Most people are confused and bewildered about what supplements they should be taking as part of a healthy lifestyle change like livin' la vida low-carb. We all know the benefits of a solid multivitamin as part of your daily nutritional routine. But what else can we take to help improve our health while losing and then maintaining our weight?
I've shared a few of the specific supplements I take on a daily basis in this YouTube video as well as this blog post. But there is one that you may not have heard much about because quite frankly the medical industry doesn't want you to know there's an over-the-counter dietary supplement that will replace some very expensive prescription drugs you may be taking. It's called CoQ10.
CoQ10 stands for Co-enzyme Q10 and is as crucial for protecting your body against heart disease, cancer, AIDS, hypertension, muscular dystrophy, brain disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's as well as memory loss as anything else you could take. Heck, it's even good for your gums, too! Although the benefits of taking CoQ10 as regular part of your healthy routine are well-known overseas, doctors here in the United States, including cardiologists who are supposed to be treating heart health ailments, have downplayed its importance because there's no money in promoting something that could replace many of the most bestselling drugs available today.
It's kinda like our cherished low-carb lifestyle. Most doctors frown and turn their nose up at the use of low-carb diets for weight loss because of its alleged dangers. But then when someone starts using it and the weight comes pouring off, A1C numbers drop, HDL "good" cholesterol rises, triglycerides plummet, and all the other excellent health benefits of eating this way kick in, there's little a doctor can say in reaction to these results. Even still, some doctors decry these improvements as a fluke and that continuing to eat this way long-term will cause damage. WHATEVER!
So you think you might wanna be a rebel and start taking CoQ10 anyway despite any objections from your doc, eh? Here are six reasons why you should consider this small, but incredible investment (and, yes, CoQ10 is a bit pricey, but well worth it for the benefits you receive) in the future of your health:
1. It naturally lowers your blood pressure.
This is something that I was so pleased to know about CoQ10 because I had been taking blood pressure medicine prior to my low-carb lifestyle and taking supplements. Within a few months of taking CoQ10, I started blacking out when I stood up. It was the weirdest thing and I couldn't figure out what was happening. When I went to the doctor about it, he said my blood pressure was TOO LOW with the medication, so I'd have to stop taking it. WOO HOO! CoQ10 was doing the trick for managing my blood pressure. In fact, this University of Texas study found that over HALF of patients with high blood pressure were able to reduce or eliminate their need for blood pressure drugs after just one month of taking CoQ10. AMAZING!
2. Destroy cell-damaging free radicals.
CoQ10 is a potent antioxidant (it comes in 100mg, 200mg, 300mg, and 400mg--I personally use either 300mg or 400mg) and should be replenished in your body on a daily basis for the protection of your heart, brain, kidneys, and liver from the damage that can be caused by the existence of free radicals. Think of CoQ10 as the "premium grade" of gasoline for your car helping it to run as smoothly as possible.
3. Reduces oxidized fat that leads to clogged arteries.
While limiting your carbohydrate intake is certainly protective for the heart while on the low-carb lifestyle, you still want to limit the creation of arteriosclerosis that happens when fatty deposits begin to fill up in the blood vessels. CoQ10 helps to prevent this by preventing the oxidation of fat cells from happening.
4. Alleviates major heart health risk factors.
If you have heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), or hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), then taking CoQ10 on a daily basis can give you relief from these conditions and quite possibly improve them! Why wouldn't you want to do that?
5. Improves pain felt by chronic stable angina patients.
For those people with chronic stable angina, CoQ10 gives them the necessary relief from chest pains and the ability to perform certain cardiovascular exercise to improve their health health.
6. Regulates the rhythm of your heart rate.
Having a steady heartbeat gives you peace of mind about the state of your heart health. If CoQ10 can help manage a fluttering heart, then everyone who has one should be taking this supplement!
Interestingly, did you know the dangerous cholesterol-lowering statin drugs like Lipitor, Crestor, and Zetia actually ROBS THE BODY of CoQ10? Yep, that's a dirty little secret you won't be hearing in all those cutesy little commercials on television about these awful prescription medicines. And when one company attempted to supplement the statin with some extra CoQ10, they decided not to do it since they feared it would cut into the sales of their statin drugs if the word got out about the CoQ10 depletion. INCREDIBLE!
As you can see, CoQ10 is an important supplement for creating energy and to help your mitochondria function (where you get your energy from!) the way it is supposed to. Taking this supplement daily will keep your cells youthful and vibrant for many years to come! Be sure to keep your fat intake up when you are taking CoQ10 since it is a fat-soluble nutrient. But you're already doing that, of course, since you're livin' la vida low-carb!
Regardless of your current health, I think everyone should be taking this supplement now to prevent any possible ailments that may come in the future. You won't hear your doctor or pharmacist touting CoQ10, but it very well could be the most beneficial supplement you've never heard of.
Regardless of your choice of diet, you need to be taking supplements
One of the most common questions I receive from people inquiring about my low-carb lifestyle is regarding vitamin supplements. They want to know specifically what I take and why I take them. I've briefly blogged about this before, but this was such an interesting topic that I decided to dedicate Episode 10 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" to go over the ones that Christine and I currently take.
Some people erroneously think that they can get all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need by simply eating the right kinds of foods in their diet. Unfortunately, that is next to impossible to do which necessitates the need for supplementation. There are arguments both for and against taking vitamins, but I personally feel better and healthier over these past four years since I added DAILY supplementation to my lifestyle. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise.
See EXACTLY what I am taking in our latest YouTube video:
We'd love to have your feedback about Episode 10 at YouTube, including any supplements that you take that I did not mention. Plus, your comment will make you eligible to win another very special surprise prize that will be announced in our next episode. Click here to leave your comment and GOOD LUCK in the contest.
Special CONGRATULATIONS to one of my LowCarbDiscussion.com forum readers ChrisTina (aka Mrs. A), whose screen name at YouTube is xf89, for being the winner of our previous surprise giveaway contest from Episode 9. She won certificates for 10 FREE Atkins Nutritionals bars just for leaving a comment and for being fortunate enough to be chosen in our drawing. YOU could be the next winner, so be sure to leave a comment at Episode 10 TODAY! :)
Get caught up on our YouTube videos real fast by clicking on the following links:
- Promo video--A half-minute promotion of the new video series - Episode 1--Introduction of Jimmy & Christine Moore - Episode 2--What kind of fruits can you have on a low-carb diet? - Episode 3--What kind of veggies can you have on a low-carb diet? - Episode 4--What does a low-carber do for something sweet? - Episode 5--Why is fat so healthy for you on the low-carb lifestyle? - Episode 6--Which restaurants can you go to on the low-carb lifestyle? - Episode 7--What are the best new low-carb books you need to read? - Episode 8--Why should you be eating a lot more eggs? - Episode 9--If you're gonna do Atkins, do it by the book
We are continuing to grow in the number of subscribers to our YouTube videos, so keep sharing and telling others about them. We value your input about how to make the videos even better, so don't hesitate to let us know your thoughts at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Your constructive criticism and suggestions for future topics for me and Christine to talk about are greatly appreciated. THANKS as always for your faithful support for the work we are doing to educate, encourage, and inspire others who are livin' la vida low-carb through these videos.
VIBE is a liquid nutraceutical dietary supplement for optimum health
Getting on a nutritionally sound diet such as livin' la vida low-carb takes preeminence over anything else you can do when it comes to your weight and health. It is the backbone of every healthy lifestyle and there is no compromising on what you are putting in your mouth if you intend to keep your body healthy.
The same goes for your vitamin supplements. I am a strong proponent of taking vitamins as part of your health routine. From day one of my low-carb lifestyle, I have taken a variety of dietary supplementation to go along with my healthy diet. It's been a decision I have not regretted and the benefit is I've never felt this good in my entire life!
However, the more I have researched the various kinds of vitamins available on the market today, I am becoming thoroughly convinced that those old traditional "brick" vitamins that you can buy at the drugstores and Wal-mart are not the most ideal way to allow your body to benefit and absorb all the nutrients you think you are getting.
That's why I was happy to find out about a company called Eniva and their fantastic VIBE brand of liquid vitamins. What a truly revolutionary blend of all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to get you through the day.
Watch this local news story on VIBE that recently aired:
The twin brothers who run Eniva are committed to helping transform people's lives with their VIBE vitamins. What makes these vitamins so different?
Three specific things come to mind:
1. VIBE has the correct particle size
Because VIBE is available in liquid form, the particle size of the nutrients are so microscopic that they almost immediately begin absorbing into your body down to the actual cell level of the body where true life-changing processes take place and where it can do the most good.
2. VIBE is water soluble
Traditional "brick" vitamins must be digested, broken down, and then redistributed to the body--BUT 90 PERCENT OF THOSE VITAMINS NEVER GET USED! Yikes! That's a lot of wasted money! VIBE is a liquid so it goes to work as soon as it is consumed.
3. VIBE is good for your whole body
VIBE is so much more than just vitamins. It has one of the highest anti-aging values of any supplement on the market today and targets the cardiovascular system, boosts the immune system, and promotes healthy cells which translates to better skin, bones, hair, and so much more! VIBE is a complete total body formula.
Okay, so you might be wondering what exactly you get in a 1 Fl.oz. serving of VIBE. Are ready for all of this? It's gonna blow your mind!
- Just 30 calories - 2,000 IU Vitamin A - 120 mg Vitamin C - 500 IU Vitamin D - 30 IU Vitamin E - 1.5 mg Thiamin - 1.7 mg Riboflavin - 16 mg Niacin - 2 mg Vitamin B6 - 400 mcg Folic Acid - 12 mcg Vitamin B12 - 300 mcg Biotin - 10 mg Pantothenic Acid - 100 mg Calcium - 20 mg Phosphorus - 150 mg Magnesium - 5 mg Zinc - 25 mcg Selenium - .5 mg Copper - 1.8 mg Manganese - 120 mcg Chromium - 175 mg Potassium - 37 mg PROPRIETARY TRACE MINERAL BLEND, including Boron, Germanium, Strontium, Sulfur, Nickel, Cobalt, and Vanadium - 6,500 mg ANTIOX PROPRIETARY BLEND, including Natural Extracts from Acai Berry, Cranberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Strawberry, Cherry, Carrot, Elderberry, Hibiscus, Lemon, Lime, Apple, Orange, Blackcurrant, Oregano, Chokeberry, Grape, Pumpkin, Tomato, Pomegranate, Wolfberry, Stevia, Grape Seed, and Citrus Bioflavonoids - 280 mg HEARTPRO PROPRIETARY BLEND, including D-Ribose, CoQ10, L-Carnetine, Malic Acid Isolated, Lecithin, MixedTocopherols - 3,500 mg COLLAMAX PROPRIETARY BLEND, including Green Tea Leaf Extract, L-Lysine, L-Proline, Aloe Vera Gel, Glucosamine HCI, Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Isoleucine, and Leucine - Other ingredients: Purified water, citric acid, natural gums, potassium sorbate, and benzoic acid
WHEW! Did you know they could pack so much into a little one-ounce serving? Yep, they sure can and it is absolutely LOADED with good healthy nutrition for your body.
Isn't it time you started catching a good VIBE for your heath? CLICK HERE to learn all about VIBE and join the revolution for yourself!
Mark Sisson helping people learn the importance of good nutrition
Have you ever wondered when you stepped inside of your local drug or health food store and saw all those vitamins and other dietary supplements lined up in such an intimidating display exactly how much of what you really need? Believe me, I have and you can go broke buying the WRONG kind or quantities if you don't know what you are doing.
If anyone knows what proper nutrition and healthy supplementation is supposed to look like, then I would think a former marathon runner and world-class athlete would qualify. That's exactly what Mark Sisson is which explains why he is the perfect person to create a business called Primal Nutrition.
You may recall when I blogged earlier this year about Mark's incredibly entertaining and educational blog called Mark's Daily Apple where he espouses healthy living the low-carb way. Mark and I have a mutual respect for each other since our basic dietary and blogging philosophies are mirror images. You could even sense that when he interviewed me for his blog back in March.
But Mark Sisson is a much more professionally qualified health and fitness blogger than I'll ever be because he was a key player in bringing the triathlon to the Olympic games as an official sport. Yep, Mark is a bona fide athlete who deserves to be heard because he knows from whence he speaks.
When he retired from professional competition, Mark decided he wanted to build upon his own personal health experiences to provide high-quality supplement information and products to the public. He began by publishing numerous articles on fitness, health and wellness which you can enjoy at his blog as well as at my LowCarbNewsline.com web site now (check out his latest column making the "Case Against Cardio"--AN INSTANT CLASSIC!). Additionally, he has been interviewed by the health and fitness media as well as participating as an in-demand consultant in professional sports.
Prior to founding Primal Nutrition in 1996, Mark was the chief operating officer and head of research & development for America's #1 top direct-to-consumer nutritional supplement company. In other words, he has a solid reputation for knowing his stuff as it relates to vitamins and supplements.
As a strong supporter of livin' la vida low-carb, Mark wants to help his fellow low-carbers get the most potent, complete, cutting-edge, premium nutritional supplements available on the market today. He knows you don't have time to research the ingredients in thousands of bottles with stuff you can't even pronounce in them! That's why he created Primal Nutrition.
The first thing you'll notice is the product line is quite small--JUST FOUR BASICS IN ALL! But that's by design. Mark wants people to get what they need to be healthy and then just live their life without worrying about whether they are getting the right supplements or not. Primal Nutrition gives you the peace of mind to know you are.
No matter how young or old you are, these supplements will help with such health ailments as aging, blood sugar control, weight and pain management, mental health, sleep, performance, energy, and more. As a 52-year old man, Mark knows firsthand how important it is to remain healthy as your body naturally matures and goes through the life cycle. He's living proof it CAN be done!
I have personally used the multivitamin packs, omega supplements, and Responsibly Slim products for the past month and would like to share my experiences with each.
DAMAGE CONTROL MASTER FORMULA
Most of you know I have been a big proponent of taking at the very least a multivitamin when you are livin' la vida low-carb. Regardless of your dietary preference, though, a solid multivitamin will help ensure you are getting exactly what you need nutritionally.
This beautifully-packaged product holds a one-month supply of 60 little waterproof packets each containing six capsules (taken twice daily!) with the right amount of 51 healthy nutrients your body needs (you can see a complete listing of these nutrients by clicking here). If you were to try to purchase all of these on your own, you could very easily spend up to $500 for just a one-month supply of products you can't be sure about! Yikes!
I replaced much of my supplementation (except fish oil which I'll discuss in a moment) by switching to the Damage Control Master Formula and feel absolutely fantastic. It sure is convenient just ripping an easy-to-open packet of six capsules in the morning and then again at night instead of opening 8 or 9 different bottles as I have been doing for the past three years. Not anymore!
This literally is a premium multivitamin for anyone looking to get everything they need in one dose. You'll be interested to know that there's also a "junior" version with 42 vital nutrients as well as a basic "budget-conscious" version that is perfect for children and youth. You'll never have to worry about your multivitamin again!
VITAL OMEGAS
I love my fish oil supplements and consider them a key part of my low-carb lifestyle. There are so many health benefits from adding this supplement to your diet that I don't know anyone who shouldn't be taking it. But getting the wrong kind can actually cause damage to your body rather than help it. EEEK!
One of the most common problems with fish oil capsules is most of them go rancid sitting on the shelf in the drugstore or at Wal-mart for months on end. One surefire way of knowing whether your fish oil supplement is rancid or not is if you have fishy burps soon after taking them. Not good!
That's what I have enjoyed about taking the Vital Omegas. No more fishy burps, so I KNOW I'm getting a top-of-the-line fish oil supplement that will help rather than harm me. This is the purest, most concentrated form of fish oil I've seen available on the market today--BAR NONE!
RESPONSIBLY SLIM
When you are livin' la vida low-carb, protein is a crucial part of your weight loss and muscle-building routine. Most protein powders are simply overloaded with sugar and lack enough fiber to be as useful to the people using them. That's what makes Responsibly Slim protein powder different.
It is both high-protein (24g) and high-fiber (8g) to give you a nice one-two punch in your weight loss routine. Responsibly Slim comes in either chocolate or vanilla flavors and tastes fantastic. I've had the chocolate and mixed it with water and ice in a blender for a delicious low-carb snack or meal replacement.
One word of caution for people on Induction or in the early stages of livin' la vida low-carb: Responsibly Slim contains 7g sugar per serving to improve the taste and texture. However, those low-carbers who are in the midst of or near their goal weight with a higher carbohydrate allowance can add this product into their routine.
Take a moment and check out Mark Sisson's Primal Nutrition health supplements for yourself sometime! They will help you become healthier that you ever thought possible!
If you are like me and enjoy taking supplements as part of your low-carb lifestyle, then you will definitely want to read this World Net Daily story about something the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is currently proposing that could directly impact your life. This may sound like a very sick joke, but it is DEAD SERIOUS!
According to FDA Docket No. 2006D-0480, aka the "Draft Guidance for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration," the government agency would take over regulation of all vitamins, supplements, and any other natural health remedies. What would this mean? Well, any natural remedy items, even bottled water, would then be considered "drugs" coming under the strongarm authority of the FDA.
In fact, pretty much anything and everything that can be used to treat disease would fall under FDA control. Here's the language they use in this draft proposal:
Biologically based products include, but not limited to botanicals, animal-derived extracts, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, proteins, prebiotics and probiotics, whole diets and “functional foods.” A botanical product intended for use in treating a disease would be generally regulated as a drug. “Functional foods” may be subject to FDA regulation as foods dietary supplements, or drugs under the Act.
If the manipulative and body-based practices involve the use of equipment (such as massage devices) or the application of a product (such as lotion, cream, or oil) to the skin or other parts of the body, those products may be subject to regulation under the ACT.
Does all this sound preposterous? Think again. Imagine this:
Do you own a home gym for medical purposes? It would need FDA approval for use or commerce. How about heading down to your local drugstore to find your favorite vitamins? Good luck because the FDA would need to give their go-ahead. In fact, any store caught selling vitamins without the FDA's magic stamp could be prosecuted for "practicing medicine." Yikes!
FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach has put this draft guidance on the fast-track for implementation, but they are soliciting feedback from concerned citizens through May 29, 2007. The original date was set for Monday, April 30, 2007, but they decided to extend it for an additional month since there has been such an outcry from the public. You can send your concerned comments and reaction to the FDA about this by using their feedback form.
With one out of every three Americans using nondrug treatments for their health at an estimated cost of $5 billion annually, it appears the FDA is watching out for their buddies in the pharmaceutical industry. The medical establishment doesn't like the fact that people are getting healthy without the use of their overpriced medications. Sure, there are SOME drugs that do some fantastic work, but a lot of people find equally effective relief from all-natural homeopathic remedies.
Ever since I've been taking supplements like so many do on a daily basis as part of my low-carb lifestyle, I have not had to see the doctor because I haven't been sick. That's a fact that apparently doesn't sit too well with the medical profession. It's not all of them, but the people in powerful positions are none too happy that they're losing out on "business" from people who are supposed to be sick. Twisted, ain't it?
We've already seen severe restrictions to vitamins in our neighboring countries Mexico and Canada as well as in Europe where you even need a prescription from a doctor to have access to them. EEEEK! Don't you know the FDA would love to bring this policy to the good ole United States of America. They've been working on it for a while now.
I've previously blogged about the concerted effort to outlaw vitamins in this country before, but the FDA has stepped it up. What makes this bad is the outright corruption that already exists in that government entity and it's well-documented. Can you say Vioxx? Or their approval of the wheat gluten imported from China that was responsible for the pet food contamination that killed thousands of beloved pets? Shall I continue?
If you care about this issue as much as I do, then leave your feedback for the FDA TODAY! You have until May 29, 2007 to voice your concerns about this important issue. Let Commissioner von Eschenbach hear from us all!
Here we go yet again with the obvious media bias against low-carb!
Have you seen this FOXNews.com column as well as the merciless beating the low-carb diet is taking in the press right now after the release of a new Centers For Disease Control (CDC) study showing the important B complex vitamin folate levels in women has dropped somewhat in recent years causing health atrocities in younger women like birth defects? The coverage of this story is pretty disgusting if you ask me.
Here's what they're saying about the alleged low-carb connection:
"Low-carb diets may hit levels of folate."
"Blood levels of folate in young women are dropping, a disturbing development that could lead to increased birth defects and may be due to low-carb diets."
"Experts suspect diets are to blame for the drop. And breads fortified with folic acid have fallen from favor in low-carb diets."
"Low-carb diets have increased in popularity since 2000. Women who avoided flour and bread products for their carbohydrates may have also taken in less folic acid."
What's with all the emphasis on livin' la vida low-carb and lower folate levels? Well, it seems one of the primary sources of folic acid is in fortified whole grain breads which are generally avoided by people watching their carbohydrate intake, right? True enough, but health officials at the CDC call this a "disturbing" trend that MUST be the result of low-carb diets.
Um, here's a question for you. If the source of folic acid that women should be consuming is some bread products that have had folic acid ADDED to them, then why can't women simply take a supplement that gives them adequate amounts of folic acid to begin with rather than eating the bread to begin with? I mean DUH!
Most people who are livin' la vida low-carb are already supplementing their diet with things like calcium, potassium, fiber, and more. Why don't these women just add a folic acid vitamin pill to the mix? Gee, now there's a thought!
But the lamentation over declining folate levels has got the CDC in such a tizzy because all these little babies are being born with distorted spines and brains which is truly awful. Let me be crystal clear--I AM NOT MAKING LIGHT OF BIRTH DEFECTS! With that said, though, can we really put the onus for this issue all on the low-carb lifestyle? Not hardly!
While this story pushes hard the notion that women should be getting folic acid from eating such high-carb foods as cereals and breads that have been fortified with folic acid, an artificial form of folate, there's another FOXNews.com story by Dr. Manny Alvarez published today hailing such natural forms of folate found in low-carb vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. How ya like them apples all you low-carb haters?!
In other words, if a young woman who is of childbearing age is following a low-carb diet and eating these nutritious and delicious non-starchy, low-glycemic veggies like she should be, then she is definitely getting all the folate her body needs to prevent birth defects in any future children she may give birth to. Just because there has been an 8 to 16 percent decline in folate levels in young American women in recent years doesn't mean the CDC or anyone else should ASSUME it's because of low-carb diets.
This is the first time since the government started promoting folic acid to women over the past decade that they have seen a decline in folate levels, which hit Caucasian women hard but African-American women experienced the least amount of folate in their blood of all races and ethnic groups.
Researchers theorize obesity had something to do with the reduction in folate as well because obese people metabolize folate differently than their skinnier counterparts and actually need MORE folic acid to prevent birth defects.
But Dr. Joseph Mulinare, the lead researcher on the study who is an epidemiologist, swears it has to be the popularity of low-carb diets that is to blame for this since the bread-shunning weight loss method became all the rage in 2000 and hit its peak in 2004. He claims too many women must have stopped eating the folic acid-enriched flour products that would have kept their folate levels high enough to prevent the birth defects from happening.
Excuse me, Dr. Mulinare, but that's just one big copout and a lame one at that! If women were getting their folic acid from bread products before they started livin' la vida low-carb and they knew that was the source for it, then wouldn't it stand to reason that they would seek out other alternative sources for folic acid when they began their new way of eating? Additionally, as I have already stated, folate is found naturally in such low-carb staple foods as broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower. If they're doing the low-carb plan right, then a folate deficiency would NOT be an issue.
I know bashing low-carb every chance possible is a popular thing in the media these days. It's amazing how many times the obituary for this healthy nutritional approach has been written and yet they keep trying to beat a supposedly dead horse over and over and over again. Do they even realize how much credence they are paying to low-carb every time they mention it?
Wanna know what's so gut-busting funny about the coverage of this study? At the end of the FOXNews.com article, it states that "vitamins and supplements are the best way to get the recommended daily dose of 400 micrograms of folic acid."
Did you hear that? Folic acid-enriched breads and cereals aren't even the primary or "best" source for creating folate in the body. It's SUPPLEMENTATION my dear! You know what? That's something women can do who are following a low-carb plan. Oh my, the common sense logic of all this should be an embarassment to all those poor ignorant reporters who were quick to jump on the anti-low-carb bandwagon on this one.
Sorry people, but you got it wrong--YET AGAIN!
Perhaps all these negative naysayers should consider educating themselves a little bit better about what the low-carb lifestyle is REALLY all about rather than going around making themselves look like a bunch of fools when they follow this template to decimate livin' la vida low-carb. Playing the role of court jester might be fun for these people, but nobody really respects them. As for me, I'll lead my low-carb crusade as a mighty warrior knight with the sword of truth on my side.
If any of you jokers in the media try to maliciously malign low-carb again, then you WILL face the wrath of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man" yet again. And it won't be a pretty sight I can promise you that! You have been fairly warned.
1-6-07 UPDATE: You might want to visit Calianna's Low Carb Cottage for a listing of even more low-carb foods that contain LOTS of folate in them. She makes some interesting observations about the amount of folate you get from the foods on this list compared with the artificially-infused folic acid put in the so-called healthy whole grains. Very enlightening, Calianna!
This supposedly healthy supplement wallops you with excess sugar
I enjoy participating in product surveys and personal evaluations of the latest products because I feel like it gives me the ability in some small way to influence what actually comes to the marketplace. While I am the first to admit that I'm not your "normal" person when it comes to evaluating most food and health products because I am livin' la vida low-carb, it most certainly gives me great pleasure to represent those of us who are attempting to live a healthier lifestyle.
Recently I was asked a series of questions about whether I took vitamin supplements or not. HA! Ya think! Of course, as many of you know I take a big handful of pills daily (no prescription drugs, mind you, just supplements!) ranging from a multivitamin to calcium, Co-Q 10 to fiber, fish oil tablets to chromium picolinate and much more!
Yes, I LOVE my supplements and wouldn't think of living another day of life without them. Even if they're as useless to me as a placebo, the fact of the matter is they make ME feel better about my health. And that's all that matters.
When the survey company realized I qualified for their survey about supplementation, they asked me if I would be interested in giving them feedback about a specific product that they would mail for me to try--VIACTIV! Was this some kind of joke? I had never thought much about this particular supplement because it has a slogan that states "Active Nutrition for Women by Women."
Ooooookay, since I'm not a woman, why would I take this supplement? Perhaps that was the purpose of having a male survey participant taking this product to see if they can branch off into the other half of the market to increase their portion of the revenue pie so to speak. Fair enough and I was happy to give them my HONEST feedback. They ALWAYS get that!
So the package arrives in the mail this week and they ask me to stop taking any multivitamins, Vitamin K, Vitamin D, and Calcium supplements immediately and replace it with up to 3 of the Viactiv Calcium Milk Chocolate Soft Chews daily instead. The allure of this product is that you can enjoy a delicious way to get your calcium without the "big chalky pills" that are generally associated with calcium supplements.
There's no doubt in my mind that getting adequate amounts of calcium is important for anyone and everyone living a healthy lifestyle. Some people can get enough of it in their diet, but others of us choose to bump that level up with calcium carbonate supplements. So why not do it using a tasty chocolate soft chew, right? Sounds logical enough.
Well, there was just one problem with the Viactiv: the list of ingredients! As I do with ANYTHING I put inside my mouth these days, I turned to the nutritional label on this "healthy supplement" product to see what I would be ingesting. I immediately got completely bug-eyed at what I saw and decided right then and there that there was no way on God's green Earth I would be taking these Viactiv chews for my calcium intake.
Why? Read my response to the survey people today:
"The first ingredient is corn syrup.
The second ingredient is high-fructose corn syrup.
The fourth ingredient is sugar.
Three out of the first four ingredients are what I consider poison for my body. I am not diabetic, but I am on a healthy lifestyle change where I avoid sugar and corn syrup to keep my body weight low and my blood sugar regulated."
That's right, this health supplement is LOADED with sugar, corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup! EEEEK! Why don't they just tell people to grind up their calcium pills and melt them in the microwave on top of a Snickers bar instead?! It would be just as healthy for them as these soft chews and they'd still get their calcium by golly. Sheeez!
You know, these are the kind of products that make me just wanna hurl when I see them because they fool people into thinking they are doing something GOOD for their bodies because after all "it has calcium in it so you are helping your bones" or they market it as "for those people who care about their health." GAG ME! When the product has as much sugar in it as Viactiv Calcium Milk Chocolate Soft Chews do, then it is anything BUT healthy in my book.
Being the helpful person that I am, I suggested to the survey people that the makers of Viactiv need to consider an alternative to their product that DOESN'T contain sugar. Hmmm, that's a thought!
"Perhaps Viactiv would consider making a sugar-free version of their soft chew vitamins made with sucralose, acesulfame potassium, erithyritol, and/or oligofructose instead of sugar and corn syrup. Just avoid using the sugar alcohol maltitol because it can cause an unpleasant laxative effect.
I'm sorry I could not participate in the survey, but the thought of eating all that sugar was quite repulsive to me. Come up with a sugar-free version and I'm ALL OVER IT! :) THANKS!"
Wanna know what's ironic about all of this? Guess who the parent company for Viactiv is? It's McNeil Nutritionals! Does that company ring a bell with anyone? Come on, think hard. Okay, I'll let you off the hook because you won't believe this when I tell you.
McNeil Nutritionals is the same company that makes, markets, and manufactures the most famous artificial sweetener available today--can you believe it's SPLENDA?! Isn't this so ironic that the same company behind Splenda feels the need to load up their "healthy" vitamin supplement product with sugar, corn syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup?! UGH! What's wrong with this picture?!
Get a clue, McNeil Nutritionals! Start making Viactiv with a Splenda/ACE-K blend and I betcha it'll taste just as good. But even better than that is it will be much healthier for people who are livin' la vida low-carb and diabetic, too!
Don't you wonder sometimes whether these big companies think at all?
Why don't we express our concerns and make our suggestions about Viactiv directly to McNeil Nutritionals by using their contact page. Let them hear from YOU! :)
If you thought cannibalism was outlawed, think again!
Just in time for Halloween, I've got something so wickedly gruesome and freaky to the max that it will very likely turn your stomach worse than anything you have seen or heard in a long time. It sounds like something straight out of horror movie!
If you are squeamish or if you are easily grossed out, then you probably want to stop reading right now. But if you think your stomach can take it, then read on.
Believe it or not, there is a real company on the Internet right now at this very moment which actively promotes doing something with the body of your loved ones who pass away that is so off-the-wall crazy, there's no way I'd ever be able to make something like this up. What is it?
They make nutritional supplements out of dead bodies.
I'm not kidding!
The company is called Modern Man Eater and, as the name implies, they encourage people to pass on the "unimaginable power" that comes from ingesting the elements made from the body of your Grandma Martha, Aunt Sally, or Uncle Joe. Heck, they'll even make vitamins out of your dog Buster if you would like! Again, this is NOT a joke! It's as real as real can be.
Check out this ominous plea on the front page of their web site:
"The Question is: When you Die, Do you want your Life Force to Vanish or Passed on to your Children and their Children The Ancients knew. Warriors regularly fed themselves upon the Organs of defeated enemies to steal their Strength and Energy. In Pre-History, Families consumed their freshly Dead Ancestors so that their Wisdom and Essence is Preserved and Carried On within the Family."
EWWWW! This company is BEYOND sicko, they're a bunch of whack jobs! They think the work they are doing is continuing on a supposed tradition of passing on the family heritage one bite at a time. Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick.
Here's the process they use for making ingestible pills for consumption:
"Your Loved one's body will be separated into its Discreet Components, then Dried, Distilled, and Processed into Vitamins, Minerals, and Food Additives that can Strengthen your entire Family for years to come! Sanitary and Food-Grade Quality. Not only Good for your Body but truly feeds your Soul."
Blech! I'm turning white now from this...not sure if I can make it through the rest of this post. But I'll try.
What supplements come from one dead human body? Check it out:
Hair: First the Corpse is entirely Shaven and Hair collected. Then, via Hydrolysis, the Cysteine is Leeched out, purified, and Converted to the biologically valuable Vitamin L-Cystene.
Blood: All the Blood is Drained, Dried, Collected, Powdered and Encapsulated. These are the best iron-heavy Multi-Vitamin available!
Next, the Corpse is boiled to remove the meat from the bones.
Bones: The Bones are ground to a fine Powder, mixed with water and an agregator compound and formed into Calcium Tablets.
Meat: All of the remaining flesh is then Freeze-Dried and ground into a protein-intense, powdered nutritional supplement. Suitable for Energy Shakes, spicing up dinner, or mixed into foods such as scrambled eggs or oatmeal.
Mmm mmm yummy! Makes you wanna shake some Uncle Buck on your omelette for breakfast, doesn't it? Has anybody seen the Pepto Bismol?!
This process is known as anthropophagy (which is just a fancy word for "cannibalism!") and the Modern Man Eater company is pitching this line of garbage to unsuspecting strangers who are actually buying into this crap! Ignorance is bliss, but this is ridiculous!
Apparently, they've been doing this since 2003 and they say it's legal.
But look at this hat dance they make about the legality of their work:
"Well, lets put it this way: It is legal to have a dead body shipped anywhere in the world that you'd like. It is legal for us to do what we do in the country we do it in. Finally, the product we return to you is indistinguishable from similar agricultural or non-controled pharmaceautacal products, thus it is legal to be imported back to any country."
That would be a yes-no-maybe, in case you missed it! :)
Regarding the safety, they claim the vitamins made from the dead bodies are "of the same quality you find on the shelf of your local pharmacy." However, if the person who died was poisoned or had something like mad cow disease, they say they wouldn't recommend their service in those instances. Hey, they've got to have some sense of ethics, ya know!
Apparently, the Modern Man Eater service ain't cheap either since they are such small run productions and because every part of the machinery is thoroughly cleansed after each slaughte...er, I mean, use. No cross-contamination from one job to the next. Isn't that comforting?!
Whatever you do, just don't mention the "C word" around them because they think it's a touchy subject. Ya think?! They actually go so far as to defend Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous cannibal killer from the 1990s, by claiming he would not have committed those horrible murders to all those innocent people he killed to eat if he had a "legal, safe way to satisfy his needs without having to harm a single living thing" such as the service offered by Modern Man Eater. Are you kidding me?!
Like any other business, they even have testimonials from actual satisfied customers. Let's see what some of them have to say about their Modern Man Eater experience:
"My bones were just plain getting eaten up by the osteo-porosis. But after eating all the calcium from my mother, I feel SO much better. My bones are strong again. I can feel my mother's spirit within them making me strong again, just like she did when she was alive" -Ota Mae Wilson, NY
"My father was always strong as a bull. Both mentally and physically, he was a mountain of a man. Though I was no wuss myself, after taking his blood capsules, I have truly come into my own as family patriarch. Somehow, when things go badly now, I can look into myself and find the inner strength there I was lacking previously." -Jim Johnson, Jackson, MS
"Ever since I was a little girl, I always knew I had a small gift. But, Halleluyah!, After we feasted on GrandMama's powdered, dried, protein conveniently mixed into a and tasty stew, I have inherited all her supernatural gifts and powers. I've gone from Acolyte to Priestess almost overnight!. Thank you Modern Man-Eater! Our family legacy is saved!" -Laetitia Laveau, New Orleans, LA
"Our family traditions from many centuries had recently been abandoned due to changes in our legal system. Now we can return to the ways of our ancestors and not run afoul of the authorities. Thanks to MME." -Umpepa Mi Mau, Paupua New Guinea
Oh...my...freakin'...goodness! Have we digressed as a civilized society THIS much that we now celebrate something as sinister and maniacal as eating the flesh and bones of a fellow human being? What kind of person are you to actually even consider something as asinine as this? It's incomprehensible to me and goes beyond any logical explanation in my mind. This has got to be the most bizarre thing I think I've ever heard of in my entire life.
So, the next time you're at a funeral, think about what it would be like to have a cupboard full of vitamins compliments of the dearly departed. That's a Halloween freak show I don't ever want to see for as long as I live! Somebody please wake me up from this nightmare because now I'm totally wigged out by it! 8-O
Ftness trainer Mike Torchia helps Hollywood actors get into shape
What a delightful treat I have for you today here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog! Have you ever wondered how some of your favorite actors and actresses get into such fantastic shape for their movie and television roles? Well, the guest I had the privilege of interviewing today is one of those behind-the-scenes people involved in helping them get their body ready quickly for an important role.
His name is Mike Torchia and he is also on a one-man mission to help turn the tide of obesity and metabolic syndrome around in the United States through his latest project called "Operation Fitness." Mike has truly gone through all the emotional and physical highs and lows in his personal life concerning this subject, so he knows how it feels to be on both sides of the spectrum. You will feel the intense devotion this man has for diet, health and fitness in his interview with me today.
1. Today we have with us a very special guest from the world of fitness named Mike Torchia. Mike is one of those "trainer to the stars" to help whip them into shape for an important movie role or to get them back on track physically. Tell us about some of the famous people you've worked with and what you were able to do for them.
I am a personal trainer specializing in preparing actors in an extremely short period of time for their roles. My program includes maintaining their conditioning throughout the filming, as well as providing on-going training when desired.
Some of my accolades include:
- Worked with Matt Damon in preparation for “The Bourne Identity”, and turned him into a lean mean fighting machine. - Helped Kim Cattrall of “Sex and the City” overcome a severe back injury and to maintain her fabulous body. - Transformed Kevin Spacey into amazing shape for his role in “American Beauty.” - "Cosby" kid Raven Symone to firm up and lose weight for her new hit TV series. - Trained and designed a health & fitness regimen for Al Pacino. - Motivated and trained Rosanne Barr to take off over 40 pounds for her 50th birthday.
I provide a comprehensive program, which includes, motivational training, fitness conditioning, physical rehabilitation, nutritional counseling, and vitamin/mineral/protein supplements. On-location training, private workout studios, customized fitness trailers, gym design and installation are part of my services. Gourmet chefs, and massage therapists are available by request.
2. Your motto is "leading the way to a healthier lifestyle" and that phrase encompasses everything you are doing as a trainer and fitness coach. What are some of the basic elements of a "healthier lifestyle" that people could easily begin implementing in their life to make big changes that will improve their weight and health?
I understand that not everyone has the time to train like a Hollywood star preparing for their next role, so I work with each client to establish personal fitness goals that fit their busy life. My personal touch begins with examining each individual’s fitness needs, utilizing the best training method, dietary plan, and exercise frequency in order to achieve optimal results in the shortest period of time.
Since people’s schedules vary and there doesn’t seem to always be time to do what we want, here are some tips: First set your goals. What do you want to accomplish? Then, you have to assess your physical condition. Now, establish healthy eating habits such as eating balanced meals and predominantly consuming carbohydrates from fresh, natural and preferably organic sources. High fiber cereals, fruit, yams, green vegetables and brown rice are all good examples.
Try to consume the bulk of your carbohydrates at breakfast and lunch. Also, some source of high quality protein such as meat, fish, eggs and low fat dairy products should be consumed with every meal. In addition, it’s important to consume foods with good oils, such as almonds, fish, avocado and the like, because it’s essential for hormone production, healthy joints and proper digestion.
In the simplest form it is basically the combination of burning more calories than you’re ingesting. One way would be to go to your local gym and have a good certified trainer design a workout and instruct you how to properly train your body. In addition, increasing activity is important to burn more calories. Whether you’re parking your car further away in the parking lot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or jogging a few extra miles a week, taking daily brisk walk, bike riding or taking up an active sport.
Contrary to what the burgeoning diet industry would have us believe, it is far more important health-wise to be fit than thin. Studies published in a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that obesity alone didn’t increase the risk of heart disease. An obese woman who was physically fit had a low risk, while a lean woman who was not physically fit had a relatively high risk. An overweight woman who can play a round of golf, swim, and do yard work has a lower risk of heart disease thana thin woman who can’t do those activities, the researchers found.
Physicians need to start paying attention to measures of fitness rather than simply focusing on body weight. We should emphasize the need for those who are overweight to become more active; this will not only lead to natural weight loss, but to greater overall health.
You should stay away from sugar and refined carbohydrates because it raises the insulin level and creates fat storage. Sugar is very powerful and is considered to be as potent as a drug and very addicting. You must slowly reduce your sugar and overall carbohydrate consumption over a period of weeks and even months. Once your body is normalized, try to consume fresh fruit, only in the morning and stay away from juices. Consume complex carbohydrates, which are high in fiber so they’ll fill you up quicker and provide you with the energy you need for your daily activity.
4. The web site for your new "Operation Fitness" campaign is located at OperationFitness.com. What do you hope to see accomplished through your campaign (awareness, measurable change, increased business, etc.) and do you think it will happen? Why or why not?
I truly believe "Operation Fitness" will inspire people to make the necessary transitions for them to create a healthier lifestyle. There is a need for a resource for sensible information, so we can become a healthier nation. People can finally stop suffering and will become healthier and radiate positive energy. Men, women and children will be liberated and free to ascend as we were meant to from the beginning.
I know firsthand the pain and difficulty millions of people suffer from dissatisfaction with their own bodies. Low self-esteem is a devastating result. I have spent my life overcoming it and have become an authority in the field of health and fitness through years of studying, teaching and living it. I’ve worked with many celebrities and have won several national titles in the sport of bodybuilding, including Teenage Mr. America, Collegiate Mr. USA, and Mr. California.
I have devoted my life to finding a safe solution for obesity and to helping people create a healthier lifestyle. Everything I have learned and experienced over the past 30 years gives me reason to believe that we can make the transformation of this nation a reality in our lifetime.
The ill health so many suffer from now is neither fate nor destiny. We can turn it around and literally give our children a new world, a bright future; one which feeds their potential and nourishes a rich quality of life.
5. Because obesity has become such a rampant problem in America today, you have focused your attention on the youth and children to educate them about proper nutrition and healthy living so they will make good choices as they become adults. What are some of the ways you are doing this and keeping it interesting and fun at the same time?
The “Operation Fitness” program teaches kids how to work out and eat properly while using their imagination and integrating fitness into their daily routine. Kids will learn more about proper nutrition, exercise and problem solving in a fun, dynamic, young and inspired way.
The sessions begin with team leaders giving kids a motivational pep rally. Next, the kids go through a warm up, essential to preventing injury and maximizing performance. The kids then perform a series of exercises followed by a run through an obstacle course. A cool down is next consisting of a variety of stretches and breathing exercises. The final part of the session is a healthy eating "question and answer" session. Every eight weeks there is a fitness challenge for the kids and every participant receives an “Operation Fitness” certificate signifying their level of achievement.
6. The United States really is a different place today than it was say 50 or 100 years ago. Can we really blame technology for our growing weight problem or have we just not learned how to adapt yet to a society less dependent on manual labor as we have in the past?
Poor nutrition and a lack of daily exercise have been the leading causes of the rise in obesity. The problem is most people would prefer to just take a pill and poof, get a new body. Well, it doesn’t work that way. You need to eat sensibly and select types of activities that will stimulate your body and most of all, your mind. So many people fall prey to those slick advertisements selling the new diet pill or devices that promise to give them drastic results in no time at all. This reminds me of that old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!"
7. The common belief among many is that they can get all the vitamins and nutrients they need in fruits and vegetables without the need to supplement their diet. But you and I both know the once-rich resources found in our soil have been depleted which necessitates us to find alternate means for getting the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. What kind of supplements do you recommend people take who are experiencing symptoms of metabolic syndrome? How about fruits and vegetables? Are there any that are healthier to consume than others?
It’s essential to take a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement (men over 40 years old should the take iron-free formula). In addition, lipoic acid, probiotics, omega-3 oils, green drinks, and antioxidants will help people who have metabolic syndrome. Also, try to consume low glycemic fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, blueberries, all types of melons, broccoli, spinach, string beans and all other green vegetables.
8. As a former 400+ pound man, I know what it feels like to live inside of a body that makes you literally sick to your stomach. The mental anguish that a weight problem causes brings on feelings of depression and angst that lead to more overeating to soothe the pain. It's a vicious cycle. How do you convince someone who was in the situation I faced not that long ago that weight loss success can be attained and better days are ahead for them?
I would like to tell you a story about a boy named Michael...
At the age of 14 years old, a little boy wearing a basketball uniform walks in the door of his house depressed and sad. He quietly hangs up his coat while his mother is in the kitchen cooking a pasta dish for supper.
She asks him how the game went and what happened, trying to look like she is unaware of his depressed look. Her son walks over to the kitchen table, sits down and with tears in his eyes tells her how his coach went back on his promise to let him play during the season and that today, during the last game, humiliated him by calling him "fat and slow" and once again, kept him on the bench.
He then runs into his room and comes back with a flyer for a weightlifting gym at the local YMCA with a photo of a muscular bodybuilder. He’s determined to show the coach and all the kids who made fun of him how he’s going to change his body and look just like this man so that they stop making fun of him. He begs his mother to let him join, pointing to the man in the picture.
His mother agrees, wanting to encourage him and takes him that next morning to sign up. She says goodbye as he walks into the weight room. He’s in awe of all the equipment and the noise and some of the bodybuilders who look just like the picture. Unfortunately, the boy sits on a bench confused and lost.
One of the bodybuilders notices the sad little boy, walks over to him and offers to teach him how to build up his body. The boy’s eyes light up and they walk off towards the weight room floor. When he finished showing him how to perform all the exercises correctly, he sat down with him and explained you can build big muscles with lifting weights, but you must eat correctly to burn fat. He said “you are what you eat” and patiently taught this young man about healthy eating habits.
In exchange for his help, he made the little boy promise to pass on what he had learned from him; to continue on by inspiring other people to make exercise and eating right part of their lives.
That's the end of my story about Michael, but guess what? I am “Michael” from the story you just read. I was a determined young boy. I know firsthand the pain and difficulty millions of people suffer from dissatisfaction with their own bodies. Low self-esteem is a devastating result of obesity. I have spent my life overcoming it and have become an authority in the field of health and fitness through years of studying, teaching and living it. I became driven and determined to make a change. I will always be grateful for that weightlifting coach who changed my life.
9. Your program's training system is quite eclectic with various exercise techniques, including Pilates, yoga, weight training, cardiovascular conditioning, and stretching. Getting people physically active who have likely been dormant for the majority of their lives can certainly be a challenge. How do you get people started exercising regularly enough until they reach the point that they want to do it on their own?
There are hundreds of fitness methods in practice today, and I work with each client to determine which technique best meets their physiology. A fitness regiment is not complete without a proper diet, and I design a dietary strategy that does not leave you feeling hungry all the time. I am a gourmet chef as well as a trainer and I redesign recipes for foods that are not typically considered diet food.
Roseanne Barr fell in love with my chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake. She couldn’t believe that this decadent dessert could fit into her new lifestyle. Developing greater fitness levels and rapid weight-loss requires frequency, and I understand that a busy lifestyle can make consistent workouts difficult. That’s why I conduct home and work calls to meet my clients’ personal needs.
Studies have shown that it takes just five weeks to make something a habit, whether it’s good or bad. You need to inspire a person to start making the necessary changes to create a healthier lifestyle. But, most importantly, you must do it slowly. Then, you must encourage them to start reducing any unhealthy foods or snacks and start adding in healthier options. Next, start to get them to become more active and slowly structure an activity/workout schedule where they will do daily activities and exercises and slowly incorporate them into their day.
Gradually over a period of weeks, I help them form a well-structured workout and meal plan for them to follow. By then it’s 5 to 6 weeks and they have become addicted to their new lifestyle.
10. I have a lot of people visit my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog at every level of weight and fitness proficiency. Share your best motivational pitch to that person who is feeling hopeless, desperate and ready to give up on weight loss forever. What do you say to that person?
My passion to help and inform stems from the fact that I was once an obese child. I am a living, breathing example that it is possible to turn your life around and become a healthier, more positive person. I see so much ill health as absolutely preventable. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression, cancer—when we as individuals and a nation embrace a new way of living, those conditions will be discussed more in history books than front-page news.
One of the questions that inevitably comes up when I start talking about my low-carb lifestyle is vitamins. People ask me, "Why do you need to supplement your diet with vitamins if you are eating healthy? You should be getting all the vitamins you need from the foods you are eating, right?"
HA! I just love the flawed premise of questions like this. It assumes that there is a way for people to make changes in their diet alone that will enable them to get all the nutrients their bodies need to perform at their very best. Don't you wish?!
But anyone who researches this subject even a little bit already knows it is next to impossible for you to consume enough foods these days to adequately supply your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs. Even with the most nutrient-dense diet you can possibly eat, you still need supplementation to your diet. There's just no getting around it!
Most interestingly to me about supplements are all the forces at work trying to get them banned. The big pharmaceutical companies REALLY don't like people taking vitamins because people are getting healthy without the use of drugs. Oh no, we can't have that now, can we?!
But as I state in one whole chapter of my book "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb," vitamins are vital for a healthy lifestyle and can make your low-carb experience that much more enjoyable and effective. Isn't that a part of the transformation process that happens inside of you when you make permanent life-changing actions? Yes, it most DEFINITELY is!
Let's see what Kent has to say about this topic in his video today which was actually in response to a question posed to him by a woman who e-mailed him regarding her experience just starting off on the Atkins diet.
Here's what she wrote to Kent:
“I’ve been very faithful and am over the Induction flu, but now I don’t have ANY energy. I slept great last night and I feel like I could lay down right now and take a nap. I’m not skipping meals, I’m taking a multivitamin, and am drinking loads of water. What can I do to get my energy back up?”
This gave Kent the perfect opportunity to discuss this topic.
ATKINS DIET: ROLE OF SUPPLEMENTS
VERY interesting stuff, isn't it? I really wish I had known about all of this BEFORE I started the Atkins diet back in January 2004, but I have learned a lot about it ever since. That's why I proudly post my weekly menus which include the supplements I take along with my diet and exercise routine.
Here is what I am currently taking:
3 teaspoons of liquid multivitamin (no iron) 1 brick men's multivitamin (no iron) 200mg Co Q-10 200mcg Chromium Picolinate 250mg Acetyl L-Carnitine 1 brick B Complex Vitamins 6 tablets Shaklee Super Calcium Magnesium Plus 2 caplets Fibercon 2 softgels Atkins Essential Oils 3 softgels 1000mg each Fish Oil Concentrate
Kent hits on most of these supplements and talks about why every low-carber should at the very least be taking a multivitamin, chromium picolinate, biotin (which is usually included in some multivitamins), L-Carnitine, CoQ-10, and omega-3 fish oil supplements. These are all basic supplements for anyone who is livin' la vida low-carb and you should really consider adding them to your diet if you are not already taking them as part of your low-carb lifestyle.
Regarding the question he received from the woma with no energy on Atkins, Kent said she is probably still getting used to the low-carb lifestyle as she is very early in the diet and that taking the right supplementation could actually help boost her energy significantly.
Also, Kent encourages her and anyone else starting out on a low-carb program that this way of eating provides the added benefit that you are "off that train" of blood sugar spikes that can zap your body of the energy it needs to survive. In other words, you will notice a steady surge of energy levels once you get your body into a ketogenic state and fat-burning commences.
Plus, when the weight loss comes (and it will!), you'll experience that much more of a boost just when you need it. It's the beauty behind livin' la vida low-carb that makes me proud to be associated with this healthy nutritional approach!
Kent provides a boatload of links at his blog to articles about the various supplements he recommends to help educate you further about why they are important. I encourage you to check it out and post your comments regarding this video to his blog.
Do you have a question that you would like Kent to address in a future "how to do Atkins/low-carb" video? He would be happy to hear from you and possibly feature it in a future video. Click here to share it with him and be sure to tell him "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" Man sent you. THANKS again for the educational videos, Kent!
Last week was something else with my experimentation with intermittent fasting as recommended by low-carb expert Dr. Mike Eades. As you know, I didn't do so well on it and was only able to last five days on it.
I guess it did SOME good for my body since I lost another 4 1/2 pounds with it. Who knows if it was that or the continued Omega Diet I am on. Regardless, I'll take the weight loss and am happy to share my menu with you today. If you have been following my menus over the past few weeks, then you will notice something quite different in THIS week's menu!
As always, here are my supplements:
3 teaspoons of liquid multivitamin (no iron) 1 brick men's multivitamin (no iron) 200mg Co Q-10 200mcg Chromium Picolinate 250mg Acetyl L-Carnitine 1 brick B Complex Vitamins 6 tablets Shaklee Super Calcium Magnesium Plus 2 caplets Fibercon 2 softgels 1000mg each Flax Oil 2 softgels 1000mg each Fish Oil Concentrate
I drank lots of water and Diet Rite soft drinks. I have avoided all Nutrasweet-sweetened sodas for a month now as well as caffeine. Here was my menu and exercise routine from last week:
MONDAY 5:15AM - Atkins Shake 6:15PM - 8oz steak w/A-1, 3 grilled chicken tenderloins w/cheese & mayo 6:30PM - Sugar-free 1.1 oz dark chocolate bar (no maltitol) 6:45PM - 1 tablespoon of Naturally More Peanut Butter
EXERCISE: 80 minutes elliptical
TUESDAY 7:00AM - Atkins Shake 9:30AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 12:30PM - La Tortilla wrap w/4 eggs and mayo 5:30PM - 4 small grilled chicken tenderloins w/cheese and mayo 5:45PM - Sugar-free 1.1 oz milk chocolate bar (no maltitol)
EXERCISE: 40 minutes elliptical
WEDNESDAY 6:00PM - 30 oz prime rib w/horseradish, 1 1/2 cups greens w/eggs, cheese, bacon, sunflower seeds, and Ranch 9:15PM - Atkins shake
EXERCISE: 40 minutes elliptical
THURSDAY 7:45AM - Atkins Shake 10:45AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 11:45AM - ChocoPerfection dark chocolate bar 1:00PM - La Tortilla wrap with turkey, cheese and mayo 3:15PM - 3/4 cups almonds 5:30PM - 12oz prime rib w/A-1, 3 chicken tenderloins w/cheese and mayo 5:45PM - ChocoPerfection dark chocolate bar
FRIDAY 1:15PM - Grilled chicken salad w/greens, cheese, tomatoes, Ranch 2:45PM - Whole rotisserie chicken 3:30PM - 3/4 cup vanilla caramel pudding w/coconut oil and ChocoPerfection bar 9:15PM - 3/4 cup vanilla caramel pudding w/coconut oil and ChocoPerfection bar
EXERCISE: 35 minutes elliptical
SATURDAY 7:30AM - 2 eggs, 3 sausage patties, 1 smoked sausage 2:15PM - 4 chicken tenderloins w/Feta cheese 3:15PM - ChocoPerfection bar 7:15PM - La Tortilla Factory wrap w/turkey, cheese, mayo 8:15PM - Heavy whipping cream, DaVinci caramel syrup and ChocoPerfection bar melted together
EXERCISE: None
SUNDAY 8:15AM - Atkins Shake 11:45AM - 1 pound of BBQ w/no sauce 12:00PM - ChocoPerfection bar 4:00PM - Atkins Advantage Granola bar 6:45PM - 4 grilled chicken tenderloins w/Feta cheese and mayo 8:00PM - Sugar-free 1.1 oz chocolate mint bar (no maltitol)
EXERCISE: None
Did you notice what I did differently this past week? That's right, I added back more of the low-carb "products" that some low-carb purists turn their nose up at. I happen to LOVE my low-carb chocolates, peanut butter, Atkins bars and more. As long as it's not adversely affecting my weight loss, then what's the harm? That's my philosophy.
Interestingly, there was very little weight loss during the fasting part of my week. But once I got off of the intermittent fasting on Friday afternoon and over the weekend, I noticed the scale begin to drop even without any exercise on Saturday or Sunday (I had previous time commitments that prevented me from sneaking in my workouts). Even still, I was stoked about my weight loss and expect it to continue as I eat the way I have outlined in this menu...sans the fasting part! :D
Feel free to post your comments or questions and I'll be happy to address them.
Survey: 94 Percent Women Chromium Deficient, At Risk For Impaired Insulin Function
O'Neil says women especially need to better understand insulin health
A new survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC) found some disturbing statistics regarding women and their awareness of the symptoms of impaired insulin function, among other things.
The survey of 1,377 U.S. adult women showed that three-fourths of women between the ages of 40 and 65 who were not diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease, although they have a family history of these conditions, were likely to be overweight, experience chronic fatigue and endure intense cravings for carbohydrates. Even more startling is the revelation from the survey that one-third of all women had no idea these symptoms are tell-tale signs that they have an impaired insulin function, a precursor to the development of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Additionally, this survey, which was funded by an unrestricted grant donated by supplement manufacturer Nutrition 21, found that 53 percent of the women took a daily multivitamin, but just 11 percent of the women surveyed took a chromium supplement. Sadly, a dismal 94 percent of the women surveyed had no idea that running low on the mineral chromium could negative impact their blood sugar.
Chromium is an essential mineral for improving insulin health just as calcium promotes strong bone health. The average American only gets about 1-2 mcg of chromium and just one in ten women gets an adequate amount of this mineral in their diet according to the USDA.
The lack of education regarding poor insulin function includes:
- 58 percent did not know carb cravings were a sign - 48 percent did not know excess weight in the belly is a sign - 65 percent did not know feeling fatigued is a sign - 59 percent did not know being over 40 is a sign - 78 percent did not know family history is a sign
The most common symptoms reported by the women surveyed:
- 62 percent have excessive weight in the mid-section - 36 percent have frequent bouts with fatigue - 30 percent have uncontrollable carb cravings
There is a special web site set up to help women who want to stay abreast on all the latest news and research regarding insulin health. It's called BloodSugarFactor.com and can answer many of your questions regarding this important health issue. Additionally, NWHRC has some downloadable tools as well or they can be reached toll-free at 877-986-9472.
If you are interested in seeing the survey results for yourself, then you can download it as a PDF file by clicking here.
The following is a special question and answer session from nutrition expert Carolyn O’Neil, MS, RD. O'Neil is a former CNN nutrition correspondent and co-author of "The Dish: Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!" and she answers some common questions about insulin health to help women better understand how important chromium is to that equation.
What is insulin?
Insulin is known as the "master metabolic hormone." Normal insulin function helps the cells use glucose, our body’s energy source. However, in some cases the body is unable to use the insulin it produces. When this happens glucose, or blood sugar, levels rise above normal, which can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
If I don’t have diabetes why worry about insulin health?
If you don’t have diabetes and you hear the word ‘insulin’ you may tune out because you think it doesn’t apply. It is critical to understand that insulin health is important for everyone, particularly if you have a family history of diabetes or heart disease, as you are at higher risk for these conditions.
Why should I be concerned about diabetes or heart disease?
You may think of heart disease as a "man’s disease." However, heart disease is the number one killer for women, too. Additionally, the American Diabetes Association estimates 9.7 million women 20 years or older have diabetes, although nearly one-third don’t know it. Improving your insulin health today can help lessen the risk for these chronic diseases in the future.
How can I improve my insulin health?
Above and beyond eating right and exercising, you can proactively improve your insulin health by supplementing your diet with chromium picolinate. While the body makes insulin naturally, chromium enables insulin to work at its best.
What is chromium?
Chromium is an essential mineral required to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Without adequate levels of chromium in the body, insulin cannot effectively do its job. Numerous human studies support the role of chromium picolinate in helping to improve blood sugar, promote cardiovascular health and fight carbohydrate cravings.
Do I need a supplement?
Chromium is found in many foods at low levels, but it’s often poorly absorbed. This is where a chromium picolinate supplement can factor into your diet. Supplementing with Chromax chromium picolinate – the most studied commercially available form of chromium – will help balance insulin levels.
How much chromium picolinate should I take?
Research suggests 200-500 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate daily will help achieve optimal health benefits.
People have been fascinated by the one-week low-carb menus I have been posting over the past couple of weeks (click here and here to see them). I decided to post one more week's worth of my low-carb menus for you since I started the intermittent fasting recommended by Dr. Mike Eades for this week. Perhaps I will post that menu next week as well.
Since I started on Regina Wilshire's omega-focused diet plan three weeks ago, I have lost in excess of 10 pounds and the scale is moving (I lost another pound last week). Yee haw! So, naturally, people are curious about what I am doing. For the third week in a row, here is my menu from this past week of what I actually ate.
Before I get into the foods I ate, here are my supplements:
3 teaspoons of liquid multivitamin (no iron) 1 brick men's multivitamin (no iron) 200mg Co Q-10 200mcg Chromium Picolinate 250mg Acetyl L-Carnitine 1 brick B Complex Vitamins 6 tablets Shaklee Super Calcium Magnesium Plus 2 caplets Fibercon 2 softgels 1000mg each Flax Oil 2 softgels 1000mg each Fish Oil Concentrate
I drank lots of water and Splenda-sweetened soft drinks. Here was my menu and exercise routine from last week:
MONDAY 8:30AM - Atkins Shake 9:45AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 1:00PM - La Tortilla wrap with turkey, cheese and mayo 3:00PM - 1 cup of almonds and walnuts 6:30PM - 8oz steak w/A-1, 2 cups spinach leaves, cheese, Ranch 7:15PM - 1/3 ounce low-carb chocolate (no maltitol)
SUNDAY 9:30AM - Atkins Shake 12:30PM - 2 grilled chicken tenderloins w/cheese and mayo, 1/2 cup sugar-free vanilla caramel pudding 6:30PM - 3 tablespoons Naturally More peanut butter, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, Raspberry DaVinci syrup w/Splenda and Sweet Simplicity inside of a La Tortilla Factory wrap
EXERCISE: None
I'm still paying very close attention to avoid maltitol, aspartame and caffeine as much as humanly possible. It's hard to find foods that don't contain these, but it is indeed possible. I added back a few more comfort products this week such as low-carb peanut butter and chocolates. For the time being until the FDA can figure out what's going on with the E. coli problem with spinach, I'm staying away from them although they are my favorite salad veggie. Any questions?
I did lost another 3 pounds last week for a total of 9.5 pounds lost in the first two weeks on this "tweak" of my low-carb lifestyle. I haven't lost this much weight over two weeks since the early days of my original 180-pound low-carb weight loss in 2004.
Okay, so what about this past week? Here's the menu of what I ate.
First of all, my supplement intake did NOT change at all:
3 teaspoons of liquid multivitamin (no iron) 1 brick men's multivitamin (no iron) 200mg Co Q-10 200mcg Chromium Picolinate 250mg Acetyl L-Carnitine 1 brick B Complex Vitamins 6 tablets Shaklee Super Calcium Magnesium Plus 2 caplets Fibercon 2 softgels 1000mg each Flax Oil 2 softgels 1000mg each Fish Oil Concentrate
I again drank about a gallon and a half of water daily along with Splenda-sweetened soft drinks. During this new omega diet I have strictly refused to drink anything that contains aspartame in it at all. Splenda only!
Here is my second week's menu and exercise routine:
As you can see, there were some changes from my previous week's menu. There were days when I had special occasions and events where I simply had to choose from the foods that were available to me. When that happens, you adjust your eating schedule to fit with those times.
You may also notice that I had some huge gaps between meals and even survived on just one meal like I did on Sunday. I'm trying to listen more to my body to see if I really need to eat or not. If I'm satisfied on the fat and protein I am consuming, then why do I need to eat? The answer is I don't, so I won't. This menu resulted in a 3-pound weight loss for me, so I am pleased.
I definitely increased my calories this week and my vegetable consumption as well. I added back a few more low-carb dessert options that I enjoy and increased my nut and egg intake substantially.
and she answers some common questions about insulin health to help women better understand how important chromium is to that equation.
