It's back and better than ever before--the official Atkins Diet Cruise!!!
Believe it or not, there are tons of brand new people who are JUST finding out about livin' la vida low-carb for the very first time because of the explosive new Gary Taubes book called Good Calories, Bad Calories. I've seen a noticeable increase in traffic over the past months or so and the e-mail inquiries from people wanting to know more about how to do the Atkins diet have nearly doubled since so many people are ready to give this healthy nutritional approach a try.
Rest and relax on the beaches of the Eastern Caribbean
That's why I'm pleased to announce the thrilling return of the very popular Atkins Diet Cruise coming in March 2008. After a few years away, this fun and exciting more than week-long trip down to the Eastern Caribbean has returned and is just as educational, enjoyable, and entertaining as ever! This is arguably the most unique cruise you will ever take in your life!
You won't eat this good on your low-carb lifestyle on just any cruise
While most cruises have so much food, mostly high-carb offerings that tempt you to go off plan during your vacation, the Atkins Diet Cruise is different. On the previous 11 cruises they have done over the past 15 years, they have had expert Atkins chefs right there on board to provide delectable Atkins-approved dishes for those who are following the low-carb lifestyle.
Master Atkins chefs stand ready to serve you low-carb meals
The chef who will be on board this upcoming Atkins Diet Cruise is a veteran low-carb diet cook who is quite experienced with the needs of low-carbers and has been on many past cruises. The ship's menu will be completely compatible with your Atkins diet, so there's no need to worry about gaining weight. In fact, the average weight loss for the people who go on this 8-day cruise is an astounding 4-8 pounds!!! WOW!
Obviously, NOBODY is gonna get you results like that, so this is quite a lucrative deal for anyone who is new to the Atkins diet or would like a refresher course.
Dr. Atkins enjoyed finding low-carb treasures on the island stops
The cruise line is the Costa Mediterranea, which leaves the port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday, March 29, 2008, and will travel down to luxurious destinations in the Caribbean including San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, La Romana, Dominican Republic, Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands. The cruise will return to port on Saturday, April 5, 2008.
Eberstein, seated next to Dr. Atkins, knows all about low-carb living
Leading the Atkins seminars on board the ship will be Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N. who worked directly with Dr. Atkins for three decades and orchestrated all of the past successful Atkins Diet Cruises. She will be joined by Karen Paris, P.A., who has an additional 20 years of Atkins diet experience to impart on the people who will be attending this outstanding cruise.
Some of the topics that will be covered on the cruise include:
- How to get started on a Low Carb Plan - The Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes - Low Carb and Family Nutrition.
Both of the hostesses will also be available for one-on-one personal nutritional counseling sessions for those interested in customized help with their low-carb lifestyle. Additionally, there will be yummy cooking demonstration, a regimented exercise routine program, and an open question and answer session about anything and everything related to the Atkins diet.
All the Atkins dishes will be clearly marked for you to enjoy
Best of all, all the meals will ENCOURAGE you to eat healthy while indulging in the delicious offerings of the master Atkins chef who will prepare everything for you to keep you on the straight and narrow all week long. You most certainly won't have to worry about what you put in your mouth on this cruise because it's ALL gonna be low-carb and oh-so-yummy!
Dr. Atkins and Veronica always looked forward to these cruises
Plus, there will be a very special commemoration and celebration of the life of the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins on the 5th anniversary of his passing while on this cruise. So many of us owe a great deal of gratitude to this man who committed his career to helping people overcome their weight and health problems with the use of a non-traditional diet plan that just plain works! It helped me lose over 180 pounds and keep it off for the past four years. And I'll never be the same again!
Oooh la la, I can smell the tropical air now! AHHHHHH!
Christine and I are so excited to be going on this cruise and I can't wait to meet those of you who will be going on this trip. It looks to be a great way to start your 2008 off on the right foot and it's only a matter of months from being a reality. I hope you can join us on the Atkins Diet Cruise!
The Atkins Diet Cruise is both affordable and practical
With rates starting as low as $799 per person (which is all-inclusive for the cruise, Atkins-approved food, and all the low-carb lifestyle classes on the ship), this could be just what you need to kickstart YOUR Atkins diet into high gear. Please call 1-800-947-6051 to speak to your cruise captain Bob Lincoln with any questions you may have about this cruise or go to the Atkins Diet Cruise web site for more information.
These gorgeous sunsets await you on the Atkins Diet Cruise
If you decide to go, then let me know! I'll be looking for you and would love to talk to you on the ship about how the Atkins diet completely changed my life for the better. :D
Do you like getting away from the hustle and bustle of life every once in a while just to relax and reflect on life? Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow get away for a few days in a luxurious location to spend some quality time with others seeking to learn about low-carb as well as with those who have been successful on the low-carb lifestyle or are experts on the subject?
If you like this idea, then there's a quick 10-question survey I'd like to invite you to participate in and it will only take you about two minutes to complete. This dream vacation could very well be a reality based on the feedback from people who would want to take part in something like this.
A group of influencial members of the low-carb community are attempting to gauge the interest there may be in having an educational, yet informal low-carb retreat that would help people learn more about livin' la vida low-carb. There would be time for question and answer sessions, cooking demonstrations, testimonials, and, of course, lots of fun activities in the destination city. Would you like something like this?
This is still just a concept at this point, but could turn into something more once the results of the survey have been tabulated. CLICK HERE to take the survey and share your thoughts about a low-carb luxury retreat.
Project PCOS providing top-notch resources and health support
I'd like to tell you about a brand new resource for women who suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, commonly referred to as PCOS. It's called Project PCOS and I am excited to make you aware of the fantastic work they are doing to educate, encourage, and support anyone who has been impacted by this condition--whether they know it yet or not!
Launched on February 1, 2007, the Project PCOS web site set out as its goal to bring greater awareness to this sometimes misunderstood ailment by promoting it to the public, medical professionals, and even health and government leaders (they are encouraging people who support their cause to even e-mail, call or meet with their legislators) through a progressive online petition drive for 1 million signatures. Also, for a nominal donation of $1, you can leave your comments for others to see in the One Million For PCOS campaign.
For those 10 percent of women and girls who suffer from PCOS worldwide, Project PCOS wants to be there for them giving comfort, support, and dependable information to help them deal with it through the use of creative online chats, forums, educational programs, newsletters, directories, links, podcasts, downloadable files, and so much more. Best of all--IT'S FREE!
The vision for Project PCOS came from the passionate desire by a woman named Ashley Tabeling a few months ago to give people a one-stop shop on the Internet for finding anything and everything they were looking for about PCOS. She went out and found some of the biggest leaders in the PCOS community to help her with this ambitious plan, including Linda Harvey from PCOS Today Magazine, Tarra Hartl, a long time PCOS advocate and co-founder of PCOS Living, Tammy Dolak, a PCOS community advocate, and Branden Simbeck, an IT specialist and PCOS advocate.
With modern advances in communications technology, Tabeling and her team believe this new venture will revolutionize how people learn about, treat, and care for people suffering from PCOS. Since about half of all women who have this condition are never officially diagnosed, Project PCOS is hoping to reach many of those women to help them understand what is happening to them and doing something about it before the symptoms get even worse.
Specifically, PCOS is a rather complex hormonal disorder that does not have a cure as of yet (although, I highlighted this study at my blog last year that found a low-carb diet can lower insulin levels and improve the metabolic and reproductive outcomes in women with PCOS). If PCOS is left untreated, then it can lead to other more debilitating conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney problems. Click here to read more about what PCOS is and the most common symptoms.
The medical advisor for Project PCOS is Dr. Dennis Gage, who reveals the unfortunate fact that PCOS is often mislabeled which also can lead to terrible medical issues such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. This is why having all the information about PCOS in one place, just as Project PCOS was set up to do, is going to be crucial as more and more are afflicted with it in the coming years.
Interestingly, PCOS patients will be able to go to the Project PCOS "Ask The Expert" page and get trusted answers to any question about PCOS from medical professionals who specialize in treating PCOS. Some of the experts who have signed on to help with this include Dr. Charles Glueck, the Director of the Jewish Cholesterol Center, Dr. Dennis Gage, author of The Thinderella Syndrome, Julie Lenz, a PCOS coach, Dr. Katherine Sherif, co-director of the PCOS Center at Drexel, Martha McKittrick, a nutritionist, Monika Woolsey from After the Diet, Kelly Bliss from KellyBliss.com, Drs. Deborah and Spencer Ward, Hansi Halloway, Ms. Plus Sized NC 2004, Tulin Reid, founder, PCOS Living and plus-size model, Dr. Shahab Minassian, Director of Drexel Fertility, Dr. Samuel Thatcher, author of PCOS The Hidden Epidemic and Claire, the great-granddaughter of Dr. Irving Stein from the Stein-Leventhal Syndrome. An truly impressive list of the best of the best indeed!
If you are a medical professional or want to volunteer your services to help with Project PCOS, then please send an e-mail to information@projectpcos.org. Or, you can also e-mail Ashley Tabeling directly at atabeling@projectpcos.org for more information about this exciting new health resource.
Learn more about Project PCOS by reading their Q&A page and keep checking back for more updates in the coming weeks and months as the site grows. Sign the petition (IT'S FREE!) and get involved if you care about giving more attention to this awful condition. THANKS for your support of this worthy cause!
CONGRATULATIONS to Suzanne J. from Louisiana! She was the BIG WINNER of the $50 gift certificate from Viva Low-Carb in the contest this week for my new podcast show "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." THANK YOU to everyone who entered and correctly identified the six times I said the word "survey" in Episode 3.
Here are a few more of those comments about Episode 3:
"Great podcast, as usual! I loved your message to restauranteurs: they are only hurting themselves by ignoring low-carbers 'cause we aren't going anywhere! Keep up the great work, Jimmy!" **************************** "Another well done show! This episode was very 'meaty' (no pun intended) and presented very well. I am so glad to hear that low carb meus are still out there and that the consumer is being heard." **************************** "I just listened to your latest podcast, and the main thing that occurred to me is the fact that each podcast is getting better and better. You are learning, and improving with each one. This one had a very 'professional-quality' feel about it, and I was impressed. What I liked most about the podcast is finding out that half of the survey participants, whether they realize it or not, are trying to follow at least some of the bullet point items of low carb, like reducing or eliminating sugar and other unhealthy carbs. I wonder how many of those people would then turn around and say that low carb is an unhealthy fad diet???" **************************** "I look forward to these podcasts--new info about low-carb that I would not be aware of if it wasn't for Jimmy's research. He is truly a great teacher of the lifestyle." **************************** "Excellent show this week and congratulations on landing ChocoPerfection as a sponsor. Thanks for pointing out the results of those surveys. I get frustrated when restaurants (and grocery stores) stop carrying low-carb friendly items because 'the low-carb craze is over.' Keep up the good work!" **************************** "Jimmy, I love your podcasts. What I liked most about the podcast is the affirmation that the low-carb way of life is not just a fad or a even a diet--it truly is a way of life that has allowed me to lose almost 50 pounds in 6 months. I still have about 30 pounds to go but I know I'll get there if I'm steadfast and unwavering in my determination to succeed. I can't tell you what I liked least about the podcast because there wasn't anything that I didn't like. It was informative and entertaining and I appreciate you taking the time and making the effort to produce a podcast that inspires and motivates those of us who are livin' la vida low carb." ****************************
Links to brand new episodes releasing on Mondays will appear on the right-hand side of my blog. Or, you can visit the official web site for "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" or iTunes to download and listen to the show each week.
When I started this podcast a few weeks ago, I merely wanted to present the message of livin' la vida low-carb in another format that could potentially reach an audience of people who would not necessarily visit and read my blog. But at the same time, I am extremely grateful for the support my readers have given this show and urge many more of you who believe in the things I write about low-carb to listen.
Don't just listen, though, get engaged as well by telling others about "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show." You don't know how much that would really help show the powers that be in the world of diet and health that low-carb IS still a viable nutritional approach that is being used by millions of people today. There is nothing else in the debate of ideas over health out there like my podcast show and I would like to see it make an inroads into the mainstream of public consumption for diet news and information.
Making a meaningful impact on our culture is going to take more of these "out-of-box" strategies like a podcast show to spread the message. I think we all agree that low-carb lifestyle is beneficial on many levels for both weight and health management, right? So why wouldn't we want to come together in one accord to bring livin' la vida low-carb to the masses?
It's kinda like a church expecting people to come on Sunday mornings without some sort of outreach program. You can have the most friendly people in the whole world, a dynamic and upbeat music ministry, a gifted and annointed preacher, and everything you need for the best church possible. But if nobody knows about it, none of that really matters.
Think of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" in the same way. I spend a good deal of time researching, writing, rewriting, recording, and bringing you the best possible content I can provide on a weekly basis and am considering doing more than one show weekly very soon. But the growth will be predicated on whether people listen to the show or not. Are you enjoying what you are hearing? Is there something I can be doing that would make the show even better? Don't be shy, share your comments with me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
What an amazing first few weeks it has been with this podcast show as literally hundreds of people in each of the first three weeks have listened to it through iTunes and at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com. But there are hundreds, thousands, even tens or hundreds of thousands MORE people right now who could benefit from learning about the principles of low-carb living while being encouraged by someone who's been there before himself. Will you commit to sharing about "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" with someone you care about this week? They'll thank you for it someday when their life is forever changed!
I don't take any of this for granted and consider it a true honor and a privilege to serve you here at my blog and on my podcast show. If nobody cared what I had to say, then there would be no reason for me to keep doing what I am doing. As long as people are being educated, encouraged and inspired to make permanent and lasting changes in their diet and health, then all of the energy and time I have dedicated to these ventures is worth it all! I won't stop as long as people need help overcoming their obesity and the diseases that come with it. It's NOT impossible as hopefully my success story illustrates.
THANK YOU so much for your faithful and loving support for what I do to share about livin' la vida low-carb to a world that is desperately searching for real answers to their weight and health problems. We have the answer for many of them, so let's be about the business of sharing that answer with them even more as we quickly approach the new year. It's NEVER too late to begin taking your health seriously enough to get it back on track if you have slipped. As always, I'm here to help.
Tune in to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" each week and please do what you can to tell others about the work we are doing. I appreciate that more than you could ever know. If you have a blog or web site, then I urge you to share about the podcast show there. If you do, then send me an e-mail and I'll post a link to your site as a THANK YOU for your mention.
Remember, it's not just livin', your livin' la vida low-carb! SEE YA!
The debut week of my brand new podcast called "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" has been a thrilling experience for me as so many of my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog readers have shared their comments about the show as well as many new listeners at iTunes and elsewhere who have never been exposed to a positive presentation of the low-carb life. I can't wait for many more new and engaging episodes to come along in the coming weeks and months and the momentum of my new show continues to build. THANK YOU!!!
Well, I suppose you'd like to know who won the FREE 12-PACK OF CHOCOPERFECTION BARS, huh? The chocolate giveaway contest winner for correctly identifying the number of times I said "rump" in Episode 1 as one is...(drumroll please!)
In fact, check out what she had to say about "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show":
I really liked hearing your voice, especially your “Southern” drawl. Seriously, you did a great intro. I am looking forward to in-depth discussions of the low-carb lifestyle. This one was basic and that’s good too. Maybe you can do a question and answer thing. Thanks for carrying the torch for the low-carb lifestyle.
Well, hooooowdy! LOL! I didn't know my accent was THAT bad. Hee hee! But that's okay because it is who I am. As for her other comments, I want to provide good basic information as well as some complex issues like the ones that will be featured in Episode 2 coming on October 30, 2006! It's gonna be a REALLY good one, so don't miss it! :D
Here is just a small sampling of some more of the many comments I received about the new podcast show:
I just listened to your first podcast, and thought it was excellent! You did a great job, and I look forward to many, many more of your podcasts. ***************** What did I like about the show? That you are continuing to share with others about the low-carb lifestyle. I believe it is so important for all of us to keep spreading the word that this really is a healthy lifestyle and for everyone to stop believing the lies we have been told our entire lives. Thanks for keeping the good word on low-carb living going! ***************** I enjoyed your show very much. Since I’ve been living the low-carb way of life for over five years, the information you provided was pretty basic to me. But I believe you’ll be inspiring to others. Finding a plan, reading the book and sticking to it is a great starting point for people. I also liked that you told the truth, that losing weight is never easy, but it gets easier with time. Good luck with your show! ***************** I enjoyed the podcast (although as a fan of your blog, there wasn't anything new in what you said--just good advice). Good luck as you move into a new way of getting the word out. ***************** Love your podcast--it's fun to hear a voice with the writing I enjoy so much! All the best--thanks for all you do! ***************** Loved the podcast. How often will you have new episodes and will it always be a free podcast? (heck do they even charge for them?) Thanks for your blog too...I check it daily. ***************** I loved the podcast. Your enthusiasm about the low-carb lifestyle is bound to appeal to those people who have tried many diet plans and need to find some way to lose weight. I love the way you share your own experiences as a way to encourage people to get off their "rump" and give it a try. The only thing that I can think of to change is the sound quality. I listen via my iPod and the sound didn't come through as clear as other podcasts that I listen to. By the way, I downloaded the podcast from iTunes. It certainly won't keep me from listening, but I just thought I'd mention it since you are asking for feedback. Keep up the good work, Jimmy. I love your blog and am excited to know that now I can also listen to you now, too. ***************** I liked the honesty that you bring across and sincerity. I also liked that you had to find your own way of dieting...read, and read again. I did the same thing, there are such a wealth of knowledge out there on what is good for the body, and listening to your body. I like that you didn't just say, well, I did the Atkins diet or the South Beach. What you are teaching is, look around, there are dozens of books all trying to steer us in this better way of life. You are also here to help! That's great. I'll keep listening if you'll keep preachin'! ***************** I thought it was very good. And I hope to get more ideas in order to get me back on the track of the low-carb life I have been leading for the last 8 years. ***************** Great podcast! I love your enthusiasm! I am very encouraged from listening to you and I love your book and blog too. THANKS and keep up the great work! *****************
WOW, fantastic feedback everyone! I'm happy to hear that you like the show and we are working on ways to make it better.
The sound quality issue is one that I've been trying to fix for most of the week and I think you'll hear a "clear" difference in Episode 2 on Monday. In fact, it'll be like night and day with the clarity, I promise you. THANKS for the constructive criticism, it's gonna make the show better already!
As for the information provided being "basic" or "old news," I can certainly understand the concerns of people who have been on low-carb for a while or who read my blog every single day. But everyone who listens to this podcast show will be at different levels from long-time low-carbers to people still losing weight to beginners to those simply curious about what this way of eating is all about. I'm trying to reach them all and can't do it in a single episode or with one particular style. I'll mix it up, but will always focus on a positive presentation of information about low-carb.
Just keep listening and you might be surprised to hear something that you thought you "knew" about, but perhaps you will look at it in a different way now. What you get out of my podcast show is up to you. Keep an open mind and look for something new to learn and pass on to others about livin' la vida low-carb. Encouragement, education and a little entertainment is what has made my blog what it is and will most certainly define what my podcast is as well.
As an added incentive to listen to upcoming episodes of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show," I have lined up several freebie opportunities from your favorite low-carb companies over the next few weeks to entice you to listen. Be looking for your next chance to win again coming up next week!
Bill Clinton is the consummate politician taking credit for simply trying
Like I have said many times before, I really don't like talking about politics at my health and weight loss blog. Most of the issues that are dealt with in this forum are political only in the diet and nutrition world, but not generally in the realm of governmental politics.
But sometimes these two worlds inevitably collide and that's exactly what this Washington Post story about a new deal to limit junk foods sold in school vending machines does with a vengeance.
It seems five of the top junk food vending machine companies--PepsiCo, Mars Inc., Kraft Foods Inc., Campbell Soup Co. and Dannon Co.--have vowed to take their high-carb, high-fat products out of the schools in favor of "healthier products" (we'll get into what that means in a moment).
The voluntary agreement was made possible by the ever-present elder statesman himself, former President Bill Clinton, along with the American Heart Association (AHA). They wanted to help make the nutritional choices for kids better while they are in school because many blame these foods on the rise in childhood obesity rates (I do not blame the junk food companies, but rather the parents for making poor nutritional choices and for not educating their own children to discern between what is good for them and what is not).
Isn't this agreement quite an ironic twist considering the man involved? Here we have the former leader of the free world who was infamous for eating cheeseburgers and French fries while he was President telling junk food manufacturers what they can and cannot sell in schools to children. Furthermore, he will now go around taking credit for bringing an end to childhood obesity in America because he cared enough to "work hard to TRY" to do something about it. What a freakin' joke!
This is nothing more than political posturing by Clinton to shift attention away from his little temper tantrum with Chris Wallace a couple of weeks ago. The negative publicity that he received from that infamous fiasco undoubtedly led him to go into damage control mode, so a trumped-up positive story like this one where he is seen as helping the children is just what the doctor ordered.
PUH-LEEZE!
What is going to happen as a result of this need I remind you VOLUNTARY agreement Clinton helped bring about? It's VOLUNTARY which means any of the parties involved can most certainly back out at any time and Clinton still can say, "Well, at least I TRIED to tell them this would be good for the American children, but they wouldn't listen to me." Either way, he comes away looking spic-n-span squeaky clean in all of this even if NOTHING changes at all. That's not leadership, that's politics as usual!
Unfortunately, that's politics for you. It's all about who can take credit for non-action that looks like action today. But if Clinton or any other politician is sincerely interested in helping protect kids from the junk food that entices them, then why not get Congress to pass a law to make it mandatory to ban these from schools, hmmm? If they really want these junk foods out of schools, then make it a requirement with a law. That would certainly add more teeth to the argument that you care about improving the health of children if you think the presence of junk food is the culprit.
Gary Ruskin from the non-profit childhood obesity education group Commercial Alert had a rather terse response for Clinton questioning the "healthy alternatives" that will be allegedly offered as well as what's in this deal for the former president.
"Who is Bill Clinton kidding? Baked potato chips and sweetened bars are not substitutes for apples and carrots, beans and greens," Ruskin exclaimed. "Has the Clinton Foundation received any contributions from any of the companies that are a party to this agreement? How about the American Heart Association?"
You can't blame people like Ruskin for having questions like this based on Clinton's past behavior. But it does make you wonder if anything really will change or if this little media fanfare around what Clinton TRIED to do is all that will come of this. Awww, wasn't he so great for trying to help the fat little kiddies get healthy? Awww, he just cares so much for the little ones. Can I BARF now?! It's sentiments like this that make some want to throw more money at childhood obesity, but that is clearly not the answer.
This isn't the first time Clinton and the AHA have come together in a similar arrangement regarding junk food in schools. Earlier this year, they got Coca-Cola Co., Pepsi and Cadbury Schweppes PLC to stop selling non-diet soft drinks in schools since so many kids were chug-a-lugging on sugary sodas during the daytime. Now they will be guzzling sugary pseudo-fruit juices and energy drinks instead. Like I said, where are the MEANINGFUL changes? Hello?
I remember those snack food machines and the vendors during lunch when I was in high school in the late 1980s and never gave a seond thought about the nutritional value of what I was eating. If it tasted good and I wanted it, then I bought it. Of course, that may explain how I got to be so fat, too. :)
While I like the idea of giving kids a choice of better food options while at school, this agreement does NOT stop kids from going by their local corner convenience store on the way to or on the way home from school. It's like banning the sale of drugs on school grounds. That's all well and good until the students step off of school property and on the streets. At that point, all bets are off and the net result is the same as it was before.
An agreement like this one from Clinton and the AHA is like having a nonsmoking section in a restaurant that allows smokers to puff away without the use of a smoke vent. You can ban smoking all you want in the nonsmoking section, but you and I both know that doesn't keep the smoke from traveling into that section, thus rendering the distinction between the two sections completely irrelevant. The same goes for what Clinton and the AHA have brokered. This deal won't stop childhood obesity. Not by a long shot!
Okay, let's just pretend for a moment that these changes WILL make a difference. What are they asking these companies to alter about their products to make them "healthier?" Here are the new criteria for allowable foods sold at schools under the agreement:
1. Calories from fat limited to 35 percent 2. Calories from saturated fat limited to 10 percent 3. Sugar by weight is limited to 10 percent 4. Sodium is limited to 480mg, except for soup
Again we see the continuing ramifications of how scared people are of fat and even saturated fat. While it is noble they are limiting sugar to 10 percent by weight, that's still not doing anything about the excessive carbohydrates that many of these products contain which then turn into sugar when it is absorbed by the body. Are we so ignorant as a society that we think sugar is the only thing that makes your blood sugar rise? Finally, salt is a non-issue except for those who are salt-sensitive.
Even low-fat diet advocate Dr. Dean Ornish said in my recent interview with him that he doesn't like the influx of low-fat and fat-free snack food products because they are still not healthy choices for people to consume.
"People are going out and eating the Snackwell cookies and the fat-free desserts and cakes that may be very low in fat, but very high in sugar--I've never recommended that which is why I've been more explicit in clarifying that," Ornish said during the interview.
Despite all of this, data will begin being collected by the AHA and the Clinton Foundation to measure the impact of these changes ever other year over the next four years. Again, any changes will be minimal at best until we get a better handle on what is causing obesity--namely the excessive consumption of carbohydrates, including those found in low-fat products like baked potato chips, pretzels, 10% fruit juices, and so much more. Selling these as "healthy" foods is a farce!
Now the junk food companies involved in this agreement are going to begin "taking steps to make snacks more nutritious."
Oh joy, what do we have to look forward to? Hmmm, how about low-fat, whole wheat Twinkies sweetened with aspartame and/or maltitol? Yummy. Or perhaps we'll see, as one of my readers shared with me, vendor sandwiches made with Wonder Bread, anti-bacterial-sprayed bologna slices, and eggless Miracle Whip? Oh, the kiddies will be clamoring for them!
Who are we kidding people? Kids won't go for this stuff unless they are educated better about why they shouldn't eat the junk food. Our education system is eager to tell children about sex and sharing with them information about that, but there's nary a mention of how fat, protein and carbohydrates work to fuel the body and make it work. Now THERE is something meaningful to start teaching kids in schools.
We're stuck in a nutritional abyss nowadays and there doesn't seem to be an easy way out of it. Childhood obesity can be prevented, but that won't happen until some major barriers are torn down for good--namely that eating fat is bad for you, eating excessive carbohydrates is good for you, and that there are no consequences to eating junk food. All of these so-called axioms in our society are WRONG as wrong can be. We must continue to strive to share with others the truth.
10-8-06 UPDATE: You really should check out some of the comments I'm getting to this post over at LowCarbNewsline.com. Many of them think my points are invalid. What say you?
10-8-06 UPDATE: The response to this post continues with the following e-mail I received about it today.
I go to your web site because I am very interested in keeping up my low-carb lifestyle. When I want GOP political BS I can go to FOX news. By the way, you lost 180 pounds and good for you but you did not cure cancer! Maybe you should lose another 180 pounds of ego and your self-importance.
OUCH! LOL! Sigh, I miss stirring up political debate like I did long before I ever thought about livin' la vida low-carb. But, alas, I don't do that on a regular basis anymore. As I said at the very beginning, I don't like to bring up politics in this forum unless it is pertinent to what I discuss here on a regular basis. Today, it was.
By the way, I have a parting question for this person who raked me over the coals--Did Bill Clinton cure cancer?
People who know me now can vouch for the fact that I am a bona fide workout nut. As in, I go to the gym ALL THE TIME for my regular sessions of sweating and getting my heart rate up. I absolutely love the fact that I have made exercise a permanent habit that I fully intend on doing for the rest of my life. It's THAT important to me.
This is a far cry from the 410-pound morbidly obese slob that I was in early 2004. No energy, no motivation, no willingness to change...I was the proverbial ticking time bomb from a health standpoint. I needed to lose weight and start exercising as soon as possible or my days were numbered. That's a serious place to let yourself get into, but there I was!
My blogging friend Kent Altena was also in that same boat when he weighed over 400 pounds before the Atkins diet came to save him as well. But Kent and I will both stand here today and proudly give credit to our regular exercise regimens as much as our low-carb lifestyle for helping us become 200-pound weight loss success stories. That's why Kent's latest Atkins education video is on this subject of exercise.
Check out the video below:
ATKINS & EXERCISE: IT'S NON-NEGOTIABLE (PART 1)
When I decided to write my book about my low-carb experience, I KNEW exercise would need to have a chapter of its own. I called the chapter "Exercise Is Not A Dirty Word." As much as we want to bemoan and run kicking and screaming away from this important element to a healthy lifestyle, exercise is extremely important not only for weight loss, but also for improving your health.
Exercising causes people to notice you and is absolutely an integral part of your low-carb lifestyle. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about! Wanna see phenomenal results with low-carb? Then you will want to start exercising as soon as possible.
Kent notes in his video to start off slow or even ignore exercise early on as you begin changing your dietary habits which are usually the bigger problem for most people. I took this approach and did not exercise until month 2 of my Atkins diet. I lost 30 pounds in month 1, but adding exercise in month 2 helped me shed 40 pounds. WOW! That just motivated me to keep on exercising to see how much MORE I could lose. Of course, I went on to lose 180 pounds in 2004.
Although I can easily get through a 45-minute workout today burning 750-800 calories on the elliptical machine, I remember those early days of being the "fat guy" walking on the treadmill at 3mph for 20 minutes gasping for air. HELP ME, I CAN'T BREATHE! LOL! It's funny NOW that I'm a lot more physically conditioned to exercise, but it was a tough road early on. You can find out more about my exercise experiences in my book. Let's just say it wasn't always very pretty. :-~
Kent makes the excellent point that regardless of how long you exercise when you decide to do it, just start getting in the habit of exercise so you can learn to schedule it in your life. People who say they don't have time to exercise are lying to themselves. They have the time but they choose to fill it with something else. I go exercise on my lunch break just as I have for the past three years. The fine folks at the YMCA know me by name and can almost set their watch for my daily arrival.
As was stated on the video by Kent, you may not FEEL like exercising at first, but soon something very special will start to happen. You will have so much energy coming out of your body that you will WANT to exercise to let it all out of you. You'll become an exercise monster and start craving it like you used to crave chocolate cake. Sounds absurd, but you will!
Post your comments about Kent's latest video at his blog and don't forget to THANK him for the outstanding service he is doing for the low-carb community.
The Low Carb Café is for those who like a more dignified place to interact
Before I started losing my weight on the Atkins diet in 2004, I never even thought about going on the Internet to look for support groups to help me on my new low-carb lifestyle change. To be honest, I just didn't have any idea what was out there. But had I been smart and looked just a little bit on a Google search, no doubt I would have come across a web site called The Low Carb Café.
Started in September 1998, it featured a chat room, message board and lots of great low-carb recipes for people on this way of eating. Although it changed owners in the summer of 2000, the mission and dedication of the site continued on with the addition of an outstanding forum and moderators who are dedicated to livin' la vida low-carb.
That template for professionalism and commitment is still going strong in 2006 with people who love low-carb living and want to see others change their life forever. They are igniting a passion for the low-carb lifestyle with helpful personal advice, informative articles, and an open forum that allows people to share their struggles and victories in a place of steadfast support.
My first exposure to The Low Carb Café was through their incredible forum where one of the moderators named Carol often reposts some of the blog posts from the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog that she finds useful to share with her readers. With nearly 4500 registered users in this forum, it is quite an active group of people who come together to talk about livin' la vida low-carb in a non-threatening manner.
Arguably the most popular feature at The Low Carb Café are the nearly 1,200 FREE RECIPES available at your fingertips to print out on your computer. Additionally, there is a FREE member's cookbook that comes in an e-book PDF format that can also be printed out and placed in a binder for easy access when you get the urge to do a little low-carb cooking. Whatcha got cookin' for me? :D
The thing I like most about The Low Carb Café is the very clear message that livin' la vida low-carb is "not just a diet, but also a way of life."
Their mission is summed up best on their front page:
This site has been designed to provide all the resources you need to be successful in whatever goals you want to achieve by living a low carb lifestyle. You can find truthful information and answers to all the tough questions concerning this way of life. We are here to support and encourage you when things are tough as well as compliment you when you succeed. Soon you will see how the low carb lifestyle and The Low Carb Café go hand-in-hand in helping you accomplish a healthier way of life.
What a fantastic grassroots web site for anyone wanting to learn more about the low-carb lifestyle and get serious about losing weight as well as improving their health. I just can't say enough about The Low Carb Café and encourage you to check 'em out for yourself. Who knows, you may even meet a few new friends who are at the same point in their low-carb journey as you are.
So, stroll on over to The Low Carb Café to have your say about the low-carb way of life...TODAY! Be sure to let them know "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man" Jimmy Moore sent ya!
