Is The World Ready For 'The Great Cholesterol Con' Anthony Colpo Exposes?

Anthony Colpo is sure to ruffle some feathers with his debut book

Are you a natural skeptic when it comes to the health information you receive from medical professionals? Do you believe that doctors secretly scheme with pharamaceutical companies to prescribe drugs to people who really don't need to take them in order to make money? Are you tired of hearing about the low-fat lie that's been shoved down our throats for the past three decades?

Then allow me to introduce you to someone you really need to know about -- Anthony Colpo!

Affectionately known as "The Omnivore Guy" because of his highly successful health web site called TheOmnivore.com, Colpo is turning heads now that he has released his well-documented, carefully researched and highly anticipated new 368-page book entitled The Great Cholesterol Con.

Describing the cholesterol crisis as "the greatest scam in the history of medicine," Colpo looked through decades of research to prove that heart disease has nothing to do with saturated fat consumption or even elevated cholesterol levels. In fact, he found during his research that people with lower levels of blood cholesterol actually live much shorter lives than people with these "dangerous" total cholesterol levels above 200.

Colpo also said saturated fat, the great enemy of the Dr. Dean Ornish low-fat propaganda machine we've been spoon-fed for the past quarter century, actually helps people enjoy the lowest rates of heart disease in the world! How ya like them apples?! In fact, the low-fat diet recommended by the so-called health "experts" to lower the risk of heart disease has actually been the direct cause of an INCREASE in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Yikes!

As I have said before at my blog and Colpo agrees, the proliferation of cholesterol-lowering prescriptions has more to do with turning a large profit than it does with improving public health.

I haven't had the privilege of reading this book yet because it just released, but I will be reviewing it for you very soon at my blog after my copy arrives in the mail. Colpo explains in great detail with no pretenses what the TRUTH about cholesterol really is and how it has very little to do with the risk of heart disease that doctors are so up in arms about.

An ad for The Great Cholesterol Con states:

"After reading this book, you'll know more about cholesterol and heart disease than most doctors! And more importantly, you'll discover what really promotes heart disease and what you can do to prevent it!"

In light of my recent concerns over my cholesterol rising and my doctor's quick proclivity to put me on prescription drugs to lower my cholesterol so I don't have a heart attack (that's what he told me), I would have to say it was fortuitous timing that Colpo's book came along at this time and I am anxious to read what he has to say on the subject of cholesterol and heart disease.

Plus, I just received confirmation from Colpo today that he would be happy to fulfill my request for an interview to discuss his new book and the revolutionary ideas about cholesterol and heart disease that he discusses in it. If there is anything you would like for me to ask Anthony Colpo, then please feel free to e-mail me your ideas at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

I'm beginning to feel better about my decision to make better dietary choices while staying off the prescription drugs for lowering my cholesterol now. Colpo is on to something HUGE here that could very well shake the medical community to its very core! And that wouldn't be a bad thing either. :D Dr. Atkins would be so proud of him!

Be looking for my book review of The Great Cholesterol Con as well as my exclusive interview with Colpo coming very soon to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog.

Study: Low-Carb 'Beneficial' For Cholesterol

Dr. Ronald Krauss says there are health benefits to eating low-carb

This MSNBC/Reuters story underscores yet another new study supporting the amazing and still-being-discovered health benefits of livin' la vida low-carb.

I had about a dozen people send me this story in my e-mail today (mostly in response to my personal concerns about my cholesterol) and I was already licking my chops to share it with you when I got home from work today because it is the second bit of good news about the low-carb lifestyle to come out in the past week.

Lead researcher Dr. Ronald M. Krauss, Director of Atherosclerosis Research at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Senior Scientist in the Department of Genome Sciences at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, observed 178 overweight to slightly obese men (with a mean BMI was 29.2) with an average age of 50 eat a Standard American Diet (SAD) consisting of 54 percent of the caloric intake coming from carbohydrates and just 7 percent of the caloric intake coming from saturated fat. They were on this diet for a period of one week.

At the end of the first week of the study, the men were randomly split into one of four groups:

1. 54 percent carb group with a low-saturated fat content (7%)
2. 39 percent carb group with a low-saturated fat content (7%)
3. 26 percent carb group with a low-saturated fat content (7%)
4. 26 percent carb group with a higher-saturated fat content (15%)

Each of the groups remained on their respective diets for three weeks followed by a five-week, reduced-calorie diet to stimulate weight loss. The last four weeks of the study was used to stabilize the weight of the study participants.

What did Dr. Krauss find in his study of these various diets?

The men in the 54 percent carbs (SAD) group did not lower their triglycerides and LDL "bad" cholesterol near as well as the 26 percent carbs groups did. In fact, both of the 26 percent carbs groups actually saw an increase in their HDL "good" cholesterol to total cholesterol ratio as well as other improvements in their lipid profile.

So what about the LDL cholesterol that doctors seem to worry about so much?

The 26 percent carbs, low-saturated fat group experienced a significant reduction in the very unhealthy small LDL particles** compared with the 54 percent carbs diet. As for the 26 percent carb, higher-saturated fat group, the LDL cholesterol decreased slightly less than the 26 percent carb, low-saturated fat group because there was an increase in the number of large (or "fluffy") LDL particles**.

** (NOTE: You can have your particle count tested as an alternative cholesterol test from the traditional one at your doctor's office. It's called the LipoScience test and is a much more accurate way to test your cholesterol. Your doctor may or may not have these kits on hand, so contact LipoScience to have your blood tested. I recently took the LipoScience test and had an elevated particle count, but my LDL and HDL particles were the large kind that are safer for you to have.)

The results of this study were published in the May 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Are we really surprised by these findings?

Previous studies have already shown that livin' la vida low-carb will raise your HDL while also lowering your total cholesterol especially in tandem with regular exercise. Dr. Krauss' study merely cooberates what we already knew about a low-carb nutritional approach.

While he said that "dietary fads tend to come and go," Dr. Krauss said burying the low-carb lifestyle prematurely may be robbing people of an effective way to improve their blood lipid profile even if they don't need to lose weight.

"In the case of low carbohydrates, people shouldn't be so quick to throw that away and move on to the next diet," he told Reuters. "Limiting carbohydrates can be beneficial even if people aren't successful at losing weight."

Dr. Krauss said the higher consumption of carbohydrates, including the ones from sugar, white flour, and starchy foods, actually causes fat to store up in the liver where it then overflows into the bloodstream. Eating low-carb actually reduces the amount of fat in the blood because the fat deposits do not build up as they do on a higher-carb diet. In fact, reducing carbs may even help the body break down existing fats that are already in the bloodstream, Krauss added.

People who desire to eat the way the 26 percent carb group ate in the study, Dr. Krauss explained, can do so by simply "avoiding the kinds of food we don't need in our diet anyway--sugary foods, white rice, pasta, white bread."

Hallelujah, somebody is FINALLY getting the message out about livin' la vida low-carb. Despite the incredible results of this study, only Reuters and one other original news source ran an article on it. Hmmm, do ya think the media blackout of positive news regarding low-carb can continue if we see more and more research come out like this? I don't think so! That's why I've said that the future of the "low-carb" movement rests in the arms of the wealth of research that is coming.

At the end of the story, Dr. Krauss said people who want to attempt the 26 percent carb diet should talk to a "dietician" (it better not be THIS one!) so the proper "balance" can be met for the diet. And what would a story about low-carb be without a dig or two at the Atkins diet? He added that his 26 percent carb diet is "less restrictive than the Atkins' approach" because it is easier to follow.

Say who what?! There's not much difference between the 26 percent carb diet and the OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) phase of the Atkins diet. Actually, they are nearly identical! So what makes Atkins so "restrictive?" It is very interesting (IMHO!) and has helped many people succeed although all we hear about are the people who failed on it. Sheez people, if you're gonna attack the Atkins diet, then at least get your facts straight about what it is.

All in all, this study is encouraging and you can contact Dr. Ronald Krauss about his research at rkrauss@chori.org.

Dia Program Providing 'New Hope' For Diabetics

Bruce Rossiter says low-carb diets have a "history of safe use"

For those of you who are interested in making a real difference in the lives of the 73 million Americans who are currently either diabetic or pre-diabetic, allow me to introduce you to an organization you will want to know a lot more about -- Dia Healthcare.

Led by a man by the name of Bruce Rossiter, Dia Healthcare is positioning itself to be the cutting-edge leader in the treatment of diabetes in the 21st century. Rossiter is someone who I now consider a friend because of our shared interest in helping educate the public about the healthy benefits of livin' la vida low-carb in not only weight loss, but also improved health -- specifically for people suffering from Type 2 diabetes.

Recently awarded a grant by the Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation, Dia Healthcare will now examine and study what impact the Dia Program is making in the treatment of diabetes. Read more about what the Dia Program is all about by clicking here and you can educate yourself further about the solid scientific basis of the Dia Program by clicking here.

Rossiter commented Tuesday on this recent blog post I wrote about a study showing a low-carb lifestyle being an excellent treatment for obese diabetics to get their weight and blood sugar under control. He said one of the best low-carb experts around, Dr. Steve Phinney (who has previously commented at my blog), has personally studied and observed over 3,000 patients on a ketogenic diet over the long-term for over three decades and concluded there to be "no known or observed negative side effects" from being on a low-carb diet. Period.

This evidence is so compelling that Dia Healthcare has created a slide presentation based on these facts compiled by Dr. Phinney to demonstrate a "history of safe use" of the low-carb lifestyle similar to the ones the FDA uses regarding the safety of medicines over time.

"In fact, the regimen [Dr. Phinney] described was a 'no carbohydrate' diet, one of just protein and natural fats," Rossister noted. "This way of eating was the staple for the Inuit people (Eskimos) and many of the First Nations people of Canada (comparable to our American Indians) for millennia. These people suffered no adverse health effects from eating no carbohydrates all their lives, including not getting scurvy from supposed lack of Vitamin C (raw meat has enough natural Vitamin C to supply a persons needs in this regard)."

In other words, Rossister remarked that "these people were very healthy on such a diet." I'm sure our Zero Carb Path buddy would agree! :)

Rossister said there is a growing trend underway in many areas to get back to the roots of our diet history to avoid the "ill effects inflicted on them from adapting to the more Western diets replete with carbohydrates (including rates of diabetes at 200% or more compared to overall national averages)."

Dr. Phinney has made the case that nearly three dozen 19th Century explorers could attest to the miracle of the "no carbohydrate" diets that once existed and the unbelieveable health these people enjoyed on such as dietary approach.

"As you would guess, they suffered no ill effects, or put positively, they flourished as healthy individuals, sometimes eating this diet for several years before returning to 'civilization,'" Rossister continued. "Dr. Phinney’s slides show that there is a deep 'history of safe use' for low carbohydrate nutrition programs."

This is one of the reasons why Rossiter became CEO of Dia Healthcare because he wanted to "keep the facts straight about low carbohydrate diets" lest they are mistakenly maligned as anything but the healthy ways of eating low-carb supporters have grown to love them for. He added that livin' la vida low-carb has been found through study after study to be "the most successful way for a person that is metabolically challenged (obese, pre-diabetic, or with Type 2 diabetes) to arrest the progression of their disease."

"Using a low carbohydrate nutrition approach allows people on the continuum towards or with diabetes to be able to reduce or cease altogether taking blood sugar control medications and insulin," Rossiter explained. "The critics of a low carbohydrate diet should understand that even if they have a quarrel with this approach as a weight loss mechanism (though there is on reason to other than based upon personal choice), there is no better method for controlling and arresting the progression of diabetes than using a low carbohydrate approach. For people with metabolic challenges, alternative diets are not a matter of choice but are an imperative if one wants to get the best possible treatment for their condition, including all other types of diets and diabetes medications."

I couldn't have said it better myself, Bruce. It's good to know we have people like Bruce Rossiter out there championing the cause of low-carb for the sake of the tens of millions of Americans having to deal with diabetes in the coming years. If you wish to support Dia Healthcare and what they are doing to help diabetics get their life back, then won't you consider becoming an investor in this worthy cause? Or perhaps you just want to be involved in some other way to help further the cause that Dia Healthcare stands for?

If so, then please visit the Dia Contact Page to connect with Bruce and the other people involved in this fantastic organization. You will not find a more caring group of people who earnestly want to see diabetics enjoy a long and healthy life free from the worry of this awful disease they have been inflicted with. Won't you be a part of the "new hope" Dia Healthcare is providing diabetics?

Lowering Cholesterol Through Better Choices

This is the kind of meal I have vowed to start eating more of

It's confession time here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. While I never keep any secrets from you about what I write in this forum and pretty much live my life as an open book, there is one thing I feel the need to be completely forthcoming about that I am ashamed to say I have fallen short of the high standards I have set for myself.

In light of my recent rise in cholesterol that has my doctor so alarmed he wants to put me on a statin drug again, I have taken a good hard look at my life 2 1/2 years after going on the Atkins diet to see if perhaps there is something I am doing or not doing that would cause them to happen.

What I found isn't a pretty picture.

I'm here to admit that I probably haven't been livin' la vida low-carb as well as I should have been for the sake of my health. While my weight has remained relatively steady within about 10-15 pounds of my lowest point, I am ashamed to say that I have been "coasting" in my low-carb lifestyle.

What do I mean by that?

Well, for starters, I have neglected to eat as many leafy green vegetables as I used to eat when I was losing weight. I don't know why I stopped eating these fiber-rich, nutrient-dense foods, but I did. I have now vowed to eat at least one large serving of green leafy vegetables every single day.


My supper tonight featured a bed of fresh turnip greens

The meal you see above which was what I made when I got home from work was very easy to prepare. I cooked the chicken breast with extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, sliced it into bite-sized chunks, sprinkled a little curry powder and ginger on it, and placed the chicken on top of a bed of fresh turnip greens with fresh rosemary, cheese, and Bacon Ranch dressing.

What a delicious and nutritious way to eat my greens and benefit from the healthy properties they provide me and my body! That's one step forward in the race to get my rising cholesterol under control.


Dessert can be sweet with the all-natural goodness of berries

Again, I have been lax in my consumption of the low-carb fruits such as strawberries and blueberries (which believe it or not have actually been found to lower cholesterol). These antioxidant-loaded fruits are an essential part of ridding the body of harmful free radicals that are likely one of the culprits in my rising cholesterol. Just like I promised to eat green leafy vegetables everyday, so too am I promising to have at least one serving of berries on a daily basis. It's something I MUST to do fight this rising cholesterol.

Other healthy additions to my diet that I am making a concerted effort to eat more of include flax seeds, nuts, and coconut oil. Of course, I still don't eat sugar, white flour, or starchy foods, but my food choices can be better than they have been.

In addition to my diet, I have taken a closer look at the supplements I am taking to make sure they are not causing harm to my health. As one of my readers pointed out to me, I have very likely been consuming rancid cod liver oil supplements since my burps have been fishy-tasting. The fish oil supplements I am taking now do not cause the fishy burps and will be discarded if I ever do taste that in my mouth. Also, I am keeping them refrigerated in an attempt to keep them fresher longer.

Another area of my supplementation that I am looking at are all these natural remedies for lowering my cholesterol my doctor recommended that I try since I refused to take a statin drug. He said to go on a plant stenol, take garlic tablets, load up on red yeast rice, and don't forget about that baby aspirin daily. In the one month that I was on these "remedies" for my cholesterol problem, my LDL shot up by 50 points! Argh! Stupid remedies!

That's why I have stopped taking all of those things and went back to the basic supplements I mentioned in my book that I took during my weight loss: a multivitamin, calcium supplements, fiber tablets, and the fish oil capsules. Additionally, I recently added Co-Q-10 to my supplementation as well on the advice of a trusted doctor friend. That's all I'm taking for my supplements now because my lipid profile was improved during my weight loss while taking these supplements.

With that said, I have struggled about what to do regarding the three prescription drugs my doctor wanted me to take: Zetia, Niaspan, and Wellchol. If you haven't already noticed, I'm not a big fan of taking medicines that can have various side effects that may be worse for you than the condition they are supposedly trying to treat. My wife Christine swears by the drugs her doctor prescribes her, but I'm not so convinced.

My decision about what to do about whether I should take these drugs or not came down to one question: Is there ANY other way? In light of the information about the fish oil being rancid and realizing that I probably wasn't eating as well as I could, I decided that I should at least attempt to do these natural things FIRST before jumping so quickly to the drugs. It saddens me that the first word out of my doctor's mouth was STATIN and when I balked he said that I would HAVE to take at least three drugs. I DON'T THINK SO!!!

What about taking a look at what is causing the rise in my LDL cholesterol, doc? Why assume it is hereditary (which is what he did) when you very well could have asked me about my fish oil and explained how it could be the culprit in my rising LDL? But noooooo, you wanted to drug me up with these pills that I'm not so sure about taking. NO THANK YOU! Maybe someday I'll feel the need to go on those drugs, but not now. Let's give these better choices I am making for myself a chance to work before making the leap of faith to line the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies.

There are a few other things I could be doing to help put myself in a better position to get my cholesterol under control: exercise a little more and resist the urge to "take the day off," spend more time relaxing to eliminate unnecessary and unknown stress that might be making my cholesterol go up, backing off on my use of artificial sweeteners and the diet sodas that I admit I have been drinking more than I should. I know, I know...that's why I'm willing to do what I have to do.

You see, despite the fact that I lost 180 pounds and have kept that weight off for well over a year, I still struggle to live a healthy lifestyle. It's not an automatic thing that just naturally kicks in just because your weight is under control. It is and will always be a conscious effort to keep it that way and make improvements here and there so I can live that long, healthy life that I have always dreamed about.

Doesn't this all make you feel so much better knowing a "low-carb success" has a hard time living in the day-by-day? :D Sure, my weight loss was a great accomplishment and I thank God every single day for this miracle He allowed me to be a part of. But I am guilty of just going through the motions of low-carb living rather than embracing this lifestyle for all it is woth and making it work for me as well as it was intended to.

Those days of low-carb laziness are long gone now and I am 100% recommitted and recharged to do what is right. As Emeril would say, "It's time to kick it up another notch!" That's exactly what I'm doing with my low-carb plan! Look out world, here comes "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man!"

5-31-06 UPDATE: Who better to help me tweak my diet even more than someone who worked with Dr. Robert C. Atkins for thirty years -- Jacqueline Eberstein. She contacted me today after reading about my cholesterol saga and said I am probably eating too many carbohydrates at 100g daily. Also, since my weight has gotten in a rut, it's probably best if I get back to a ketogenic state again by consuming less than 50g carbs per day.

As for supplementation, she said the fish oil is probably not an issue, but I need to be taking 200mg Chromium Picolinate as well as the Vitamin B-5-rich Pantathine (which is what Dr. Atkins recommended in his New Diet Revolution book for people to control their cholesterol). I will begin taking these immediately.

In regards to my food intake, Eberstein reminded me that when you add extra vegetables to your diet that you need to remove something else from your plate that you used to eat in place of it during weight loss. In other words, if I used to have 2 chicken breasts for a meal during weight loss, then I can't have 2 chicken breasts AND a plate of veggies at the same time. Perhaps only 1 chicken breast with the veggies will help make the meal better.

She said it just sounds like my body is reacting to being out of balance and I need to find my proper ACE (maintenance level of carbs). Like I said, this is a work in progress and I am STILL learning. She said to go back to those habits I developed in 2004 and do them again and see if my blood work doesn't come back in line.

Regarding the hereditary business about my cholesterol being high, Eberstein said my LDL would not have been 119 in October 2005 if it was genetics. Based on the patients she and Dr. Atkins saw, she said medications are only a very last resort because there are just too many other options out there naturally to try before jumping to statins or other drugs so quickly. That makes me feel better about my decision to avoid these and other cholesterol-lowering drugs.

With this new plan of action in place, I think my doctor will be pleased (HE BETTER BE!) with the improvements I will make in my lipid profile when I have it rechecked in August. THANKS again to everyone who contributed to this very important discussion.

6-3-06 UPDATE: A regular reader and first-time e-mailer sent me some encouragement regarding my cholesterol numbers today that I thought you would like to read.

Here's what he said:

Jimmy: I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now and it’s great. Keep up the good work. You had one article a few months back about your high total cholesterol number. You’ve probably heard from a number of people about this but I’ll give you my experience anyway. Total cholesterol doesn’t matter.

What really matters is LDL III a and b and LDL IVb and HDL2b. HDL2b is what my doctor calls the Roto Rooter component because it cleans out the arteries. It binds with LDL’s that are in your bloodstream and carries them back to the liver to be recycled. The small diameter LDL’s, the III’s and IV’s, are the ones that stick to your artery walls and eventually cause inflammation and disease. HDL2b’s can dislodge them and carry them away.

The low carb diet can dramatically reduce the LDL III’s and IV’s even if your total cholesterol remains high. Mine stays in the 300-330 range but my LDL 3’s and 4’s are very low on my low carb diet and my exercise program raises my HDL2b’s. The result is that I have been achieving a steady regression in my coronary artery deposits as measured by EBT calcium scans. I lose about 10 to 20% per year of that stuff while the “average” US adult gains about 50-100% per year.

Have your doctor send your blood to the Berkeley Heart Lab to get the profiles done and you’ll see the details that matter for you. Their web site has good information about this, too.

Actually, the Berkeley Heart Lab test is what he wanted to have me do instead of LipoScience or VAP. I told him that we'll see when I go get my cholesterol checked again in August. THANKS for sharing your experience with me and my readers!

Study: Low-Carb Weight Loss Not Water Weight

Researcher Dr. Guenther Boden says obesity is "fueled by carbohydrates"

This Science Daily story highlights a study from last year that concluded livin' la vida low-carb does indeed lead to fast weight loss results and the weight loss is not water weight, a change in the dieter's metabolism or attributed to being bored with the diet as so many of the opponents of low-carb often erroneously declare to scare people away from beginning a low-carb plan.

Lead researcher Dr. Guenther Boden, a diabetes expert and Research Professor of Biochemistry at the Temple University School of Medicine, observed ten obese patients who have Type 2 diabetes when he put them on the Atkins diet. The first week of the study allowed the participants to eat the way they normally would and then the next two weeks they were required to limit their carbohydrate intake to 20g per day with full access to unlimited amounts of protein and fat.

Dr. Boden was astounded to find that the patients in the study actually ate less calories not because they were bored and yet they also burned fat (and not just "water weight" loss) without experiencing a change in their metabolism.

"When carbohydrates were restricted, study subjects spontaneously reduced their caloric intake to a level appropriate for their height, did not compensate by eating more protein or fat, and lost weight," Dr. Boden noted. "We concluded that excessive overeating had been fueled by carbohydrates."

How about that? Eating carbohydrates LEADS to overeating, according to Dr. Boden. That runs directly counter to what this psychiatrist said recently when she boldy proclaimed that people who restrict their carbohydrate intake are prone to "binge like crazy." So much for that theory, eh?

It also flies in the face of what this college nutritionist said about low-carb weight loss being all "water weight." Splish splash I was taking a bath, in 180 pounds of water on Saturday night! Hardy har har har! What a joke!

Because eight out of every ten diabetic person is either overweight or obese and prone to developing various health conditions including heart disease and stroke, Dr. Boden believed a study needed to be done to see why livin' la vida low-carb works so well to help obese people with diabetes lose weight fast and bring about changes in their overall body fat, appetite and blood sugar levels.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Diabetes Association and published in the March 15, 2005 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

This was the first-ever controlled study of the Atkins diet that measured the exact number of calories consumed and spent by the study participants while they remained at the research facility. Other low-carb diet studies relied on the study participants to be honest about their eating habits when they went home. Dr. Boden believes this one component about his study provides his research with more credibility and makes it less prone to manipulation from inaccuracies. That's why the results were so surprising to him.

"When we took away the carbohydrates, the patients spontaneously reduced their daily energy consumption by 1,000 calories a day," Dr. Boden revealed. "Although they could have, they did not compensate by eating more proteins and fats and they weren't bored with the food choices. In fact, they loved the diet. The carbohydrates were clearly stimulating their excessive appetites."

Let me repeat that for you: They REDUCED their caloric intake by ONE-THOUSAND CALORIES (from 3100 to 2100 daily) when they started livin' la vida low-carb! In other words, they didn't need to go on a low-calorie diet watching and measuring every morsel of food they wanted to put in their mouth. They simply ate low-carb and allowed the natural process of satiety from the protein and fats they were eating to make them feel satisfied and get away with eating LESS in the process. In fact, I would be willing to bet they ate more frequent small meals rather than the traditional three meals a day.

Interestingly, they DID NOT eat more protein or fats when they had the opportunity, they simply ate the same amount of those macronutrients sans the carbs. The result? They weren't as hungry and they actually ate less food and calories. In the end, they made better food choices than they were previously making. Shazam! Somebody call the media and tell 'em we've got a story for them to write! Headline: "Carbohydrate Consumption Makes You Hungrier; Low-Carb Diets The Healthy Way To Eat." That'll be the day when Hell freezes over!

But it was very evident to Dr. Boden that carbohydrates were indeed at the root of the hungry appetites of his diabetic patients and the low-carb lifestyle actually took care of that problem. Meanwhile, they simultaneously "loved the diet." Hey, I thought people dreaded being on the Atkins diet and having to eat just meat all the time. How could they cherish an eating plan that is so limited like that? LOL! It just goes to show you that's a big fat myth just like so many other excuses people give for avoiding low-carb.

Besides eating less calories and losing weight, the study participants also saw dramatic improvements in their blood glucose levels, their insulin sensitivity, a reduction in triglycerides of 35 percent and in total cholesterol of 10 percent in the very short study span. Weight loss and health improvements in just two weeks -- hey, if this gets out we may have to expand the bandwidth of my blog with all the people looking for information about low-carb living! I'm ready for it! :D

Despite this very good news about low-carb living from this study, Dr. Boden tempered his enthusiasm and fell short of endorsing this way of eating by stating that the long-term effects of low-carb still "remain uncertain."

Well, one thing IS for certain. Low-carb works and has worked for many people. While I am not a diabetic, I can most certainly attest to the fact that it can bring about fast weight loss (I lost 180 pounds in one year) as well as lasting weight maintenance (18 months and counting!). Some say this isn't a long-term solution to the obesity epidemic we are facing. I challenge that assertion and prove it wrong with my own life as each day passes. And there are many, many more just like me who are proving livin' la vida low-carb is the last diet they'll ever go on!

If you are overweight or obese, won't you join us?

Musings On Misleading Marketing Ads

My wife Christine and I were out and about today enjoying this beautiful Memorial Day together and we heard an ad on the radio while driving around in the car from Phillip Morris USA about helping people stop smoking who are addicted. The ad went something along the lines of the following:

"Smoking is such a bad addiction for some people and they need somewhere to turn when they are ready to quit. That's why here at Phillip Morris USA we want to provide that help for people who are addicted to cigarettes. Yadda yadda yadda."


Can you recall seeing the Marlboro Man growing up?

Does anyone else see the slap-you-upside-the-head irony in all of this? This is Phillip Morris USA we are talking about here. You know, of Marlboro Man infamy. I can remember that ever-so-clever image PM attempted to portray of people who used their products -- calm, cool, and collected. This was supposed to be the "perfect" man, right? Ha!

Sure, PM put Marlboro Man away a few years back when they got sued and lost for causing people to get lung cancer, emphazema and heart disease. They even ADMITTED as much in an attempt to show contrition. While the days of flaunting smoking in the public eye in radio, television and even billboard ads are long gone, the marketing machine at PM isn't run by a bunch of dummies. They know if they can APPEAR to care about public health that they won't be looked at as evil.

Thankfully, I never once in my life felt even remotely tempted to smoke even once in my life because the stuff just looked nasty to me. Unfortunately, that wasn't the choice that many others have made over the years and now they're addicted to those same products that they once thought they wanted to use to fit into the image of their dreams. So how do they stop this awful habit?

Dum-duh-duuuummmm! Phillip Morris to the rescue! In a "voluntary effort" they have undertaken called Quit Assist (I'm not kidding!), they are attempt to "connect smokers who have decided to quit to a wealth of expert quitting information from public health authorities and others."

"Smoking causes serious diseases and is addictive," the Quit Assist web site created by Phillip Morris states. "It can be difficult to quit smoking and many smokers who try to quit do not succeed. We hope that this QuitAssist resource will help smokers who have decided to quit be successful."

Smoking is harmful, eh? Ya think? This little public service announcement and effort by Phillip Morris to look "responsible" is nothing but a big charade to cover up the fact that they are making billions of dollars off of people ruining their health using their products. Why would Phillip Morris want and even encourage people to STOP buying their product?! That doesn't make any sense at all.

Yes, I am opposed to smoking because I think it is as much a problem with health as the lack of exercise and obesity is. In fact, let's look at an analogy to this "stop smoking" ad being run by PM for just a moment using another popular company making products that are unhealthy for consumers and what a similar campaign would look like with them.

This PM ad would be just like McDonald's running a 30 second spot on the radio encouraging people who are overweight or obese to please visit their web site to learn more about how to eat healthier. Oh, wait a minute, they already have -- CHECK IT OUT! YIKES! Are they serious?!?! While McDonald's has never openly advertised this aspect of their web site, they most certainly are getting on the same bandwagon as Phillip Morris with their "food, nutrition and fitness" page.

"McDonald's range of high-quality foods can fit into a balanced diet," the McDonald's web site exclaims.

ROTFL! "High-quality foods" at McDonald's. Hee hee! Yep, them fries are only cooked to a golden brown in the highest quality of cooking oil, right McDonald's? Sheez, what a freakin' joke! And the "balanced diet" crap they spout off about the nutritional content of their food is about as useless as having low-fat lunatic Dr. Dean Ornish providing health tips to their customers.

The point is that companies like Phillip Morris and McDonald's would NEVER (and I mean NEVER!) jeopardize a good thing when they are making a lot of money off of ruining the health of the general public. They DON'T CARE because they are rolling in the dough in the process. So what if a few people die here and there from heart disease, stroke, or cancer? That's just the price of doing business in a supply and demand world, right?

If these companies were truly concerned about the health consequences of people smoking or eating too much fast food, then they would shut their doors and urge people to live healthier lives.

Their message would be simple and powerful in the process:

"Breathe more clearly and stop smoking forever."

"Live longer and stronger by losing weight on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables without overconsuming sugar, white flour and other process refined carbohydrates."

Can you imagine if these companies took a stand like this what kind of impact it would make? And yet THOSE are the exact messages that need to be heard, not these mamby pampy empty ones from companies who are still in the business of making money while destroying people's health!

That's not all of the misleading marketing ads going on right now regarding healthy living.


"Milk Your Diet" the ads proudly proclaim

Have you seen the new milk television ads? You've seen them showing off that hourglass-shaped milk glass and the proclamation that "people who drink milk are among the thinnest and healthiest people in the world." They've even set up this web site to urge people to have at least three servings of milk each day.

Okay, fine, eat three servings of milk and milk products daily, which includes cheese (a low-carb food!) by the way! But this business about drinking milk being more conducive for losing weight is just plain ridiculous! The fact is that milk, fat-free, 2% or otherwise, is much to high in carbohydrates for people on a carb-conscious diet to ever consider adding to their menu of food choices. That's why there are excellent low-carb milk alternatives like the Carb Countdown products made by Hood.

The other thing this milk ad mentions is to choose the low-fat or fat-free versions of milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. as part of your healthy lifestyle. NOT! If I am going to eat cheese, it's definitely NOT going to be the tastes-like-soft-styrofoam fat-free cheeses they try to fool people into buying. Nope, I'm getting the full-fat real deal cheese, baby! That's the only way to eat it and get all the healthy benefits you need from it when you are livin' la vida low-carb.


Subway's mantra is "eat fresh" -- what does that mean?!

Finally, this one has been around for a few years, but I notice they STILL use it today. It's the slogan from Subway -- "Eat Fresh!" What the heck does that mean? My wife really hates the ones on TV right now featuring John Lovitz in a robe barking that slogan at the end. LOL! It is pretty obnoxious. Trust me, you'll know the one I'm referring to.

Anyway, "eat fresh"...ooookay, what's "fresh" about it? And does "fresh" have anything to do with being healthy? Just look at what they serve you -- t's processed meats and cheeses put on a carbohydrate-infested sandwich bread.

Sure, Subway sponsors the American Heart Association's Heart Walk urging people to get more active and that's a very good thing. But anyone who thinks eating Subway sandwiches everyday is gonna help you get thinner and stay thinner is fooling you. Sorry Jared!

Unfortunately, misleading marketing ads like these DO have an effect on the public whether we realize it or not. It is sad that so many people don't do the research for themselves to test the accuracy of what they hear in radio and television ads. They just buy into the marketing at face value which brings a big smile to these companies who spend millions of dollars creating a certain public image for and about their products.

If more people would stop doing that and start calling the bluff of these companies when they try to "act responsibly" by showing how much they care about the consumer, then maybe, just maybe, we could see real change occur. Until that happens, it'll be business as usual. That means more misleading garbage ads about how much a company cares about your health are forthcoming.

Can you see what's coming next -- Pizza Hut Announces A New Pizza That Contains Foods From All Five Of The Major Food Groups! Don't laugh, it could happen! And probably will, too!

Blown Away By Low-Carb Blueberry Syrup

Made with real blueberries, Nature's Hollow has great taste and quality

Blueberries are one of nature's most perfect foods and are what nutritionist Dr. Jonny Bowden found to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet you can eat. They are naturally low-carb, packed with an abundance of antioxidants and taste oh so good that you'll want to eat them every single day! In fact, I just stocked up on several containers of fresh ones last night when I caught them on sale at my local grocery store. :D Blueberries, baby! WOO HOO!

I recently came across this new syrup that uses the goodness of real blueberries along with the natural sweetener Xylitol to create an incredible-tasting product called Nature's Hollow Wild Blueberry Syrup. It comes in a 8.5 oz glass container and can be used on anything that you want to infuse with the powerful flavor of blueberries! I've used it on top of my low-carb ice cream as a unique topping, on low-carb pancakes from time to time, and even in recipes that needed a bit of blueberry zing!


NOW brand of Xylitol comes in 1 lb. packages

Just in case you are wondering, Xylitol can be purchased separately as a natural low-calorie sweetener. It is the sweetner commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Made from cornhusk and about half as sweet as sugar, this 5-carbon sugar alcohol ranks low on the glycemic index because it metabolizes slower, is lower in calories, and even provides benefits to your teeth! :D

Each 1/6 cup serving size of Nature's Hollow Wild Blueberry Syrup has only 22 calories and just 0.5g net carbs which is from the natural sugars found in the blueberries. Remember, Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, so be sure not to overconsume to avod the gastric distress that comes from doing so.

So give it a try and prepare to be blown away by how good it is! I sure was and I think you will be, too! In fact, for a limited time, Low-Carb Connoisseur has the Nature's Hollow Wild Blueberry Syrup on sale so you can stock up on this incredible product. Please let me know how you liked it because it genuinely surprised me that it tasted as good as it did.

Give Me Credit, Stop Plagiarizing My Blog!

When you write as many articles on the Internet as I do, you are bound to attract the attention of like-minded people who share your common interests and goals. With less and less sources of information regarding livin' la vida low-carb and other related topics, there is an interest in reprinting my columns on other web sites.

Let me be very clear about this practice: I ENCOURAGE IT! Hey, that's why I spend so much time writing and spreading the word about how the low-carb lifestyle has changed my life forever. I WANT people to read what I'm blogging about and I absolutely have NO problem whatsoever when people wish to post my columns at their blog or web site.

The only thing I request is that I am credited as the author of that material and a link to my blog is attached to the reprint. That's it! Nothing else needed and you don't even have to send me an e-mail to ask permission. It's yours and post away!

But, unfortunately, there are those out there who like my writings so much that they have chosen to make them their own. I've run into this previously with this guy in September 2005. You might recall that he was a real winner. No wonder he wanted to steal my writings for himself! :D

Now it has happened again with this recent blog post I wrote and I actually found it on another web site that reprinted it from the one that swiped it from me!

I was surfing around the Internet and found an article posted on April 21, 2006 at the Defeat Diabetes Foundation web site that looked very familiar.

This was the paragraph that clued me in that this was something I had previously written:

One group had a 15:55:30 ratio (commonly known as the low-fat diet), another group had a 30:40:30 ratio (which closely resembles The Zone diet), and the final group had a 30:20:50 ratio (you know as livin' la vida low-carb).

Now, who else would refer to a 30:20:50 diet as "livin' la vida low-carb?" Anyone? That's right, NOBODY but Jimmy Moore because that's my catch phrase for the low-carb lifestyle. Sure, other people have used that phrase in the past, but I own the trademark to it and it is my phrase to use. Again, I don't mind if someone wants to use it in the context of my columns as long as they give me credit for being the author.

In fact, the only thing that was changed from the title that appeared on the Defeat Diabetes Foundation reprint of my column and my original March 27,2006 post is the word "Study:" that appeared before "Low-Carb Diet Controls Diabetes Without Weight Loss Or Insulin."

When I contacted the Defeat Diabetes Foundation about this and requested that they stop plagiarizing my blog and give me credit for my written work, I received a very quick reply from a representative from their organization who said she was "quite alarmed" by what I had brought to her attention regarding my work being taken without being given due credit. She blamed it on a new web site design upgrade where certain sources for documents were not transferred from the old site. But she assured me she would do the right thing and credit me and my blog as the source. THANK YOU!!!!

However, I was even more disturbed to find out that the "original source" for my article did not come from my blog at all! Instead, the representative from the Defeat Diabetes Foundation said they got it from an April 4, 2006 post that appeared on the Diabetes In Control web site. UGH! So I was basically plagiarized TWICE because I was not credited by the "original source" who took it from me in the first place.

The Defeat Diabetes Foundation representative said she gets the "majority of our articles" from the Diabetes in Control web site because she has "permission to use them." WHAT ABOUT DIABETES IN CONTROL ASKING MY PERMISSION TO USE MY WRITINGS?! Is there no decency and integrity regarding intellectual property these days? Bugga-boo!

Anytime you see me use information from another web site, I ALWAYS provide you a link to the original source so you can check it out for yourself. That's the very least I can do to give credit where credit is due regarding I obtain my information. That exact same courtesy can and should be applied to anyone who wants to use my blog as a source for information as well.

If I sound upset about this, that's because I am. Plagiarism is WRONG WRONG WRONG! There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it and I refuse to allow my work to be ripped from me just because somebody else likes what I have written. If you like it, then credit me for it! What harm is there in doing that?

Okay, enough about that. I appreciate that you come here to read my blog and actually WANT to read what I have to say. That's a privilege that I will never take for granted as long as I have this platform to do so.

Let me recap:

1. You have my permission to reprint anything I post at my blog.
2. You must give me credit as the author of what you post.
3. You should provide a link to the original post from my blog.

That's it! Any questions, please feel free to e-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Piping Hot Low-Carb Country Cheese Biscuits

These cheese biscuits I made are a better choice for low-carbers

There was an interesting discussion on my local talk radio station the other day about Southern cooking being the cause of the high obesity rates in the South. With foods like fried chicken, country fried steak, and biscuits & gravy, it's little wonder why so many Southerners are just plain fat.

I called up the show and spoke with the host who already knew about my 180-pound weight loss success story and has even read my book about it. His simple question was, "How can Southern people resist the temptation of these delicious foods?"

My answer -- "It's all about making the right choices about what you put in your mouth. If you want to eat your favorite Southern dish, then you need to find a way to make it healthier than it is now."

With that in mind, please allow me to introduce you to yet another one of the excellent products from Dixie Diner. This is their amazing Country Biscuit Mix.


Dixie Diner Country Biscuit Mix

This packaged mix can be prepared and cooked in less than 30 minutes and the biscuits are fantastic. Containing just 25 calories each, these biscuits are also fat-free, contain 4g protein, 3g fiber and just 1g net carb!

To Southernize this mix even more, I added some cheese to the batter before putting them in the oven to bake. When they were finished cooking to a beautiful golden brown, some of the cheese had squirted out of the piping hot biscuits. Yummy!

While the consistency is not exactly the same as the dense biscuits you are accustomed to, their light, fluffy and buttery taste will give you a taste of the South without compromising your low-carb lifestyle one bit!

Try some for yourself and make them for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even an in between meal snack. They are VERY good and better for you than those "other" white-flour laden, carb-loaded biscuits you've eaten your whole life and that made you overweight. Now taste how incredible healthier biscuits are like without the unnecessary carb, calories or even fat.

Preventable Diabetes Epidemic Amounts To $132 Billion More In Medical Costs

ADA President Dr. Robert Rizza says diabetes epidemic "devastating"

This PR Newswire story reports on a disturbing new study regarding the prevalence of diabetes growing to epidemic proportions with 73 million Americans currently with diabetes or are in a pre-diabetic state. That amounts to an incredible one in three Americans who suffer from a preventable disease which has grown to the fifth largest cause of death by disease that could be treated rather easily and effectively by livin' la vida low-carb.

Lead researcher Dr. Catherine C. Cowie, director of the Bethesda, MD-based Division of Diabetes Epidemiology Program (DDEMD) at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), along with assistance from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at statistical data regarding diabetes and found that the disease has continued to grow and grow despite the fact that we know how to prevent it from developing.

"Despite the fact that we now know how to prevent type 2 diabetes in many cases -- through lifestyle changes that include weight loss and increased physical activity -- we continue to see this disease climb," said Dr. Cowie. "We also need to do a better job of diagnosing the one-in-three people with diabetes who don't know they have it."

The study comparing data from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to that of the 1988-1994 NHANES found that 19.3 million Americans, which is 9.3 percent of adults age 20 and older, had diabetes in 1999-2002. This includes a sharp rise from 5.1 percent in 1988-1994 to 6.5 percent of people in 1999-2002 who were found to be already diagnosed with diabetes and another 2.8 percent who have gone undiagnosed.

However, more than one-fourth of Americans have what is known as impaired fasting glucose (IFG) which is a form of pre-diabetes where glucose levels are higher than normal, but not considered high enough to be full-fledged diabetes yet. Nevertheless, people with IFG generally develop diabetes within a decade unless something is done to intervene.

This brings the total number of diabetics and pre-diabetics to an astounding 73.3 million Americans, or 35.3 percent of the population and the rates show no signs of stopping anytime soon as long as we continue down this path.

Diabetes among senior citizens aged 65 and older rose to 21.6 percent and African-Americans as well as Mexican Americans saw their diagnosed diabetes rates double. Men and women saw similar rates in diagnosed diabetes, although undiagnosed diabetes and IFG were significantly higher among men, according to the study.

This study was published in the June 2006 issue of the peer-reviewed scientific journal Diabetes Care.

Dr. Robert Rizza, president of Medicine & Science of the American Diabetes Association, expressed his disappointment that change has not come about despite efforts to educate the population about methods for preventing the onset of diabetes.

"Obviously, we aren't doing enough to convince people they need to make changes in their lives," Dr. Rizza remarked. "Diabetes is a chronic and often debilitating disease that can cut short your life. The fact that we know how to prevent type 2 diabetes and we're still seeing this kind of increase is devastating."

This lack of self-control and action by people to prevent diabetes from developing is takings its toll on the American healthcare system as well -- to the tune of an estimated $132 BILLION in medical expenses and missed time from work in 2002 alone. This is an alarming cost considering it is 100% preventable with lifestyle changes, which include a diet low in refined carbohydrates and rich in nutrients as well as moderate levels of exercise.

You can e-mail Dr. Catherine C. Cowie about her study at niddkmedia@mail.nih.gov.

"We really need to do a better job of convincing people that they should be adopting healthy behaviors that will prevent these conditions," Dr. Cowie added.

Obesity is one of the primary causes of the development of diabetes and the low-carb lifestyle can help get that under control along with stabilizing blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that a moderate weight loss combined with a moderate exercise plan can greatly improve your odds of fighting the inevitability of diabetes.

"Even doing something simple like walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week can lower risk," Dr. Cowie explained.

The most unfortunate thing are all the people who don't even know they have diabetes or are within a few years of developing it. Let's put it this way -- if you are overweight or obese, then you should ASSUME (in a good way!) that you are at risk for developing diabetes and should put into place a plan of action to do something about it. Don't just wait until you are diagnosed with diabetes before you protect your health. DO SOMETHING NOW for your own good!

Besides obesity, diabetes is generally considered related to genetics, inactivity, being a minority race, having high blood pressure, having high triglycerides, having low HDL "good" cholesterol, having PCOS, and being middle-aged. Most of these are symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a condition researchers have found to be treated well with a low-carb program.

The bottom line in all of this is the very clear message that WE CAN TURN THE TIDE ON DIABETES. It IS possible and it CAN be done if people become receptive to such lifestyle changes as giving up sugar, white flour and processed foods in favor of more nutrient-rich and delicious foods that will satisfy the desire for taste and nourishment while at the same time controlling blood glucose levels and reducing body fat. That's what livin' la vida low-carb can do for the one in three of you who suffer from either diabetes or pre-diabetes.

In 2004 I weighed 410 pounds and was definitely headed straight for Diabetesville! That was a position that I put myself in because of my addition to sugar and other refined carbohydrates. When I decided to begin eating healthier (you know, the lifestyle change thingy!), my life took a turn for the better and I've never felt better or been healthier in my entire life!

NOW is the time for people to take action and stop sitting on the sidelines thinking diabetes is going away on its own. It will only see a turnaround when people get serious about changing their old habits, get serious about losing excess weight, get serious about committing themselves to daily exericise, and finally, they must get serious about taking full personal responsibility for their own health as soon as possible. Nobody can do this for you -- it's an action that YOU must take for yourself!

DO IT and you'll never regret it! Maybe then we can see this diabetes epidemic get eradicated for GOOD!

My Cholesterol Craziness Continues

One of the things I like to do here at my blog is share very candidly about my experiences while livin' la vida low-carb -- good, bad or ugly. There are no pretenses here because my story is my story. It is what it is and I make no apologies for it.

With that said, I never claim to be the prime example of what a typical low-carb experience is all about in regards to weight loss success and other health indicators. All I do is share with you about what is happening to me so you can see the world through the eyes of one man whose life was radically altered for the better because of the low-carb lifestyle.

Although I have lost 180 pounds and kept it off for a couple of years now, there is one area of my health that has seen some rather peculiar fluctuations in just the past 7 or so months. That would be my cholesterol.

My blood work from October 2005 showed my lipid profile as nearly ideal with HDL at 71, triglycerides at 57, VLDL at 11, LDL at 119, and total cholesterol at an acceptable 201. This was what my numbers looked like after livin' la vida low-carb for about 22 months and I was proud to see them doing so well.

Fast forward six months later to March 2006 and I had my blood work taken again. This time, my lipid profile seemed to improve in many areas because it showed an HDL reading of 72, triglycerides had fallen to 42 (that's a good thing and evidence that I'm sticking with my low-carb eating plan!), and VLDL dropped to a microscopic 8.

Despite these good things, though, my LDL jumped over 50 points to 172 in just six months bringing my total cholesterol up to 252. That number caused my doctor to freak out and start talking about putting me on a statin drug again.

Unfortunately, statins have become the quick and easy response from doctors to treat high cholesterol because they do work so well to lower cholesterol numbers, but I'm very concerned about medical professionals to quickly recommending higher and higher doses to people without regarding to the negative effects these drugs are having on people.

Because of these and other concerns about this kind of medication, the consensus from most of my readers and several low-carb friendly medical professionals was to avoid taking statins if at all possible (because taking them could be a literal nightmare!).

However, despite the fact that my trigylceride/HDL ratio is immaculate compared to most, my doctor gave me four months to get my LDL down. But even the renowned low-carb expert Dr. Michael Eades says that raising your HDL by eating more fat is protective against heart issues and should be the main focus for anyone concerned about cholesterol.

Before I started livin' la vida low-carb, my HDL was a dismal 21 and my triglycerides hovered over 250. My LDL was about 250 which brought my total cholesterol to around 275. It wasn't a pretty picture.

Now, though, my HDL is much higher (and healthier!) while my triglycerides are a whole lot lower (again, that's healthy!). What about my LDL? In October 2005 it was 119, but then it rose 53 points in six months! But what happened next has baffled me to no end and I am sincerely looking for answers about why this would happen.

In April 2006, I decided to have the LipoScience particle test done on my blood since the particle count and size of your cholesterol is a better indicator of the kind of cholesterol moving through your body than the more traditional cholesterol tests that are usually done in your doctor's office. I fully expected my cholesterol to be the large, fluffy kind that is less dangerous than the more dense particles. And I was right!

The total small LDL particle number was 496, lower than the 600 considered healthy. Additionally, my LDL particle size was 22.1, which is on the high end of large. My large HDL was measured at 12.1, which is supposed to be greater than 9.0, and my large VLDL was 0.3, which is even lower than the 0.5 that shows a lower risk for developing metabolic syndrome. So far, so good, right? Unfortunately, the good news stopped there.

The LipoScience particle test found my LDL particle number to be 1724, which is considered a lot higher than the optimal number of less than 1000. What puzzled me more than anything is what happened to my cholesterol numbers in just ONE MONTH after having them measured at my doctor's office to the time it was tested by LipoScience.

Check out the comparison of the numbers from March 2006 to April 2006:

LDL - from 172 to 230
HDL - from 72 to 57
Triglycerides - from 43 to 84
Total cholesterol - from 252 to 304

What the &*#%^@ happened to my cholesterol numbers?! Although I started taking red yeast rice, a plant stenol, garlic tablets and a baby aspirin (all recommended by my doctor after my cholesterol test in March 2006), let me assure you that I haven't changed a thing about my eating habits or exercise habits during that one month between these tests and I still haven't. In fact, I haven't really changed anything else about my low-carb program since I finished losing weight at the end of 2004. That's what makes this cholesterol craziness so perplexing to me.

A trusted low-carb friend informed me that perhaps I am overdosing on Vitamin A because of the supplements I was taking, including a multivitamin, cod liver oil, and natural sources from the nutrient-dense foods I eat as part of my low-carb plan. She noted that consuming too much Vitamin A can cause something called hypervitaminosis A which is considered "toxic" because it causes cholesterol to rise too much as well as the blood serum levels of calcium to soar upward. Yikes! Because of this, fat soluble vitamins such as A and D need to be limited to the recommended dosage. You've been fairly warned! Who knew you could OD on vitamins? :-~

So, I had my blood tested for the Vitamin A content and I got the results back on this test on Thursday. However, this wasn't my problem as my doctor said my blood work on the Vitamin A content showed a reading of 88 ug/dL, considered on the high end of normal, but it was normal. Even still, I have since switched to fish oil supplements instead to get my omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids.

Now what do I do about my LDL going haywire? If it's not my diet or my supplements, then what in the world could be causing this to be happening to me? I will tell you that I had the VAP test done on my blood about a week after the LipoScience test and I am still awaiting the results of that test to come back in the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see if the numbers are even remotely similar to the LipoScience test. Could it have just been a fluke?

Regardless, my doctor saw the results of my LipoScience test and almost demanded that I go on a statin (additionally, a cardiologist that LipoScience put me in contact with also recommended that I go on a statin drug immediately!). After holding my ground and refusing to do that because I don't want to experience the intense joint pain from taking Lipitor or Crestor again, my doctor responded that he doesn't want to see me hurt either. That's when he said I probably have a genetic predisposition for cholesterol issues which will need to be treated with several drugs since my body can't handle statins.

To that end, he prescribed for me to take the three following medications: Zetia, WellChol, and the prescription form of Niacin. My doctor said each of these have little to no side effects at all and will each lower the LDL by 10-15 percent. I relented and said I'd be willing to take these drugs if they won't harm my body and will lower my LDL cholesterol.

When I asked about how and why my LDL would spike up like that, my doctor said it could be brought on by stress. My response was that I am under no more stress now than I was six months or a year ago. So, I'm still scratching my head on this one.

Now I am taking these medicines because frankly I am concerned about the LDL continuing to rise. Am I justified in my concerns? Why would this be happening all of a sudden after being on low-carb for 2 1/2 years? In fact, this probably has nothing to do with my low-carb lifestyle, right?

Any thoughts about this from low-carb researchers, practitioners, or knowledgable low-carbers would be greatly appreciated! In the meantime, I'll keep you informed about the results of the VAP test as well as my follow-up visit to the doctor in August 2006. Can anyone provide some answers for me?

5-28-06 UDPATE: Well, I'm getting what I asked for -- opinions about why this is happening to my cholesterol. Here's just a few of the responses I have received so far:

Jimmy,

Regarding your recent lipid increases, some people say that as long as you're losing weight, a high-fat diet won't raise your lipid levels, but when you stop losing weight, it can. Gerald Reaven is one who claims this.

You mention that you've stopped losing weight, and after that your lipids increase, although not immediately. You might look into this as a factor in your increased cholesterol.

Also, I think for someone on a high-fat diet, Zetia is the best drug. If you're eating a lot of fat, statins won't do much because you're not producing much cholesterol yourself. All the statistics concern people who started out on a NCP Step 1 low-fat diet, so they're producing all their cholesterol.

In fact, my LDL didn't change on 80 mg of Lipitor. Zetia brought it way down.

Hang in there,

Gretchen Becker
co-author of The Four Corners Diet

P.S. "The Four Corners Diet" is a low-carb, low-saturated fat, high-fiber diet designed for people who see their lipids increase on an Atkins-style diet. It used to be called the GO-Diet. You might want to look into it. It's not my diet, but I felt it was the healthiest one, so I helped the authors rewrite a second edition.

THANK YOU for your feedback. It makes me feel a little better about taking Zetia now. Hmmm, when you stop losing weight on livin' la vida low-carb, you should cut back on saturated fat? Really? Does anyone else have an opinion, expert or otherwise, on THAT subject?

Here's another intriguing theory about my cholesterol going up from another reader:

Eat the way you do now but try lowering calories, because this is should be just as or more effective than statins.

Choleseterol synthesis is dependent on many things and one of those is energy intake. Cutting back say 10%-20% would probably bring your total cholesterol down to ranges of around 115-180mg/dL , lower LDL and keep HDL high.

First I'm eating too much fat now that I've stopped losing weight. Now this person says I'm eating too many calories. Yikes! It's amazing I have been livin' la vida low-carb for 2 1/2 years and neither of these factors played a role in my LDL cholesterol going up before. Sigh.

Okay, let's look at one more comment from a very regular reader and friend of this blog who has some scientific knowledge about low-carb diets and their effect on the human body:

The list of things that can impact cholesterol are numerous:

Stress
Oxidative stress & free radicals
High carbohydrate diet (regardless of fat content)
Medication
Vitamin A overload
Supplements and/or prescription drugs
Activity level
Trans-fats
Omega-3 deficiency
Eating damaged polyunsaturated fats

So then.....from March to April your cholesterol numbers changed significantly - enough to set off louder alarm bells with your doctor (and frankly, me too).

The big change you made wasn't in your diet, but in the supplements you took - red yeast rice specifically. The UC Berkeley Wellness Newsletter contained an interesting piece on red yeast extract that is a must-read - Red Yeast Rice Extract. I didn't know this myself and thought you would want to know. If the addition of the supplement, garlic and baby aspirin were the only things you changed - I think you might have your answer about what is negatively impacting your numbers in one month.

But that still doesn't answer what impacted your numbers August to March. You're not eating a high carb diet, you had your vitamin A tested, you exercise every day, you're taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements, you avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils and you're not taking any prescription drugs. That eliminates almost all of the above items.

What's left? Stress, oxidative stress & free radicals and eating damaged fats.

Let's just say you're not under any new stress (even though you might be and not realize it).....so what's in your diet that might be causing oxidative stress & free radicals? Eating damaged fats. The cod liver oil and/or fish oil supplements you take might be rancid - which means it's damaged before you ever put it in your body.

Damaged fats cause oxidative stress in the body and produce free radicals --- if they aren't countered with antioxidants, over time they can impact your cholesterol numbers since your body makes more cholesterol in an attempt to repair the damage occurring. It's one more piece of the puzzle to explore.

Well, well, well -- perhaps the new things I started back in March to LOWER my cholesterol are actually the culprit in RAISING it now. Eeeek! How the #^&*# is the average person supposed to know what to do about cholesterol when there's so much junk science thrown around about this and that supplement?! Sheez, somebody throw me a bone here. Perhaps I should get off the red yeast rice, garlic and plant stenol to see if there is any change for the better.

Yet another knowledgable regular reader wrote this about my LDL:

I just read your newest article about your "high" LDL cholesterol worries. I thing you should not worry too much and be careful with those medications, even if the PDR guide of your doc shows no or only minor side-effects for those drugs. Don't forget that the pharmaceutical companies PAY to have their stuff listed in the PDR - so expect that thing to be rather biased.

Furthermore and moreover, don't forget that high LDL is not a bad thing by definition. In fact, there is much evidence from a number of major studies showing that high cholesterol - even high "bad" LDL cholesterol - is very beneficial and preventive for, for example, CHD!

Personally, I think your higher total cholesterol (again, as far that's worrisome!) is due to perhaps a too low intake of antioxidants. A higher intake of green leafy veggies and perhaps even some more fruit and especially berries can help change that.

Consider the following:

In 1997, Swedish researchers published a comparison of CHD risk factors among men from Vilnius in Lithuania and Linkoping in Sweden. These two groups were selected because the former had a four-fold higher death rate from CHD than the latter. Very little difference in traditional risk factors existed between the two groups, except that (read this carefully!) the men from CHD-prone Vilnius had lower total and LDL cholesterol levels!

According to common wisdom, the lower total and LDL cholesterol of the Lithuanian men should have placed them at reduced risk of heart disease. When the researchers probed further, they discovered that the men from Vilnius had significantly higher concentrations of oxidized LDL. They also displayed significantly poorer blood levels of important diet-derived antioxidants such as beta carotene, lycopene, and gamma tocopherol (a form of vitamin E). Blood levels of these particular nutrients are largely determined by dietary intake, especially from the consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits, nuts, and vegetables. So while the Lithuanian men had lower LDL levels, they had a greater susceptibility to oxidized LDL due to what appeared to be a poorer intake of antioxidant-rich foods.

This may well have explained their greater susceptibility to cardiovascular disease; in tightly-controlled clinical trials, individuals randomized to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables have experienced significant reductions in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

During the massive GISSI-Preventione trial in Italy a RISE in LDL showed significant mortality benefits. And in the Lyon Diet Heart Study, an experimental group advised to increase consumption of root vegetables, green vegetables, fish and fruit, and omega-3 fatty acids also experienced greatly improved cardiovascular and survival outcomes. One particularly little publicized finding from this well-known trial was that the total and LDL cholesterol levels of the treatment and control groups were virtually identical throughout the entire study. Those in the treatment group, however, did show significantly higher blood levels of BOTH omega-3 fatty acids AND antioxidants.

In other words: high LDL has been proven to be beneficial (!) IF sufficient antioxidants are consumed and available.

Then what about statins, as your doc wants? According to medical "opinion leaders" - you know, those who tell the rest of the unthinking masses what we are to believe - recent trials with statin drugs have proven once and for all that LDL reduction is beneficial. Allegedly, these trials have also shown that the greater the LDL reductions, the better. Again, this is
completely false.

Statin drugs exert their lipid-lowering effect by blocking an enzyme in the liver that is involved in the early stages of cholesterol synthesis. Statins inhibit the synthesis of mevalonate, a precursor not only to cholesterol, but also to a substance known as geranyl-geraniol. Inhibition of geranyl-geraniol produces beneficial effects on levels of nitric oxide, a substance with anti-inflammatory and artery-dilating properties. In fact statins have a multitude of effects - most of which are not recognized or even ignored.

So the fact that statins exert a whole host of biochemical effects beyond mere lipid-lowering is beyond question. In light of this inescapable fact, how can anyone confidently conclude that it was LDL reduction - and not amplification of one or more of these other effects - that produced the favorable cardiovascular outcomes seen in numerous studies like the PROVE-IT or TNT studies?

The answer, of course, is that they can't. In January 2005, the New England Journal of Medicine published two studies examining the interplay between statin use, CRP levels, and subsequent coronary event rates. The first of these, using data from the aforementioned PROVE-IT study, found that: "Patients who have low CRP levels after statin therapy have better clinical outcomes than those with higher CRP levels, regardless of the resultant level of LDL cholesterol." Another study found that "Atherosclerosis regressed in patients with the greatest reduction in CRP levels, but not in those with the greatest reduction in LDL cholesterol levels."

These results reinforce what is already obvious: The favorable results were due to the NON lipid-lowering actions of statins. The strong correlation between CRP and improved clinical outcomes indicates that the anti-inflammatory effects of statins played a key role. So, decades of dietary and drug intervention trials have repeatedly shown a complete disconnect between total and LDL cholesterol reduction and clinical outcomes but do show that anti-oxidants, causing lower CRP levels, do have greatly beneficial effects.

Ergo conclusio: I think the best you can do is NOT WORRY about your (high) cholesterol at all, and consume more antioxidants - as mentioned above - specifically those that influence CRP levels. Fruits, berries, nuts and green, leafy veggies. And even if your LDL stays relatively high: this has been shown to be beneficial! Why try to lower it?

The truth to keep in mind here is the fact that a growing number of highly esteemed and accomplished individuals, researchers and scientists are joining the campaign to alert the public to the fact that this lipid hypothesis (the cholesterol myth) is a total sham. Check out this link: www.thincs.org.

Perhaps I am not eating enough berries and green leafy veggies. I admit I could probably start eating MORE of these than I currently am and would enjoy it, too. This is something I can DEFINITELY start doing immediately! THANKS for the feedback!

But what should I do about taking all these drugs my doctor wants me to? I've got one person that says Zetia is good, but I'm also taking the Niacin. I haven't started the WellChol yet, but I am very interested in hearing from people about what you think of these drugs and whether it is a necessary step that I need to take to lower my LDL. Am I overreacting to this as the last e-mail from one of my readers indicates or am I right to be as concerned as I am? THANKS for sharing your comments!

5-28-06 UPDATE: There's a case to be made against taking the medicines my doctor has prescribed.

Check this out from one of my readers on Zetia:

I am not too happy to hear you are taking this Zetia stuff. See the following:

Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Increases Hepatitis Risk

The Australian drugs watchdog is investigating claims that a cholesterol-lowering medication increases the risk of catching hepatitis. Ezetrol (Ezetimibe, also known as Zetia in the U.S.) has been available in Australia since October 2003 and is made by US company Merck Sharp and Dohme.

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) spokeswoman Kay McNiece said the drug increased the risk of catching clinical hepatitis.

"The adverse drug reaction unit has received 115 reports of suspected adverse reactions where Ezetrol is suspected of contributing to the event," Ms McNiece said. "We have 10 cases where abnormal liver enzymes or hepatitis were reported."

Clinical hepatitis has been confirmed in three cases.

"As Ezetrol is a relatively new medication all the risks associated with its use, particularly the less common ones, may not be fully identified," she said.

Ferntree Gully woman Loreto Kelly was diagnosed with clinical hepatitis after taking Ezetrol. "I think it would have killed me, I really didn't think I was going to survive," she said.

Click here to read the full story.

And then there's this about the Niaspan I'm taking:

Jimmy,

I just came across this new information about Niaspan. I hope it's not Niaspan you are taking? That's a cholesterol lowering product based on Niacin. It is the same as the stuff your doc prescribed. Read the below story sent to a patient taking the stuff. He wrote to researcher Colpo the following letter, please read carefully:

Six Little Pills

Prior to taking the drug Niaspan, I was in top physical condition for a 44 year old male. I was a runner, swimmer, and active in weight training. I enjoyed the best health of my life. My sleep was peaceful and refreshing. I awoke to each new day with energy and vitality. Disciplined dietary habits along with daily exercise left my mind sharp. As a Private Pilot, I flew every morning working towards my instument rating.

I had incredible success with diet and exercise on my health. I lost 18 pounds. Total cholesterol dropped 42%, Triglycerides down 75%. Good cholesterol up 50%.

But according to my Doctor, this was not good enough, and he told me that I would have to take the cholesterol lowering drug Niaspan for the rest of my life to avoid a heart attack. I recieved a hard sales pitch on the drug. I was told that I had the lowest cholesterol possible, but the cholesterol I had was "bad, very bad"! The atmosphere resembled being with a timeshare
salesman, not a Doctor. I could not understand why I had to take this drug for life.

With a six foot, 162 pound slender frame, a total cholesterol of only 126, and an LDL of only 51, I was prescribed a cholesterol lowering drug, unaware of the inevitable disaster that lay ahead.

The first symptom was difficulty climbing stairs, followed by a 'Parkinson like' tremor in my right arm. My peaceful sleep was interrupted by vivid nightmares. Then my arms and legs began to tingle. With each pill, nocturnal attacks became worse until the tingling was unbearable, much like a shock from the house wires. I developed intense chills that lasted for hours. I awoke the next morning exhausted.

Each night the nocturnal attacks intensified. I tried to get out of bed but fell to the floor unable to walk. The muscle pain in my legs was intense and I wanted to scream. At 2 AM I lay on the living room floor unable to walk. With relentless determination I attempted to walk, but only covered 12 feet before collapsing to the floor again. By 6AM the episode was over.

The last night on the drug was the worst. It attacked my respiratory muscles and I fought for breath. I experienced a hard forceful pulse. Tingling intesified untill I was unable to move or speak to call for help. I knew I was in trouble and wanted to call 911, but was unable to reach for the phone. I just told myself " Whatever happens, don't stop breathing."

By the 7th day I made the connection to the drug and discontinued the Niaspan, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

I found myself bedridden. Muscle tremors and spasms persisted around the clock. With visible twitching of muscles, I watched in horror as my calf muscles wriggled like a snake beneath my skin.

I encountered extreme difficulty walking, and standing meant clinging to the countertops. But I could not remain standing very long. The next three weeks were spent in bed with tremors, spasms, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, and falling in and out of consciousness.

Repeated calls to my physicians office were primarily ignored. I spoke with the nurse who was very short with me. "The Doctor says Niaspan does not make muscles weak. Have a nice Christmas" and she hung up on me.

Visibly struggling to walk, I eventually made it in to see my Doctor. I was told lab tests were normal and therefore there was no damage from the drug. My Doctor said I was "overly conscientious and needed to see a psychiatrist."

Determined to get medical help, I drove myself to ER at midnight while having tremors and shortness of breath. At the Emergency Room I was turned away, denied services, and told to see my Doctor during the day.

The next 12 months endured painful neuropathy in my legs.

Almost four years later I have improved, but live with the long term consequences. Chronic fatigue, occasional shortness of breath, muscle tenderness and intolerance of exercise are part of life now. The allergic reaction I suffered is now in the medical literature that comes with the drug, and urges emergency medical attention.

Today I counsel others who have taken this drug or other lipid lowering agents that have caused muscle or nerve damage. My personal studies into cholesterol lowering drugs, their side effects, and the relentless marketing by the drug companies has revealed a very alarming picture.

Bobby Olson,
Tyler, Texas.

My Background: Grew up in Dallas, Texas. As a young adult I engaged in adventure sports. At age 17 became a private pilot. Was active in sport skydiving, scuba diving, and wilderness backpacking. Learned Real Estate investing, and bought, renovated, and sold single family housing. At mid life, returned to flying and earned a Commercial Pilot certificate and instrument rating. Have lived in Dallas, Minneapolis, and Coeur d' Alene Idaho. Now reside with my wife and 3 children in Tyler, Texas.

Yikes, yikes, and YIKES AGAIN!!! Me thinks I'll stop taking the Niaspan now. The worst thing the doctor said it would do to me is cause flushing. From Bobby Olson's story, it does a lot more than THAT! Any comments anyone?

5-29-06 UPDATE: More pearls of wisdom from my readers have poured in.

First of all, I am by no means an expert on any of this. I teach a weight loss class for Curves and in my 'research' for this, I have discovered FLAX SEED MEAL. This is 0 carbs, high fiber, and protein, and is supposed to be even better for fighting high cholesterol than oatmeal. I have a bowl each morning as a hot cereal. Mix 4-5 Tbsp with hot water, cinnamon, and splenda and YUMMY. Look into this for yourself and see what you find out.

I have eaten flax seed products before, but never just the flax seed meal. I do like to eat oatmeal and have it often for breakfast as well. Maybe I need to check out this flax seed meal.

But another reader said I probably need to chunk my fish oil because they're probably rancid:

Fish oils - any highly polyunsaturated oil for that matter - is highly susceptible to rancidity at room temperature! You won't know it by taste or even smell....Mary Enig is one of the leading authorities on fats and even with her position on the lipid-hypothesis, she's untouchable because her science is solid.....she basically says the capsules are all rancid because of how they're processed and then shipped in fluctuating heat conditions.

You might want to spend the extra money to get the liquid fish oils at the health food store - in a green or brown bottle (light also oxidizes poly fats) and keep it in the refrigerator so it is cold. Almost everyone those are the least processed and have the least contaminants and least likelihood of being rancid on the shelf.

If fish oil goes rancid, then you'll know it because you'll burp fishy burps...as long as you're not burping fishy burps your oil is OK!

Also - refrigerate your flaxseeds - they're highly susceptible to rancidity also since they're so high in polys.....grind only as you use them!

I ALWAYS BURP FISHY BURPS! Yikes! Did you know about this regarding fish oil supplements? I suppose I should try to find these fresher fish oil supplements to see if it makes a difference. I'm learning so much about this and I hope you are, too. Anyone else have a comment to share on this subject?

5-30-06 UPDATE: I sent an e-mail to Dr. Barry Sears requesting his comments about my cholesterol situation. Here is what one of his representatives wrote back to me in an e-mail:

Dr. Sears has written in earnest about the downfalls of a low-carbohydrate diet. He does not advise anyone to follow such a diet. Most individuals see a return to negative bloodwork over time after low-carbing.

His suggestions are always to follow the Zone Diet and take 2.5 - 5 grams of OmegaRX daily for improvements in the lipid profile.

For more information: www.drsears.com.

Best,

Theoni Gray

I was hoping for a little different answer than that, but I guess it stands to reason he would say to go on his diet. If I hear back from anyone else, I'll let you know.

6-6-06 UPDATE: I heard back from Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades today about my cholesterol issue.

Dear Jimmy-

We don't know if you've read the follow up book to Protein Power (i.e., The Protein Power LifePlan) or not, but we dealt more with the issue of cholesterol and various natural lowering remedies in that book. Read or re-read the chapters about cholesterol, iron storage, and micronutrients, which should prove helpful.

Regarding cholesterol, in our patients, we generally didn't stress too much about LDLs in the 200 range that were composed primarily of particles of large size as long as other measures, such as ferritin, homocysteine, and inflammatory markers (CRP, for instance) were in line.

Explore some of this information and keep in touch to let us know how you're doing.

Cordially,

The Drs. Eades

Well, my LDL particles are mostly the large kind despite the fact that they are currently measured at 230. I'm beginning to worry less and less about my cholesterol thanks to people like the Eades and Anthony Colpo educating me further about this issue. THANKS again to everyone who contributed to this discussion.