'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show' Episode 155: The 'Diet Detective' Makes The Case For Healthy Living

Charles Stuart Platkin laments modern-day health information

When I started blogging about the healthy low-carb lifestyle back in 2005, one of the first people in the media who I noticed was bashing against the low-carb lifestyle was a guy named Charles Stuart Platkin. His advice for food choices when eating out in a newspaper column he wrote was not in line with what my experiences had been about low-carb. Our disagreement came to a pretty hot boiling point and even asserted that low-carb is not for the long-term.

But after my blog interview with Charles and his subsequent decision to bring me on as a contributing writer at his DietDetective.com web site, he changed his tune about livin' la vida low-carb by becoming more aware of what he was saying against it. In the process, he and I have become very good friends despite our slight differences. Overall, he is as concerned about getting people to start eating a healthy lifestyle as anyone in the industry.

In Episode 155 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we hear from Charles Stuart Platkin as he discusses the sensitive subject of public health and what a dismal failure our media has been in disseminating information to the people who need to hear it the most. Charles is very well-spoken which is why he has been featured on radio and television quite often espousing making better food and fitness choices. Let him inspire you anew in your own efforts to start living better!

Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 155:

"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 155 [33:14m]: LISTEN NOW | Download

Charles Stuart Platkin discusses the state of health in America today, his change in philosophy about low-carb and saturated fat, his philosophy on what diet works for him, and so much more. He is committed to giving people the information and then allowing them to make the choices for themselves about what will work best for them. That's why he has a variety of writers at DietDetective.com, including yours truly. :)

Don't miss interviews with people like Charles Stuart Platkin by:

1. Listening at the official web site
2. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
3. Subscribing to the RSS feed
4. Going to iTunes--Click here to subscribe!

What did you think about Charles Stuart Platkin? Does he have anything positive to add to the diet and health discussion? Tell me what you thought in the show notes section of Episode 155. Visit DietDetective.com for more from Charles as well as his new creative business FoodTee.com for those fun new T-shirts featuring healthy food and funny slogans.

ENJOY your holiday weekend and come back on Monday for an interview with Dr. Allan E. Sosin from the Irvine, CA-based Institute for Progressive Medicine as we talk about using low-carb medical interventions for obesity and disease. DON'T MISS IT! :D

Diet-Blog's Jim Foster Says Frustrated Dieters Should Try A 'Controlled-Carb Approach'

I have a lot of personal respect for Jim Foster's work at Diet-Blog

If you have ever found yourself scouring the Internet for information about diet, weight loss, health, nutrition, and fitness, then undoubtedly you have come across a really neat web site called Diet-Blog. It is run by a man named Jim Foster and is an excellent resource for news and information about just about anything and everything related to this subject.

In fact, Diet-Blog is among an elite group of health and fitness blogs designated as the Forbes.com Best of the Web. These kudos are well-deserved and I have long admired the work that this average Joe puts into his web site. Like me, Jim is not a health professional, but is simply interested in helping people find what works for them and then encouraging them to do those things to stay healthy.

The prestigious and leading health blog has been getting recognition from a couple of his peers this month in two separate interviews appearing at Charles Stuart Platkin's Diet Detective as well as Amy Tenderich's Diabetes Mine.

In the Diet Detective interview, Jim answers the question "When someone you know asks for diet advice what do you tell them?" in as pithy a response as I've ever seen.

"Eat more whole foods like fruit and vegetables. Eat less junk and fast food."

Enough said, huh? :) I like Jim because he's one of those fellas who when he says something, it makes you think. Challenging conventional wisdom and getting people to stop seeing through their own narrow-minded kaleidoscope about life is one of the things that sets him apart from other health bloggers.

Take this latest post he wrote about pole dancing for children? Outrageous? Yep! But Jim takes it even one step further in his short, but to the point commentary.

1. Pole “work” is inextricably linked to exotic dancing. It would be difficult to break this stigma.
2. With young girls already being perpetually fed messages about “being” and “acting” sexually, would these types of classes perpetuate that message?
3. If the class were called “fitness with a vertical bar” would people still be outraged?
4. Is pole fitness a unique way for children to bolster their strength, flexibility and coordination, or is it simply an industry trying to broaden their marked by capitalizing on a hot concept?

It's these kind of crack-your-brain blog posts that has made Diet-Blog one of the most widely read health web sites on the Internet today. Jim Foster and his lineup of contributors have their finger on the pulse of what is happening in this industry and cover it all. He even recently weighed in on the "Kimkins Disaster" after it was featured on a local Los Angeles television news report.

Foster's interview with Diabetes Mine will be of interest to those of us who are livin' la vida low-carb because he addresses the issue of carbohydrate restriction in a way that should bring a smile to your face. The author of that blog, Amy Tenderich, is no fan of low-carb, although she was open to hearing from my readers recently for suggestions about low-carb foods.

But check out Foster's answer to this one posed by Tenderich: Give us a sense of your approach to carbs: good carbs, bad carbs, low carbs, no carbs?

Here was his brilliant response:

Carbohydrate-based foods are cheap. Next time your are eating at a "large-portioned" restaurant -- look at what fills your plate. Highly refined carbs are easy to overeat and often lack the satiety of certain fats and proteins. Recent data has shown that sweetened soft drinks contribute 10% of all calories in the American diet.

So, having said this, I feel we tend to eat too many refined carbs and sugars. However, nutritional advice for the last few decades has focused exclusively on fat. Someone forgot to mention that we also need to moderate carbohydrate intake.

As for heavily restricting carbs, I believe there is a place for it in certain situations. And rather than being a target for derision -- a controlled-carb approach needs to be offered as an option -- particularly to those with any blood sugar issues.

I have my own experiences with this: I struggled with hypoglycemia for years. A nutritionist advised that I needed to be snacking and grazing more throughout the day. The suggested snacks were all carbohydrate-based foods. My symptoms persisted until I began to include a strong protein component in my snacks. Now the glucose wasn't hitting my body in a rush, and it helped to balance out the wild blood sugar swings.

INCREDIBLE! You go Jim! That response is very reasoned and cuts to the chase. But he wasn't done yet. Tenderich asked a follow-up question: The "eatwell plate" you featured from the UK food authorities seems to recommend a very large proportion of carbs. Are you on board with that?

Oh, you're just gonna stand up and cheer after you read Jim's response:

I'm not out to antagonize public health authorities - however I feel we as consumers don't need any encouragement to eat more carbs. If anything we need more education on the different kinds of carbohydrates - and the impact on satiety.

AMEN, brother! Although, personally, I don't mind antagonizing the self-proclaimed health "experts" when they deserve it! That's why Jim does what he does and I do what I do. We all serve a good purpose in the health debate which hopefully is being impacted for the better through the efforts of people like Jim Foster.

I have invited Jim for an interview at my blog to ask him more questions about livin' la vida low-carb, fat, cholesterol and all sorts of other subjects to return the favor for his interview with me last year. We'll bring that to you if he agrees. :D

Got a comment or question for Jim Foster? You can reach him through this contact page at Diet-Blog. Be sure to thank him for articulating the concepts of the low-carb lifestyle and being respectful enough of it to defend it publicly.

Low-Carb Blogiversary Contest Prize Bundle #5

It seems like I've been announcing all the FREE PRIZES you can win in my 2nd Annual Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Blogiversary Giveaway Contest for weeks, but it's only been a little more than one week. And today is the last bundle of fantastic prizes you can win just for being a reader of the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog as I celebrate two years of blogging about diet, health, and low-carb.

Just in case you missed all the other prizes, here they are again:

- Our GRAND PRIZE--A Deluxe Vermont Castings Grill
- Low-Carb Blogiversary Contest Prize Bundle #1
- Low-Carb Blogiversary Contest Prize Bundle #2
- Low-Carb Blogiversary Contest Prize Bundle #3
- Low-Carb Blogiversary Contest Prize Bundle #4

Special thanks to all of these companies who totally blew me away by so willingly providing these prizes for all of you to enjoy. I am amazed by their generosity and sincerely hope you will show your appreciation to them for supporting my blogiversary celebration. Here are the last five prize packages that you can win in the giveaway:

FREE NANO O2 SUPRA AIR PURIFIER SYSTEM


Cleaning the air in your home will make you healthier

Are you worried about how clean the air is in your house? Then you will be so excited to be able to win this fantastic high-quality air purifier from a company called Pharmatropic--the NANO O2. I own this unit myself and wrote a glowing review of how well it really does clean the air in your home. It's AMAZING! Now you can win the SUPRA model for yourself if your name is drawn for this stupendous prize! Please visit the NANO O2 web site for more information about this unit.

COMPLETE AUTOGRAPHED DIET DETECTIVE LIBRARY


Charles Stuart Platkin is known as "The Diet Detective"

You've read his nationally-syndicated column in your newspaper and recognize him as "The Diet Detective." His name is Charles Stuart Platkin and he is one of America's foremost authorities on diet, health, and fitness. Although I have had my disagreements with him regarding his diet philosophy, we both agree obesity needs to be addressed in practical ways whether it is with low-fat, low-carb, or whatever. Platkin was kind enough to donate an autographed Complete Diet Detective Library, including Breaking The Pattern, Breaking The Fat Pattern, Lighten Up (Teenagers), and The Diet Detective's Count Down (which I recently reviewed). You won't want to miss more from Platkin and other leading voices in the weight loss world at DietDetective.com.

AN ENTIRE CASE OF LOW-CARB FUZE SLENDERIZE
AN ENTIRE CASE OF LOW-CARB FUZE SLENDERIZE
AN ENTIRE CASE OF LOW-CARB FUZE SLENDERIZE
AN ENTIRE CASE OF LOW-CARB FUZE SLENDERIZE
AN ENTIRE CASE OF LOW-CARB FUZE SLENDERIZE


The FUZE Slenderize line is a deliciously low-carb drink

I just found out about the fantastic Slenderize line of low-carb beverage products called FUZE earlier this year. They've been out for a while, but are mostly a regional drink not widely available nationwide. Well, all that's about to change now that The Coca-Cola Company has signed up to distribute this outstanding product to a store near your. Check out my personal review of this product that five of you will have a chance to win an entire case of to try for yourself. Be sure to visit DrinkFuze.com to learn more about this awesome low-carb beverage.

AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ENLITENED KOSHER COOKING
AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ENLITENED KOSHER COOKING
AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ENLITENED KOSHER COOKING


Nechama Cohen has some superb kosher low-carb recipes

Shalom! I just love recipe books and three of you will win an autographed copy of a great big one that I reviewed last year called EnLITEned Kosher Cooking by Nechama Cohen. This book is fantastic for low-carbers and diabetics alike and will be an excellent prize for the winners. Learn more about Cohen and her recipes at JewishDiabetes.org.

2 CAL-CARB CLICKERS FOR YOU AND A FRIEND
2 CAL-CARB CLICKERS FOR YOU AND A FRIEND
2 CAL-CARB CLICKERS FOR YOU AND A FRIEND
2 CAL-CARB CLICKERS FOR YOU AND A FRIEND
2 CAL-CARB CLICKERS FOR YOU AND A FRIEND


Lindee Lee Bingham and Sandy Martucci invented Cal-Carb Clicker

Finally, I'm pleased to offer the Cal-Carb Clicker to five people in my blogiversary giveaway contest. I just reviewed this little gadget this week and was very impressed with this invention by sisters Lindee Lee Bingham and Sandy Martucci. Now YOU have an chance to win two of these--one for you and one to give away to a friend or loved one. Keep track of your calories, carbs, and water intake with this handy-dandy little clicker. Find out more at CalCarbClicker.com.

That's it everyone! No more prizes to tell you about. But there are PLENTY of them to go around that you have an EXCELLENT chance at winning SOMETHING during my 2nd Annual Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Blogiversary Giveaway Contest. Be sure to get me your entry soon so you can become eligible to win. GOOD LUCK to everyone who enters! And thanks for reading the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. I appreciate you guys so much! :)

Think Of Calories, Carbs In Terms Of Exercise

This book helps you understand the consequences of your dietary choices

Have you ever caught yourself thinking about how long it would take you to burn off a meal you had just eaten, especially one that was not very healthy? Maybe you have, maybe not. I know I have after splurging on an Apple Cinnamon Fruit Filled Pancakes meal at Denny's. Those 1,080 calories and 106g carbohydrates I just consumed will take me over 4 1/2 hours on the treadmill to walk it off! Yikes! I think I'll skip that meal from now on. :)

How did I know about this wonderful tidbit of nutritional knowledge? I owe it all to syndicated health columnist Charles Stuart Platkin and his new book The Diet Detective's Count Down. This handy-dandy little guide to 7500 different foods provides you with a quick-reference exercise equivalent to just about any food that will cross your lips.

That's right! No more excuses that you didn't know a food was bad for you because you had absolutely no concept about the amount of calories you were putting in your mouth. That's why the idea of seeing what you eat in the amount of time it would take you to burn it off is a revolutionary one. Platkin says he would love to see this information appear on restaurant menus and on nutritional labels.

What a concept! How many people would scarf down an entire cup of gumdrops if they knew they would have to do more than four hours of yoga just to burn them off?! Not too many people I would dare say. And that's what I love about The Diet Detective's Count Down because it makes people start thinking of calories in terms of exercise which is a lot more tangible and realistic. Calories can be mysterious, but exercise is very real!

Before I lost over 180 pounds on the Atkins diet in 2004, I would regularly consume a whole box of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls in one sitting! I know, I know, that was pretty stupid. But had I known at the time that I would have to shake my fat butt dancing for over 4 1/2 hours to keep those calories from turning into stored fat in my blubbery self, then I probably would have thought twice about doing that. Again, the Diet Detective has come to the rescue!

Despite the unique concept of thinking about the calories of the foods you eat and their "exercise equivalent," you can also learn about the actual number of calories, carbs, and fat grams with The Diet Detective's Count Down. For those who are genuinely interested in the exercise they will need to do to burn off their desired morsel of caloric goodness, though, Platkin shows you very clearly how many minutes it will take you to move your body either walking, running, biking, swimming, yoga, or dancing. You choose the exercise you enjoy the most and start working off those calories.

The bottom line is, as Olivia Newton-John sang about in the 1980s, let's get physical and start learning that exercise is an extremely important component not only in weight loss, but also in weight maintenance and health management. Thinking of food by how much time you will need to workout is one way to help you make better choices about what to eat in the first place. It's something Platkin refers to as a "calorie bargain"--finding a lower-calorie or low-carb replacement food for that oh-so-favorite one you think you can't live without.

Platkin said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who lost over 100 pounds on a low-carb diet just like me, traded his favorite sugary 550-calorie premium ice cream habit for a 250-calorie Splenda-sweetened low-carb ice cream instead. This savings of 300 calories helped Gov. Huckabee shed the pounds and avoid that extra one hour of swimming it would have taken to burn off his preferred dessert. That's the power of taking control of your diet once and for all.

Of course, these exercise numbers will vary from person to person based on the specific height and weight of the individual. The standard used for The Diet Detective's Count Down was a 155-pound person who is walking 3 mph, running 5 mph, bicycling nearly 12 mph, swimming laps, participating in Hatha yoga, or dancing.

Charles Stuart Platkin has hit on something here that is lacking in the debate over obesity in the United States today. People need to be given information that is honest and practical so they can clearly understand what they need to do to lose weight and get healthy. Enough with the confusing message to "eat right" or "follow a balanced diet." Obviously nobody knows what that means anymore.

What we learn from The Diet Detective's Count Down is that there are consequences for making poor choices in our diet. If you are willing to put in the time to burn off what you have consumed, then good for you. Otherwise, you may start to think twice before downing those 4 slices of Meat Lover's pizza from Pizza Hut for lunch. It'll only take you three hours riding around on your bicycle to burn those calories.

You know, eating healthier is already sounding a whole lot better!