With the dust settling from the E. coli outbreak, will you be buying spinach?
Okay, it's all clear now. There's no need to panic any longer. The outbreak has been contained and spinach is now okay to be consumed.
That's the message in this Reuters story about the recent E. coli spinach scare that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wanted to communicate on Friday.
You will recall the nationwide uproar that hit in mid-September when E. coli was discovered in spinach in eight states with 50 people sick and one dead. In the two weeks since, the number of states involved has increased to 26 with 97 hospitalized and three total presumed dead because of the outbreak.
If you have tried to purchase spinach over the past couple of weeks, you probably couldn't because there was a total recall of all fresh spinach products in grocery stores and restaurants all across this country. But with the FDA declaring spinach to be safe for consumption again, spinach is expected to return to shelves and on salad bars at your favorite restaurants again within a week or so.
I went shopping at my local grocery store earlier today and the bagged greens section looked pretty skimpy still. Then we went out to dinner at a restaurant tonight and I overheard a server tell a customer that they would not be able to have a certain menu item because it's got spinach in it and they're not serving spinach right now.
Since this was first announced, I've personally avoided eating spinach (obviously!) and even salad greens for the most part until this outbreak with E. coli passed. It was a decision I could most certainly live with and don't regret one bit.
But what now? What will be the long-term fallout from this E. coli spinach scare? Will people feel comfortable eating spinach again despite the assurances from the FDA that everything is fine? Maybe, but the concern may not be over just yet.
The FDA said they are still very worried about a rash of food poisonings resulting from fresh greens like spinach and even lettuce which have all come from California-based farms. That is why stronger regulations are being proposed by the FDA. Nevertheless, they still say so confidently that it's okay to eat spinach again.
Doesn't this remind you of the constant message Americans heard in the days and weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks when our government leaders said, "Just go about your normal daily lives as if nothing has happened?" While an E. coli outbreak is not the same as a terrorist attack, I think it's safe to say life will not be the same again in either case.
FDA Food Safety spokesman Dr. David Acheson said the spinach that will be available to consumers by early October will "be as safe as it was before this outbreak."
Is that supposed to be reassuring, Dr. Acheson? If it was so safe BEFORE the outbreak, then why did this happen in the first place? Even scarier are the lingering doubts about whether spinach is really safe to eat or not.
"There are some longer-term issues that need to be addressed," he said.
Yes, go ahead and get that spinach Mr. and Mrs. Consumer because we HOPE it's gonna be okay. Argh! Talk about your proverbial rock and a hard place! They're still investigating Natural Selection Foods in San Juan Bautista, California regarding their role in this E. coli outbreak which showed up under the name brand Dole.
What gets me is the fact that Dr. Acheson is still so adamant they have "serious concerns" that need to be addressed regarding leafy greens and even lettuce, but he also says it's okay to eat the spinach again.
"The FDA and the state of California have previously expressed serious concerns with continuing outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut lettuce and other leafy greens," Dr. Acheson said.
Which is it, Dr. Acheson? Is it safe or not? Why all this talk out of both sides of your mouth? He's even discussing what they NEED TO BE DOING to prevent this from happening again and spreading to other leafy veggies.
"And as part of our longer term strategy, FDA and the state of California expect industry to develop a plan to minimize the risk of a further outbreak of E. coli 0157 not just in spinach but in all leafy greens including lettuce," he explained.
EEEEEK! With 20 E. coli outbreaks since 1996, most of which have originated from California, Dr. Acheson said farming practices need to be reviewed to make sure the cattle that caused the outbreak are kept far enough away from the crop fields as possible. Physical barriers may even need to be constructed to keep the animals from endangering the crop again.
"Having cattle that may or may not be carrying 0157 that are uphill and upstream of a field that is growing a fresh product that is going to be consumed without cooking obviously raises concerns and questions," Dr. Acheson concluded.
How does this make you feel if you are used to eating spinach and other green leafy vegetables as part of your healthy lifestyle? Will you be changing your diet to avoid these products now because of the E. coli scare? Or will you go back to eating spinach leaves as you did before?
Before I started livin' la vida low-carb, I didn't even know there was fresh spinach leaves. To me, spinach was a disgustingly slimy glob of green stuff that came in a can with water in it and it make Popeye the Sailor Man grow muscles when he ate it. That's the perception that a 400+ pound man has about anything that is HEALTHY for him.
That was then and this is now.
There's no denying the tremendous health benefits of eating green leafy vegetables. These foods are so full of vitamins and nutrients that do your body a lot of good. I have personally missed having as many spinach greens as I was used to eating over these past couple of weeks. They have helped me tremendously in my nearly 200-pound weight loss and I regularly ate about 1-2 cups of spinach leaves daily prior to the outbreak.
What's gonna happen from here? To tell you the truth, I'm still not fully convinced they have this spinach problem under control, so I will continue to avoid it for the time being. I hate this because I don't want to see companies like Dole that sell this product have to suffer from the lack of sales from customers who used to buy their product. I literally bought 6 bags at a time of spinach leaves to stock up for my healthy low-carb lifestyle. But now...
The spinach and green leafy vegetable industry will be fighting an uphill public relations battle in the coming months. They need to somehow reassure consumers that it really is safe to begin eating their products again. A national marketing campaign on television and radio may be needed to get people to begin purchasing these products again. It's a shame that something like this would deter people from eating healthy, but it has happened and nothing can change that now. The damage has been done.
So what vegetables am I eating instead of spinach right now? I just stocked up on some cauliflower (to make this recipe) as well as French cut green beans today. Mmmm, yummy! I will enjoy these excellent vegetables, although I hope to feel confident enough in the safety of spinach leaves again soon to eat my salads that I cherish so much. Right now, I'm just not so sure it's a wise decision.
How about you? Are you gung ho to start eating spinach leaves again when they begin hitting grocery store shelves next weekend? Tell us about it by clicking on the comments link below and let us know your thoughts.
The subject of weight loss invariably comes down to a discussion of calories. It's a matter of how many calories you are taking in with the foods you consume versus the number of calories you are burning off with exercise (although the "calories in, calories out" message is not what people think). Most people have no idea how many calories they need to be consuming to maintain or even lose weight. That's why it is helpful to have a Calories Per Day Calculator to customize your caloric needs.
This calculator appears on Nicki Anderson's ShapeFit web site and is a handy-dandy little tool for you to use if you are trying to lose weight. Of course, it is only a tool and not an exact science, but it should give you a good guide to go by if you are counting calories. Nicki recommends people eat 500 calories LESS than what the calculator states they need to consume to maintain.
For example, here is what I put in for my statistics:
MALE 6'3" 219 pounds 34 years old Very Active activity level
For me to maintain my current weight, I should consume 3657 calories.
So, using Nicki's formula for weight loss, I need to drop that down to 3157 calories to begin burning excess body fat. That may sound like a lot, but with my workout routine and calorie needs, it's not unheard of. If you've seen any of my recent menus, then you know I am eating close to 3,000 calories per day.
She warns people NOT to go below 1200 calories daily (because low-calorie diets can be unhealthy) unless instructed to do so by a doctor or on a supervised weight loss plan.
To be honest, I DON'T count calories and haven't since I started livin' la vida low-carb. That's not to say calories aren't important, but I don't have to bother with it since low-carb foods tend to regulate calories naturally. I realize SOME people HAVE to watch their calories and that's fine, too. But I just make better food choices and let the calories work themselves out. It's worked so far!
Hopefully this tool provided by Nicki will help you know how many calories you should be eating versus some arbitrary number out of thin air. Use this tool often to help you lose weight and get fit!
The post that appeared here has been removed for not promoting the low-carb community in the professional manner I have come to expect from myself. THANK YOU!
I don't know about you, but the traditional art of cooking up a delicious home-cooked meal that takes hours in the kitchen to prepare are long gone in the year 2006. It's sad that we have such fast-paced lives, but it is the reality of the day. Sometimes I wish we could go back to the time when life was savored and people actually sat down together to enjoy a meal together while getting to know one another better. Sigh.
Anyways, I have an excellent recipe that will remind you of those classic dishes that Mom used to make today while conforming to the time constraints of living in modern society. It uses several nutritious high-quality low-carb ingredients, including shrimp, snow peas, extra virgin olive oil and water chestnuts. Compliments of our friends at Low-Carb Connoisseur, this recipe is sure to delight every friend and family member who is privileged to have a meal with you.
Remember to enjoy your time together with those you care about the most because you are never guaranteed how long you will have to spend with them before the good Lord decides to take you or them home. Make sure you have more "I'm glad I did" moments rather than the "I wish I had" moments when you reflect back on your life someday. Never regret showing more love, compassion, and friendship in a world that has become increasingly hateful, cold-hearted, and antagonistic.
Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. For this recipe, be sure to blanch the snow peas and sear the shrimp to save time. ENJOY!
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle shrimp with salt, Emeril's Asian Seasoning and toss.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until very hot. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 1-1/2 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, drop snow peas into boiling water, cook just 20 seconds, drain.
3. Add snow peas, water chestnuts and sauce to skillet with shrimp. Mix well and heat through briefly.
OPTIONAL RECIPE VARIATION: I was looking at this recipe and realized how easy it would be to incorporate Konjac shirataki noodles into this recipe in Step 3 of the cooking procedures and stir fry it with the other ingredients. Mmmm, I'm liking that! Give it a try to add some more fiber to this recipe without the extra carbs!
Watching the contestants when they hit the ranch looking for hope regarding their weight problem, seeing the trainers teach them to move their butts to take better care of their bodies, observing the new good habits they form regarding their diet, and cheering them all on to weight loss success along the way. What an amazing show you can't help but LOVE, especially if you are a weight loss success!
Earlier this year, the wildly popular success of "The Biggest Loser" in the United States spawned a spin-off show in the land down under--Australia! With that country dealing with a huge obesity problem just like the U.S., it made sense to have a show like this help inspire a country to be fit with citizens who live there. That's exactly what it did.
"The Biggest Loser" Australia used the same format that the American version did with a few twists and turns here and there. Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels were there as the on-air trainers for the Red and Blue teams respectively. They did run into a bit of controversy from health groups who blamed the show for not teaching good nutrition and "humiliating" the obese. Puh-leeze people! Lives are being changed forever and that's the best you've got?!
That inaugural season of "The Biggest Loser" Australia catapulted one man to instant celebrity status in his own country and he has been trying to catch his breath ever since--Adro Sarnelli! A man of few words, but driven to help as many people as he can get fit and trim while improving their health, Adro is just now slowing down from the whirlwind that hit him when he was declared "The Biggest Loser" Australia winner back in April.
Adro's post-"Biggest Loser" experience trainer Ray Kelly (read my interview with him in case you missed it!) produced this amazing training video of how he helped this young man lose over 130 pounds dropping from 319 pounds down to 187.5! It truly is remarkable what Adro was able to accomplish so quickly!
Despite the demands on his newfound busy life, Adro agreed to an interview with me for my blog and I'm proud to share it with you now. Be encouraged and inspired in your own weight loss efforts by this incredible man named Adro!
1. First of all, Adro, CONGRATULATIONS on being named the very first "Biggest Loser" in Australia. How does having that title make you feel?
THANK YOU, JIMMY! TO BE QUIET HONEST HAVING THE TITLE IS PROBABLY THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT FOR ME TO DATE IN MY LIFE. IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO KNOW THAT I DID IT.
2. As someone who has gone through the process of overcoming a weight problem myself, I understand the many challenges that face those who desire to defeat obesity once and for all. What do you consider the single-biggest reason why you were so successful at weight loss?
THE SINGLE BIGGEST REASON I WAS SO SUCCECCFUL I WOULD HAVE TO SAY IS BECAUSE I HAD HEAPS OF SUPPORT, MAINLY AT THE BEGINNING WHEN YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO WANT TO GIVE UP.
3. Please share a story about any specific moments during your weight loss when you felt like losing weight just wasn't worth it anymore and you wanted to give up. What did you do to push yourself through those times?
THERE WAS ONE TIME WHERE I HAD WORKED OUT AND DIETED HARD FOR A WEEK DURING THE TAPING OF THE BIGGEST LOSER AND I ONLY LOST 600G (that's about 1.3 pounds). THAT WAS ALL I LOST FOR A WHOLE WEEK'S WORTH OF VERY HARD WORK? THEN I REASSESSED THE SITUATION AND LOOKED INTO DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR MY DIET AND OTHER LIFESTYLE CHANGES AND IT REALLY STARTED WORKING FOR ME. I THINK I JUST NEEDED TO REALLY TAKE CONTROL OF IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.
4. Weight loss is as much mental as it is physical. How did you prepare yourself mentally in the beginning or during the process of losing weight to get to where you are today?
WELL, MY SITUATION WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THEN SETTING OUT TO NORMALLY LOSE WEIGHT. BECAUSE OF BEING ON THE SHOW, I HAD TO PUSH AND I WAS IN THE POSITION WHERE I COULDN’T REALLY GIVE UP. SO I GUESS IN THAT SENSE I WAS A LITTLE MORE SPOILED THAN MOST PEOPLE WHO TRY TO LOSE WEIGHT. BUT I THINK THE BEST PREPARATION IS TO TRY AND LOOK FORWARD AND SEE WHERE AND HOW YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU'RE DONE AND REALIZE THAT YOU CAN'T GET THERE IF YOU DON'T GET UP TODAY.
5. Having the help of professional trainers certainly can't hurt people in their weight loss efforts. Why don't you brag a little bit on your experience with your trainers and tell us specifically how they helped you better understand why exercise is so important to weight maintenance?
I COULD GO ON FOREVER ABOUT THE EFFECTS THAT BOB (Harper) AND JILLIAN (Michaels) HAD ON ME AND MY WEIGHT LOSS IN THE HOUSE AND THEN RAY (Kelly) OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE, BUT I THINK THE THREE OF THEM WERE ALL UNITED ON ONE THING AND THAT IS EDUCATION. TEACHING ME THAT BY DOING THIS I WILL ACHIEVE A CERTAIN RESULT AND MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE I KNOW THEY WERE ALL 3 GREAT TRAINERS BECAUSE WHILE WE WERE WORKING ON THE BODY THEY WERE HELPING ME SORT OUT MY HEAD AS WELL. I REALLY FEEL THAT IS WHAT WILL MAKE THIS EFFORT STAND OUT FROM THE REST.
6. As someone who lost over 180 pounds following a low-carb lifestyle and keeping it off for two years, I know this way of eating works as a permanent method for losing weight. What has your low-carb experience been like and do you think you will continue to eat this way forever?
I WILL DEFINITELY EAT THIS WAY FOREVER! I TRY AND FIND LOW-CARB SUBSTITUES FOR WHAT I CAN AND I CERTAINLY DON'T EVER EAT ANY STARCHY CARBS AFTER MID-DAY. I NOW KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT HOW I GOT AS BIG AS I DID AND I REALIZE THAT THE CARBS HAD A MAJOR NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MY LIFE BEFORE MY WEIGHT LOSS.
7. Obviously after your enormous weight loss in a short period of time, you had some excess, loose, hanging skin to contend with all over your body. I can certainly relate and hope someday to have it taken care of myself. How about you? What are you doing to deal with this very real problem for those of us who lost a lot of weight?
YES, I HAVE HEAPS OF EXCESS SKIN LEFT AFTER THE WEIGHT LOSS. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW FAST I LOST WEIGHT BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE IT NO MATTER WHAT BECAUSE I HAD IT ALL BEFORE I LOST WEIGHT AND WORSE NOW. I AM ACTUALLY GOING IN FOR SURGERY ON OCTOBER 3, 2006 TO HAVE MY FIRST OPERATION WHICH IS THE BODY LIFT. THEN I WILL GET MY ARMS, MAN BOOBS, AND THIGHS DONE ON NOVEMBER 14, 2006. MOST OF ALL, THESE SURGERIES ARE FOR ME TO HAVE CLOSURE ON THE WHOLE IDEA OF NOT BEING A FAT GUY ANYMORE.
ACTUALLY, I AM MAKING A DOCUMENTARY FILM ON THE EFFECTS OF WEIGHT AND WEIGHT LOSS WHICH I AM SELF PRODUCING AND HOPE THAT IT WILL CLEAR UP A LOT OF PEOPLE'S FEARS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE WEIGHT HAS BEEN LOST. IT WILL ALSO DEAL WITH A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN STREAMING THROUGH MY HEAD SINCE LOSING THE WEIGHT.
8. You are now committed to helping others who struggle with weight loss and declining health find a way to rise above their problems through your new health clubs called "The New Me." What made you want to start this new business venture in your life and where do you see it taking you in the foreseeable future?
I WANTED TO HELP MORE PEOPLE WHEN I REALIZED THAT I HAD THE ABILITY TO DO IT. MY WHOLE LIFE I WAS MADE TO FEEL AND THINK THAT I WAS FAT AND COULD NEVER BE ANYTHING ELSE. THAT WAS MY RACE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO THINK OF IT THAT WAY AND NOW I HAVE SEEN THAT IT'S JUST NOT TRUE. SO I WANT TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE REALIZE THAT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO LOSE WEIGHT. I WANT AS MANY PEOPLE TO TO SEE THAT IS TRUE ABOUT THEMSELVES AS I CAN. THE NEW ME CENTERS WHEN THEY COME ALONG ARE GOING TO BE THE GREATEST CONCEPT IN LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT THAT HAS EVER HIT AUSTRALIA!
9. Obesity is a problem that does not seem to be going away anytime in the near future. If Adro was in charge of the world's health and had the power to effect change in health policies, especially in regards to obesity, what would you recommend?
WOW, THAT’S A MASSSIVE QUESTION! I THINK I WOULD FIRST START WITH MAKING CLASSES IN SCHOOL THAT ARE LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT AND NOT JUST PHYSICAL EDUCATION. WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTRALIA A VERY POOR EDUCATION SYSTEM WHEN IT COMES TO FITNESS. THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT IF THEY TAKE THE COCA-COLA OUT OF THE SCHOOLS THAT THE KIDS WILL BE BETTER OFF.
INSTEAD OF MAKING IT A CURRICULUM THAT IS STUDIED SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THE HOWS AND WHYS OF OBESITY, I THINK I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO START A BIGGEST LOSER-STYLED COMPETITION FOR ALL THE TOWNS THROUGH THE SCHOOLS AND GET THE GOVERNMENT TO FUND THE PROGRAM. AS MUCH AS THEY WAIT FOR THE PROBLEM TO HIT BEFORE DECIDING TO FIX IT, I REALLY THINK THEY SHOULD LOOK AT SOLVING THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT STARTS. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN TRYING TO FIND A CURE AFTER THE FACT. OH, AND I WOULD BAN ALL CIGARETTES!!!
10. Your fellow countrymen and women in Australia as well as millions of Americans are so proud of what you and the other "Biggest Loser" contestants have done to forever alter your lives for the better. Do you think shows like "The Biggest Loser" are making any difference at all in people who need to lose weight or are they just making for feel-good television?
THAT’S A TRICKY QUESTION. I THINK THE SHOW IS DEFINITELY HAVING AN AMAZING IMPACT ON PEOPLE. I GET E-MAILS ALL THE TIME FROM PEOPLE TELLING ME HOW WELL THEY HAVE DONE WITH THEIR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS BECAUSE OF THE SHOW. BUT I ALSO THINK IT IS JUST ENTERTAINMENT TO MANY PEOPLE THEN IT IS AN INSPIRATION TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT. BUT IF WE CAN JUST CHIP AWAY AT THE OBESITY PROBLEM ONE PERSON AT A TIME, THEN IT WILL WORK.
11. While your weight loss is still relatively new and you are probably still getting used to the skinny Adro (trust me, it takes a while to adjust to NOT being fat!), can you share any words of wisdom with my readers who are desperate and searching for a way to slay the obesity monster in their life?
HERE IS SOMETHING I LIKE TO SAY, IF YOU COULD TASTE THE SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS FOR JUST ONE SECOND; THEN I GURANTEE YOU THAT YOU WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO GET IT FOR YOURSELF.
THANK YOU, Adro, and CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss success. Even more importantly, I am so proud to know that someone else who felt hopeless about their obesity is now out there challenging and encouraging others to get healthy, too! Be sure to keep up with what Adro Sarnelli is doing by visiting his web site at AdroHealth.com.
Taking the dLife message to the urban streets this Sunday on CNBC
This Sunday, October 1, 2006, there is another brand new episode of the health-oriented CNBC program dLife that is chock full of some excellent information for people who are diabetic or are livin' la vida low-carb.
It will feature a segment helping diabetics and low-carbers make good choices about how they can cut down on the carbohydrates their bodies don't need when dining out in a fast food restaurant (if you must!). My friend Carla Gray from "The Low-Carb Fast Food Diet" would be so proud. :)
Brown and Coleman care very deeply about improving minority health
Also, you won't want to miss a special interview discussion featuring comedian and dLife host J. Anthony Brown as he tours the streets with minority diabetes health expert Dr. Lenore Coleman talking about diabetes in the hood and what can be done to slow the exponential increases of Type 2 diabetes among the African-American population in America. You WON'T want to miss this!
Tune in to dLife on Sundays at 7:00pm for diabetes info you can use
Remember to watch dLife on Sunday night at 7:00PM EST on CNBC!
New York City pushing more progressive government with trans fat ban
Have you heard the news about what New York City public health officials have proposed to do in that city? After their recent ban on all smoking in restaurants and bars in the Big Apple, now they want a zero tolerance policy for any restaurant cooking food in the most evil fat to ever be exposed to mankind: trans fats!
This USA Today column gives all the sordid details. The proposal states that a new regulation needs to be implemented to REQUIRE all restaurants to eliminate trans fats from their cooking procedures by April 2007. This ban on trans fats would apply to ANY business that sells food to the public in New York City. The fines that restaurants could face for not complying with this new regulation will range from $200-$2,000 per violation.
There was a second proposal on the table to also REQUIRE the restaurant chains to list the calories of their menu items in a conspicous place for consumers to know what they are eating before they purchase it. This would impact companies like Starbucks, Subway, Burger King and McDonald's, among many others. This requirement will only apply to those restaurants that already have their nutritional information provided on the Internet or in brochures by March 1, 2007.
Not surprisingly, the restaurant industry which boasts sales of a staggering $511 BILLION annually from nearly a BILLION restaurants in the United States alone, is crying foul to these proposals. They say that consumers are intelligent enough to know what the nutritional content of what they are eating before they order it and don't need such draconian measures by the government to tell them how and what to eat.
Well, that's right and it's wrong. Let me explain.
The idea of forcing a business to stop using trans fats in their products assumes that the people who are eating them don't realize what they are shoving in their mouth when they eat fast food. But this poll of Canadians released last year showed that they are more aware of trans fats now and are paying attention to that particular ingredient now more than ever before. The same probably holds true in America as well. So, the awareness of the dangers of trans fats is already there.
What a lot of people may not know about is the little trick the FDA allows companies regarding the nutritional labeling. While a food product may be deemed "trans fat-free," that does not mean there is ZERO trans fats in them! GASP! How can this be? Well with rounding that is permitted those "trans fat-free" Oreo cookies you eat may have as much as 0.49 grams per 2 cookie serving. If you eat 12 of them, then you just consumed 2.94 grams of tran fats, higher than the MAXIMUM 2 grams recommended by the American Heart Assocation. Something to think about.
At the same time, how can we trust companies like McDonald's who got into trouble earlier this year for miscalculating the amount of trans fats in their French fries? If they SAY they drop their trans fats completely, does that really mean their food will be trans fat-free? Don't bet on it. Let's forget about KFC and all the trans fats that are hidden in their food, too. Trans fats are most definitely unhealthy for you and have been scientifically proven to make people one-third fatter as well. Yikes!
So is a total ban on trans fats--A GENUINE ONE--the answer to this problem? With kids eating more fried junk food than ever before, does Big Brother government need to come in and compel behavioral change to slow down skyrocketing obesity rates?
My answer may surprise a lot of people, but I say no.
What?! But I thought you were all for helping to improve the health and weight of people? I am, but not when it is forced on businesses and people with a government mandate. Government and health leaders are proposing throwing more money at the obesity problem, but more money isn't the answer. They also want restaurants to cut their portion sizes and calories, but those things aren't the answer either.
And neither is banning trans fats in New York City restaurants. That DOESN'T fix the underlying problem that people have in this country as it relates to the foods they eat and how that impacts their weight and health. People who are obese need to be gently confronted about their weight by those friends and family members who love them the most to encourage them to start making better food choices. Educating people about making those decisions that are best for them is what is going to bring about the most change.
It's amazing, but people are always saying to me now, "That's easy for you to say, you don't have a weight problem." That's right, I don't--ANYMORE! But it was just a little more than couple of years ago I was walking around this world as 400+ pound man looking for answers to my morbid obesity problem, too. I found the low-carb lifestyle and it changed my life forever. If you resolve today that nothing will stand in the way of your weight loss success, then IT CAN and IT WILL happen for you like it did for me. Find a plan that will work for you, implement that plan into your life, and then keep doing it forever. That is what it takes to find weight loss success.
Best of all, you won't need the government forcing it on you either!
Top Australian personal trainer Ray Kelly with prodigy Adro Sarnelli
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of telling you about a brand new web site from Australian personal trainer Ray Kelly called Free-Online-Health.com. Anyone who can compile so much power-packed and useful information about getting healthy and fit in a FREE web site deserves a medal. Well, how about an interview instead, Ray? :)
After most recently helping Adro Sarnelli become Australia's first "Biggest Loser" winner, Ray is now promoting his personal training services at a brand new web site called RayKellyFitness.com. From the encounters I have had with him this year, I have found this man to be one of the most approachable people you will ever meet. Plus, it helps that he knows a thing or two about getting into shape which is what he will discuss in my interview with him.
1. G'day mate! So glad to have you join us here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog today. We're ready to have a crikey good time today with a certified trainer from Australia named Ray Kelly. Okay, enough of this American boy from the South trying to speak Australian! :D But if you want to know about health and fitness, then this is your man! Ray, give us a little bit of background into how you got interested in exercise, health and diet. Where did it all begin?
I’ve been involved in sport since I was quite young. I started martial arts when I was 4 years old and played many sports right through school. I was quite a small boy though (only weighed 103 pounds at 17 years old!) and always wanted to join a fitness center but was too intimidated. At 19, I had a scrum collapse on me playing Rugby and as part of my rehabilitation I had to join a gym. This is where my love of exercise began. From that point on all I wanted to do was become a trainer.
Since making that decision, I’ve graduated with a Degree in Exercise Science, trained thousands of people, managed Fitness Centers, and trained Olympic and World Champion athletes. It’s been a great journey so far and I feel pretty lucky to be working in an industry I’m passionate about!
2. When I set out to lose weight back in 2004 after I tipped the scales at 410 pounds, I knew I would need not only a solid nutritional plan, but also a solid fitness plan. What kind of exercise do you recommend for people who have never exercised a bit in their life and are looking to lose a lot of weight?
Light exercise! If you’re starting out you really can’t beat walking. Some people find it boring but you can overcome that by listening to music, taking a friend, or walking a different route each day.
For those of you with higher aspirations, I’ve actually just finished writing a ’15 Stage Walk-to-Run Program’. It starts with full weekly exercise programs for those that can only walk for 5 minutes, and goes all the way up to those able to run for 60 minutes. You start at your current fitness level and then move on to each successive stage until you reach the top. I’ll have it on my web site soon!
3. You played an active role in the inaugural season of the hit show "The Biggest Loser" when it came to Australia earlier this year, including mentoring the eventual winner Adro Sarnelli. What was that experience like for you?
It was a great experience because I was already a fan of the show, and I’m also ultra competitive! It was actually a lot like my time working with athletes. The contestants are prone to injury given their size, fitness level, and training load. To overcome this we planned every day of Adro’s life right up to the final weigh in, every training session (6+ hrs per day), and every meal and snack.
The show has its detractors because of the unrealistic training regimen the contestants get put through but on the positive side the show really does inspire millions of people to start exercising. It brings awareness to the problem and that has to be a good thing. Larger people are feeling much more comfortable exercising in public, and it’s also giving those that have never had a weight problem an insight into what it’s like.
4. Now you and Adro have joined forces to create "The New Me" weight loss center to help other Australians lose weight and shape up. How is that going so far and what kind of impact do you expect it to have on the obesity epidemic in your country?
The online program should be up and running in a few weeks but we’re still yet to find the right premises for the center. A lot of people followed Adro through his weight loss journey and they can really relate to him. This puts him in a strong position to educate people, and it’s a role he doesn’t take lightly. We’re both very passionate about this and we have big plans.
5. Before I committed myself to daily exercise, I never realized how truly beneficial it was not only to my physical health, but also mentally and psychologically as a release from the stresses of life. What are the biggest obstacles that you see people have towards exercising? What can be done to help people overcome those obstacles?
The biggest obstacle is their mind. Weight loss is all about perspective. If you think it's too hard, then it is. If you think it's not important, then it's not. If you think you can't do it then you can't. Your perspective is your reality.
Once you put things into the right perspective, these things become a priority and nothing will stand in your way. You know what I’m talking about Jimmy because you’re living proof. I've seen it happen many times and it's an amazing thing to see. Kind of like a fire gets lit inside of someone. Totally awesome! We all have it inside us. It's just that some of us haven't realized it yet!
Many people think that exercise has to always be hard. It doesn’t. In fact you’ll get much better results if you vary the intensity of your training sessions. Sure, you need to push yourself sometimes but you also need to balance the ledger with some lighter training as well.
Another misconception about exercising for weight loss is people think they should be doing loads of push up and sit ups. You’re actually better off spending your time walking. You’d certainly burn more calories and receive greater gains in fitness. When it comes to weight loss, make cardio your priority. You only need to add resistance or abdominal work in for training variety.
6. Some of my readers have written me and asked for suggestions on how to incorporate exercise into their healthy low-carb lifestyle, but they have an injury or are unable to move their legs or arms. What exercises do you suggest for people in these circumstances?
It certainly depends on the individuals circumstances but exercising in a swimming pool is quite good if you have an injury. It doesn’t have to be swimming, you can just do laps with a kick-board, or even just walk. The buoyancy provided by the water will take a lot of strain off the weight-bearing joints.
Also, if it’s their arms that are injured then they could always walk or cycle. If it’s their legs...well you just can’t beat boxing to increase your fitness!
7. How often should people exercise to experience the maximum benefit to their body? Is it possible to get too much exercise?
That depends on how active you are in your day-to-day life. If you have a fairly active occupation then you’re probably doing enough. Unfortunately most people aren’t active enough, so to get the maximum benefit they really should do something every day.
It is possible to exercise too much but that really comes down to a balance between training load (total amount of exercise you do each week), training intensity, recovery (or sleep), and energy. An easy way to overcome this is to:
- Start your exercise program slowly - Increase the load and intensity gradually - Get at least 8 hours sleep each night - Ensure you’re eating enough
8. I know when I was losing weight two years ago, I would sometimes push myself to keep walking on that treadmill long after the signs of physical exhaustionhad hit me. What are the signs that people should watch out for to let them know it is time to stop their workout?
It’s funny Jimmy, the answer to this question is so obvious but many people will continue to push through because they think that exercise is so uncomfortable that this must be normal!
Symptoms such as light-headedness, feeling dizzy, cold or clammy skin, nausea, weak legs, or muscle and joint pain are sure signs that you need to stop for the day. Exercise will feel uncomfortable for many people but you shouldn’t feel like you’re going to die. If you get a well-designed training program you shouldn’t ever have to worry about this.
9. Please address this subject of carb-loading before an exercise routine. Do you ascribe to this theory or do you believe there is a better way to fuel cardiovascular exercise?
This concept was brought about as a means to provide endurance athletes (Marathoners, Triathletes, etc) with sufficient energy stores to compete at a high intensity, for a long period. In my time working with elite athletes I only dealt with their training, because they had a team of nutritionists working on their food intake. I can’t remember coming across any low-carb endurance athletes but Adro trained for 6-8 hours per day on a low-carb, 1200-calorie per day diet.
The human body can store an unbelievable amount of energy and anyone wanting to get the best out of their body during exercise should make sure they are consuming enough food across the whole week, rather than trying to ‘top up’ just before training.
10. THANK YOU again for sharing a few moments with us here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, Ray! Do you have any words of encouragement to share with my readers before you go?
Life really is short, it’s not just a slogan on a T-shirt. You don’t get a dress rehearsal. This is it, life is happening around you and you’re not getting the most out of it if you’re not healthy. Health is everything (ask anyone who has lost it). Improve your health and see how different the world looks. Don’t be one of those people that believes they have to be skinny to be healthy. You can be overweight and healthy, so no matter what your size get out there and start exercising today. You won’t regret it!
Wasn't that an awesome interview?!?! I love Ray Kelly and am so glad that people like him exist in this world. The work he did to help Adro Sarnelli win "The Biggest Loser" Australia was unbelievable and I wish him continued success with helping others lose weight and get fit in Australia. Speaking of Adro, I will be posting an interview I did with him tomorrow! You WON'T want to miss that!
A tall glass of Italian soda will taste great with pizza--and it's low-carb!
I've got special back-to-back recipes to share with you today because they actually complement each other and would make for an excellent beverage and food combination for dinner sometime soon.
The first recipe compliments of our friends at Low-Carb Connoisseur includes a special ingredient: DaVinci Peppermint Paddy syrup. This bright green Splenda-sweetened flavored syrup will bring back all the memories of that refreshing taste of peppermint that will cool your mouth and relax your body at the instant it touches your tongue. Get ready to experience luxury, baby!
Fill a 16 oz glass 3/4 full of ice. Cover ice with sparkling water and add other ingredients. Mix well. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Yields one 16-ounce serving.
Gulp, gulp, gulp...AHHHHHHH! Man that was so good.
How about a low-carb pizza to go with that drink, huh?
Compliments of our low-carb blogging and video-making machine friend Kent Altena, this low-carb recipe is sure to delight everyone whether they are livin' la vida low-carb or not.
KENT'S FAMOUS LOW-CARB PIZZA
4 oz softened cream cheese 4 eggs 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated) 1 tbs chives 1/2 tsp Italian or pizza seasoning 2 cups shredded cheese (I use mozzarella /cheddar mix) 1/2 tsp wet garlic or 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 cup lowest carb tomato or pizza sauce 1 cup mozzarella cheese Low-carb toppings of your choice to taste
Click here to read the directions about how to make this recipe. Special thanks again to Kent Altena for sharing this with us. :) The video he tried to make about how to make this pizza didn't turn out very good, so Kent decided just to post the recipe. It looks so yummy, too! THANKS, Kent!
Click on the MP3 logo to listen on your computer's audio player or you can click on the PopUp Player to hear the show in a tiny box while you are surfing the Internet. Prepare to be entertained and educated with this week's episode:
We have a special guest, Megin Hatch from Career Mom Radio. Megin is a triathelete and she shares her personal story this week about what drives her on her quest for fitness.
Our new friend Sara from Sri Lanka sends us a tip and a question about the Glycemic Index which I had the privilege of providing the answer to about what are some surprising low-glycemic foods she can eat.
Can you envision a low-carb talk radio show? It could happen!
I have some exciting news to share with today as well as a challenge to any business that believes in the principles of livin' la vida low-carb and the work I am doing here at my blog.
Ever since I first started writing at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, my vision was to take the low-carb message well beyond the borders of my little corner of the Internet into places where people can get educated, inspired and encouraged to start doing something about their weight and health. That's why I decided to get involved with LowCarbNewsline.com, CommonVoice.com, CarbWire.com, WLTips.com, WeightLossBuddy.com, and HealthHacksPodcast.com, among other projects. These involvements keep me VERY busy, but my sights have always been on something bigger than the Internet.
Well, that opportunity may have just presented itself to me today in the form of something that sounds extremely exciting to me--"Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" The Radio Show! You heard me right. The local powerhouse radio station in the Greenville/Spartanburg, SC radio market has offered me a half-hour or one-hour show to talk about issues of health, diet and nutrition. They were so impressed with what I have done at my blog that they wanted to give me a chance to take it to the radio. Plus, they do not currently have ANYONE talking about this subject at any point during the week.
The open slot is from 6:00-7:00am on Saturday mornings and they will pretty much let me run the show as I see fit. They want it be information-driven with me discussing the latest research and health articles from my unique perspective as a low-carber with open telephone lines for people to call in with their questions and comments. I did a little Christian radio back in the 1990's and hosted a weekly countdown show, so I'm familiar with broadcasting from that experience.
I don't know about you, but this is a HUGE open door to have the message of livin' la vida low-carb go out across the airwaves in a rare opportunity in the year 2006. The radio station is unconcerned about the supposed "dangers" of the low-carb lifestyle and instead like the way I present information about weight loss and healthy living.
But...(you knew there was one of these somewhere, didn't you?)
The only problem is that I need sponsors for the show. Radio may be free to the listeners, but it does cost money to be on the air. Therefore, I am looking for enthusiastic businesses who are willing to step up and support a program like this. This really is unprecedented for a local station to have a "low-carb" radio show when low-carb is supposed to be dead.
I would love to see the show do so well that they have to move it to a better time slot and maybe even get offers to have it syndicated in other markets. Call me a dreamer, but I can see that happening if the right elements come together. But getting my foot in the door to be on the radio to talk about what we all agree is one of the most important issues of our time is the very first step and something I couldn't pass up.
Each show costs $350 for a half-hour segment, so basically $700 for the one-hour show. I'm looking for sponsors who would like to have their businesses featured on the program in a live spot during the show. If you are the owner or decision-maker at your company and think this is a good marketing decision for your company, then please contact me ASAP at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Please provide me the name of your company, the contact person I need to speak with, a telephone number, and a brief description of the company or products you would like featured on the show.
I will also agree to provide a link and logo at my blog under a "Radio Sponsors" listing to show the people visiting my web site who is helping me bring the radio show to the airwaves. It will also allow the people listening to the show to find the advertisers easier when I point them to visit the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog.
Like I said, this show could build up into something so big and outstanding for the sake of low-carb that I am looking for people who share that same vision to take this message to the world in any way that we can. Yes, even a radio show!
I welcome your thoughts and comments about the prospect of this show.
Kevin-Kennedy Spaien discusses health, podcasting and the new media
I recently told you about a brand new project I joined called the Health Hacks Podcast. The Executive Producer of the show is my blogging friend Kevin Kennedy-Spaien (remember when we referred to him as Mister Tut?) asked me to join the Health Hacks Posse to talk about health, diet and fitness in a weekly show. Oh what fun this has been so far!
If you have missed these incredible podcasts, then go listen to them:
Kevin was kind enough to give me a few moments of his very busy schedule to talk about the hottest health podcast show on the Internet today (of course, I'm a bit biased!):
1. I'm pleased to welcome to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog today a friend and fellow podcaster, Kevin Kennedy-Spaien. I met Kevin in 2005 through his Health-Hacks web site and he recently asked me to join him in a new project called the Health Hacks Podcast. As the Executive Producer of this up-and-coming new podcast, what did you expect from starting such a unique and entertaining way to talk about health?
Thanks, Jimmy. I expected to bring a certain much needed resource to the people. In a word, Motivation. There's so much information available on fitness, diet and health...almost an embarrassment of riches. So why are people still not with the program? Why is America currently on a trajectory toward universal obesity by the year 2058?
My answer is motivation. Look at people who are successful--they've got it. Something piqued their interest and they discovered their entree to the world of fitness and health. Maybe it was an ad for Tae Bo, Maybe it was Sweatin' With The Oldies, or square dancing at the YMCA as a kid. Perhaps it was even reading about the Atkins metabolic advantage on web sites like the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog.
But you know what? Something sparked that interest in those people and they learned that healthy habits make you feel even more enthused and motivated. My goal is for us to be one of those enabling paths. We use smart words, humor, original ideas from real people and energetic music to create a 20-30 minute blast of thoughtful inspiration each week.
2. The Health Hacks Podcast includes a wide variety of voices in the field of health, diet, fitness and nutrition. Tell my readers a little more about the featured contributors and why they were chosen to be the inaugural "posse" for the Health Hacks Podcast.
The first group of contributors to join the Podcast Posse were people I've interacted with in the past. Of course you and I have been pals since we both started our sites at around the same time. How could I not invite one of the most outspoken and enthusiastic writers on any kind of diet to participate?
Reinhard Engels, I came to know through the No S diet forums while I was working on a story about that plan. I was impressed by all the systems he developed to help him in his own life, and I wanted to help get that message out to the world.
I've been very lucky that you and he shared my vision for using the power of the spoken word to spread the message of health, fitness and motivation. Where did I get that vision? Chris Brogan.
Chris has catapulted to pretty major status in the Web2.0/New Media industry during 2006. I became aware of him through his writing at Lifehack.org, a Technorati 100 blog. One day he signed a post with "Add me as a myspace friend." So, I did.
I mentioned to him that I often quote his work at my blog Health-Hack.com and asked him if he "wanted to cross-pollinate." He went and checked out HHDC and then asked me to team up with him and two other Executive Producers in building a podcast network around his show "Fat Guy Gets Fit" and the other properties Career Mom Radio (careermomradio.com) and The Great Big Small Business Show (GBSBS.com). After he showed me this world, I fell in love with the idea.
3. Are you open to having more voices join the conversation? If so, how can interested individuals go about sharing their insights and experiences regarding health with the Health Hacks Podcast?
Always. Always, always, always. The easiest way to send us a quick idea is to call our comment line at 978-416-BE-OK (that's 978-416-2365) which is free if you call from someone else's phone! The other way is to send an MP3 to kevinks@grasshoppernewmedia.com. If we can use it, we will.
Don't feel that you need to conform to a diet or fitness perspective we've already discussed. We are looking for new and different ideas based on empirical knowledge. All we ask is that you be respectful of the dietary paths of others. Oh yes, and iTunes has us listed as a G-rated show, so don't be a potty mouth (I struggle with that one, myself!).
Try to give a tip or some kind of immediately actionable item in your submission, so people have something tangible to take away from your story. Also, make sure to put your passion in your voice!
4. You said on a recent Health Hacks Podcast that you are still searching for the right way of eating for you and that you are attempting to put the best parts of all the diets you have been on to create your own "Frankendiet." How's that going for you? Share what you are doing and what kind of success you have seen so far.
Well, it's not so much about finding the perfect diet for me, it's more just a pure experiment to see what could be done about bringing a "concordance" to the different things we'd been discussing. I've now lost about 8 pounds, and a pants size. I need to get a new belt as well, as I'm still loose on the last notch.
5. As a former low-carber, why did you feel the need to quit livin' la vida low-carb? What was it about the low-carb lifestyle that made you stop doing it altogether?
I'm not certain that I'd call myself a former low carber. Former Atkins, perhaps. I still firmly believe that useless carbs are the worst kind of sabotage we can inflict on ourselves. However I and many others no longer believe that BDK is the only way... I think even Dr. Atkins towards the end softened his stance on BDK being necessary to low carb weight loss.
And, of course, the very, very smart Dana Carpender is still my idol.
6. Are there any lessons you learned from your low-carb experience that will stick with you for the rest of your life?
I'm old enough to remember when the low-fat craze began. I vividly remember people going around saying "Did you know that popcorn and potatoes aren't really fattening? It's all the butter people use that's the real problem."
Fast forward to the point where I became obese a few years later, and then the point a decade after that when I discovered Atkins. I very quickly learned a few things at that point.
1. Don't blindly trust conventional wisdom. 2. Don't trust the FDA to be completely impartial and devoid of political influence. 3. Different things work for different people, mostly (but not entirely) due to their own personal psychology.
7. A central theme of your segments on the Health Hacks Podcast has been getting more exercise into your life. You have done it by parking two blocks from your workplace and walking as well as taking the stairs to your desk. Are you doing any other kind of organized exercise? How much time daily do you think you have invested in your fitness routine since you first began this renewed commitment to physical activity?
It's hard to say. In real terms, about 20 minutes a day, but it has carry-over effects into the rest of my life. As I am getting fitter, I do more incidental walking and movement than I used to. Also, my improved metabolism is helping me burn more calories even when I'm sitting still.
My biggest prior weight loss, was associated with riding a bike for 20-30 minutes a day, but that isn't an option for me at this time.
8. Although the Health Hacks Podcast is still on a few weeks old, what has the response been like? What do you hope to see happen with the show by the time 2007 rolls around? In other words, define your idea of success for the Health Hacks Podcast.
Well, the show has been looked at by people from "real radio" with an eye toward syndication, but we were told that while the show is excellent overall, and the audio quality is OK by podcast standards, it isn't quite up to "broadcast" level. We're a new company (Grasshopper New Media) and we don't have the moolah (yet) to buy all of our people professional recording rigs and hire engineers. Personally I'm the under-the-hood guy for our show right now and I spend over 20 hours a week putting everyone's raw audio together into a finished package.
But really, I don't much care if we are listened to on the web, the radio, or even tin cans and string...What I do care about is just getting the message out and especially getting regular people like your readers and mine, to share their personal stories of struggles and triumphs toward fitness.
By next year, I want to see us with sufficient sponsorship to ensure this can be sustainable in the long run. I want to see people think of the Health Hacks Podcast as a sort of "This American Life" of health reportage. Further, expect to see more shows added to the GNM health channel, especially video- the wave of the future. Anyone who wants their own health show is free to pitch it to me because we're actively looking to have seven different shows for seven days. On down the line why not 24/7 programming, if it is sustainable?
9. You have an interesting job for someone who is so interested in health. Tell my readers what you do for a living and how that impacts your weight and health.
My day job is working for a major educational company. You'd know the name. It is a two hour commute each way from my home and back. This has cut a huge amount of time out of my life for fitness, as well as forcing a more sedentary lifestyle on me. This also lead to dietary "compromises" and "shortcuts". After a few years the weight started to creep back on, then a major depression and boom! All my weight loss I had worked so hard for was gone.
I realized I had to do a few things. First, stop BSing myself that I wasn't really depressed and get some help. For me, that meant medicine. Next was to find both dietary and fitness systems that I could shoehorn into my life, since my life couldn't be changed. That is still evolving even now, and as people tune in to our show, they will get an opportunity to learn with me as I explore ways of overlaying a healthy mindset over a chaotic and increasingly UNhealthy world.
10. THANK YOU again, Kevin, for sharing just a smidge of what's going on in your life and with your amazing new Health Hacks Podcast show right now. Do you have any parting words of wisdom and encouragement to share with the faithful "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog readers?
Share what you learn with others. Do it by yourself, or with others, just help spread the word that improved health is something anyone can earn. All it really means is taking simple deliberate steps towards an improved quality of life, not that you need to end up living in a gym and looking like a challa stuffed into a Speedo.
Be sure to tune in to brand new episodes of the Health Hacks Podcast on Wednesdays by clicking here.
9-28-06 UPDATE: Kevin blogged about his interview with me at his Health-Hacks.com web site today. He said he is getting a HUGE response from people interested in being a part of the Health Hacks Podcast. COOL!
People who know me now can vouch for the fact that I am a bona fide workout nut. As in, I go to the gym ALL THE TIME for my regular sessions of sweating and getting my heart rate up. I absolutely love the fact that I have made exercise a permanent habit that I fully intend on doing for the rest of my life. It's THAT important to me.
This is a far cry from the 410-pound morbidly obese slob that I was in early 2004. No energy, no motivation, no willingness to change...I was the proverbial ticking time bomb from a health standpoint. I needed to lose weight and start exercising as soon as possible or my days were numbered. That's a serious place to let yourself get into, but there I was!
My blogging friend Kent Altena was also in that same boat when he weighed over 400 pounds before the Atkins diet came to save him as well. But Kent and I will both stand here today and proudly give credit to our regular exercise regimens as much as our low-carb lifestyle for helping us become 200-pound weight loss success stories. That's why Kent's latest Atkins education video is on this subject of exercise.
Check out the video below:
ATKINS & EXERCISE: IT'S NON-NEGOTIABLE (PART 1)
When I decided to write my book about my low-carb experience, I KNEW exercise would need to have a chapter of its own. I called the chapter "Exercise Is Not A Dirty Word." As much as we want to bemoan and run kicking and screaming away from this important element to a healthy lifestyle, exercise is extremely important not only for weight loss, but also for improving your health.
Exercising causes people to notice you and is absolutely an integral part of your low-carb lifestyle. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about! Wanna see phenomenal results with low-carb? Then you will want to start exercising as soon as possible.
Kent notes in his video to start off slow or even ignore exercise early on as you begin changing your dietary habits which are usually the bigger problem for most people. I took this approach and did not exercise until month 2 of my Atkins diet. I lost 30 pounds in month 1, but adding exercise in month 2 helped me shed 40 pounds. WOW! That just motivated me to keep on exercising to see how much MORE I could lose. Of course, I went on to lose 180 pounds in 2004.
Although I can easily get through a 45-minute workout today burning 750-800 calories on the elliptical machine, I remember those early days of being the "fat guy" walking on the treadmill at 3mph for 20 minutes gasping for air. HELP ME, I CAN'T BREATHE! LOL! It's funny NOW that I'm a lot more physically conditioned to exercise, but it was a tough road early on. You can find out more about my exercise experiences in my book. Let's just say it wasn't always very pretty. :-~
Kent makes the excellent point that regardless of how long you exercise when you decide to do it, just start getting in the habit of exercise so you can learn to schedule it in your life. People who say they don't have time to exercise are lying to themselves. They have the time but they choose to fill it with something else. I go exercise on my lunch break just as I have for the past three years. The fine folks at the YMCA know me by name and can almost set their watch for my daily arrival.
As was stated on the video by Kent, you may not FEEL like exercising at first, but soon something very special will start to happen. You will have so much energy coming out of your body that you will WANT to exercise to let it all out of you. You'll become an exercise monster and start craving it like you used to crave chocolate cake. Sounds absurd, but you will!
Post your comments about Kent's latest video at his blog and don't forget to THANK him for the outstanding service he is doing for the low-carb community.
Last week was something else with my experimentation with intermittent fasting as recommended by low-carb expert Dr. Mike Eades. As you know, I didn't do so well on it and was only able to last five days on it.
I guess it did SOME good for my body since I lost another 4 1/2 pounds with it. Who knows if it was that or the continued Omega Diet I am on. Regardless, I'll take the weight loss and am happy to share my menu with you today. If you have been following my menus over the past few weeks, then you will notice something quite different in THIS week's menu!
As always, here are my supplements:
3 teaspoons of liquid multivitamin (no iron) 1 brick men's multivitamin (no iron) 200mg Co Q-10 200mcg Chromium Picolinate 250mg Acetyl L-Carnitine 1 brick B Complex Vitamins 6 tablets Shaklee Super Calcium Magnesium Plus 2 caplets Fibercon 2 softgels 1000mg each Flax Oil 2 softgels 1000mg each Fish Oil Concentrate
I drank lots of water and Diet Rite soft drinks. I have avoided all Nutrasweet-sweetened sodas for a month now as well as caffeine. Here was my menu and exercise routine from last week:
MONDAY 5:15AM - Atkins Shake 6:15PM - 8oz steak w/A-1, 3 grilled chicken tenderloins w/cheese & mayo 6:30PM - Sugar-free 1.1 oz dark chocolate bar (no maltitol) 6:45PM - 1 tablespoon of Naturally More Peanut Butter
EXERCISE: 80 minutes elliptical
TUESDAY 7:00AM - Atkins Shake 9:30AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 12:30PM - La Tortilla wrap w/4 eggs and mayo 5:30PM - 4 small grilled chicken tenderloins w/cheese and mayo 5:45PM - Sugar-free 1.1 oz milk chocolate bar (no maltitol)
EXERCISE: 40 minutes elliptical
WEDNESDAY 6:00PM - 30 oz prime rib w/horseradish, 1 1/2 cups greens w/eggs, cheese, bacon, sunflower seeds, and Ranch 9:15PM - Atkins shake
EXERCISE: 40 minutes elliptical
THURSDAY 7:45AM - Atkins Shake 10:45AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 11:45AM - ChocoPerfection dark chocolate bar 1:00PM - La Tortilla wrap with turkey, cheese and mayo 3:15PM - 3/4 cups almonds 5:30PM - 12oz prime rib w/A-1, 3 chicken tenderloins w/cheese and mayo 5:45PM - ChocoPerfection dark chocolate bar
FRIDAY 1:15PM - Grilled chicken salad w/greens, cheese, tomatoes, Ranch 2:45PM - Whole rotisserie chicken 3:30PM - 3/4 cup vanilla caramel pudding w/coconut oil and ChocoPerfection bar 9:15PM - 3/4 cup vanilla caramel pudding w/coconut oil and ChocoPerfection bar
EXERCISE: 35 minutes elliptical
SATURDAY 7:30AM - 2 eggs, 3 sausage patties, 1 smoked sausage 2:15PM - 4 chicken tenderloins w/Feta cheese 3:15PM - ChocoPerfection bar 7:15PM - La Tortilla Factory wrap w/turkey, cheese, mayo 8:15PM - Heavy whipping cream, DaVinci caramel syrup and ChocoPerfection bar melted together
EXERCISE: None
SUNDAY 8:15AM - Atkins Shake 11:45AM - 1 pound of BBQ w/no sauce 12:00PM - ChocoPerfection bar 4:00PM - Atkins Advantage Granola bar 6:45PM - 4 grilled chicken tenderloins w/Feta cheese and mayo 8:00PM - Sugar-free 1.1 oz chocolate mint bar (no maltitol)
EXERCISE: None
Did you notice what I did differently this past week? That's right, I added back more of the low-carb "products" that some low-carb purists turn their nose up at. I happen to LOVE my low-carb chocolates, peanut butter, Atkins bars and more. As long as it's not adversely affecting my weight loss, then what's the harm? That's my philosophy.
Interestingly, there was very little weight loss during the fasting part of my week. But once I got off of the intermittent fasting on Friday afternoon and over the weekend, I noticed the scale begin to drop even without any exercise on Saturday or Sunday (I had previous time commitments that prevented me from sneaking in my workouts). Even still, I was stoked about my weight loss and expect it to continue as I eat the way I have outlined in this menu...sans the fasting part! :D
Feel free to post your comments or questions and I'll be happy to address them.
I enjoy writing posts at my blog that garner lots of feedback from my readers. It's one of the goals I set out to accomplish when I begin typing at this keyboard each and every day. An honest, open debate of ideas that is inclusive of a variety of voices and opinions from one end of the spectrum to the other is what helps us expand our cranium and discover fresh, new perspectives about what we believe.
But anything you read from people who post at my blog should never be misconstrued by anyone that I necessarily agree with it or that it jives with what most low-carbers support. In other words, what you read in the comments section of my blog may not necessarily be the ideals and concepts of the Atkins diet. I've never required it to be and never will.
In a discussion of eating a healthy diet, Gerald Pugliese from "Disease Proof" lamented that not everyone will follow Dr. Fuhrman's vegetarian diet because they don't see any value in eating vegetables.
Who the hell cares about the veggies anyway? You don't need them and there is absolutely nothing essential about them. Don't let the acculturated veggie sympathizers tell you otherwise.
Pretty crazy right? Especially since even the Atkins Diet calls for the daily consumption of vegetables.
That quote from my recent blog post showing one of my weekly low-carb menus is from none other than Rob from the "Zero Carb Daily" blog. Most of my readers already know that he is on a zero-carb, carniverous diet as his way to lose weight and get healthy.
However, people who follow the Atkins diet DO eat daily amounts of vegetables, Mr. Pugliese! If you go back to that same post where Rob made his comments that you quoted and actually LOOKED at the low-carb menu I posted, then you will see something very peculiar: VEGGIES, VEGGIES, VEGGIES! Duh!
To extrapolate one blog reader's comments and interpret them as what everyone who visits and reads that blog believes about livin' la vida low-carb is irresponsible. Just as everything I write in this forum is not necessarily what some low-carbers believe, the same is so for the people who post comments.
This probably has more to do with Furhman and his team's utter disdain for the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins than it does about getting the facts right about what the Atkins diet and its followers actually follow. If you are interested, Mr. Pugliese, a survey last year found that low-carbers eat DOUBLE the amount of vegetables than before their low-carb lifestyle. Sorry to rain on your parade, but that's the cold hard truth.
As for Rob, well, he's slamming my "Omega Diet" that I am following right now claiming that he's "roughly keeping pace" with my weight loss. But what Rob conveniently forgets is that I don't have near as much weight to lose as he does right now.
When I was losing my weight back in 2004, it was coming off at about a 5-7 pound weekly average. Now that I'm much lower in weight, I SHOULDN'T be losing more than a pound or two every week. That's why I started my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. Even still, to date I have lost 21 pounds in two months and will continue to strive for losing another 20 pounds by the end of February.
Rob, when you lose 180 pounds, keep it off for two years, and then seek to lose another 30-40 pounds, then you can come back and talk all you want about how zero carb is helping you. Until then, your analogy of my weight loss with your weight loss efforts is simply apples and oranges, my friend. Nice try, though.
Whether I make it to my goal of 199 or not is not as important as the changes I have made in my life since I started livin' la vida low-carb almost three years ago. I gladly eat healthy carbohydrates as most low-carb followers do which includes nuts, berries and non-starchy veggies, along with meats, cheeses, and eggs. Rob has his strong opinions about these foods and that's fine with me. But the fact is you CAN lose weight and get healthy eating carbohydrates (even if they are greatly reduced from what I used to eat!). I'm living proof!
So, Mr. Pugliese, you might want to go back to your boss Dr. Fuhrman and remind him that Rob doesn't speak for all practicing low-carbers and neither do I. We are simply presenting opinions to help others make their own decisions about what to do about their weight and health.
To quote Dr. Furhman from his "Eat To Live" book:
"I do not expect the majority of individuals to live this healthfully. However, they should at least make that decision being aware of the facts rather than having their food choices shaped by inaccurate information."
That's all I want for people as well. Let THEM make the decision based on everything they learn about the healthy low-carb lifestyle whether it is for them or not. When we stop hyperbolizing what low-carb living is, then people can make wise choices for themselves. That's all I ask.
9-27-06 UPDATE: I attempted to respond to comments made by someone named Helena who posted remarks about me and my blog at the "Disease Proof" blog today and the adminstrators there have refused to post it. Are they afraid of dissenting opinions? Go ahead and try to send your own comment to see if they will post yours. That's such a shame from a web site purporting to spread information about health. That's the difference between what I do at my blog and these radical web sites like "Disease Proof."
9-28-06 UPDATE: Gerry Pugliese sent me an e-mail about my concerns today:
Hi Jimmy-
I noticed your post. There must be some kind of misunderstanding--we want your comments! As far as I have seen you have never even posted one on DiseaseProof. There are dissenting comments all the time. We have been pretty clear about our commenting policy. Every legit comment gets approved. Please try commenting and you'll see.
-Gerry Pugliese
My response to Gerry was the following:
THANKS for your note, Gerry. However, I have tried MANY times over the past year to post my comments to the "Disease Proof" web site in response to columns there and they have NEVER been published. Why? Are they ALL being blocked by a "spam filter?" That's just too convenient an answer and seems rather suspicious in my book. But, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and try to post something again in the future. THANKS again for e-mailing.
Anyone else having trouble posting comments at the "Disease Proof" blog? How about taking Gerry up on his offer to make dissenting comments. Try it NOW by clicking here.
Volek: High-Carb, Low-Fat Diet Useless To Health Apart From Weight Loss
Volek reveals some "important paradigm shifting" coming about low-carb
You always hear me talk about the tremendous research that is going on behind-the-scenes about the low-carb lifestyle. Unfortunately, you probably don't see a whole lot of the actual studies that are being conducted because much of the media is disinterested in sharing the amazing progress that has been made in the just the past few years. Even more exciting is that the best is yet to come.
One such researcher you need to know more about is Dr. Jeff Volek. I have blogged about him and Dr. Richard Feinman from the SUNY Downstate "connecting the dots" between metabolic syndrome and the low-carb answer to most of those conditions. More recently, you will recall that I told you about the $450,000 gift from Veronica Atkins and her Atkins Foundation to help promote Dr. Volek's work on low-carbohydrate diets and their impact on obesity and health.
Dr. Volek graciously agreed to be interviewed by me about his research and what he is doing to help share with others the incredible discoveries he has made about livin' la vida low-carb.
1. We are privileged to have with us today at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog another one of America's best researchers on the low-carbohydrate diet, Dr. Jeff Volek from The University of Connecticut. Welcome Dr. Volek and thank you for all that you are doing on behalf of the low-carb community with your studies into this incredible way of eating. How and why did you become so interested in nutritional science?
My background is in dietetics and I was a registered dietitian (R.D.) prior to going to graduated school. Initially, I was interested in how nutrition and dietary supplements could be used to optimize exercise performance. I still do a lot of work in this area, but my interests have subsequently shifted to how nutrition affects obesity, disease risk factors, and general health.
2. I have asked other researchers this question, but I'd love to hear your answer to it. What is a day in the life of Dr. Jeff Volek really like. What does a researcher do on a daily basis?
I'm a professor, so my major responsibilities are research, teaching, and service. Realistically, the majority of my time is spent working on research is some way. I'm very fortunate to have very brilliant collaborators and a team of highly motivated graduate students who work on the various research products. It is very exciting to go to work everyday because we have so many cutting edge research projects on low carbohydrate diets, and we have so many opportunities to make novel discoveries.
To be more specific about your question, my days start early and end late - and I'm thinking about low carbohydrate research in some way most of the day. It might be how to find money to support the research, analyzing existing data, solving problems that inevitably arise with human research, writing scientific papers and grants, planning logistical meetings for ongoing and future work, developing new hypotheses based on our findings, etc. It is just a fascinating field of study.
3. The University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education which you are a part of was recently endowed with a generous $450,000 donation from The Atkins Foundation for continuing research into low-carb diets. How important was that gift to the work you are doing and do you envision any groundbreaking results coming out of the work you are doing in the coming years?
This generous gift provides a tremendous boost to our already impressive line of research in low carbohydrate diets. I cannot thank Veronica Atkins and the Robert C. Atkins Foundation enough for their generosity that has made a huge difference to our laboratory and research program. This latest gift allows us to pursue some novel areas that would not have been possible.
We have already made some very important paradigm shifting findings from this gift, which we will be presenting very soon and publishing early next year. I can't let the cat out of the bag yet, but we will show how important the level of carbohydrate is in determining the fate of saturated fat and provide impressive data to support the concept that saturated fat is not atherogenic when carbohydrates are restricted.
4. Last year, you and Dr. Richard Feinman from SUNY Downstate joined forces to "connect the dots" between metabolic syndrome and the low-carb cure for that condition. What more evidence do doctors and other medical professionals need to realize this terrible condition that many of their patients have has a track record of being reversed by a low-carbohydrate diet?
I wish I knew the answer to this question. I think we have to continue to get the word out, because there are probably still a lot of physicians who are not aware of how much research exists showing the benefits of carbohydrate restriction. The media does not provide much support in promoting the science behind low carbohydrate, and certainly professional organizations openly discourage low carbohydrate diets. The impressive evidence supporting low carb, and the general failure of low fat to curb escalating rates of obesity and diabetes has to eventually lead us to a new place. I hope it is soon.
5. Your research over the past few years has provided a lot of evidence showing not only the effectiveness of programs such as the Atkins diet, but also the safety of being on such diets over longer periods of time. And yet the prevailing school of thought in 2006 among most people is that a low-carbohydrate approach is unhealthy, dangerous, and not for the long-term. How do those of us who have lost weight and kept it off eating this way counter such criticisms?
The idea that fat is the cause of heart disease has been deeply embedded since the diet heart hypothesis was put forth several decades ago. It also just makes sense that 'eating fat makes you fat'. Seems logical and people can understand that - why question it? Unfortunately it is dead wrong.
Eating fat does not make you fat, storing fat makes you fat. And carbohydrates play a major role in storing fat. So the level of dietary carbohydrate is really the most important factor to control because it dictates what happens to fat. Carbs are dominant and fat is passive. When carbohydrates are low, fat tends to be burned, and when carbohydrates are high dietary fat tends to be stored. The same holds true for the atherogenic effects of saturated fat. The body handles saturated fat better when carbohydrates are low.
6. You have done a lot of comparison studies of the low-carb diet vs. the low-fat diet. Describe some of the most notable differences that you have found in your research between these opposite eating plans, including the effect on weight loss and lipid profiles.
This is really fascinating. Low carbohydrate diets outperform low fat diets on just about every risk factor you can measure. This includes standard and emerging markers such as lipid markers, inflammatory markers, vascular markers, metabolic and hormonal markers, etc. The one notable exception is LDL cholesterol. Low fat diets tend to be better at lowering LDL cholesterol.
However, low fat diets create a type of small LDL cholesterol that is not so healthy. So even though low fat diets can reduce LDL cholesterol levels, the quality of the LDL can be impaired. Furthermore, low fat diets tend to worsen several of the risk factors that low carbohydrate diets improve like glucose, insulin, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol.
Finally, the improvements in metabolic risk factor on low carbohydrate diets are not dependent of weight loss, that is, even if you don't lose weight metabolic improvements persist. However, low fat diets only result in improvement in risk factors if weight loss occurs.
7. The "meat, cheese, and eggs" mentality about a low-carb diet is what most people believe eating low-carb is all about. And yet the low-carb diet you and your fellow researchers fed the people who participated in your study included lots of vegetables. Describe a typical day's low-carb menu for people who ate "low-carb" in your studies and provide the breakdown of the percentage of macronutrients consumed.
Our studies are very well controlled. The main goal is to have subjects restrict carbohydrates so that they produce ketones in the urine. The usual breakdown is about 10% carbohydrate, 65% fat, and 25% protein. There are no restrictions on the type of fat from saturated and unsaturated sources or cholesterol levels. Examples of foods consumed by the subjects included unlimited amounts of beef, poultry, fish, and eggs, moderate amounts of hard cheeses and low carbohydrate vegetables and salad dressings, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.
8. While the overriding message from the media and many health "experts" advocating healthy living principles is that consuming a high-fat, high-protein diet in combination with reduced carb consumption will lead to a worsening of the risk for heart disease, the truth is this nutritional approach has been shown to do just the opposite. What we never hear are the adverse effects of a low-fat diet on our health. Tell us a few of those based on your research.
The potential problem with low fat/high carbohydrate diets is that they can exacerbate the features associated with metabolic syndrome, unless you also exercise or lose weight as part of the low fat diet. High carbohydrate diets increase triglycerides, lower HDL-cholesterol, and lead to greater fluctuations in glucose and insulin. There is also an emerging concept that carbohydrates tend to be more pro-inflammatory. To some extent the over-emphasis on carbohydrates explains why we have seen such an increase in diabetes.
9. Do you think we will ever see the day when the low-fat diet is no longer recommended by our government and health leaders as the only way to lose weight and get healthy? If so, then do you believe it is possible the low-carb approach could someday be suggested side-by-side with the low-fat diet to give people a variety of ways to tackle their obesity and obesity-related diseases?
I hope so. Recent statistics still show that most segments of the population are continuing to get fatter. Our health care system cannot sustain this growth.
10. THANK YOU for agreeing to share some of your thoughts about livin' la vida low-carb with my blog readers today, Dr. Volek. We appreciate all that you are doing and look forward to seeing many great things out of you in the next few years. Do you have any parting comments to encourage any of my readers who are considering going on a low-carb diet?
What I can say to your readers is that I don't have all the answers. We all need to admit that up front. Professional organizations have been pretty cavalier in their recommendations to reduce fat, and this has turned out to be a mistake. What I can tell you is that there a good deal of science to support low carbohydrate diets as a healthy alternative to low fat diets for many people. Low carbohydrate diets may not be ideal for everyone, but certainly low fat diets are not right for everyone either. If we can agree that the best approach is to find which diet works for which people - we will be making progress.
