the brink of 2006, the obesity and diabetes epidemic has only grown into more monstrous, almost apocalyptic proportions. Just as Dr. Atkins has predicted, it is now completely out of control. And still the "dieticians", the "scienticians" (the latter an unholy crossbreed between scientists and politicians) and the self-appointed health "experts" of this world are feeding us the same, lame, simply untrue and most certainly unscientific excuses.

Yes, excuses -- that's all they have to offer for the abysmal and extremely unhealthy results of their advice. They don't have hard scientific evidence to back it up -- although they do have the nerve to attack low-carb as "unscientific." The main, most popular and most simplistic excuse is that Americans (and, "of course", everybody else failing on the low-fat gospel) is not exercising enough and consuming too much fat.

Although I agree that exercise is important for weight loss, weight maintenance and also good health, this is by far not the real nor the complete reason for the total and utter failure of the low-fat gospel. Of course one can lose weight on a low-fat diet, and perhaps even (if one exercises like a demon and accepts constant hunger pangs as "normal") maintain at least some of that weight loss, that still doesn't make it healthy. It's a metabolically impossible diet, with grave consequences -- severe yo-yo effects, far from optimal health, risk of cancer and type II diabetes, several risks to the brain and other essential cells, CVE's, and more.

The real reason for the failure of the low-fat gospel is the very fact that it is not scientific. It simply has no scientific basis, no real foundation whatsoever in nutritional science. Even the billions of research dollars that have been spent by its staunchest supporters to show this fallacy to be founded in nutritional science have been totally wasted -- all they found was scientific evidence to the contrary. And thus these costly major studies were ignored and buried, or had its results misrepresented. The same goes for the cholesterol myth, by the way.

The scientific fact is that a low-fat diet works against your body, against your metabolism, and exposes it to all kinds of real dangers -- not to mention the grave dangers resulting from the lack of several essential nutrients like adequate intake of healthy fats and quality proteins, as well as micronutrients like minerals and vitamins - all thanks to a closely related, even more widely touted, even bigger lie: portion control.

Some people (including even professionals who should know better) are convinced that portion control, of course immediately supported by the pharmaceutical industry with products like appetite suppressants, are "normal", a normal fact of life. It all boils down to their simplistic interpretation of the sacrosanct Calorie Theory. This, of course, is the biggest lie in the history of nutritional science, and really a total travesty. The results? Morbidly obese persons with severe signs of malnutrition.

That's why it is important to read good books. That's why is it important to read Jimmy Moore's book, and also Dr. Atkins' many writings about low-carb diets and nutritional science.

More specifically, there are a number of reasons, from which at least three clearly stand out: 1) motivation, 2) insight, and 3) scientific knowledge. These three essential constituents will give you the means to succeed permanently.

Motivation not only by reading the fascinating, wonderful success stories, but also what to expect in terms of adopting this way of eating, and aligning it to your specific metabolism. In fact these are not diets but instead could be characterized as dietary regimens -- a truly scientific, intelligent way of eating.

And that is also what insight will provide you. You will (finally!) understand your body, understand, based on rock-solid science, WHY your body reacts the way it does and WHY you should work with it instead of against it. It also shows you WHY low-fat is dangerous and not founded in science, WHY calorie restricted and starvation diets have caused and are still causing incredible damage and suffering, and even premature deaths.

And then finally, The Hard Facts: scientific knowledge. This gives you reference ammo: and plenty of it. And it's good ammo too -- it will easily penetrate the thick but fake armor of the fat-phobists and perhaps, maybe, there is a tiny little chance that it will indeed make them actually THINK. But don't hold your breath. Years of indoctrination and low-fat jo-jo dieting may have damaged their brain cells too much ... But the very least of what it will do is anger you. Yes, I said ANGER you. And that anger is a powerful motivator too. If you are like most people, you like to do the right thing and especially more so when it comes to your own body. When you have the knowledge and insight, you are not an easy prey anymore for "dieticians" and the highly profitable but nutritionally empty products and habits they advocate.

This three-pronged "pathway to knowledge" is very powerful indeed and will ensure long term health and success for life -- and that's most literally success for life. If this knowledge was a sword, it would be Excalibur indeed. A very effective and elegant defense against all the evils and lies the big bad world out there will throw at you. As always, the truth will literally set you free.

In 2001, I started my article with "This is my fourth and final report on this widely debated, yet so amazingly effective and extremely healthy diet."

Well, consider this my fifth report. And most certainly not the last one. Since then, I have continued my research and have, also thanks to Jimmy Moore, become more motivated and more enthusiastic than ever to tell about this way of eating.

So let's start over again:

This, then, is my fifth report on this widely debated, yet so amazingly effective and extremely healthy diet. A diet regimen and books that, in my opinion, are easily worth 6 stars, if I only could rate them that high!

I started the Atkins diet 4 years ago [that was in 2001], and now, 200+ pounds less in weight (lost that in a little over 18 months, most of the time in the natural state of ketosis) I am the person I always wanted to be. In excellent health, I might add. I still am easily able to keep it off. This diet is so easy. In fact, after you switch to this lifestyle (this is not a diet, this is a regimen and natural way of eating) you will have no trouble at all to control your weight forever. But you will also gain. Health, that is. And lots of it.

I reported on that earlier, and that hasn’t changed. It kept getting better and better, even. Being a researcher myself, I really have no rational explanation to offer you why I did not start this lifestyle earlier. Four years ago I was heading for a massive CVE (Cardio Vascular Event, or, simply put, a heart attack) plus diabetes and a host of other assorted, albeit less serious ailments.

I should have known better, and the only thing that I regret now is the fact that I did not start earlier. It would have been better for my health and would have prevented many health problems I have suffered from for a long time, mainly as a result of my former obesity.

Still, I wasn’t doing Atkins. Why not? I guess, in retrospective, that I too was totally dazzled and bamboozled by the tons of media and Government-sponsored propaganda (because that is what it is, folks) that is dumped upon us each and every day.

Luckily, I might add, the tide is clearly turning. Slowly, but unmistakeably and unstoppable. You see, the truth always comes out, sooner or later. In this case, it has been too long –- after all, millions of people have suffered and millions more are still suffering from the low-fat myths. But, luckily, the tide is indeed turning.

Lucky, for all of us obese folks. And we are lucky, because the good Dr. Atkins told us the truth and did so for over 30 years.

Don’t let there be any mistake about it –- the Atkins diet is based on rock solid, hard scientific facts. Literal mountains of it, actually. I should know it, because I do read the medical literature. So I know for a fact that even the most prestigious medical and clinical research journals tell essentially the same story: not fat, but carbohydrates are the culprit for the vast majority of us.

But not everybody is fortunate enough to have access to the literal mountains of evidence in favor of the Atkins diet. And are thus susceptible to the misrepresentations and outright lies that are told about low-carb diets. And then they may fail -- all the while thinking it is their fault. One thing is for sure: It isn’t the failure of these poor souls at all! Dr. Atkins and the aforementioned scientific evidence, on which he based his diet, proves it conclusively.

It is therefore my opinion that you should buy the Atkins diet book(s) as well as Jimmy Moore's book and read all other good sources of information you can get your hands on. Jimmy's blog is definitely one of them. Much of this information is referenced in these books, but also checkout their websites. Find the information. Read it, and be amazed like I was. Do the research –- and find the truth. It is important in life to make wise choices, and make informed choices. These books and websites enable you to do just that.

You will, of course, have to ignore the naysayers, the types that will not be convinced even if they themselves end up in a wheelchair as a result of the perceived myths of their “essential carbohydrates”.

There is no such thing, did you know that? There are essential proteins and essential fats, but there is no such thing as essential carbohydrates in nutritional science. Sure, there are “good” and “bad” carbohydrates, good ones such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, some whole grains, and some fruits. And also many, many bad ones, such as white flour, corn syrup, of
course all sugars and many other over-processed inventions of the modern food industry. These are invented, engineered foods, fake foods. Foods for profit, not for health or even your basic nutritional needs. These are the foods that are guaranteed to make you sick, sooner or later.

Not the wholesome, natural, organic and unprocessed foods low-carb advocates of the likes of Atkins and Jimmy Moore strongly urge you to consume –- and let me assure you they do so with good reason! Just look around you, and you will see the sad ruins of our current dietary habits and dogmas all around you -- even if you don't want to see them.

It is hardly a secret anymore, these days, that there is an obesity epidemic of enormous proportions, there is no denying it anymore, and it is also no wonder. Sometimes I wonder how many more citizens have to suffer or even die from obesity and the myriad of horrible, related illnesses and health problems before our health officials will finally realize and admit their colossal blunder.

Did you know, for example, that the great friends of the Food Industry, King Sugar and King Corn Syrup, are killing more people than drugs, alcohol, tobacco and car accidents combined? I bet you didn't. Yet it is a sad fact.

Let’s face it, folks, we have been lied to. Yes, we haven been lied to again. Is that upsetting? Heck, no, the Government does that all the time. Intentionally, and sometimes even unintentionally. But the fact that they do so is beyond all reasonable doubt, most intelligent people know that.

Well, you can take your measures. These books and the low-carb dietary regimen is proof of that, and a good start to a better, slimmer, healthier and especially more happy you. And the nice thing is nobody can take that wonderful feeling of the new, healthy you away from you -- not even the Government.

Now a few words to the critics. I have read a lot of criticism about this diet. Tons of it, actually, also on many so called "informed" or even "expert" websites. Most of it has no basis whatsoever in fact, much of it are not even half-truths. The majority is absolute nonsense and totally unscientific. Not even worth reacting on, if there wasn't so much of it –- and they keep repeating the same lame stories over and over again. Lies die very hard.

Let there be no mistake about it. The Atkins diet, in fact all low-carb diets, are all about unprocessed, healthy, wholesome foods. Much vegetables, fish, generous in healthy fats, meats, eggs and other quality protein sources. It is NOT about stuffing yourself daily with tons of red meat and guzzling fat from the can. That is absolute nonsense.

The Atkins diet is completely compatible with (meets or exceeds) the daily RDA ratings (even without vitamin supplements, which I recommend to anybody, slim or not) and it is incomparably healthier than the average American diet, including the disastrous Government food pyramid. The latter showing, by the way, some mighty cracks, even after the latest "upgrade." Not so odd, if you realize that the Food Pyramid is for most people exactly what they do NOT need and hence a sure-fire path to dietary failure, obesity and diabetes.

The Atkins diet, in reality, is a very healthy, for the obese well-balanced diet of fresh, wholesome, organic vegetables, fresh fish and chicken –- it is both filling and nutritious. Some people somehow got the preposterous idea that Atkins is about lots of bacon and processed meats, and no vegetables because they think low-carbers say "all carbs are bad". Absolutely untrue, of course, and a gross misrepresentation of any low-carb diet, including the Atkins diet. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The fact is that most low-carbers eat more veggies than they ever did before, and they certainly consume more veggies than the average Joe Schmoe on this Food Pyramid low-fat fad diet.

Atkins is about delicious salmon steaks and zucchini, broccoli, lots of fresh salads, tuna and celery. And because your body isn't suffering from the blood sugar (and insulin) rollercoaster that sugar consumption will bring on, you will be feeling wonderful, relaxed and satisfied, and absolutely not hungry. This is not a plug, but just a well-established scientific fact.

Sad, however, is the fact that most people (some "experts" do that even deliberately) mistake the 2-week induction period, which will undoubtedly kick-start ketosis and lipolysis (the breakdown of lipids by hydrolysis, in other words: fat burning) for the entire diet. Again, nothing could be further from the truth!

Induction is just there to get your body into fat-burning mode. It is a totally natural state of the human body. Did you know that many (lucky) people are naturally in ketosis, without even knowing it, in their sleep? That's how nature has arranged for us humans to regulate body weight as well as to survive in times of famine. After that initial phase of the regimen, we pretty much eat "normally" -- that is, healthily.

That means lots of fish and chicken, lots of great, fresh veggies, berries and nuts. But we rigorously cut out all the junk food, and see what an incredible difference it makes.

In addition to all the great medical background and step by step instructions, these books even have a selection of delicious recipes and suggestions for everybody, plus, in case of the Atkins book, one for those with specific medical problems. This isn't a simplistic starvation diet based on the fallacy of the Calorie Theory.

This is a luxury diet, a regimen suited for a King and, more importantly, a natural way of eating the human body is perfectly adapted to, or, better put, designed for. It's about eating delicious foods like filet mignon and salmon steak, with asparagus and tomato on the side, and having your body thank you by automatically and naturally shedding the excess fat it no longer wants. Yes, the fat -- not muscle tissue as with low-fat, low-salt, low-cholesterol diets and other fad diets that rely entirely on portion control, or appetite suppressants, or even ordinary starvation.

I myself have lost over 200 pounds thanks to this incredible, health-promoting diet. I have seen others, many others, do the same – and keep it off. All the while improving their health in a absolutely dramatic way.

What more can a person wish for? Dr. Robert C. Atkins, and the great people at the Atkins Center in New York, deserve a Nobel prize for having the intelligence, insight, determination and sheer courage for telling the truth and sticking to it.

It’s about time other health professionals do the same. Many are doing it as we speak, I know quite a few world-class researchers who have come forward and are openly stating the facts, but still too many "scienticians" are digging in and are still touting yesteryears dogmas and lies –- probably for quite other motives than your health!

Punish them -- by buying Dr. Atkins's and Jimmy Moore's books and prove them wrong -- by eating the way you should. Eat luxuriously, from the fat of the land, while slimming down and getting healthier. You would honor Dr. Atkins, honor your body, and most likely totally amaze your doctor! And perhaps even silence the critics for once and for all -- most likely, because you will outlive them!

Good health to you all.

Can you tell I like this guy?! LOL!

Let his words motivate you TODAY to begin anew in your low-carb lifestyle and tell the whole world what a wonderfully satisfying and effective way to lose weight that livin' la vida low-carb really is!