Christian Radio Announcer Cindy Swanson's Interview And Blog Post About Low-Carb

Type 2 diabetic Cindy Swanson loves low-carb living

Sometimes it feels like I've been blogging about livin' la vida low-carb forever, but there was a life for me prior to my 180-pound weight loss and subsequent career path I am now enjoying. Looking back at all those old jobs I have had--customer service, retail, marketing, management, political writer, short order cook, busboy, and a lot more jobs that I don't care to even remember--all of them prepared me for the work I am doing now serving the needs of my readers and I am grateful for the training I received from each of those.

But there was one particular job that I especially enjoyed during the 1990s that has come in handy for my podcast show and other speaking engagements that I am able to do. I was an on-air radio personality at a contemporary Christian music radio station in Virginia Beach, VA and even hosted a weekly show featuring the top songs in Christian music called "The Christian Hits Countdown." Even then I was always trying to be creative and I dreamed of doing bigger and better things in the future. Today I am living that dream. :)

Doing radio sounds so easy--just sit in a comfortable chair behind a microphone, press the play button on the CD player and talk into the microphone every once in a while. But it's so much more than that as Cindy Swanson from Positive Hit Radio 101QFL in Rockford, IL can personally attest to. She's half of the morning team at the radio station and is very good at what she does. It looks like a simple job, but there are certain stresses that come with radio announcing that you don't even want to talk about (and it has nothing at all to do with that chatty listener who likes to call you every now and then to talk and talk and talk right in the middle of your show...did I mention they like to talk?).

Why am I sharing about a Christian radio announcer today? Because Cindy Swanson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year and has become VERY interested in the healthy low-carb lifestyle. She found my blog from a recent post I did with former "Biggest Loser" contestant Julie Hadden and was curious to find out I am a Christian who likes many of the same Christian artists that she does (I list them under "Favorite Music" in my blog profile). So she contacted me and told me about her fabulous blog "Notes in the Key of Life".

I enjoyed reading her blog and requested an interview with her to discuss how she handled learning she has Type 2 diabetes and what plan of action she is taking to bring it under control (she's livin' la vida low-carb, baby!). I'll be sharing that interview at my podcast later this month. Cindy also asked if she could interview me for her weekend spotlight show and I was delighted to have the opportunity to share about my healthy low-carb weight loss success with her listeners. You can listen to the entire 20-minute interview Cindy conducted with me by clicking here.

Cindy was also kind enough to blog about me and the work I am doing on behalf of low-carb living and I am grateful for her kindness and support. She is the perfect example of someone who NEEDS to be livin' la vida low-carb to control her diabetes and help her shed the pounds. By the grace of God and His guidance in her life, I have no doubt that she will live a long and healthy life with her diabetes under control and at the weight she was meant to be.

THANK YOU Cindy for featuring my story at your blog and on your radio station there in Rockport, IL. I am honored to have readers like you out there championing the cause of Christ as well as the positive message of livin' la vida low-carb. I can't wait to share my interview with you and appreciate all of the kindness and support you have given me since we met two months ago. God bless you and keep doing the work of the Lord within your sphere of influence. I appreciate you!!! :)

Petition: Tell NIH Lowering Blood Sugar In Diabetics Does NOT Increase Death Risk

If you care about diabetes health, then sign this petition!

We all know how incompetent many of the government and leading health organizations are in the United States as it relates to providing information to the public about taking care of themselves to protect against disease and death. We've seen it with the failed low-fat, low-calorie diets they've been pushing on the American people for decades with no positive impact whatsoever and yet they continue to promote it as the only way to control obesity and health. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, then I do believe we can officially describe those in charge of health policy in America as INSANE!

But that adjective doesn't even begin to describe something so utterly despicable that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has done in response to the results of the ACCORD study published in the June 12, 2008 issue of New England Journal of Medicine. Have you seen this so-called "study" that concludes there is a HIGHER death risk among those diabetics who attempt to control their blood sugar levels? This is NOT a joke--that's exactly what they're saying and this just goes beyond the pale.

Check out this ridiculous statement from the abstract of the ACCORD study:

"As compared with standard therapy, the use of intensive therapy to target normal glycated hemoglobin levels for 3.5 years increased mortality and did not significantly reduce major cardiovascular events," the authors conclude. "These findings identify a previously unrecognized harm of intensive glucose lowering in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes."

Okay, let's think about this logically for a moment. A diabetic who is attempting to control their disease through an "intensive therapy" (we'll assume this doesn't mean carbohydrate restriction, although it should) of controlling their blood sugars over a 3 1/2 year period of time had an INCREASED risk of death and NO REDUCTION in the risk of a heart attack? Is that what they're saying? So are we to believe through deductive reasoning that a diabetic who allows their blood sugar to stay out of whack indefinitely without any treatment is better off than those who do try to normalize glucose levels?

Am I missing something here? There is absolutely NO rationality in this conclusion by the NIH and this borderlines on criminal behavior on their part by perpetuating this notion that controlling blood sugars is somehow bringing harm to diabetes patients. This kind of fear tactics serves no good purpose and spreads misinformation to scared diabetics who become confused and dazed by what they hear from an official government health source.

That's why I am urging everyone who reads this to SIGN THIS PETITION telling the NIH to acknowledge the existing science behind why controlling blood sugar levels in diabetics is ESSENTIAL. This isn't something to be played around with--there are bigger health consequences involved with uncontrolled blood glucose levels in diabetics than with those who are controlling them. It doesn't appear that the NIH cares about these facts because they are instead seeking to put out their own twist on this ACCORD study to baffle Type 2 diabetics.

Oh, but they're saying otherwise on their Q&A web site about the ACCORD study. Check out message to Type 2 diabetics about how they shouldn't be worried at all about what they are saying.

"Patients with type 2 diabetes should not be alarmed by these findings of the ACCORD trial...This goal of less than 6 percent A1C is very hard to reach for most patients who have had diabetes for several years, often requiring multiple medications. Even the achieved level of A1C of about 6.4% is often difficult to achieve in such patients."

All I can say is WHAT?! First you tell diabetics that they "should not be alarmed," but then you follow that right up with the pessimistic view that getting A1C levels down below 6 percent is "very hard" and can only be accomplished through "multiple medications." It is too "difficult" to make this happen in patients, the NIH claims, so just throw your hands up in the air and give up. Is that what you're telling diabetic patients, NIH?!

Plus, keep in mind the definition of "intensive therapy" as noted in this study is never described, so we have NO IDEA what they're talking about. From that answer above, we can assume it includes lots of prescription drugs which may have been the culprit in the increased death risk rather than the "intensive therapy" as they stated. Instead of trying to figure out WHAT the cause was, they just ASSUMED (and you know what that means!) that lowering A1c levels were what created the jump in mortality rates.

This is like stating a firefighter has an increased mortality rate because he breathes oxygen since that's what he was doing when he died. It's not that he puts his life at risk trying to douse a raging ball of fire, oh that can't be it! It's must be that oxygen he's sucking in, so that's our story and we're sticking to it. Sound absurd? Well, it is! And so is this conclusion by the NIH. They should really be ashamed of themselves.

Their argument is not based on any kind of rational scientific reasoning or thought process at all. But who's gonna call the NIH's bluff? Doctors and medical researchers don't want to stick their neck out against this powerful government group in the fear that some much-needed research dollars are withheld from their future studies. It's a sickening place to be in at the mercy of such a group that can make or break your career.

But I and the thousands more who come to my blog each day are NOT tied to the NIH in any way. We are public citizens who care about the issue of diabetes and helping our mom, dad, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, cousin, son, daughter, and friend with this terrible condition find the hope they need to beat this disease once and for all.

And most of us realize that it is livin' la vida low-carb that has helped to bring the ill effects of diabetes under control, especially for those with Type 2 diabetes. This ACCORD study gave absolutely ZERO consideration for carbohydrate restriction which has been shown time and time again to be the most safe and effective method of improving glycemic control. Why is the NIH so silent about low-carb diets for diabetics? That's what this petition is all about and I hope you and your entire family will SIGN THIS PETITION to share what the healthy low-carb lifestyle has done for you.

Notable signatures appearing on this petition so far include Dr. Richard Feinman, Regina Wilshire, Dr. Richard Bernstein, Jackie Eberstein, Dr. Keith Berkowitz, Uffe Ravnskov, Fred Hahn, and many others! Christine and I have done our part to SIGN THIS PETITION and we invite you to do the same for the sake of providing accurate information for diabetics dealing with this terrible disease. Let's not make the problem worse by discouraging the goal of normalizing blood sugars.

I love what Dr. Bernstein, the most famous Type 1 diabetic in the world who has been using a low-carb dietary approach to control his disease since 1946, had to say in the comments beneath his signature on this petition.

"I've had type 1 diabetes for 64 years and have an HgbA1c of 4.6% thanks to a low carb diet. I have a coronary artery calcium score of '1' at age 74. My patients with similar A1c's enjoy similar cardiac health."

You tell 'em, Dr. Bernstein! The low-carb diet is indeed an effective "intensive therapy" that is helping CONTROL blood sugar levels without the use of the risky drug therapies. How about the NIH taking a closer look at the REAL studies that have come out in favor of using something like the Atkins diet to benefit diabetics? There PLENTY of evidence out there and I'm all too happy to share it anytime.

Make your voice heard and SIGN THIS PETITION!

I Hereby Nominate Dr. Mary C. Vernon For 'Diabetes Educator Of The Year'

Dr. Mary C. Vernon is worthy of the title "Diabetes Educator Of 2007"

Of all the health issues we currently face in the world today, there is one that rises to the top of the list to rival even obesity as an out-of-control epidemic. That would be the mostly preventable but now all-too-common occurrence of Type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that there are currently 73 million Americans who are either diabetic or pre-diabetic with healthcare costs associated with this disease adding up to $132 BILLION in 2002 alone.

The prognosis is grim, but the good news is there are people who are standing up to be counted and they're not giving up without a fight. While organizations like the American Diabetes Association (ADA) are giving diabetics a free license to consume foods that will knowingly impact their blood sugar levels negatively as long as they obediently "take their medicine," it's good to know there are REAL leaders who understand the need for some sanity in a world that's looking more and more insane each and every day.

One such leader in the diabetic world exists--DR. MARY C. VERNON.

Dr. Vernon is an unsung hero in my book. She is a board certified bariatric physician with a private practice located in Lawrence, Kansas. In 2004, she collaborated with Jacqueline Eberstein on the bestselling Atkins Diabetes Revolution book from Harper-Collins. Her current leadership position as the President of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) has earned her the respect and admiration of her peers, including a nod as Bariatric Physician of the Year in 2005.

Her research into diabetes has been published and appeared in some of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, including the American Journal of Medicine as well as Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. Her zeal and enthusiasm for livin' la vida low-carb as a means for weight and health management make her a true pioneer for alternative methods for treating patients.

I have been truly honored to have had the opportunity to interview and meet Dr. Vernon not just once, but twice--first at my blog and most recently on my podcast show. Her "Ask Dr. Vernon" blog provides unprecedented public access to one of the nation's most foremost diabetes experts as she answers reader-submitted questions about a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach for managing diabetes.

Dr. Vernon has appeared on television supporting low-carb as a treatment option for diabetes and was instrumental is the release of some especially eye-opening research out of Duke University that showed the Atkins low-carb diet can lower A1C numbers and stabilize blood sugars sometimes without the use of drugs or insulin in Type 2 diabetics. And in November 2006, Dr. Vernon was propelled into the national spotlight when she was featured in an article about diabetes control in Men's Health magazine.

In other words, Dr. Vernon is the real deal. She doesn't just talk a good game (although she is quite articulate about how low-carb living can help improve obesity and diabetes), but she sees results in the thousands of patients who come through her Kansas clinic. If anyone deserves recognition and the honorable distinction of "Diabetes Educator Of The Year," then I can think of no one better suited for that title than Dr. Mary C. Vernon.

That's why I hereby nominate her for that prestigious distinction among her peers and I want to encourage the faithful readers of the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog to join me in voting for Dr. Vernon for this honor. The winner will be featured in an upcoming feature story for Diabetes Health magazine which is read by many of the ADA-indoctrinated. Let's show them there is a better way by highlighting the success that Dr. Vernon is having with low-carb.

To submit your nomination for Dr. Mary C. Vernon, go to the "Diabetes Educator Of The Year" nomination form and fill out the form. Keep in mind you only need to fill in the blanks with a yellow star next to them, so don't worry about filling in any of the other blanks. Feel free to share up to 250 words in the box provided explaining your nomination. But just share from your heart why she deserves this distinction.

Wanna see what Jimmy Moore wrote about Dr. Vernon? :)

In the sometimes contentious field of diabetes care, there is one person who has risen to the top of giving diabetics an extremely effective alternative from the usual methods for treating this terrible disease. Her name is Dr. Mary C. Vernon from Lawrence, Kansas.

Although the typical advice recommended by the ADA and most diabetes health providers is a high-carb, low-fat diet, Dr. Vernon is among a minority of voices who believes this advice is absolutely absurd. And she knows firsthand the positive impact that a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach is having on the A1C levels of her patients.

Many of those patients are able to either greatly reduce or eliminate their need for blood sugar-controlling medications and even insulin for Type 2 sufferers. This is indeed a miracle for many diabetics who have tried to find a natural way to control their disease. The low-carb lifestyle is changing people's lives for the better!

Dr. Vernon was featured in a major "Men's Health" magazine column in November 2006 for the work she is doing on behalf of diabetics and is a worthy nominee for Diabetes Educator Of The Year.

Short, sweet, and to the point--that's all you need to do. It's so super easy and I finished my nomination for Dr. Vernon in only three minutes. Please take just a moment RIGHT NOW to do this because it WILL make a real difference for the cause of livin' la vida low-carb in the realm of diabetes care to have someone like Dr. Mary C. Vernon recognized for the tireless work she has invested into spreading the positive message with her patients.

Be sure to cut and paste your nomination text in the comments section of this post so we can see the impact we are making on this nomination. With literally thousands of visitors each and every day, we can stand together in unity behind Dr. Vernon and give her the big push into the spotlight she deserves to be a beacon of truth for diabetes sufferers the world over.

THANK YOU in advance for helping with this effort and I'll let you know if she ends up winning this award or not (cross your fingers). You have until November 30, 2007 to submit your entry, but don't delay. Let's flood them with praise and admiration for Dr. Vernon so they will have no other choice but to give her the title of "Diabetes Educator Of The Year." Wouldn't that be AWESOME? It could happen with YOUR help. So do your part TODAY and don't forget to share your entry with everyone in the comments section.