This recipe is SUPER simple to make but may be just the cure you need when you are in the mood for chocolate and crunch at the same time! I truly hope you appreciate this almond bark recipe from Mary Jo and make up a big batch for your upcoming holiday parties. These are GUARANTEED to be a hit! But you'll want to try them for yourself first. ENJOY!
CHOCOPERFECTION ALMOND BARK
12 bars dark ChocoPerfection bars 2 cups raw almonds (or more if you REALLY love almonds) 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2) Cover a cookie sheet with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil.
3) Place the almonds on the cookie sheet and mix them around by hand in the olive oil. Spread them out to one layer and put in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
4) Remove the almonds from the oven.
5) Unwrap the ChocoPerfection bars and lay them on a large (non-coated) skillet. Put the skillet on an oven burner on very low heat. Using a heat-proof spatula, melt the bars as you continue to mix and scrape the skillet, creating melted ChocoPerfection (it is very tempting to eat big spoonfuls at this point, but resist the urge!).
6) When the ChocoPerfection is melted, remove the skillet from the heat, and mix in the roasted almonds.
7) Spread the mixture back on the cookie sheet that is covered with the foil and any remnants of the roasted almonds and oil.
8) Cool at room temperature for 1 hour and then put in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
9) When it has hardened, break the ChocoPerfection Almond Bark into pieces and serve to your hungry guests (and yourself!).
You can order ChocoPerfection bars from Low-Carb Specialities by visiting ChocoPerfection.com.
The worldwide popularity of the hit NBC television show "The Biggest Loser" has indeed catapulted the show and its contestants into reality show superstardom! Just ask the winner of the Australian version of the show, Adro Sarnelli.
After being declared "The Biggest Loser" in Australia for the exciting debut season this year in that country, he went on a whirlwind media tour that had him running all across Australia nonstop for months! When I was finally about to interview him at my blog in late September, Adro was just wrapping up his appearances and on his way to having surgery to remove the excess, loose, excess skin he had on his body after shedding over 130 pounds to "bring closure" to his weight loss experience.
I asked Adro about that surgery and here's what he said:
"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."
I am so envious of Adro for having this done because I too want to have my jiggly skin taken care of as well. While some people claim that there is no such thing as loose skin, but rather bodaciously contend that it is excess fat that still needs to be lost, I am becoming more and more convinced that's a lie because my hanging skin problem is getting worse as I continue to lose weight. When I hit my goal of 199 in a few months, I will be doing a thorough post about this subject.
In fact, Adro believes this is such an important topic along with the whole weight loss, obesity, and getting fit theme that he is working on a new self-produced documentary film and he desperately wants to show it on television to help his fellow Australians overcome their objections to attempting weight loss. This is a passionate dream in this young man's heart right now and I think you and I can do something quite simple to help him out.
To that end, there is a brand new video featuring Adro Sarnelli on YouTube that I would like for you to go watch RIGHT NOW! Stop whatever you are doing (unless you are at work, of course!) and take a gander at this video. This is an important step in the process of helping Adro, so please do your part and watch the video.
It's less than 10 minutes long and features Adro with the cardboard cutout of himself before he started losing weight standing behind him as he talks about his recent surgery to take up the loose skin in his abdomen and chest, the upcoming surgery on his arms to take up the loose skin there (what's strange is my loose skin looks EXACTLY like his!), and a sneak peek at the documentary that is coming soon. In fact, watch the video all the way to the end to find out how you can see a special preview of the documentary.
Adro and his partner Ray Kelly are working hard to get as many views and comments about this video as they possibly can so they can have more leverage with television executives about showing the documentary when it is ready to be aired. This documentary could have the potential to help so many people, so won't you take just a few minutes of your time to check it out and leave a comment for Adro? THANK YOU!
CLICK HERE to show your support by watching the video at YouTube. I know Adro appreciates your help and sincerely wants to help others struggling with obesity to overcome it just as he did. THANK YOU again for your assistance and let's show this fellow low-carber that we do have strength in numbers to help make a difference in the country of Australia and beyond!
I'd like to publicly thank everyone who has sent me notes of encouragement and hope about my brother Kevin as he has been battling the seemingly endless saga of heart health problems in recent months. Your words and prayers have comforted and strengthened me and my family during this sometimes tense ordeal.
In fact, one of the people who read about Kevin's story here at my blog is a heart specialist who works with Olympic athletes to get them into tip-top shape. He personally offered to help Kevin free of charge if he would be willing to share his typical daily routine, including the medications he takes. When I presented this offer to Kevin, he seemed very excited about it and I was delighted that perhaps the dark cloud of despair that has hovered over him for the past few years may finally begin to clear up.
Unfortunately, though, I am afraid Kevin is squandering this golden opportunity by being less than forthright about his condition. When I requested some basic information from Kevin about his health, here are the mendacious answers he gave to me along with the cold hard facts:
Height - 6'0" (TRUE) Weight - 373 pounds (FALSE, he's closer to 600 pounds!) Waist - 62 inches (FALSE, it's MUCH BIGGER than that!) Calories Consumed Daily - 1800 (HA! Maybe for breakfast! FALSE!) Exercise - 2 miles daily (With 15% of his heart functioning? FALSE!)
He had a series of heart attacks back in 1999 and had 4 stints put in at the time. In 2005, an icdinplant was put in, and he was declared a Type 2 diabetic. Here is a list of the prescription medications he currently takes:
As you can see, Kevin's still in pretty bad shape and I fear he will stay that way as long as he keeps lying to himself about his weight and health. Some people criticized me for claiming people with obesity are in deep denial about their weight problem, but I've got a barely living and breathing example of this in my brother Kevin. This man who hasn't even turned 40 yet has so convinced himself that he's eating and exercising the healthy way that there's no way he could possibly do anything more for himself.
If that's NOT denial, then I don't know what is!
Furthermore, I don't believe for one second that Kevin eats just 1800 calories per day. Heck, even I eat around 2300-2500 calories daily and I'm actually LOSING weight! Then, to be off on how much he actually weighs by more than 200 pounds?! That's something everyone who gets really, really big goes through. When I started livin' la vida low-carb in January 2004, I thought I weighed about 320, but my ACTUAL weight was a whopping 410 pounds! NO SENSE OF REALITY EXISTS!!!
Then for him to say he walks 2 miles a day is completely absurd. He may "feel" like he's walked that far, but it's probably not much further than a few blocks and then he turns back around. Kevin is playing mind games with himself and not owning up to his end of taking responsibility for his weight problem. Until that happens, NOTHING changes.
And, yes, lest anyone accuses me of being inconsistent in my viewpoints, I believe Kevin does need to take personal responsiblity for his weight problem. Don't blame mom or dad for why you gained weight either because I overcame. And so can you!
While the circumstances of how he got to be 600 pounds is one thing, the truth for him and anyone else in the same circumstance is they need to make weight loss a priority and JUST DO IT! Stop your whining, stop your bellyaching about it being too hard, and for goodness sake stop pointing fingers. There's no arguing about genetics or a propensity to being fat in some people. But too many people are using those as lame excuses to wiggle out of making the right choices for themselves.
When I spoke with Kevin's roommate recently about what he had eaten that day, she told me Kevin had a bowl of oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, she didn't see him at lunch so she doesn't know, and for supper he had a big bowl of grits with eggs and sausage. Then he went out with friends and she was unaware of what he ate, but suspects he ate something. He's obviously eating way too many carbohydrates and calories still even though he is supposed to be trying to eat lower-carb and allegedly sticking to 1800 calories. PUH-LEEZE! This is frustrating me to no end!
I REALLY wish I could be in Florida with Kevin to personally watch him when he eats, walk with him for as long as he can take it, and show him practical ways to lose the weight and get healthy. That's just not a feasible option for me right now. What Kevin needs now more than ever is a major life intervention and quickly or he won't make it to the age of 40. He's been give that chances with this generous heart doctor, but I'm not so sure he's going to avail himself of this golden goose.
Continue to pray for Kevin Lee Moore that he would change his thinking about his weight. Until he comes to grips with the grave reality of his condition, he will remain morbidly obese and slowly keep chipping away at his life. The devastation of Kevin's condition that continues to happen right before my eyes keeps me focused on what I am doing to help educate, encourage and inspire others to get this part of their life headed in the right direction.
It's not my fault if people like Kevin don't listen, but it won't stop me from trying. I'll NEVER quit if for no other reason than to help spare others the pain of having to go through the drama of seeing a loved one eating his way to an early grave. If we can save just ONE person from doing that, then the tens of thousands of hours I have invested in my blog will have been all worth it!
I'll let you know if I hear anything new out of Kevin, especially if he decides to make a full commitment to improving his weight and health. I'm not confident he will, but I am hopeful for the best. THANKS again for all of your thoughts and prayers.
If you thought cannibalism was outlawed, think again!
Just in time for Halloween, I've got something so wickedly gruesome and freaky to the max that it will very likely turn your stomach worse than anything you have seen or heard in a long time. It sounds like something straight out of horror movie!
If you are squeamish or if you are easily grossed out, then you probably want to stop reading right now. But if you think your stomach can take it, then read on.
Believe it or not, there is a real company on the Internet right now at this very moment which actively promotes doing something with the body of your loved ones who pass away that is so off-the-wall crazy, there's no way I'd ever be able to make something like this up. What is it?
They make nutritional supplements out of dead bodies.
I'm not kidding!
The company is called Modern Man Eater and, as the name implies, they encourage people to pass on the "unimaginable power" that comes from ingesting the elements made from the body of your Grandma Martha, Aunt Sally, or Uncle Joe. Heck, they'll even make vitamins out of your dog Buster if you would like! Again, this is NOT a joke! It's as real as real can be.
Check out this ominous plea on the front page of their web site:
"The Question is: When you Die, Do you want your Life Force to Vanish or Passed on to your Children and their Children The Ancients knew. Warriors regularly fed themselves upon the Organs of defeated enemies to steal their Strength and Energy. In Pre-History, Families consumed their freshly Dead Ancestors so that their Wisdom and Essence is Preserved and Carried On within the Family."
EWWWW! This company is BEYOND sicko, they're a bunch of whack jobs! They think the work they are doing is continuing on a supposed tradition of passing on the family heritage one bite at a time. Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick.
Here's the process they use for making ingestible pills for consumption:
"Your Loved one's body will be separated into its Discreet Components, then Dried, Distilled, and Processed into Vitamins, Minerals, and Food Additives that can Strengthen your entire Family for years to come! Sanitary and Food-Grade Quality. Not only Good for your Body but truly feeds your Soul."
Blech! I'm turning white now from this...not sure if I can make it through the rest of this post. But I'll try.
What supplements come from one dead human body? Check it out:
Hair: First the Corpse is entirely Shaven and Hair collected. Then, via Hydrolysis, the Cysteine is Leeched out, purified, and Converted to the biologically valuable Vitamin L-Cystene.
Blood: All the Blood is Drained, Dried, Collected, Powdered and Encapsulated. These are the best iron-heavy Multi-Vitamin available!
Next, the Corpse is boiled to remove the meat from the bones.
Bones: The Bones are ground to a fine Powder, mixed with water and an agregator compound and formed into Calcium Tablets.
Meat: All of the remaining flesh is then Freeze-Dried and ground into a protein-intense, powdered nutritional supplement. Suitable for Energy Shakes, spicing up dinner, or mixed into foods such as scrambled eggs or oatmeal.
Mmm mmm yummy! Makes you wanna shake some Uncle Buck on your omelette for breakfast, doesn't it? Has anybody seen the Pepto Bismol?!
This process is known as anthropophagy (which is just a fancy word for "cannibalism!") and the Modern Man Eater company is pitching this line of garbage to unsuspecting strangers who are actually buying into this crap! Ignorance is bliss, but this is ridiculous!
Apparently, they've been doing this since 2003 and they say it's legal.
But look at this hat dance they make about the legality of their work:
"Well, lets put it this way: It is legal to have a dead body shipped anywhere in the world that you'd like. It is legal for us to do what we do in the country we do it in. Finally, the product we return to you is indistinguishable from similar agricultural or non-controled pharmaceautacal products, thus it is legal to be imported back to any country."
That would be a yes-no-maybe, in case you missed it! :)
Regarding the safety, they claim the vitamins made from the dead bodies are "of the same quality you find on the shelf of your local pharmacy." However, if the person who died was poisoned or had something like mad cow disease, they say they wouldn't recommend their service in those instances. Hey, they've got to have some sense of ethics, ya know!
Apparently, the Modern Man Eater service ain't cheap either since they are such small run productions and because every part of the machinery is thoroughly cleansed after each slaughte...er, I mean, use. No cross-contamination from one job to the next. Isn't that comforting?!
Whatever you do, just don't mention the "C word" around them because they think it's a touchy subject. Ya think?! They actually go so far as to defend Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous cannibal killer from the 1990s, by claiming he would not have committed those horrible murders to all those innocent people he killed to eat if he had a "legal, safe way to satisfy his needs without having to harm a single living thing" such as the service offered by Modern Man Eater. Are you kidding me?!
Like any other business, they even have testimonials from actual satisfied customers. Let's see what some of them have to say about their Modern Man Eater experience:
"My bones were just plain getting eaten up by the osteo-porosis. But after eating all the calcium from my mother, I feel SO much better. My bones are strong again. I can feel my mother's spirit within them making me strong again, just like she did when she was alive" -Ota Mae Wilson, NY
"My father was always strong as a bull. Both mentally and physically, he was a mountain of a man. Though I was no wuss myself, after taking his blood capsules, I have truly come into my own as family patriarch. Somehow, when things go badly now, I can look into myself and find the inner strength there I was lacking previously." -Jim Johnson, Jackson, MS
"Ever since I was a little girl, I always knew I had a small gift. But, Halleluyah!, After we feasted on GrandMama's powdered, dried, protein conveniently mixed into a and tasty stew, I have inherited all her supernatural gifts and powers. I've gone from Acolyte to Priestess almost overnight!. Thank you Modern Man-Eater! Our family legacy is saved!" -Laetitia Laveau, New Orleans, LA
"Our family traditions from many centuries had recently been abandoned due to changes in our legal system. Now we can return to the ways of our ancestors and not run afoul of the authorities. Thanks to MME." -Umpepa Mi Mau, Paupua New Guinea
Oh...my...freakin'...goodness! Have we digressed as a civilized society THIS much that we now celebrate something as sinister and maniacal as eating the flesh and bones of a fellow human being? What kind of person are you to actually even consider something as asinine as this? It's incomprehensible to me and goes beyond any logical explanation in my mind. This has got to be the most bizarre thing I think I've ever heard of in my entire life.
So, the next time you're at a funeral, think about what it would be like to have a cupboard full of vitamins compliments of the dearly departed. That's a Halloween freak show I don't ever want to see for as long as I live! Somebody please wake me up from this nightmare because now I'm totally wigged out by it! 8-O
I'd like to introduce you to someone who I have grown to love and respect for the products she is offering people who are diabetic and/or on the low-carb lifestyle. Her name is Mary Jo Kringas and she is the owner of Low-Carb Specialties, makers of the most amazing sugar-free, low-carb chocolate bars you'll ever taste--CHOCOPERFECTION!
As a big fan of her chocolates, I asked Mary Jo if I could invite her here for an interview and she remarked that she never does any interviews with anyone--but she'd be HAPPY to do one for me! Awww, that was soooo sweet! THANKS so much, Mary Jo! Check out what makes this woman so happy to wake up in the morning and how she eats 2-3 chocolate bars DAILY to help her keep her weight under control and her body healthy.
1. Joining me today at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog is a woman who many would say has one of the best jobs in the entire world--SELLING CHOCOLATE! Mmmm! It's Mary Jo Kringas from LowCarbSpecialties.com, makers of those yummy ChocoPerfection bars you hear me raving about so much at my blog. Welcome, Mary Jo! Tell us a little bit about how you got into the sugar-free chocolate-making business.
Hi Jimmy and thank you for inviting me to be part of your low-carb blog. I truly respect you for telling others what is real about low-carb and sharing your story about losing weight the low-carb way.
I got into the sugar-free chocolate business because I felt I had no other choice. I LOVE CHOCOLATE, but my body did not like sugar or artificial sweeteners. I grew up working behind the counter of my grandfather’s candy store, starting at age five. By the time I was 16, I weighed 475 pounds. I lost weight by implementing more balanced eating and I tried about 20 different “diets” over the years. But even after all that and two stomach stapling surgeries, my weight still hovered around 275 pounds.
I continued to rely on chocolate as the only food in life that I cannot live without. The problem being that there was no “healthy chocolate” available anywhere. All the ones I saw were either made with sugar or with artificial sweeteners, both of which caused insulin surges and kept me from losing weight.
I eventually went total low-carb and discovered “oligofructose” (a very scary sounding word that describes a sweetener made from ground up chickory root), which many food scientists are now discovering is one of the healthiest foods on the planet (see Men’s Health, May/06, Weight Loss Research Update) and I started to develop a chocolate bar around this sweetener. I experimented with my chocolate for about 1 1/2 years, and I lost 75 pounds during this time. I have been in the ChocoPerfection business for 2 ½ years now and my weight is down a total of 100 pounds.
2. WOW, congratulations, Mary Jo! Your amazing weight loss success story can be attributed to your regular consumption of ChocoPerfection bars both during your weight loss and now well into maintenance. That's what I call "suffering" on your diet! LOL! Why is eating chocolate so important for people following a sugar-free, low-carb diet?
I don’t know about others, but I find that if I am suffering, I will not continue. I truly believe that there are three critical stages to going low-carb.
Stage 1: Admitting that this is what needs to be done and making a full commitment to avoiding sugar, pasta, breads, cake, and most fruit.
Stage 2: Actually doing the low-carb lifestyle and implementing low-carb eating in your life. The first 4 weeks are usually the hardest because I also believe the carb-craving is intensified by yeast infections and/or parasites in the colon. These yeasts and parasites thrive on carbs, and when one cancels the “carb program” the yeasts and parasites fight back with headaches, bad breath and depression.
This 2nd stage is not for light-weights--it took everything I had within me to persist. Weight loss is assured in this stage if one is truly low-carbing and avoiding all refined sugars and artificial sweeteners and dairy.
Stage 3: Weight loss has been achieved and/or is consistent. One starts to feel good about their appearance, and their weight loss success. They have forgotten the pain of Stage 2, and they have adapted the low-carb lifestyle as a workable solution for the foreseeable future.
ChocoPerfection is useful in Stage 2, but, in my opinion, it is critical in Stage 3 when one is maintaining their low-carb lifestyle as well. Many people ask me how I lost my weight. I tell them I went low-carb and they tell me “Oh, I tried that, but when I stopped, I gained all the weight back and then some.” I want to cry when I hear this.
Like you, I know the pain of being fat. To actually be free of the weight and then have it all come back is a complete nightmare. The diligence involved in maintenance is critical, and it requires a different kind of thinking. Maintenance requires a commitment to long-term low-carbing that, as a priority, needs to be enjoyable. A critical aspect of this strategy allows one to avoid Little Debbies and Ding Dongs because they have found alternatives that turn them on just as much, and are healthy.
3. I have been criticized by many low-carb purists for my preference to eat what they consider low-carb "junk" foods such as nut-based bars and even your ChocoPerfection bars. I don't personally care what other people think of my diet as long as I'm losing weight because I'm eating healthier than I have ever eaten in my entire life. How do you respond to those who label products like ChocoPerfection bars as "junk" food?
Like you, I am healthier than I have ever been in my entire life. I eat 2-3 ChocoPerfection bars a day and I have never felt or looked better than I do right now. I firmly believe that without ChocoPerfection bars I would weigh much more and that is why I started the ChocoPerfection business.
I would not agree with the description of ChocoPerfection as a “junk food” which is a term I reserve for stuff like diet sodas and other things that are utterly senseless to consume. ChocoPerfection has 14g of fiber in every bar, is packed with all the antioxidants and mood enhancement of chocolate, is highly satiating, and due to the oligofructose, actually helps clear the body of parasites and yeasts.
4. One of the reasons I consider ChocoPerfection bars to be the best chocolate bar for diabetics and low-carbers is the phenomenal European chocolate taste they have without all the cheap artificial sweeteners that are packed into so many of the so-called sugar-free, low-carb products these days. What makes ChocoPerfection sweeteners different and are there any health benefits to choosing them over the more inferior sweeteners?
The sweeteners in ChocoPerfection are oligofructose, which is made from ground-up chickory root, and erythritol, which comes from fermented natural foods such as grapes, melon, and mushrooms. Almost all other sugar-free products are made from maltitol, sucralose (Splenda), or aspartame (Nutrasweet). As you have blogged about many times, most people experience diarrhea and/or other laxative effects from maltitol.
Nutrasweet breaks down into formaldehyde in the body, which is toxic, and has been linked to brain tumors and retinal damage. Despite all this, the biggest problem for me, with all of the artificial sweeteners, is that they completely stopped my weight loss and, in my opinion, they really don’t taste that good.
It was not until I started using the sweeteners in ChocoPerfection that I was able to feel like I was really eating something that tasted like real chocolate and still lose weight. There are big health benefits to oligofructose, which was named as one of the healthiest foods on the planet due to its prebiotic properties to clean the colon and strengthen the immune system. Also, erythritol supports the minerals in the bones and teeth, stops sugar cravings, and converts to glutathione in the body which helps clean the liver.
Aside from these great benefits, oligofructose and erythritol are the only known sweeteners approved by the USDA that rank zero on the glycemic index. This is a very big deal to me. All the artificial sweeteners use the label “sugar-free” but fail to disclose that laboratory tests show the glycemic index of many of these "healthy" products to be 51 to 59, which is more than the glycemic index of macaroni.
Most low-carbers know that the key reason to avoid the carbs is their effect on insulin levels. The glycemic index of artificial sweeteners shows that they surge insulin levels, so even if they were not toxic, which they are, they would still keep you fat.
5. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol just as the stomach-exploding maltitol is. Why is it a better sweetener for people who are livin' la vida low-carb and does it have any known side effects that you are aware of as well?
The thing that baffles me everyday is how erythritol ever got its name. I mean, it is named like a sugar alcohol (which is a class of sweeteners that is almost uniformly artificial and uniformly toxic), yet erythritol is completely natural and shares more in common with the production methods of sugar than that of stuff in a test tube which is where nearly all the other sugar alcohols come from.
To the best of my knowledge, erythritol has no known side effects and is completely healthy. If I knew otherwise, I would not eat 2-3 of these ChocoPerfection bars a day.
6. You also use oligofructose in your ChocoPerfection bars, which is another up-and-coming sweetener among quality sugar-free, low-carb products. In fact, a recent study confirms that eating oligofructose can improve intestinal health and cut down on infections. Tell us a little more about this sweetener and why you decided to use it in your chocolate bars.
For me, the way to evaluate a sweetener is to find out how it tastes compared to sugar. Erythritol is a great sweetener and is completely healthy, but it has a sweetness intensity of only about 80% of sugar and it has a “coolness” to its taste on the tongue. I found that oligofructose balances the loss of sweetness from erythritol and also balances the coolness. Oligofructose is also the most intense source of dietary and healthy fiber in the ChocoPerfection bars.
7. There is a ton of fiber packed in every single ChocoPerfection bar--14 grams to be exact! How important is fiber in a healthy diet? Does the fiber impact the taste or texture of the chocolate?
As you know, it is pretty difficult to get the recommended amount of fiber in your diet. The USDA recommends about 22g daily and even most fruits and vegetables only have 2-3 g each of fiber at most. The source of fiber in ChocoPerfection is oligofructose, which is very fine and not gritty. So, even though the ChocoPerfection bars have a huge concentration of fiber, you'd never know it by the taste and texture of the bar which is just like fine European chocolate.
8. In addition to your fantastic ChocoPerfection bars, you also have a sweetener product you call SweetPerfection which is made from finely ground chicory root. When I tasted this for the first time, it reminded me of eating cotton candy. Where did you discover this sweet, low-glycemic sugar substitute and why should people begin using this product instead of any of the other artificial sweeteners on the market today?
I love oligofructose which we also sell in equivalent conversion to sugar as SweetPerfection. I bake with SweetPerfection, I use it in ice cream, as a sweetener in tea and coffee and in all my recipes that call for sugar. SweetPerfection tastes like sugar, measures like sugar, and performs in recipes like sugar, except it has a zero glycemic index, is high in healthy fiber, and has properties to support the immune system.
9. Whenever I try to tell people about sugar-free products these days, they turn their nose up at me as if the products cannot possibly taste good without the sugar. I'm sure you run into this often with many of your prospective customers. What do you do to assure people that eating a ChocoPerfection bar will be as delightful an experience as they will ever taste out of a "diet" food?
Jimmy, I feel there is no way to convince people of anything other than to let them see for themselves. What I do is offer a “100% Satisfaction/No Questions Asked Guarantee.” This means that if anyone ever buys any of our products and is not completely happy with it for any reason at all, they get a full refund. It is my hope that low-carbing, chocolate lovers will give themselves a chance to taste ChocoPerfection, and to support their healthy lifestyle with no risk for their purchase.
10. THANKS for sharing a little bit of time with me and my readers today at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, Mary Jo! I sincerely hope that people take advantage of the fantastic products you have to offer them as they seek a healthier lifestyle for themselves. Do you have any parting words of encouragement or advice you would like to share?
Thanks Jimmy, my chance to share with you about my life has been great. As you know, I promised you my only interview and this has been it. I have lived most of my life as a fat person. The emotional pain was tremendous. The persistent hope that I could eat foods I loved, be satisfied, and yet somehow be thin was a dream I never thought I would get. Now, I live my dream. I eat at least 3 desserts a day in addition to meals, without mood swings, sugar cravings or weight gain. Is this heaven or what?
Heaven indeed, Mary Jo! THANKS so much for sharing with my readers about the outstanding products you have available at Low-Carb Specialties. Now, pardon me for a moment, I think I need to go order me some more ChocoPerfection bars! CLICK HERE to order some for yourself! :D Mary Jo GUARANTEES you'll LOVE 'em or your money back. What do you have to lose...besides weight?!
Ever since I first started blogging in April 2005 at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, my inner drive to offer people resources and information that will help them has only gotten stronger. Because of my nearly 200-pound weight loss experience on the low-carb lifestyle, it was only natural that my focus has been almost exclusively on weight loss and getting healthy.
That's one of the reasons I started my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge blog in August 2006 to give others a place for accountability and encouragement as they seek to shed the pounds. It is also the impetus behind the creation of my new podcast show in mid-October 2006.
But the more I've been blogging about low-carb living, the more it has caused me to stop and realize that this lifestyle change is so much more than simply about losing weight. There are millions of people in the United States alone who are suffering from something much worse than obesity as bad as that is. For these people, their bodies have revolted on them by becoming insulin resistant to the point that they now have the disease expected to inflict tens of millions more in the not-too-distant future. I'm referring to DIABETES.
While the rates of Type 2 diabetes continue to soar, the good news is that there are a multitude of excellent resources for information, hope and how to better manage and live with your diabetes available on the Internet today. Because of that, I decided the time had come to create a blog similar to my recently-created "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog that would assimilate all of the very best diabetes links in one place for people.
It's a long name, but an apt description for what is being offered. I truly want this blog to be a destination site for people suffering from diabetes to come and educate themselves more about their condition. There are links to government resources, blogs, education web sites, children's diabetes web sites, and even international web sites, among many others.
And it has only just begun. I am encouraging people to submit to me new web sites to be added to my list as well as any new categories that you think are missing. New sites will be continually added to further enhance the content that is already there. I want this blog to be the place to go for links about diabetes. CLICK HERE to check it out for yourself!
When you visit the diabetes links blog, you will quickly notice it has a promotional sponsor named Diamond Point Diabetic Supplies. You know how I have been wanting to find a way to support my family after losing my job recently by doing something worthwhile with my time and talents. Instead of sitting behind a desk all day wishing I could be helping people improve their health, now I will have the opportunity to give people with diabetes access to some amazing resources that are essential to their health.
It certainly must have been God's timing that I was introduced to Diamond Point Diabetic Supplies which is doing a yeoman's job helping countless numbers of people suffering from diabetes. It is my distinct pleasure and honor to be working directly with them to tell others about the products and services they have to offer. If you are a diabetic, then you owe it to yourself to contact Diamond Point Diabetic Supplies to see how much easier they can make managing your diabetes be.
Founded by a man named Paul Moore (no relation except as brothers in Christ!) who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, it is a company committed to providing diabetes testing supplies and other equipment with high-quality service to insure customer satisfaction every time. They genuinely want to help diabetics manage their disease with only the finest products on the market today. Read more about what Diamond Point Diabetic Supplies has to offer people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes by clicking here.
If you want to see for yourself what makes Diamond Point different, then I urge you to give them a try for yourself. I think you'll be quite pleased with their service which is a cut above those "other" companies claiming to offer diabetes testing supplies. I promise you will be cared for like a member of the family.
Here's the information they will need from you:
1. Your full name, address and telephone number(s) 2. Your Medicare/Medicaid card 3. Any other insurance card 4. The name and telephone number of your doctor 5. Let them know you found out about them at my blog
Then, you can contact them in one of THREE ways:
- Toll-free at 888-349-6436 - By fax at 877-813-8557 - Via e-mail at info@diamondpointds.com.
From there, a Diamond Point representative will complete your enrollment form, verify your insurance benefits, and obtain a prescription from your doctor for the supplies you need. Once they get the prescription from your physician, they will call you back personally to let you know what they will be sending to you and your first order will arrive in the mail within 3-5 business days.
Did I mention there are no forms or paperwork of any kind to fill out, no up-front costs, no shipping fees, and most people get their supplies at little or no cost to them? See, I told you this company was different! :)
Give them a try for yourself and let me know how your experience goes. Like I said, this is a company dedicated to providing excellent products and the best follow-through service in the industry. You will not be disappointed. In fact, if you run into any issues with Diamond Point whatsoever, then please don't hesitate to contact me via e-mail and I will help you get it resolved. But I don't think you'll have any problems with Diamond Point. They are THAT good! :D
Tell all your diabetic friends and family members about my new blog (can you believe it's my 4th one?!) called "The Quintessential Diabetes Links Resource" and visit often for constant updates and any relevant articles written especially for people in the diabetic community.
My debut podcast cracked the Top 20 Self-Help Health shows at iTunes
Did you get a chance to listen to the very first episode of my brand new podcast show last week called "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore?" If you did, then THANK YOU so much for supporting me in this new endeavor as we try to reach more people with the encouraging and positive message about the low-carb lifestyle.
It was an exciting week to see hundreds and hundreds of listeners downloading and listening to a show about the low-carb lifestyle. And it wasn't just people who read my blog either. An entirely new audience for the message of livin' la vida low-carb was reached at iTunes, where "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" hit #19 on the Self-Help Health podcast shows in just the first week. YEAH! That's so exciting and I fully expect those numbers to continue to climb as more and more people become attracted to an honest and uplifting show about low-carb.
I am thankful for all of your excellent comments and feedback about the show and I think you'll notice some changes for the better in Episode 2 which is ready for you to listen to RIGHT NOW! :) LISTEN NOW for yourself and let me know what you think!
This week's show starts off with me sharing my gratitude to everyone who tuned in to the debut episode, a quick shout-out to my fellow low-carb podcasters Diana Schnuth from “The Low-Carb Lifestyle Podcast” and BrianZ from the “Atkins All The Way Weekly Wrapup,” and a thorough dissertation into how the media openly manipulates so-called scientific research studies to fit their antagonistic views towards livin' la vida low-carb. I don't hold back in exposing this little game the media plays with public health information and hopefully it will help other people become skeptical about any new "study" that is heavily reported.
After listening to the show, you can go back and read the references to studies and books made during Episode 2 by using this list of links mentioned during the broadcast:
I know what you're thinking, "Shut up already and tell us about the freebies!" Okay, okay, I was getting to that. REALLY, I was! :) After a strong response to last week's ChocoPerfection chocolate bars giveaway, I thought I'd stick with the chocolate theme again this week and let you be one of the first people in the United States to try the scrumptious new GoLower Chocolate Creme Bars.
The winner of this week's contest will receive an entire box of these deliciously healthy low-carb bars that come in raspberry, chocolate and coconut flavors. If you are a fan of the GoLower nut bars, then you MUST try these new chocolate creme bars. Currently only available in the UK, they are set to be available for purchase in America from our friends at CarbSmart within the next few weeks.
Follow these directions carefully to become eligible to win:
1. LISTEN to Episode 2 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show." 2. Carefully identify how many times I say the word "Australia." 3. Send me an e-mail with your answer. 4. Include your name and mailing address (no P.O. Boxes please). 5. Share what you liked and disliked about the show. Be honest!
Like last week, I've kept it very simple for you. The deadline for getting your entry to me is Friday, November 3, 2006 at 12:00pm ET if you want to win those GoLower Chocolate Creme bars and be one of the first Americans to try them. Be sure to let me know which flavor you want (raspberry, coconut or chocolate) if your e-mail entry is chosen.
THANK YOU again for supporting me, encouraging me, and cheering me on to great success with my new podcast show. This really is a lot of fun and I would not have this opportunity if it weren't for you. So, just in case I haven't told you how much I appreciate you lately, I REALLY do thank God for everyone I have had the chance to come in contact with through my book, blog, and podcast. You all are a special part of my life and give me the energy and drive to keep doing what I'm doing.
Okay, now go listen to Episode 2 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" and don't be afraid to let me know what you think. I'll be the first to admit that I'm still getting used to the new format, but your comments will only serve to make it the best podcast show it can possibly be. And feel free to leave me feedback in the comments section at "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" web site. Chow!
Finally, we have a topic that my fellow Atkins weight loss success story Kent Altena and I actually disagree about. I'm not saying he's wrong or I'm right necessarily about this subject, but it is quite controversial among many active low-carbers. It's the issue of "net carbs."
Most people only vaguely understand what that phrase means and Kent seems to think it's nothing more than a marketing gimmick to sell products. I agree that companies exploit this "net carbs" or "digestible carbs" claim to peddle their products, but that's an intelligent way to educate your customers to convince them they need to buy your low-carb food product.
The way I explain it to most people is you don't have to count the carbohydrates in dietary fiber or sugar alcohols. So, if a product has 15g total carbohydrates with 5g fiber and 9g sugar alcohols, then the product is said to have 1 "net carb." I have used this simple subtraction method from the very beginning of my low-carb lifestyle and it has served me well.
But Kent disagrees as he explains in his latest Atkins video:
NET CARBS VS. NET EFFECTIVE CARBS - MARKETING HYPE
Back in 2004 when I was losing the majority of my weight, I can't tell you what a lifesaver having low-carb chocolates and other sweet products available to me as I transitioned from eating sugary snacks to sugar-free ones. As Kent alluded to in his video, we do need stricter standards regarding the labeling of what constitutes a "low-carb" product because people are being duped by the hype. Furthermore, sugar-free, low-carb candy companies need a wake-up call to start using better ingredients in their products rather than settling for the cheapest, worst possible sweeteners they can find (do I need to mention the "m" word again?!).
Kent isn't buying any of the hype about sugar alcohols and only subtracts the fiber in his carb counts. There's certainly nothing wrong with doing that, but it was not necessary for me when I was losing weight and even now. For the record, Kent believes sugar alcohols should count anywhere between 25-75 percent of what the same amount of sugar carbs would be. He says the body reacts to the sugar alcohol in the same way as it does sugar by releasing insulin into the body. As a result, some people experience stalls in their weight loss while eating low-carb foods containing sugar alcohols.
This has not been my experience, but we are all very different as I have said before. If you notice the scale stops moving downward, then stop eating the low-carb chocolates for a week to see if it makes a difference. Perhaps your body is ultrasensative to the sugar alcohols and adjustments should be made in the amount of these products you consume. For others, it's a non-issue. Don't just assume it either is or is not a problem. Monitor it closely for YOU and act accordingly.
There are some invaluable links to other articles about this subject if you are interested in pursuing it further by visiting Kent's blog. Be sure to leave Kent a comment while you are there thanking him for his hard work and dedication to making these videos about how to do the Atkins diet.
Combining the format of Wikipedia with Atkins diet information
Are you a fan of the online information web site Wikipedia? Have you tinkered with it any at all to see what you could find on just about any subject you can think of? I know I have and it's really a lot of fun, too! Sure, the information is not always 100% accurate since it is provided by anyone and everyone who thinks they know something about just about any subject. But it does serve as an excellent guide for people desiring to educate themselves better about a particular topic of interest.
Wouldn't the Wikipedia format be great if there was one place where you could go to get all the Atkins/low-carb information you are looking for? Well, actually, that place already exists and it's called Atkinspedia.
Atkinswhat?
Just as the name suggests, Atkinspedia is an invaluable low-carb resource which I have listed under the "Low-Carb Information" section at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog because it gives you the format of Wikipedia with all you ever wanted to know about the Atkins/low-carb way of life. Since its inception on July 15, 2006, Atkinspedia has always been "an encyclopedia/knowledge base that anyone can edit" as part of "an ongoing project to educate the masses on the Atkins Nutritional Approach and health as a whole."
I only heard about Atkinspedia last week while listening to Brian Z's fantastic weekly podcast show which serves as an audio support for the members of the Atkins All The Way forum. Atkins All The Way is the sponsor of Atkinspedia and invites anyone and everyone to visit their site to not only use in their own research of livin' la vida low-carb, but to also contribute to the growing database of information.
"Feel free to create an account and begin editing and adding articles at will," the web site states. "You can't break Atkinspedia so don't worry about destroying the site."
However, as enthusiastic as so many of us are about the low-carb lifestyle, they do ask that anything you add to Atkinspedia be written using neutral language so that others who are curious about Atkins/low-carb can simply read, learn, and decide for themselves about whether this healthy lifestyle change is for them or not.
"This will help people make up their own minds when reading Atkinspedia and it won't be read as propaganda for the Atkins Nutritional Approach."
More than anything else, the good people over at Atkins All The Way want you to "have fun" and "be bold" about making changes at Atkinspedia.
"You can't break it, you can only make it stronger. It's the indestructable encyclopedia."
Keep checking back from time to time for new information as it appears on the site.
"Atkinspedia won't be built in a day."
No, it won't, but you are well on your way with it. What an amazing resource for those of us who hunger for knowledge about Atkins/low-carb and seek to pass on our wisdom and experience to others attempting to learn as well. I highly encourage you to be interactive with the Atkinspedia because it will only make it better.
THANK YOU to BrianZ and everyone behind-the-scenes at Atkins All The Way for coming up with this awesome tool for low-carbers and potential low-carbers to become more educated about Atkins/low-carb. I can see this quickly becoming THE ultimate reference tool for anyone and everyone looking for information about low-carb. Visit Atkinspedia TODAY!
I went out shopping last night to pick up a few groceries since my wife was in the mood for some raw cauliflower, broccoli and carrots with ranch dipping sauce. Mmmm, a low-carb dieter's delight for a meal since all of those veggies are EXCELLENT when you are livin' la vida low-carb. Since that is what Christine was craving, I was happy to take care of making sure my beautiful darling got what she wanted. Ain't I such a good hubby-wubby?!
I, on the other hand, also enjoyed a delicious and healthy low-carb dinner: a barbecued rotisserie chicken! Mmmm, that bad boy was off-the-chain! Oh, sorry, that means it was good in the vernacular of kids these days. Yep yep!
Anyways, as I was going up and down the aisles looking for any new products that may have come out appropriate for the low-carb lifestyle, I caught something out of the corner of my eye that was way down on the bottom shelf of the jellies and jams section. What was it that I saw? THE SPLENDA LOGO!
I look for the "Sweetened With Splenda Brand" all the time
When I bent down to pick up this glorious "new" product to see what it was featuring Splenda, imagine my surprise when I saw the product was made by Smuckers. Yep, the same Smuckers jams, jellies and preserves that have long been made with the artificial sweetener Nutrasweet or aspartame (my new name for it is nasty-tame)!
See for yourself the old packaging:
Nutrasweet pervaded the entire Smuckers line of products...until now!
Hooray for Smuckers!!! FINALLY, somebody is listening!!!
The store I shopped at had four flavors available: Apricot Preserves, Strawberry Preserves, Seedless Blackberry Jam, and Concord Grape Jam. Each teaspoon serving size has just 50 calories and 5g carbohydrates (ZERO sugar!). They are made with REAL fruit which only add a trivial amount of natural sugars rather than the gobs of man-made sugar (aka high-fructose corn syrup) generally poured into most jams and jellies these days. These Smuckers jellies are an EXCELLENT product for diabetics and low-carbers alike to use as part of their healthy lifestyles.
I was so excited about trying these Smuckers jams for myself, I decided to dab some on a ZERO carb cinnamon bagel available from Viva Low-Carb along with some real full-fat Philadelphia-brand cream cheese.
Holy cow, look how good this breakfast I had turned out:
A bagel with cream cheese and jelly with about 5g carbs
As gorgeous as it looked, the taste was even more phenomenal! I cut the bagel in half and toasted it in my toaster for about a minute. Then spread a layer of cream cheese and then added the Smuckers. Oh...my...goodness!!! That was an amazing experience and I was thrilled to be able to taste Smuckers jams again without all the nasty-tame in it. YEAH!
My only advice to you if you find a "Sweeted With Splenda" logo on the front of a product is to check the ingredients list on the back. If sucralose or Splenda is not the primary or only sweetener listen, then you might want to put it back. Some companies (not Smuckers, thank God!) put substances like stomach-busting sugar alcohols such as maltitol as their top sweetening agent while sucralose is near the bottom of the ingredients.
What is most sickening is how they so proudly display that Splenda logo like it means something. To me, that is nothing mroe than just false advertising and food companies should be compelled to stop deceiving the public! We should demand truth in labeling on sugar-free products so that others don't fall prey to this marketing gimmick!
The sugar-free companies STILL need a wake-up call and I'm so glad to see a leading industry name like Smuckers serving as an example for adding Splenda to their jams and jellies now. I hope they continue to extend this to their other product lines, such as the hot fudge topping, caramel topping, etc. as long as they avoid the maltitol. We will hope for the best and see.
Are there any other companies ready to axe the aspartame, too? If you are a company that has products that contain Splenda or if you run across a product that has not previously been sweetened with Splenda and would like for me to highlight it here, then please e-mail me this information. I want to share with my fellow low-carbers these excellent options for them to use while they are livin' la vida low-carb.
It's almost November, can you believe it?! Before you know it, we'll be in what has been commonly referred to as "the most wonderful time of the year." That's right, it's the holiday season with all the festive fellowships, family gatherings, and...oh yeah, LOTS OF FOOD to add a little temptation to your low-carb lifestyle! EEEEEEK!
Human beings have a strange way of letting things like social pressures and the innate desire to feel connected to those around us that keeps us from staying committed to our diets during the holidays. Oh, don't play dumb with me, you know what I mean: buffets of high-carb foods, tempting desserts, and food constantly at your fingertips defines this time of year. Good thing it only lasts a couple of months or we'd all be a bunch of bouncing beach balls walking around!
But this is a good lesson in sticking with your low-carb plan through the holidays by staying focused on the lifestyle changes you have made. You know you will want to continue on with your success long after Thanksgiving and Christmas are gone, so why give in during these 6-8 weeks of the year? Don't fall for the trap that you must eat, eat, eat away at all that junk food you will feast your eyes on during the holidays just to "fit in." That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of!
To help us better understand how to survive the holiday season, we have another video from veteran low-carb dieter Kent Altena who addresses this delicate subject head-on with easy-to-implement solutions for dealing with the potential problems that you will face.
THE HOLIDAYS--PLANNED PROBLEMS OR PLANNED SOLUTIONS?
That's some outstanding advice, Kent! You and I both know how important it is to keep your eye on what is best for you because that is a decision you have to make ahead of time when you start livin' la vida low-carb. Nothing (and I do mean ABSOLUTELY nothing!) should ever get in the way of your low-carb lifestyle. That's why it is called a "lifestyle change" and not just a diet.
If you feel tempted and want to pig out during the holidays, then the transformation in your mind towards eating healthy has not happened yet. That's okay because you WILL get there the longer you stay on low-carb. But giving in because you think you are too weak to resist is UNACCEPTABLE because you will only make yourself MORE depressed when you put on 10, 15, or 20 pounds during the holidays. Don't allow that guilty feeling to hit you and simply dedicate yourself to your low-carb life.
Because this can be difficult for some people to handle, Kent offers you some practical strategies for dealing with the inevitable confrontations you will have with those high-carb foods and the well-meaning folks trying to peddle it to you:
- Be the cook or bring your own low-carb food to holiday functions - Do more socializing with others instead of mindlessly eating - Keep yourself busy with activities during the family functions
SUPER TIPS, Kent! Holidays can be stressful, but that doesn't mean your low-carb plan should suffer. Who knows, you may just impress some of your friends and family who may not even know you've lost weight. In fact, don't be surprised if they ask you what you've been doing to shed the pounds so effectively. That's when you can look back at them with a twinkle in your eyes and proudly declare, "I've been livin' la vida low-carb, baby!" You tell 'em! :D
Dietitian Juliette Kellow is obviously not a fan of the Atkins diet
It's that time of year again when those who think they know what diets people need to do and not do so freely share their opinions about what they think is healthy, nutritional, and safe. Of course, at the same time, they are just as eager to blab on and on about what diets they think are decidedly unhealthy, lacking in nutrition, and even allegedly dangerous. As I have said in the past, you should be very wary of any "expert" weight loss advice because the source may not be very reliable.
Furthermore, do I even need to tell you which ones a typical dietitian thinks are good versus the one ones that are supposedly bad? No, I don't because the examples of the intense and bitter feelings against livin' la vida low-carb have been evident with just about every dietitian who has ever written about or uttered an opinion on this amazingly healthy lifestyle. Click here to see just a few examples of this kind of stupidity from these self-proclaimed health "experts" that I have highlighted at my blog. The concerted effort by these people to not just maim but completely destroy all remnants of low-carb from modern-day life is as clear to see as the protruding stomachs of a majority of the world's population.
Well, even still we've got another dietitian and health columnist today from Mirror.co.uk who continues with the Atkins-bashing party. Her name is Juliette Kellow and her bio describes her as a "bright and bubbly" professional who seeks to help people lose weight with her "wealth of experience in health, food and diet." HA! What you will quickly find is that Kellow shares more of the same old garbage information about low-carb because it is simply mindless and ridiculous attacks against the low-carb lifestyle. Will these people ever grow up and get a brain for once? We can only hope...SOMEDAY!
In the article entitled "A Decade Of Diets But Which Should You Try," Kellow gives her own personal lowdown on the most popular diets from the past ten years including Weight Watchers, The Food Combining Diet (never heard of!), Low GI Diet, South Beach Diet, Detox Diet, Blood Type Diet, Atkins Diet, and The Zone Diet. As you can see, half of these are considered "low-carb" plans. However, Kellow was not afraid to tell you quite explicitly which one she thinks was the worst among them: The Atkins Diet!
My blogging friend and fellow triple-digit Atkins diet weight loss success story Kent Altena wrote a letter to the editor of Mirror.co.uk to express his concerns about how Kellow so blatantly distorted the truth about what the Atkins diet is about in her column. Kent did such an outstanding job with it that I'd like to share with you what he wrote. It is a fantastic, fact-filled response that exposes the malicious lies that Kellow tried to get away with! Not gonna happen!
Here is the classic masterpiece response that Kent wrote:
I would urge your health correspondent, Juliette Kellow, to actually research the topics before actually writing about them. I am of course referring to her recent "Decade of Diets" article where she reviews the popular diet plans. Her review of the Atkins Diet was chock full of misconceptions and gaping holes about this way of eating that were so large a truck could drive right through them!
I am an avid follower of the Atkins way of eating and have lost over 200 pounds on the diet. Because of the gross misrepresentation that Kellow made with her column, I would like to respond to each of her points individually to share the truth:
"HOW IT WORKS This high-protein diet cuts out carbs so your body begins to burn fat. Bread, potatoes, pasta, milk and fruit are off-limits but you can eat meat, fish, cheese, cream and butter."
There is not a single phase of the Atkins diet that cuts out carbs altogether. Her statement simply ignores the fact that there are four distinct phases to the diet and she conveniently leaves out the fact that vegetables included even in the Atkins diet. In fact, during the Induction phase people are encouraged to eat six servings of vegetables per day, which is considerably more than the average person eats. The purpose of the Atkins diet is to simply get people to take back control of their eating first and foremost and then begin adding back foods that are healthy for them long-term.
THE PROS You lose weight quickly - around 6-10lb in the first two weeks, slowing to 1-3lb a week after this.
No argument here, but let's not forget that the point of the Atkins diet is not to lose weight but to learn how to eat healthy.
THE CONS Research shows this diet is unhealthy. A high fat intake increases the risk of heart disease, a lack of fruit, veg and fibre are linked to cancer and excessive protein may cause kidney problems. Side effects include bad breath, fatigue, nausea, constipation, headaches and insomnia. And veggies can forget it.
Boy, there's a lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) being spread in those statements, Ms. Kellow! Most of the current scientific research is showing how beneficial to your health a low-carb dietary approach really is. I eat more vegetables today than I ever did before I went on the Atkins diet. Additionally, Dr. Atkins recommended in his books for people to eat vegetables high in fiber rather than ones high in starch. I don't know where you are getting the notion that the Atkins diet is lacking of vegetables because it is certainly not from the Atkins books! Certainly some of the side effects you mention can happen when you are first getting in a state of ketosis, but I'll take them over obesity and diabetes any day! Atkins or obesity: Which do you think is more dangerous, Ms. Kellow?! The good news is that most of the side effects you mention are gone after the first few days of Induction.
JULIETTE'S VERDICT There are lots of healthier diets. If you must, follow it for two weeks and make it healthier by choosing lean meat, grilling rather than frying and skipping butter and cream.
Skipping butter and cream for trans-fat-loaded margarine or flavor-free skim milk? Umm, NO THANK YOU! Why would I follow the Atkins diet for just two weeks and then leave just as the results are beginning to happen? I would highly encourage Ms. Kellow to simply admit that she doesn't know one single fact about the Atkins diet and how it really is more than just eating meat, cheese, and bacon for three straight meals!
WOO HOO, YOU GO GET 'EM, KENT! Man, I must be rubbing off on you with a response like that! LOL! I enjoyed the way you broke down each point one by one because it really was loaded with factual errors that an "experienced" health writer should not be making. But we know why she wrote what she did and it has to do with her low-fat/low-calorie/portion control agenda. There's no doubt about that.
Just look what Kellow said about Weight Watchers:
Eat or drink whatever you like, providing you stick to your daily points allowance. Points are based on the calorie and saturated fat content of foods so ultimately you're following a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet. Counting points takes away the need to tot up calories or fat. And it's a good way to learn about healthy eating.
Says who?! What makes Weight Watchers "healthy eating" and the Atkins diet NOT, Ms. Kellow? The senile subjectivity of a "healthy diet" is something that people who are livin' la vida low-carb have had to deal with from day one of their plan. The pervading myth that low-fat is inherently good and low-carb is obviously bad must stop if we are ever going to move forward with getting a handle on obesity. What happened to rational thinking and open-mindedness, hmmmm?
She got in more comments in her review of the other low-carb plans:
- GI Diet--"When combined with a low-fat intake, the GI diet is a great way to lose weight." - South Beach Diet--"The first two weeks are similar to the Atkins diet - this means you won't get your five daily portions of fruit and veg and may suffer similar side-effects. This diet is more flexible than other low-carb plans and requires serious willpower only for the first fortnight." - The Zone--Trying to work out how to make each meal and snack meet the 40:30:30 ratio is almost impossible, unless you have a degree in nutrition or plenty of spare time. As with all low-carb plans, this is likely to be lacking in fibre and certain nutrients. There are loads of easier diets.
"Easier?!" Is that what losing weight is all about, Ms. Kellow? Nobody ever said weight loss was going to be easy, but frankly speaking on a personal level, eating a low-carb lifestyle has been one of the easiest diet plans I have ever followed in my life! Too bad I can't say the same about my low-fat diet experience. Talk about a hard diet to follow and to keep following over the long-term. I pity those who have fooled themselves into believing that they HAVE to eat that way for the rest of their life to be healthy. It's simply not true and the proof is in the fact that people like me and Kent have lost 200 pounds each and kept it off for several years now.
Special thanks to my friend Kent Altena for sharing his impressive response to Kellow's misguided remarks about the Atkins diet. We all need to openly challenge the status quo health "experts" when they make these kind of ridiculous comments about livin' la vida low-carb in places where people can be influenced such as a newspaper column. I try to find them and respond when I can, but YOU should be on the lookout for them and reply when appropriate as well.
If we ever hope to change the hearts and minds of people concerning low-carb living, then it must begin with our staunch and undying support for what we believe in. Even if that means taking on the "experts" like dietitians. Don't be intimidated to tell them they are wrong about livin' la vida low-carb because they usually are!
The debut week of my brand new podcast called "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" has been a thrilling experience for me as so many of my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog readers have shared their comments about the show as well as many new listeners at iTunes and elsewhere who have never been exposed to a positive presentation of the low-carb life. I can't wait for many more new and engaging episodes to come along in the coming weeks and months and the momentum of my new show continues to build. THANK YOU!!!
Well, I suppose you'd like to know who won the FREE 12-PACK OF CHOCOPERFECTION BARS, huh? The chocolate giveaway contest winner for correctly identifying the number of times I said "rump" in Episode 1 as one is...(drumroll please!)
In fact, check out what she had to say about "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show":
I really liked hearing your voice, especially your “Southern” drawl. Seriously, you did a great intro. I am looking forward to in-depth discussions of the low-carb lifestyle. This one was basic and that’s good too. Maybe you can do a question and answer thing. Thanks for carrying the torch for the low-carb lifestyle.
Well, hooooowdy! LOL! I didn't know my accent was THAT bad. Hee hee! But that's okay because it is who I am. As for her other comments, I want to provide good basic information as well as some complex issues like the ones that will be featured in Episode 2 coming on October 30, 2006! It's gonna be a REALLY good one, so don't miss it! :D
Here is just a small sampling of some more of the many comments I received about the new podcast show:
I just listened to your first podcast, and thought it was excellent! You did a great job, and I look forward to many, many more of your podcasts. ***************** What did I like about the show? That you are continuing to share with others about the low-carb lifestyle. I believe it is so important for all of us to keep spreading the word that this really is a healthy lifestyle and for everyone to stop believing the lies we have been told our entire lives. Thanks for keeping the good word on low-carb living going! ***************** I enjoyed your show very much. Since I’ve been living the low-carb way of life for over five years, the information you provided was pretty basic to me. But I believe you’ll be inspiring to others. Finding a plan, reading the book and sticking to it is a great starting point for people. I also liked that you told the truth, that losing weight is never easy, but it gets easier with time. Good luck with your show! ***************** I enjoyed the podcast (although as a fan of your blog, there wasn't anything new in what you said--just good advice). Good luck as you move into a new way of getting the word out. ***************** Love your podcast--it's fun to hear a voice with the writing I enjoy so much! All the best--thanks for all you do! ***************** Loved the podcast. How often will you have new episodes and will it always be a free podcast? (heck do they even charge for them?) Thanks for your blog too...I check it daily. ***************** I loved the podcast. Your enthusiasm about the low-carb lifestyle is bound to appeal to those people who have tried many diet plans and need to find some way to lose weight. I love the way you share your own experiences as a way to encourage people to get off their "rump" and give it a try. The only thing that I can think of to change is the sound quality. I listen via my iPod and the sound didn't come through as clear as other podcasts that I listen to. By the way, I downloaded the podcast from iTunes. It certainly won't keep me from listening, but I just thought I'd mention it since you are asking for feedback. Keep up the good work, Jimmy. I love your blog and am excited to know that now I can also listen to you now, too. ***************** I liked the honesty that you bring across and sincerity. I also liked that you had to find your own way of dieting...read, and read again. I did the same thing, there are such a wealth of knowledge out there on what is good for the body, and listening to your body. I like that you didn't just say, well, I did the Atkins diet or the South Beach. What you are teaching is, look around, there are dozens of books all trying to steer us in this better way of life. You are also here to help! That's great. I'll keep listening if you'll keep preachin'! ***************** I thought it was very good. And I hope to get more ideas in order to get me back on the track of the low-carb life I have been leading for the last 8 years. ***************** Great podcast! I love your enthusiasm! I am very encouraged from listening to you and I love your book and blog too. THANKS and keep up the great work! *****************
WOW, fantastic feedback everyone! I'm happy to hear that you like the show and we are working on ways to make it better.
The sound quality issue is one that I've been trying to fix for most of the week and I think you'll hear a "clear" difference in Episode 2 on Monday. In fact, it'll be like night and day with the clarity, I promise you. THANKS for the constructive criticism, it's gonna make the show better already!
As for the information provided being "basic" or "old news," I can certainly understand the concerns of people who have been on low-carb for a while or who read my blog every single day. But everyone who listens to this podcast show will be at different levels from long-time low-carbers to people still losing weight to beginners to those simply curious about what this way of eating is all about. I'm trying to reach them all and can't do it in a single episode or with one particular style. I'll mix it up, but will always focus on a positive presentation of information about low-carb.
Just keep listening and you might be surprised to hear something that you thought you "knew" about, but perhaps you will look at it in a different way now. What you get out of my podcast show is up to you. Keep an open mind and look for something new to learn and pass on to others about livin' la vida low-carb. Encouragement, education and a little entertainment is what has made my blog what it is and will most certainly define what my podcast is as well.
As an added incentive to listen to upcoming episodes of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show," I have lined up several freebie opportunities from your favorite low-carb companies over the next few weeks to entice you to listen. Be looking for your next chance to win again coming up next week!
Layman: Low-Carb Diets Need Protein For Maximum Health Benefits
Dr. Layman's research focuses on the vital role of protein in the diet
Another one of America's best and brightest researchers in the field of low-carb research is nutrition professor Dr. Donald K. Layman. His work on the low-carbohydrate nutritional approach that you will hear about in my interview with him today is making a clear difference in the way people view diet and nutrition well into the future just as Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jeff Volek, and Dr. Richard Feinman already are as well, just to name a few.
Dr. Layman was kind enough to share a few moments with us today talking about his research on the low-carb approach as it relates to exercise and protein consumption. Prepare to be amazed by all the positive research that just keeps coming out about this miraculous way of eating.
1. Appearing at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog today is yet another one of the behind-the-scenes people regarding the science behind low-carbohydrate diets. His name is Dr. Donald Layman from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Layman, we are privileged and honored to have you with us today. Your studies into this incredible dietary approach that has helped so many people lose weight and get healthy is indeed fascinating. How and why did you become so interested in nutritional science?
My interest in nutrition has always focused on muscle development and physical activity. I have studied growth, sports nutrition and muscle wasting during starvation and malnutrition. It has been this work with skeletal muscle that got me interested in the optimum ratios of dietary protein and carbohydrates for life long health. Skeletal muscle needs protein to stay healthy.
2. It's probably not very glamorous doing studies about low-carb. Share with my readers just a little of what your daily work specifically entails.
I guess you’re correct that it’s not very glamorous, but I really enjoy the process of research. I enjoy the search for new ideas and I enjoy training students. My job description says that I spend 50% of my time on research and 50% on teaching.
I think what would surprise your readers is how long it takes to do good research. Even a relatively small study can take 3-4 years from initial concept and planning, through writing proposals for research funding, training research staff, conducting the experiments, frequently repeating experiments to prove reliability, evaluating data, preparing research papers and finally publishing the results. Good research takes a lot of time and often appears to move very slowly.
3. The primary focus of your research is on how changes in diet and exercise can help prevent the onset of health problems such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, aka Syndrome X. Preventable disease is a growing problem not only in the United States but around the world now. Why do think people are so unwilling to make the necessary changes with what they eat and how much physical activity they get to keep themselves healthy? Who and/or what is to blame for these problems getting worse and worse?
I think there are lots of reasons people don’t (or can’t) change including time, knowledge, environment and motivation. The question about blame sounds too much like media hype. Why does someone have to be blamed?
As a society we now live longer healthier lives than any time in history. We have modern conveniences that save us time and effort and we have a wonderful food supply that provides us virtually any type of food at any time or during any season. Frankly, we are still learning how to handle our success.
We really do not know what diet is best for life spans that routinely reach into the 80’s and 90’s. But with that said, there is simply no question that we eat too much and exercise too little.
4. Your field of research has been focused on the role of exercise in preserving lean body mass, energy expenditure and maintaining weight. We often hear critics of the low-carb lifestyle talk about how you can't exercise on a low-carb program without "carb-loading." Is this true? If not, then please explain for us how the body functions and fuels itself during a workout for someone on a low-carb diet.
Carb-loading is definitely not required for exercise. Our muscles use two primary fuels, fats (or fatty acids) and carbs, specificially glucose. Think about exercise as a continuum from very low-intensity activity such as walking up to extreme- intensity exercise such as a world class 100-meter sprinter.
With very low-intensity walking the muscles should be using almost 100% fatty acids as the fuel, while the elite sprinter will be almost 100% glucose. Without carbs the sprinter will finish last, but without glucose the walker will simply burn more fats.
So for world class sprinters or marathon runners, carbs are an important fuel, but for the rest of us trying to maintain a healthy adult life, carbs do little more than prevent us from burning fats.
5. In fact, your research study published in the August 2005 issue of The Journal of Nutrition found that eating a low-carb/high-protein diet lead to increased fat-burning in the body as well as the creation of more muscle mass than those you observed on a low-protein, low-fat, high-carb diet. Although weight loss can still happen following a low-carb/high-protein nutritional approach, what are the health advantages of adding exercise to that routine?
I think the J. Nutrition paper was important because it demonstrated the interaction of dietary protein with exercise. The paper showed that the combination of a higher protein diet and exercise increased weight loss and targeted the weight loss to body fat while protecting lean tissues like muscles.
You’re right both diet groups lost weight and exercise helped both groups but there were differences in the amount of fat the was burned by each group.
For example, we had two groups that were diet-only treatment and two groups that were diet-plus-daily exercise. After 16 weeks of dieting, the group receiving the high-carb diet lost about 11 pounds of body fat, while the group consuming the low-carb, high-protein diet lost 13 pounds of body fat. The group that had the high-carb-diet-plus exercise lost 12 pound of body fat while the low-carb, high-protein diet plus exercise lost an amazing 19.5 pounds of fat!
So, the individuals eating a high-carb diet did 16 weeks of daily exercise and lost 1 pound of body fat more than just the diet effect, while the low-carb, high-protein subjects lost an additional 6.5 pounds of body fat doing the same exercise program. The higher protein diet maximizes the benefits of doing exercise.
6. A popular myth that floats around out there about livin' la vida low-carb is that your body hits a certain point during exercise when it stops burning fat for fuel and starts using lean muscle mass instead. Why do people believe they will lose muscle while on a low-carb diet and what really happens to muscle when people eat low-carb?
The answer to this question is a bit complex. This statement is derived from studies of long-term starvation. The body always needs some carbohydrates (glucose). The exact amount varies depending on specific conditions. During total starvation with no food being eaten, the body must rely on its own tissues to provide the essential mixture of fuels to sustain life.
The primary fuel is stored fat and fortunately (or unfortunately as the case may be) most of us could live at least 6 weeks without another meal. However, we also need a continuous supply of glucose. The body has a very small store of glycogen that can provide glucose for about 36 hours, then the body must make its glucose.
The body has three sources of glucose, one is the diet (but our person is starving), a second is glycogen (but this is all gone) and the third is a process called gluconeogenesis where the body makes glucose from amino acids. During starvation, the body must rely on body proteins for the amino acids. But under normal conditions, the body makes glucose from amino acids coming in from the diet.
This is one of the reasons that a low-carb diet must also be high-protein. The high-protein diet allows the body to make the necessary glucose from dietary amino acids and not rely on breaking down body proteins.
7. New research on protein and the effect it has on hunger has become the latest craze that food companies have attempted to take advantage of in the marketing of their foods over the past year. Your research looks closely at protein not just for satiety purposes, but also on the amino acids (especially leucine) it provides for other health benefits. What are some of theadditional reasons for eating more protein, how much should people be eating daily, and what are the best sources for protein that people can purchase?
Our research has shown that people lose more weight, they lose more body fat and less lean tissue, and they have more energy and feel less hungry when they consume protein. Specific mechanisms to explain each of these are not clear.
We think that the increase in the amino acid leucine along with the decrease in the levels of insulin produce the important changes in body composition. Mechanisms to explain the feelings of greater energy and reduced hunger are much more speculative.
The amount of protein that we use is approximately 110 to 130 grams each day with not less than 30 grams at each meal. We recommend use of dairy, meats and eggs as our primary sources of protein because they the right balance of amino acids and a high content of leucine.
8. Another one of those popular myths about people on a low-carb diet is that all of that meat they are eating will cause their kidneys to stop functioning and shut down. Why is this argument invalid and how can a low-protein diet be even more detrimental to someone's health?
That is simply not true. While special-interest groups continue to perpetuate this myth, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Science reviewed this issue and they concluded that there was no evidence that diets high in protein harmed the kidney.
However, they did find that LOW protein diets resulted in reduced kidney function. So not only is the statement not true, the truth is exactly the opposite--low-protein diets are bad for your kidneys.
The origins of the myth is that individuals with advanced kidney failure need to reduce the work load on the kidneys which is done be reducing dietary intake of salts and protein. It is a totally different question to ask “what is the best way to treat a damaged kidney” versus “what is the best way to keep a healthy kidney healthy?”
We have now studied over 150 adults using high-protein, low-carb diets and we have never seen a single case of gout. Gout is not a problem with protein or amino acids, it is a metabolic problem associated with handling nucleotides which are the building blocks for DNA and RNA.
10. THANK YOU Dr. Layman for sharing your vast knowledge about the low-carb diet with me and my readers today. We are thankful to have someone like you bringing the real science behind low-carb to the forefront of our culture. Do you have any parting words you would like to share?
Never lose your passion for learning the truth.
We won't, Dr. Layman, we DEFINITELY won't! You can e-mail Dr. Donald K. Layman at dlayman@uiuc.edu.
10-27-06 UPDATE: One of my readers had a question about Dr. Layman's research.
What percentage of carbs, protein and fat did they eat? There are lots of studies coming out on low-carb diets but they never tell you how low the carbs are. This would be helpful information. Can you find out?
Well, I went back to Dr. Layman himself and here's what he said:
The carbs in our study diet were reduced but not super low. We required subjects to maintain diets with less than 170 total grams of carbs per day. Most of our subjects averaged about 140 total grams daily (including fiber). The type of carbs and the distribution throughout the day is as important as the absolute amount.
We use a ratio of carbs to protein in our teaching approach. At any meal or snack, the ratio of carbs to protein should be around 1 to 1. Since protein has such high satiety, this creates a self-limiting approach to carb intake.
THANK YOU for the question and hopefully Dr. Layman answered it for you to your satisfaction. Any other questions?
