Low-Carb Diet Craze Happily Continues On In 2008

I used to get a bit perturbed by that phrase "low-carb diet craze" because I thought it made those of us who believe in livin' la vida low-carb sound like a bunch of raving lunatics (well, not all of us are!). But the more I've thought about it, the better I've felt about the "craze" description because everywhere you turn somebody is saying SOMETHING about the low-carb lifestyle. Much of the time, especially in media accounts of this way of eating, it is the WRONG perspective, but at least they're still talking about it (despite claiming for the past four years that "low-carb" is dead).

Now that 2008 is here, the continued stories from people who are eating low-carb as well as news and commentary in the media and blogosphere have shown me that this "craze" is still just as strong as it has ever been. There's so much to share with you today that it's coming out my ears, so sit back and enjoy all this stuff I've found from over the past week about a diet that supposedly nobody does anymore. HA!

RESTAURANTS STILL CATERING TO LOW-CARB DIETERS

After blogging about how to eat low-carb when you go out to a restaurant last week, I was pleasantly surprised to read this Daily Press story about how several restaurants in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia (my old stomping grounds during graduate school) are specifically catering to the low-carb dieter. WOO HOO! Italian restaurants are allowing non-starchy vegetables to be substituted for the pasta and one restaurant is offering an appetizer of sauteed artichoke hearts. Mmmm mmmm! Somebody give those restaurants a pat on the back for not forsaking those of us who are still very mindful of our carbohydrate intake. WAY TO GO!

FORGET WEIGHT LOSS WILLPOWER, JUST GET COMMITTED

Here's an e-mail cry for help I received from a reader:

I am 47 years old and I find myself at 6’1” and 300 lbs, and barely able to fit into size 42 pants. I have battled being overweight all my life. About 15 years ago I went to a clinic called Nutribolic weight loss centers, and after a few months I had gotten down to 190 and lifting weights on a regular basis.

When I think back on the kind of things they had me eating (small portions of meat, cheese, and real butter) it struck me this was probably very Atkins-like. This was before I knew what Atkins was. All I know is that it was incredibly effective and I felt great!!! Now I look at myself and I am ashamed. I have set a horrible example for my kids and my wife and I can hardly stand the look of myself in the mirror in the morning.

I have tried the Atkins diet, but I only have enough willpower for a couple of weeks. I am in the food business, and spend a lot of time in restaurants. I always lose my willpower. When I attended Nutrabolic, you needed to weigh in twice a week with a counselor, and I think when I had that type of encouragement and personal contact I could stick with it.

Can you recommend any program that follows Atkins that has personal counselors that could help me? Maybe you can help me since it sounds like you have probably seen it all. I hope you can help. I’m desperate. Thank you.

Can I share with you a secret about weight loss--IT DOESN'T TAKE WILLPOWER! If you had willpower, then you wouldn't have gotten up to 300+ pounds in the first place. Instead, you need to have in your mind right now that you are going to have a
STEADFAST RESOLVE TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES no matter what. If you can be on the Atkins diet as outlined in his book Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution for two weeks, then you can do it forever. Don't give the excuse that you can't because YOU CAN!

I am very much in support of people finding support for their low-carb lifestyle. Unfortunately, there isn't a system set up where there is a low-carb friendly assistant in your local area. But I'm happy to help you stay encouraged and moving in the right direction which is what I try to do at my blog, podcast shows, and YouTube videos. But you should find someone who will support you in this. It will help you be successful. If you can afford it, hire a personal trainer to get you back into weight lifting again along with your low-carb lifestyle and you'll be back down to 190 pounds again by the end of the year! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Please don't ever give up!

MICHAEL POLLAN RANTS ABOUT THE DEMISE OF REAL FOOD

Just as Real Food author Nina Planck shared during my recent interview with her, I was pleased to see in this Bloomberg column information about a new book from Michael Pollan that expresses his concerns about what has happened to the genuine food in modern society. You'll recall I shared my review of his previous book The Omnivore's Dilemma that detailed some rather shocking information about the food supply we have today compared with our ancestors (NEWSFLASH: Big difference!).

Now he's got a new book that came out on January 1, 2008 called In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto which some are describing as a more condensed and targeted version of his bestselling Omnivore's Dilemma. I'm looking forward to reading this book and sharing my review of it here real soon. I'll possibly have an opportunity to interview Pollan, but his book tour schedule is so busy right now it may not happen quickly. If it can be done, it will be done. Stay tuned!

ATKINS BADMOUTHING HAPPENING DOWN IN AUSTRALIA

One of my readers from way down south in Australia e-mailed me about a radio station continuing to spread lies about the death of the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins nearly five years ago. You'd think these people would have better things to do with their time than focus on how someone passed away so long ago, but the anti-Atkins contingent seems hellbent on continuing with their character assassination of this diet legend. Here's what the Aussie wrote to me in the e-mail:

Hi Jimmy,

I'm from Perth, Western Australia and thought you may be interested to know that the misconception of how Dr. Atkins died is still alive down under. On one of our radio stations this morning (92.9 with Em and Wippa) they were talking about the Atkins diet. I didn't catch the show but heard excerpts of it. Em said something like "but you need carbohydrates for energy" and Wippa said "you don't want to do Atkins considering Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack."

THANKS for letting us know about this nonsense being spread over the airwaves there and I encourage my Australian readers (and anyone else for that matter!) to contact the radio station to set them straight. The fact that these people feel like they need to attack a dead man just goes to show you the tremendous power and respect that Dr. Atkins commands over them because they know he was right! And that's what bothers them the most.

STRONG PROMOTION OF CARBS IS LAUDED AS "HEALTHY"

The carb-loving interest groups never stop with their propaganda about how "healthy" a high-carb diet allegedly is as we see in this Arizona Republic column that refers to carbs making a "comeback." Rice, pasta, and potatoes are promoted as virtuous in this column and low-carb diets are chided as a "fad" that was irrelevant since most people don't gain weight eating carbohydrates. Oh really? Then why are three out of four people overweight or obese, hmmmm? It couldn't have anything to do with that high-carb, low-fat diet that's been recommended all these years, eh? Share with the reporter Karen Fernau YOUR experience on the low-carb lifestyle by e-mailing her at karen.fernau@arizonarepublic.com.

YOU CAN'T DO ATKINS, YOU KNOW IT'LL GIVE YOU CANCER

Even after losing 180 pounds and proving to people how much better off my health is now than it was when I weighed 410 pounds, there are people who sincerely feel like I am damaging my health by continuing to follow the Atkins diet. That is just amazing to me because nobody even thinks twice about the health of someone losing triple digits on a high-carb, low-fat diet. Instead, they are loudly applauded for sticking to a diet of bean sprouts and tofu! EWWW!

Here's an e-mail someone sent to me warning me of future health dangers:

Jimmy,

Wow, it is wonderful that you have lost so much weight, you probably have added years to your life. But I would like to warn you that my sister also did the Atkins diet for years. She didn't do it for weight loss--well maybe to lose a few extra pounds and to maintain. My sister has never been overweight by no means but after many years of following the Atkins diet she was diagnosed at age 38 with cancer in her colon and she blames it on the red meats she ate for many years while being on the Atkins diet. My sister did both radiation and chemo treatment. She will soon be 43 years and now does the Makers Diet and feels great! I would please urge you to look into the Biblically-based Makers Diet.

I know this lady means well, but she's speaking too much from her heart and not at all from her head. If she does even a little bit of research, then she will not be able to locate any credible scientific evidence that points to any relationship between meat consumption and cancer. I'm sorry for her sister's cancer condition, but I doubt her "Atkins" diet was the cause (and I put quotations around that since I sincerely doubt she actually read the book).

Cancer research has become more and more focused on the role of diet in recent years as a means for both treatment and prevention. And what researchers are finding is that carbohydrates actually FEED cancer cells and make them grow. In other words, if you remove the carbs, then the cancer dies. It's as simple as that despite all the recommendations by the so-called health "experts" that you should eat a high-carb, low-fat diet. We've got it so bassackwards these days it's no wonder cancer is out of control.

As for The Maker's Diet, I haven't read that particular book. But I have read a similar one that's also based on the Bible called The Hallelujah Diet that highly touted the vegetarian lifestyle as the way God intended for man to follow. I even did a blog post asking the question, "Does The Bible Consider The Atkins Diet A Sin?" that received an enthusiastic response from my readers. This is a subject that has always fascinated me as a Christian because people think God doesn't want humans to eat meat. So, why did He give us dominion over the animals, hmmmm?

LOW-CARB DECLINE CORRELATES WITH BIRTH DEFECTS DROP?

Talk about stretching the imagination, have you seen this Winston-Salem Journal story that tries to show some sort of connection between a drop in the number of people who are livin' la vida low-carb and a dip in birth defects over that same time period? I kid you not, some idiot nonprofit agencies in North Carolina are making this claim and proudly, too.

They believe that because birth defects fell over the same time period that the popularity of low-carb diets weakened that it HAD to be the causal effect. Um, no it doesn't. This all circulates around the issue of folic acid and the fact that many whole grain products are fortified with folate. Thus, if you reduce your whole grain consumption on a low-carb diet, then you'll not get enough folic acid in your diet to ward off birth defects. Did you follow all that?

Of course, I've completely obliterated this argument against low-carb and it is the height of ignorance to try to pass off this ridiculous assertion that low-carb diets lead to more birth defects as is being promoted by these groups. Please end this kind of purposeful misinformation that serves only to cause alarm without telling people the truth. Express your concerns to the reporter of this column Richard Craver by e-mailing him at rcraver@wsjournal.com.

CONFUSED AND BEFUDDLED READER NEEDS DIRECTION

This one needs no introduction. ENJOY!

Hi Jimmy--

I hope you don't mind my intrusion on your life here, but I'm looking at going on a low-carb diet, and trying to figure out which one to go on is as confusing as trying to figure out which car to buy. You know: lease, buy new, buy used, buy vehicle after leasing. Atkins, Sugar Busters, Carb Wars, Carb Addicts, Zone: everyone has an opinion; everyone is convinced they're right and everyone else is wrong or misguided or playing with a diet that will kill them, plain and simple.

I tell you: it's stressful enough to get me eating another chocolate brownie. (Which, of course, is part of the problem.)

Anyway.

A friend recommended the Zone diet, on which he lost 50 pounds in 1 year and didn't even feel like he was dieting. (His doctor told him it was not a matter of "if" he became diabetic and had a heart attack, it was only a matter of "when".) He ate protein, veggies and fruit everyday. No ice cream. (Or chocolate brownies.) He recommended "A Week in the Zone" but it's out of print. (And I'm wary of online used-book sellers.) Then he said "The Top 100 Zone foods" but it's also out of print.

I read "The Zone" by Dr. Barry Sears eons ago, and I don't remember much except thinking "How do you eat when you're on this diet? Like, can't I just be given some recipes and a week of menus that I can wrap my head around?" Granted, maybe that was all in the book and I missed it. Or I'm forgetting it. (It wasn't a great time in my life, as I recall.)

So then I hear "Forget Zone, it's just a watered-down version of Atkins. Do Atkins." So I go to Amazon. We have "Atkins for Life", which several reviewers suggested was not the best book to begin with. They recommend "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution" of which there is the "Revised edition" from Sept 25, 2003; the "Revised Diet Package" dating from Sept 25, 2002; and then finally (I think) there's the Diet Revolution dating from December 4, 2001. Okay, I've checked again, and I see no other in-print editions of that book. Then I hear that I never eat vegetables on Atkins, and I never have to exercise or take any kind of nutritional supplement.

But then I read that I do need to exercise, and I will eat plenty of vegetables, and I will need "supplements." Splenda is perfectly safe to eat. Or it isn't; the jury is still out on it. Pass me another chocolate brownie, would you please?

So, maybe you can help. Please help demystify it all for me. Please. If I'm going to eat Atkins (and I don't want to eat a whole bunch of low-carb bread, and low-carb chocolate bars and so on) which edition of which book title should I start with? Since we all know that Atkins is a killer (and I don't want to eat steak everyday: I actually really don't like steak all that much, I'd rather have pot roast or stew), and I like eating vegetables (I really like raw carrots and I'm sad that they're going to kill me because they have carbohydrates in them) and I'm not a fan of fiber replacement products (sorry, don't know what else to call them), which edition of Zone would be good to use to get started eating?

Honestly, I don't need to read 100 pages about human physiology and about insulin and carbohydrates to have someone tell me how to plan a meal and give me some decent sample menus. I will be grateful for any guidance you can offer. I am pushing 50 years old and am afraid to step on the scale. I bought pants at the end of 2007, and I am up 2 pant sizes since I went clothes shopping in 2006. It's not my weight that bothers me: it's my size. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said "If it jiggles when you move, it's not muscle." A lot of me jiggles when I move. I must make change.

Does anyone know what Gary Taubes eats? Thanks again, in advance, for any guidance you can offer.

This is the perfect example of somebody who's thinking too much about this. Pick a plan, follow that plan exactly as the author prescribes, and then execute it. If you discover along the way that the plan doesn't fit your life, then go to another one. But the worst thing you can do is worry about this and that and everything in between. That's why so many people get frustrated and discouraged in their quest to lose weight and get healthy. They think it's too confusing. But a lot of that is brought on ourselves because we are unwilling to just find a plan and stick to it. That's what this man needs to do.

DELTA AIRLINES NOW OFFERING LOW-CARB SIDE ITEMS?

My friend, fellow author and blogger Judy Barnes Baker reported at her "Carb Wars" blog that Delta Airlines is now offering some low-carb side item choices while serving in-flight meals. AWESOME!!! She discovered this pleasant news when her husband was flying back from an international business trip recently and they were serving mashed cauliflower (here's a post with the recipe about how you can make it at home). WHOA! Another meal featured a side of spaghetti squash. SUPER!

Judy, who wrote an outstanding low-carb cookbook called CARB WARS: Sugar Is The New Fat last year, summarized her thoughts about this new development with Delta's menu choices in a way I think we'll all agree with.

"I find it very encouraging that this airline is making an effort to accommodate those of us who prefer an alternative to potatoes, rice, and pasta. And who would be better served than an airline by helping their passengers control their weight?"

Couldn't have said it better myself, Judy! :)

JOIN DISCOVERY HEALTH'S NATIONAL BODY CHALLENGE 2008

This year, Discovery Health has made its own resolution: To help Americans achieve their health and fitness goals. National Body Challenge 2008 is a comprehensive fitness and weight loss challenge that provides the tools to get in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. Registration is absolutely free, and includes an 8-week trial membership to Bally Total Fitness. Much of this campaign happens online with a thousand recipes, customized meal plans, a progress tracker, expert tips and advice, games and quizzes, and a discussion forum. I'm not sure how low-carb any of the recipes or advice will be, but I'm all for people finding support for their healthy lifestyle change. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

NUTRITIONIST SAYS ATKINS DIET FAILS IN THE LONG-TERM

If you've read my blog for a while, then you know what I think about a lot of nutritionists these days. Just in case you haven't seen my response to one before, you can read a few examples of them here, here, here, and you definitely don't wanna miss here. Yes, I have fun with dietitians and nutrition "experts" because they are fully convinced the Atkins diet is destroying your health--until I shine the light of truth on their hyperbolic accusations.

Such is the case with this Houston Chronicle column featuring--WHAT ELSE?--the opinions of a nutritionist about what she thinks of diets. Here's what University of Texas Medical School dietitian Carol Wolin-Riklin had to say about the Atkins diet:

"Typically people can't stick to these diets long term. And that's why the rates in the scientific literature are that 90 to 95 percent of the time, diets don't work, or they work short term. You know, if we knew what to do (with dieting), there wouldn't be a multibillion dollar weight-loss industry. Diets are just very difficult. The weight loss can be positive, but it's often fleeting, and when the weight comes back on, it usually comes back on plus extra pounds. So success eludes most people."

Why is it ALWAYS presumed that people who follow a diet like Atkins is gonna gain the weight back? I've never understood that commonly-held belief that it NEVER really works and that you will gain back the weight and then some. Sure, I know it happens, but it didn't happen to me after I lost 180 pounds in 2004. Aren't these self-proclaimed diet experts even curious in the least about how I was able to beat such incredible odds and keep the weight off for good? One would think.

The fact is low-carb is a permanent weight loss solution and it is proven by my own low-carb success story. This is gonna sound mean, but I don't intend for it to be. It's just the truth. If the Atkins diet didn't work, then look in the mirror for the reason why. You've got to make this a permanent lifelong way of eating or it won't work. This is the central message that is too often missed by the professionals who are supposed to be helping people in their pursuit of getting healthy. Somebody is dropping the ball on this one!

HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIM EATS FAT TO IMPROVE HEALTH

Stress can do so many things to your weight and health that I could not imagine what life was like for all the many victims of Hurricane Katrina from a couple years back. Today I have one who shared a positive story about what happened to him after he started up on a low-carb diet done the RIGHT way. Here's what he wrote:

Hey there. I just happened across your blog and wanted to tell you of my experience. About 2 years ago I tried low-carb and did fantastically. I'm 50 (48 then) and had just gone through Hurricane Katrina and had packed on even MORE pounds. I'm 5'9 and weighed 245 before Katrina, hit 275 afterwards due to stress and lots of boxed foods, lost down to 230, and now am back up again.

The key for me seems to be that if I try to stick to low-carb, low-fat with veggies in bulk I GAIN. Not a little, huge honking amounts. I am tired, cranky, can't eat a meal without sleeping two hours afterwards--NOT a good life for the single parent of an autistic child who takes loads of care.

I had read about coconut oil and bought some, but never tried it until recently ran out of my regular corn oil. One meal cooked with the coconut and I felt BETTER. Didn't want to eat as much and definitely cut the carb cravings. I figured out how to make coconut mayo and coconut butter mix (1/3 coconut oil, 1/3 butter, 1/3 buttermilk). Today, I was starved. Ended up using the mayo with about 2 oz cheese as a dip.

To make a long story short, this was the first day in 2 years that I didn't take an early evening nap. I ate a great dinner--broccoli and hot and sour soup, homemade--and I just flat out feel BETTER. After reading your blog I'm convinced I've been short-selling myself on the meals in the name of dieting, and eating all the "right" things that the doctors say, but I swear to you they DO NOT WORK.

Where will I be in a year? hopefully 100 pounds lighter, but definitely I will be on a high-fat, low carb diet. Even if I do not lose a single pound--I FEEL so much better. I never, ever would have believed it. Thanks for listening.

If you could see me right now, I'm grinning from ear to ear! I just LOVED this e-mail because it once again hammers home the important lesson that livin' la vida low-carb is only effective when it is accompanied by ample fat consumption that serves as your fuel in the absence of carbohydrates. You don't mix low-carb with low-fat because that's a recipe for disaster to your health as we discovered is happening with people following the Kimkins diet scam.

As for coconut oil, I've blogged about how it is great for weight loss and this reader confirms that it makes you feel better, too. I personally use Nutiva brand coconut oil and buy it in the big one-gallon buckets. It's more economical and this stuff keeps for a very long time. I cook with it and eat it straight up as a supplement--YUMMY! I'll have to look into making my own mayo and dips. COOL!

HEART DISEASE BLOG LAUDS ATKINS DIET FOR HEALTH

I've always said the science is what is going to convince intellectual people that livin' la vida low-carb is a viable alternative to the low-fat diets. And that's what we see in this About.com Heart Disease blog column that looks at the status of the low-carb diet in 2008. You know this is making About.com Low-Carb Diets blog author Laura Dolson very happy to hear and I suspect she may have played a role in convincing Dr. Richard Fogoros to look at the studies and decide for himself. Very encouraging news indeed to start the new year!

DOCTOR "ACCIDENTALLY" STARTS LOW-CARB, IMPROVES HEALTH

If only this scenario would repeat itself exponentially...

Dear Jimmy,

First, I'd like to thank you for your blog. It has been a wealth of information for me--and very entertaining. Allow me to introduce myself. I am a physician (pathologist), who stumbled onto low-carb sort of accidentally. My wife had read and recommended to me the book SUGAR SHOCK! I read it also, and thought I would try to eliminate sugar--but simultaneously decided to increase the fat in my diet (replace the calories in sugar and simple carbs).

I was startled at how much better I felt the very day I made the switch. Because I felt so much better, I decided to continue the changes, progressively decreasing the carbohydrates, and increasing the fat. I was also surprised when I spontaneously lost 10 pounds (I didn't have much to lose), my blood pressure dropped, an inflammatory skin condition that I have had for years cleared up (sebhorreic dermatitis), and recurrent canker sores that I have suffered from cleared up.

As a physician, I was trained to be somewhat skeptical of dietary treatment of physical conditions, especially diets that claim to solve multiple problems but I cannot deny the changes in myself or others that I have observed following a low-carb diet. Since then I have tried to follow the research of low carbohydrate diets on diseases of civilization. I have read Gary Taubes GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES book and consider it a masterpiece.

One doctor down, 150,000 more to go!

HOUSTON CHRONICLE JOURNALIST IS A LOW-CARBER!

Hey, you know how much I like to rib many of the people who report on the Atkins low-carb diet in the media because they generally get it wrong (I did it locally with my newspaper when they trashed low-carb and it ended up leading to a feature story on my Atkins diet weight loss success). Well look at this Houston Chronicle column from a man named Ken Hoffman. Check out what he says at the beginning of paragraph six:

"I know low-carb people (and by that, I'm talking about me)..."

Yep, you heard him right! He's livin' la vida low-carb, baby, and it's good to know that someone who is actually eating this way writes for such a major American newspaper. Let's send Ken a whole buncha encouraging notes congratulating him on choosing the healthy low-carb lifestyle and to keep up the great work. His e-mail address is ken.hoffman@chron.com.

HEALTHY EATING REALLY IS MORE EXPENSIVE

Okay, so we get confirmation in this New York Times piece that eating healthy actually does cost more money than eating a junk diet. No shocking news to me! But what does it really mean? Does it depend on which diet you are following as my fellow blogger Amy Dungan from the "Healthy Low-Carb Living" blog shared in this recent column?

Poverty does not automatically mean pudginess and obesity hits both rich and poor, so you can't really blame being fat on your lack of wealth. But it is a worthy debate for discussion about whether there should be incentives or something given to encourage people to make the better food choices rather than gravitating to that 99-cent package of potato chips. What do you think?

THE MOST OBJECTIVE DEFENSE FOR LOW-CARB EVER

I realize my enthusiasm for the low-carb lifestyle is much greater than that of most people because of the tremendous turnaround in my weight and health it produced. But I've found someone who doesn't really have a dog in this hunt, but has come up with a list of reason for choosing low-carb for the sake of your weight and health. It's from a Type 2 diabetic named Jenny and she posted this instant classic blog post entitled "Safe Low-Carb Dieting For Weight Loss" at her "Diabetes Update" blog. You'll probably end up printing this one out and sharing it with everyone you know. IT'S THAT GOOD!

Sorry this was so much news in one post, but it's piling up quickly here in the early days of 2008. I try to keep on top of things, but sometimes it's a challenge. But so many of you help me by sharing information you have seen about livin' la vida low-carb and I appreciate that very much. Please continue to pass on anything of interest to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANKS!

A Collection Of Low-Carb News To Kick Off 2008

It's the dawn of a new year, but low-carb hasn't slowed a bit!

Waving goodbye to the end of another year simply means it's time to say hello to a new beginning as the calendar year turns over yet again. While 2007 was indeed a year to remember, I'm so looking forward to 2008 and all that awaits people who are contemplating, in the midst of, or head over heels about the amazingly healthy low-carb lifestyle.

Good things are happening all the time and it is always a pleasure to share with you the very latest in the wonderful world of livin' la vida low-carb. My commitment to you is to keep doing this in the new year so you'll always stay ahead of the game. In fact, I'm happy to share with you a collection of positive low-carb news right now to help kick off your 2008 the right way. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

BREAST CANCER MADE WORSE BY HIGH INSULIN LEVELS

I've shared with you many times over the past few years how researchers are beginning to see an unmistakable connection between the prevalence and growth of cancer tied to the existence of high levels of insulin in the body. Most notably was this Time magazine article on German researchers using a high-fat, low-carb diet to combat cancer in the most dire of patients with astounding results.

Now researchers out of Yale University have found that women with high levels of insulin in their body are likely to develop breast cancer. Although the lead researcher Dr. Melinda Irwin recommends "exercise and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat," what they need more than anything is a sugar-free, low-carb diet rich in healthy amounts of fat, including saturated fat, to combat and prevent this disease.

The problem I have always had with generalized recommendations from people like Dr. Irwin who say we should "eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with a low-fat diet" is that it is not backed up by the latest published research and in my opinion is simply a copout for providing guidance about which foods are better. Not all vegetables are good for you (potatoes and other starchy ones especially) and neither are all fruits (bananas alone have 29g carbohydrate in them!).

It's nice to see the research is finally showing the detrimental role that insulin is doing to our health brought on by a high-carb diet, but it's high time we start matching up our dietary recommendations to adequately take on these health challenges properly. Share your comments and concerns with Dr. Melinda Irwin about her study by e-mailing her at melinda.irwin@yale.edu.

IS THERE REALLY ANOTHER NEW ATKINS DIET BOOK?

You may have already heard about this new book, but in case you haven't it is not a misprint. There's a brand new Atkins diet book called The All-New Atkins Advantage: The 12-Week Low-Carb Program to Lose Weight, Achieve Peak Fitness and Health, and Maximize Your Willpower to Reach Life Goals that released on December 26, 2007 and is being marketed as an updated version of the low-carb diet made popular by the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins.


This Atkins book co-written by Dr. Stuart Trager and Collette Heimowitz

I've been reading through this "new" Atkins diet book and the overriding message that I am seeing is that there are different levels of carbohydrate tolerance for each individual and this book will help guide you regardless of the amount of carbs your body will permit you to eat. There are menus for varying levels of carbohydrate intake from 20g a day to 80g a day, so you never have to guess about what to eat.

Dr. Trager is a fitness expert who uses his experiences in Ironman competitions and implementing a low-carbohydrate nutritional approach to help others reach their weight loss goals. I've blogged about him previously in this blog post and he devotes a major portion of the book on specific exercises you can do to go along with your Atkins diet.

As for Collette Heimowitz, I've interviewed her at my blog before talking about the continuing role of Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. in the realm of diet, health, and nutrition. She has been a long-time supporter of livin' la vida low-carb sharing with others all the research and data supporting low-carb living.

I will likely be sharing a book review of The All-New Atkins Advantage as well as some possible giveaways real soon, so keep reading the blog for those updates! This looks to be a good book for anyone needing a little bit of extra hand-holding as you begin the low-carb lifestyle.

CAL-CARB CLICKER TO BE FEATURED ON QVC

A few weeks ago, my wife Christine and I shared with you some great low-carb gift ideas to share with people who are livin' la vida low-carb on special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, and other such events involving presents. One of those products I told you about was something called the Cal-Carb Clicker which allows you to keep track of your calories, carbohydrates, and water intake all in one device that's super-easy to use.

Well, this little gadget is gonna hit the big time on New Year's Eve as the clock strikes midnight to head into 2008 because it will be featured for the first time ever on the QVC television shopping network. If you are up late watching the ball drop in Times Square, then be sure to switch over to QVC to watch Sandy Martucci, one of the two sisters who invented this gizmo, talk about it sometime between midnight and 2 a.m. This thing is expected to blow the doors off of QVC and it's exciting that one of the things it measures is carbohydrate intake. AMAZING!!!

If the Cal-Carb Clicker does as well as QVC expects selling at around $12, then they will keep offering it as part of their regular programming. This is excellent news because more and more people are discovering the importance of carb control and this tool will help them keep better track of it. And that's a VERY good thing! :)

ARIZONA STATE RESEARCHERS RIP LOW-CARB DIETS

As much as all the evidence keeps pointing to low-carb as being one of the healthiest ways you could possibly eat, I have come to the conclusion that there will ALWAYS be somebody out there who thinks the sky is green. When it comes to the alleged healthiness of a high-carb diet, this guys takes the cake (both figuratively AND literally!).

Joining in on the lunacy are researchers from Arizona State University who put out this damning press release against low-carb diets recently that claims (among many things) ketosis from a low-carb ketogenic diet will kill you, your bones will dry up and crumble like a cookie, and your LDL cholesterol will go up so high your arteries will explode! Okay, maybe it wasn't filled with that much hyperbole, but it might as well have since all of those flimsy excuses are the same ones we've heard over and over again for years.

What do they recommend instead? Eating a more "moderate" level of around 120g of carbohydrates daily as a STARTING POINT and much more than that if you even dare try to exercise a little. They say your body needs carbs but we know better don't we? It's called gluconeogenesis and is a very natural part of human physiology and metabolism.

These pompous, self-proclaimed researchers--Carol Johnston and Pamela Swan--need to get off their high horse every once in a while to start living in the real world like the rest of us rather than the fantasy land of higher academia! I'm sure they'd LOVE to hear from YOU, so feel free to e-mail them at carol.johnston@asu.edu and PSwan@asu.edu.

NUTRITION DATA GIVES LOW-CARB DISCERNMENT ADVICE

If you haven't been to the "Nutrition Data" blog yet, then you are doing yourself a huge disservice because they offer some really fantastic information about diet, health, and nutrition. And they also are quite the fans of livin' la vida low-carb, too. In this recent post about dietary dogma against low-carb diets, an excellent response was provided by Monica Reinagel for people confused about how to discern the good information from the bad as it relates to low-carb studies that seem to contradict themselves (as will frequently happen when the zealots release their biased research while genuine studies show the truth).

I especially liked Monica's four tips about what to do for living healthy:

1. Do what works...If a low-carb diet is the only way for you to do it, then the possible risks are probably justified.

2. Consider your health history. If you are diabetic or have metabolic syndrome and have weight to lose, a lower-carb diet may be a better choice.

3. Monitor your risk factors. Regardless of which dietary dogma you ascribe to, have your cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammation markers (CRP) tested on an annual or bi-annual basis.

4. Don't over-simplify...A diet rich in low-glycemic carbs like vegetables and legumes is not going to have the same negative effects as a diet high in high-glycemic carbs like rice cakes and white bread.

See what I mean...don't you LOVE it when you find someone of like mind? In 2008, make it a point to visit The ND Blog early and often! And let Monica hear from you about what you think of her site by e-mailing her at feedback@nutritiondata.com.

Speaking of this fabulous web site, I just had to share with you about a recent poll conducted by NutritionData.com that simply asked the question, "What motivates you to eat healthier?" Wanna know what the surprising results were depending on what part of the United States you live in? Check this out:

One-third of Americans want to look good (33.3%) and just under a third want to feel better. But the results of the poll showed that Americans have different motivations for eating healthier based on where they live.

- Americans living in the Heartland States want to change their diets to lower their risk of diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer

- People living on the East Coast of the U.S. eat healthier in the hopes that they will live longer

- People in the South and on the West Coast try to eat better in order to lose weight and/or look good

- Americans on the West Coast change their diets for the better so that they will have more energy

What do you think about this? Is it true based on where YOU live? This should be a lively discussion in the comments section. :D

A USER-FRIENDLY WEB SITE EXPLAINING LOW-CARB DIETS

Have you been looking for a page on the Internet that would accurately describe what the low-carb lifestyle is REALLY all about, explain in simple terms what makes this way of eating so effective, and put it in language we can all understand? Well, look no further than "Why Low-Carb Diets Work" by author Adam Khan. He did a yeoman's job of breaking it down in digestible chunks for virtually anyone to grasp the basic concepts of livin' la vida low-carb. Whether you are a low-carb expert or a novice, this one's WELL worth the read!

NEW STUDY CONFIRMS LOW-CARB FOR EPILEPSY TREATMENT

I've blogged about the use of a very low-carb ketogenic diet for seizure control in people with epilepsy and other neurological diseases before. In fact, I highlighted a web site called "Atkins For Seizures" that is a grassroots attempt to educate people who suffer from epilepsy about this potential dietary cure for their disease Now there's a study scientifically backing up this treatment method.

Lead researcher Dr. Kelvin Yamada, professor of Neurology at the St. Louis, MO-based Washington University School of Medicine, and his team of researchers found that the key to helping people with epilepsy the release of leptin brought about as a result of a ketogenic low-carb diet. The science is a bit complicated to follow, but the bottom line is livin' la vida low-carb was shown to help reduce the occurrence of seizures in laboratory rats.

This study was published in the December 20, 2007 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation. You can e-mail Dr. Kelvin Yamada about his study at yamadak@wustl.edu.

LAURA DOLSON HELPS WITH "BABY STEPS" TOWARDS LOW-CARB

One of the greatest low-carb resources on the Internet is the About.com Low-Carb Diets page from Laura Dolson. She works tirelessly to provide accurate, informative, and professional information regarding anything and everything that has to do with the low-carb lifestyle. I wanna be like Laura when I grow up! :)

Recently, Laura shared a post entitled "Seven Steps to Greater Carb Control" that is essential reading for anyone who thinks livin' la vida low-carb is an impossibility for them. It's amazing how making some very minor changes in your current habits can reap huge rewards in both your weight and health management. I know from talking to Laura that health is a HUGE part of everything she does, so take some advice from someone who has been there and cares.

DIABETES HEALTH MAGAZINE PUBLISHES LOW-CARB SUCCESS

Now that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has given the green light to low-carb for diabetics, it will be very interesting to see how many amazing stories of blood sugar control that start happening for people who will try this for perhaps the first time as a means for treating their diabetes. While the ADA is focused on the weight loss aspect of livin' la vida low-carb, it's what will happen as insulin production slows for Type 2 diabetics that will be the really fun thing to watch for.

But even before that has happened, there's a fantastic column in Diabetes Health magazine written by Riva Greenberg from the "Diabetes Stories" blog. She simply shared from her experiences following Dr. Richard Bernstein's plan for controlling her Type 1 diabetes.

Here's a quick excerpt, but be sure to read the whole column:

"I essentially eliminated refined carbs, such as white bread, white potatoes, rice, pasta, sweets, muffins, and starchy veggies. The result? My sugars indeed dropped. They were consistently lower, and my insulin doses dropped. Maybe best of all, I was no longer chasing high blood sugars - you know, the ones that come from refined carbs, where you just can't seem to knock them down all day. My Lantus dose went from 20 to 12.5 units, and my pre-meal Humalog was all but cut in half. The results were so dramatic and made my life so much easier that I never went back to my old ways."

Riva's story is merely the first in a long line of successes that are to come now the the ADA has given recognition and credence to the healthy low-carb lifestyle. If you have an amazing story you'd like to share about how low-carb has helped you control your diabetes, then please feel free to send it to me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. It's important for the ADA and other health entities like them to know that real people are getting healthy eating this way. THANKS for sharing!

DR. RICHARD FEINMAN'S SATURATED FAT COLUMN AT DLIFE

I had the privilege of interviewing one of the most brilliant low-carb researchers in the world today in June 2006--Dr. Richard Feinman from the Brooklyn, NY-based SUNY Downstate. He told me in that interview that he believed the ADA was close to coming out in support of livin' la vida low-carb and 18 months later he was right!

As a strong advocate of the metabolic science behind low-carb living, we have seen Dr. Feinman challenge the status quo and now he's at it again on the popular diabetes and health web site called dLife.

In a guest column called "What if Saturated Fat is Not the Problem?" he shares about some of the latest research behind saturated fat to reveal it's not the public health menace we've all been led to believe. He notes this study from University of Connecticut researcher Dr. Jeff Volek that found a diet low in saturated fat actually increases saturated fat in the blood compared to a diet high in saturated fat. Counterintuitive? You betcha, but that's what the data shows.

Here's a taste of classic Feinman at his best:

"Carbohydrate, through its effect on insulin, is the key player. Insulin not only sweeps up glucose from the blood but it also plays air traffic controller, making the call as to whether that glucose is turned into fat or is used for energy. Most importantly, insulin determines what happens to dietary fat — whether it gets stored or oxidized for fuel. In fact, insulin has so much control over how dietary fat is metabolized that when levels of fat are measured in the blood, they are not strongly associated with a person's diet. In other words, one person who has a high intake of saturated fat may turn out to have a similar ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat in the blood as someone who consumes very little saturated fat."

There's plenty more nuggets of truth to chew on in Dr. Feinman's column, so read the entire thing, print it out, and give it to your doctor and anyone else whose health you care about. This is a subject that we've only just begun to scratch the surface on and will be at the center of debate in the months and years to come.

3800 CALORIES A DAY FOR A MONTH AND NO WEIGHT GAIN?

We often hear from all those so-called "experts" who tell us we need to create a calorie deficit in order to manage our weight. But those of us who consume a high-fat, low-carb diet with no regard for calories have always believed that theory was bogus--but we didn't really have any way to back it up other than our own personal experiences.

Allow me to introduce you to a Wisconsin man named Jeff. Over the course of 30 days during the entire month of December, he has conducted an experiment on his own body a la what Morgan Spurlock did in his Super Size Me movie. Jeff attempted to eat as many calories as he possibly could on his 169-pound frame to prove you can maintain your weight as long as you keep your carbohydrates reduced.

Check out his daily log of calories consumed and a list of the foods he ate to average a whopping 3822 calories for thirty days in a row! His high day was on Day 5 when he hit 4620 calories and his low day was on Day 30 when he only got to 2998--three-fourths of which was FAT! WOW! You go Jeff!!!

Conventional wisdom regarding calories would say that Jeff should have gained close to 14 pounds on this diet of his. But guess what? He didn't gain 14 pounds. He didn't even gain 10 pounds or even 5 pounds. The shocking result--HE MAINTAINED HIS WEIGHT!!! Incredible! I'd love to interview Jeff about his little experiment if someone who knows him will have him e-mail me. THANKS!

DR. WALTER WILLETT ACKNOWLEDGES LOW-CARB DIETS

A friend of mine pointed me to a rather fascinating interview with Dr. Walter Willett, a nutrition expert from the Harvard School of Public Health. While I've both praised and been critical of Dr. Willett at my blog, I'm pleased to share this interview conducted by PBS and their "Frontline" program with you because it has some good information from this leading American health expert on a variety of subjects.

Yes, he still subscribes to the Ancel Keys theory regarding fat causing obesity among other things, there are moments during the interview that Dr. Willett comes to the defense of fat consumption and livin' la vida low-carb. Here are some of my favorite parts:

"The reality is that during this campaign for fat-free and reduced-fat products, actual fat consumption did go down, but Americans got much fatter during this period of time. Now of course lots of things were going on at the same period in time, but I think it's highly likely this focus only on fat calories to the neglect of carbohydrate calories has contributed to this epidemic of obesity."
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"The evidence that we accrued really suggested not only that the type of advice that people were getting was not useful, but it actually could be dangerous, because some people were eliminating the very healthy types of fat that actually reduce heart disease rates."
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"The thinking in nutrition about carbohydrates really had broken them down into two classes: sugars and so-called complex carbohydrates, which are mostly starches. The idea has been pushed that all forms of so-called complex carbohydrates are really the poster child of nutrients, and we should be eating them in large amounts. That's what the pyramid tells us to do. But in fact, these kinds of starches -- white bread, white rice, potatoes -- are starches that are very rapidly converted to glucose, really pure sugar, and almost instantly absorbed into the bloodstream. And these are the kinds of carbohydrates that we really should be minimizing in our diets."
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"Actually, careful studies have shown, demonstrated that you get a bigger rise in blood sugar after eating potatoes, a baked potato, say, than you do from eating pure table sugar. Really."
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"First of all, when the blood sugar goes skyrocketing up, the body wants to bring it back down. So our pancreas pumps out a big blast of insulin, and as a result, the blood sugar comes crashing down rapidly. In fact, in many people, after three and four hours, it overshoots and actually become a little hypoglycemic, and that rapid crashing down of blood glucose and insulin stimulates hunger. That would be no problem, except that it's often all too easy to go in the refrigerator or find a snack, and if we do that frequently throughout the day, that can add up to too many calories over weeks and months and years, and contribute to obesity.

Second, these high rises in blood glucose and insulin have a bad metabolic effect on the blood cholesterol fractions. Specifically the HDL, the good cholesterol, is driven down, and triglycerides, another type of fat in the blood that leads to heart attacks, goes up.

Third, after many years of demand for high amounts of insulin, the pancreas tends to give out. And at that point in time, we've got type 2 diabetes."
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"Interestingly, in traditional Asian societies, people were very lean, very active, and therefore had low insulin resistance. They could eat large amounts of rice, even white rice, in the diet and have low heart attack rates and have low rates of type 2 diabetes. But if you take that same person, and they [now] may be living in Beijing and driving a car and watching a television, and they put on a few pounds, they're going to have much more insulin resistance. So if you take that same diet, high in carbohydrate and white rice, they will have a much worse metabolic response and much higher rates of type 2 diabetes."
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"If you're overweight and living in the United States, and you go to a hospital and see a dietician, almost for sure, you're going to be put on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet."
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"Dr. Atkins was saying as much as 30 years ago, that if we reduce our carbohydrate intake to quite low levels, that will make it easier to control our caloric intake and thus promote weight loss. As it turns out, there is a strong element of truth in that. A number of studies in the last year have looked in a very careful way, comparing low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets with reduced-carbohydrate diets, and in general people have done better on the reduced-carbohydrate diets in terms of their weight."

This was one incredible interview and I hope you take the time to read it all for yourself! While Dr. Willett is certainly no low-carb champion, he at least understands the mechanism behind why it works for those of us who choose it to manage our weight and health. This is something more health experts should get in the habit of doing.

Got some low-carb news you wanna share with me? I'm always happy to hear from my readers, so don't hesitate to e-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

'Exercise Is A Privilege' And Don't You Forget It!

Hey everyone, I'm back from Christmas vacation now! It was a fun time to get away for a few days, spend some time with family I don't get to see but once a decade (at least that's what they think!), and enjoy the reason for the season together with my beautiful bride. We're doing okay since the news we received about our IVF and it's been an amazing experience feeling the prayers and thoughts of so many of you this past week. THANK YOU!!!

Since it is late as I am typing this with my eyes drooping hard and Thursday is my birthday (36 and counting!), I'd like to share a quick column from my friend Nicki Anderson at Reality Fitness who wrote an outstanding piece in her "Happy Monday" column this week you WON'T want to miss if you are even the least bit down and discouraged about your health and fitness. Just as I have blogged about Nicki here and here recently, you're in for a healthy dose of inspiration and the truth in love. ENJOY!

Exercise Your Healthy Living Options!
By Nicki Anderson

No matter how out of shape you believe you are, there is someone that feels more out of shape.

No matter how “fat” you feel, there is always someone that feels “fatter.”

No matter how slow you need to start to get back to good health, it’s a starting point, and you can only go up from there.

No matter how frustrated you may feel with your level of fitness, you have the choice to do something about it, some do not.

Exercise is a privilege.

No matter how many times you have stopped and started an exercise program, it will eventually stick!

No matter how much you reminisce about the 6-pack you had at one time, that was then, this is now!

No matter how much you wish you had run that 5K under 30 minutes, there is someone just wishing they could have the choice to run. You have the choice to do something about it, some do not.

Exercise is a privilege.

No matter how much you wish you could have longer legs, tighter abs, hoisted rear, your genetic hand has been dealt. Why not focus on what you can do, versus what you cannot do?

No matter how many diets you’ve been on, you are not exempt from success, you just need to discover the perfect approach that works for you.

No matter how many times you have been told you “can’t,” there’s that voice inside saying, “You can”--turn the volume up on that one.

No matter what size you are now, focus on taking steps toward better health. You have the choice to start, some do not.

Exercise is a privilege.

No matter how scary it may be to step in to the gym all alone, there are 100 other people feeling the same way. Everyone has to start somewhere.

No matter how many times you wish you could go back to the weight you “once” were, you are where you are, acknowledge it and move ahead.

No matter how out of breath you are when you start to exercise, you’re doing it, lucky you! You have the choice, some do not.

Exercise is a privilege.

No matter what you may have read in magazines or seen on a commercial, there is no such thing as “fast and easy” when it comes to reclaiming your health and fitness. So, think about the fact that exercise is a choice, why not make it yours. Just remember that exercise is a privilege, not punishment for an imperfect body so make 2008 YOUR year for feeling great!!!

I'll be back blogging again real soon with some extra special surprises in store for January 2008. Stay tuned!