A Little More Gary Taubes And A Video You Just Can't Miss

Gary Taubes gave an outstanding talk at UC Berkeley recently

Ever since the September 2007 release of his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, I have tried to keep you up-to-date on all the latest news I can find about Gary Taubes. Although it has slowed down considerably from a few months ago, there was one event in particular that you just can't miss.

It's making the rounds on the Internet right now, but Gary Taubes participated in a televised web cast at the University of California at Berkeley on November 27, 2007 entitled "The Quality of Calories: What Makes Us Fat and Why Nobody Seems to Care." If you can set aside the time to watch this from start to finish, then you will learn more about nutritional science and why it's so whacked out in our society today than anywhere else (he even shares a lot more than what was in Good Calories, Bad Calories). Taubes was brilliant despite being in the midst of the lion's den. THIS IS WELL WORTH WATCHING!!!

And the buzz around this webcast is still raging at places like Dr. Mike Eades' "Health & Nutrition" blog, Seth Roberts' blog (who quotes some rather damning information about the American Heart Association's bias against the Atkins diet!), and the "Heart Cipher" blog, among others. Gary told me that while there were a lot of skeptics in the audience at the beginning of his talk, several of them were open to the idea that carbohydrates play a more important role in weight and health than they realized. That's progress!

Here are a few more news and notes about Gary Taubes and his book:

ATKINS NUTRITIONALS INTERVIEWS GARY TAUBES

The company whose namesake is the man who made low-carbohydrate living mainstream interviewed Gary Taubes in their November 2007 newsletter. Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. asked Taubes a series of questions about Good Calories, Bad Calories that you really should read in its entirety. My favorite part of the interview is when Taubes recounts how modern dietary recommendations became the way they did because of a few well-meaning doctors who had their mind set on one singular theory--fat makes you fat:

"I don't believe in conspiracy theories. But these people could not have done more harm or killed the underlying science more effectively had there been some grand conspiracy manipulated by the sugar industry behind the scenes."

I'm no conspiracy theorist either, but it does make you stop and wonder what else they could have done to totally confuse and befuddle the public about what a healthy diet looks like. Up is down and round is square in the world of nutrition these days!

BLOGGERS STILL LOVIN' GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES

The word is getting out about Good Calories, Bad Calories in no small part because of the enthusiastic response from so many bloggers all across the web. And these aren't just health-related blogs either which shows just how universal this book is regardless of how it may be pigeon-holed by those who disagree with it.

Here's an eclectic list of blogs commenting on Taubes:

- Herself NYC LiveJournal page
- Ashley Anne's "Life Tonic" blog
- The "Eating Disorder Talk" blog
- CrossFit Oakland
- Gretchin Rubin's "The Happiness Project"
- Matt Metzgar's blog
- Ashworth University blog
- Jared Yaple's "From Woodside Court..." blog
- "What? Yeah..." blog
- "Self Help Addicts" blog
- iMisty.com
- The Complete Running Network
- The "Lose Weight Feel Great" blog
- Slashdot

WHAT ISRAEL RAMIREZ THINKS OF CARB/INSULIN THEORY

You might be wondering, "Who is Israel Ramirez and why do I care what he thinks?" Good question. But to Shangri-La Diet author Seth Roberts, who gleaned inspiration from Ramirez for his own book, this man carries a lot of intellectual weight. In this blog post he shared what Ramirez had to say about Taubes' contention that carbohydrate consumption leads to a rise in insulin which causes obesity and disease. Here's a brief snippet from what Ramirez wrote:

"There are clinical trials in people and lab rats showing that high protein, low carbohydrate, diets suppress intake. For people, the effects are modest in the long term, amounting to a few pounds greater loss than for people given a low fat diet at the end of a one year trial. There is some evidence that this weight loss might not be maintained after the first year. Trials showing weight loss on low carbohydrate diets required eating less carbohydrate than that consumed by 99% of lean people."

Is this guy on acid or what? First he describes livin' la vida low-carb as "high-protein" which it is not--it's more high-fat than anything. Then he repeats that all-too-familiar line that low-carb may be better for weight loss, but it's only for one year and not for the long term (how the heck are you supposed to eat beyond that year, hmmm?). But that last sentence takes the proverbial cake--who cares if I eat less carbs than 99% of lean people, Mr. Ramirez. At least I'm maintaining my weight while keeping my health in check! What a dope!

READER RESPONSE TO TAUBES' BOOK CONTINUES

It's been neat to read some of the positive comments people have shared with me after they finished reading Good Calories, Bad Calories. You can tell people have had a light bulb moment and can't wait to share it with me. Here are a couple that were especially moved by the positive message of Taubes' book:

"OMG! I am about 150 pages in to Good Calories, Bad Calories. You're right, not only is it a lot to take it but I find I have to pick my jaw up off of the floor every few pages! It's so intense but fascinating reading.

You know what I love about it? Gary is not a doctor, not a registered dietitian but someone who is an amazing scientific journalist with nothing to gain (not tied to any big companies or pharmaceuticals) and his information is just down right solid research and journalism and that is something you can't ignore nor write off as fluff.

There's a part of me that's rather disturbed, though.

It's sort of like how Phillip Morris turns their back (and gets away with) the connection between cigarettes and cancer. The food manufacturers, nutritionists, etc. really are ignoring the correlation between obesity and "carbage"--this is so amazing to me. This book is really great--thank you for sharing about it on your blog! It's super and very much appreciated."
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Dear Jimmy,

I want to thank you for your great blog. I am a happily married 43 year old man, proud father of two, but as I come upon middle age I've wanted to drop these 30 pounds that I have gained over the years. I am 5'11" and my weight over the last several years has fluctuated between 220 and 195 pounds.

For years I have sworn by the fact that a low-fat, high-carb diet has to work and is by far the most healthiest. In that light, I had every book by Dean Ornish. So various times during the year I would get on an exercise and Ornish kick, I would lose some weight, but it didn't seem worth it given the effort and lack of satiety on the Ornish diet. For years I have thought the Atkins diet was a scam! Seriously, how can anyone in their right mind call the Atkins diet healthy, or so I thought.

About a month ago, quite accidentally I saw Gary Taubes on the Larry King show where he was with Dr. Mehmet Oz (I have his books too) and Dr. Weil. I was very impressed with the case that Gary was making. But I just couldn't believe my eyes that our country's obesity epidemic could be correlated with our carb intake and that it wasn't simply an issue of too much fat in the diet. So with some trepidation, I checked out several of Dr. Atkins' books and decided to give Induction a try. The low-carb route is really the only thing I have not tried to get my weight down and improve my blood pressure.

I am on day 10 of the Induction phase and surprisingly I am down 8 pounds as of this morning. My impression is that I have eaten more food than I have ever in the past while being on a diet. However all the critics of the low-carb approach will say that I am simply losing water weight. I will keep it up though.

One concern that I have and would hope you could address this. I have noticed a dramatic increase in the frequency of my urination, especially at night. I am getting up 5-7 times a night to urinate. I am concerned about this, is this too much for my kidneys? It is clearly disturbing my sleep. I want to make an appointment with my urologist for some tests, enlarged prostate, etc. But the dramatic increase in my night time urination correlates with the begining of my my induction.

Is this a normal side effect of induction? Will it go away? Are there things that I can do to address this? Thank you again for the great Blog. You have been a source of great information and an inspiration.

Yes, drinking more water and the release of water stores in your muscles can happen when you start livin' la vida low-carb. That's a VERY GOOD thing to happen and is a positive sign that you are well on your way to being happy and healthy on the low-carb life. KEEP IT UP!!!

OTTAWA CITIZEN IS ON A ROLL LATELY

I don't know what's gotten into the Ottawa Citizen newspaper lately, but they have published some absolutely fabulous columns on saturated fat being healthy and promoting low-carb diets as a way for their readers to get healthy. AMAZING! They continue this trend with an article entitled "Good Food, Bad Food" which examines what Gary Taubes wrote in Good Calories, Bad Calories to see if it makes sense. A good breakdown of the book is included and I couldn't help but smile when I saw this quote from Taubes referring to our diet now compared with our early human ancestors:

"It's not about what you do eat, it's about what you don't eat. And what you're not eating is what we didn't eat as a species until at the very least 2,000 years ago, and for foods like refined sugar, 200 years ago. I can't imagine how that could be unhealthy."

In other words, if eating a low-carb, high saturated fat diet kept Mr. Caveman lean and healthy all those years, what makes us think in modern society that a high-carb, low-fat diet will suddenly do the trick for us? The answer is IT WON'T! Makes me glad I'm livin' la vida low-carb, baby!

Five Fabulously New Low-Carb Blogs

It's hard to believe, but there are lots of brand new low-carb blogs appearing online in 2007 with people who are gung-ho enthusiastic about livin' la vida low-carb and can't wait to share with everyone who comes across their place online what this way of eating has done for them. I highlighted 10 of them a few months back as well as these five and these five late last year.

Today, I'm pleased to share with you FIVE MORE hot new low-carb blogs that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face as they represent another fine group of people who are seeking to educate, encourage, and inspire the masses about the amazingly healthy low-carb lifestyle! Be sure to visit each of them and leave comments at their respective blogs. ENJOY!

1. EATING LOW

Amy lost 40 pounds in just three months on Kimkins

With the popularity of the Kimkins diet continuing to grow at a rapid pace in 2007, you've got people like Amy who have been so radically transformed (she lost 40 pounds in three months!) that she now feels compelled to share what she has learned about healthy living. For Amy, that means a new venture she calls "Eating Low"--the low carb, low-cal, low-fat way. While not all low-carbers adhere to such restrictions on fat and calories, Amy would be the first to tell you to just enjoy the healthy foods you are cooking which will in the end bring you the weight loss success you so desperately desire. What an amazing turnaround for this newfound cooking goddess! I'm so proud of you Amy and wish you continued success with your outstanding video cooking show.

2. FATSUIT WITHDRAWAL
You've gotta meet "The Fatsuit Girl"

I love humorous diet blogs because you've got to be able to laugh at yourself if you're going to undertake something as dead serious as weight loss. Thankfully, the woman from Montreal, Canada who calls herself "The Fatsuit Girl" gets that concept as well as anyone I've ever seen with her blog called "Fatsuit Withdrawal." Don't ask me what it means, but I can tell you this...you won't have any trouble figuring out what's on the mind of this blogger because she doesn't hold back when she writes. Woowee, you've gotta read it to believe it! 8-O She's a newbie low-carber, so go show her some livin' la vida low-carb lovin' today, okay?

3. FIRM THIS FANNY

Can Deb "firm this fanny" of hers on low-carb?

You have to respect anyone who can use the word "fanny" in the name of her blog. That's why I got a big kick out of the "FIRM This Fanny" blog from that good-looking 38-year old chick named Deb who hopes to "look hot" after losing weight on healthy doses of low-carb living and workout DVDs. Read more about what her low-carb diet looks like in this post where she is hoping to drop 10 pounds over the next month. That's a feasible goal and I wish her well in her efforts to get "fit, toned and shapely." Go get 'em, Deb! :)

4. DIET KING 2
Adam "The Diet King" Wilk is back blogging again

When I first entered the blogosphere back in April 2005, one of the first people I met was Adam Wilk, author of a fantastic satirical look at his rollercoaster ride in the world of dieting called Diet King. He had a fantastic blog and web site at the time, but all good things seem to come to an end at some point and that was right about a year or so ago. But Adam has decided to come back with a new blog he's calling "DietKing2" which he subtitles "Ah, who the hell knows?" From the looks of his first post, it seems the "Diet King" is ready to give Atkins another go. You can do it, Adam! Stick with it as your permanent lifestyle change and get off that diet rollercoaster for good.

5. LIMENADE AND WATERMELON...

Rockin' Robin has really shed the pounds on low-carb

Finally, we have an amazing 37-year old woman named Robin who has gotten herself in tip-top shape thanks to her dedication to livin' la vida low-carb and Taebo since August 2006. What an inspiring success story who's blog reads like a virtual open book about what's happening in Robin's life (just read "Ouch..." and you'll see EXACTLY what I mean!). You go on with your bad self, Robin! You DESERVE to be heard because you have overcome some great odds to get where you are today.

Try to visit each of these blogs and share a brief comment when you go to each one. I know it will be a HUGE encouragement to these bloggers who are investing their time and energy into providing their own insights and perspectives about livin' la vida low-carb to a world who may not understand what low-carb is REALLY all about.

The more voices of truth we can get out there, the merrier! Let me know if you have a new low-carb blog that you'd like for me to feature in an upcoming post. E-mail it to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Bloggers Named Time's 'Person Of The Year'

Surprise choice for Time's "Person Of The Year"--YOU!

"The person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse."

That's the qualification for someone to be named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" and now the magazine has announced who their winner is for 2006.

In a year that had so many contenders for the highly-publicized title of "Person of the Year," the editors at Time went the unconventional route when they chose those of us who are on the cutting edge of information technology by participating in the ever-expanding blogosphere as the "person" that deserved this year's distinction.

That's right, Time magazine chose all of YOU who read, write, and visit blogs as their "Person of the Year" shutting out other potential nominees such as incoming Democrat House majority leader Nancy Pelosi (who I actually thought was a shoe-in for this after the Democrat Party regained control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 1994), Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, and Iraq Study Group leader James Baker.

But I applaud Time for steering clear of the political angle this time around and making the selection more of an all-around award for the great seismic shift that is happening in the way we send and receive information in the 21st Century. Blogs aren't just some passing fancy that are here today, gone tomorrow. And to their credit, Time wanted to give those of us who have made blogging a part of our lives the recognition that our time and efforts merit.

A recent Pew Research survey found that while only 8 percent, or 12 million Americans, of the Internet population currently has a blog, an amazingly high 39 percent of them, or 57 million Americans, state they read blogs regularly. Time knows those numbers will undoubtedly continue to go up in 2007 and beyond.

With the sudden emergence of the popular blogging site MySpace.com and YouTube (which was recently bought by Google) in 2006, there is no denying the influence blogs are making because they give the traditional media their first real competition for eyeballs in the new media age.

"For seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, Time's Person of the Year for 2006 is you," Time's Lev Grossman wrote about bloggers in the December 25, 2006 issue.

This is why you see traditional media outlets such as newspapers, television and radio stations creating message boards and blogs featuring their personalities to try to get their foot in the door on this new medium for reporting and providing commentary. But now the public has a choice about where to get their information rather than simply relying on the old school sources of information.

You'll notice the front cover of the 2006 "Person of the Year" issue of Time magazine, available on newstands on December 18, 2006, has a mirror on it to show the face of this new wave of innovation in modern communication.

"It literally reflects the idea that you, not us, are transforming the information age," Time's Richard Stengel explained.

What an honor to be a part of this group of people who are trying to make a difference using blogs to provide high-quality news, information and commentary to help educate and encourage others about weight loss and low-carb. That's why I was thrilled when FOXNews.com named my blog as a Top 10 health site a couple of week's ago. Slowly but surely the blogosphere is influencing culture in a big way and it's getting noticed more and more!

With so many people blogging about anything and everything, there's really no reason why EVERYONE shouldn't do even a little daily surfing to find a blog about a topic they like. And if for some reason there's something that interests you that isn't represented among the millions of blogs that are out there, then what better reason to start blogging yourself? That's the beauty of this format that has made it such a hit with an information-hungry public.

Grossman admitted 2006 was a transitionary year for blogs and they now stand ready to make even further strides into the mainstream in the next few years.

"It's about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes," Grossman remarked.

He added that the Internet has made the world a much smaller place than it has ever been before and bloggers are simply using this technology to provide the general public a new set of voices on a variety of subjects.

"It's a tool for bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter," Grossman concluded.

Stengel concurred by stating bloggers can provide instant feedback on the issues of the day and add their own unique contribution to the debate of ideas.

"These blogs...bring events to the rest of us in ways that are often more immediate and authentic than traditional media," he said.

When I started my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog in April 2005, I wasn't setting out to do anything except provide an outlet for my thoughts and ideas about low-carb and weight loss. I was already writing about a variety of subjects at a pseudo-blog called CommonVoice.com, but wanted a more personal way to connect and interact with people struggling with obesity and health-related issues. Thus was birthed this blog you are reading right now.

I never would have guessed my blog would now be attracting nearly 100,000 pageviews a month or be acknowledged by influential health personality Dr. Dean Ornish as a "powerful force" for educating the public on diet and health. Whoa! This blogging thing has been quite a ride for me and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down at all.

That's okay with me. My life was changed forever when I lost nearly 200 pounds on the low-carb lifestyle in 2004 and now this blog is my daily outlet for sharing my life's experiences to help others. Time magazine realizes bloggers like me are among a new generation of people changing the landscape of journalism and the open debate of ideas.

The newspapers once ruled the day until radio came along. Radio then took over until network television took its place. Then television took another turn when cable television swooped in to attract a new audience in the 1980s. In the early 1990s, talk radio once again changed the way society gets its information while in the late 1990s, the Internet became the flavor of the moment. In 2006, it's blogging, baby!

I will continue to blog about low-carb, weight loss, health, diet and nutrition as long as there is interest in what I am writing about. Perhaps this focus on blogs by Time magazine will introduce millions upon millions of new readers to hop on the blogosphere for perhaps the very first time in 2007 and I'll stand ready to serve them with the information and interaction they are looking for.

On behalf of all bloggers everywhere, let me say a hearty THANK YOU to Time for honoring our efforts and giving us the proper respect that we so aptly deserve for what we do. Much of the mainstream media is so shellshocked by the emergence of bloggers that they really don't know whether to love or hate us. Don't worry! We're just a bunch of harmless, yet passionate group of writers who seek to change the world one post at a time! :D