Obesity doc Yoni Freedhoff wonders about low-carb long-term
We hear it all the time from people who have genuine concerns about low-carb diets: Can you sustain it over the long-term? It's a fair question and I can appreciate that people who work in the medical community want to be thorough with the information they are providing their patients. Not every doctor asks that question with the best of intentions, but I think the one I interviewed for my podcast show today does.
In Episode 131 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," you'll hear from Dr. Yoni Freedhoff in Ottawa, Ontario Canada as he talks about how he got into bariatric medicine, what he does in his office to help the obese, what he thinks about the low-carb diet as a sustainable lifestyle change, and why he believes the pharmaceutical answer to obesity isn't necessarily the primary answer for people desiring weight loss. I think you'll enjoy hearing what Dr. Freedhoff has to say. ENJOY!
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 131:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 131 [22:02m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Dr. Freedhoff is a very articulate physician who sincerely wants to help people beat their obesity through the use of a calorie budget--whether it is low-fat or low-carb--and trying to keep within their individualized parameters. It's an interesting strategy to give overweight and obese people "guidance" rather than shaming them into losing weight. I was pleased to hear him say that he understands fat and protein are filling (that thing called satiety) and are great for weight loss.
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Are the concerns by Dr. Yoni Freehoff about the sustainability of low-carb diets over the long-term justified? What do you think about his philosophy for people dealing with obesity? Let's discuss it in the show notes section of Episode 131. Check out his blog "Weighty Matters" as well as his Bariatric Medical Institute web site for more information from this fascinating doctor who is helping his Canadian patients lose weight and get healthy again.
Come back later this week when I'll be sharing an outstanding interview I conducted with a man named Doug Kaufmann. One of my blog readers told me about Doug and his "Know The Cause" program which zeros in on fungus as a primary role in obesity and disease. I know, it sounds gross and a little crazy, but I can assure you this will be one podcast you will NEVER forget! That's what I have coming up for you on "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" on Thursday.
This particular conference in Phoenix beginning on Tuesday is where all of the nation's top bariatrics physicians come together to talk about and exchange ideas about how to deal with the ever-increasing problem of obesity and to find out what is working and what is not. Yes, many bariatric physicians seem to get a bad rap for their seeming quick embracing of weight loss surgery, but a lot of the ones I interviewed for my podcast show last year looked at natural dietary ways of dealing with it first before even contemplating going under the knife with their patients. Most of these doctors are fully dedicated to helping their patients find the proven and effective plan that works best for them and they come to conferences like these to hear seminars from other experts in the field to learn how to be even better at what they do.
As an added bonus set of sessions presented by the Nutrition & Metabolism Society, the weekend part of the conference is almost entirely dedicated to the truth from the research community about saturated fat, carbohydrate restrictions, and heart disease. The very latest cutting edge evidence will be presented, including examining whether there is a real connection between saturated fat and heart disease, seeking to understand what role carbohydrates play in cardiovascular risks, and comparing whether carbohydrate restriction or saturated fat restriction is preferred when attempting to prevent and treat heart disease. What a fascinating set of topics that correlates perfectly with what I do here on a daily basis and one I will be taking copious notes, I can assure you.
The highlight of the conference taking place at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix is hearing from bestselling author of Good Calories, Bad CaloriesGary Taubes as he presents two lectures--"The Real Cause Of Obesity" on Saturday and "History of Dietary Saturated Fat-Restriction Recommendations" on Sunday. I'll be right there listening in to what he has to say as well as conducting my own interview with Taubes who has generously agreed to appear on my podcast show, too. WOO HOO!
Other notables presenting information at this event who I am hoping to meet and interview while I am there include Dr. Eric Westman from Duke University, Dr. Richard Feinman from SUNY Downstate, Dr. Jeff Volek from the University of Connecticut, Dr. J. Bruce German and Dr. Steven Phinney (who I've been trying to interview for the past three years) from the University of California-Davis, Dr. Mary C. Vernon from the University of Kansas, Dr. Donald Layman from from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Dr. Jay Wortman who constructed the diet used by the First Nations people on the hit CBC-TV documentary "My Big Fat Diet."
It will be a true honor being in the midst of these true greats who are working tirelessly behind the scenes researching the validity of the low-carbohydrate dietary approach. I consider these men and women the REAL heroes of this way of eating because they have sometimes put their own personal careers and reputations on the line in an effort to share the truth that the data shows them about livin' la vida low-carb. We all owe them a great debt of gratitude for the work they are doing to educate the public about the healthy low-carb lifestyle.
I'm also excited about meeting some other wonderful people in the world of low-carb living who will be in attendance at this conference, including Protein Power authors Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades, Jackie Eberstein from Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition (and who worked with Dr. Robert C. Atkins for three decades), University of Connecticut researcher Cassandra Forsythe, About.com Low-Carb Diets blogger Laura Dolson, Colette Heimowitz from Atkins Nutritionals, and many more! Christine and I can't wait to get on that plane on Thursday and spend a few days in the "valley of the sun" to get educated, encouraged and inspired anew about the healthy low-carb lifestyle. When I get back, hopefully I'll have TONS of podcasts, blog post ideas and even a YouTube video or two to share with you about this incredible conference.
If you have any questions you would like for me to ask any of the people I mentioned in this blog post during my interviews, then please e-mail those to me no later than Tuesday, April 8, 2008. I will do my best to ask the experts about what's on your mind and get the answer directly from the horse's mouth. :) THANKS for supporting the work I am doing here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. I appreciate you guys!
By the way, if you live in the Phoenix, AZ area, then we'd love to meet you while we are there. E-mail me and maybe we can meet at the hotel to chat or have dinner with you. It would be such a privilege to come face-to-face with the people who enthusiastically support me in the work I am doing. THANK YOU!
Dr. Scott Rigden says low-carb is PERFECT for the "carb-sensitive"
It's sad that today is my 8th and final podcast interview with a bariatric physician from the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) obesity conference in Nashville, Tennessee last month. But Dr. Scott Rigden out of Chandler, Arizona brings an end to the series of interviews with a bang by promoting livin' la vida low-carb as a means for weight loss and improved health.
In case you missed any of the previous ASBP interviews, here they are:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 64 [16:46m]: Play in Popup | Download
As a long-time bariatric physician over the past three decades, Dr. Rigden has seen all the weight loss trends come and go. But when it comes down to a healthy dietary approach to dealing with obesity, he knows that the low-carb lifestyle fits the bill and will help the overweight and obese shed the pounds and get their life back!
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Do you have any reaction to Dr. Rigden's weight loss approach? It's very methodical and purposeful to treat the cause rather than the symptom. Tell me what you think about Dr. Rigden today.
Now that the bariatric physicians interviews are done, we'll be getting back to topical-based podcast shows on Mondays and Thursdays again. Let me know if there are any specific issues you would like for me to address in future podcasts and we'll do our best to get to those. E-mail me your suggestions at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
Incidentally, I have been invited to the ASBP obesity conference in Las Vegas, Nevada this fall, so perhaps we'll have more interviews to share again later this year. Plus, I have a few surprise interviews in store for you in the coming months...KEEP LISTENING! :)
Bariatric physician Dr. Caroline Cederquist not very kind to low-carb
It has been my pleasure to present a series of captivating interviews with bariatric physicians on Thursdays over the past couple of months. Most of them have been at the very least respectful of the low-carb lifestyle as a healthy option for weight loss.
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 63 [15:29m]: Play in Popup | Download
It's funny how these self-proclaimed health experts like Dr. Cederquist like to talk the talk, but never walk the walk of their own advice. She and others CLAIM they are in favor of helping people "individualize" their diet to their specific needs, but then they discourage people from even trying low-carb living which is being proven more and more by research like this to be a healthy lifestyle change for the obese. I guess she is all for custom diets as long as they are of the high-carb, low-fat, low-calorie, portion-controlled variety.
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Is it just me or does this Dr. Cederquist smack of just a tinge of hypocrisy promoting the idea of finding what works for you, but then needlessly frightening people about healthy low-carb plans like the Atkins diet? If livin' la vida low-carb is an equally effective plan of action as low-fat for weight loss and improved health, then why all the drama and scaremongering?
Talk about it at the podcast site and share your theories about why the Dr. Cederquists of the world feel so compelled to do this sort of thing.
Coming up on Thursday is my 8th and final interview from the American Society of Bariatric Physicians obesity conference I attended in Nashville, TN last month. You'll get to hear from Dr. Scott Rigden discuss his idea of a "caveman diet" for treating people who are obese. I'm sure you will enjoy it!
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 62 [16:52m]: Play in Popup | Download
While I did not agree with everything Dr. Kennedy shared in my interview with him (namely his promotion of portion control as the key to weight loss and his description of obesity as a "disease"), he certainly has a niche with his focus not on the diet but on the personal habits. If people could get this aspect of weight loss down, then obesity could quite possibly be obliterated.
Check out these five ways to listen to the podcast (#5 is COOL!):
Dr. Kennedy is a really interesting obesity doc with a perspective on weight loss that's one-of-a-kind. His dietary philosophy isn't so much about specific diets or exercise regimens, but rather your perspective and mindset. What do you think about this? Is he being short-sighted by ignoring the diet or is this the next wave of treatment for obesity? Share your comments about Dr. Kennedy and let's hear your opinions.
If you missed my Episode 61 podcast on the new weight loss drug Alli, then you should go back and listen to this instant classic which attracted quite a bit of attention from some first-time listeners! That was so much fun--I still laugh at it after listening to it SEVERAL time! :)
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 60 [14:30m]: Play in Popup | Download
Dr. Richardson is a past president of ASBP, so he is obviously very passionate about the subject of diet and health. We discussed in the interview the various approaches currently being used to treat obesity, including the infamous Phen-Phen debacle all the way to the recently-released over-the-counter version of Xenical called Alli. He says people need to find what works for them and "stop the blame game" using their thyroid or other such excuses for not losing weight. AMEN!
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Dr. Richardson was quite open to the use of the low-carb lifestyle to help his patients who would do well on such a weight loss plan. But he even admits in my interview that the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins was quick to note that he eats carbs and the right diet method for long-term success is up to the individual to tailor according to their individual needs. Tell me what you think about Dr. Richardson and his approach to helping the obese.
Also, I shared in Episode 60 a little about my experience being filmed for the upcoming obesity documentary called INSPIRED: The Movie. Video clips and photos from the filming coming soon as well as an update on my brother Kevin who has begun to lose weight and will be appearing in the movie with me, too! EXCITING STUFF!
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 58 [19:02m]: Play in Popup | Download
Dr. Temmerman is a big believer in overweight and obese people finding lifestyle changes that will suit them. She acknowledges that the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins was really on to something good with his concepts about carbohydrate restriction and believes something drastic needs to happen in America to turn the tide of obesity.
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Dr. Temmerman is soft-spoken, but her message of behavioral change speaks volumes. Share your comments about my interview with her today.
Also, be sure to check out this week's episode of "The Health Hacks Podcast" for a special episode featuring the top 5 health books from each of the major contributors there. I think you'll enjoy it!
Dr. Kurt Kraft helps his patients understand the "lifestyle change" concept
My next interview from the obesity conference sponsored by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) in Nashville, Tennessee about a month ago is with bariatric physician Dr. Kurt Kraft. Although he's not an ardent believe in the low-carb lifestyle as a starting point for weight loss and disease management, he does use an Atkins low-carb dietary approach with his patients who are "carb sensitive." Listen to my interview with Dr. Kraft NOW:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 56 [17:36m]: Play in Popup | Download
As you can tell, I enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Kraft because you could tell he honestly cares about seeing his patients get healthy. He takes great pride in and is energized by the success that he sees his patients experiencing. We need more doctors who take such a vested interest in their patients as Dr. Kraft does.
He chooses to use the "healthy" approach with his patients when he first starts them off on their new lifestyle change--which means they eat a low-fat diet. But Dr. Kraft also emphasizes removing the sugar and refined carbohydrates from their diet to help get their blood sugars under control. Many patients continue to eat low-fat while others are placed on a low-carb diet. It's an individualized plan for the person losing the weight--not a one-size-fits-all program.
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Dr. Kraft is certainly a doctor with a positive and jovial outlook on obesity treatment. What do you think about his methodology? Is the low-fat diet the right starting point for an effective and healthy weight loss plan? Tell me what you think about that and anything else Dr. Kraft said in my interview with him.
Amy lost 40 pounds in just 3 months on a low-carb diet
Plus, at the beginning of this podcast, I introduce you to an amazing new low-carb video cooking show called "Eating Low." It's from fellow low-carb success named Amy who in less than 100 days lost an incredible 40 pounds. Now she's sharing her deliciously healthy low-carb, low-fat, low-cal recipes with the world. Check 'em out!
Get to know diabetes and obesity practitioner Dr. Mary C. Vernon
If you are livin' la vida low-carb and/or have Type 2 diabetes, then there is a doctor that you should be abundantly aware of for the tremendous contributions she is making for the cause of health in the United States today. She is Dr. Mary C. Vernon and she has a private medical practice in her hometown of Lawrence, Kansas.
I previously shared with you my podcast interview with Dr. Vernon a couple of weeks ago as well as an interview at my blog last year to introduce you to this remarkable doctor who is actively using the low-carb nutritional approach as an effective means for controlling her patients' blood sugars as well as their weight.
She is on the frontlines of the debate over how to best treat Type 2 diabetes as the co-author of the book Atkins Diabetes Revolution and has been going around touting the Duke University study that found dramatic improvements in diabetics who went on the Atkins diet to treat their disease. Dr. Vernon is constantly at odds with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) who insist people with diabetes should eat all the carbs they want as long as they take their medicine. But Dr. Vernon says carbohydrate restriction is the key, not medicine.
After meeting Dr. Vernon in person twice over the past couple of years, I can tell you there is nobody more devoted to seeing people get healthy the low-carb way than she is. Educating her patients and helping them see real results just through changes in their diet is what helps motivate her to keep doing what she's doing. She even is willing to answer questions from people across the country and around the world through her informative "Ask Dr. Vernon" blog.
Because of all that she has done to change how people view the low-carbohydrate nutritional approach as a viable alternative to the low-fat diet, I named Dr. Vernon among my Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2006. Additionally, her work got national recognition when it was highlighted in this outstanding column by Adam Campbell in Men's Health magazine in November 2006.
Because of all the added attention being given to Dr. Vernon over the past year for her work to change the dynamics of how to best treat diabetes and obesity, she has been getting more and more attention from the diabetic media, including CNBC's dLife.
If you are ready to be inspired and reinvigorated about why you are livin' la vida low-carb, whether you have diabetes or not, then check out this brief 4-minute clip of Dr. Vernon during her recent appearance on dLife:
WOW! Can we clone you, Dr. Vernon? :)
While it would be nice to have access to doctors who are as committed to their obese and diabetic patients as Dr. Vernon is wherever you live, that is sadly not the case. But as the current president and a member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP), she assures me that there are others out there who are just as passionate as she is about livin' la vida low-carb.
Click here to locate a bariatric physician in your area and ask them if they are open to using a low-carbohydrate approach to treating obesity and diabetes. If they say YES, then you've found a doctor who can help tailor an effective strategy for helping you.
THANK YOU, Dr. Vernon, for being a shining example of what a doctor is supposed to be like with their patients--empathetic, caring, willing to listen, and knowledgeable about what really works. You are a real hero and on behalf of my readers here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, I salute you today. God bless the work you are doing!
Let's party in Dr. Vernon's name with a porterhouse, shall we?
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 52 [20:57m]: Play in Popup | Download
What a real privilege it was to meet and speak with Dr. Denise Bruner since she has become a celebrity of sorts in recent years showing up as an articulate obesity expert on popular talk shows like The Maury Povich Show, Dr. Phil, and Good Morning America, among others. Dr. Bruner is a past president of the ASBP and serves as a noble ambassador for helping the overweight and obese overcome their weight problems for good.
But do you know what excited me the most about Dr. Bruner? She's livin' la vida low-carb, baby! That's right, Dr. Bruner revealed in my interview that she personally has to use a controlled-carb nutritional approach to keep her weight and health in check. WOW! Now THAT is awesome to know that we have someone like this on the side of low-carb living helping spread the message to her patients who are stuck eating the recommended high-carb, low-fat diet.
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So, what did you think of Dr. Denise Bruner? She's a genuinely nice person to be around and really knows what she's talking about. I was thrilled to have the chance to interview her and only wish I could see her in action at her Arlington, VA-based practice. Maybe I'll make it up there someday.
Jason White believes as I do that sugar in any form is unhealthy
Last week I introduced you to a brand new contributor to the Health Hacks Podcast named Nathan Stanley. There's another regular contributor there by the name of Jason White who had this fantastic podcast about what a sugar-free diet REALLY means. You will find yourself nodding in agreement at what Jason has to say.
Send a note of appreciation to Dr. Denise Bruner for her fantastic interview and for what she is doing to help further healthy living by e-mailing her at denisebrunermd@comcast.net.
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