Dr. Andrew Weil now recognizes the importance of carb control
Light bulb moments can happen at virtually anytime to anyone. We all have our own biases and predetermined beliefs about just about everything in life that make up who we are. But even when you try to keep an open mind and stay objective, those rock solid ideals that encapsulate who you are can be difficult to change. Only the strongest among us are able to admit when we were wrong about something and then completely change our way of thinking based on new evidence that has come to light.
That's exactly what has happened with one of the world's most recognized and renowned health leaders of our day Dr. Andrew Weil. For the past three decades, this man has dedicated his life to the subject of health by authoring a plethora of books, lecturing about the negative impact of unhealthy eating, and establishing himself firmly into diet and nutrition by encouraging a comprehensive integrative approach to treating disease. He really is a legend in the health industry which is what makes what I am about to share with you all the more astounding!
You'll recall that right after the release of Gary Taubes' bestselling blockbuster book Good Calories, Bad Calories was released last Fall, there was a panel discussion about the book on CNN's Larry King Live show with Joy Behar guest hosting along with guests Taubes, Dr. Mehmet Oz, personal trainer from "The Biggest Loser" Jillian Michaels, and others. Right smack dab in the middle of that discussion was commentary from Dr. Weil about what he thought of the book. Click here to see a nearly 7-minute clip of what he had to say.
For anyone who watched that October 2007 show which Taubes described as "quite a circus," this short segment with Dr. Andrew Weil's comments was indeed the most valuable and surprising revelation that came out of it. Guest host Joy Behar described Dr. Weil's comments as a "Valentine" for Taubes and it was obvious to everyone that he was the ONLY person on the panel who had actually read Good Calories, Bad Calories prior to coming on the show. But this "light bulb moment" for Dr. Weil was extraordinary to watch happening right before our very eyes.
This is the equivalent of low-fat diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish coming out and saying that the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins was right and that there are some people who should be eating more fat and less carbohydrates if they need to manage their weight and health. Following my recent interview with Dr. Ornish, I sincerely doubt THAT will ever happen. But Dr. Weil's virtual endorsement of livin' la vida low-carb was unmistakable and it didn't end there.
It turns out that he himself decided to begin implementing carbohydrate-restriction in his own personal weight management routine with AMAZING success! According to this interview with Dr. Weil appearing on his web site this week (hat tip to my reader Peter who pointed this out to me!), reading the Taubes book has changed his life because he now realizes he is "quite sensitive to high-glycemic-load carbohydrates."
"Most of the processed, refined, manufactured foods are the ones that are quick digesting and problematical," Dr. Weil explained. "Cutting back on them has helped me get my weight down, because my metabolism is certainly carbohydrate sensitive."
Can I just tell you how incredibly HUGE this is?! Dr. Weil acknowledges that there is "a real explosion of quality research" coming out so far in this century about carbohydrate restriction and the impact it can have on insulin sensitivity and weight gain. And he's even coming around on the subject of saturated fat, too.
"With regard to saturated fat, I tell people that you can have some saturated fat in your diet; just think about where you want to spend your saturated fat budget. I choose to spend mine on quality cheese," Dr. Weil stated.
Oh man, I'd love it if Dr. Weil could attend that Nutrition & Metabolism Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona in April where the very latest research on saturated fat consumption and heart disease will be presented by some of the best and brightest researchers and scholars on the subject today, including Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Richard Feinman, Dr. Jeff Volek, Dr. Patty Tarino, Dr. J. Bruce German, Dr. Mary Vernon, Dr. Jay Wortman, Dr. Steve Phinney, and Gary Taubes. I'll be there covering the event for my blog and interviewing many of these participants for my podcast show. It would not surprise me to see Dr. Weil sitting there soaking in all the very research that is quite literally changing his life forever.
Wanna see how low-carb living has changed Dr. Weil? Check out this recent video of him posted on YouTube:
Doesn't he look fantastic? And I'm confident his health has also seen a correlating improvement along with the weight loss. Dr. Weil says he is "much happier" now eating less carbohydrates and the remarkable impact that it has made on him personally. Can you imagine how this personal transformation is going to seep into the very crevices of everything Dr. Weil does now with his work helping others with their weight and health? It's gonna revolutionize everything he does and make it that much better.
For those of you who think livin' la vida low-carb isn't making an impact on our society like it should, I just want you to remember what you have seen happen to Dr. Andrew Weil over these past six months. You cannot underestimate the power of a changed life and especially when that life is one that has been making recommendations about health for so long. Be encouraged everyone--better days are DEFINITELY coming!
I've written to Dr. Weil requesting an interview with him for my podcast show to talk about the changes he has made in his mode of thinking and where he will be going from here both personally and with the people he counsels regarding diet and health. It's a long shot, but wish me luck landing that one. And, by all means, take the advice of Dr. Andrew Weil and keep on livin' la vida low-carb! :)
Sometimes it takes a singular event to shake people back into reality when the lines between fact and fiction become blurry and unclear. That's precisely what has happened in the last six weeks since the hottest health book of the year Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes was released to the public with all the unconventional, counterintuitive information contain therein that was gathered from more than five years worth of research. And the evidence is speaking for itself as people are finally being told the truth about carbohydrate restriction and how eating fat, even saturated fat, is indeed an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
Best of all, real lives are being changed for the better because of this remarkable new book. Take a look at the following e-mail I received from a reader whose shared how her life was forever changed for the better as a result of reading Taubes' masterpiece. Here's what she wrote to me in her e-mail:
Dear Jimmy,
I have never written on a blog or to a blogger before in my life. But, as I recently found your blog site and have been reading through your posts, I wanted to share my story with you.
I have ALWAYS bought into the low-fat hype as gospel, ever since I was 19 and went through a depressed period in my life that caused me to develop anorexia. Now, granted, most people don't take the low-fat diet to that extreme (I am 5'4" and at my LOWEST was 85 pounds!), but the bottom line is that because I was combining such a low calorie/low fat diet with obsessive exercise, it was relatively easy for me to lose weight and keep it off. Of course I use the term 'easy' in the loosest definition imaginable. I was starving myself to death because of emotional issues - trying to stay healthy was the furthest thing from my mind.
It didn't help that my family is made up of emotional eaters - my mother and two of my sisters are very overweight and my other sister is like me - starving herself to stay in control of her life.
Even later, through my early to mid-twenties as my weight stabilized around 105 to 110 or so, I was able to stay at that weight while eating extremely low fat/high carb food. But, again, I was physically hungry all the time, not to mention pretty NUTS - planning out my meals by the minute, counting calories obsessively, refusing to let even a sliver of anything that might have fat in it past my lips. I thought if I didn't make it to the gym on a particular day, I would surely wind up gaining weight.
As I got older, I was able to work through a lot of my issues regarding food (although I was still a control freak about it) and even gained enough weight to be considered pretty normal looking. I got married and had my son (thank GOD my body recovered from the abuse I put it through in order to be able to carry my baby.) But, still even after having him, I was able to lose the weight pretty quickly with a low fat diet. Still obsessing over whatever I put into my mouth, though. Still angry with myself if I couldn't exercise every day and avoid gaining weight from the tiny sliver of pie I might have allowed myself the night before.
Now, I am 33 and divorced and for the first time in my life, I was suddenly having difficulties with my weight (like, I am up to 127 - the horror!). So alarming for someone like me - who has remained in strict control of my weight and my life for so long. I had recently starting dating (and cooking) for someone I cared about tremendously and I realized that my diet had changed dramatically to include many more carbs than I was used to eating on my own. You know the way to a man's heart is his stomach, right? :-)
My mother sent me an e-mail a few weeks ago about the Gary Taubes book. At first, I dismissed it - the whole idea about it was so crazy - eat a lot of fat to get skinny? Aerobic exercise is meaningless for weigh loss? I would be challenging the very foundations of my identity by even entertaining these notions. But, whether it was my recent inability to lose weight or just the timing - I bought the book to check it out.
I started reading everything I could about Taubes and his opinions and his research. And, it was like someone suddenly pointing out to me that the only reason I thought the sky was blue was because everyone on TV and in magazines and on the radio was telling you so. There was actually a good possibility that it was green. It was literally blowing my mind to think that I (and most of the health gurus) had been totally wrong. That all this low fat stuff was based on shoddy research and corporate agendas. And, as I read through the book IT MADE SENSE.
I started eating the low carb/high fat way (which was REALLY REALLY hard for me....) a few weeks ago. And, I feel better than I have in months. But, although I have not lost a tremendous amount of weight (I feel slimmer due to the water weight, definitely), probably because I really don't have a lot to lose to get to my ideal weight, I no longer feel like a slave to my emotional food demons. Or to the gym. Yeah, now I have to worry about carbs a bit - but the food I am eating is real, solid, satisfying food. I am no longer hungry - physically or emotionally. And, the more I read about Taubes and his research (and related research by others), the more confident I am that I am doing what is good for my health, too.
My point is that if someone who was as crazy and obsessed about the low fat/high carb diet dogma as I was can change their ways, then ANYBODY can do it. Please share my story on your site as you see fit and feel free to respond! As an avid writer and recent low carb convert, I think your forum is phenomenal.
This is the kind of transformational story you WON'T be hearing about in the mainstream press. But this woman is merely one example of how Good Calories, Bad Calories is changing the way people think about what a healthy diet really is. If the past three decades has taught us anything, then it should be that fat-phobia is indeed foolish. Fat is your best friend and it is the excessive amount of refined and even those highly-touted whole grain carbohydrates that you should be leery of. That's the clear-cut message that Gary Taubes delivers throughout his book.
I've been keeping you up-to-date on all the latest news regarding Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories book and you can access those previous posts by clicking here. There's still so much happening with the book that it's time to give you yet another update about what's going on. ENJOY!
TAUBES RESPONDS TO 'CLASSIC JUNK SCIENCE' STUDY ON GLYCEMIC INDEX
Examples of the kind of bad research that Gary Taubes wrote about in his book abound and actually are easier to identify now. Take this Junkfood Science blog post about a so-called "study" on the glycemic index and diabetes. One of my readers was very concerned that the conclusions made about consuming carbohydrates ran directly counter to what Taubes wrote in Good Calories, Bad Calories. But leave it to Gary Taubes to explain why studies like this one published in scientific journals are bogus. Here's his analysis of the study:
It's an association study. They measure glycemic index of the foods people ate and follow them for however many years. Such studies tell you nothing about cause. (See my recent NYT Magazine article "Unhealthy Science.")
In this case, for instance, if people who were constitutionally predisposed to gain weight, who will also have an increased tendency to become diabetic, altered their eating habits to maintain their weights -- say, they ate less white bread, drank less beer, etc. -- then this would "confound" the results because the study would identify these people as eating the lower glycemic index foods and yet being more likely to become diabetic.
The problem with all such studies is that if there is any self-selection involved -- and diet is all about self-selection -- and if the self-selection is related to the endpoint being studied -- in this case diabetes -- then the results you get will be impossible to interpret. These people interpret them to fit their preconceptions, and that's classic junk science.
The only way to establish whether sugar or high glycemic index carbs cause diabetes is to do a randomized controlled trial. Take a few thousand people, randomize half of them to a low carb, low sugar diet, tell the other half to continue eating the massive amount of carbs (150-odd pounds of sugar a year, etc.) they're already eating, and follow them for say a half dozen years and see which group has more diabetes. They should fund such a trial to find out the results.
If health and weight management are the true objectives of those researching dietary concepts like carbohydrate consumption and the glycemic index, then why wouldn't they want to fund such randomized, controlled trials as Taubes has suggested? Unless those things don't take precedence and maybe protecting the financial interests of big corporations does...hmmmm?
AUDIO OR ABRIDGED VERSION OF 'GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES' COMING
Many of you have asked about an audio version as well as a more reader-friendly version of Good Calories, Bad Calories to share with your friends and family members who are more likely to check it out in these formats. So far the publisher Knopf, a division of Random House Publishers, has not indicated that either of these is forthcoming anytime soon. But if the book performs well during the upcoming holiday season and shows sustained sales into the new year, then perhaps an audio book will be in order.
Keep in mind that would be one long audio book since Good Calories, Bad Calories is still about 400 pages even after you remove the references. So an abridged version of the audio would be warranted. The greater likelihood is that a paperback and even a mass paperback version of the book will be released about one year from now that will reduce the size of the book to expose its message to a broader audience. When you see this happen, then all of us should start gobbling up copies and distribute them to everyone we know who has weight and health problems.
DR. EADES APPLAUDS TAUBES' RESPONSE TO KOLATA CRITICISM
In my previous Taubes updates, I shared with you a critical review that Taubes' fellow New York Times journalist colleague Gina Kolata had to share about Good Calories, Bad Calories. Let's just say she wasn't impressed. Taubes then responded to this negative criticism which was again tersely answered by Kolata, who has her own self-interests to look after regarding the diet hypothesis she put forth in her book Rethinking Thin.
Respected nutrition expert and Protein Power author Dr. Mike Eades was pleased with Taubes' response to Kolata and added a few more observations of his own as only he can. Dr. Eades was not at all pleased that the New York Times allowed Kolata another opportunity to slam Taubes and didn't pull any punches about it either:
Gary should have been allowed his rebuttal without her refutation of his rebuttal. That would have been equal time for all, with her getting four times the space that Gary did. But that’s not the way the media works when one of their own is attacked. Nor is it the way the media works in general when one of its shibboleths - in this case, the idea that carbs may be unhealthful - is under attack.
Keep spreading the truth, Dr. Eades! We need strong voices like yours to break through loud and clear for these imbeciles to wake up and listen!
CAN I HAVE SOME WINE WITH MY HIGH-FAT, LOW-CARB DIET?
The best part about a book like Good Calories, Bad Calories being released to the general public is it fosters an open discussion of livin' la vida low-carb in the form of some very intriguing questions. Here's an example of that in an e-mail I received from a reader:
I just finished Gary Taubes book, Good Calorie-Bad Calories; I now know more than I ever wanted to know about the history of diets but still don't know if you can have a glass of wine or not or if he thinks one should use lard instead of butter as he said on Larry King. After all that reading I guess I'm back to the South Beach thing....wish I knew his email address! Or maybe you could answer my question.
While I don't pretend to speak for Gary Taubes, I did feel confident about what he would say regarding this inquiry. Here was my response:
THANKS for writing! If you'd like an occasional glass of wine and your blood sugar can remain stable from it so you are not producing high levels of insulin, then I'm sure Gary Taubes would tell you it is okay to drink it. It's all about finding how much your body can tolerate so you reduce insulin production which is at the heart of obesity and disease.
As for fat, butter and lard are both excellent ones for cooking as is coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil, and others. Just stay away from margarine and other low-fat substitutes because they don't provide your body any nutritional benefit.
THANK YOU again for your e-mail! And pick up GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES to find out more about what Gary Taubes has been talking about.
Now they have about 17 minutes of snippets from the show you can watch by clicking here. Again, this was not the totality of the show, but a pretty good representation of what transpired. Dr. Mehmet Oz shows his arrogance, Joy Behar exhibits her ignorance, and "Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian Michaels exudes her intolerance of ideas that run counter to her own.
Whether you've seen the "Larry King" interview or not, you'll DEFINITELY want to watch this again to see what we're up against challenging the conventional wisdom. The status quo hates it!
TAUBES CALMS CONCERNS OF DISTRAUGHT READER OVER CANCER STUDY
Another example of alarmist research regarding cancer was recently released that had one of my readers who started livin' la vida low-carb last year in a tizzy. It was about the subject of cancer, something I've blogged about how changes in the diet may help with as has Gary Taubes in his book. Here's what my reader wrote:
Hi Jimmy,
Love your blog! A low carber by need myself (I follow Dr. Berstein's program since being diagnosed as a diabetic last March), I have to defend myself often from ignorant (misinformed) people who just don't believe that low-carb is healthy. Using Gary Taubes' masterpiece to back me up I have recently started 'educating' my surroundings a bit more strongly.
Today however, I am faced with the publication of the latest report on Diet and Cancer by the World Cancer Research Fund going against red meat, salt, energy dense foods (fat isn't mentioned explicitly but implied) and pro-exercise.
It would be great if Gary Taubes could comment on this report, as it seems to contradict his findings partially and is IMHO another piece of bad science. As I am not able to reach Gary, and I'm pretty sure you can: Could you ask him if he plans to comment (and post it if he does)?
As a matter of fact, he did have a comment about this study to share:
The report is typically disheartening. First, it concludes that excess fat is the primary risk factor for cancer, but then goes back to the 1900s to say that the cause of excessive fat is nothing more than eating too much or sedentary behavior.
It actually does talk about the role of insulin and insulin-like growth factor in cancer formation, a major step forward, but then comes down only on red and processed meat based on the same kind of meaningless observation studies I discussed in my recent NY Times Magazine article.
In fact, clinical trials have been done to test the hypothesis that eating more fiber or fruits and vegetables and less meat has any ability to prevent colon cancer -- the cancer that these experts say red meat causes -- and the trials have shown no effect.
So these experts ignore the clinical trials and instead focus on the observational studies. By not raising the role of insulin in fat accumulation, the report manages to do an excellent job of avoiding an explanation that would cover all their evidence. Instead, it's just more of the usual.
Insulin is credited with a role in cancer formation, but the carbohydrates that elevate insulin are not considered cancer-causing (although, of course, foods with dietary fiber are considered potentially cancer-preventing). Excess fat is credited with a fundamental role in cancer, but the insulin that causes us to accumulate excess fat is not discussed and so it's all about calories.
It's probably worth noticing that the authors are the usual suspects in this business and the report matches up well with the preconceptions they've had since the 1980s.
You hate to say FOLLOW THE MONEY when it comes to dietary research, but that seems to be where we are at right now in the oftentimes dicey world of bad science.
OTTAWA CITIZEN PRESENTS AN INTERESTING TIMELINE ABOUT FAT
Have you ever wondered why we got to be so fearful of fat in the first place? Well, take a trip down memory lane with a history lesson on dietary fat by reading this brilliant timeline published in the Ottawa Citizen explaining the evolution that has taken place since the 1960's. From the introduction of margarine as a replacement for butter to the trumpeting of omega-3 fats in 2007, this is one column you won't want to miss. Taubes' book is listed as part of the change in mindset regarding fat consumption.
NPR'S 'SCIENCE FRIDAY' PROGRAM INTERVIEWS GARY TAUBES
Gary Taubes was given an opportunity recently to appear on NPR's "Science Friday" with host Ira Flatow to talk about his book Good Calories, Bad Calories. Appearing on the program with Taubes was Dr. Robert Krauss from the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California. You'll recall I highlighted this study by Dr. Krauss regarding how low-carb is beneficial to cholesterol. In my previous blog interview with Taubes a few months ago, he described Dr. Krauss as "one of the smarter scientists in the metabolism field."
My favorite part of this interview on "Science Friday," which you can hear by clicking on the play button at the program link, is when Taubes rather bluntly stated "you need to eat carbs to get fat." I never really thought about that before, but there's a lot of truth in that statement since carbohydrates are the root cause of obesity and disease for so many people. Listen to the entire interview and smile if you're livin' la vida low-carb!
BRYANT STAMFORD DOES A HATCHET JOB ON 'GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES'
There are certain people who have access to a newspaper column and use that power they have been given to spread their absolute disgust and disdain for anything positive related to the healthy low-carb lifestyle. One such person is Bryant Stamford whose "Body Shop" column appears in the Louisville, KY-based Courier-Journal newspaper. I've previously blogged about his anti-Atkins drivel here and here.
Now he's at it again with this recent column where he attempts to discredit and rip apart Good Calories, Bad Calories bit by bit. In fact, Stamford hates low-carb so much that he doesn't even mention the name of the book in the first of a two-part column. He again repeated his ridiculous claim that this way of eating failed because people are now fatter than they've ever been. Um, then why isn't it the fault of the low-fat diet recommendations that have been hammered down our throats for three decades, Mr. Stamford? I can hardly wait for part two of this column--NOT!
Tell Bryant Stamford what you think about his idiocy regarding livin' la vida low-carb by sending him an e-mail at stamford@hanover.edu.
ANTHONY COLPO TAKES ON GARY TAUBES REGARDING HIS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Of all the people in the world who would oppose the concepts of Good Calories, Bad Calories, one person you would not name is Australian independent researcher Anthony Colpo. Once an ardent supporter of livin' la vida low-carb and the creator of an outstanding low-carb bodybuilders forum, Colpo's views have noticeably shifted this year as he moves away from the "metabolic advantage" that happens with a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach.
In light of that, it's probably not surprising that Colpo would make some strong statements against the new Taubes book at his forum. One of the members there asked Colpo what he thought about Good Calories, Bad Calories and Colpo responded in typical fashion from him:
"If Taubes' message is that the current obesity epidemic is not due to insufficient activity and/or excessive calories, but simply due to high carbohydrate consumption, then his message is complete bullsh*t."
There are at least 10 pages of comments discussing the book, although most of the people, including Colpo, have NOT read the book. READ THE BOOK, people, before making comments based on your own preconceived notions of what you think the book says. You'll save yourself a lot of embarrassment over a lack of knowledge. I'll be blogging more about Colpo's change of position on low-carb in a future post. Stay tuned!
THE FAT IS GOOD MESSAGE IS FINALLY GETTING OUT
I wanted to share an example of how the message presented in Good Calories, Bad Calories is now helping to shape the discussion regarding dietary fat, especially saturated fat. Once thought of as the great evil nemesis that leads to heart disease, Gary Taubes has opened a lot of eyes with what he uncovered in his research about saturated fat and it is making an impact on some popular diet and health media outlets.
Check out this Men's Health column entitled "What if Bad Fat Is Actually Good for You?" by Nina Teicholz. Absolutely, positively INCREDIBLE!!! You wouldn't have seen this kind of column in the 1980's or 1990's with people like Dr. Dean Ornish or Susan Powter out there claiming fat is why you're fat. Those days are becoming ancient history! Taubes' book is merely the beginning of the end for the low-fat lie.
CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER DISCUSSION OF 'GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES' CONTINUES
Finally, you are invited to get in on the conversation about Good Calories, Bad Calories that we are having over at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" forum right now. In this chapter-by-chapter discussion, led by my intelligent and enthusiastic moderator Charles Washington, the members there are able to talk about what they learned in each chapter. So far we have covered the Prologue and Chapter 1. This week we'll be moving to Chapter 2 as we continue looking at each chapter one week at a time until we're finished. Won't you join us?
We'll keep updating you on a lot more news about Gary Taubes and his book Good Calories, Bad Calories as it continues to make a difference in the lives of doctors, nutritionists, and patients who are looking for a way to manage weight and health.
Dr. Andrew Weil shared some much-deserved kudos for new Taubes book
Did you have a chance to watch the debate last Friday night over the subject of livin' la vida low-carb on CNN's "Larry King Live?" I blogged about this major national television appearance last week for Good Calories, Bad Calories author Gary Taubes as he faced the proverbial lion's den of health "experts," including Oprah Winfrey diet guru Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Andrew Weil, Jillian Michaels from the hit NBC weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser," and guest host Joy Behar from "The View."
If you missed this, then it was quite the "circus" as Gary described it with virtually every guest, including Behar who was supposed to be hosting this debate but she ended up adding her own personal commentary, blasted away at mocked Taubes for even daring to challenge the conventional wisdom regarding fat and carbohydrate. Read the transcript for yourself and see just how vicious it got (especially when Behar floated her own theory about whether Dr. Atkins had a stroke that led to his "slip" on the ice--it was utterly disgusting to watch her do that!).
Thankfully, though, there was one glorious, shining moment about fifteen minutes into the program that made this well worth watching. Surprisingly, it was the segment featuring Dr. Weil (who was the only guest besides Michaels not appearing in the CNN studio) where he basically endorsed Taubes' book.
In fact, watch for yourself as Dr. Weil presents Taubes with what Behar described as a "Valentine" which Taubes graciously received and "agreed with everything he said":
Leave a comment about this video at YouTube so that doctors, researchers, nutritionists and patients alike will realize this is a serious book worthy of a much closer look by people who genuinely care about the diet and health in the United States and around the world. The more comments we can get out there, the better! Spread the word everyone!
I must admit I was pleasantly SHOCKED to hear Dr. Weil sing such high praises for Good Calories, Bad Calories. But this was good news because it shows that Dr. Weil is much more interested in continuing his own health education rather than sticking with the rigid dogma of the past (like Dr. Oz enjoys doing in his own fantasy world). I know Dr. Weil's reaction is PRECISELY what Gary Taubes was hoping would happen when he wrote this book and this should open some doors for the conversation about low-carb to continue.
Speaking of continuing the conversation, I've received quite a few e-mails from people regarding Gary Taubes--some of which thought they were writing TO Gary Taubes HIMSELF! I'm not quite sure why they thought my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog was owned by Taubes, but I never let an opportunity to share about the healthy low-carb lifestyle slip away.
Here was the rather contentious original e-mail:
To Whom It May Concern:
I was VERY upset about this concept, particularly after watching this author on Larry King with Joy Behar. I am a cancer survivor, three years!! A dear friend of mine had breast cancer several years ago, had a lumpectomy, and believed she was in full remission. She has another tumor and needs a masectomy and in both breasts.
How can you possibly say that diet is one to live by--eating meat, bacon, fats, not even good ones, and all promoters of this deadly disease. I'm appalled and yes, it's a diet and people will die from a disease if they continue to eat that way. Their livers will fail, they will have a heart attack.
As far as exercise getting you fat, how in the world would you know that and how could you say something like that in front of an exercise specialist and a person who lost over 100 pounds??? I would not buy ONE of your books and I hope those that go by this plan survive because there ARE healthier options, believe me I know and I'm not a doctor.
Hmmm, I'm glad she told us she wasn't a doctor because I would have never guessed that. :) Here was my response:
THANKS for sharing your comments with me. But I'm not Gary Taubes. My name is Jimmy Moore and I lost over 180 pounds on the high-fat, low-carb Atkins diet in 2004 after my weight had climbed up over 400 pounds. My health was in disarray and I was taking prescription medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and breathing problems.
But thanks to the type of diet Gary Taubes talks about in his book GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES, I was able to lose the weight, but more importantly, I got healthier than I ever thought possible. It may seem counterintuitive to promote eating fat for weight loss and health, but that's merely because restricting fat has become so readily accepted in our culture as the only means for improving health. The Taubes book is meant to challenge that premise to at least give rise to more research before making generalized dietary recommendations as has been done for the past several decades.
My diet consists of about 60-70% fat, including a good percentage of saturated fat which is healthy in the absence of carbohydrates, and close to 3,000 calories daily. I've eaten this way for nearly four years and my weight has STAYED off permanently. it's not just a matter of "calories in, calories out" as Jillian Michaels contended on Larry King Live, but rather what kind of calories go in your body. That's what Gary Taubes discusses in his outstanding book that I highly encourage you to actually read and see for yourself the data. You might be surprised.
As for his opinions about exercise, I do agree with you that it is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and I enjoy getting in my exercise as part of my weight maintenance routine. But Taubes' point isn't so much on the benefits to your health, but the impact on your weight loss efforts. His conclusion that exercising only makes you hungry is absolutely true. That can be a good thing for people when they are losing weight because it means they get to eat more food (no deprivation for calories!). But you heard him say that even he works out a few times a week, so he's NOT saying people shouldn't exercise.
Again, THANK YOU for writing to me and I sincerely hope you reconsider your decision whether or not you will read GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES. It's a well-written book that will provoke you to think about whether everything you've always been told about what's healthy is true or not. One last thing: when Joy Behar asked each of the panelists to share what they ate, did you notice Gary Taubes was the ONLY one who ate whole foods throughout the day? The rest of the panelists, including Dr. Oz, Poppy, and Jillian Michaels all ate some sort of man-made "products" that are allegedly healthy for you. I don't know about you, but I'd rather eat REAL food than tofu any day of the week!
Take care and feel free to write to me anytime!
Something told me I'd be hearing back from her again:
Dear Jimmy:
I thank you for writing back but there are still some things that you didn't address. I am a cancer survivor and in a scientific study done at the "John Hopkins University", it states that there are certain foods that those with these types of diseases should certainly avoid.
I do not agree with you or Gary about eating meat, bacon, and other saturated fats because they are NOT heart healthy and of course TOO MUCH could cause liver damage. There is SCIENTIFIC evidence that states that this type of diet could cause a recurrence of cancer and my own mother has a heart condition. Now, you didn't share what your health concern was, which I was surprised about. And, sir 60 to 70% saturated fat?? I just don't see how that could keep you healthy, honestly. There ARE GOOD COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES, THERE ARE!!!!
As fas ar the exercise specialist and the others on the show, "tofu" was not the only food mentioned. Gary's diet was meat and then "more meat". Oh, perhaps he mentioned chicken or fish and an occasional vegetable.
I also read labels and I do agree that people go "crazy" with low fat and chemically- driven alternatives, but again, there are still some things that people need to put in their diet and by the way, I have a friend who became ill on Atkin's and had to stop. Again, all you can eat- hotdogs, bacon, steak, greasy burgers, oh and Gary mentioned he eats "LARD", Lovely. Someone with health concerns would get sick.
You seem to be an intelligent person through your writing, but I would hope that you would understand that there are ways to improve your diet without drastic measures. And I think "live it" is actually a better way to think about your health, don't you???
Gary also didn't say much on the program about vegetables and fruits, brown rice, etc. but when I got online many reviews shared that he also says that is important. Why was that not stated on the show?? Perhaps reading the book would only answer some of these questions but I can honestly say that I hesitate to do so. His attitude on the program didn't make me feel comfortable and he was not at all kind to the exercise specialist.
That is her career and she's actually helping people. Poppy was in "great spirits", perhaps because of what she ate that day, I don't know. Perhaps Gary was loaded down with "fats" and thus unable to smile too much or be very kind. I'm sorry but I am concerned about the health of my family and my friends. I'm not trying to be rude but this diet could be "the end all", if you know what I mean.
Again, I hope that your own health continues to improve daily. Perhaps trying some veggies, fruit, and brown rice would be helpful. They can be organic and because they are grown, what could be better?? I love animals also. How many do we need to kill to provide fat for people??
Well, sir, I could go on and on but I'm sure you now understand my concerns. I am three years in remission and so happy that I may be past that invasive disease.
LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where oh where do you start with something like THIS? Here's what I wrote back:
First let me say CONGRATULATIONS on finding a way to eat that will help you feel healthy and keep your cancer in remission. Regardless of my personal feelings regarding a high-fat, low-carb nutritional approach based on my own experience, I think what you are doing is GREAT and I HIGHLY encourage you to keep on doing what works for you.
In fact, that's the mantra that people like me and Gary Taubes understand. We aren't all the same. We each have specific nutritional needs that must be met and that mandates that a one-size-fits-all dietary recommendation will never work. If low-fat is taught as the only way (as it is now), then what are people who don't do well on those kind of diets to do?
That's why I try to help educate people about how healthy a low-carbohydrate nutritional approach really is because you are eating real food that's really healthy for you. Carbs have been show time and time again in the studies Taubes shares in his book to be at the root cause of many, many common and sometimes devastating diseases, including cancer. I highlighted many of the most recent high-carb diet/cancer studies in this post.
While I'm sure that study from Johns Hopkins University was presented to you as scientific fact, the truth is there are some remarkable new findings coming out about cancer that do not line up at all with the current conventional wisdom. This is even more of what Taubes shares in his book if you'll simply open it up and see for yourself. Fat is EXTREMELY healthy as long as you keep your carbohydrate intake limited.
Again, if you feel fine limiting your fat intake, then nobody is stopping your from eating that way. But the science is showing eating too many carbs of any kind and too little fat can be very harmful to your body in a variety of ways. Read GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES to find out why.
Regarding my health concerns, I did share with you that my cholesterol was elevated, my blood pressure was way up and I had breathing issues--all of which needed prescriptions medications to control somewhat. But within 9 months of eating a high-fat, low-carb diet, I was OFF all those drugs and I haven't taken another one since! Over three years and counting!
How do I stay healthy eating this way? Elementary, my dear. Low-carb is the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors who lived on wild game, plants, and berries. The human body was never meant to eat the kinds of foods we consume today, most of which are high-processed, full of sugar and chemicals and nutritionally bankrupt. Instead, we eat fresh, whole foods like eggs, natural cheeses, delicious cuts of meat, non-starchy green leafy vegetables, low-glycemic fruits like berries, and a whole plethora of scrumptious options.
The only "good" carbs I consume come primarily from non-starchy vegetables, such as greens, spinach, cauliflower, spaghetti squash, broccoli, and other nutrient-packed veggies as well as low-glycemic fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, honeydew, and cantaloupe. Beyond the naturally low sugars/carbs found in these foods, my body doesn't need any others. Carbs turn to sugar in the body which causes blood sugar swings, insulin spikes, and all the negative reactions that come from eating a high-carb diet. No thanks! I posted six weeks of my actual menus if you'd like to see a little bit of what I eat on my diet.
Incidentally, if someone is eating an "all you can eat" version of what they call the "Atkins" diet, then very clearly, they never read the book. I just did a YouTube video on this very subject.
If you read Taubes' book or Atkins' books, then you will know why fats like butter, lard, coconut oil, and others are VERY VERY healthy for you to eat in conjunction with a controlled-carbohydrate diet. It may be difficult for you to get your head around it because you have been told the lower the fat, the healthier you are your entire life. This is PRECISELY why Gary Taubes wrote GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES to challenge that premise and get researchers, doctors, and even patients to question that dogma.
But I don't need anyone to tell me livin' la vida low-carb is healthy or not because I'm living it myself. At the age of 32, I was beyond morbidly obese at 410 pounds and on my way to an early grave. I had been successful at losing weight on low-fat in the past, but I never felt good eating that way. I was constantly hungry, felt entirely deprived of the foods I love, and would just get sick from not eating enough calories to meet my energy needs. Yep, I was shedding the pounds, but this was NOT healthy.
Atkins low-carb was different. The pounds came flying off of me (30 pounds the first month, 40 more in month two) and I felt absolutely WONDERFUL because I was eating a delicious menu of foods that were helping me burn body fat. Eliminating most of the carbohydrate from my diet kicked my body into high gear and the fat just melted away. Not once did I ever get hungry eating this way in 6-8 high-fat, low-carb meals a day which added up to around 3,000-4,000 calories. Today my calories remain around 3,000 daily--and my weight stays constant. I've never been healthier in my entire life.
Low-carb is only drastic if you compare it to the low-fat diet we've been led to believe is the "healthy" way. For me, low-fat is NOT healthy and livin' la vida low-carb is. Again, I'm very happy for you that your current nutritional approach is working to positively impact your health. But realize there are people like Jimmy Moore--a real person who has been eating a high-fat, low-carb diet for nearly four years--who are also seeing amazing benefits to their weight and health thanks to this diet you fear. Regardless of your opinions about my diet, it is what it is. And I'm a better man today because of it.
As for the Larry King Live segment, wasn't it odd that there wasn't anybody on the show besides Gary Taubes who agreed with the low-carb diet as a means for improving weight and health (although Dr. Andrew Weil was very kind in his comments)? Although Poppy did a great job of sharing from her experience, wouldn't it have been more appropriate to have an Atkins weight loss success come on the show as an example of how this way of eating is changing the lives of real people? Why didn't CNN think to do that, hmmm?
I'm very happy eating this way and will continue to for the rest of my fit and happy life! And LIFE IS GOOD for me, too! :) THANK YOU again for writing and for your engaging conversation. Take care!
I never heard back from her again. Perhaps she's convinced it was time to stop complaining about a book she hadn't even read yet. If you're like this reader wondering what the book is about, then you need to pick up a copy of Good Calories, Bad Calories, too. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
Gary Taubes takes on the king of cable television talk, Larry King!
In case you haven't heard yet, Good Calories, Bad Calories author and New York Times science journalist Gary Taubes will be the special guest appearing Friday, October 19, 2007 on CNN's "Larry King Live" show beginning at 9pm EST. The topic of conversation will be the "Great Diet Debate" and will shine the national spotlight on livin' la vida low-carb in ways that haven't been seen since Dr. Atkins was alive.
This discussion about fat consumption being healthy and carbs being the root cause of obesity and disease will also feature a rather distinguished panel of "experts":
DR. MEHMET OZ
Best known as Oprah Winfrey's diet guru, he is definitely in the low-fat, low-calorie, portion control camp.
DR. ANDREW WEIL
Natural health advocate and alternative remedy promoter who also follows the low-fat line of thinking.
BOB HARPER, KIM LYONS, or JILLIAN MICHAELS
One of these three trainers on the hit NBC-TV reality show "The Biggest Loser" will participate. Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels are mindful of how carbohydrate-restriction is helpful for some with weight loss, but Kim Lyons is a low-fat and low-calorie puppet.
JOY BEHAR
Okay, I'm gonna ask it...why is she on this panel? Other than being known for her outspoken liberal beliefs on ABC's daytime talk show The View, what substantive comments could she add to this discussion? We'll see, I guess.
The show is soliciting comments and questions from people about this topic, so let's show our support for livin' la vida low-carb by writing to them with our personal experiences. Here's what I just submitted to CNN for the Larry King LIVE show on Friday night:
For the guests who will disagree with Taubes' book:
I lost 180 pounds in 2004 on the Atkins diet and have kept it off ever since by continuing to eat a diet consisting of 70% fat, much of which is saturated fat. Once weighing in at over 400 pounds, now I'm closer to 200 thanks to the low-carb lifestyle.
More importantly than the weight loss are the improvements in my health, coming off of three prescriptions and becoming athletic for the first time in my entire life. If low-carb is at least a viable option for people like me to shed the pounds and improve our health, then why can't we at the very least have government and health leaders recommending it as another option alongside the low-fat and "balanced" diet mantra that currently exists?
How about adding your voice to the comments and be sure to watch as Gary Taubes enters the arena of ideas espousing low-carb living in a low-fat world! GO GARY!
