Last week I shared with you about my wife Christine's latest physical which found her triglycerides were elevated despite following a lower-carb diet over the past year. She dropped 35 pounds, saw her HDL increase slightly to 57 and her LDL plummet by 50 points to below 100. All in all based on those numbers, she's in excellent health. There's only one problem--her triglycerides are at 297! EEEEEEK!
In Episode 30 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," we wanted to bring you up-to-date with this story I started in that blog post last week to let you know how our talk with the registered dietitian went, what plan of action we are taking to help bring those triglycerides way down, and to hear Christine's response to some of the comments that have been left about her health. It's good news because we now have a solid method for treating this rather than lamenting on what was done (or not done!) in the past.
Hear the surprising comments from Christine's dietitian in today's video:
We were kinda shocked to hear this dietitian talking about restricting carbohydrates and choosing good omega-3 fats to help lower triglycerides. YEAH!!! Maybe I've been too hard on dietitians in the past and there are a few diamonds in the rough (kinda like Monica Reinagel). While Christine's dietitian did spout the usual "saturated fat is bad for you" mumbo jumbo, she was dead on about carbs. It's a slow start, but I think the positive impact of livin' la vida low-carb among nutritionists is getting there.
My Wife Christine: The Perfect Example Of Why Low-Carb Isn't Just About Weight Loss
How can this beautiful face be anything but healthy?
When most people talk about the low-carb lifestyle, the subject usually centers around weight loss. And naturally so! After all, books like Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, which totally changed my life forever for the better in 2004 when I lost a total of 180 pounds that year, are marketed as "diet" books. And bookstore shelves are absolutely LOADED with author after author touting this plan and that plan to help you lose the blubber.
But when we talk about "diet" in the full context of what that word really means, we're not just referring to weight loss. The simplest definition of a "diet" in my mind refers to "the way you eat." That's it! So, for people on any of the various low-carb diets like Atkins, Protein Power, South Beach, or The Zone, for example, the focus is on the mechanism that happens inside the body when you reduce your carbohydrate intake. And that is what produces the ever-elusive weight loss.
Yes, eating low-carb does indeed result in some rather spectacular weight loss. But the thing that amazed me more than anything about livin' la vida low-carb when I first started on it were the massive improvements in my health. I was taking prescription medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and breathing problems. Within nine months of my low-carb way of eating, I no longer needed those prescription drugs. And I've never taken another pill from a pharmacist since.
People e-mail me all the time wanting to know why they haven't lost weight on low-carb because the scale hasn't moved as fast as they were hoping. My response back to them is usually to remind them that at least they are losing weight and that their first and foremost priority when livin' la vida low-carb is NOT weight loss, but rather it should be their health. This is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of the low-carb life that is simply ignored by people who don't think it's necessarily something they need for their life.
Take, for example, a normal weight person. Most people would look at that individual and conclude that a low-carb diet is unnecessary for them because they're not overweight or obese and, thus, are healthy, right? Welllllll, not necessarily. And the same goes for an overweight or obese person. Just because they are carrying around a few extra pounds doesn't automatically mean they are unhealthy. Of course, the extra weight can lead to health issues in the long run, but it's not a perfect indicator of current health problems.
With that said, I wanted to share with you some rather startling results from a recent physical that my dear wife Christine had at her doctor. She started on a reduced-carb dietary approach about a year ago after her triglycerides had risen to a slightly-elevated 250. Her HDL was over 50 at the time and her LDL was over 140. Of course, the doctor was very concerned about this and wanted to put her on Lipitor, but her husband (that's me!) advised against it. That's why we tried low-carb for her.
In just a few short months, Christine dropped 35 pounds and was feeling a lot better by quitting sugary sodas and eating less carbohydrates than she was. Keep in mind that she has a much higher carb tolerance than I do. I have to keep my carbs below 50g daily or I gain weight whereas Christine can eat around 150g before weight starts to creep up on her. It's the difference in our metabolism and I'm cool with it (although watching her get away with eating more carbs is a bit frustrating...but I get over it!).
Since she got her weight back down by livin' la vida low-carb, Christine has allowed a few bad habits to creep back into her diet again--eating French fries (one of her favorite foods!) when we eat out, having breaded meats, eating sandwiches with the bun, and eating her favoritest candy in the whole widey-widey world--M&M's! Yes, old habits are hard to break, but as long as her weight was in check there wasn't a reason to panic.
Or was there.
Today we got the results of her blood work and one number stuck out like a sore thumb among all the others--HER TRIGLYCERIDES!!! While Christine's HDL rose slightly to 58 and her LDL plummeted to 94 without the use of that statin drug her doctor wanted to put her on, her triglycerides actually ROSE to 293. HOLY COW!!! Needless to say, she was quite upset by this and couldn't understand why her cholesterol improved, but her triglycerides didn't. And here's the crux of why I decided to write this blog post.
Christine is the perfect example of why low-carb isn't just about weight loss. Despite all her best efforts to reduce her sugar and carbohydrate intake from the levels she used to eat and the weight loss success she experienced as a result of doing that, her health in the form of her triglycerides did not see a benefit. Sure, her lipid profile was a positive, but what happened with her triglycerides?
Christine is looking at an anomaly of sorts. On the one hand, her cholesterol numbers are fabulous and keep her from ever having to consider the "s" word to lower them (not that she would!). But on the other hand, now her doctor wants to put her on a risky prescription drug called Lovaza to bring her triglycerides down. Christine got a big bag full of samples for her to try (HOO BOY!) and I am always curious to read the fine print about these wonder drugs.
Check out these disclaimers for Lovaza:
Before you take LOVAZA you should take these steps to control your very high triglyceride levels: modify your diet (YA THINK?!), lose weight if you are overweight, increase exercise and reduce alcohol use. Treatment with LOVAZA has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or strokes (EEEEEK! Then why would you want to take this drug in the first place?!). Burping, infection, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, a change in your sense of taste, back pain and skin rash are LOVAZA’s most common side effects, but there are others.
Oh, is that all? Sheeez! Reading off all these potential side effects of medications designed to help improve your health is enough to make me nauseous (do they make a pill for THAT?!). As someone who has suffered with the negative side effects of statin drugs, if I can find a way to "modify" my diet to lower my triglycerides, then I will. And that's what we're gonna try with Christine instead of Lovaza.
Starting right now, she is on a strict low-carb diet. No more French fries, breaded chicken sandwiches, or M&Ms until we can get the triglycerides down (and hopefully after that, too!). It's not a weight loss thing...it's a HEALTH thing! And Christine now realizes that her lack of weight gain gave her a false sense of comfort with the way she was eating. How many others are walking around out there thinking they're okay when very clearly they are not? That's the question we should be asking about rather than what diet is good for weight loss.
Christine will go meet with a dietitian on Friday afternoon and I'll be sitting in the room with her during this conversation. We're bracing for the low-fat lecture, but I was encouraged to see on her chart that a 1600-2000 calorie diet consisting of low-glycemic foods with 35 percent fat was recommended alongside a moderate exercise routine. Considering her fasting insulin levels were also slightly elevated, this may be a plan for success. I'll be anxious to hear straight from the horse's mouth on Friday what she thinks about Christine's condition and hopefully it won't have anything to do with taking prescriptions of any kind.
We'll be meeting some of the best and brightest minds in the world of low-carb research next month in Phoenix, Arizona for a Nutrition & Metabolism symposium, so you bet we'll be asking them for their opinion about what Christine should do henceforth. But I open the floor to you my readers to share your comments about this and any personal or professional experience with what Christine is going through. I'm just surprised her cholesterol improved so much and her triglycerides did not. Any thoughts?
Nutritionist Monica Reinagel talks openly about low-carb dieting
My history with nutritionists and dietitians while talking about the healthy low-carb lifestyle has not been a very good one. I've had my fair share of run-ins with them here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Yes, I've had my way of eating poked, prodded, and pranced upon by these self-righteous purveyors of their version of dietary truth for so long I was beginning to wonder if a right-minded thinking nutritionist even existed anymore.
Well, there's at least ONE. :)
In Episode 121 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore", we meet licensed nutritionist Monica Reinagel, M.S., C.N.S. who runs an outstanding diet and health blog called NutritionData. She is also the author of the fabulously original health book called The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan which outlines specific foods that are at the root cause of inflammation in the body. She discusses in her book and in my interview with you why you DON'T want inflammation and what foods you can eat which are least likely to be inflammatory (and it might just surprise you!).
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 121:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 121 [24:38m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Most nutritionists like to check their brain at the door whenever an honest discussion of livin' la vida low-carb ensues. But not Monica Reinagel. She's honest about what the research is showing regarding low-carb diets and quite frankly it is all over the board. Rather than follow what most of her colleagues do in roundly dismissing low-carb diets as a "dangerous fad" with "no long-term proof" that it is healthy, she instead challenges people to do what will work for them in producing weight loss--even that dastardly low-carb lifestyle if it will produce the results for your weight and health. HOW REFRESHING!!!
Hear from more diet and health experts anytime by:
Now that you've heard Part 1 of my interview with Monica Reinagel, what did you think? Are you concerned at all about inflammation--arguably one of the hottest health topics being discussed in the medical industry today? Does she make sense with what she's saying or is she just another nutritionist who doesn't get it? You tell me by leaving a comment in the show notes section of Episode 121.
You'll want to listen to Part 2 of my interview with Monica Reinagel on Thursday's edition of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." She's a really neat woman to talk to and I appreciated her willingness to let me do the interview over again a second time after the file from the first one became corrupted. EEEEK! Monica graciously agreed to do it again.
Insulted Dietitian Claims 'Carbs Are The Body's Preferred Source Of Fuel'
A common topic of feedback that I receive from from time to time centers around my qualifications to blog about the subject of diet, health, and nutrition. I've answered this charge directly by basically asserting very clearly that I am simply a layman using my First Amendment right to free speech to share the personal lessons I have learned from losing half my weight and restoring my health.
Apparently, that explanation wasn't good enough for Registered Dietitian Adam Goff.
Flexing his educational muscles at me and my blog, this gentleman went on to berate and ridicule the work I am doing claiming my assertions about the dangers of excessive carbs is wrong and deceptive.
Oh brother! Why would I ever expect a duh-duh-dietitian to understand livin' la vida low-carb? It goes against EVERYTHING they've been taught, so they'd have to admit they were wrong if low-carb living was embraced as a viable method for weight loss and improving health.
The evidence is growing stronger and stronger about low-carb diets in the research community, but dietitians like this Goff fella don't want to have any part of it. He's not the first one who has challenged me (see a list of them in this blog post) and he won't be the last.
But I'll just keep doing my part to spread the positive message of the low-carb lifestyle.
Incidentally, here's what Goff wrote to me in his e-mail:
I wish I had never clicked through to your blog and here's why. While I am glad to hear that you made a conscious decision to change your eating habits in an effort to lose weight, I am insulted by the tone you take on your blog.
I am one of those "well meaning health 'experts'," and I did not spend four years and $60,000 dollars on a degree in dietetics just to be put down and contradicted by some previously overweight gentleman who read a book.
Contrary to your OPINIONS, complex carbohydrates are essential to a healthy diet. Completely removing anything from one's diet is a bad move no matter which way you cut it. I am all for eliminating simple carbs from one's diet, but despite what you preach, complex carbs are the body's preferred source of fuel. Period.
Do you honestly think that we in the field of nutrition just make this stuff up? You may have lost the weight you so desired but I would love to see how your body will hold up 30 years from now continuing on the road you're on. The fundamental key to weight loss is not the elimination of any food group but is the overall restriction of calories and an adherence to a proper exercise program.
I can only hope that people seek alternative sources for information than relying solely on your blog.
Adam Goff, R.D.
THANK YOU for sharing your feedback, Mr. Goff. But I do have a few corrections and responses to make to your charges against me.
While I am happy you found my blog, you need not be "insulted" by anything I have written. My job is to provide information presented in an engaging and entertaining way to help others make decisions about their own health. Sadly, we don't have enough of that happening with the same old tired high-carb, low-fat diet message that has been proven to be a BIG FAT LIE!
What we need is more "experts" like yourself to begin acknowledging the changes in the science rather than resting on what you have always thought to be true about diet and health. A little self-research would go a long way for anyone educated in nutrition and medicine.
While I may not have the educational background in nutrition that you do, Mr. Goff, I am a tenacious researcher absorbing information like a sponge and then making it palatable to the common man. That's what I've been doing for over two years and I'll keep on doing for as long as I have this platform.
Incidentally, I've met some truly remarkable people in the world of diet and weight loss too numerous to name them all. But Dr. Jonny Bowden is one who certainly comes to mind right away as one who understands there is more to nutrition and health than a monopolistic approach as is advocated by too many so-called health "experts."
Although you spent tens of thousands of dollars on your dietetics degree, that does not give you more of a right to speak on the subject of diet than me. Similarly, I wouldn't disqualify what you have to say about government policy just because you didn't earn a Master's degree in Public Policy like I did (costing men $50,000 to earn, too, by the way).
You may not have enjoyed being "put down" as you claim I did to you, but you did the same thing with the snide "some previously overweight gentleman who read a book." That's the same thing Dr. David Katz attempted to do to discredit and silence me, too. Didn't work!
Believe what you want about carbs, Mr. Goff, but the body recognizes them as sugar. This is a nutritional truth that I wish more dietitians would communicate clearly to the general public. The idea that the body "needs" carbs is just plain wrong. You don't NEED carbohydrate in your diet at all to survive thanks to gluconeogenesis. That's how our ancestors lived and it's how we can live today.
What am I "completely removing" from my diet, Mr. Goff? This is a popular tactic implored by people like yourself and your willing accomplices in the press to communicate the erroneous message that livin' la vida low-carb gets rid of ALL carbs. While some low-carbers eat that way, most low-carb diets include between 20-100g carbs daily. That's significantly lower than the average American, but still doesn't eliminate them entirely as you claim.
Fat becomes your "fuel" on a low-carb diet--both fat you consume as well as that stored fat I want to burn, baby, burn! For carbohydrate addicts, this way of eating is the answer to their obesity and getting their health in order. Again, I wish people like you would even consider for a moment the good a low-carb diet can do.
I don't think you "just make this stuff up," but you have been taught an agenda-driven bill of goods that frankly does not pass the muster of modern science. Where else are people going to learn the truth about low-carb living if they don't read it on blogs like mine, Regina Wilshire's "Weight Of The Evidence", Dr. Mike Eades and elsewhere? The answer is NOWHERE!
Low-carb has stood the test of time for MILLIONS of years and will continue to do so. I know one thing for sure--I'll be MUCH better off 30 years from now when I'm STILL livin' la vida low-carb than I would have been had I remained at 410 pounds! Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Goff?
I've never claimed my blog to be the ONLY place for people to get their information about diet and health. In fact, oftentimes I will provide links to other places on the Internet for people to do their own research for themselves. Knowledge is power and I am merely the spark that gets the fire started for some.
Mr. Goff, you might want to read my responses to this nutritionist as well as this other health "expert" to learn more about why I believe what I do about livin' la vida low-carb. I wouldn't think of EVER eating any other way! This is the best diet I have ever found because it changed my life forever for the better!
Ingles dietitian McGrath should not be passing on bad dietary advice
Health information is everywhere these days. From your doctor’s office to public service announcements on the radio and television to annoying and utterly meaningless “heart-healthy” claims that appear on the packaging of some pretty awful food products on grocery store shelves today. Like I said, this stuff's EVERYWHERE!
But imagine my surprise to find information about health in a very odd place--your friendly local supermarket. I was flipping through one of those weekly circular grocery store newspapers with that week’s specials for Ingles grocery stores when I saw this blaring headline that you couldn't help but pay attention to:
“It’s all about the heart!”
As the skeptical person I have unfortunately become regarding any and all health claims about “the heart” these days, I admit my curiosity was piqued. Yet I was bracing for the predictable and was not disappointed by what passes as good health advice in 2007. I'm sure you can predict it, too.
With a picture of a smiling young dad carrying around his mouth-wide-open cherub of a baby (very cute, too!) as the mom gazes on with prideful joy and all smiles as well. Of course, they’re out taking a brisk walk as evidenced by their attire because we know EVERYONE should get in “regular exercise, at least 20 minutes every day,” according to this article right slab in the middle of the Ingles grocery flyer written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath, RD, LDN.
Oh goodie, another duh-duh-dietitian (nightmares still haunt me about this one--LOL!) telling us how we are supposed to eat. Yippee freakin’ skippy. So what else exactly does she have to share about “the heart” in her company’s circular ad? Too bad for the unsuspecting average Joe and Jane reading this flyer, the answer to that question sadly is PLENTY!
You knew McGrath would say SOMETHING about cholesterol and she hits the ground running with it in the first paragraph when we are spoon-fed that good old standby line that “high LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol and low HDL ‘good’ cholesterol” is what “increases your risk of heart disease.”
ARGH!
Can we safely say based on this thorough blog post I wrote about cholesterol recently those archaic beliefs are absolutely not true? Ms. McGrath, please educate yourself better about nutrition if you are going to disseminate information to the public about their health, especially as it relates to “the heart.” The very latest research shows you are wrong.
How do I know this? Check out what she says are “other culprits” besides hereditary reasons for “high cholesterol.” This is verbatim what McGrath provided in the article:
Smoking Lack of exercise Poor eating habits (high fat diet) Stress Being overweight or obese
She added, “Making small changes in your eating habits and lifestyle choices may be all it takes to reduce…total cholesterol under 200mg/dL.”
Did you notice how right dab in the middle of that laundry list of mostly reasonable explanations for elevated cholesterol, McGrath couldn’t resist putting in a jab at a “high fat diet?” Yes, it is true that smoking, lack of exercise, poor eating habits, stress, and obesity can lead to elevated cholesterol levels. Fair enough.
But who says “high cholesterol” defined as 200mg/dL is necessarily a bad thing when the research does not support this?
Oh yeah, that's right--doctors and dietitians like McGrath actually think a “high fat diet” is harmful. Of course they do siince that's the only message they know. Yet with all this consensus on what is considered healthy for “the heart,” how can some layman without any nutritional background like Jimmy Moore go around claiming that all of them are wrong and he is right? Do you wanna know HOW I can? Because the science is proving they are wrong and I trust the unbiased studies I cite so often here at my blog.
Sadly, most of the people in the medical community who still actively promote low-fat as the only way to eat healthy for “the heart” have failed to update their education beyond the 1960s. Hello people! There’s a whole lotta learning to do that somehow has failed to cross your eyeballs for several decades. If you truly care about your patients, then start the learning process immediately!
I don’t know if some of the old-timers have the attitude that there’s nothing new to teach them since they’ve been treating patients the same way for their entire career or what. But even the new doctors have this same indoctrination about low-fat diets being somehow healthier for people despite all the mountains of research otherwise.
Maybe it’s the medical schools that need to heed the message to update their educational materials for these fresh medical students. But you and I both know that’ll never happen as long as the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and other such “health” organizations keep spouting the same failed low-fat message over and over again. This maddening cycle needs to end if we are ever going to move forward in tackling obesity.
The following may seem obvious to those of us who have been livin’ la vida low-carb a while, but I’ll say it anyway for the many newbies and those who are first getting used to the vernacular of diet-speak.
Whenever you hear the phrase “high fat diet” (like McGrath used), I want you to translate that to mean a low-carbohydrate diet. The low-fat diet advocates like throwing this around as if it is something awful (much in the same way the people who support abortion call people who are pro-life the much more agregious-sounding “anti-abortion”).
Conversely, when you hear “low-fat diet,” I want your brain to understand that to be a mostly high-carb diet since they recommend people consume a mindboggling 60-75 percent carbs daily as part of a supposedly healthy diet.
This will help keep it in the right perspective for you.
McGrath also discusses a list of 10 ways to show you care about your heart that are a mixed bag—some good, some bad, and some absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt ignorant advice. Let’s take a look:
1. Reduce the saturated fats in your diet. Eat less red meat or leaner cuts of red meat. Eat more chicken, turkey and fish and try having vegetarian meals.
While those other meats are delicious ways to get your fat and protein, I will certainly be enjoying a fat, juicy steak if I so choose. As for the “try having vegetarian meals,” my only question is how many vegetarians I can eat? HA!
2. Bake broil or grill your meat. Avoid eating fried foods.
Hmmm, this is a tricky one because I agree with the advice to shun the fried foods specifically because of the breading. But if you want to fry up your meat in a pan full of butter, then knock yourself out. It’s a healthy way to enjoy that succulent protein-loaded food.
While it’s nice to bake, broil, and especially grill meats, don’t fall for the illusion that cooking these ways is any healthier than cooking meat in fat. Avoid the trans fats, of course, but you shouldn’t worry about saturated fats as long as you are livin’ la vida low-carb.
3. Read the label and avoid trans fats.
Excellent advice, Ms. McGrath. But I’ll take it a step further. While you are reading the label making sure you avoid trans fats, also read the ingredients list for anything “partially hydrogenated” to make sure they aren’t putting hidden trans fats in there and failing to list them in the nutritional info since it may contain less than 0.5g per serving (I blogged about this practice as it relates to carbs, too!). But that doesn’t mean it’s trans-fat-free! Sneaky, isn’t it?!
4. Stop smoking.
Well duh!
5. Increase your fiber by eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans every day, such as Kashi Go Lean cereals and Quaker oatmeal.
Can you tell Ingles got some corporate sponsorship dollars by slipping in a product mention here and there? What’s sad is those products are just awful for you because they are very high-carb! Yes, I know they have whole grains in them, but does that make them healthy? McGrath seems to think so, but I don’t.
As for the generic advice to eat more fruits and vegetables as well as beans to get more fiber in your diet, I think it’s time we stop this across-the-board approval of everything. For fruit, you need to keep them low-glycemic, or low in sugar, such as berries and melons. As for veggies, non-starchy and green leafy vegetables are best like salad greens, cauliflower, and green beans, just to name a few. Beans are too high in carbs to be eaten when you are losing weight no matter what the health “experts” will tell you!
6. Switch to low-fat or fat-free dairy products (milk and yogurt).
Again, why would I do that? Your body needs fat and you should include this vital macronutrient in your diet, not exclude it. Of course, milk is fairly high in carbohydrates so try to go for lower-carb substitutes like Calorie Countdown (which Ingles just so happens to sell, by the way!).
Have you tried fat-free cheese and yogurt? Yucky poo! I think I’d rather eat something that rhymes with poo! EWWWW! It’s disgusting to consume, so why bother? How about eating the full-fat version as part of your new low-carb lifestyle and enjoy the foods that are making you healthier than you’ve ever been before!
7. Switch to canola or olive oil, such as Italica Olive Oil with Omega 3 or Harvest Farms Organic Canola cooking spray.
Nothing like the unabashed product endorsement, but I like the idea of eating more olive oil which is arguably one of the best ways to enjoy more fat in your diet (along with butter, avocado oil, and macadamia nut oil).
8. Get regular exercise, at least 20 minutes every day.
No question, exercise complements your low-carb diet.
9. RELAX by praying, meditating, reading a book or exercising.
In other words, try to de-stress your life with whatever methods work for you. If you believe in God, then pray for the Prince of Peace to deliver you from your problems through regular quiet times using the Bible for inspiration.
But even if you are not a Christian, finding a book by your favorite author or taking a quick run around the block can do wonders for relieving the tension that builds up in your body from life itself. Enjoy your life and don’t just endure.
10. Lose weight. Sometimes just losing 10-20 pounds may help lower cholesterol.
To help “the heart,” just lose weight. I mean, these dietitians like Ms. McGrath act as if people are so oblivious to the obvious that it’s almost as if they look down on fat people. We already know livin’ la vida low-carb can help lower cholesterol primarily through the weight loss is produces.
The whole “it’s all about the heart” motto that Ingles through their dietitian Leah McGrath is trying to communicate to the public is that eating a low-fat diet (remember, translated as “high carb) is far superior to a high-fat diet (which is livin’ la vida low-carb). But now you know nothing could be further from the truth.
It seems to me that a grocery store should be about the business of providing food products and solid service to their customer base and not be taking such a strong position on what constitutes a healthy diet. People can find that information elsewhere and decide what’s best for them.
Personally, having the Ingles dietitian lecture me about what is good for “the heart” is quite insulting to say the least, although Leah McGrath seems nice enough in the Ingles commercials. Maybe she's willing to be convinced of the error of her ways.
You can leave your feedback for McGrath about her one-sided dietary advice by using this contact page.
Dietitian Juliette Kellow is obviously not a fan of the Atkins diet
It's that time of year again when those who think they know what diets people need to do and not do so freely share their opinions about what they think is healthy, nutritional, and safe. Of course, at the same time, they are just as eager to blab on and on about what diets they think are decidedly unhealthy, lacking in nutrition, and even allegedly dangerous. As I have said in the past, you should be very wary of any "expert" weight loss advice because the source may not be very reliable.
Furthermore, do I even need to tell you which ones a typical dietitian thinks are good versus the one ones that are supposedly bad? No, I don't because the examples of the intense and bitter feelings against livin' la vida low-carb have been evident with just about every dietitian who has ever written about or uttered an opinion on this amazingly healthy lifestyle. Click here to see just a few examples of this kind of stupidity from these self-proclaimed health "experts" that I have highlighted at my blog. The concerted effort by these people to not just maim but completely destroy all remnants of low-carb from modern-day life is as clear to see as the protruding stomachs of a majority of the world's population.
Well, even still we've got another dietitian and health columnist today from Mirror.co.uk who continues with the Atkins-bashing party. Her name is Juliette Kellow and her bio describes her as a "bright and bubbly" professional who seeks to help people lose weight with her "wealth of experience in health, food and diet." HA! What you will quickly find is that Kellow shares more of the same old garbage information about low-carb because it is simply mindless and ridiculous attacks against the low-carb lifestyle. Will these people ever grow up and get a brain for once? We can only hope...SOMEDAY!
In the article entitled "A Decade Of Diets But Which Should You Try," Kellow gives her own personal lowdown on the most popular diets from the past ten years including Weight Watchers, The Food Combining Diet (never heard of!), Low GI Diet, South Beach Diet, Detox Diet, Blood Type Diet, Atkins Diet, and The Zone Diet. As you can see, half of these are considered "low-carb" plans. However, Kellow was not afraid to tell you quite explicitly which one she thinks was the worst among them: The Atkins Diet!
My blogging friend and fellow triple-digit Atkins diet weight loss success story Kent Altena wrote a letter to the editor of Mirror.co.uk to express his concerns about how Kellow so blatantly distorted the truth about what the Atkins diet is about in her column. Kent did such an outstanding job with it that I'd like to share with you what he wrote. It is a fantastic, fact-filled response that exposes the malicious lies that Kellow tried to get away with! Not gonna happen!
Here is the classic masterpiece response that Kent wrote:
I would urge your health correspondent, Juliette Kellow, to actually research the topics before actually writing about them. I am of course referring to her recent "Decade of Diets" article where she reviews the popular diet plans. Her review of the Atkins Diet was chock full of misconceptions and gaping holes about this way of eating that were so large a truck could drive right through them!
I am an avid follower of the Atkins way of eating and have lost over 200 pounds on the diet. Because of the gross misrepresentation that Kellow made with her column, I would like to respond to each of her points individually to share the truth:
"HOW IT WORKS This high-protein diet cuts out carbs so your body begins to burn fat. Bread, potatoes, pasta, milk and fruit are off-limits but you can eat meat, fish, cheese, cream and butter."
There is not a single phase of the Atkins diet that cuts out carbs altogether. Her statement simply ignores the fact that there are four distinct phases to the diet and she conveniently leaves out the fact that vegetables included even in the Atkins diet. In fact, during the Induction phase people are encouraged to eat six servings of vegetables per day, which is considerably more than the average person eats. The purpose of the Atkins diet is to simply get people to take back control of their eating first and foremost and then begin adding back foods that are healthy for them long-term.
THE PROS You lose weight quickly - around 6-10lb in the first two weeks, slowing to 1-3lb a week after this.
No argument here, but let's not forget that the point of the Atkins diet is not to lose weight but to learn how to eat healthy.
THE CONS Research shows this diet is unhealthy. A high fat intake increases the risk of heart disease, a lack of fruit, veg and fibre are linked to cancer and excessive protein may cause kidney problems. Side effects include bad breath, fatigue, nausea, constipation, headaches and insomnia. And veggies can forget it.
Boy, there's a lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) being spread in those statements, Ms. Kellow! Most of the current scientific research is showing how beneficial to your health a low-carb dietary approach really is. I eat more vegetables today than I ever did before I went on the Atkins diet. Additionally, Dr. Atkins recommended in his books for people to eat vegetables high in fiber rather than ones high in starch. I don't know where you are getting the notion that the Atkins diet is lacking of vegetables because it is certainly not from the Atkins books! Certainly some of the side effects you mention can happen when you are first getting in a state of ketosis, but I'll take them over obesity and diabetes any day! Atkins or obesity: Which do you think is more dangerous, Ms. Kellow?! The good news is that most of the side effects you mention are gone after the first few days of Induction.
JULIETTE'S VERDICT There are lots of healthier diets. If you must, follow it for two weeks and make it healthier by choosing lean meat, grilling rather than frying and skipping butter and cream.
Skipping butter and cream for trans-fat-loaded margarine or flavor-free skim milk? Umm, NO THANK YOU! Why would I follow the Atkins diet for just two weeks and then leave just as the results are beginning to happen? I would highly encourage Ms. Kellow to simply admit that she doesn't know one single fact about the Atkins diet and how it really is more than just eating meat, cheese, and bacon for three straight meals!
WOO HOO, YOU GO GET 'EM, KENT! Man, I must be rubbing off on you with a response like that! LOL! I enjoyed the way you broke down each point one by one because it really was loaded with factual errors that an "experienced" health writer should not be making. But we know why she wrote what she did and it has to do with her low-fat/low-calorie/portion control agenda. There's no doubt about that.
Just look what Kellow said about Weight Watchers:
Eat or drink whatever you like, providing you stick to your daily points allowance. Points are based on the calorie and saturated fat content of foods so ultimately you're following a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet. Counting points takes away the need to tot up calories or fat. And it's a good way to learn about healthy eating.
Says who?! What makes Weight Watchers "healthy eating" and the Atkins diet NOT, Ms. Kellow? The senile subjectivity of a "healthy diet" is something that people who are livin' la vida low-carb have had to deal with from day one of their plan. The pervading myth that low-fat is inherently good and low-carb is obviously bad must stop if we are ever going to move forward with getting a handle on obesity. What happened to rational thinking and open-mindedness, hmmmm?
She got in more comments in her review of the other low-carb plans:
- GI Diet--"When combined with a low-fat intake, the GI diet is a great way to lose weight." - South Beach Diet--"The first two weeks are similar to the Atkins diet - this means you won't get your five daily portions of fruit and veg and may suffer similar side-effects. This diet is more flexible than other low-carb plans and requires serious willpower only for the first fortnight." - The Zone--Trying to work out how to make each meal and snack meet the 40:30:30 ratio is almost impossible, unless you have a degree in nutrition or plenty of spare time. As with all low-carb plans, this is likely to be lacking in fibre and certain nutrients. There are loads of easier diets.
"Easier?!" Is that what losing weight is all about, Ms. Kellow? Nobody ever said weight loss was going to be easy, but frankly speaking on a personal level, eating a low-carb lifestyle has been one of the easiest diet plans I have ever followed in my life! Too bad I can't say the same about my low-fat diet experience. Talk about a hard diet to follow and to keep following over the long-term. I pity those who have fooled themselves into believing that they HAVE to eat that way for the rest of their life to be healthy. It's simply not true and the proof is in the fact that people like me and Kent have lost 200 pounds each and kept it off for several years now.
Special thanks to my friend Kent Altena for sharing his impressive response to Kellow's misguided remarks about the Atkins diet. We all need to openly challenge the status quo health "experts" when they make these kind of ridiculous comments about livin' la vida low-carb in places where people can be influenced such as a newspaper column. I try to find them and respond when I can, but YOU should be on the lookout for them and reply when appropriate as well.
If we ever hope to change the hearts and minds of people concerning low-carb living, then it must begin with our staunch and undying support for what we believe in. Even if that means taking on the "experts" like dietitians. Don't be intimidated to tell them they are wrong about livin' la vida low-carb because they usually are!
I just love it when another one of these so-called "expert" dieticians start badmouthing the Atkins/low-carb nutritional approach because it gives me an opportunity yet again to expose them for just how ignorant they really are about diet and health. In fact, just in case you've missed any of my previous blog posts about dieticians, here's a list of them for you:
As you can see, I like to have fun with these dieticians because they are generally very adamant in their opposition to livin' la vida low-carb. And this Independent Online story is no different.
Featuring commentary from a registered dietitian named Nancy Kazakis who was helping out some dieters walking through the grocery store wondering what to buy for their healthy weight loss plan. Unfortunately for them, though, the tips she was providing them were horrible for anyone trying to improve their weight and health.
Here's what I mean:
According to the story, Kazakis avoids any foods where over a third of the calories come from the most hated of all macronutrients--FAT! And God forbid you eat any saturated fat from animals "which raises cholesterol" or trans-fats.
“If more than half of what I’m eating is calories from fat, then I’ll put that right back on the shelf,” she said.
Are we EVER going to get past this saturated fat thing already? Saturated fat can be very good for you despite the claims by the media that this study proves otherwise. Baloney!
Regarding trans-fats, most people are very aware of this worst of all fats because it has been villified (rightfully so!) as dangerous to your health. But Kazakis like so many of her fellow dietitians throws ALL fats in with the bad which is highly irresponsible for someone providing nutritional information to the public.
After she finished with her fat tirade, Kazakis then turned her attention to the Atkins diet which she erroneously defines as a way of eating that "advocates zero carbohydrates and plenty of protein." Other than people like my friend Rob on the Zero Carb Path, I don't know anyone who is livin' la vida low-carb and going completely without carbs in their diet. NONE! The fact is the Atkins diet is at the VERY MINIMUM during the first two weeks 20g carbohydrates and then most people move up to 30-50g during their weight loss.
Kazakis then made the boneheaded comment that while the "dissolving" Atkins diet "worked for many," it has "never helped people maintain their weight once they took it off."
Where do these people come up with such idiotic claims about low-carb?!
Of course, like every dietitian I know, Kazakis then goes into a lecture about how the body needs carbs that you can only get from cereals and bread to help YADDA YADDA YADDA! Like a broken record that keeps playing that bad song with a skip on it, that's what these nutrition experts keep sounding like in all of these columns.
Oh, then you MUST see this list of 7 grocery tips Kazakis offered the dieters (poor people!) and what she recommends they should eat during their weight loss:
1. Consume 3-4 eggs per WEEK
HA! I eat AT LEAST that many per DAY! It is a great source of protein and delicious, too! In fact, a study showed people who eat eggs actually consume less calories during the day. That's reason enough for me to eat eggs ALL the time!
2. Eating low-fat cheese
Uh, no. How about if I eat DOUBLE fat cheese because it'll taste better. Kazakis recommends eating string cheese because it is made with low-fat milk. Nah! Eat it because it's low-carb, but don't worry about the fat.
3. Choose vegetable oil-based margarine
Yikes! I haven't put margarine in my mouth knowingly for close to three years now. Butter is SO much better for you and should be used in any food you eat that needs a flavorful burst of a healthy fat. And the real stuff tastes so much better, too!
Other than the FDA allowing spray-on viruses to be put on deli meats, I cannot disagree that deli meats should be a part of your grocery shopping list. However, forget about the low-fat versions because they tend to have more sugar and salt in them than you really need. Keep the fat in and enjoy some good ham, turkey, roast beef and more!
6. Substitute ground turkey for ground beef
Why would I want to do that?! There's nothing wrong with eating beef and it tastes so good, too. The supposed benefits to eating ground turkey (less fat) are not worth the sacrifice in taste when there is nothing wrong with eating a good hamburger. Don't forget the cheese, baby!
7. Eat lots of high-fiber, low-calorie veggies
Okay, I'm all for vegetable consumption which actually doubles when you start livin' la vida low-carb. But you must be discerning about what KIND of vegetables you eat because many of the ones that are starchy or contain high amounts of sugar in them are NOT good for you. Green beans, cauliflower, and salad greens are just a few of the many EXCELLENT choices for you to eat on your low-carb lifestyle. Stay away from potatoes, arguably the most unhealthy vegetable ever!
At the end of the story featuring these comments from Kazakis, she raves about how awesome the 100-calorie snack craze is because "it’s all about control.”
"It’s a smaller portion, but isn’t that the whole idea of our diet plan?” Kazakis exclaimed.
No, it's not. I don't want or need any sugar in my diet, no matter how small the portions allegedly are, Ms. Kazakis. While I agree that portion sizes have gotten out of control, the answer is not in pre-packaged servings that contain 100 calories. Low-calorie diets aren't necessarily healthy and making better overall food choices helps people more than anything control their weight and get healthy.
At the end of the day, Kazakis is just another robotic dietician attempting to influence the people she counsels with archaic dietary advice that will keep them unhappy and unhealthy for many years to come. Hey Ms. Kazakis! How about joining the 21st century and telling people about how livin' la vida low-carb will radically change their life for the better? Oh, I forgot, you can't do that because YOU ARE A DIETICIAN!!! ARGH!
This Fredericksburg, VA-based Free Lance-Star article contained some good information for people who are livin' la vida low-carb regarding being invited to friend's house for a meal. With summer cookouts just a few months away, these tips are really important and will keep you on track with your low-carb eating program.
This story was written by a registered dietitian named Jennifer Motl who has a healthy living web site at brighteating.com.
However, Motl did not begin her article on a particularly good note with me because she described the Atkins lifestyle as "meat-based."
I have emphasized this over and over and over (until I'm blue in the face!) that doing a low-carb lifestyle does not require that you eat a lot of meat. It just doesn't. There are plenty of other options for people to choose from when they are livin' la vida low-carb. Nuts, eggs, cheese, green beans, cauliflower, salads, just to name a few. The continual labeling of low-carb as meat exclusive gets a bit nauseating from time to time.
Nevertheless, what's not to like about eating steak, chicken, turkey, pepperoni, ham and more, especially since most of these foods have ZERO carbs?! The way some people describe Atkins, you would think this is all we eat. How boring would that be?
But Motl redeems herself in the remainder of her article by offering tips for both hosts and guests.
For the hosts: "Ask your guests to tell you what they like to eat, and attempt to make one or two of their favorites, even if they are just side dishes."
Whenever my wife and I are invited over to someone's house to eat, the first thing they always ask me is, "What can you eat on your diet?" Aside from the fact that I'm not on a diet and haven't been since starting my low-carb lifestyle (I know, it's just semantics), I politely reply by asking what will be served.
Most main course foods can be eaten as long as there isn't any gravy or sugary sauces on them. For example, I can usually eat meatloaf if it is prepared without bread and ketchup and chicken if it is baked without any sauce or gravy. Most hosts have been very accomodating by setting aside special versions of the foods that everyone else will be eating. And it's not that hard for them, either.
Additionally, if the host is serving a pasta- or potato-based side dish, then I request cauliflower or salad instead. Again, this is not usually a problem and is very easy for them to help you stay on your low-carb plan. However, make sure they don't try to serve you "low-fat" dressings or you'll be getting more hidden sugars and carbs than you bargained for. I usually request the regular version of Hidden Valley Ranch because it's got 1 net carb and is the best-tasting ranch dressing on the planet!
The article also suggests that hosts create a buffet to allow guests to pick and choose what they want to eat. I LOVE BUFFETS!!! It is the absolute best way for me to get exactly what I can eat without worrying about excessive carbs. If you are filling your own plate, then it is YOUR responsibility to get what you are allowed to eat and nothing more. This is the best option for people doing low-carb.
As for the guests: "Do not drop hints or hope the host will read your mind. Instead, state your [low-carb dietary needs] clearly and offer to ... bring a simple substitute if the main dish" is not low-carb.
This is great advice. Don't beat around the bush about your low-carb lifestyle. Some people may not know you are losing weight yet (it wasn't until I lost 100 pounds before anybody noticed!), so don't be bashful and tell the host you are eating low-carb. You might have to explain what that means to some hosts (who may think it only means meat!), but education is always a good thing. They may even thank you for offering to bring a sample low-carb dish for other guests to try. I know my low-carb peanut butter cheesecake balls have always been a hit with people who didn't realize they were "diet" (the recipe for this delectable dessert will be in my book, by the way!).
Motl gives sound advice when she proclaims, "If you are a picky eater or on a weight-loss diet, it's not polite to expect your host to revamp the entire menu to meet your preferences. Instead, eat whatever items and portions you are comfortable with and politely decline the rest."
EXCELLENT ADVICE, INDEED! Even if it means you'll have to eat when you get home, it's better to just eat what you can so you don't get derailed on your low-carb plan. I would only add that you should always be prepared with low-carb snacks wherever you go so you will never get hungry or feel left out when everyone else is eating. Livin' la vida low-carb is not hard is you make it a conscious effort.
