It's Machine-Gun Low-Carb Blogging

Today I'd like to highlight ten recent news stories I have come across lately that I just haven't had time to blog about. Machine-gun blogging, so to speak! :)

First, I found one of the most incredibly interesting articles about the vegetarian vs. meat debate that I've read in a very long time in this London Daily Mail column. It was written by a man named Alex James who decided after 17 years that it was time to give up his vegetarian lifestyle and to come join the happy world of us carnivores. Welcome home, Alex! While he still uses phrases like "carcass" to describe meat (a common tactic by vegetarians to make meat sound more disgusting somehow), he has certainly made a 180-degree turn for the better.

Second, Kirsten Hawkins provides what I thought was a reasonable column combining the best of the low-fat diets with the best of the low-carb ones. It reminded me of this blog post I wrote following my interview with low-fat diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish in October 2005. She makes some good points worth pondering for both sides of the low-fat vs. low-carb debate.

Third, you have GOT to read this AOL Money interview with Jim Skinner. He is the CEO of the world's largest fast food restaurant chain and has been credited with their financial turnaround in recent years. You will flip out when you read what he had to say about the company's position on a healthy diet. Here's just a snippet:

"I put an emphasis on what we call balanced, active lifestyles. When you look at the kinds of choices we've provided, we've done more work here than probably any other restaurant company in trying to be part of the solution to...the world's obesity problem...We love the passion of people who want us to serve food that we feel has those characteristics that everybody wants when they're eating. But most of the time what they say is not factual relative to the quality of our food, the very high standards we have around our food safety - yet since we're the lead dog, we're the ones that people point to. I just don't think it's fair."

Awww, WAH WAH WAH! NO FAIR to blame us for obesity! Frankly, Mr. Skinner, while I am not in favor of the lawsuits against your company, I do think your company could be doing a whole lot more to improve the options at your restaurants. To say you've done more to address obesity is absurd despite your latest public realtions stunt. Also, you might want to share that vision with your British CEO!

Fourth, more ignorance about what the Atkins diet really is continues in this Bland County (VA) Messenger story. Another brilliant dietitian seems to think that eating the popular low-carb Atkins diet means you "cut out entire food groups" and that "there isn't enough information and research out there to determine the diet's long-term effects." Yadda yadda yadda! These people keep repeating the same old arguments over and over again, but they're just not sticking anymore since the truth is getting out there about livin' la vida low-carb.

Fifth, how about this Scoop story about the "safest way to avoid death?" Have you seen this amazing study that shines the light on the number of deaths that have happened as a result of taking dangerous prescription medications as compared with taking healthy vitamins and minerals? Does it surprise you that there have been ZERO deaths from taking natural remedies? How many deaths have happened from prescribed drugs, hmmm? That's why it's scary to think there are people who want to outlaw vitamins in America. EEEEK!

Sixth, a creepy new Big Brother-type action against obesity is happening in the UK according to this Times Online story. Believe it or not, "hit squads" of nutritionists would be sent into the houses of obese families to give dietary advice and help wean families off junk food. Oh my gosh, God help us if this were to ever happen in the United States of America! Yes, Dr. Ornish, I will eat that low-fat tofu and rice for supper. DOUBLE EEEK!

Seventh, the Auburn Journal discusses that fact that one-third of Americans, or 71 million people, are currently on a diet--the highest number since 1992. They report that calorie-counting and lower-fat will be en vogue in 2007 and that restaurants will follow suit to accommodate this need. How many years have we heard this crap spouted off and it's still not making a dent in the obesity epidemic? Just eat low-carb already people!

Eighth, why is it that people try to be cute by making fun of the low-carb lifestyle? It's like Christianity--it's okay to slam away at it with everything in the world, but don't you dare talk about Muslims or any other religion. The same goes with Atkins and low-carb. This (MS) Sun-Herald column proves that yet again in an op-ed written by a chef named Robert St. John who obsesses over a Pop Tart while on a make-shift diet of his own. Here's how he describes livin' la vida low-carb:

"I once tried Dr. Atkins' torturous method of carbohydrate deprivation, and three weeks into the diet wrote this paragraph in my journal: 'Everyday I get an afternoon craving for a Milky Way bar. 'Just eat some pork rinds or beef jerky,' they say. I tried that. Pork rinds are smelly and greasy, and it takes approximately 37 hours to chew one single piece of beef jerky. Note to future Atkins dieters: 50 pounds of dried beef or fried pig skins can't come close to one tiny bite of a chocolaty, silky, heavenly, wonderfully delicious Milky Way bar - Pure joy in a brown wrapper."

What a freakin' idiot! He's merely perpetuating the myths about low-carb even further with his ignorant and ridiculous hyperbole. Here's some advice to all you Atkins haters out there--stop trying to be cute, just read the book already!

Ninth, we FINALLY have a positive story about low-carb in this Times Online article featuring two women who have been obese their entire lives and sought to discover the very best way possible for them to lose the weight. While they discuss the importance of looking at the emotional aspect of why you got fat to begin with, check out the actual nutritional approach they recommend in their diet plan.

"So I studied the diet books, worked out the most do-able way of eating — the high protein, low-carb method — and fiddled and tweaked until it became, well, palatable."

Well SHAZAM! Of all the diet books out there, including all those so-called healthy low-fat, low-calorie, portion control plans, the ONE way of eating that they found the "most do-able" was livin' la vida low-carb! It's about time they figured it out!

Tenth and finally, this Globe & Mail story gleefully gloats that fewer than one percent of Canadians are on a self-prescribed low-carb diet. Hmmm, that's interesting to note. I wonder if you re-phrased the question to say "Are you eating less sugar, white flour, starchy veggies, and processed foods" if there would be a different result? Me thinks there would be. It's unfortunate that the term "low-carb" has been hijacked as a negative thing in the media and by health experts, but it's truly the healthiest way to eat.

That should be plenty for you to chew on for today. Like I said, I've been behind on a lot of blogging lately during this busy month of January. I'm not complaining, just sharing with you that there's a bottomless supply of information I'm always trying to provide to you day in and day out. THANKS so much for reading and feel free to comment on any or all of these ten topics. SEE YA!