Tell The American Diabetes Association YOUR Low-Carb Diabetes Success Story

Not a day goes by that I don't hear from people wondering what they can do to help turn the tide of negativity about livin' la vida low-carb in our culture because of the tremendous changes that have happened in their lives as a result of making this healthy lifestyle change for themselves. When something this good happens to you, then you just can't help but go out and tell everyone you know about the amazing experience you have been able to enjoy thanks to low-carb living.

And yet, there's still this major barrier in the way of celebrating the victory that is deservedly ours--the opposition to low-carb diets that continues to dominate in the media from government groups such as the Food & Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture, and health organizations like the American Medical Association, American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association. The daily hammering of the high-carb, low-fat message gets to be a bit nauseating after a while and it tends to wear a lot of the enthusiasm down even from people who are very enthusiastic about the low-carb way of life. I'll admit it even happens to me from time to time.

But when that happens, I try to remind myself of an important truth that often gets lost in the shuffle of this whole diet and health debate: ONE GOOD WITNESS CAN SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT! Think about it for a moment. Our culture is bombarded with the message that eating too much fat, especially saturated fat, will make you fat and unhealthy. They also tell us that your body needs carbohydrate in order to give you energy for your day. We're told to be sure to eat our fruits, veggies, and whole grains because we all KNOW how good all those things are for you.

Reality check--not all of those things are necessarily true for everyone. My experience has been that eating a high-fat diet that is low in total carbohydrate is extremely effective in shedding stored fat and greatly improving my health. Only when you combine high-fat intake with high-carb is it harmful. And my body most certainly does not NEED carbs in order to sustain enough energy to get through my day (thank you gluconeogenesis!). Finally, the most heralded and beloved one of them all is for people to eat more fruits and vegetables, but to me that's one big copout when you don't clarify what you are talking about. And as much as the whole grain craze is trying to catch on, the reality is even those whole grains are raising blood sugar levels, pumping insulin into the body, and wreaking havoc in our bodies.

That's my low-carb story and I am merely one witness in a pool of many more who have a story to tell. So what I think we should do is to begin telling our story to the people who need to hear it. And the logical first place to begin this process is with an organization who only recently started lending credence to the low-carb lifestyle in their recommendations and that's the American Diabetes Association (ADA). They've heard about all the great stories of diabetics who have been able to stop taking their diabetes medications and reduce or eliminate their need for insulin. But now they need to see a name and a face with those stories and that's where YOU come in to make a real difference.

If you are serious about trying to influence the world with the positive message of livin' la vida low-carb, then here are a few things you can do:

1. Send YOUR story to the ADA!

They are certainly in the most receptive place ever after altering their recommendations for diabetics to consider low-carb if low-fat didn't work for them. It's a golden opportunity for you to talk about how your diabetes condition has improved following a low-carb diet and I strongly urge you to do this. Tell Dr. Sue Kirkman in an e-mail who you are, when you were diagnosed with diabetes, your pre-low-carb numbers, and your post-low-carb numbers and improvements. You can e-mail that information directly to her at skirkman@diabetes.org.

2. Ask the ADA for low-carb representation!

One of the reasons it took the ADA so long to recognize the benefits of livin' la vida low-carb for diabetics is because they do not have any low-carb representation among their board members. Why is that? With carbohydrate restriction so vitally important to the future health of people afflicted with this terrible disease, why wouldn't they want someone like Dr. Mary C. Vernon, Dr. Eric Westman, or any number of other qualified candidates to serve in this capacity as a consultant for the ADA, hmmm? Why don't we suggest that they do just that? E-mail the ADA and request low-carb representation on their nutritional guideline panel at AskADA@diabetes.org.

3. Contact your Congressman and call for hearings!

We really have to put the onus of blame for this dietary mess we are in now squarely on the shoulders of the United States government. They have the power to bring about changes in dietary recommendations based on the latest research and to date they have not incorporated any of the meaningful research that has been coming out about low-carb. It's high time that they do something to show the American people they truly care about the future of health in this nation. Urge them to begin hearings on nutrition and diabetes by contacting your Congressmen.

4. Join the Nutrition & Metabolism Society

There's a group working very hard behind-the-scenes to provide a voice of legitimacy for livin' la vida low-carb that you may or may not be aware of. It's the Nutrition & Metabolism Society led by some of the best and brightest researchers and advocates of the science behind low-carb today, including Dr. Richard Feinman, Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jeff Volek, Dr. Gil Wilshire, and others. These leaders need the help of literally thousands upon thousands of people who support getting the word out about the low-carb lifestyle and that's just about everyone who reads my blog! A consumer membership is just $25 a year and those dollars go directly into giving low-carb the prominent place it deserves in our culture. Click here to become a member of the Nutrition & Metabolism Society TODAY!

While it can sometimes seem overwhelming about what one person can do to tell the whole world about the positive influence the low-carb lifestyle has made on your life, hopefully I have given you some ideas to step up your commitment to seeing livin' la vida low-carb brought back to the forefront of the diet and health discussion. Tens of millions of lives are literally depending on us to stand up for what we know to be true and if we all do our part there is no reason our voice will not be heard. If you're ready to take this challenge seriously, then do something RIGHT NOW! Feel free to share the action you have taken on behalf of low-carb in the comments section below.

What's Going On Right Now In The Low-Carb World?

Hey there healthy living enthusiasts and thanks for being here for all the latest news and updates about the incredible and miraculous low-carb lifestyle. Sometimes there's so much going on that you may not have heard about that I have to lump it all together in one big blog post for you like I'm gonna do today.

So many stories, so little time--so let's get started! Here are ten hot stories going on right now in the low-carb world:

1. FDA IS STILL GIVING THE SUPPLEMENT STEVIA A HARD TIME

There's a hotly-contested battle going on right now between health advocates like those of us following the low-carb lifestyle and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) over the issue of the supplement stevia. This Organic Consumers Association story explains how the FDA has taken a hard line against the plant-based sweetening agent stevia by not allowing manufacturers to call it a sweetener along the lines of Splenda, Equal, and Sweet N' Low. I've blogged about this battle over whether it's a supplement or a sweetener before and I was hoping the presence of a big name manufacturer like The Coca-Cola Company in the stevia standoff would help soften the acceptability of stevia as a sweetener. It doesn't appear that way yet, but the winds of change may be blowing in the direction of sweetener soon enough if Coke has its way.

2. ORIGINAL BIGGEST LOSER RYAN BENSON GAINS BACK HIS WEIGHT

The success of the hit NBC television weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser" all started back in 2004 when Ryan Benson was crowned the very first winner of the show by losing 100 pounds. What you may not know is the extent to which he put his body through in order to lose those last few pounds before the final weigh-in. He candidly shared the drastic measures he took in those days before the finale at his his MySpace page. Have you heard about this? Here's a quote from his journal:

"I wanted to win so bad that the last ten days before the final weigh-in I didn't eat one piece of solid food! If you've heard of 'The Master Cleanse' that's what I did. Its basically drinking lemonade made with water, fresh squeezed lemon juice, pure maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. The rules of the show said we couldn't use any weight-loss drugs, well I didn't take any drugs, I just starved myself! Twenty-four hours before the final weigh-in I stopped putting ANYTHING in my body, liquid or solid, then I started using some old high school wrestling tricks. I wore a rubber suit while jogging on the treadmill, and then spent a lot of time in the steam room. In the final 24 hours I probably dropped 10-13 lbs in just pure water weight. By the time of the final weigh-in I was peeing blood."

HOLY CRAP! Although he says he has not suffered any ill effects to his health from this, he has put back on the weight and did so rather quickly after winning the $1 million prize for being "The Biggest Loser."

"In the five days after the show was over I gained about 32 lbs. Not from eating, just from getting my system back to normal (mostly re-hydrating myself). So in five days I was back up to 240 – crazy!"

But Ryan did share some real nuggets of truth about maintaining your weight after weight loss that give me hope he will know what to do this time after he reaches goal.

"Maintaining weight loss for me was obviously much harder – as seen in the fact that I have gained weight. Weight loss and maintenance are both the same thing – a complete change in your frame of mind. For many years I have always thought "If I can just lose the weight then I can eat anything I want." Unfortunately this isn't true, you have to keep a similar mind set whether you are losing weight or maintaining weight loss."

Maybe I was wrong when I said that the show was not creating unreasonable weight loss expectations in the contestants. I'm sure Ryan Benson was not alone in the lose-at-any-cost mentality that money can force them into doing. Does it make you as sick to your stomach as it does mine to hear about this?

When I won that local radio weight loss contest back in 2004, the worst thing I did was not eat all day long on the day of the weigh-in. And I thought I was being a rebel doing that! Of course, I ate like a madman when the contest was over and I had won. But I don't think a "Master Cleanse" would have been a consideration for me. EEEEK!

3. THIS IS ONE OF THE FUNNIEST DIET COMMENTARIES I'VE EVER READ!

This Lawrence (KS) Journal World & News column will absolutely speak for itself. If you've ever been on a diet (ANY DIET), then this will make your day. ENJOY!

4. DR. JONNY BOWDEN BUSTS UP 7 COMMON NUTRITIONAL MYTHS

Friend and fellow health advocate Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of two fantastic books that should be on the shelf of every low-carber--Living The Low-Carb Life and The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth--has penned an absolutely brilliant column for iVillage.com entitled "7 Nutrition Myths Busted" that will shed some light on some of the dogmatic statements we hear so often from the so-called health "experts." Here's what Jonny lines up and shoots down one-by-one:

1. The food pyramid is for everyone.
2. There is a perfect diet that will work for everyone.
3. All low-carb diets are like the Atkins Diet.
4. Stress does not make you fat.
5. Metabolisms are all pretty similar.
6. Blood type does not make a difference.
7. A balanced diet will provide you with everything you need.

See what Dr. Bowden has to say about each one of these. You'll be pleasantly surprised! :D

5. US NEWS & WORLD REPORT ENDORSES LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB?

So I'm flipping through the September 27, 2007 issue of the magazine US News & World Report when I see an article called "Health Tip: Considering Low-Carb?" and my eyes are drawn to it for obvious reasons. It's a quickie four-sentence blurb about what people who are considering low-carb need to do if they choose this diet plan. WHOA! This just goes to show you that at least for one major publishing outlet, they've taken on the old adage if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Low-carb ain't going anywhere, so they might as well tell people about it! WOO HOO!

6. OMEGA 3 FATS REDUCES RISK OF TYPE 1 DIABETES IN KIDS, STUDY SHOWS

An exciting new study published in the September 26, 2007 issue of Journal Of The American Medical Association found that kids who consume more omega 3-rich fatty acids from such low-carb foods as flax seeds, walnuts, fish oil, canola oil, tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon, bluefish, swordfish and free range eggs have a reduced chance of having Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes). Get the full scoop about this exciting new regarding fat consumption for kids at the About.com Diabetes web site. I personally love my salmon, walnuts, and fish oil supplements. Free range eggs are still a bit out of my price range right now, but I'd get 'em in a heartbeat if money was no option.

7. IF YOU WANT TO THINK FASTER, THEN YOU NEED TO EAT MORE CARBS, STUDY SUGGESTS

Did you read about the study claiming a low-carb diet slows down cognitive function? Yep, these Australian nimwits at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization-Human Nutrition contend that "very low carbohydrate diets may offer less benefit than a high carbohydrate diet for improving cognitive function." Oh really? You might want to pick up a copy of Dr. Larry McCleary's outstanding new book called The Brain Trust Program about the BENEFIT to brain health that a ketogenic (low-carb) diet has. This conclusion that people need to "eat more carbs" was extrapolated by one of the researcher from this study I recently highlighted. In a word: WRONG-O!

8. BARILLA PASTA COMPANY STANDS BEHIND THEIR THRASHING OF LOW-CARB

To follow-up on a previous blog post where I suggested the whole wheat pasta company Barilla may not be a friend of the low-carber may just happen to be true. After seeing this link about the "dangers of low-carb diets," an e-mail was sent to the company challenging their opinion about livin' la vida low-carb and requesting clarification about why they believe low-carb is dangerous.

Here's how a company spokesperson responded:

Thank you for sharing your point of view on our website content.

We want to assure you that Barilla takes the issue of nutrition and health of our consumers very seriously. As such, we would never publish erroneous information. All of the low-carb diet information on our website comes from notable nutrition, medical and/or research experts and is footnoted with the specific resource. The information is posted on our site to merely present facts to help consumers make their own educated decision on how they eat.

We wish you all the best.

Thank you,

Consumer Relations
Barilla America, Inc.

Okay, but what about all the FACTS about how healthy a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach can be not only for weight management, but also for controlling many aspects of health, too, Barilla? If you're about helping educate consumers, then perhaps you should learn the fine art of sharing ALL the information and putting it out there on the table. Of course, you can't do that because your products, even the whole wheat pastas, are NOT healthy for people on a low-carb diet.

And even if they were marginally good, your utter disdain for those of us who choose to live this lifestyle makes me want to spend my hard-earned money elsewhere. Can you say Dreamfields anyone? :P

9. NUTRITIONDATA.COM CREATES A DIETING & WEIGHT LOSS CENTER

When you have time to check it out, there's an exciting new resource for people losing weight called the "Dieting & Weight Loss Center" brought to you by NutritionData.com. It's not all explicitly low-carb (as you will quickly notice by all the annoying Alli ads when you go there, but it's just another place for information about diet and health that you may want to take a look at. They were nice enough to link to my blog, so apparently they don't mind sharing a variety of voices on the subject. :)

10. GERMAN RESEARCHERS SAY CUT THE SUGAR, EXTEND YOUR LIFE BY 25%

Finally, I've got an exciting new study to share with you that was published in the October 3, 2007 issue of Cell Metabolism. Read the recap about the study in this Reuters story about how researchers in Germany restricted sugar intake in worms and they lived to be 25% older than those worms that consumed sugar. The only thing that irked me about the study was when one of the researchers said that the "body needs glucose (sugar/carbs)" which is not true as I have previously blogged about. I have a feeling that somewhere today Connie Bennett has got to be smiling. ;)

So there you have it! Ten scrumptious low-carb stories for you to chew on to start your week off right. Feel free to comment on any or all of them in the comments section below. THANKS for reading and I look forward to your reactions!

Smuggling Acomplia, Hawking Alli All In The Desperate Name Of Weight Loss

In the same week when the media is going absolutely crazy with their feeding frenzy giving free publicity to the new over-the-counter GlaxoSmithKline weight loss drug called Alli, along comes a story like this one which just goes to show you the desperate attempts that some people are willing to make in the pursuit of getting thin--even if it's ILLEGAL!

I've blogged about the next great "magic pill" for weight loss from pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis before--it's called Acomplia. Like most diet pills, the dirty secret is you must eat a low-calorie diet along with them. Shhhh, don't tell anyone! ;)

But Acomplia is still very popular among Americans right now despite the fact that the FDA has not granted approval of it yet because of fears that it increases the risk of suicide. With close public scrutiny on them right now over the diabetes drug Avandia, which allegedly raises heart disease risk, the FDA is being cautious with Acomplia.

Nevertheless, European countries have already put their stamp of approval on Acomplia and hopeless Americans are smuggling the drug into the United States by bringing it back with them after visiting foreign lands and/or making the purchases over the Internet.

It was disheartening to read about a 60-something year old woman in the story who thinks Acomplia is all she can do to lose weight. NO! As much as people like this want to believe a drug is their best option, clearly it is not. There are too many questions about side effects with weight loss pills, so why not try a natural and effective weight loss method instead?

Like LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB!!! :D

If approved by the FDA in the U.S. sometime in July as expected, Acomplia could rake in over $3 BILLION dollars annually in profits for Sanofi. Now there's your REAL motive for pushing this drug and other such medications on the American people, not the promise of meaningful and lasting weight loss!

As for that new OTC pill Alli, I received an awesome e-mail from a reader in Fort Worth, Texas who was contemplating taking this to help her with her obesity. But in her research online, she found my blog post about it and changed her mind.

Here's what she wrote:

Hello! I have just discovered your blog while Googling to find some information on Alli/orlistat and how it could affect someone following the Atkins program. Your blog post was informative, helpful and inspiring! I just had to take a moment to write to you!

Hearing the ultra-hyped promotion for this new miracle pill, of course I was interested and had to do some research, but what I've found--well, lets say that instead of spending $60 on Alli tomorrow, I ordered some new low-carb cookbooks from Amazon instead!

I weigh close to 400 pounds, have 2 beautiful children and a loving husband that need me. I have got to get this weight off and doing it without surgery and medications is definitely the way I want to go.

I first tried Atkins two years ago and had lost nearly 60 pounds in three months. I felt awesome! But, unfortunately I went on a honeymoon and got into the "vacation" mentality and couldn't manage to get back into the right mindset.

Now, however, I've been on Induction for 2 weeks and I'm feeling fantastic already!

I had a moment today, wondering if I should change my diet to incorporate this new wonderful pill, seriously considering stopping the Atkins plan in favor of GlaxoSmithKline's slick advertising. But reading various web articles, especially your blog, has convinced me to keep on doing what I'm doing. Atkins is healthier, easier and faster than any diet I've ever tried. And if I feel good doing it, why change?

A low-fat diet filled with carbs would ruin any positive changes I've gained in the last few weeks, sugar is the enemy! One bagel for breakfast and I'd be craving sugar all over again. Don't want to go through that withdrawal ever again. Heh!

So, this was simply a long-winded way to say THANK YOU for your blog and I will now be a devoted reader and might even start a blog of my own weight loss via low-carb adventure--as well as get an order in for your book!

You are truly fantastic!

If only we could educate more people like this very intelligent woman before they fall prey to the allure of a pill like Alli or Acomplia, then these risky gimmicks would be used only as a very LAST resort rather than the primary tool for weight loss. My hope and prayer is that many more will learn the truth now rather than suffer the heartache and physical effects of these drugs later.

6-15-07 UPDATE: It turns out the author of that e-mail to me is a 35-year old Texas woman named Morgan MacLeoid and she has a blog called "Good Carbma" (now that's pretty creative!).


Morgan is wholeheartedly committed to livin' la vida low-carb now

Yes, ask shocking as it sounds, she seriously considered taking Alli and switching to a low-fat diet to do it. But now Morgan has thought better of that idea and is sticking with her all-natural low-carb plan.

Although she currently weighs more than 400 pounds, Morgan is committed to doing this for the sake of living a long and healthy life for those two precious kids of hers. You're gonna make it, Morgan, and I'm so proud of you for making this wise choice for yourself and your loved one. Let me know if I can help you along in this journey!

Is Coca-Cola Putting Stevia On The Fast-Track To Approval As A Sweetener?

Did you know Diet Coke in Japan is sweetened with the plant-based stevia?

About a year ago I blogged about the controversial all-natural sugar alternative called stevia. At the time, I lamented that stevia was not approved by the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) to even be called a sweetener...yet! But that may be about to change if a joint venture with The Coca-Cola Company and a major food additive business has anything to say about it (and you KNOW they will because money talks!).

This USA Today story notes that Coke as well as Cargill Foods have decided to take a serious look at a sweetener they want to call rebiana (a shortened word used for Stevia Rebaudiana). Remember that name they have come up with because it's the term these companies are going to be using for stevia soon and it's been three years in the making.

For people who are livin' la vida low-carb and choose to avoid the use of the chemical-based sweeteners that dominate the marketplace, such as saccharin (Sweet 'N Low), aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal), and sucralose (Splenda), many of us have been using stevia instead because it contains ZERO calories and carbohydrates. That's certainly impressive nutritional info for a natural alternative to sugar.

But it's gonna be a bit of an uphill battle to get stevia approved since the FDA has come down so strongly AGAINST approving it while this list of sugar alternatives get a free pass--all of which are made from chemicals. But there are still a lot of people who have concerns over the safety of these products (and I get e-mails from people ALL THE TIME about my support for Splenda--get over it already people. That stuff helped me overcome morbid obesity, so leave it be!).

As a result, that's the allure of having commercial acceptance of stevia in a popular product like Diet Coke. With crazy new product concepts like the vitamin-infused Diet Coke Plus (made with aspartame), the "calorie-burning" Enviga (also sweetened with aspartame and a touch of ACE-K), and their marketing darling of the moment Coke Zero (yep, you guessed it, sweetened with aspartame and ACE-K), this idea of making a Diet Coke with Stevia is the best thing they've come up with since my favorite sugar-free soda Diet Coke with Splenda was released to the market (although they've never given it the proper marketing IMHO!).

Interestingly, stevia IS already being used in Diet Coke--in Japan, where stevia boasts a robust 40% of the sweetener market, as well as in Brazil, China, and nine other industrialized countries. So what's taking America so long to get going with this in this country already? The FDA needs to get its head out of their backside and approve stevia as a sweetener.

Are they afraid of the competition it will give that disgusting NASTY-tame? If so, then GOOD! They should be because it's high time people have other alternatives. I'm tired of seeing Nutrasweet in EVERYTHING sugar-free/low-carb I would want to purchase. Put Splenda or stevia in some of these products already! There's a bunch of us who don't like aspartame at all!

Currently, the Coca-Cola Company has been seriously looking at this since 2004 and last week filed a total of 24 patents to begin removing the sweetest parts of stevia so they can come up with the perfect taste and blend of rebiana to be used in their future versions of Diet Coke.

It's not yet known if this new sweetener will eventually be phased in to replaced aspartame or if it will be mixed with ACE-K or other sweeteners in totally different products altogether. But clearly Coke is ready to put stevia on the fast-track to FDA approval.

As for Cargill Foods, they intend to use this stevia-based sweetener in foods like yogurt, cereal, ice cream, and other sugar-free sweet treats. This is expected to be a huge undertaking that could quite literally shake up the food and beverage industry unlike anything that has come along in the past few decades. This is long overdue in America and I can't wait to see it come.

A Cargill representative said this was a "significant investment," so don't expect them to take no for an answer from self-serving interest groups who will oppose the use of stevia in this manner to cover their bedonkadonks with the artificial sweetener companies. That's why Cargill has already begun the process of petitioning the FDA to use stevia as a food additive. It's gonna be difficult, but I'm confident they'll get approval. Stay tuned!

Although Coke is saying the stevia they have tested in several of their products has performed just as well as the aspartame and sucralose for sweetness, I'm not as convinced about it. Sure, stevia is an excellent product and I have used it myself in various forms, but the black licorice-like bitterness can be a real turn-off to some people. The blend will have to be perfect.

I'm sure if stevia finally does make it into a Diet Coke product in the next few years that they'll make it taste as sweet as possible by very likely using an ACE-K blend. It'll probably resemble the aspartame/ACE-K blends that dominate the Coca-Cola line of sugar-free products today. This will be a HUGE step in the right direction for the world's #1 beverage maker (although I wouldn't mind having more Splenda-sweetened options, too--HINT HINT!).

If rebiana becomes a household name thanks to Coke and Cargill Foods, then you can expect PepsiCo, Dannon, and other rivals in the sugar-free/low-carb market to develop their own versions of stevia-sweetened products--perhaps they'll be allowed to actually call it stevia. Actually, if they're smart, then they'll start working on this NOW!

I've long held that having an "all-natural" sweetener like stevia is already on the cutting edge and it's only a matter of time before it is as widely used in the United States just as it is in Japan today. It's not a matter of if, but when. I can't wait to try a Rebiana Coke with a green stevia leaf on the can as a logo to distinguish it from the other versions. This will be the most unique diet soda product to ever release!

Are you ready for a Diet Coke made with stevia?

Sodium Benzoate: The Next Great Health Threat?

After blogging in December 2006 about an ongoing cover-up since 1990 by the Food & Drug Administration over cancer-causing amounts of benzene found in some popular soft drinks, now this Belfast Telegraph story highlights a new UK study on sodium benzoate causing damage to DNA bringing that whole controversy back into the limelight again.

Lead researcher Peter W. Piper, professor of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Sheffield, wanted to know what impact a food additive known as E211--the scientific name for the common preservative sodium benzoate used in most soft drinks to prevent molding--has on cells in the body. The cancer connection has already been established when benzene is mixed with vitamin C.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is the British version of the FDA, has already removed four brands of soft drinks from store shelves last year for having excessively high levels of benzene. Piper says the concern is worse than first believed.

In a test conducted on living yeast cells in his lab, the sodium benzoate in the soft drinks sampled actually caused damage to the mitochondria--the important "power station" in DNA.

"These chemicals [in the soft drinks] have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether," Piper exclaimed.

Yikes! Is this really as fatalistic as he's making it out to be?

Piper continued: "The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it--as happens in a number of diseased states--then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA--Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of aging."

Okay, so let me get this straight. Sodium benzoate found in many soft drinks and various food products has been found to damage the mitochondria in DNA which then leads to new brain diseases and premature aging. You got all that? Are you buying it? This blogger sure isn't!

Of course, the soft drink manufacturers point to their trust in the approval of sodium benzoate by the Food Standards Agency as their evidence of the safety of this ingredient. However, like the FDA here in the United States, can we REALLY trust that information? The European Union doesn't think so as evidenced by their emergency investigation into Piper's claims.

A representative from that group said they now need to reevaluate the long-term consequences of consuming sodium benzoate since the findings by the World Health Organization in 2000 which found it was safe are likely outdated.

Additionally, Piper said the FDA-approval of benzene needs updating.

"The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and they are complete safe," he said. "By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago."

Hmmm. This is the same corrupt FDA which refuses to admit they were wrong about the high-carb, low-fat diet being a healthy nutritional approach despite the lack of long-term studies to back that claim up. And let's not forget about their role in the current scandal over the diabetes drug Avandia! What makes Piper think the FDA is gonna start a fact-finding mission on sodium benzoate now?

As you know, I love my Diet Coke with Splenda and I notice it does not contain sodium benzoate, but rather potassium benzoate (aka E212). There was nothing in Piper's study about this similar preservative, so the jury is still out about it. I'm not gonna stop drinking it just yet.

Piper says he hopes parents are cautious about allowing their children to be "drinking large amounts" of sodas sweetened with sodium benzoate. Which ones would that be? Diet Orange Crush, Vault Zero, Fanta Pineapple, Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and the new Diet Pepsi Max, among others. The Coca-Cola Company has already settled their lawsuits by agreeing to change the formulations of their beverages containing sodium benzoate.

PepsiCo still has legal action pending against it and a U.S. District judge denied a motion to dismiss filed by the defendants in the case despite the fact that they have already reformulated the offensive products. Stay tuned for more information about these lawsuits.

You can e-mail Professor Peter Piper about this study at Peter.Piper@sheffield.ac.uk.

Read more information about the soft drink/benzene connection in this excellent blog post about it as well as the Wikipedia page on this topic. What say YOU about this controversy?

FDA Is Strongarming The Vitamin Industry

If you are like me and enjoy taking supplements as part of your low-carb lifestyle, then you will definitely want to read this World Net Daily story about something the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is currently proposing that could directly impact your life. This may sound like a very sick joke, but it is DEAD SERIOUS!

According to FDA Docket No. 2006D-0480, aka the "Draft Guidance for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration," the government agency would take over regulation of all vitamins, supplements, and any other natural health remedies. What would this mean? Well, any natural remedy items, even bottled water, would then be considered "drugs" coming under the strongarm authority of the FDA.

In fact, pretty much anything and everything that can be used to treat disease would fall under FDA control. Here's the language they use in this draft proposal:

Biologically based products include, but not limited to botanicals, animal-derived extracts, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, proteins, prebiotics and probiotics, whole diets and “functional foods.” A botanical product intended for use in treating a disease would be generally regulated as a drug. “Functional foods” may be subject to FDA regulation as foods dietary supplements, or drugs under the Act.

If the manipulative and body-based practices involve the use of equipment (such as massage devices) or the application of a product (such as lotion, cream, or oil) to the skin or other parts of the body, those products may be subject to regulation under the ACT.

Does all this sound preposterous? Think again. Imagine this:

Do you own a home gym for medical purposes? It would need FDA approval for use or commerce. How about heading down to your local drugstore to find your favorite vitamins? Good luck because the FDA would need to give their go-ahead. In fact, any store caught selling vitamins without the FDA's magic stamp could be prosecuted for "practicing medicine." Yikes!

FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach has put this draft guidance on the fast-track for implementation, but they are soliciting feedback from concerned citizens through May 29, 2007. The original date was set for Monday, April 30, 2007, but they decided to extend it for an additional month since there has been such an outcry from the public. You can send your concerned comments and reaction to the FDA about this by using their feedback form.

With one out of every three Americans using nondrug treatments for their health at an estimated cost of $5 billion annually, it appears the FDA is watching out for their buddies in the pharmaceutical industry. The medical establishment doesn't like the fact that people are getting healthy without the use of their overpriced medications. Sure, there are SOME drugs that do some fantastic work, but a lot of people find equally effective relief from all-natural homeopathic remedies.

Ever since I've been taking supplements like so many do on a daily basis as part of my low-carb lifestyle, I have not had to see the doctor because I haven't been sick. That's a fact that apparently doesn't sit too well with the medical profession. It's not all of them, but the people in powerful positions are none too happy that they're losing out on "business" from people who are supposed to be sick. Twisted, ain't it?

We've already seen severe restrictions to vitamins in our neighboring countries Mexico and Canada as well as in Europe where you even need a prescription from a doctor to have access to them. EEEEK! Don't you know the FDA would love to bring this policy to the good ole United States of America. They've been working on it for a while now.

I've previously blogged about the concerted effort to outlaw vitamins in this country before, but the FDA has stepped it up. What makes this bad is the outright corruption that already exists in that government entity and it's well-documented. Can you say Vioxx? Or their approval of the wheat gluten imported from China that was responsible for the pet food contamination that killed thousands of beloved pets? Shall I continue?

From allowing spray-on viruses for luncheon meats to their controversial approval of a risky over-the-counter weight loss drug, the FDA is no friend of the natural health community. Why else would they describe livin' la vida low-carb as "sheer nonsense?" Oh yeah, that's right, eating this healthy is a threat to the drug companies, too!

If you care about this issue as much as I do, then leave your feedback for the FDA TODAY! You have until May 29, 2007 to voice your concerns about this important issue. Let Commissioner von Eschenbach hear from us all!

FDA: The Low-Carb Diet Is 'Sheer Nonsense'

The FDA is overstepping its authority on what a healthy diet is

It's time to state the obvious--The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is chock full of a bunch of blithering idiots! There, I said it. And now that I have, I really don't feel a bit of remorse about making such a bold statement after learning about something they recently did to a low-carb company I'm gonna share with you today.

I suppose for background purposes, you might want to read the "How To Lose And Manage Weight" page at the FDA web site to understand their philosophy about diet and health. Of course, it is based on the archaic and failed ideals of the low-fat, low-calorie, portion control diet in combination with regular exercise.

Hey geniuses at the FDA! If those work so well, then why do we still have a bunch of fat people running around our country? Isn't that the same message we've heard for most of the past three decades and yet obesity and health problems are at an all-time high? Sounds like we need to change the game plan just a wee bit, don't ya think?

And if those diets don't work for you, then certainly you can always take a risky diet drug like orlistat or even get your insides cut open for LAP-BAND surgery. Is the FDA serious about that? You bet they are...go check out the site for yourself and you'll see these listed among the options for people dealing with a weight problem (what about livin' la vida low-carb? NOPE!).

Sheez! Is it any wonder why obesity has skyrocketed so much in America? With a government agency like the FDA going around spouting off all this nutritional nonsense about a low-fat, low-calorie diet, it's enough to make you physically sick to your stomach to even think about. But, unfortunately, they have a lot of power over diet and health policy in the United States and they have made it abundantly known to a low-carb company what they think about their product.

The identity of this company will remain anonymous in this post for obvious reasons, but you would recognize it if I told you. The FDA confiscated this company's products during a recent shipment and sent it to their lab for testing as well as examining the nutritional label with a fine-toothed comb. The result was a heavy-handed reprimand about the how unhealthy the product was because of "all that fat" which they claim would make it impossible for people to lose weight.

Come on, FDA! It's not the fat in foods that makes you fat, it's the SUGAR and other refined carbohydrates that are the root cause of obesity. Haven't you learned ANYTHING from the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins about the dangers of excessive carbs on weight and health? That's one thing the Atkins diet has done for our culture is educate our society about overconsuming carbs and demonstrating that it has consequences.

But don't tell that to the FDA, though!

Regarding claims that sugar spikes your insulin levels which then leads to obesity, the FDA said to this low-carb company that claim is simply "not proven" and that the low-carb diet for all intents and purposes amounts to "sheer nonsense." In other words, our good old FDA thinks sugar is just as healthy as it can be for people to consume with no consequences to their health. Puh-leez! People who are livin' la vida low-carb know better and the FDA should be ashamed of themselves for pretending sugar has no connection to obesity.

As for this "sheer nonsense" bull-funky, all I have to say is this way of eating absolutely saved my life, FDA! You and all your ivory tower minions in Washington, DC oughta try living out in the real world for a change with people like me who used to weigh over 400 pounds and was able to attain great weight loss and weight maintenance success because of that "sheer nonsense" diet you seethe over.

Get with the times, FDA! All the latest research is pointing to livin' la vida low-carb as EQUAL to low-fat! It really makes you stop and wonder if ANYONE at the FDA has ever lost weight! Me thinks they're just a bunch of clueless mind-numbed robots who couldn't help an obese person lose weight if they tried.

Come live in my world for just two seconds, FDA! You wouldn't survive!

When the FDA can threaten an innocent low-carb company like this one just because they disagree with what solid nutritional science is showing, it's time for the citizens to demand better from their government. We don't need to have the FDA hold our hand about the fat content of the foods we eat.

If they truly cared about our health, then they would sound the alarm against the excessive sugar and high-fructose corn syrup that is in EVERYTHING we eat these days. Now there's the real danger to weight and health the FDA can jump on.

Do you see what we are up against in this battle for the hearts and minds of overweight and obese people. The FDA is slamming the door in our face about livin' la vida low-carb while doing all it can to protect the interests of the low-fat proponents and their buddies in the sugar and corn industries. Where's the objectivity, FDA?! How about looking out for the average American citizen's best interest for a change?

Big brother is watching and he ain't on OUR side.

FDA No Weight Loss 'Alli' Approving OTC Drug

An OTC version of the weight loss drug orlistat gets FDA-approval

It wasn't a matter of if, but when.

This Washington Post story details the disappointing news that the United States government regulatory agency over approving medicines that can be sold without a prescription in this country has given its final blessing to an over-the-counter version of a prescription weight loss drug made by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, who calls this "the only FDA-approved weight loss product available to consumers without a prescription." Yippee freakin' skippy!

You may recall last January when I blogged about the weight loss drug orlistat following an 11-2 recommendation by a group of medical "experts" who deliberated for all of one whole day about whether the risky prescription medicine Xenical should be made available in an OTC formula.

Today, the Food & Drug Adminstration (FDA) made it official and gave the rubber stamp to sell orlistat using the name "Alli." No, it's not pronounced like Muhammed Ali (AH-LEE), but rather like the word "ally" (AL-EYE) as in someone who is on your side.

The irony in that name is that the FDA is certainly no "Alli" to anyone desiring weight loss with their outlandish and irresponsible approval of this drug. They really ought to be ashamed of themselves for putting a drug like this one out there because obesity pills are just pie in the sky promises that don't deliver without a little effort on the part of the dieter. And the FDA even acknowledges that fact.

While they don't encourage children under the age of 18 take this drug (but who are we kidding? Parents will be buying this drug for their fat kids left and right!), it is absolutely open game for adults willing to combine it with a low-fat, low-calorie, portion control diet and exercise program. That's right, just in case you missed the fine print from the FDA about this latest cure-all for obesity, the dirty little secret is you STILL have to diet!

Don't even think about livin' la vida low-carb while taking the 60 mg capsules of "Alli" right before each of your three daily meals either because it only works well in people who eat little to no fat in their diet. Yep, not only do you get the unique pleasure of having most of the fat you put inside of your body sucked completely dry like a shallow river basin in 110 degree heat, but you also are FORCED to eat a low-fat diet in the process to make it work. Aren't you just so very happy about that?!

But wait, there's more!

In addition to not absorbing dietary fat (which can be dangerous on a number of levels that you don't even want me to get into!), this drug may very well prevent you from absorbing some of the most essential nutrients in the foods you eat. Therefore, they recommend you take a multivitamin before you go nighty-night sucking your thumb while holding a fuzzy wuzzy teddy bear.

Isn't this hilarious? While opponents of livin' la vida low-carb always chastise us for promoting vitamin supplementation on our very natural and healthy way of eating, here's the FDA telling people they need to eat a low-fat diet and take supplements if they decide to start using the "Alli" OTC weight loss pill. And this is the WEAK version of the drug Xenical--can you imagine what the full-strength one is like?

Like most drugs, "Alli" is not without some really nasty side effects. Try this on for size: loose stools, excess gas, fatty stools, possible uncontrollable bowel movements, flatulence with discharge, abdominal pain, and a general sense of poop-poopy-doop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, non-stop fun between you and the porcelain goddess! Aren't you so glad you chose to lose weight this way? NOT! Sounds about as bad as the weight loss drug for dogs I blogged about last month!

Seriously, though, orlistat is NOT for everyone (I don't think it's for ANYONE, but that's just my take on it!). People who have had an organ transplant shouldn't take it because of drug interactions and neither should people on blood thinners, who are diabetic, have a thyroid problem, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, or malabsorption syndromes. The FDA says people with these conditions should consult with their before using this over-the-counter drug.

Um, maybe I'm thinking too hard about this, but why make a drug OTC if there are very real dangers to a large segment of the population with all those ailments listed above? Has the FDA completely gone out of its mind here (don't answer that question because we already know the answer)?!

I'm telling you, this is a class action lawsuit just waiting to happen. The FDA has no idea what it has gotten itself into approving a drug like orlistat and making it available to anyone and everyone walking through the grocery store, Wal-mart, or drugstore. The end result will be more obesity and a lot more tummy aches.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again and again if I have to. People need to stop looking for the next great diet pill to come prancing in like Prince Charming to swoop them off their feet with promises of weight loss nirvana. Sorry to burst your fantasy everyone but it ain't gonna happen...nor should it!

Weight loss can be achieved safely and naturally without the use of ANY drugs whatsoever. Not once during my nearly 200-pound low-carb weight loss experience over these past few years have I felt compelled to add a drug, prescription or otherwise, to my diet for the purposes of aiding in my weight loss. NEVER! If I didn't trust my low-carb lifestyle to do everything I needed it to to shed the pounds and restore my health, then I'd start looking for another way to eat.

It should be quite disturbing to anyone who is eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet right now that their diet all by itself just isn't good enough to bring about weight loss and improved health. Nope, they have to have something like orlistat to be added to them in order for them to work better (although the jury is still waaaaay out on that claim!). Why put yourself through all of that?!

Come on over to livin' la vida low-carb and enjoy what REAL healthy living is like. No drugs, no forced diet plans, no disgusting foods to put up with--just delicious foods that help produce amazing positive results in your weight and health.

Why would you choose any other way?

Controversial Carcinogen Benzene Cover-Up By FDA, Soft Drink Industry

There's some very disturbing health news that should especially concern dieters who enjoy drinking diet soft drinks. This BeverageDaily.com column examines recently released documents concerning the Cadbury Schweppes company and their popular Diet Orange Crush drink.

You may recall the recent public backlash over the cancer-causing benzene being found in Perrier water which has caused sales of this product to plummet after 162 million bottles were pulled from the shelves. Now, new documents were recently released that reveal the exact same thing was discovered in 1990 when Cadbury found benzene levels in their Diet Orange Crush that were ten times higher than what was found in Perrier and exponentially more than the FDA was supposed to allow at the time. Cadbury quietly removed the drink voluntarily in five regions as a result of finding these benzene levels.

But there was no accountability in place to punish Cadbury like there was for Perrier over the serious nature of this violation and it is a problem that very likely still exists today, concerned industry observers contend. For the record, the Diet Orange Crush contained 36 and 52 parts per billion (ppb) benzene in two samples taken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 1990 when the product was pulled and another preliminary sample showed as high as 180 ppb benzene. Compare this to the 11-18 ppb benzene found in Perrier water and you can see why some are concerned Cadbury got off too easy 16 years ago.

While the Perrier benzene issue was from a contaminated carbon dioxide problem, the one with the Diet Orange Crush in 1990 had to do with the combination of two very common ingredients in many soft drinks that are on store shelves today--sodium benzoates and citric or ascorbic acid. While Cadbury has said their drinks have been reformulated since the FDA discovered these ingredients raise the benzene levels above the maximum 5 ppb in those products, the truth of the matter is that benzene is STILL a major problem because so many companies still use them in tandum.

The FDA and the soda manufacturers say they are confident the benzene levels in their products are a neglible health concern to the consumer, but the lingering questions still remain since sodium benzoate and citric or ascorbic acid is in a lot of popular beverage products, including Kraft's popular Crystal Light drink mixes and others that are commonly used by diets avoiding sugar and health-conscious consumers.

One of the issues concerning benzene levels in these beverages is that any added exposure to heat and light can cause a rapid increase in its widespread development. While short-term consumption of these higher levels of benzene in drinks may not pose a measurable risk of getting cancer to the people drinking them, the danger is in those people who consume larger quantities of them over longer periods of time.

But unlike Perrier, the FDA kept silent about the benzene issue with Cadbury and simply swept it under the rug despite evidence that the benzene levels had not been reduced below the recommended levels. One anonymous ex-FDA official was quoted as saying this is "embarrassing" that the government agency was so flippant about something that could be so potentially hazardous to public health just to protect the interests of the manufacturers.

“Big companies are very powerful," the former FDA official told BeverageDaily.com. "If you're a regulator with a tight budget, it could have been one of those closets with skeletons in that you don't want to open.”

Benzene is an issue that has gotten the attention of the International Council of Beverages Association which earlier this year distributed an industry-wide guidance document to bring awareness and education to the soft drink companies. They are hoping this will cut down on the benzene levels before a larger public health issue arises.

With the revelation of the apparent public cover-up by the FDA and Cadbury in 1990 about the presence of benzene in their products, this issue has been brought to the forefront at an important time, according to a former Cadbury scientist who is leading the efforts to tell the world about what he knows.

“It's outrageous that when a known carcinogen such as benzene was found in popular USA soft drinks, neither the beverage industry or FDA notified consumers,” he exclaimed.

You can read more about this issue by perusing through these papers compiled by attorney Ross E. Getman who is representing the public interests of those seeking to remove benzene from soft drinks in the United States.

Crawford Epitomizes Corruption In The FDA

Most Americans probably have no idea who the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is nor do they even care since they don't think he plays any part in their lives. But most of us who are paying attention to news and information about health are painfully aware of how the decisions made by the FDA can have a profound impact on our lives more than we even realize.

Last year, I blogged about then-FDA commissioner Lester Crawford, a food safety expert and veterinarian, who had just taken over the reigns at the FDA after serving as acting commisioner for more than two years prior. I openly asked at the time if he was going to be a friend or foe to low-carbers and people who support healthy living.

Well, as quickly as he was confirmed, Crawford suddenly announced his resignation just two short months later and was replaced by Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach appointed by President George W. Bush. Crawford's abrupt resignation was a shock to the FDA, but, as Paul Harvey's signature line goes, now we know the REST of the story.

This NewsTarget article explains that Crawford plead guilty earlier this month to charges of filing false financial disclosure forms and having several obvious conflicts of interest, including his wife owning stock in many companies that are under the FDA regulation--something the federal governments REQUIRES full disclosure of prior to employment. Even worse is the claim by Crawford that he had sold all the stock in those companies prior to taking the head position at the FDA, but that was found to be nothing more than a BIG FAT LIE!

As a result, Crawford admitted to the wrongdoing and will have to pay fines and be placed on probation for the two misdemeanor charges. He still faces a possible two-year prison sentence for his crime. Sentencing is set Jan. 22, 2007.

After the arraignment, Crawford told reporters, "This was my fault and no one else's. Nothing that I have done, I hope, can be construed to affect the integrity of the FDA."

Sorry, but that's too late now Mr. Crawford! This is evidence yet again that the FDA is bought and paid for by the special interest groups who are keeping Americans fat and sick willing or otherwise. You are merely one aspect of that problem and there are many more like you with "conflicts of interest" that need to fess up and step down as you did. What happened to the integrity of public servants in this country? Have we really digressed as a society THAT much?

For the record, the companies that Crawford and his wife STILL owned at least $140,000 in stock in are Pepsico Inc., Sysco Corp., Kimberly-Clark Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and several other companies regulated by the FDA.

Why are these ties to companies that he has a financial interest in so important? Well, one of the actions that Crawford took in his brief stint as commissioner was to act as chairman of an official FDA panel looking into the problem of obesity, including setting forth regulations on the very companies he owned stock in. Tsk, tsk! I wonder what they would have decided, hmmmm? Doesn't this just make you sick to your stomach?

Public health is at great risk as long as corruption like this exists within the confines of an agency like the FDA. This is why I am constantly suspicious of the FDA making such rash decisions that could have long-term consequences on our health. For example, how about their recent decision to allow viruses to be sprayed on our deli meats? Whose best interest was that really about? You have to wonder out loud in light of this latest scandal.

Crawford is merely one of thousands who have passed through the halls of the FDA without a care in the world for the general health of the American people. But he doesn't epitomize the corruption that has become the FDA in modern times.

Lest anyone thinks otherwise, this is not a partisan issue, but rather it's about telling people the truth. Is that too much to ask of our government and health leaders? Stop this needless agenda to protect the economic interests of certain American industries and start showing what harm can be prevented by encouraging people to make basic changes in their diet, supplementation and fitness. For the sake of the children--our future--we must change the way things have been done.

That would be leadership, something we are sorely lacking in the FDA!

Long-Term Fallout Of E. Coli Spinach Scare

With the dust settling from the E. coli outbreak, will you be buying spinach?

Okay, it's all clear now. There's no need to panic any longer. The outbreak has been contained and spinach is now okay to be consumed.

That's the message in this Reuters story about the recent E. coli spinach scare that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wanted to communicate on Friday.

You will recall the nationwide uproar that hit in mid-September when E. coli was discovered in spinach in eight states with 50 people sick and one dead. In the two weeks since, the number of states involved has increased to 26 with 97 hospitalized and three total presumed dead because of the outbreak.

If you have tried to purchase spinach over the past couple of weeks, you probably couldn't because there was a total recall of all fresh spinach products in grocery stores and restaurants all across this country. But with the FDA declaring spinach to be safe for consumption again, spinach is expected to return to shelves and on salad bars at your favorite restaurants again within a week or so.

I went shopping at my local grocery store earlier today and the bagged greens section looked pretty skimpy still. Then we went out to dinner at a restaurant tonight and I overheard a server tell a customer that they would not be able to have a certain menu item because it's got spinach in it and they're not serving spinach right now.

Since this was first announced, I've personally avoided eating spinach (obviously!) and even salad greens for the most part until this outbreak with E. coli passed. It was a decision I could most certainly live with and don't regret one bit.

But what now? What will be the long-term fallout from this E. coli spinach scare? Will people feel comfortable eating spinach again despite the assurances from the FDA that everything is fine? Maybe, but the concern may not be over just yet.

The FDA said they are still very worried about a rash of food poisonings resulting from fresh greens like spinach and even lettuce which have all come from California-based farms. That is why stronger regulations are being proposed by the FDA. Nevertheless, they still say so confidently that it's okay to eat spinach again.

Doesn't this remind you of the constant message Americans heard in the days and weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks when our government leaders said, "Just go about your normal daily lives as if nothing has happened?" While an E. coli outbreak is not the same as a terrorist attack, I think it's safe to say life will not be the same again in either case.

FDA Food Safety spokesman Dr. David Acheson said the spinach that will be available to consumers by early October will "be as safe as it was before this outbreak."

Is that supposed to be reassuring, Dr. Acheson? If it was so safe BEFORE the outbreak, then why did this happen in the first place? Even scarier are the lingering doubts about whether spinach is really safe to eat or not.

"There are some longer-term issues that need to be addressed," he said.

Yes, go ahead and get that spinach Mr. and Mrs. Consumer because we HOPE it's gonna be okay. Argh! Talk about your proverbial rock and a hard place! They're still investigating Natural Selection Foods in San Juan Bautista, California regarding their role in this E. coli outbreak which showed up under the name brand Dole.

What gets me is the fact that Dr. Acheson is still so adamant they have "serious concerns" that need to be addressed regarding leafy greens and even lettuce, but he also says it's okay to eat the spinach again.

"The FDA and the state of California have previously expressed serious concerns with continuing outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut lettuce and other leafy greens," Dr. Acheson said.

Which is it, Dr. Acheson? Is it safe or not? Why all this talk out of both sides of your mouth? He's even discussing what they NEED TO BE DOING to prevent this from happening again and spreading to other leafy veggies.

"And as part of our longer term strategy, FDA and the state of California expect industry to develop a plan to minimize the risk of a further outbreak of E. coli 0157 not just in spinach but in all leafy greens including lettuce," he explained.

EEEEEK! With 20 E. coli outbreaks since 1996, most of which have originated from California, Dr. Acheson said farming practices need to be reviewed to make sure the cattle that caused the outbreak are kept far enough away from the crop fields as possible. Physical barriers may even need to be constructed to keep the animals from endangering the crop again.

"Having cattle that may or may not be carrying 0157 that are uphill and upstream of a field that is growing a fresh product that is going to be consumed without cooking obviously raises concerns and questions," Dr. Acheson concluded.

How does this make you feel if you are used to eating spinach and other green leafy vegetables as part of your healthy lifestyle? Will you be changing your diet to avoid these products now because of the E. coli scare? Or will you go back to eating spinach leaves as you did before?

Before I started livin' la vida low-carb, I didn't even know there was fresh spinach leaves. To me, spinach was a disgustingly slimy glob of green stuff that came in a can with water in it and it make Popeye the Sailor Man grow muscles when he ate it. That's the perception that a 400+ pound man has about anything that is HEALTHY for him.

That was then and this is now.

There's no denying the tremendous health benefits of eating green leafy vegetables. These foods are so full of vitamins and nutrients that do your body a lot of good. I have personally missed having as many spinach greens as I was used to eating over these past couple of weeks. They have helped me tremendously in my nearly 200-pound weight loss and I regularly ate about 1-2 cups of spinach leaves daily prior to the outbreak.

What's gonna happen from here? To tell you the truth, I'm still not fully convinced they have this spinach problem under control, so I will continue to avoid it for the time being. I hate this because I don't want to see companies like Dole that sell this product have to suffer from the lack of sales from customers who used to buy their product. I literally bought 6 bags at a time of spinach leaves to stock up for my healthy low-carb lifestyle. But now...

The spinach and green leafy vegetable industry will be fighting an uphill public relations battle in the coming months. They need to somehow reassure consumers that it really is safe to begin eating their products again. A national marketing campaign on television and radio may be needed to get people to begin purchasing these products again. It's a shame that something like this would deter people from eating healthy, but it has happened and nothing can change that now. The damage has been done.

So what vegetables am I eating instead of spinach right now? I just stocked up on some cauliflower (to make this recipe) as well as French cut green beans today. Mmmm, yummy! I will enjoy these excellent vegetables, although I hope to feel confident enough in the safety of spinach leaves again soon to eat my salads that I cherish so much. Right now, I'm just not so sure it's a wise decision.

How about you? Are you gung ho to start eating spinach leaves again when they begin hitting grocery store shelves next weekend? Tell us about it by clicking on the comments link below and let us know your thoughts.

FDA Warning: E. Coli Found In Bagged Spinach

We can certainly debate the merits of the various nutritional approaches. But when it comes to an outbreak of an infectious disease such as E. coli, we're all on the same team.

This Forbes magazine column reports that one person is already dead and 50 others, mostly women, have gotten sick with E. coli poisoning after consuming bagged spinach leaves in eight U.S. states according to reports by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

They have issued a nationwide warning to the public against eating any bagged spinach until this outbreak can be contained.

An FDA spokesman said the death happened in Wisconsin where 40 percent of the sick are located as well. There were seven other states with at least one person who has gotten sick from eating E. coli-contaminated spinach leaves, including Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah.

While the source of the outbreak is still unknown, the FDA has narrowed down the commonality among the outbreak participants being the bagged spinach.

"We're advising people not to eat it," the FDA said on Thursday.

E. coli leads to sudden diarrhea with bloody stools and most healthy people can see improvements in their health and completely recovered within seven days. However, the most vulnerable are infants and the elderly who can die from kidney failure if they are infected with the E. coli virus.

The FDA is urging anyone who gets sick after eating raw bagged spinach leaves to see their doctor as soon as possible to check for the presence of E. coli in their body. They remind people to wash their vegetables before eating them and assured the public that other pre-packaged salads are not affected by this outbreak.

This news regarding spinach leaves is a little scary for me personally because I eat packaged spinach leaves every single day (you can see how much I eat from my latest sample menu from last week) as part of my low-carb lifestyle. In fact, I have four bags of spinach leaves in my refrigerator that I bought two weeks ago. My wife dumps the bags into a big Tupperware container and measures out my portion for my meals each day for me.

Thankfully I have not gotten sick yet and I pray that none of you who regularly eats raw spinach leaves like I do gets sick either. Low-carb, low-fat, vegetarian--WHATEVER!--we don't want you to get infected with the E. coli, so please play it safe until this outbreak passes. There are other excellent low-carb vegetables you can consume, including salad greens, cauliflower, green beans, spaghetti squash, and broccoli, just to name a few. Play it safe and keep on livin' la vida low-carb!