There are two ends of the spectrum when people start talking about being on the "Atkins diet"--either they are simply cutting back on their carbohydrates and consuming whatever amounts of meat, cheese, eggs, and bacon they choose to eat or they are following the plan that was written and promoted by the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins in his various books, most notably Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution.
It's amazing how people can get away with describing both of these as the "Atkins diet" when only those people who have educated themselves about this way of eating in the latter group can honestly say that. Even worse, we've got people who try to debate the Atkins diet without ever seeing what Dr. Atkins wrote. Come on, that's just plain ignorant if you ask me. So I'm ready to help do something about this lack of understanding about the Atkins diet starting right here and right now.
In Episode 48 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," my lovely wife Christine and I share about an Atkins Diet Startup Kit that we are making exclusively available to anyone who wishes to learn more about this healthy and delicious low-carb nutritional approach. With all the mounds of misinformation and confusion that has been generated by those so-called health "experts" and the media about this wonderful dietary plan that helped me shed 180 pounds in 2004, why wouldn't you just want to learn more about what it's all about? That's precisely what this 6-item kit will do--EDUCATE!
Learn more about what's in the Atkins Diet Startup Kit in today's video:
Here's a recap of the materials included in this package:
- Why & How It Works video - Staying Slim & Health video - Atkins diet workbook - Atkins meal planner (recipes) - Atkins easy carb gram counter - Basic diet manual
These materials certainly do not replace what you get in Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution or any of his other books. But they do complement those books by putting the Atkins diet in clear and understandable language using a 3-part video explanation of the nutritional plan from Dr. Atkins himself, workbooks and information sheets to help you personalize your low-carb Atkins plan, and then practical information on carb counts, recipes, and other essential information to go on the REAL Atkins diet the right way. This is about a $100 value worth of materials that you can't purchase anywhere else and it's all yours for only $25 (plus FREE PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING!).
Yes, you get the two videos, the big workbook, the recipe book, the carb gram counter book, and the basics guide to take when traveling all for the flat cost of $25. This includes your PRIORITY MAIL shipping, so you'll get it quickly when you place your order. Please contact me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and we'll work out arrangements to ship your materials. I want to get these materials about the Atkins diet into the hands of people who genuinely want to learn what this specific diet plan is all about. There are no more excuses for thinking the Atkins diet is just bacon-wrapped-butter-and-brie (maybe Dr. Dean Ornish should buy this kit--HE MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING!).
Give us your feedback on our videos by e-mailing livinlowcarbman@charter.net anytime. We appreciate hearing from you and will possibly use your show ideas in a future video. Watch our previous YouTube videos and join the ever-growing list of people who now subscribe to our YouTube videos. THANK YOU for your support of our video series on YouTube and we'll keep 'em coming!
Is your low-carb diet relying too much on Ketostix?
One of the most interesting tools we have at our disposal when we start livin' la vida low-carb to let us know whether we are doing it right or not is a testing strip that measures ketone levels called Ketostix (there are other brand names for ketone sticks, but this one from Bayer is the most common). Basically, here's how it works: you can check your urine on this testing strip to see how many ketone bodies you are excreting out of your body. Ketones are present when you are in ketosis which is instigated when you keep your carbohydrates at a ketogenic level (usually under 50g carbs daily).
I recently asked a group of low-carb experts the following question--"Is Ketosis Necessary On A Low-Carb Diet?" That seems to be a "well duh" kind of question which is why we use things like Ketostix to see whether we are in ketosis or not. But where people seem to get most confused is with the color of the testing strip. If it's light pink, then I must be doing something wrong. My Ketostix need to be dark purple if I am experiencing "deep" ketosis, right? I get these kind of questions every single week and they miss the point of the testing strips.
In Episode 47 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I seek to better explain the purpose of Ketostix by telling you what they are for, what the various colors actually mean, why showing no ketones on these strips may not be a bad thing, and how you can virtually guarantee your body is in ketosis. I'm astonished by how many people are still so concerned about the results of their Ketostix, but hopefully this video will clear up some of the miscommunication.
Find out all you need to know about Ketostix in today's video:
Noted biochemistry professor Dr. Richard Feinman from SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York provided a very succinct explanation for how these Ketostix are supposed to work:
"There is a continuum of ketosis. In fact, one of the features of ketone bodies is that, unlike other fuels, glucose and fatty acids, they can be present in plasma over a wide range of concentrations. What is true is that Ketostix measure ketonuria (ketones in the urine) which may or may not give you an accurate view of plasma ketone bodies. If ketone bodies are used as fast as they are made, you may never see ketosis."
This should give those people who see pink or even beige on the ketone testing strips hope that they are indeed in ketosis even if the tests say otherwise. The bottom line you should remember is that Ketostix are merely a low-carb guide to provide proof that you are livin' la vida low-carb in a ketogenic state, but they're really not that necessary if you are keeping your carbohydrates significantly reduced below 50g daily. When you are doing that, then you WILL be in ketosis. Hopefully this clears up some of the confusion about why some people seek purple and others see pink or beige.
"The Biggest Loser" 4 contestant Isabeau Miller
Also in today's video, Christine and I share about our upcoming trip to Nashville, Tennessee to attend "Biggest Loser" 4 contestant Isabeau Miller's FitCamp. Since landing in the final four last Fall on the hit NBC-TV weight loss reality series, Isabeau Miller has taken her passion for her own personal weight loss journey and is now helping others who struggle with obesity like she once did before Jillian Michaels got a hold of her tail and whipped it into shape. Today she is a personal trainer and is giving me and several of my readers a chance to experience what it was like to be on "The Biggest Loser" over a special two-week period.
The first session of FitCamp in July just concluded and our session in August will commence on August 17th. We will be doing a daily video log of this experience and sharing it on YouTube as part of a FitCamp series of videos. Isabeau said she will not be allowed to be videotaped because of contractual obligations from her stint on "The Biggest Loser." But I'm gonna ask permission from the other people who will be there going through this experience with me to talk about how FitCamp is helping them. I am super-excited about this, especially in light of my recent 30-pound weight gain I've experienced. Perhaps this will get me back to where I need to be. I sure hope so. :)
We LOVE making videos for you and doing them on topics that YOU care about. Tell us your show ideas for future videos by e-mailing them to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Check through all of our previous YouTube videos to make sure we haven't already tackled your favorite subject! While we were away last week, there was a sudden surge of people decided to subscribe to our YouTube videos and now we have well over 600 subscribers! WOW! Join in on the low-carb fun on YouTube and help us spread the positive message of livin' la vida low-carb to the masses!
This is promising news for Americans who are seeking healthy NATURAL choices for sugar alternatives since Truvia is made from the sweetest part of the stevia leaf--rebiana. The very best-tasting stevia is then combined with the sugar alcohol erythritol as a bulking agent to create a very clean-tasting, maltodextrin-free substitute for sugar. And it's not bitter even in the least. I was VERY pleased with that since the major complaint most people have with stevia is the puckered-up face they get when they taste it. Not with Truvia.
In Episode 46 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I share about my trip to the Rockefeller Center in New York City on July 9, 2008 as the people passing by the Truvia Greenhouse were given a golden opportunity to be some of the first people in the entire world to try this new product coming to store shelves in the Fall 2008. There was iced tea and lemonade available for people to try and most of them gave a very positive review of the Truvia. There were a few knuckleheads who refused to even try "nature's first zero-calorie sweetener," but it was their loss. This stuff is OUTSTANDING!
Learn more about Truvia and what makes it different in today's video:
If you're excited to try Truvia for yourself, then it is currently available for purchase online at Truvia.com and in a few select New York City stores. The immediate reaction I had to the Truvia when I tasted it was how much it resembled cotton candy. That's a good tasting product, I'd say! There is a bit of the "cooling" sensation from the erythritol, but it's not unpleasant. In fact, that gives it a very nice mouth feel to me and Truvia is just about as close to real sugar I have seen in a sweetener before! Try it for yourself and I'll be telling you more about this product when widespread availability hits later this year.
THANK YOU for watching "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." Please send us your comments at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and watch our previous YouTube videos anytime you'd like! Take a moment now to subscribe to our YouTube videos and catch the low-carb wave that's rolling across YouTube right now. :D We'll be back again soon for another fun and quirky video about the healthy low-carb lifestyle.
Don't you know that your body needs carbs in order to function properly?! Come on, you idiot low-carb supporters, how can you tell people to cut down or even eliminate most of their dietary carbohydrate intake from things like healthy whole grain foods like brown rice and pasta and even fruits and vegetables? What kind of reasonable diet would suggest you remove whole categories of foods like this in order to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, hmmmm? Well? WELL?!?! How about it Mr. Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man?!
Siiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhh. That, my friends, is just a typical day in the life of what I put up with in my e-mail box most of the time. People have become so incredibly misinformed about diet and health that they are content with merely repeating back the same old diatribes from those so-called health "experts." It really is a pity that more people can't learn to think for themselves by getting all the facts, analyzing them carefully with the intent on learning the truth, and then applying that knowledge to their own personal experience while sharing it with others. That's what I try to do here at my blog and all my other projects.
It certainly gives you more credibility if you constantly remain a student of health whether you are a doctor, dietitian, nurse, or even a low-carb blogger. I may not have a bunch of letters after my name (although I do have an M.A. in Public Policy...does that count?), I have worked hard to NEVER stop soaking in every bit of information that I can about health so I can share what I discover with you. Then, hopefully you can take that knowledge, apply what is relevant to your own life, share it with someone else, and continue to education further. We live in an age of information and ignorance is no longer a viable excuse--especially on the subject of diet and health.
In Episode 45 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I wanted to share with the YouTube viewers about a word that is inextricably linked to low-carb dieting, but you really don't hear about it much outside the realm of low-carb research. The word is gluconeogenesis and I contend every single person who is on a carbohydrate-restricted or even a zero carb diet needs to know about this word. I've blogged about it and even did a podcast show on it, but this is much too important a concept for people to miss. Although gluconeogenesis (GNG) is rather complex from a metabolic standpoint looking at all the biochemistry that's involved. Check out this T-shirt from The Nutrition & Metabolism Society that illustrates all the pathways involved with GNG:
Order one of these "geeky" shirts TODAY by clicking here
Learn more about gluconeogenesis in today's video:
Since I uploaded this video to YouTube, there has been some confusion about what I shared in it about how the protein is converted into glucose. My friend Charles Washington, the zero-carb half-marathon runner who recently wrote a guest blog post said it seemed like I was saying that ALL protein gets converted to glucose. I certainly don't want to mislead anyone in that direction because it's not a one for one ratio of conversion. Dr. Eric Westman from Duke University says the studies he has seen say for every 2g of dietary protein consumed, one gram of it is converted to glucose/sugar/carbs. So it's about a 2-1 ratio of conversion which could cause SOME people problems who are especially carbohydrate sensitive (like me!).
This is what I was referring to when I said eating too much protein could POSSIBLY stall your weight loss if you are especially sensitive to carbohydrate whether through eating them or through gluconeogenesis. In looking at some of the reasons for my own struggle this year to get my weight back down despite doing all the right things, gluconeogenesis has come up as a possible culprit for my difficulty. Perhaps for me I need to be eating LESS protein than I currently am while increasing my fat and keeping my carbs to a minimum. This isn't a universal thing for everyone and could be genetic in nature. I'll be blogging more with an update about my weight and health situation very soon.
You guys are awesome for watching our "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" videos and we appreciate hearing your comments about them and suggestions for future topics at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Don't miss our previous YouTube videos and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube videos if you like what you see. THANK YOU for all of your support and, as always, let us know how we can help you along in this journey to better health. Keep on livin' la vida low-carb! :D
Video Time: Sweeney Pregnant, Classic Lalanne, Food Matters, And Low-Carb For Health
With the rising popularity of YouTube and other online video capabilities, the information age has jumped to a whole new level. It really wasn't that long ago when the major sources of information were radio and newspapers. Now there's television, DVDs, and all sorts of places on the Internet where you can find just about anything you are looking for (and a whole lot you're NOT looking for!).
I enjoy surfing around YouTube every once in a while because you'll find some real gems if you look carefully. Especially some of the old television programs about health, it's amazing to see how much times have changed and how much they've pretty much stayed the same, too. You'll see that today with a classic clip from health guru Jack Lalanne. There's also BIG NEWS for "Biggest Loser" fans with the host, a new health documentary, and an awesome video espousing low-carb for health. ENJOY!
1. ALISON SWEENEY IS PREGNANT!
The brand new season of NBC-TV's hit weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser" is already underway being filmed to begin airing in September featuring families in Season 6. Piggybacking on that theme at just the perfect time is this announcement made by host Alison Sweeney this week on the "Biggest Loser" ranch during one of the first weigh-ins of the season. NBC was so excited about the news that they released the video clip to the public.
I couldn't see any faces of contestants in this quick clip, but if you look behind Jillian at around :27, you'll see a surprisingly skinny woman in a midriff shirt/sports bra. I'm wondering if this new season featuring families will have some family members who don't have all that much weight to lose and they are there to support their loved ones who do. Who knows, but I can't wait to see it! CONGRATULATIONS to Alison Sweeney on her great news about having an addition to her family.
By the way, I requested a podcast interview with The Blue Team trainer Bob Harper (who I interviewed at my blog three years ago) and I heard back from his assistant this week that he would love to be on my show. WOO HOO! We're still hammering out the details since his schedule is so crazy, but I'm hoping to air that in early September. YEAH! :D
2. JACK LALANNE WARNS ABOUT SUGAR--50 YEARS AGO!
If you had to choose on iconic figure in the modern history of health who personifies what it means to live a healthy lifestyle, then I don't think many would disagree with the selection of Jack Lalanne for that role. This 90-something year old man is still going strong and he can oftentimes be seen on television these days promoting his juicer or other age-defying techniques for being the strong, happy, and healthy man that he is.
Man, I'd LOVE to interview him because this classic video of him talking about the addictive nature of sugar is precisely the message we need to hear in 2008. It's something people who support livin' la vida low-carb shout loudly from the mountaintops while it is almost ignored as a culprit in obesity and disease by much of the rest of the health establishment crowd who is too hung up on saturated fat to see the forest for the trees. Is it any wonder why 50 years after this video first aired we are STILL dealing with this same mess?
3. NEW HEALTH DOCUMENTARY FILM CALLED "FOOD MATTERS"
There have been quite a few diet and health documentaries in development over the past year or so, including Mary Bissell's My Big Fat Diet, Tom Naughton's Fat Head, CJ Hunt's In Search Of The Perfect Human Diet, and Steve Yu's INSPIRED: The Movie. I am excited about all of these contributions to the discussion about healthy living and now there's another one to add to the list: Food Matters.
I have not had the pleasure of seeing this one yet, but my understanding is it takes a closer examination of health in modern times and laments all the wasted resources that are spent on prescription drugs while chronic disease runs rampant. The filmmakers urge the viewers to get back to our roots when food was used as medicine rather than the next miracle pill from the pharmaceutical companies. AMEN to that!!! This documentary features many interviews with the REAL health experts around the world and seeks to expose the billions of dollars that are made scamming people into thinking they need to be drugged for made-up diseases.
Knowledge is power and Food Matters seeks to arm you with the information you need to take back control of your own health. I am working diligently to get a copy of this to review and share with you as well as an interview with the film's producers so they can talk more about why they decided to make this movie. Should be interesting!
4. OUTSTANDING 450-SECOND LOW-CARB FOR HEALTH VIDEO
Finally, I love finding videos like this one that just lays the pure unadulterated truth about livin' la vida low-carb out there for everyone to see--take it or leave it. Stephen, aka Stevo35972 does just that and in a very direct, concise, and compelling way. Add him to the increasing by leaps and bound list of low-carb YouTubers now and keep your eyes peeled for even more nuggets of truth from him in the future!
Got a video you think I might be interested in? Send the link to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I always love finding GREAT videos that continue the mission of educating, encouraging and inspiring others in their healthy low-carb lifestyle. THANKS for passing on the good ones you find.
After lots of trail and error, this cheesecake is perfect!
One of the best desserts for people on the low-carb lifestyle is a cheesecake. It's so easy to make this dessert low-carb because pretty much all you have to do is substitute the sugar for an alternative sweetener. Cream cheese is low-carb as are most of the other ingredients in a good recipe. In fact, I shared this no-bake cheesecake recipe a few months back and it was pretty good. But there's something about a baked cheesecake that is so delicious I just had to create one.
In Episode 43 and Episode 44 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I show you step-by-step how we make this recipe in not just one but two videos. It took a while to get this to come out exactly like I wanted it, but this is pretty darn close to perfect. :) I hope you enjoy it!
Watch these videos back-to-back to see this recipe from start to finish:
Here's the recipe in its entirety in case you missed anything:
JIMMY MOORE'S PERFECT LOW-CARB KEY LIME CHEESECAKE
3 eggs whites Pinch of cream of tartar 8 packets of True Lime 3/4 cup of heavy cream 1/2 cup erythritol (or equivalent sweetener) 2 eight-oz. boxes cream cheese 2 large eggs Dash of True Lemon Dash of ground nutmeg Dash of ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl pour the egg whites, cream of tartar and True Lime in it and beat with a mixer for 3-4 minutes until beyond frothy and thick.
Add the heavy whipping cream and beat until thick again. Then add the erythritol or equivalent sweetener and whip into the mixture.
Take the softened cream cheese and slowly incorporate it into the mixture with a low setting on your mixer until this gets really thick. Add 2 whole eggs and mix together. Throw in a dash of True Lemon, a dash of nutmeg, and a dash of cinnamon and beat into cheesecake batter.
Carefully pour the cheesecake batter into a small non-stick pan sprayed with Pam and spread out evenly in the bottom of the pan. Place inside oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown along the edges of the cheesecake.
Allow to cool 45-60 minutes before slicing and preferably 4 hours of refrigeration for maximum thickness. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top for a low-carb dessert made in heaven!
The low-carb blogging community has grown by leaps and bounds over the past couple of years as I often highlight the literally HUNDREDS of brand new ones that have been created by people just like you who have gone on a low-carb diet and seen extraordinary improvements in their weight and health that they can't wait to talk about. That's the beauty of this way of eating--you try it, you like it, you see results from it, and then you can't shut up about it! :D That's the power of livin' la vida low-carb, baby!!!
In Episode 42 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I talk about why it is important for low-carbers to start their own blogs and/or YouTube videos in our society hellbent on erroneously portraying the healthy low-carb lifestyle as a dangerous "fad" diet that is gonna kill you. The reality is the government-recommended high-carb, low-fat diet is wreaking more havoc on the weight and health of average, everyday people who think that's the ONLY way to healthfully shed the pounds. We know better and it's high time we share our experiences with others so they can learn the truth about low-carb living. What better way than writing a blog or recording some YouTube videos, right?
Find out why YOU should have your own low-carb blog in today's video:
When I decided to start writing about my experiences on the Atkins low-carb diet in April 2005, I had no idea if anybody would ever actually read what I had to say. That really didn't matter to me as much as having an outlet for simply sharing my experiences with others so they can see what was happening to me. As the readership began to grow and grow, I realized just how important being active in this new media really is in a society where blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos are where people are getting their information. YOU can be a part of all of that, too, and it's so super simple to sign up for a FREE blog.
If you wanna see a comprehensive list of most of the low-carb blogs out there, then go to my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog and look down the right-hand side panel. There you will find more low-carb blogs than you could ever visit in a lifetime! But these are the trailblazers in my mind because they have chosen to put themselves out there for all the world to see their progress on the low-carb lifestyle. With a united front of low-carb bloggers, we can show that livin' la vida low-carb is indeed here to stay because of the enormous impact it has had on our lives. And that's what low-carb blogging is all about!
Do you have a low-carb blog that you'd like for me to know about? I regularly post links to brand new low-carb blogs that I find while surfing around the Internet, but I don't always catch them all. Send your low-carb blog's URL to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and I will make sure it gets mentioned in my next low-carb blogs update coming soon. And the same goes for low-carb YouTube videos--put yourself out there like these people have and you'll be astonished at the feedback you will get. Let's start a new low-carb revolution and be world changers in the process! :D Who's with me?!
Christine and I appreciate you watching our "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" videos and welcome your feedback and ideas at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Check out our previous YouTube videos and join the more than 500 people who subscribe to our YouTube videos so you will never miss a single episode. We appreciate your dedication to the work we are doing and want to THANK YOU for the special uplifting and encouraging notes you send us in e-mails and in the comments section of our videos. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
By the way, how do you like my new blond hairdo as well as Christine's blond highlights? :)
Not that long ago, you could count the number of YouTube videos about low-carb on one hand. Now, we have lots and lots of low-carb YouTubers and I've got even more to share with you today. Check these out!
A mommy of three named Sue, aka spook, has been on the Atkins low-carb diet in conjunction with some P90X exercise to help her reach her goal of shedding nearly 60 pounds. She even throws in a low-carb recipe or two every once in a while like this video about low-carb crepes. Sue is good friends with another low-carb YouTuber I told you about before named Monica from The Monkaboo Project. Like Monica, Sue has a unique personality that shines through vividly throughout her videos.
Shortwaiver just LOVES to do YouTube videos and thankfully she is equally enthused about livin' la vida low-carb. From a brief stint on intermittent fasting to making low-carb pancakes, you'll get a healthy dose of low-carb living from these videos. :)
Mary is from Dublin, Ireland and is a "low-carb newbie" as she calls herself. While she doesn't have any videos posted yet, it's great to see her on this journey to better health. Perhaps she will be inspired to make videos like her fellow low-carb Irish countryman Mark McManus from MuscleHack.com. Hope to hear more from you in the future, Mary!
Teresa Helton is a real sweetheart! She has been a regular reader at my blog and contributor at my low-carb forum, so I was THRILLED to see she was making YouTube videos now. YAY!!! This 34-year old started out at 325 pounds in November 2007 and has lost OVER 60 POUNDS and counting. WOO HOO!!! Check out her weight loss pictures video--how inspiring, Teresa! KEEP IT UP!!!
You gotta love 36-year old Hillary for her bluntness. She says she HATES being told that she'd be pretty if she would just lose weight. HA, she says! She has decided to go on the Atkins diet for herself and nobody else. It's what she needs to do and I personally think she will be a great success at it. Keep your head up, Hillary, and prove to all those naysayers just what you are made of. Let me know if I can help you in any way. :D
Sabrina Vargas is a beautiful woman with an equally beautiful voice to boot! She's livin' la vida low-carb to get her body into shape and is chronicling her adventures in low-carb at YouTube. Watch her talk about her low-carb lifestyle and even explain why singers can do low-carb, too. You can and you will Sabrina! Make us all proud of you and we'll cheer you on to success.
Are you making low-carb YouTube videos? Lemme know about it at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. You really should so we can keep the momentum going for positive coverage of low-carb living.
Creating a menu of food choices on the Induction phase of the low-carb lifestyle can be somewhat of a challenge to the newbie. We've all been there wondering what in the world we're gonna eat with those 20 grams of carbohydrates in our meal budget. It can be intimidating if you're not used to eating this way, but with a little guidance about what you CAN eat will make this process a whole lot easier. :)
In Episode 41 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I finish up with our dos and don'ts of Induction series we started in Episode 38, Episode 39, and Episode 40 by giving some last minute tips and reminders summarizing all we've shared over the past few weeks. Then we give you some easy-to-follow Induction-friendly menu planning for people who aren't sure what they're supposed to be eating on this important starting phase of livin' la vida low-carb. This will get you started off right!
Get help with your low-carb Induction menus in today's video:
The main point you want to remember in your menu planning is to eat fat and protein at each meal and keep your carbs to a bare minimum primarily from non-starchy and green leafy vegetables. If you do that, then there's no reason why you can't be a phenomenal weight loss success and experience vast improvements in your health that go beyond anything you could have ever hoped or imagined. Trust me, it WILL happen if you do this right. MAKE IT HAPPEN for yourself and reap the benefits of healthy low-carb living.
THANK YOU for watching our "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" videos and we'd love to hear your video ideas and feedback anything by e-mailing us at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Access our archive of over 40 previous YouTube videos and be sure to join the nearly 500 people who subscribe to our YouTube videos so far. There are brand new viewers each and every week, so I hope you become a part of that growing community. You guys are the best and make the work I do such a pleasure. God bless you! :D
Basics, basics, basics! If you don't even know the bare-bones information about the Induction phase of livin' la vida low-carb, then you can never fully experience all the wonderful benefits this way of eating can afford you. It's one of the reasons why I have been dedicated to sharing this information in my latest YouTube videos. While this doesn't replace what you can learn from Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution or Protein Power, for example, hopefully it will get you started the right way.
In Episode 40 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I yet again continue what we started in Episode 38 and then in Episode 39 discussing some more of the dos and don'ts of low-carb Induction. In this episode, we discuss the beverages you can drink during Induction, what vitamins you should take during this phase, whether alcohol is permitted or not, and how much food you are supposed to eat. Whether this is brand new and old hat to you, let this be a great refresher course about low-carb Induction.
See even more dos and don'ts of low-carb Induction in today's video:
We'll be sharing some more tips and advice about low-carb Induction as well as menu planning ideas for Induction in our next YouTube video. Let us know what you'd like to see in future videos in our "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" series by e-mailing your ideas to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Check out our previous YouTube videos and subscribe to our YouTube feed. We are thankful for your support of our videos, so THANK YOU for watching! :D
A "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog reader will win this bike
It's contest time again everyone and this prize is PERFECT for anyone who is living healthy and enjoys the outdoors. You can win an ultra-chic, way-cool, radical-ride known as the Fuji Crosstown 2.0 Bike from our friends at Lipton Teas in promotion of their "Free Your Y" campaign on behalf of their new line of white teas.
Apparently, the new Lipton White Teas come from "young" (that's the "Y" they are referring to) tea buds to give them their amazing youthful flavor and this is the basis for developing "Free Your Y." Whether you are young, feel young, or wanna feel young again, Lipton is celebrating the things people to do recapture the essence of what it means to be youthful, energetic, and full of promise. It's a nice concept to think about, especially for those of us whose lives have been radically changed for the better through livin' la vida low-carb!
Okay, enough about the slogan, you wanna know how you can get your grubby hands on that bike, right? YEPPERS! It's pretty simple. Go to the LiptonFreeYourY YouTube page and click on the "Vote Now" button to see the entries that people submitted to the contest. Here's a brief video talking about voting in this contest with some sample videos of what people entered:
Your vote will determine who wins the $25,000 grand prize as well as two runner-up $5,000 winners. But you only have until Friday, May 30, 2008 to enter and the winner will be announced on Monday, June 2, 2008. GOOD LUCK to all the entries!
But what about the bike, Jimmy?! I hear ya, I hear ya...to win this snazzy bike for yourself (man, I'd love one!), all you need to do is vote for your favorite video and then leave a comment (no anonymous submissions permitted) at this blog post stating who you voted for and why. Since the voting at the "Free Your Y" contest ends on Friday, so will this bike contest at 11:59PM EST--SO DON'T DELAY!
The winner will be chosen at random among all the entries and he or she will have delivered to their home a Fuji Crosstown 2.0 bike, 5 coupons for a free 1.5 Liter Bottle of Lipton White Iced Tea, and a $75 check to offset the expenses for a professional bike assembly. WOO HOO!!! The Pepsi/Lipton Partnership will provide a check for $75.00 to be used for professional assembly of all Lipton Fuji bicycles awarded. Neither Pepsi Co. nor Unilever is liable for any injuries, damages or accidents that may result from the receipt, assembly or use of this bicycle.
So are you ready to "Free Your Y" and vote for favorite video submission in the Lipton contest? Then head on over to YouTube, place your vote, come back here and tell us who you voted for and why, and then wait expectantly for your name to be announced the BIG WINNER! GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!
Understanding the basics of low-carb Induction is essential to your success on a carbohydrate-controlled diet. This minimum two-week period where you are transforming your body from a futile carb-burning pariah into a supercharged fat-burning powerhouse is arguably the most important facet of your entire low-carb lifestyle. If you can figure out Induction and do it well, then there's no reason at all why you can't be success livin' la vida low-carb for life!
In Episode 39 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I continue what we started in our previous video discussing the Induction phase of low-carb living. Getting down these basic dos and don'ts of low-carb are essential to your eventual progress in both weight loss and improved health. Today's video is merely Part 1 of a series of upcoming videos we will be conducting on this subject. If you get this, then YOU GOT IT! And when you truly "get it," there's no stopping you! :D
See some of the dos and don'ts of low-carb Induction in today's video:
This video shares some excellent low-carb Induction snack ideas to complement your low-carb meals, explains what the most important macronutrient to restrict is, shows you which fats and oils are preferred, details how to make a great low-carb salad, and reveals which sweeteners are best when you are livin' la vida low-carb. You should reference these videos about Induction over and over again whenever you need a quick refresher course. Coming up in our next video, we'll talk about what you can drink, vitamins, fish oil supplements, alcohol, and SO MUCH MORE!
Watch all of our previous YouTube videos and be sure to join the ever-increasing group of subscribers so you'll never miss the new episodes of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" when we upload them. E-mail us what's on your mind anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and be sure to tell everyone you know about our videos. We love making them, so share 'em with others! :D
Anyone who is considering livin' la vida low-carb absolutely needs to start with at least a two-week period of what the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins called Induction. Too many people underestimate the importance of this initial period of low-carb where you are trying to get your body into fat-burning mode, aka ketosis. But it is more valuable to your success than you even realize. So, what do you eat on Induction?
In Episode 38 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I attempt to answer that question with practical advice for anyone who is considering or wants to be refreshed on the basics of low-carb Induction. It sounds easy to just keep your carbs low by eating meat, eggs, and cheese all day, but Induction is so much more than that as you will find out in this informative video we made for those who would like to begin Induction.
Look at all the food you can eat on Induction in today's video:
I get so many e-mails from people who just don't know what to eat on their low-carb lifestyle. Part of the reason for this lack of knowledge is they haven't read any low-carb books to know how to do this way of eating correctly. Let me reiterate it here: READ THE BOOK!!! It's okay to have a basic understanding of livin' la vida low-carb, but why limit your education to a few bits and pieces here and there?
Get Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution for all the details about the Atkins diet. Or you can choose a book like Dr. Jonny Bowden's Living The Low-Carb Life if you are unsure of which low-carb plan you want to choose. With all low-carb plans, the Induction phase is VERY important, so don't neglect it! We'll be expanding on the subject of Induction again in our next video on YouTube, so be looking for that coming soon.
Our YouTube videos continue to attract new viewers each week, so you can see them all by clicking here. We are quickly approaching 500 subscribers to our videos and you can join that group by subscribing to our videos for yourself and see the new episodes of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" within minutes after they are uploaded. As always, e-mail us your feedback anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANK YOU for your support! :)
Aida Mollenkamp has a new show coming to The Food Network
Do you like watching The Food Network as much as my wife Christine does? She's a bona fide junkie and I've actually grown to like many of the shows on there, too. Watching these professional cooking kings and queens do their thing making some of the most delicious food you've ever seen is fun. That's why the channel has been such an overwhelming hit with viewers over the years.
In Episode 37 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I share with you about another brand new show (like this one I recently blogged about) coming to The Food Network beginning on August 2, 2008 at 12:30pm/11:30 CST--it's called "Ask Aida". Featuring the lovely and talented Aida Mollenkamp, the premise of this new show is to let Aida fix your culinary conundrums during her broadcast. She is soliciting people to send her a video of their cooking problems so she can help fix them. She's like a "Dear Abby" for the kitchen!
See my two submissions to "Ask Aida" in today's video:
Wanna see Aida discussing what she's looking for in her new show on The Food Network? Click here to access it now. Also, you can see my eggs video as well as my fried mashed cauliflower video (here's the recipe, by the way!) questions that I am asking Aida to help me answer. The producers are looking for energy, excitement, entertainment and engaging videos with interesting questions. So don't be shy! Give this a try and YOU could be appearing in this brand new television show starting in August. If you have any questions or simply want to submit your questions via e-mail, then send your feedback to AskAida@foodnetwork.com. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
Our YouTube videos keep piling up and that's a good thing. If you've missed any previous episode, then don't worry: I've got 'em all compiled for you in one place so you can access them anytime. Of course, you can subscribe to our videos and never miss a future episode of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." Also, let us hear from you with whatever is on your mind. Feel free to e-mail me directly at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I hope you've been enjoying our videos as much as we do making them! :)
We visited Duke University on our recent Durham, NC trip
Last week Christine and I were in North Carolina for several days in Durham area to meet some truly fabulous low-carb supporters, speak with people who are interested in the healthy low-carb lifestyle, and observe in action an amazing low-carb researcher-turned-clinician who is changing the weight and health of people using a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach to help his patients do just that. In case you missed it, click here for a recap of our amazing visit including stories and pictures from our three days in Durham.
In Episode 36 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," we show you even more pictures and video footage we took of our meeting at Rio Churrascario in Cary, NC where we met up with about 18 enthusiastic low-carbers who are part of the Triangle Low Carb Cooking Meetup group, my talk to Dr. Eric Westman's patients from the Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic, and then took a tour through what a real low-carb doctor's office actually looks like. It was a great adventure that I'm excited to share with you today in our latest video.
Listen to me and Christine recollect on our Durham visit in today's video:
We'd love to come visit your area as well, so let us know if you'd be interested in having us speak to your group. Feel free to contact me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net if you'd like to set it up. This was an incredible experience and we will DEFINITELY be coming back to Durham again in the future. :)
If you've missed any of our YouTube videos, then get caught up now and also be sure to subscribe to our videos so you'll always be the first to see the new ones. E-mail us your show ideas, suggestions, and feedback anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANK YOU for watching "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube."
Have you ever wondered what an actual low-carber keeps in his refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets? Better yet, many people have asked me what I keep in my cupboards. So today I wanted to share a peek into where I keep the low-carb foods that go inside my body. This video was a load of fun to make and I think you'll enjoy it, too!
In Episode 35 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I give you a quick tour through our kitchen showing you a sampling of the kinds of foods that make up our low-carb lifestyles. The audio of the video didn't download to my desktop for some reason, so we had to do a voiceover in the studio. Although it wasn't what we originally wanted, I think it turned out pretty good. ENJOY!
Walk through the Moore household in today's video:
The low-carb lifestyle changed my life much more than physically
After you lose weight, a whole lot about your life changes. Besides the obvious physical differences in how you look and feel, there are some rather unexpected emotional and psychological issues that happen whether you know it or not. Some of them are good and others will blindside you if you aren't ready for them.
In Episode 34 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I talk about the amazing changes that happen in your life after experience low-carb weight loss. It's the fun part of going on the low-carb lifestyle being able to reap the rewards of your efforts and basking in the glory of achieving success and accomplishment when so many others have not been able to do the same. Hopefully seeing how our lives have changed following the low-carb miracle will encourage you in your lifestyle change.
See just a few ways our lives have changed in today's video:
In my book Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year, you will see exactly how much my life has changed since I was that 410-pound gargantuan man in January 2004 compared to the man I am today. The changes were dramatic and the way people treated me seemed to suddenly switch, too. To this day, that is the one thing that surprised me the most about my weight loss experience.
The book I wrote about my low-carb weight loss experience
Just a friendly reminder, you only have a few days left to enter my 3rd blogiversary giveaway contest, so be sure to sign up for your chance to win one of 100 great low-carb prizes! GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
Catch up on all our previous YouTube videos and then go subscribe to our videos for the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" series. E-mail us your thoughts and questions anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and feel free to share a topic of interest you would like for us to cover in a future video. THANK YOU for watching and supporting our YouTube videos.
Cybercrime is no less invasive than any other crime
These past couple of weeks have been rather interesting to say the least. As I detailed in this blog post last week, a hacker was able to invade and destroy my forum, steal money from my PayPal account, and then sneak a peek at my e-mail account. Violated doesn't even begin to describe the way I feel--angry, exposed, vulnerable, and victimized. What has happened to me should certainly serve as a lesson to anyone who chooses to be a member of the World Wide Web.
In Episode 33 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I talk very openly about all that has happened to us for the past two weeks since this hacker came into our lives attempting to destroy "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb." While this person has certainly taken down my old forum for good (and I'm in the midst of having a new safer and more secure one created as we speak), everything else they have done has just been more annoying than anything. Several more things have happened in the meantime since my blog update last week, so watch this video to see what has been going on.
Check out all these "coincidental" events in today's video:
Although we enjoyed a great time at a low-carb conference in Phoenix, AZ last weekend, it was overshadowed by the cowardly acts of a cybercriminal who apparently had something against me personally to spread such vitriolic acts of destruction to my online property. The FBI has been contacted and they are considering opening a case to investigate this crime. The problem with these kinds of criminals is they are very difficult to catch. But if there's a way, you better believe we're gonna find it!
On a positive note, I wanted to remind you to enter my 3rd blogiversary giveaway contest where I have more than 50 great prizes to share with my readers. I was hoping to share these prizes with you this week, but my blog was temporarily suspended by Blogger on April 15th because their robots have identified it as a "spam" one. This usually takes a few days to clear up and I'm hoping to be able to start blogging again real soon. If you are reading this on my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, then you know I'm back up again. It's yet another piece of this wild and wacky puzzle that has been a part of my life these past couple of weeks.
If you want to find encouragement in your low-carb lifestyle, then you'll not want to miss a single one of our previous YouTube videos. Go ahead and subscribe to our videos to get your first glimpse of all the new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" episodes. E-mail us anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net because we love hearing from our viewers. Share your show ideas, feedback, and anything else that's on your mind. THANK YOU for your support!
This low-carb food pyramid kinda defines what low-carb means
Before you can enter a debate of ideas about anything, it's generally a good idea to define exactly what you mean when you say certain terms. One word that is lazily thrown around like everyone KNOWS exactly what it means (kinda like "love" is these days) is "low-carb." But you and I both know the definition of that word can vary greatly from one person to the next. It's part of what makes explaining livin' la vida low-carb to somebody that much more difficult. And let's not even get started on the marketing of "low-carb" products these days.
Find out what the word "low-carb" really means in today's video:
We already know that low-carb is the most nutrient-dense way to eat there is despite repeated claims by the media that the faddish low-carb "craze" is a whacked out way to eat. But you and I both know better because we live this lifestyle change day in and day out with amazing results. Anytime somebody questions my low-carb life, all I have to do is point to my weight loss and vastly improved health--shuts 'em up every time! How can they argue against positive personal experience? They can't!
Interestingly, people ask me "What is livin' la vida low-carb anyway?" all the time. Some wonder if it's a low-carb diet I came up with or what. I smile and say it's my way of expressing how the low-carb diet has radically changed my life forever. We all have our own little tweaks to make it work for us, but the basics are still there--keep your total carbohydrates (yes, even the so-called "healthy" whole grains) to a minimum, make sure you are eating enough fat for satiety and fuel (and whatever you do, don't mix low-carb with low-fat), and consume moderate amounts of protein at EVERY meal (again for satiety and weight loss). That's the template for a genuine low-carb diet that just plain works!
Watch any and all of our previous YouTube videos to get caught up on what we've done before. Make sure you also subscribe to our videos to join the hundreds who have become bona fide fans of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." Let us know what you think and how we can improve our videos by e-mailing us your thoughts at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. We look forward to bringing you some fun videos from the ASBP conference in Phoenix next week. SEE YA!
YouTube is being taken over by enthusiastic low-carbers--NIIIIIICCE!!!
When I first started blogging about the healthy low-carb lifestyle back in 2005, there weren't very many "low-carb" blogs out there at the time. But today, you'd have to be blind to miss any of the literally HUNDREDS of new ones that have popped up in just the past couple of years. Check 'em all out at my low-carb links blog.
Well, a similar trend is beginning to happen over at YouTube. My wife Christine and I started making videos in August 2007 after getting a new computer with a video camera on it and thus was born our show "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." We've LOVED doing these videos over the past seven months, but it was kinda lonely out there sharing about low-carb living as the seemingly lone voice. In fact, that's why we decided to start this series to begin with--there was an obvious void in quality, positive content about the healthy low-carb lifestyle.
NOT ANYMORE!!!
Less than a year later, there are some absolutely incredible low-carb YouTube video bloggers out there providing their own take on this journey I call livin' la vida low-carb. Here are 21 of the very best and brightest low-carb YouTubers out there making a real impact today:
You can't mention low-carb YouTube videos and neglect to talk about Kent Altena (aka bowulf). He's the granddaddy of all the low-carb YouTubers because he was out there way back in 2006 sharing his How To Do Atkins videos that I thought were fabulous. Unfortunately, we got spoiled by all of the quality videos Kent was producing and he slacked off on them a bit last year. But in early 2008, Kent started back again and you can see his enthusiasm and passion for educating people about the Atkins diet is as strong as it ever has been. THANK YOU Kent for inspiring me and tens of thousands of others at YouTube with your phenomenal videos!
Dr. David Hite is the Health Doc and he presents information about the importance of the glycemic index as it relates to diabetes care. He recorded this brief video segment on low-carb diets and communicates in an engaging manner about health and wellness.
You have GOT to meet Cameo. She's the very cute and ever-so-quirky "Spiky Haired Girl" and is a voracious researcher about health and nutrition. Cameo TOTALLY gets it and now she's making YouTube videos about the low-carb lifestyle. WOO HOO! Her quick-witted sense of humor alone makes these videos worth watching, but the knowledge she provides on low-carb living (check out her latest one on coconut oil is more than worth the price of admission (which is FREE, by the way!). Although she's just getting started, I'm sure the "Spiky Haired Girl" will be around for quite a long time. Welcome to the fray, Cameo!
If you've been around the diet and health community for even a short time, then you have undoubtedly come across the work of a man named Dr. Joseph Mercola. The man is practically a living legend among health advocates because he shares solid, scientifically-proven research in a way that just makes good sense. And, lo and behold, he's even got his own YouTube series, too! Check out this recent video where he "Exposes The Cholesterol Myth." This is CAN'T MISS information that your body will appreciate you for!
Last year I introduced you to a brand new low-carb podcaster named Marc Sage who is now the only other active low-carb podcast on iTunes along with "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." He has recently started adding videos to YouTube as well focusing on diet and low-carb. They are basically segments he has seen on television in the news that he is uploading so that the good news about livin' la vida low-carb can be spread. Great to have you contributing Marc!
What does a legal-based television show have to do with low-carb? Since they recently featured a segment on the Kimkins diet scam with attorney John Tiedt, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this with you. It's an amazing dissection of the ongoing Kimkins controversy and how an obese housewife from Corona, California named Heidi Diaz has gotten away with bilking millions of dollars out of unsuspecting dieters. It's quite a fascinating video to watch if you haven't seen it already!
What more could I possibly say about Dr. Jonny Bowden than I already have? This man is a walking encyclopedia of diet and health knowledge and a living example of what taking care of your body can do for you. He's such a dynamic speaker whose voice draws you in and you become mesmerized by the words he speaks both because he's entertaining to listen to and his comments are well-thought out based on the research. But there's no question this man holds true to his principles that a low-carb diet can improve health for many people. In fact, here he is talking about "the perfect diet." You gotta love that Jonny Bowden!
Speaking of Amy, there's another one I want to introduce you to if you don't already know about her. She's Amy Von from "Eating Low" and her regular low-carb YouTube video series is a big hit with people who love to try new recipes. If that's you, then Amy's your gal! With over 50 episodes in her "Eating Low with Amy" series, you'll have enough recipes to last you for the next year. ENJOY!
Follow the progress of Monyka whose nickname is "Monkaboo" as she follows the Atkins low-carb diet. She's already been on it for 12 weeks since January 2008 and is doing absolutely FANTASTIC!!! These are the kind of videos that make low-carb living compelling because it's real people applying the principles that make low-carb work with amazing results. KEEP IT UP, Monyka!
Dananananananananananananananana...FAT GRRLLLLLLLLL! That's how these ever-so-funny videos begin with the adventures of a fat girl making herself thin. Personality is certainly not lacking in this YouTube video blogger and I can't help but think she's gonna be a GREAT success by the time all is said and done. Wish her well in this journey to better health!
If you like the low-carb recipes, then you're gonna LOVE Niki (aka Oh2BFit) and her daughter Serena as the share some tasty ones that will keep you on the straight and narrow in your low-carb lifestyle. There are many precious moments between mom and daughter that are captured for all the world to see and hear on these videos. Keep pumping them out, Niki! Your 100+ pound weight loss is so incredibly inspiring, too! WAY TO GO!!!
Finally, no joke, we have a YouTube blogger named Hooty Ha Ha. Yep, that's what he calls himself and he thinks he's pretty hilarious. Just take a look at this YouTube video about the Atkins diet and seafood. Ummmmm, okay. And your point is?
If you or someone you know decides to start video blogging about livin' la vida low-carb on YouTube, then let me know about it. I'd love to check 'em out and give a quick shout out to them here at my blog. E-mail me their YouTube URL to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Making YouTube videos is very easy nowadays with inexpensive and easy-to-use video cameras like the FLIP as well as the built-in cameras on most computers. Go ahead, give it a try! We NEED more voices sharing about low-carb in an encouraging and uplifting way to continue impacting our culture for the good.
Special THANKS to all the courageous low-carb video bloggers doing their part. I appreciate you more than I could ever express and I'm proud to be a part of the growing community there on YouTube.
