'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show' Episode 153: Atkins Diet Expert Jackie Eberstein (Part 2)

Jackie Eberstein answers YOUR questions about the Atkins diet

If you missed Part 1 of my podcast interview with Jackie Eberstein, then you really need to go back and take a listen. She is the foremost authority on the Atkins nutritional approach today having worked alongside the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins for nearly 30 years and continues extending his legendary low-carb legacy at her fabulous "Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition" web site long after his death. Jackie is a real asset to the low-carb community and I am thrilled to have had the chance to share just a few short moments of her with you this week.

In Episode 153 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we pick up with Part 2 of my interview with Jackie and she continues answering questions from readers and listeners about the Atkins low-carb lifestyle. When you've been around patients for as long as Jackie has seeing many of them going through all the ups and the downs that come from any weight loss and health experience, you get a sense for how to help people when they run into difficulty during their own low-carb journey. She hopes through this podcast interview that people will be encouraged to know that they are doing something positive for the sake of their long-term health by being on Atkins.

Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 153:

"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 153 [31:17m]: LISTEN NOW | Download

Jackie Eberstein gets into the nitty gritty of Atkins low-carb living in today's portion of the interview talking about inflammation, the criticisms of low-carb, the perfect way to combat metabolic syndrome, her work with Dr. Jay Wortman and filmmaker Mary Bissell on the low-carb documentary called My Big Fat Diet, and what she is doing on her web site as well as The Veronica Atkins Foundation web site to share the TRUTH about what the Atkins diet is REALLY all about.

If you have never been to Jackie's site, then you have to look at her responses to the Atkins myths, her recap of what the Atkins lifestyle is all about, and stay up-to-date on all the latest low-carb research. This is the kind of information that has unfortunately been removed from the Atkins Nutritionals web site in recent years, so Jackie is helping to restore this information for the benefit of those people looking for reliable information about this healthy way of eating.

Go back and listen to interviews like Jackie Eberstein anytime 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!

Jackie Eberstein is one of the most intriguing podcast interview subjects I've ever had on my show and I'm glad you were able to hear from this amazing woman with so much knowledge about the Atkins diet. In fact, she's agreed to come back as a regular guest to answer your questions for her about the Atkins low-carb approach. Go ahead and start sending me your questions via voicemail by calling (206) 202-6516 or by e-mail at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Then we’ll have Jackie answer them in an future podcast. Here's your opportunity to have ANY question about livin' la vida low-carb answered by a REAL expert.

What did you think about my interview with Jackie Eberstein? Did what she say make sense to you and were you helped at all by the things she shared? Tell us what you thought about it in the show notes section of Episode 153. Be sure to check out her "Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition" web site as well as the book she co-wrote with Dr. Mary C. Vernon entitled Atkins' Diabetes Revolution to learn more about the work Jackie is doing to further the Atkins low-carb message to the masses. And if you'd like to meet her in person, then go sign up for The 2nd Annual Low-Carb Cruise coming up in January 2009. Jackie will be there along with Dr. Jonny Bowden, Dr. Eric Westman, low-carb recipe author Dana Carpender, and many others (yep, I'm going too!). :D

Don't you dare miss next week's podcast interviews with Cassandra Forsythe, author of Women's Health Perfect Body Diet on Monday and the "Diet Detective" Charles Stuart Platkin on Thursday. You're gonna enjoy these and I've got plenty more coming in July, including Christin Sherburne talking about life after being the Kimkins cover girl of Woman's World magazine one year later, Dana Carpender, Dr. Jonny Bowden, Colette Heimowitz from Atkins Nutritionals to talk about the changes happening there, and my follow-up interview with Dr. Keith Berkowitz answering your questions about reactive hypoglycemia. THANKS so much for listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."

What Is The Effect Of Hormone Therapy On Low-Carb Weight Loss?

I received an excellent e-mail recently from a reader who was interested in knowing what impact her hormone therapy would have on your low-carb weight loss. She was getting quite frustrated by the lack of success at losing the pounds and keeping them off despite being in ketosis from a very low-carb ketogenic (VLCK) diet.

Here's what she wrote:

Mr. Moore,

I read your book, which I really enjoyed, and I have a question:

I am eating fewer that 20 grams of carbs a day, turning the Ketostix dark purple, but am not losing at all. In fact, I keep regaining and losing the same two pounds. I am on Aygestin. Why do the hormones affect low-carb dieting so much?

I have looked online, and I can't find a specific answer. I know that you are very busy. If you have time to answer, it would be most appreciated. If not, I'll keep Googling. ;-)

As I noted in this recent blog post, the ketones that show up on the Ketostix may or may not give you the entire picture as it relates to what is happening in your body. Since she is obviously eating a low enough amount of carbohydrate in her diet (trusting that this information is accurate), I decided to contact my friend and expert in the Atkins diet having worked with Dr. Robert C. Atkins for three decades--Jackie Eberstein, R.N. She has dealt with virtually every circumstance over the years and offered this advice:

Hormones have numerous effects on the body that make weight loss more difficult. You also need to consider the reason why hormones were prescribed--many hormone imbalances by themselves make losing problematic. This can happen on any weight loss plan--not just low carb.

But remember that at least you're not gaining. You need to have more patience than in the past when losing because of the drug effect. Hormones can cause edema, insulin resistance and weight gain and even have negative effects on blood sugar. There can also be subtle thyroid effects.

It's a plus that you have ketones. Many women can't get into ketosis when their hormones are changing. One example is just before the menses; ketones can disappear and return in a few days without any change in diet.

Take measurements every 2 weeks rather than watch the scale. The up and down fluctuation is simply water balance changing each day. It is possible to lose fat (inch loss) while the scale is stuck. Do be sure to follow the plan carefully. When on hormones even slight deviations need to be avoided. Don't eat beyond satiety or skip meals.

Exercise is important because it decreases insulin resistance and over the long run is helpful. My personal experience is that I don't lose unless I exercise.

This is what comes to mind with the info given. Hope it helps.

Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N.
Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition, LLC

So, if you are taking hormones and find yourself in a similar frustrating position with your weight loss routine, don't lose hope. Just keep doing what you're doing and measure your success in ways other than the scale. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

I'll be seeing Jackie Eberstein at an obesity conference taking place in Phoenix, Arizona in April. I hope to have the chance to sit down and interview her for my podcast show to talk about some of these kinds of issues. If there is anything you'd like for me to ask her for that interview, then please feel free to send your questions to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and I'll add them to my list. She's arguably the most knowledgeable Atkins diet expert in the world today.

New Web Sites Keep Atkins Diet Legacy Alive

Mrs. Veronica Atkins and Jackie Eberstein have new web sites

Although members of the media and those low-fat loving health "experts" would desperately like to convince people that the Atkins diet is just some passing overnight fad that is dangerous and unhealthy, the truth is just the opposite. There's not a more healthy way to eat on this planet than the low-carb lifestyle and now we have two strong voices with brand new web sites in an effort to keep the incredible legacy of the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins alive in 2007 and beyond.

First up is the Veronica Atkins Foundation from the lovely and gracious widow of Dr. Atkins (I'm working on an interview with her as we speak...stay tuned!). If anyone knows what the Atkins diet is all about, then it has to be the woman who lived with Mr. Low-Carb Diet for all those years he was using this way of eating to improve the weight and health of the patients he was using it on.

This new venture from Mrs. Atkins should not be confused with the Dr. Robert C. And Veronica Atkins Foundation which was set up to provide endowments for the advancement of low-carb research. Instead, the Veronica Atkins Foundation will be used to educate the public about the benefits of following the Atkins low-carb lifestyle by imploring simple and useful information to help them make this more than just a diet.

Mrs. Atkins knows that if people would simply begin to watch the kind and amount of carbs they are consuming that they could ward off such needless health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more. Arming people with the facts is what will help them more than anything.

In the absence of her amazing husband, Veronica is picking up the baton and carrying the torch high for everyone to see that this is STILL an awesome way to eat and live to be as happy and healthy as you can possibly be. There are some excellent resources for people at every level of the Atkins diet, including "The Basics Of The Atkins Lifestyle," "When To Move Beyond Induction," and some "Helpful Hints" to incorporate this into your life.

There's even some delicious low-carb recipes, helpful Atkins presentations, and so much more! Bookmark this site and recommend it to your friends and family members who want to learn more about the Atkins diet.

While the Veronica Atkins Foundation web site is all about Atkins advocacy, the Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition web site is focused primarily on "providing accurate and concise information regarding the benefits and uses of a controlled carbohydrate lifestyle based on the Atkins Nutritional Approach."

Created by Atkins diet expert Jackie Eberstein, R.N., this site will be extremely helpful for assimilating just about every bit of information about livin' la vida low-carb that you can think of. She is targeting not just people who desire weight loss, but also healthcare providers to educate them about how the Atkins diet can be an effective means for bringing about weight and disease management.

Similar in design to the Veronica Atkins Foundation web site, the Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition site adds a lot more material that will constantly be updated. So be sure to keep coming back as Eberstein updates the information often with solid factually-based articles you can use to feel confident about this healthy way of life.

For example, check out the Atkins Myths page to counter many of the common misconceptions people have about the Atkins diet. It's still under construction as of right now, but Eberstein is excited about the Research page to highlight all the latest in the gobs and gobs of studies coming out in favor of livin' la vida low-carb.

Additionally, you can see the new low-carb Projects that Eberstein is working on (including an Atkins cruise coming in March 2008--WOO HOO!), interesting and educational Presentations about low-carb living, and positive News about the Atkins diet. Finally, don't miss the soon-to-be-updated FAQ section for answers to your common questions.


The man whose legacy will never be forgotten

These new web sites all come down to one thing: honoring the work of Dr. Robert C. Atkins. My only regret is that I never had the chance to walk up to this man and shake his hand (heck, I might have even hugged his neck if he would have let me!) for changing my life forever. Had it not been for the Atkins diet, then I could quite possibly be a dead man today.

I've never taken for granted the lessons I have learned from my Atkins experience which is why you hear me talk about making sure you read books like Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and Atkins For Life because this lifestyle change is too important to just wing it. Do it by the book and never stop learning. When you think you know it all, then you've reached the place where you need to start the education process all over again.

That's why I'll be visiting the Veronica Atkins Foundation and Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition web sites often to build on what I already know so I can better share with others the miracle that has happened to me because of the Atkins low-carb life. If you've never taken this journey for yourself, then there's no time like the present to get started! Let these web sites help you do just that!