Kimkins 'Cover Girl' Passionately Declares Diet 'Dangerous' After Health Issues Emerge

Kimkins cover girl: "I was wrong...Kimkins is not the way to lose weight"

It takes a very special person to publicly admit when they were wrong about something even after multiple warnings and concerns shared by those around them. And yet that is exactly what has happened this week when Kimkins Woman's World cover girl Christin delivered an impassioned video apology at her blog along with a detailed explanation of the health complications she and others have suffered since beginning the risky low-carb imposter diet scheme devised by a morbidly obese woman named Heidi Diaz.

I blogged about my concerns over the Kimkins fiasco that culminated earlier this week when this beautiful young woman had to be rushed to the emergency room because of some pain in her chest and heart complications. When you hear something like this happening that was brought on by such an extreme low-fat/low-calorie diet like Kimkins, it should make you angry. AND I AM ANGRY ABOUT IT!

To anyone who is still on the Kimkins diet, CHRISTIN has a message just for YOU:


Show your support for and encouragement to Christin by leaving a comment about this video at her "The Journey On" blog. What a brave woman she is and I am honored to know her as a friend. She has demonstrated nothing but grace, elegance, and dignity in the midst of what has become a complete and utter nightmare for so many of us in the low-carb community concerning this Kimkins debacle.

For the sake of those who cannot view the video, the following is a summary of the video, including direct quotes made by Christin regarding her experience following the Kimkins diet. Be prepared to be shocked and stunned as she shares quite openly about the negative impact this weight loss fraud has had and may continue to have on her health. Pray for her even now as she seeks to reverse the damage that has been done.


Christin before Kimkins when she weighed 250 pounds

Christin said she did this video so that others would "know exactly where I stand on this." She explained why most people choose to lose weight: to improve their health. Period! When you are 100+ pounds overweight, then you are not living healthy, she noted.

She chose the Kimkins program because she "wanted to lose weight quickly and I thought healthfully" because she "wanted more for my life." She wanted to "be there" for her family in the years to come. I think all of us who have ever gone on a weight loss plan can relate to that.


Christin today after losing 100 pounds

When she first began, the program was working great for her because "I was following the program exactly as written. I thought I was doing perfectly." But after losing 100 pounds in five months, Christin then conspicuously noticed there was not one single doctor who approved the Kimkins diet. That's when she started looking into who Heidi Diaz, aka Kimmer, really was and what she claimed to be.


The REAL Kimmer is this woman--not the 118-pound woman she claims

Diaz had alleged in the marketing of Kimkins that she lost 198 pounds in 11 months on this Kimkins diet and was promoting it that way to anyone who would listen with supposed pictures to prove it. But it was this recent series of articles that included recent photographs of Diaz along with several other sites that made Christin become concerned and realize that those claims by Diaz were simply "not true."

"Heidi did not lose the weight, she did not follow this program that she claims is safe for anybody, even for diabetics," Christin said.

Then Christin turned in her video to the "risks" of being on the Kimkins diet that she discovered first-hand while following the program. She said she has real "concerns for everyone else that has attempted this program or will attempt this program."

That includes first and foremost hair loss. Christin admitted that her hair "started fall out in handfuls" and it "scared" her. She estimates she has lost as much as 60 percent of what used to be "thick, full hair" prior to her Kimkins experience.

"Now it's very thin," she exclaimed.

Another side effect was the loss of her menstrual cycle that she believes happened from "eating so few calories and my body was becoming malnourished." She said the hair loss and lack of periods are both tell-tale signs of anorexia, an eating disorder where victims literally starve themselves to be thin.

"I believe now the Kimkins diet program promotes a form of anorexia that I don't know if science has even attempted touch on this yet," Christin stated. "300 calories a day is not safe weight loss."

Any dietary change this drastic need to be closely monitored by a doctor just like those who undergo gastric bypass surgery do, she added.

When these symptoms began to show up, Christin went on the Kimkins forums to see if anyone else was losing their hair and female cycle like she was. "What's going on?" she pleaded to anyone who would listen to her concerns. And Christin said she "saw it come up multiple times" regarding these symptoms she was having in other people, too.

The excuse provided in response to this happening was that it was "perfectly normal and you're going through a shed. Your body is just losing estrogen." It was just too coincidental that "almost every other person who kept their calories under 1000 calories, probably more under 700 calories, has lost hair."

"I don't want to scare you," Christin said speaking directly to people who are still following Kimkins, "but I want to bring you into the reality that there is a better way to lose weight."

Christin asks "are you really doing this?" and urges people to take their diet plan to their doctor for him to examine it. "Take him your Fitday, take him exactly what you are eating, let him see your calorie counts," she said.

"I'm concerned about you," Christin pleaded.


Christin says she is sorry for supporting the "dangerous" Kimkins diet

When the time came for Christin to step into the spotlight back in June when the Woman's World magazine cover story opportunity came up, she said she was "put on a pedestal as the 'cover girl.' I was the model, I was the way to do it." But now she realizes how she was used as a pawn and seeks the mercy of those who trusted and looked up to her.

"I need to ask your forgiveness," she said. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Kimkins is not the way to lose weight. Kimkins is dangerous...for your health, it's dangerous for your psyche."

But as much as Kimkins hurt Christin up until this point, none of it was as grave as what was happening to her without even realizing it. She had the symptoms of an eating disorder that she admits made her realize she "had a problem" when she was fearful of even consuming some salad out of fear that she'd stall in her weight loss.

"I did not get fat on salad and on healthy vegetables," Christin explained. "I got fat on sugar and white carbs."

Getting over the fear of eating was a very difficult mental test for Christin as she now obsessed over every little bite of food she was eating and how it would impact her on the scale. She revealed that she hasn't met anyone who has been on the Kimkins program who wasn't "literally scared" to add food back into their diet.

"What kind of a program is it that makes you scared? Weight loss is not about fear, weight loss is about excitement, it's about joy, it's about recapturing your life," Christin shared with a glimmer in her eyes. "It should be a fun journey, not a fearful one."

And yet fear was exactly what gripped Christin and it would not let go of her.

"If I wasn't losing everyday, then I began wondering what was wrong with me," Christin admitted. "Nothing was wrong with me. My body was screaming at me. It was putting the brakes on and telling me you're going about this the wrong way."

As a devout Christian, she knew that "God created us to eat healthy foods; vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and yes, even fat." Christin reiterated that she believes there is "validity to low-carb programs" like Atkins, Protein Power, and the like when they are done the correct way and not the Kimkins way.

"You will provide your body with all of the nutrients that it needs" when you follow low-carb by the book, Christin shared. "God did not create you to starve yourself."

Outlining the "many dangers within the Kimkins program," she said that it goes much deeper than just an eating disorder. She said that "something is going on within my body" and that it has been manifested in the form of "flutters" in her heart for the past month.

"Twinges, cramps, aches, all within my chest cavity right around the area of my heart," Christin expressed, sharing that it all came to a head on Monday when the "severe chest pains...stomach aches, and nausea" were so great she was admitted to the emergency room staying there until late at night.

The doctors examined her with many tests, including an EKG, blood work, chest x-rays, and they kept her at the hospital for several hours to monitor her condition. It's still unknown what caused the tremendous pain to come on Christin like it did on Monday night, but she was prescribed pain medications and was referred to a cardiologist for an immediate follow-up visit.

That visit to the cardiologist took place on Wednesday who shared several concerns for Christin. With a "more and more serious" look on his face after hearing Christin's story about her starvation-mode weight loss method compliments of the Kimkins diet, he told her flat out that "our bodies can suffer damage from eating that little."

After conducting more tests on her, including an EKG, an ECG, blood work, and "lots of listening with the stethoscope," the cardiologist said he was not concerned about what he called a "normal" low pulse rate of 45 (incidentally, mine is in the upper 40's since I lost nearly 200 pounds and Christin has experienced a heart rate in the low-to-mid 40's). Even still, she says she "might get a second opinion on" just to be sure about it.

But there were real concerns that the cardiologist had for Christin, including "possible damage to my heart nodes and valves from malnutrition." Because of that, he wants to have a sonogram of Christin's heart to confirm whether or not there is this damage since it was inconclusive from the initial examination. He's also concerned about some "esophageal spasms" that happen whenever there is a "rapid change in your dietary program and you lose a lot of weight."

"Things can change on your insides," Christin quoted the cardiologist as saying, "that it takes it a while to catch up."

She is now medication for this "distress" with the contractions surrounding her esophagus and trying to rest as her body goes through the healing process.

Speaking passionately and directly to those who still think the Kimkins diet is a safe and effective way to lose weight in a healthy manner, Christin had an extremely clear and articulate message for them.

"If I and my story can stop anyone else from having pain and having the fear that I did that I might have caused even further damage and by attempting to be for my family I hindered my longevity with them--I was scared to death. That ride to the hospital was one of the most fearful ones that I have ever had! My husband was scared at having to face the possibility of losing his wife and his helper and his love," she recalled from her haunting experience earlier this week.

When they got to the hospital, Christin said she and her husband "prayed together" while holding hands hoping for the best in God's hands. And that's something she wants to help others avoid if they will simply listen to what she has to say.

"If I can save any of you from having to go through that, then it is worth it," Christin concluded.

Speaking about her role as the Public Relations head of Kimkins last month and as the cover girl on the Woman's World magazine in June, Christin said she did it because she "thought [she] was helping" others as is her heart's desire.

"It has always been my desire to help people," she said. "And especially those that I feel a connection with, those who have struggled to lose weight their entire lives, those who have issues with obesity--something that I know all too well."

Christin said taking on those responsibilities felt like she was "doing my part to give hope, to give assurance, to sympathize and to empathize" with people who were facing the same struggles that she had trying to lose weight. She still has those feelings for people who want to beat their obesity which is why she is still blogging and participating in a low-carb forum again.

"My heart goes out to you because I know what it's like," Christin stated. "I know the euphoria of losing weight quickly, but I also know the risks and the dangers involved and I am begging with you now to please listen to your body like I've said so many times and do the right thing."

She added: "There is a right way and a wrong way to lose weight. And I am now convinced that starving yourself and utilizing the Kimkins program in that manner is not the right way."

Realizing there is still a need for a community for people who desire weight loss the healthy way, Christin said we should all "stand together and learn together" the "correct way to use a low-carb program to make each other healthy, to live a longer life for our loved ones and our families."

Christin said she'll be back to blogging again soon and appreciates the friendship and love that has been shown to her through this horrific experience.

"I love you and I'm here for you," she concluded.

Visit Christin and learn more about her continuing low-carb weight loss journey at her "The Journey On" blog as well as the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" forum. And if you would like to contact Woman's World magazine to let them know about your concerns regarding the Kimkins program, their direct e-mail address is DearWW@aol.com. Perhaps if enough of us let them know about Christin and others who have suffered serious health consequences from being on Kimkins, then they may print a retraction.

The Kimkins Calamity: From Merely A Raw Business Deal To A Really Big Danger

As much as I have tried to distance myself from the still growing controversy over the low-carb imposter diet known as Kimkins since my public apology for once supporting it nearly two months ago, new revelations that cannot be ignored keep bringing it back to the forefront and warrant further exposure here. THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO JUST IGNORE!

When the virtual face of Kimkins--Becky, Christin, and Deni--decided to distance themselves from the diet earlier this month, it was a tremendous blow to the reputation of Kimkins that promises "super-fast results" by restricting fat, calories, and carbs. These three beautiful women were the heart and soul of Kimkins and their departure has left the Kimkins web site with a very noticeable lack of love and concern that it had become known for (incidentally, all three of them are now at my forum providing support like they once did at Kimkins).

But then when it was discovered by a private investigator that the founder of this diet who calls herself Kimmer (her real name is Heidi Kimberly Diaz despite the fact she told me personally that Heidi was both her real name and her cousin on two different occasions) is a morbidly obese woman who never lost weight according to her son and ex-husband and has a very long history of being a scam artist, I could no longer remain silent.

If you are a member of the low-carb community, then this issue with Kimkins should be of grave concern to you. What started out as a seemingly innocent-looking diet that's "just another low-carb plan" (it isn't really, but that's how it is being portrayed) has turned into something really ugly that is now having a negative impact on the lives of real people. That's right--PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT FROM BEING ON KIMKINS!

One such person it is having a direct impact on is the Woman's World cover girl Christin herself who lost 100 pounds in five months on the Kimkins diet. I don't know if you've heard about this yet or not, but she was admitted to the hospital last night with chest pains and has been referred to a cardiologist. Her pulse dipped into the upper 30's and that has the doctors worried for her heart health.

They have ordered Christin to rest today and she is on pain medication to help relieve the chest pains until she can see the cardiologist.

"They did all the tests for major cardiac issues and ruled them out," Christin wrote at my forum. "EKG, blood work, chest x-rays, all came back normal so that is good...please keep praying. I'm pretty sore today (in my heart), but feeling a bit better."

Add this to the other side effects Christin admitted she experienced while on Kimkins, including her hair falling out and missing her menstrual cycle for five months in a row and it is quite disconcerting to say the least. While it is unclear whether this chest pain issue is related to the Kimkins diet or not, it's certainly difficult to ignore.

Then you have Deni who lost 60 pounds in three months on Kimkins and she is now wondering where the "warning label" about this diet is at her blog this week after experiencing some rather odd side effects since being on the diet, too: extra periods, hair loss, dizzy spells, blurred vision, heart flutters, and intense cravings. All of this came in the pursuit of weight loss so she could live a healthier life for her family.

The irony of it all isn't lost on Deni.

"I said that one of the reasons why I wanted to lose weight was because I wanted to be here long enough to see my kids and future grand kids grow up," Deni wrote in her blog this week. "Now, it's possible that losing weight has lowered the chances of that actually happening."

More tests are being run on Deni to see if the damage that was done can be fixed. Please pray for Christin, Deni, and all the others who have received the grim news about the damage to their health that may have been caused by their participation in the Kimkins diet. What a travesty this would be if hundreds, even thousands more following the dictates of this scam diet plan were to have their health ruined, too!

Is it just mere coincidence that the two most prominent Kimkins weight loss success stories are now having to deal with this kind of thing? Why is something like this even allowed to exist when real people have DOCUMENTED proof that they have been damaged as a result of this low-carb imposter diet scheme cooked up by an extremely overweight woman named Heidi Diaz?

If anyone is considering going on the Kimkins diet, then let me warn you: PLEASE DON'T! There are better ways to shed the pounds that are a part of a happy and healthy low-carb lifestyle. You can find information and support for these plans at my new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" forum so you can shed the pounds in a healthy and safe manner. Eating at least 1200 calories a day with ample protein at each meal, limiting your carbohydrates from mostly non-starchy veggies (green leafy), and getting healthy amounts of fat will put you on the pathway to success in your low-carb lifestyle. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

As for Kimkins, please do your research by checking up on this growing list of web sites for detailed information about how this diet is nothing more than a ruthless money-making scheme that has been perpetrated on unsuspecting victims by someone who doesn't care a bit in the world about the weight and health of the people she comes into contact with.

Anyone who doubts this (especially those who are still supporting Heidi despite all the evidence inside Kimkins) should get introspective and take a long, hard look at all that has transpired over the past couple of months. If you do that, then there's no other choice for you but to distance yourself as much as possible from this shyster. It is for the best and you'll be so glad you did.

For those of you who were either employed by or were affiliates of Kimkins and are concerned this scam artist Heidi Diaz may try to use your Social Security number for her devious schemes, you may want to try LifeLock to protect yourself as I did. For less than $10 a month, they guarantee your credit and identity will be kept safe from evildoers (like Heidi) and you get a copy of your credit report twice a year along with that service. Additionally, they stop all those annoying credit card offers within a couple of months and alert you anytime someone tries to open a line of credit in your name using your private information. It's the best protective purchase I've made in a long time and it may be just what you need to protect yourself, too! Regardless, good luck to you and here's hoping your sensitive information was not compromised.

The moral of this story surrounding the Kimkins calamity is simple: be very careful about who and what you choose to associate yourself with. I learned my lesson as have many others who were sucked in by this. What began as merely a raw business deal has now turned into something much worse. It's without a doubt a really big danger for the health of those who are on this low-fat/low-calorie starvation diet.

How many more lives will need to be hurt before something is done to bring an end to this? If you want to get pro-active in stopping this dangerous dieting scheme before anyone else is harmed, then lodge a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Also, if you were a member of Kimkins and have been refused a refund, consider joining the class action lawsuit that has been filed against Heidi Diaz for fraud.

9-26-07 UPDATE: My friend Christin has posted a heart-wrenching video at her blog about all that has happened to her health since she began the Kimkins diet that EVERYONE needs to watch--especially those who are still at Kimkins. She addresses her recent heart concerns and warns others to be very wary of this imposter low-carb scam. I'm proud of you Christin!

Ingles Supermarket Supplying Customers With Uninformed 'Heart-Healthy' Diet Advice

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.

Why would I do this when saturated fat has been found to be a HEALTHY thing to eat, hmmm? There is no good reason at all to eat less or leaner cuts of red meat. NONE!

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.