Low-Carbonanza: Carbs, Diet Soda, And Children

I have a little mix 'em up, match 'em up of topics to share with you in this blog post today, so let's get started!

First up is a neat column on carbs from friend and fellow blogger Amy Tenderich from the "Diabetes Mine" blog who asks "Why Did God Make Carbs So Yummy?" As a diabetic seeking to control blood sugar levels through carbohydrate restriction, Amy has a rather humorous look at those darn carbs! I'm sure my readers will get a big kick out of this post!

Next, we have a rather alarmist column on diet sodas entitled "Is Your Favorite Drink Toxic?" from Dr. Jonny Bowden. Jonny's main issue with the sugar-free, bubbly soft drinks has more to do with the use of the artificial sweetener aspartame (which I call NASTY-tame!) in them than anything else. And yet he came down rather harshly against them as a whole in this article.

So I e-mailed Jonny to inquire about my favorite diet sodas sweetened with Splenda and the new ones that will be coming out sweetened with stevia. Here was his response:

"Obviously stevia is a no-problem, no-brainer. The problem for me is I hate the taste and aftertaste, but I see no health problems whatsoever with it.

Splenda SO FAR seems to me pretty innocuous. I know my friend Dr. Joseph Mercola doesn't agree, but I've looked like mad and can't find any really good, responsible argument against it that can be substantiated.

That does NOT mean I won't be proven wrong in a year and I reserve the right to change my mind if there's more compelling stuff coming out. But right now I see it as the least bad of the choices."

Fair enough, Jonny! THANKS for the clarification.

Finally, I received an e-mail from someone about whether livin' la vida low-carb is appropriate for feeding young children or if it's better to wait until the children become adults. Here's the e-mail:

My wife & I are in the process of adopting a child from Russia. We're tentatively thinking that we'll be standing in Red Square by Fall. It's understandably an exciting time for us and we're doing as much preparation, planning, and research as we can to be ready for this addition to our lives.

With that in mind...

We're also both in the early phases of going low-carb (although my loving wife is having a tougher time making this commitment than I am) and I'm wondering how much of our newfound low-carb eating habits should we try to encourage with our new child, when he arrives?

The established dietary guidelines for toddler's are quite carb-heavy with lots of fruits & grains, but I'm wondering if that's okay due to the unique dietary needs of a developing post-infant-aged child. Now sure, I know that we can steer some of those choices in better directions by choosing more nutritionally-dense fruits (like raspberries or melon instead of sugary raisins or apples) and vegetables (maybe broccoli instead of carrots?) but should we do more than that?

Ultimately, I guess I'm asking, at what age is it appropriate to begin limiting carbs and/or emphasizing protein consumption with the goal of sorta having the whole family eating similar foods.

As soon as I got this e-mail, I knew EXACTLY who to ask--my reader Valerie Jacobsen who is the mother of ELEVEN CHILDREN!!! Yep, I'd say she qualifies to answer this one. :D

Forget the Brady Bunch, Valerie's even got them beat! See a picture of her robust family before the newborn arrived a few months back by clicking here. She's quite the knowledgeable one regarding livin' la vida low-carb, so there was nobody else who could answer this question quite like Valerie. Here's her response:

How thrilling! Thank you for giving a home to a child who needs one!

I'll just share my experience and opinions, because there is no definite, clear, research-based answer on this. Also, you should know that while our children have never had refined carbs in significant amounts, their mommy just started eating low carb in 2003. I am definitely still learning!

We have 11 children ages 17 years to 6 months. I woke up this morning to see the box of 5 dozen eggs open on the counter with a beautiful tray beside it arranged with browned ground turkey, sliced cheddar cheese, and sliced red and yellow peppers. A bag of frozen broccoli was steaming in the microwave. This all for made-to-order omelets already in preparation.

Children in cultures all over the world have eaten diets based on combinations of protein, fat, vegetables and fruits in season for thousands of years. We don't have sufficient, recent, long-term controlled studies to satisfy the American Academy of Pediatrics that this is a healthy way to eat, but one of the joys and blessings of being a parent is doing your own research, knowing your own child well (you will!), and making your own best decisions.

Given adequate calories and abundant fat and no portion control, this parent believes that low-carb food choices are fine for toddlers--and the AAP does not have long-term controlled studies to show me otherwise. ;-)

I like to have my children avoid artificial sweeteners and low-carb "products" with the exception of rare treats until near adulthood--but that's me. You'll know your own child, you'll observe his growth and watch how he reacts to different foods--and you'll make your own good decisions based on your observations. Even without AAP oversight for every decision, this is what loving parents do.

While I think that a low-carb diet is a healthy choice even for toddlers, my husband and I do believe that healthy, active children are able to safely consume more carbs than most adults--provided that those carbs are unrefined and eaten as close to their natural state as possible. Low-sugar fruits and modest amounts of whole grains probably don't cause obesity in active children--but I definitely wouldn't want to build in them a taste for junk.

We do allow birthday cakes (a dozen a year!) and occasional whole grain cookies. (My eldest daughter's first birthday cake was a whole grain carrot cake sweetened with stevia. You may or may not want to do something like that in your family, but this kind of rare treat is at least not the kind of white flour + white sugar + fluorescent food coloring garbage that builds an appetite for a lifetime of eating trash!)

We encourage our kids to eat all different kinds of vegetables. When a child meets a veggie that he doesn't like, I just tell him, "Well, that's because your tongue is still little and it hasn't learned to like broccoli yet. If you help your tongue practice, then you will see that it will learn as it grows. Try just one bite." And I tell him, "Remember, your tongue is not the boss of what you eat; YOU ARE!" :-)

When we go to the grocery store, even my tiny children will point at the refined carbs and say, "THAT'S not our kind," with a tone implying wonder that anyone would want to eat it.

We also encourage our children to be active explorers of their environment--to take family nature hikes, play in the back yard, build things, dig holes, play kickball, play volleyball, play sports. Part of the low-carb healthy lifestyle is to live an active life! We have no video games and very little TV here. It's not that I think they are poison, necessarily, I just don't want those things to take the place of better, more healthy life experiences!

These are just my thoughts. I think you can invite your child to your table to eat what you eat. If he needs something more or different, you'll know it. One of the reasons that I can have 11 children without tearing my hair out is that I believe caring for them is far less complex and more intuitive than a mountain of childcare experts would lead us to believe. :-)

THANK YOU for sharing your experiences, Valerie! By the way, are you going for a full dozen? LOL! Wish you could spread the wealth a little with me and Christine. :D

That's it for my little low-carbonanza! Gotta go for now, but we'll do this again real soon. Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

Slim Pickins For Splenda-Sweetened Sodas

I get flooded with e-mails about Splenda-sweetened diet sodas

There is a lot of interest by people who are livin' la vida low-carb to find a diet soda that is sweetened with sucralose, commonly known as Splenda, instead of aspartame, aka Nutrasweet. Unfortunately, the options are few and far between and are getting smaller by the minute.

One of my readers wrote to me recently about how Diet 7-Up has changed from Splenda back to aspartame without even telling anyone. This happened about six months ago, but some people are only just now noticing the change.

Here's what she wrote in the e-mail:

My Mom and I are both diabetics and we bought some Diet 7-Up to drink knowing that it has Splenda, which is safe for us, instead of aspartame. There was nothing on the bottle about the change except in the ingredients label.

My poor Mother was in bad shape for an entire day because of the violent sudden diarrhea that aspartame causes in both of us. If you could warn your readers about this, I am sure many people would be thankful.

In my diabetic class, over 90% of us have some type of reaction to aspartame ranging from stomach problems to migraines. None of us ever had any problems from Splenda.

Because of this e-mail, I thought it would be best to share a list of the Splenda-sweetened diet sodas currently available on the market. It is certainly slim pickins, but well worth looking for when you want a diet soda.

Keep in mind these Splenda-sweetened sodas are mixed with another sweetener called acesulfame potassium, aka ACE-K, to enhance the sweetness:



CAFFEINATED SPLENDA-SWEETENED DIET SODAS
Diet Coke with Splenda (12-packs only)
Pepsi One (12-packs and 2-liter bottles)



SPLENDA-SWEETENED DIET SODAS WITH NO CAFFEINE
Diet Rite, all flavors (12-packs, 2-liter bottles, 20 oz bottles)
Diet Cheerwine (12-packs, 2-liter bottles, 20 oz bottles)
Waist Watcher (12-packs, 2-liter bottles, 20 oz bottles)

You can also find many store brands that are sweetened with Splenda and ACE-K, but most of them have caffeine in them. Just read the labels carefully to avoid the ones with aspartame.

It will be difficult, but try not to buy into the highly-marketed, hyped-up diet sodas like the new energy cola Diet Pepsi Max and even Diet Pepsi Jazz or the vitamin-infused Diet Coke Plus and the ever-growing line of Coke Zero products just because they taste good with the ACE-K blend. They all contain NASTY-tame (that's my word for aspartame!) and should be absolutely avoided since there are just too many good alternatives available with very real questions about aspartame's safety still left unanswered.

Incidentally, for people who don't like the thought of using ANY artificial sweeteners, you'll be pleased to know there's a new version of Diet Coke that is tentatively going to have the plant-based all-natural sweetener stevia in it that has many of us low-carbers thrilled. Hopefully it tastes as good as the NuNaturals brand of stevia.

Coke is currently going through the process of getting FDA approval for their name for stevia--rebiana--but The Coca-Cola Company has some corporate muscle to strongarm them into acceptance. If and when this comes out, it will become my new favorite diet soda. I'm assuming this one will also be an ACE-K blend.

The diet soda market is currently dominated by NASTY-tame offerings, but hopefully that will soon begin to change. If it's a cost issue, then I know I wouldn't mind paying a little more to get Splenda in Diet Cherry Coke or Diet Mountain Dew. I'd even like to taste Splenda in Diet Barq's root beer sometime.

Why not offer a few more choices?

For low-carbers like me who love drinking diet soda, that's all we're asking for. How about it soda manufacturers?

Will You Try Vitamin-Infused Diet Coke Plus?

Get ready for the brand new Diet Coke Plus coming in April 2007

The "healthy diet soda" wars continue on with the upcoming release of the brand new Diet Coke Plus™ coming to a store shelf near you in April. With nationwide distribution set for next month, The Coca-Cola Company is excited to provide their very first calorie-free, carbohydrate-free soda product that has been infused with vitamins and minerals.

According to the nutritional label, Diet Coke Plus includes 25% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 as well as 15% of the RDA for magnesium and zinc in each 12-ounce serving. It is sweetened with an aspartame/ACE-K blend that has become the industry norm for just about every diet drink nowadays.

Attempting to get a leg up on their primary competition--Pepsi-Cola North America--as that company is set to release their own diet "energy" drink called Diet Pepsi MAX in June 2007, Coca-Cola North America is seeking to provide their loyal consumer base with a diet soda product that will serve as a supplement to their healthy diet, according to Coke's senior VP Katie Bayne.

“Consumers, including Diet Coke drinkers, are increasingly looking for more beverage options, and we wanted to offer them the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us,” she said.

This is the second such "energy" drink that will be released in 2007 by the #1 beverage company in the world. In January 2007, the Coca-Cola Company in conjunction with Nestle launched Enviga, aka "The Calorie Burner," under a cloud of controversy from some who believe the product is misleading to consumers. But many people have been curious about the product likely BECAUSE of the criticism which is why Enviga spokesman Ray Crockett reports in this news story that it is "doing very well."

I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to try the new Diet Coke Plus today when the media press kit arrived at my door this morning. The packaging for this product is top-notch as we have come to expect from the folks at Coke. It's includes the famliar Diet Coke logo along with a multi-colored "Plus" with the wording "Diet Coke with vitamins & minerals" listed on the product.

Here's the packaging for the 20-ounce bottle, 12-ounce can, and 12-pack:



I really didn't know what to expect when I went to taste this new Diet Coke Plus. I just assumed it would taste like all the other new aspartame/ACE-K drinks that have come out over the past year or so including Diet Pepsi Jazz and Coke Zero. Boy was I wrong!

When I took my first swig from the 20-ounce bottle, I noticed a somewhat recognizable (but not in a good way!) taste I hadn't had in my mouth in a while--REGULAR Diet Coke! EWWWW! I'm so used to drinking my FAVORITE Diet Coke product--that would be Diet Coke with Splenda--that this Diet Coke Plus was not nearly as sweet as I have grown accustomed to.

Nevertheless, after that initial shock to my tastebuds, I put it back in the fridge for a few hours and tried it again to discover that although it wasn't nearly as sweet as say Coke Zero or Diet Coke with Splenda, it is certainly a little bit sweeter than a regular Diet Coke. I'd have to say that the creators of this new drink have hit a pretty happy medium between the aspartame-only and the aspartame/ACE-K blend versions that fans of both should enjoy Diet Coke Plus.

Even still, whenever a new version of Diet Coke comes out the diehard lovers of the original version worry that their beloved drink is changing formulas. Not to worry, loyal fans of regular Diet Coke who do not want the ACE-K! The Coca-Cola Company learned their lesson about messing with a formulation (remember New Coke from the 1980s?), so you can rest assured your favorite diet soda is not gonna change one bit.

“The millions of current Diet Coke devotees across America shouldn’t be concerned – America’s #1 diet sparkling beverage is staying just as it is,” Bayne added.

Diet Coke Plus is the next in an ever-growing line of Diet Coke products on the market today, including original Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Coke with Splenda (which I'll explain in a moment why it is still hanging around despite the fact it was supposed to be discontinued in 2006).

You will begin seeing advertising for Diet Coke Plus in the near future with the slogan "Great Taste Has Its Benefits." They want to push the fact that this Diet Coke product has several essential vitamins and minerals while giving people the familiar taste of Diet Coke they have grown accustomed to. It's an intriguing concept that will certainly capture the attention of a public looking to live healthier. We'll have to wait and see if that can translate into positive sales numbers.

Personally, I like the idea of having a vitamin-infused diet soda. Heck, if you're gonna drink diet soda (and I AM!), then why wouldn't you want to add some vitamins and minerals to the mix to make it even better? Drinking just four 12-ounce cans of Diet Coke Plus daily will provide you with 100% of the RDA of vitamin B in your diet. Now that's just cool!

I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Coca-Cola North America spokeswoman Susan McDermott today about a few concerns from the low-carb community regarding her company. On the issue of aspartame use, she said they have conducted field marketing tests and the aspartame/ACE-K blend has been preferred by consumers as well as universally accepted across the industry as the blend for sweetening diet drinks. Fair enough.

When I stated that many of my readers would prefer a Splenda/ACE-K blend instead, McDermott insisted that aspartame is the most tested artificial sweetener in history and has been found to be completely safe by the Food & Drug Administration. While I acknowledged her point, I did express that my readers would like to have some more Splenda-sweetened options available as well. She said there are no new Diet Coke products in the works for the rest of 2007, but to not give up hope for the products you desire in the future. I guess we'll just have to be patient for now. :)

Speaking of Splenda, I asked McDermott specifically about Diet Coke with Splenda and what the availability of this product was like in 2007 since it was set to be discontinued last year. She said the product tends to sell great in certain regions and not at all in others, but it is still available for purchase. With so many different Coke products available today, local stores will only stock what they think they can sell. So if you want it and it isn't available in your area, then let the manager of your favorite grocery or retail store know. I was assured it IS available!

I'm so glad they took the feedback from so many of my readers last year after all and decided to keep Diet Coke with Splenda around for a little while longer just for us. Awww, wasn't that just so nice of them? :) Now if we can only get them to make Diet Cherry Coke with Splenda (and maybe caffeine-free), I'll be one happy camper!

Feel free to send your comments and feedback to The Coca-Cola Company regarding what you think about their product line by clicking here.

Pepsi Takes Diet Energy Drinks To The 'MAX'

The "invigorating" Diet Pepsi MAX drink arrives June 2007

In what is an obvious response to The Coca-Cola Company's hip and hot new low-carb energy drink product called Enviga, Pepsi-Cola North America today announced the creation of a brand new low-carb energy drink of their own called Diet Pepsi MAX.

There is very limited information available about this new Pepsi product releasing nationwide in June, but we do know it has zero calories and is fortified with extra caffeine and a little bit of ginseng to help "adults to get through the day." Pepsi has high hopes that this product will compete directly with Enviga and other similar energy drinks that have dominated the beverage market in recent years.

Nicknamed the "invigorating cola," Diet Pepsi MAX, which has done very well in test marketing with real consumers, is a product aimed at the 25-34 year-old demographic as well as anyone who is transitioning from sugary soda to diet soda. Even before I saw what it was sweetened with, I already knew Pepsi would be using a version of the ACE-K blends that have become popular with their current product line, including Pepsi One (made with Splenda) and the brand new Diet Pepsi Jazz (which has aspartame in it).

Rather than continue expanding their Splenda product line, Pepsi has stuck with their tried and true aspartame/ACE-K blend that has become the mainstay of products like the overhyped Coke Zero (which recently expanded their line to include Cherry Coke Zero as well). This is too bad since many low-carbers would prefer a Splenda/ACE-K blend instead, but the soda companies just haven't gotten that message clearly enough yet. Will they ever realize we don't like aspartame?!

Ever since I ended my recent diet soda embargo, I have been looking for more variety in my choices and Diet Pepsi MAX may provide that. But the jury is still out on it right now.

I contacted the corporate office for Pepsi today and left a message with someone there about conducting a taste test and blogging about it. I'll blog about it if I get the opportunity to try this product before June. Otherwise, I'll do a review as soon as it comes out in June.

One of the reasons Pepsi decided to make this new product at this time (aside from the heavy marketing presence of Coke's Enviga everywhere) is in direct response to a survey they conducted that found 8 in 10 people say they have trouble maintaining their energy during the day and 6 in 10 feel they can't get everything done that they need to get done in their daily activities.

Diet Pepsi MAX is being set up to meet the demands of that market of consumers with a delicious, calorie-free diet soda. Pepsi marketing spokesperson Cie Nicholson believes this is the right product at the right time for busy Americans.

"Adults have told us that they're constantly looking for the right balance to get them through their day and Diet Pepsi MAX is uniquely formulated to give the mind and body a boost," Nicholson contended.

You will see Diet Pepsi MAX coming in 20-ounce bottles, two-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans. This is a widespread product release that Pepsi is banking on being a viable product as will be evidenced by some pretty heavy-duty marketing and advertising when it comes out. Diet Pepsi MAX becomes the 13th cola product under the Pepsi name.

Stay tuned soon hopefully for my review of Diet Pepsi MAX if I hear back from them about the taste test. What do you think about the concept of a higher caffeine, ginseng-infused diet soda?

Diet Soda Gets The Low-Carb Thumbs Up

There are plenty of subjects that are considered controversial within the realm of livin' la vida low-carb. From the amount of carbs consumed to the use of artificial sweeteners, we as a community have a uniquely sadistic way of recklessly sabotaging what is by all intents and purposes the best nutritional approach known to mankind. I suppose there are some who just get bored with a plan that works.

That may explain why there are some who are so vehemently opposed to drinking diet soda while on a low-carb diet. I've never really understood this dynamic at all and simply kept smiling while the pounds melted off of me in 2004. As a former Coca-Cola addict which ballooned me up to 410 pounds, I knew I needed an alternative when I started the Atkins diet.

What I did was switch from regular Coke to diet sodas--primarily Diet Rite, Diet Coke with Splenda, Cheerwine, and Pepsi One. This was a monumental step for somebody like me who used to guzzle sugary sodas like they were nothing and NEVER drinking water.

But when I switched from regular to diet soda overnight, I also started drinking water, water, and more water. While I was losing weight, it wasn't uncommon for me to get down two gallons of H2O daily along with my diet sodas. Yes, I'm one thirsty man, but I am thoroughly convinced this was an instrumental part of my success.

Soon thereafter, I become a BIG FAN of diet sodas and have never experienced any adverse effects on my weight and health as a result of drinking them. There has been nothing but positive benefits to diet soda from the day I started drinking them on my low-carb lifestyle.

Since I have been maintaining these past few years, I got the idea that perhaps I should try to cut out my diet soda consumption now in 2007. No, it wasn't because I started believing the preposterous studies like this one showing you can gain weight drinking diet soda, as if sugary soda is better for you than diet soda. ABSURD!

But after about a month of going cold turkey on diet sodas, I couldn't take it anymore. Snacking more, gaining a few pounds, and missing this calorie-free part of my low-carb life, I decided to end my self-imposed diet soda embargo recently and couldn't be happier about my decision.

After blogging about my experience with diet soda, I was pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of feedback I received from so many of my readers about this subject. It was heartening to learn so many of you find diet soda to be an integral part of your low-carb weight management plans as well. It certainly seems diet soda gets the low-carb thumbs up from many of you.

Here are just a few snippets from the e-mails I received:

"Diet sodas are a great treat. I miss the fizzy when I can't get it but I am trying to be a role model for the kids and only have it in the weekends."

"Well, you know that I'm FOR diet soda being that my blog is entitled, I Love Diet Soda. I read about that study that says diet soda makes you gain weight and that's complete rubbish. How can something with no calories make you gain weight? Impossible I say! I drink diet soda because I love its taste and the fact that I can sip on it all day without worrying about excess calories."

"I read your article and totally agree. I don't understand how drinking diet sodas could contribute to a weight gain problem as many articles seem to be saying. Unless people believe that drinking diet sodas allows them to eat more as a substitute for the sugar they are avoiding, I don't see how they can be a negative. If one drinks a certain amount of soda, daily anyway, diet soda can only reduce the overall calories if nothing else is added."

"My triglycerides were extremely high and the doctor put me on medication for this which I didn't like. Every time I stopped the medication, triglycerides would go back up. I decided to try drinking diet sodas only instead of the sugary ones I was drinking. To my surprise and my doctor's, my triglycerides dropped to the normal range without medication. I have stuck with diet sodas ever since."

"I read your article on diet soda and loved it! I have kept off a 70 lb weight-loss of over 5 years and have tried quiting diet soda cold turkey. I have to be honest,I was miserable! I hated not having something sweet to look forward to. Of course I get plenty of flack from some family members that comment about the amount of chemicals, etc. I am consuming, but like you said what is the alternative? I really just wanted to say thumbs up and I'm glad I'm not alone."

WOW, what a response that article received in both my e-mail as well as the whopping 24 comments to my blog post about diet soda. Anyone else have a thought about the subject of diet soda they would like to share? Especially if you are adamantly AGAINST them being a part of a healthy low-carb lifestyle, please share WHY with any evidence to back up what you are saying.

Until I am convinced otherwise, diet soda is here to STAY in my diet.

I'm Finally Ending My Diet Soda Embargo

On my 35th birthday on December 27, 2006, I made the fateful decision to stop drinking diet sodas for good. Why? Because I wanted to and felt at the time that it was a logical progression in my weight and health management routine.

I've always said losing weight was priority #1 and I have kept the weight off long enough now that I'm evaluating areas of my diet and fitness that can be examined to continue improving upon my lifestyle. It's a good lesson for anyone who is livin' la vida low-carb to take things incrementally rather than trying to change everything is one swell foop!

That is what led me to look at my diet soda intake seriously and make some appropriate changes in my consumption habits. Although I was not experiencing any apparent negative consequences to my weight or health from drinking these calorie-free bubbly drinks, I thought I would give it a go in 2007 to ditch them for good.

Or at least that was my goal.

I actually listed "stop drinking diet sodas" as one of my very few New Year's resolutions to start the year. Unfortunately, though, since I was not seeing or feeling any benefit from being off of diet sodas completely for over a month, I was extremely disappointed. In fact, my weight didn't get better, but worse--climbing back up to 229 pounds again! EEEK!

So, I decided last week with the blessing of my wife Christine to end my self-imposed diet soda embargo and started drinking diet sodas again. Christine commented that she thought it was probably a good idea since they seemed to help me more than hurt. As of today, I have been drinking my sugar-free, Splenda/ACE-K sweetened fizzy drinks (like my favorite Diet Rite brand!) again and couldn't be happier.

In fact, guess what else?! In the week since I started drinking diet sodas, I have already lost 5 1/2 pounds and feel so much better than I did when I wasn't drinking them. And whether anyone else wants to admit it or not, that's what matters. Nobody is going to tell me what's good for me but me. Say it with me now, "That's just the way it is!" :D

Yeah, yeah, I can hear a small minority of dieting purists telling me how "empty" and "unhealthy" drinking diet sodas will be for me, but I just don't care about that opinion because it doesn't hold true for me. The bottom line is they provide me with intangible benefits that keep my weight and health on the straight and narrow. Nobody can convince me otherwise, which is why I'll keep drinking them from now on.

If somebody doesn't like that, then nothing is standing in their way of cutting out diet sodas from their life. But don't criticize my decision to keep drinking them when it's obvious they have been an integral part of my low-carb weight loss success and continuing maintenance. There's no doubt about it!

The truth of the matter is that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with drinking diet soda as part of your healthy low-carb lifestyle as long as you stick with the ones sweetened with Splenda/ACE-K, including Diet Rite, Diet Coke with Splenda, Diet Cheerwine, and Pepsi One, among others. I'll still avoid aspartame-infested diet drinks like Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Coke Zero, etc. because I am not very fond of Nutrasweet for health reasons. I'll just leave it at that for now!

Think about it logically for a moment: Which is healthier for you--sugary soda or diet soda? DUH! This shouldn't even be a debatable subject because there's just no doubt about it despite what this idiotic psychiatrist says about how "healthy" drinking regular Coca-Cola is for you.

You may have heard about this study claiming diet soda makes you fat, but I've never heard anything more absurd! During my 180-pound weight loss in 2004, I drank LOTS of diet soda along with my regular water consumption and I have kept on drinking these diet sodas for most part over the past couple of years.

They didn't make me fat, but kept me sane while I transitioned off of regular soda to diet soda. Sure, I will admit I need to discipline myself to limit my number of diet sodas to a reasonable daily number--say 3-4 instead of the 8-10 I was drinking. But that's still better than the 16-20 sugary sodas I USED to drink before my low-carb lifestyle.

It's all about choices and I'm making better ones now. Rather than cut them out completely, I will gladly continue drinking my diet sodas if they are instrumental in keeping me a weight loss success for the rest of my life. That's where I am now and I couldn't be more pleased.

Do you have any comments or reaction to my decision? I'd love to hear what you have to say. Hit me with your best shot if you think I'm crazy for drinking diet sodas again. Or if you are like me and have found success using these calorie-free drinks as part of your healthy low-carb lifestyle, then share your story, too.

Click on the comment link and let us know what you think!

Jimmy Moore's 2007 New Year's Resolutions

When I made the decision to start the Atkins diet on January 1, 2004, it was probably the first time I ever made a New Year's resolution that I intended to keep. Why do put ourselves through all the efforts involved in making resolutions if we're not going to follow through on them? Human nature can be a strange thing sometimes.

But thankfully I was able to not only keep that resolution, but see it through to the end--losing 180 pounds by the end of 2004. Now it's three years since the day I began my low-carb lifestyle and I've been able to keep that weight off with relative ease now for two years. Unbelievable and amazing all at the same time!

While I don't think I'm out of the woods yet until I can keep the weight off for a minimum of three years (which will be one year from now on January 1, 2008), I do think I've proven that livin' la vida low-carb is indeed a long-term solution to obesity. There's no denying it based on my own experience. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't walked a mile in my shoes.

With all that said, I believe there are areas of my health that still need some additional work and I'm willing to resolve to work on them in 2007. That's right, I am making a list of New Year's resolutions for 2007 to improve my health even more.

After a good deal of thought, here's what I want to do:

1. Get below 200 pounds

Currently I weigh 220 pounds and I've been unable to go below 215 pounds since my weight loss in 2004. While I am certainly NOT bemoaning my situation because at least the weight is staying off, I'd personally LOVE to get down to 199 just to say I'm back in the 100's again (or that coveted ONE-derland!). I haven't been at that weight since the 5th grade! Yeah, I was pretty chunky as a kid, but not anymore. Considering I've lost 20 pounds since August, I don't think losing 21 pounds in 2007 is unreasonable. That's less than two pounds a month. It's doable and I'M GONNA DO IT!

2. Get my body fat percentage down to 6%

When you weigh over 400 pounds with a body fat percentage in excess of 50%, you don't really care too much about it. There's just no concept in your mind of what single-digit body fat would be like. But now that I've been livin' la vida low-carb for a few years and have kept my weight relatively stable, I'd like to focus on reducing my body fat significantly. The last time I had it checked, my body fat percentage was 11 percent. I am in the process of having that checked again and working closely with a well-known trainer to reach my goal of 6% body fat. It's gonna take some work, but I'm willing to do what it takes to get there.

3. No more diet sodas

Yep, it's time for me to give up one of my last remaining vices in the world. While I still believe drinking diet soda is MUCH better for you than regular sugary soda, I've reached the point where I no longer feel like I have to have that in my life. This is HUGE for me considering I used to guzzle a case and a half of regular sugar-filled soda before my low-carb lifestyle and consumed my fair share of diet soda over the past three years. But when I committed to giving up aspartame a few months back, I knew it was time to eventually wean myself off of all diet sodas. In fact, I've actually given myself a head start on this one and went cold turkey on them since Wednesday. Yes, I miss them, but I'm committing to drinking even MORE water than I do already. So far, so good.

4. Consistency with cardio workouts

Everyone who knows me will tell you I am a workout fiend. Since I began my low-carb program, I have committed myself fully to walking on the treadmill, getting on the elliptical machine, playing volleyball at my church and many other aerobic activities that get my heart rate up and makes me sweat. I LOVE cardio workouts tremendously! But I noticed in 2006 that I'd allow myself to slack off to only 30 minutes per day and sometimes skipping a day or two here and there. It's not a big deal, but enough for me to want to resolve to be more consistent with my cardio in 2007. I will be!

5. Get serious about resistance training

I have to admit, I HATE lifting weights. I tried it for the first time in 2006 and did it for about two months before I just gave it up. Sure, I felt somewhat better while I was doing it, but I guess I got bored. I would much rather go run on the treadmill. But, resistance training is important in the grand scheme of health and I KNOW I need to get serious about it. I'm working with a trainer who will help me develop a fun plan for getting solid. If my loose skin doesn't get better after all of this weight lifting, then I KNOW I will be having a tummy tuck done.

So that's it! Those are Jimmy Moore's 5 New Year's Health Resolutions for 2007 and I fully intend to do them all. I'm all about incremental changes and believe in my heart that NOW is the right time to do these things for myself. Of course, you know I'll keep you informed about my progress on each one at my blog and will share with you my success as it happens.

There's no doubt I'll hit the weight loss goal with the focus on reducing my body fat and lifting weights. I should be able to hit my body fat percentage goal as well and remaining consistent on the cardio. While it will be tough, giving up diet sodas shouldn't be that hard either. The most difficult one will be the weight lifting. I'm PUMPED to do this, so I think I'll be ready to show off my improved physique before the end of 2007. Again, I'm skeptical about it doing much for my loose skin, but here's hoping!

That's my New Year's resolutions for better health in 2007. What are YOURS?

HFCS Not 'Mischaracterized,' But Nailed

Why does Audrae Erickson claim HFCS is good for you?

Guess who's unhappy with what I'm writing about sugar and its unhealthy subsidiary product high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) at this blog? It's none other than the President of the Corn Refiners Association named Audrae Erickson.

In a terse response to my article entitled "Diet Soda Study Results Are Absolutely Preposterous," Erickson claims that I "mischaracterized" HFCS as a "unique contributor to obesity." I had previously mentioned HFCS by name in only one other article I wrote at this blog. However, since Erickson has chosen to address the subject of HFCS, let's take a closer look at this villain to your health and waistline.

Erickson describes HFCS as "a natural, home-grown sweetener from U.S. corn fields."

Is that glowing, sentimental description of HFCS supposed to make people forget about how harmful it is for them to consume it? Sugar is sugar no matter what you call it. And HFCS is a potent sugar that is literally catastrophic to anyone who is trying to lose or maintain their weight. Why would anyone suggest otherwise?

Erickson asserted that scientific experts have found that HFCS is "not a unique contributor to obesity." But there are plenty of other studies that have found just the opposite to be true. I invite you to visit my friend Regina Wilshire's blog to get further educated about these new research findings. She'll be happy to share with you the very clear link that has been found between sugar in the form of HFCS and obesity.

But Erickson shocked me the most when she actually had the gall to claim that HFCS "has been proven beneficial to consumers through its use in many foods and beverages, including several products that are specifically made for people trying to control their weight."

Are you kidding me? Is Erickson actually suggesting that HFCS is good for you? The mere fact that it is found in foods and beverages does not necessarily mean it is not going to have an effect on your weight and health. That's like saying the alcohol found in beer is good for your because it is so prevalent in adult beverages. Just because it's in there doesn't mean you body needs it.

As for HFCS being included in products made for people trying to control their weight, that's not surprising since low-fat foods are generally loaded with sugar and/or HFCS. While this sweetener may not have any fat, HFCS is certainly not healthy. Anyone following a low-carb lifestyle knows to avoid this hidden sugar at all costs because it is nothing more than pure, unadulterated sugar!

Characterizing HFCS as "safe," Erickson said it's just as good as table sugar and honey. Is that supposed to make HFCS look better?! My contention is that those sugars are not good for you either! Sugar in ANY form can cause you to rapidly gain weight in excessive amounts.

But HFCS is a lot different than plain sugar. Actually, it is a highly refined, artificially-made product that transforms cornstarch into a sweet, thick and clear liquid that is sweeter than sugar and prevents the body from burning stored fat. Yikes! Not good when you are livin' la vida low-carb!

HFCS replaced sugar during the 1970's because it is cheaper to produce and the obesity problem has gotten progressively worse ever since. Americans consume more than 63 pounds each of HFCS annually today compared with just a half pound in 1970. Fifty-five percent of sweeteners used today are made from corn.

So the next time someone heralds the healthiness of HFCS, just remember it is a dangerous sugar that should be avoided if we are ever going to get this obesity problem under control. But we're glad to see the big boys are watching, though!

06/20/2005 UPDATE: I got the following e-mail from one of my faithful readers today in response to this article.

Hi Jimmy,

I just read your blog posting regarding Audrea Erickson's reply to your previous posting about HFCS. I nearly choked when she stated that it's "a natural, home-grown sweetener from U.S. corn fields." Natural?!! Far from it, considering the processing that HFCS goes through when manufactured. Here are some links regarding HFCS, one about the manufacturing process and the other about the effects that it has on heath:

http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html

I quit eating sugar about 1 ½ years ago when I realized that Type II diabetes runs in my mom's side of the family after my mom was diagnosed with it. Fortunately, she had a doctor that advocated a low-carb diet for her to control it (which she has, and has lost about 30 lbs, too.) While I do not follow a particular low carb diet since I do not need to loose weight (I avoid sugar, grains and starchy foods and eat primarily meat, veggies, nuts and some fruits and dairy such as cheese), I have lost 10 lbs, gained a ton of energy (for years I complained to my doctor about fatigue and she want to put me on anti-depressants even though I knew I wasn't depressed) and most wonderful of all, my Irritable Bowel Syndrome which had plagued me for over 20 years literally disappeared overnight when I quit eating grains. My resolve to stick with this way of life is always strengthened when I read about people such as yourself, who have literally transformed their lives with a LC lifestyle. And I really do appreciate your dedication to tearing down the myths and fighting all the misconceptions out there regarding what Living La Vida Low-Carb is all about. Keep up the good fight!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your encouraging words and for sharing your story of success with me today. You really made my day!