Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 140:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 140 [26:44m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Gary Taubes continues his discussion of his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, including how much he initially hated that title for his book until his wife convinced him otherwise, the impact of carbohydrate calories on weight, the change of heart that Dr. Andrew Weil has had regarding low-carb, the theories espoused by low-fat diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish, and what can be done to influence the health authorities about the positive impact of low-carb living.
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Now that the Taubes interview is completed, share what you thought about it in the show notes section of Episode 140. If you happened to miss any of my blog posts about Gary Taubes and Good Calories, Bad Calories, then you can see them all in one place by clicking here. You can also provide us with your audio feedback about this interview by calling (206) 202-6516. Special thanks to Gary Taubes for his generous donation of time at the ASBP/Nutrition & Metabolism conference in Phoenix, AZ last month.
Coming up next week, we'll shift gears a bit on Monday's podcast as Christine and I talk with a reproductive endocrinologist from the Institute For Progressive Medicine named Dr. Julie Kahn about the role of diet and fertility and then on Thursday's show I'll be speaking with Cracking The Metabolic Code author Dr. Jim LaValle. DON'T MISS IT!!!
Is Dean Ornish prepared to admit a high-fat, low-carb diet is healthy?
I have had ample opportunities to meet and interview some of the best and brightest minds in the world of diet and health over the past couple of years and I consider it a real privilege and an honor anytime I am afforded the chance to glean from the many years of knowledge and experience that these people possess. As a simple layperson without any medical or nutritional background or education, I am merely a student trying to learn everything he can in order to make informed decisions about what is right for me and my body.
You can read my blog interviews or listen to my podcast interviews which now total well over 100 to see and hear from these amazing people and the fine work they are doing to promote good health. I honestly believe that everyone who is involved in this industry is doing it for the right reasons in their heart of hearts even if they are misguided in some areas. It's okay to have disagreements as long as you don't become disagreeable in the process.
That's sorta what I wanted to talk about today because I received a rather terse e-mail response from noted low-fat diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish (who I have interviewed TWICE in the past two years) earlier this week that accused me of making him out to be a "straw man" with the same old "stereotypes" about him that have existed for decades as the face of the low-fat diet. You'll recall I recently interviewed Dr. Ornish for a four-part podcast about his new book entitled The Spectrum where he supposedly has shifted his dietary philosophy away from a strict low-fat diet into one that allows people to make choices along a spectrum of choices. It's a nice concept on paper and I certainly applauded him for moving away from his dogmatic belief that a low-fat, high-carb diet is the ONLY way to good health.
However, during our interview and while reading through The Spectrum, I couldn't help but notice that despite the grand plans of branching out and broadening his nutritional horizons, not much has changed about what Dr. Dean Ornish actually believes. Once you get into the meat (which, by the way, you can't have according to Dr. Ornish since it is in the "least healthy" Group 5 end of the spectrum) of what he writes, everything he considers "healthy" is merely a bunch of the same old high-carb, low-fat propaganda we've always heard from Dr. Ornish. I explained my concerns about this in great detail in a post-interview blog I wrote a couple of weeks ago.
While I was critical of Dr. Ornish in the blog post (and rightfully so), I still appreciated the open dialog that he invited to discuss and debate the ideas he presented in his book. I have nothing against him personally and he's been nothing but respectful to me in all of our conversations. We just disagree about what a healthy diet looks like a lot more than he wants to admit it. And deep down inside, he knows that.
While he says we all agree and believe many of the same things, I have yet to hear Dr. Dean Ornish confirm that a low-carb nutritional approach may be needed for some people. He's just never done it despite being given several opportunities by me to state it rather explicitly. And even I am the first to admit that low-carb is not necessarily right for everyone. That's why studies have shown you need to find the diet that's right for YOU and then DO IT and I believe that with every fiber of who I am! It simply amazes me that a world-famous diet doctor like Dean Ornish can't even acknowledge this basic truth about health.
After having such an extended interview in which I thought I was clarifying my position about carbs--including acknowledging that Robert Atkins was right about the unhealthful properties of refined carbohydrates but disagreeing that all carbs are bad and acknowledging that fat also plays an important role in health and illness, especially in weight control--that you continue to use me as a straw man.
In your latest email (referring to my blog post), you write, "This is the equivalent of low-fat diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish coming out and saying that the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins was right and that there are some people who should be eating more fat and less carbohydrates if they need to manage their weight and health. Following my recent interview with Dr. Ornish, I sincerely doubt THAT will ever happen." But I say in my new book that there are many people who should be eating less refined carbohydrates--and more unrefined, high-fiber carbs, not necessarily more fat.
I had hoped that we could get past these stereotypes.
With best wishes,
Dean
As I sat there and read Dr. Ornish's e-mail, I pondered what he had to say. But I couldn't help but come back to the elementary questions that still linger in the back of my mind about what he thinks we all "agree" on when very clearly we have some major differences about livin' la vida low-carb that he continues to deny.
Here was my response:
Hello Dr. Ornish,
THANKS for your e-mail. With regard to your concerns about my latest blog column which discusses Dr. Andrew Weil agreeing that total carbohydrate restriction in conjunction with an increase in fat intake as outlined by Gary Taubes in GOOD CALORIES BAD CALORIES is indeed based on solid scientific evidence and experience, I don't see where we're in disagreement about this. We both agree that controlling at least some carbohydrate intake and consuming at least some fat is indeed a healthy way to keep your weight reduced and your health in order.
What we do disagree on is by how much.
I'm sorry if you feel my using you as an analogy of the magnitude of this change in perspective by Dr. Weil in favor of a more carbohydrate-restricted for weight and health management was inaccurate. But based on both what I read in your book THE SPECTRUM and heard directly from you during our 100-minute interview a few weeks back, I did not sense any agreement on your end that a moderate-to-high fat, controlled-carbohydrate ketogenic dietary approach as espoused by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins and then brought back to the discussion by Gary Taubes is one you would even remotely consider recommending for anyone as part of your "spectrum" of choices since most of the foods that fall within this way of eating are in Group 5--what you consider the "least healthy" choices. Please tell me where I got it wrong, Dr. Ornish, because it looks like I've hit the nail on the head about what you believe based on what I've read and heard from you.
Based on that alone, it appears what I stated was not inaccurate at all. Please feel free to correct my misunderstanding if you would like because I'm sincerely interested in what you have to say about what you believe regarding a high-fat, low-carb diet. I'm happy to give you the opportunity to officially come out and state with great clarity that you believe a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet is indeed an acceptable way for certain people to manage their weight and health.
I'd be delighted to share this great news with my enthusiastic readers that we all agree this particular nutritional approach is one you endorse just like Dr. Weil does now. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to share that Dr. Dean Ornish agrees with so many of my readers that restricting carbohydrate intake and consuming fat can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. Keep in mind, this isn't a low-fat vs. low-carb issue either. It's simply about realizing and recognizing that there are certain ends of your "spectrum" which aren't as unhealthy as you claim. Despite that, though, we're absolutely all in agreement, right?
THANKS for sharing your concerns and I do hope to hear back from you soon with a crystal clear message of support for livin' la vida low-carb that I can share with my readers. Take care! :)
Jimmy Moore
It has been five days since I sent that e-mail to Dr. Ornish and he has yet to respond. I suppose we can deduct from his failure to provide an answer to my simple question about where he stands regarding a high-fat, low-carb diet for certain people that he still believes it is unhealthy. That's too bad since most of the health establishment is in major disagreement with him about his monopolistic low-fat, high-carb recommendations for everyone. Even Dr. Weil no longer believes that.
The floor is still open to you, Dr. Ornish. If you truly want to mend the fences you have destroyed by needlessly attacking the Atkins diet over the years, then here is the PERFECT chance for you to do it. Reach across the aisle to your low-carb counterparts and tell us where we have common ground with you since we all agree total carbohydrate restriction and increased fat intake is an essential to a healthy lifestyle. You wanted the opportunity and here it is.
How about it, Dr. Dean Ornish? Are you supporting livin' la vida low-carb as a viable nutritional approach for controlling weight and health? Admit a high-fat, low-carb diet is healthy. It's not a difficult question and we're patiently awaiting your answer.
Dr. Andrew Weil now recognizes the importance of carb control
Light bulb moments can happen at virtually anytime to anyone. We all have our own biases and predetermined beliefs about just about everything in life that make up who we are. But even when you try to keep an open mind and stay objective, those rock solid ideals that encapsulate who you are can be difficult to change. Only the strongest among us are able to admit when we were wrong about something and then completely change our way of thinking based on new evidence that has come to light.
That's exactly what has happened with one of the world's most recognized and renowned health leaders of our day Dr. Andrew Weil. For the past three decades, this man has dedicated his life to the subject of health by authoring a plethora of books, lecturing about the negative impact of unhealthy eating, and establishing himself firmly into diet and nutrition by encouraging a comprehensive integrative approach to treating disease. He really is a legend in the health industry which is what makes what I am about to share with you all the more astounding!
You'll recall that right after the release of Gary Taubes' bestselling blockbuster book Good Calories, Bad Calories was released last Fall, there was a panel discussion about the book on CNN's Larry King Live show with Joy Behar guest hosting along with guests Taubes, Dr. Mehmet Oz, personal trainer from "The Biggest Loser" Jillian Michaels, and others. Right smack dab in the middle of that discussion was commentary from Dr. Weil about what he thought of the book. Click here to see a nearly 7-minute clip of what he had to say.
For anyone who watched that October 2007 show which Taubes described as "quite a circus," this short segment with Dr. Andrew Weil's comments was indeed the most valuable and surprising revelation that came out of it. Guest host Joy Behar described Dr. Weil's comments as a "Valentine" for Taubes and it was obvious to everyone that he was the ONLY person on the panel who had actually read Good Calories, Bad Calories prior to coming on the show. But this "light bulb moment" for Dr. Weil was extraordinary to watch happening right before our very eyes.
This is the equivalent of low-fat diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish coming out and saying that the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins was right and that there are some people who should be eating more fat and less carbohydrates if they need to manage their weight and health. Following my recent interview with Dr. Ornish, I sincerely doubt THAT will ever happen. But Dr. Weil's virtual endorsement of livin' la vida low-carb was unmistakable and it didn't end there.
It turns out that he himself decided to begin implementing carbohydrate-restriction in his own personal weight management routine with AMAZING success! According to this interview with Dr. Weil appearing on his web site this week (hat tip to my reader Peter who pointed this out to me!), reading the Taubes book has changed his life because he now realizes he is "quite sensitive to high-glycemic-load carbohydrates."
"Most of the processed, refined, manufactured foods are the ones that are quick digesting and problematical," Dr. Weil explained. "Cutting back on them has helped me get my weight down, because my metabolism is certainly carbohydrate sensitive."
Can I just tell you how incredibly HUGE this is?! Dr. Weil acknowledges that there is "a real explosion of quality research" coming out so far in this century about carbohydrate restriction and the impact it can have on insulin sensitivity and weight gain. And he's even coming around on the subject of saturated fat, too.
"With regard to saturated fat, I tell people that you can have some saturated fat in your diet; just think about where you want to spend your saturated fat budget. I choose to spend mine on quality cheese," Dr. Weil stated.
Oh man, I'd love it if Dr. Weil could attend that Nutrition & Metabolism Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona in April where the very latest research on saturated fat consumption and heart disease will be presented by some of the best and brightest researchers and scholars on the subject today, including Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Richard Feinman, Dr. Jeff Volek, Dr. Patty Tarino, Dr. J. Bruce German, Dr. Mary Vernon, Dr. Jay Wortman, Dr. Steve Phinney, and Gary Taubes. I'll be there covering the event for my blog and interviewing many of these participants for my podcast show. It would not surprise me to see Dr. Weil sitting there soaking in all the very research that is quite literally changing his life forever.
Wanna see how low-carb living has changed Dr. Weil? Check out this recent video of him posted on YouTube:
Doesn't he look fantastic? And I'm confident his health has also seen a correlating improvement along with the weight loss. Dr. Weil says he is "much happier" now eating less carbohydrates and the remarkable impact that it has made on him personally. Can you imagine how this personal transformation is going to seep into the very crevices of everything Dr. Weil does now with his work helping others with their weight and health? It's gonna revolutionize everything he does and make it that much better.
For those of you who think livin' la vida low-carb isn't making an impact on our society like it should, I just want you to remember what you have seen happen to Dr. Andrew Weil over these past six months. You cannot underestimate the power of a changed life and especially when that life is one that has been making recommendations about health for so long. Be encouraged everyone--better days are DEFINITELY coming!
I've written to Dr. Weil requesting an interview with him for my podcast show to talk about the changes he has made in his mode of thinking and where he will be going from here both personally and with the people he counsels regarding diet and health. It's a long shot, but wish me luck landing that one. And, by all means, take the advice of Dr. Andrew Weil and keep on livin' la vida low-carb! :)
You know what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words. Well, I came across a couple of pictures that speak volumes about what livin' la vida low-carb is all about. The common argument people, including educated ones, use against low-carb plans like the Atkins diet is that it relies too much on meat consumption.
In fact, you'll recall noted health expert Dr. Andrew Weil appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" last week to talk about the new Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories and his primary criticism of the low-carb lifestyle was the description of it as a diet that is "mostly meat and no carbohydrate." Dr. Weil, you should know better than that! You know good and well that neither the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins or any of the other low-carb diet authors ever call for what you have described.
So, to dispel the myth that the Atkins low-carb diet is just meat, meat, and more meat, here are those pictures I promised.
This first one is a rather creative photograph that Dr. Atkins had made with his smiling face posing with all the wonderfully delicious foods you can eat on the Atkins diet. Hmmmm, what do you see more of in that picture than anything else? Is it meat? Nope! It's veggies, baby, and that's just the way Dr. Atkins liked it:
The second image I have to share with you is a food pyramid for people who are livin' la vida low-carb. No, this is not the USDA-indoctrinated Food Pyramid that tells you to eat carbs, carbs, and more carbs with very little fat. Instead, you'll notice the foods on the lower end of the pyramid are non-starchy, green leafy vegetables and delicious selections of fish, beef, and poultry. Above that is low-glycemic fruits and cheese followed in very small quantities by beans and whole grains as well as teeny tiny amounts of sugar at the very top. It's quite illustrative of this way of eating:
Finally, I'd like to show you a picture of the food my wife Christine and I chose to eat on a recent trip to one of our favorite restaurants--Denny's. You'll notice my plate on the left has delicious portions of meat with their outstanding mixed vegetables side dish. I also had a side salad not shown in the photo. But look what my lovely darling, who recently hit her goal weight of 122 on the Atkins diet, decided to have for her meal. A fried chicken sandwich with seasoned fries! Say it ain't so! Here's the proof:
Christine was right in the middle of saying "Oh no you didn't" as I was taking her picture stuffing her face with this high-carb food bonanza! LOL! Yes, she can get away with eat more carbohydrates than I can and she likes to rub it in my face sometimes. She probably lost another pound after eating that meal, too. Makes you sick, doesn't it?
So the next time somebody tells you that livin' la vida low-carb means you eat a no carb diet, remind them that the Atkins diet is so much more than meat. And now you have the visual proof to show them, too. :)
Dr. Andrew Weil shared some much-deserved kudos for new Taubes book
Did you have a chance to watch the debate last Friday night over the subject of livin' la vida low-carb on CNN's "Larry King Live?" I blogged about this major national television appearance last week for Good Calories, Bad Calories author Gary Taubes as he faced the proverbial lion's den of health "experts," including Oprah Winfrey diet guru Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Andrew Weil, Jillian Michaels from the hit NBC weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser," and guest host Joy Behar from "The View."
If you missed this, then it was quite the "circus" as Gary described it with virtually every guest, including Behar who was supposed to be hosting this debate but she ended up adding her own personal commentary, blasted away at mocked Taubes for even daring to challenge the conventional wisdom regarding fat and carbohydrate. Read the transcript for yourself and see just how vicious it got (especially when Behar floated her own theory about whether Dr. Atkins had a stroke that led to his "slip" on the ice--it was utterly disgusting to watch her do that!).
Thankfully, though, there was one glorious, shining moment about fifteen minutes into the program that made this well worth watching. Surprisingly, it was the segment featuring Dr. Weil (who was the only guest besides Michaels not appearing in the CNN studio) where he basically endorsed Taubes' book.
In fact, watch for yourself as Dr. Weil presents Taubes with what Behar described as a "Valentine" which Taubes graciously received and "agreed with everything he said":
Leave a comment about this video at YouTube so that doctors, researchers, nutritionists and patients alike will realize this is a serious book worthy of a much closer look by people who genuinely care about the diet and health in the United States and around the world. The more comments we can get out there, the better! Spread the word everyone!
I must admit I was pleasantly SHOCKED to hear Dr. Weil sing such high praises for Good Calories, Bad Calories. But this was good news because it shows that Dr. Weil is much more interested in continuing his own health education rather than sticking with the rigid dogma of the past (like Dr. Oz enjoys doing in his own fantasy world). I know Dr. Weil's reaction is PRECISELY what Gary Taubes was hoping would happen when he wrote this book and this should open some doors for the conversation about low-carb to continue.
Speaking of continuing the conversation, I've received quite a few e-mails from people regarding Gary Taubes--some of which thought they were writing TO Gary Taubes HIMSELF! I'm not quite sure why they thought my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog was owned by Taubes, but I never let an opportunity to share about the healthy low-carb lifestyle slip away.
Here was the rather contentious original e-mail:
To Whom It May Concern:
I was VERY upset about this concept, particularly after watching this author on Larry King with Joy Behar. I am a cancer survivor, three years!! A dear friend of mine had breast cancer several years ago, had a lumpectomy, and believed she was in full remission. She has another tumor and needs a masectomy and in both breasts.
How can you possibly say that diet is one to live by--eating meat, bacon, fats, not even good ones, and all promoters of this deadly disease. I'm appalled and yes, it's a diet and people will die from a disease if they continue to eat that way. Their livers will fail, they will have a heart attack.
As far as exercise getting you fat, how in the world would you know that and how could you say something like that in front of an exercise specialist and a person who lost over 100 pounds??? I would not buy ONE of your books and I hope those that go by this plan survive because there ARE healthier options, believe me I know and I'm not a doctor.
Hmmm, I'm glad she told us she wasn't a doctor because I would have never guessed that. :) Here was my response:
THANKS for sharing your comments with me. But I'm not Gary Taubes. My name is Jimmy Moore and I lost over 180 pounds on the high-fat, low-carb Atkins diet in 2004 after my weight had climbed up over 400 pounds. My health was in disarray and I was taking prescription medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and breathing problems.
But thanks to the type of diet Gary Taubes talks about in his book GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES, I was able to lose the weight, but more importantly, I got healthier than I ever thought possible. It may seem counterintuitive to promote eating fat for weight loss and health, but that's merely because restricting fat has become so readily accepted in our culture as the only means for improving health. The Taubes book is meant to challenge that premise to at least give rise to more research before making generalized dietary recommendations as has been done for the past several decades.
My diet consists of about 60-70% fat, including a good percentage of saturated fat which is healthy in the absence of carbohydrates, and close to 3,000 calories daily. I've eaten this way for nearly four years and my weight has STAYED off permanently. it's not just a matter of "calories in, calories out" as Jillian Michaels contended on Larry King Live, but rather what kind of calories go in your body. That's what Gary Taubes discusses in his outstanding book that I highly encourage you to actually read and see for yourself the data. You might be surprised.
As for his opinions about exercise, I do agree with you that it is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and I enjoy getting in my exercise as part of my weight maintenance routine. But Taubes' point isn't so much on the benefits to your health, but the impact on your weight loss efforts. His conclusion that exercising only makes you hungry is absolutely true. That can be a good thing for people when they are losing weight because it means they get to eat more food (no deprivation for calories!). But you heard him say that even he works out a few times a week, so he's NOT saying people shouldn't exercise.
Again, THANK YOU for writing to me and I sincerely hope you reconsider your decision whether or not you will read GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES. It's a well-written book that will provoke you to think about whether everything you've always been told about what's healthy is true or not. One last thing: when Joy Behar asked each of the panelists to share what they ate, did you notice Gary Taubes was the ONLY one who ate whole foods throughout the day? The rest of the panelists, including Dr. Oz, Poppy, and Jillian Michaels all ate some sort of man-made "products" that are allegedly healthy for you. I don't know about you, but I'd rather eat REAL food than tofu any day of the week!
Take care and feel free to write to me anytime!
Something told me I'd be hearing back from her again:
Dear Jimmy:
I thank you for writing back but there are still some things that you didn't address. I am a cancer survivor and in a scientific study done at the "John Hopkins University", it states that there are certain foods that those with these types of diseases should certainly avoid.
I do not agree with you or Gary about eating meat, bacon, and other saturated fats because they are NOT heart healthy and of course TOO MUCH could cause liver damage. There is SCIENTIFIC evidence that states that this type of diet could cause a recurrence of cancer and my own mother has a heart condition. Now, you didn't share what your health concern was, which I was surprised about. And, sir 60 to 70% saturated fat?? I just don't see how that could keep you healthy, honestly. There ARE GOOD COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES, THERE ARE!!!!
As fas ar the exercise specialist and the others on the show, "tofu" was not the only food mentioned. Gary's diet was meat and then "more meat". Oh, perhaps he mentioned chicken or fish and an occasional vegetable.
I also read labels and I do agree that people go "crazy" with low fat and chemically- driven alternatives, but again, there are still some things that people need to put in their diet and by the way, I have a friend who became ill on Atkin's and had to stop. Again, all you can eat- hotdogs, bacon, steak, greasy burgers, oh and Gary mentioned he eats "LARD", Lovely. Someone with health concerns would get sick.
You seem to be an intelligent person through your writing, but I would hope that you would understand that there are ways to improve your diet without drastic measures. And I think "live it" is actually a better way to think about your health, don't you???
Gary also didn't say much on the program about vegetables and fruits, brown rice, etc. but when I got online many reviews shared that he also says that is important. Why was that not stated on the show?? Perhaps reading the book would only answer some of these questions but I can honestly say that I hesitate to do so. His attitude on the program didn't make me feel comfortable and he was not at all kind to the exercise specialist.
That is her career and she's actually helping people. Poppy was in "great spirits", perhaps because of what she ate that day, I don't know. Perhaps Gary was loaded down with "fats" and thus unable to smile too much or be very kind. I'm sorry but I am concerned about the health of my family and my friends. I'm not trying to be rude but this diet could be "the end all", if you know what I mean.
Again, I hope that your own health continues to improve daily. Perhaps trying some veggies, fruit, and brown rice would be helpful. They can be organic and because they are grown, what could be better?? I love animals also. How many do we need to kill to provide fat for people??
Well, sir, I could go on and on but I'm sure you now understand my concerns. I am three years in remission and so happy that I may be past that invasive disease.
LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where oh where do you start with something like THIS? Here's what I wrote back:
First let me say CONGRATULATIONS on finding a way to eat that will help you feel healthy and keep your cancer in remission. Regardless of my personal feelings regarding a high-fat, low-carb nutritional approach based on my own experience, I think what you are doing is GREAT and I HIGHLY encourage you to keep on doing what works for you.
In fact, that's the mantra that people like me and Gary Taubes understand. We aren't all the same. We each have specific nutritional needs that must be met and that mandates that a one-size-fits-all dietary recommendation will never work. If low-fat is taught as the only way (as it is now), then what are people who don't do well on those kind of diets to do?
That's why I try to help educate people about how healthy a low-carbohydrate nutritional approach really is because you are eating real food that's really healthy for you. Carbs have been show time and time again in the studies Taubes shares in his book to be at the root cause of many, many common and sometimes devastating diseases, including cancer. I highlighted many of the most recent high-carb diet/cancer studies in this post.
While I'm sure that study from Johns Hopkins University was presented to you as scientific fact, the truth is there are some remarkable new findings coming out about cancer that do not line up at all with the current conventional wisdom. This is even more of what Taubes shares in his book if you'll simply open it up and see for yourself. Fat is EXTREMELY healthy as long as you keep your carbohydrate intake limited.
Again, if you feel fine limiting your fat intake, then nobody is stopping your from eating that way. But the science is showing eating too many carbs of any kind and too little fat can be very harmful to your body in a variety of ways. Read GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES to find out why.
Regarding my health concerns, I did share with you that my cholesterol was elevated, my blood pressure was way up and I had breathing issues--all of which needed prescriptions medications to control somewhat. But within 9 months of eating a high-fat, low-carb diet, I was OFF all those drugs and I haven't taken another one since! Over three years and counting!
How do I stay healthy eating this way? Elementary, my dear. Low-carb is the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors who lived on wild game, plants, and berries. The human body was never meant to eat the kinds of foods we consume today, most of which are high-processed, full of sugar and chemicals and nutritionally bankrupt. Instead, we eat fresh, whole foods like eggs, natural cheeses, delicious cuts of meat, non-starchy green leafy vegetables, low-glycemic fruits like berries, and a whole plethora of scrumptious options.
The only "good" carbs I consume come primarily from non-starchy vegetables, such as greens, spinach, cauliflower, spaghetti squash, broccoli, and other nutrient-packed veggies as well as low-glycemic fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, honeydew, and cantaloupe. Beyond the naturally low sugars/carbs found in these foods, my body doesn't need any others. Carbs turn to sugar in the body which causes blood sugar swings, insulin spikes, and all the negative reactions that come from eating a high-carb diet. No thanks! I posted six weeks of my actual menus if you'd like to see a little bit of what I eat on my diet.
Incidentally, if someone is eating an "all you can eat" version of what they call the "Atkins" diet, then very clearly, they never read the book. I just did a YouTube video on this very subject.
If you read Taubes' book or Atkins' books, then you will know why fats like butter, lard, coconut oil, and others are VERY VERY healthy for you to eat in conjunction with a controlled-carbohydrate diet. It may be difficult for you to get your head around it because you have been told the lower the fat, the healthier you are your entire life. This is PRECISELY why Gary Taubes wrote GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES to challenge that premise and get researchers, doctors, and even patients to question that dogma.
But I don't need anyone to tell me livin' la vida low-carb is healthy or not because I'm living it myself. At the age of 32, I was beyond morbidly obese at 410 pounds and on my way to an early grave. I had been successful at losing weight on low-fat in the past, but I never felt good eating that way. I was constantly hungry, felt entirely deprived of the foods I love, and would just get sick from not eating enough calories to meet my energy needs. Yep, I was shedding the pounds, but this was NOT healthy.
Atkins low-carb was different. The pounds came flying off of me (30 pounds the first month, 40 more in month two) and I felt absolutely WONDERFUL because I was eating a delicious menu of foods that were helping me burn body fat. Eliminating most of the carbohydrate from my diet kicked my body into high gear and the fat just melted away. Not once did I ever get hungry eating this way in 6-8 high-fat, low-carb meals a day which added up to around 3,000-4,000 calories. Today my calories remain around 3,000 daily--and my weight stays constant. I've never been healthier in my entire life.
Low-carb is only drastic if you compare it to the low-fat diet we've been led to believe is the "healthy" way. For me, low-fat is NOT healthy and livin' la vida low-carb is. Again, I'm very happy for you that your current nutritional approach is working to positively impact your health. But realize there are people like Jimmy Moore--a real person who has been eating a high-fat, low-carb diet for nearly four years--who are also seeing amazing benefits to their weight and health thanks to this diet you fear. Regardless of your opinions about my diet, it is what it is. And I'm a better man today because of it.
As for the Larry King Live segment, wasn't it odd that there wasn't anybody on the show besides Gary Taubes who agreed with the low-carb diet as a means for improving weight and health (although Dr. Andrew Weil was very kind in his comments)? Although Poppy did a great job of sharing from her experience, wouldn't it have been more appropriate to have an Atkins weight loss success come on the show as an example of how this way of eating is changing the lives of real people? Why didn't CNN think to do that, hmmm?
I'm very happy eating this way and will continue to for the rest of my fit and happy life! And LIFE IS GOOD for me, too! :) THANK YOU again for writing and for your engaging conversation. Take care!
I never heard back from her again. Perhaps she's convinced it was time to stop complaining about a book she hadn't even read yet. If you're like this reader wondering what the book is about, then you need to pick up a copy of Good Calories, Bad Calories, too. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
Gary Taubes takes on the king of cable television talk, Larry King!
In case you haven't heard yet, Good Calories, Bad Calories author and New York Times science journalist Gary Taubes will be the special guest appearing Friday, October 19, 2007 on CNN's "Larry King Live" show beginning at 9pm EST. The topic of conversation will be the "Great Diet Debate" and will shine the national spotlight on livin' la vida low-carb in ways that haven't been seen since Dr. Atkins was alive.
This discussion about fat consumption being healthy and carbs being the root cause of obesity and disease will also feature a rather distinguished panel of "experts":
DR. MEHMET OZ
Best known as Oprah Winfrey's diet guru, he is definitely in the low-fat, low-calorie, portion control camp.
DR. ANDREW WEIL
Natural health advocate and alternative remedy promoter who also follows the low-fat line of thinking.
BOB HARPER, KIM LYONS, or JILLIAN MICHAELS
One of these three trainers on the hit NBC-TV reality show "The Biggest Loser" will participate. Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels are mindful of how carbohydrate-restriction is helpful for some with weight loss, but Kim Lyons is a low-fat and low-calorie puppet.
JOY BEHAR
Okay, I'm gonna ask it...why is she on this panel? Other than being known for her outspoken liberal beliefs on ABC's daytime talk show The View, what substantive comments could she add to this discussion? We'll see, I guess.
The show is soliciting comments and questions from people about this topic, so let's show our support for livin' la vida low-carb by writing to them with our personal experiences. Here's what I just submitted to CNN for the Larry King LIVE show on Friday night:
For the guests who will disagree with Taubes' book:
I lost 180 pounds in 2004 on the Atkins diet and have kept it off ever since by continuing to eat a diet consisting of 70% fat, much of which is saturated fat. Once weighing in at over 400 pounds, now I'm closer to 200 thanks to the low-carb lifestyle.
More importantly than the weight loss are the improvements in my health, coming off of three prescriptions and becoming athletic for the first time in my entire life. If low-carb is at least a viable option for people like me to shed the pounds and improve our health, then why can't we at the very least have government and health leaders recommending it as another option alongside the low-fat and "balanced" diet mantra that currently exists?
How about adding your voice to the comments and be sure to watch as Gary Taubes enters the arena of ideas espousing low-carb living in a low-fat world! GO GARY!
