'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show' Episode 129: Karly Pitman Is On A Sugar-Fighting Crusade

Karly Pitman says don't neglect the various aspects of your health

In Episode 129 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore", I am honored and privileged to share Part 1 of my interview with another amazing woman in the world of livin' la vida low-carb named Karly Pitman from First Ourselves. Karly is dedicated to encouraging women specifically to take care of themselves first and foremost so that their family and community can benefit from the strength that comes from recharging regularly. This may sound unrelated to the low-carb lifestyle, but once you listen to Karly in this interview today you'll understand this may be the missing link that many have been trying to find in their health pursuits.

Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 129:

"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 129 [15:27m]: LISTEN NOW | Download

In this first part of my interview, Karly Pitman reveals how she is now on a personal crusade to help women prevent the mistakes of her past, including bulimia, sugar binges, self-image confusion, bouts with depression, and constantly battling those little demons dancing inside of her head--all of which were destroying her mental, physical, and spiritual health. If you struggle with any of these things, then Karly has dedicated herself to helping others overcome like she did.

Addiction to sugar is a big part of that and Karly wants to help keep you from becoming a "witch mommy" too. Because of her dedication to this issue of sugar addiction, Karly is offering a FREE COPY of her new e-book Overcoming Sugar Addiction: How to Kick Your Sugar Habit, Conquer Food Cravings, Stabilize Your Mood, and Lose Weight to the listeners of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." If you battle with sugar and can't seem to stay away from the sweets, then you'll want to hear what Karly has to say in today's podcast and in her e-book.

Connect with sugar-shunning people like Karly Pitman anytime by:

1. Listening at the official web site
2. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
3. Subscribing to the RSS feed
4. Going to iTunes--Click here to subscribe!

What did you think of Karly Pitman? I'll be sharing the rest of my interview with her on Thursday's podcast. In the meantime, tell me your impression of Karly Pitman so far in the show notes section of Episode 129. Check out her web site FirstOurselves.com to get all the scoop on the work Karly is doing to help women rise above the tumultuous circumstances that daily life can bring.

If you have been enjoying these interviews I've been sharing lately, then you're in luck! There are a bunch more coming over the next few weeks and months, so stay tuned and keep listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."

Is It Possible A Woman Could EVER Win 'The Biggest Loser'?

Bill Germanakos is the fourth man in a row to win "The Biggest Loser"

When the hit NBC reality television series "The Biggest Loser" debuted in 2004, it was roundly ridiculed and scorned by critics who didn't understand the allure of a show dedicated specifically to helping obese people fight the battle of the bulge. That didn't stop people from tuning in by the millions week after week cheering on these people seeking to go from flab to fab and it has continued to grow in popularity every year since. There's really nothing else like it on TV and, unlike most reality programs these days, nobody has been able to replicate the success of the original. I LOVE THIS SHOW!

However, there is a bit of underground controversy happening now after Bill Germanakos became the fourth straight male winner of the title "The Biggest Loser" on Tuesday night winning the $250,000 grand prize. Men have dominated over the years with their weight loss success and it may be an inevitability that will always be the case. So you can't help but wonder the obvious question:

Is it possible a woman could ever win "The Biggest Loser?"

Before we ponder that question a little deeper, let's take one last look at the final weight loss results of each of the 18 contestants on "The Biggest Loser" 4. You can see pictures of what they looked like BEFORE they began their weight loss journey training with Bob Harper, Kim Lyons, and Jillian Michaels at this preview post I wrote back in September and catch up with what they're up to today by checking out their personal web sites featured in this recent post.

"THE BIGGEST LOSER" 4 FINAL WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS:

BLACK TEAM
ISABEAU MILLER--From 298, lost 113 pounds (37.92% of starting weight)
JULIE HADDEN--From 218, lost 97 pounds (44.50% of starting weight)
HOLLIE SELF--From 255, lost 105 pounds (41.18% of starting weight)
BILL GERMANOKOS--From 334, lost 164 pounds (49.10% of starting weight)
JEZ LUCKETT--From 345, lost 150 pounds (43.38% of starting weight)
JIM GERMANOKOS--From 361, lost 186 pounds (51.52% of starting weight)

BLUE TEAM

NEIL TEJWANI--From 421, lost 211 pounds (50.12% of starting weight)
JERRY LISENBY--From 297, lost 110 pounds (37.04% of starting weight)
KAE WHANG--From 225, lost 97 pounds (43.11% of starting weight)
NICOLE MICHALIK--From 279, lost 105 pounds (37.63% of starting weight)
RYAN RODRIGUEZ--From 374, lost 133 pounds (35.56% of starting weight)
PATTY GONZALEZ--From 280, lost 64 pounds (22.86% of starting weight)

RED TEAM

"B" WASHINGTON--From 346, lost 122 pounds (35.26% of starting weight)
LEZLYE DONAHUE--From 255, lost 55 pounds (21.57% of starting weight)
DAVID GRIFFIN--From 368, lost 140 pounds (38.04% of starting weight)
PHIL HAWK--From 403, lost 145 pounds (35.98% of starting weight)
AMY ZIMMER--From 297, lost 126 pounds (42.42% of starting weight)
AMBER WALKER--From 295, lost 84 pounds (28.47% of starting weight)

CONGRATULATIONS to each of the contestants for putting forth the effort to finally do something about their weight and radically alter their lives for the better as a result of this experience. I've been there myself after starting out at 410 pounds in January 2004 and losing a total of 180 pounds--or 44% of my starting weight. It was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I'm continuing to reap the benefits of that pivotal year in my life ever since. WOO HOO!

As a pretty big fan of "The Biggest Loser" since Season 1 aired back in 2004 in the midst of my own weight loss path, I now have a few post-Season 4 comments to make before getting into answering that question about a female's chances at winning the title of "The Biggest Loser" in the future. You won't want to miss my opinions about how to make the show more fair for the gals. Stay tuned!

First, isn't it interesting how noticeably LOW the weight loss percentages were with Kim Lyons' Red Team. I hate to say it, but they were all underachievers with their weight loss and most of that onus has to be placed squarely on the shoulders of their trainer. Aside from Amy, who did a remarkable job of losing over 42 percent of her starting weight thanks in large part to the influence of her training with Jillian and the Black Team about halfway through the season, the weight loss percentages for the Red Team overall were underwhelming compared to the other two teams.

Yes, the total weight loss by "B," David, and Phil was impressive, but can you imagine how much MORE weight they could have lost had they received quality nutritional advice along with their physical activity? I was looking at "B" during the finale and thinking he could have EASILY lost another 30-40 pounds if he started livin' la vida low-carb rather than listening to the simplistic low-fat message that Kim was indoctrinating in him. I credit her for telling him he needed to eat more calories during the season, but those calories should come more from FAT sources and less from CARBOHYDRATES!

By contrast, look at Jillian Michael's Black Team. They had all four finalists competing for the grand prize (the first time that's ever happened on "The Biggest Loser") and the Black team as a whole totally rocked with their weight loss success! Keep in mind, these were the rejects at the beginning of the season and none of the other teams wanted these players. So they were thrown aside and left to their own devices before Jillian swooped in to whip them into shape and make them the most feared team on "The Biggest Loser" ranch. And what a job she did!

Except for Julie, who only missed it by a mere 3 pounds, all 6 Black Team members lost triple digits! INCREDIBLE! And their team average for percentage of weight loss was around the mid-forties--an astonishing accomplishment since the Red Team members ended up averaging in the lower-thirties and the Bob Harper-led Blue Team was in the upper-thirties. If this season didn't prove anything else, it showed that the trainer you have working with you DOES make a difference in the amount of weight you can lose. And unequivocally Jillian Michaels has the Midas touch when it comes to producing weight loss!

Jillian not only played a major part in the grand prize winner of "The Biggest Loser" 4 with Bill Germanakos, but she also had the at-home $100,000 winner in Bill's twin brother Jim. Actually, Jim ended up losing more weight as a percentage than anyone else in the game--although it was close. Neil Tejwani, the Blue Team member who lost over 50 percent of his starting weight, was a mere five pounds away from two things: 1) beating out Jim Germanakos for the consolation prize AND 2) establishing a new "Biggest Loser" record for total weight loss. But Eric Chopin's 214-pound weight loss in Season 3 still stands with Neil's 211 coming in a close second.

What's most amazing about Neil coming away from this competition empty-handed is that he would have been crowned "The Biggest Loser" of Season 4 with the quarter-million dollar cash prize had he made into the final group because his percentage of weight loss was greater than Bill's. But leave it to karma to come back and bite him in the booty when Bill's brother Jim of all people kept Neil from winning anything which many see as sweet revenge for the devious "game play" that happened in the middle of this season when Neil purposely gained weight to throw a monkey wrench in the competition. And despite losing 10 pounds in the last weigh-in, Neil fell below the yellow line and was voted off. This should serve as a warning to any future contestants who may try to pull a stunt like this--it WON'T pay off in the end!

Back to the Red Team and Kim Lyons for just a moment. With all due respect to her for being a professional personal trainer and willing to use those talents she has to help people change their lives, can I just say what a spoiled brat and self-absorbed trainer she is? When "B" was the last member of the Red Team for a period of several weeks before being eliminated, how many melodramatic scenes did we have to endure with her pleading with "B" to stay above the yellow line so SHE didn't have to go home, too? UGH! Did she even care if "B" stayed or not? What a freakin' egomaniac she is and I'm beginning to wonder if Season 4 was her swan song on the show? I don't know, but if NBC wants to know my vote about it, I say let Kim go and GOOD RIDDANCE! I don't think anybody will be crying over that decision.

Now what about this female enigma we find ourselves in with "The Biggest Loser?" Not only has a girl never been "The Biggest Loser," but we haven't seen one win the at-home competition either! Can a woman EVER break through the glass ceiling that has been dominated by the guys since this show began? From Ryan Benson, Matt Hoover, Eric Chopin, and now Bill Germanakos, men seem to have a firm lock on the ability to become "The Biggest Loser." And this is merely confirming a long-held belief many people (especially women!) hold about weight loss--men can lose it faster than women can!

And it's true for the most part since women's bodies were created by God to carry around a little more body fat, especially in their mid-section, for the purposes of nourishing a baby during pregnancy. Plus, the extra hormones in women make it a lot more difficult for them to shed the pounds like us male folk can seemingly at the drop of a dime.

Before I lost my 180 pounds on the Atkins diet in 2004, losing weight fast was fairly easy regardless of the diet plan I was on. When I lost 170 pounds on a low-fat diet in 1999, I did it in about 10 months. But the problem men face is KEEPING IT OFF and that's where low-fat failed me and caused me to balloon right back up again...and then some!

The contestants on this show, both male and female, who implemented a low-fat strategy for weight loss will be in for a rude awakening at some point if they don't continue to keep up with that hunger-inducing plan over the long-term. That's why livin' la vida low-carb has been such a godsend to me because it has become a permanent part of my life now and I don't even think about it anymore. I just live this way and let the plan keep working in maintenance for me just as it did during weight loss.

Don't get me wrong, weight loss is NOT easy by any means as all of these "Biggest Loser" contestants past and present will tell you. But the payoff for that hard work when it is continued long after the television experience is over is vastly improved health and a brand new lease on life. Just look at Pete Thomas and how his "Biggest Loser" experience continues to motivate him to become the catalyst in other people's lives to help them change for the better like he did! His is a model for success that other former "Biggest Loser" contestants would be wise to follow.

This season, it was Julie who lost the most weight among the ladies with 44.5 percent of her starting weight trailing behind only Jim, Neil and Bill. That was quite impressive from a woman who began the season at only 218 pounds. Conventional wisdom would tell you that the bigger the woman is, the better chance she should have to lose weight and be competitive. And in Season 4 that was Isabeau who became the heaviest woman to ever compete on the show beginning at 298 pounds (although Amy was right behind her at 297 pounds).

But even Isabeau's 113-pound weight loss was only good enough for losing just under 38 percent of her total weight. AWESOME TOTALS, but not good enough to beat the men. I bet Isabeau and the other larger women were reeling when they saw double-digit weight losses from the "big guys" like Bill and Neil while they only had modest weight losses of 5-6 pounds. It can be intimidating for bigger women to go up against that both mentally and physically.

So then we have people like Julie who weighed the least among her competitors and only needed to lose about 100 pounds total. Since she didn't have as much weight to lose, each pound she burned was worth about double or more than that of the heftier contestants. And for much of the season she did well losing just enough weight to stay above the yellow line and avoiding elimination. In the end, she came as close as any woman to winning the whole thing--even more so than Kae who started at 225 pounds and also lost 97 pounds while losing more weight on campus as a percentage than any previous contestant.

Had Julie only lost an additional 8 more pounds, then she would be $250,000 richer today and would have made her mark as the first female winner in "Biggest Loser" history (don't you know she's probably kicking herself about it today!). But it didn't happen and so you have to wonder if it ever will. Maybe future female contestants should be more along the mold of a Julie or a Kae rather than an Isabeau or Amy so they can have a better chance at winning.

That's not to say the unbelievable transformations that Isabeau, Amy, Nicole and the other larger and medium-sized women made while being on "The Biggest Loser" is diminished in any way because all of them are better off now than they were when they began this journey. But if "The Biggest Loser" is going to continue being promoted as a weight loss competition with the monetary prize at the end of the season, then something is gonna have to give to make this fair for the women who sign up to be on the show.

Sure, there's some fame that comes with being on a reality television show like this as well as the chance to work with a high-class team of some of the world's best health and nutrition experts to almost guarantee you will lose weight--and some people would consider that plenty of payment enough. But the carrot the show dangles in front of you is that big wad of money. Any woman who is considering trying out for future seasons of "The Biggest Loser" should keep in mind that there is a strong probability they won't be the big winner--or even the consolation winner.

During the season, there are opportunities to win some cool prizes like a free vehicle and cash prizes like the $5,000 Isabeau won on the last show of the season before the finale. But that's all just chump change in comparison to the big money that's become the drawing card for many who come on the show. What can be done to make "The Biggest Loser" more appealing for women who would like a serious chance at winning the $250,000 prize? I think I have the solution.

Why not have a male AND female winner? Start the show with say 15 men and 15 women with one man and one woman voted off each week. This would give you 13 weeks worth of competition for the television show before having a grand finale featuring two men competing against each other for one $250,000 prize and two women battling head-to-head for another $250,000 prize. The at-home competition could be exactly the same as it is now with all of them duking it out for the $100,000.

Couldn't this resolve the whole "it's not fair" argument against the current format of "The Biggest Loser" which seems to favor the men? I certainly think so and hope the show's producers will consider my proposal. It would give all the women a lot more incentive for trying to do the best they can without the constant worry that they could never compete with the men. It's the only fair thing to do as long as the men continue to dominate as they have and will continue to do.

What are YOUR thoughts about this? Should there be a separate competition and prize for the men and the women or do you believe the current format for "The Biggest Loser" is perfect? This should be a fun topic of conversation and I look forward to reading what you think in the comments section below!

I'll be blogging about the upcoming "Biggest Loser: Couples" season starting on January 1, 2008 real soon and will predict right now that the winner of that show will consist of two men. I have no idea if that'll actually happen, but it would definitely NOT surprise me at all.

If you'd like to read all of my commentary blog posts about "The Biggest Loser," then you can access them all by clicking here.

'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show' Episode 84: Talking Low-Carb Living And Fertility With Dr. Gil Wilshire

Dr. Gil Wilshire says PCOS is a growing fertility concern for women

In Episode 84 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we hear from reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Gil Wilshire at the Columbia, Missouri-based Mid-Missouri Reproductive Medicine & Surgery Clinic discuss polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), obesity, and infertility to see how livin' la vida low-carb is part of the solution to these health issues.

Click "Play In Popup" or "Download" below to LISTEN NOW:

 "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 84 [24:37m]: Play in Popup | Download

Dr. Wilshire is one of the leading physicians in the field of fertility, but one of only a handful nationwide who actually implores a controlled-carbohydrate approach (or "nutrient-dense" as he likes to refer to it) with his mostly overweight patients who are having trouble getting pregnant. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a spouse who just happens to be the most popular low-carb blogger on the planet living under the same roof, too (she even brags on hubby today in this blog post about my interview with him)!

Get more of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" podcast by:

1. Listening at the official web site
2. Going to iTunes
3. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
4. Subscribing to the RSS feed

Dr. Wilshire is certainly on the cutting edge of the latest scientific data regarding carbohydrate-restriction as it relates to the child-bearing health of his patients. Why do you think low-carb living hasn't caught on yet among his colleagues and do you think there will be more people like Dr. Gil Wilshire turning to this healthy nutritional approach in the future of reproductive care? Tell me what you think about treating PCOS, obesity, and infertility with a low-carb diet.

THANK YOU as always for listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." I welcome your feedback at my podcast web site or via e-mail anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Women With 200+ Pound Weight Loss Success Needed For A National Magazine

Are you female and have lost at least 200 pounds? If so, then your story is WANTED by a major American women's magazine. If that's YOU or someone you know, then you must act quickly as the deadline for this story is rapidly approaching.

Here's what they're looking for--women who have managed to shed a significant amount of weight loss by following a diet plan of their own choosing or by combining the best parts of several different diets.

The magazine wants to share your dieting tips and remarkable success story with their readers. What an opportunity to spread the positive message of livin' la vida low-carb with those who are looking for hope and inspiration in their own journey to better health.

If you are female (sorry guys!), between the ages of 22-60, and lost 200+ pounds through the diet you customized for yourself, then please submit the following information NO LATER THAN MONDAY AUGUST 6, 2007 to writer Amelia R. Farquhar:

- Your name
- Your age
- Your city and state
- How much weight you lost (beginning/end weight)
- How long it took to lose the weight
- What were the secrets to your success?

Does your story fit this criteria? If so, then e-mail Amelia ASAP with your story. Be sure to tell her you found out about this from the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. And when you become famous because of this, remember us little people. :D

Study: Low-Fat Dairy Can Lead To Infertility

You might want to reconsider that low-fat dairy if you want kids

We've all heard that we should eat an adequate amount of dairy in our diet, but that we should choose the low-fat or fat-free versions of milk, cheese, and yogurt to provide the most "healthy" food for our bodies. If I had a dime every time I've heard that in my life, then I'd be as wealthy as Bill Gates!

But if you are a woman in those precious few childbearing years, then that widely-accepted dietary advice is just about the most foolish thing you could ever follow if you want to have a baby, according to a new Harvard study discussed in this Medical News Today column.

Lead researcher Dr. Jorge Chavarro, research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, and his team observed 18,555 married, premenopausal women ages 24-42 with no history of infertility attempting to get pregnant over an eight-year period (1991-1999). This group of study participants was a subset of the larger group of 116,000 women that were part of The Nurses' Health Study II.

Dr. Chavarro monitored very closely the dietary intake of dairy foods by the women in the study, including the types and frequency of consumption, over the eight years. The women were also asked to provide information about the regularity of their period, if there were any problems with ovulation, and how their attempts to conceive a child were going.

A total of 438 women in the study experienced difficulty trying to have a baby during the study and Dr. Chavarro noticed that most of these women ate more than two portions of low-fat dairy foods daily. In fact, he quantified that women who eat that amount or higher of low-fat dairy every single day are 85 percent more likely to experience infertility compared with those women who eat it less often than once a week.

Interestingly, the researchers found something even more remarkable considering the dietary recommendations that rule the day in our society--those women who ate full-fat dairy foods, including whole milk and even ice cream, on a daily basis saw their risk of being infertile caused by ovulation problems drop by 25 percent compared to those who only ate full-fat dairy once a week. You read that right--CONSUMING FULL-FAT DAIRY DROPS THE RISK OF INFERTILITY BY TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT!

What does the lack of dietary fat from the dairy products consumed by women have to do with their risk for infertility? Plenty! The researchers believe there is a fat-soluble substance in the full-fat dairy foods that works to improve the function of the ovaries. Thus, when that fat-soluble substance gets taken out during the conversion to 2% or skim milk, the health benefits dissipate as well.

Additionally, the processing of full-fat milk to skimmed milk requires the addition of whey protein to the milk to give it a more "natural" taste and color. However, whey protein has been found to produce testosterone-like effects in lab rats and may be the culprit wit the infertility in women consuming low-fat dairy. Oops!

The results of this stunning Harvard study appeared in the February 28, 2007 issue of the scientific journal Reproductive Health.

Well how ya like them apples, hmmm? All this talk about cutting your fat intake way down low in everything you eat is one big crock of you know what and this study is more proof of that fact! Just for kicks, I decided to pay a visit to the Holy Grail of all things related to a healthy diet--MyPyramid.gov--just to see what the good ole health "experts" advising our government about what's really healthy had to say about dairy intake.

As Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond used to say, "Holy crap!" Under the "Milk Group" page you see that they highly recommend that the "milk group choices should be fat-free or low-fat." But if you click on the "Tips for making wise choices" link on the upper right-hand side of the page, the "Holy-crap-o-meter" goes off the charts!

Check this out (see if you can find the common theme):

- Include milk as a beverage...Choose fat-free or low-fat milk.
- If you usually drink whole milk, switch...to fat-free milk.
- Try reduced fat (2%), then low-fat (1%), and finally fat-free (skim).
- If you drink cappuccinos or lattes—ask for...fat-free (skim) milk.
- Add fat-free or low-fat milk...to oatmeal and hot cereals.
- Use fat-free or low-fat milk when making...cream soups.
- Have fat-free or low-fat yogurt as a snack.
- Make a dip for fruits or vegetables from yogurt.
- Make fruit-yogurt smoothies in the blender.
- Make chocolate...pudding with fat-free or low-fat milk.
- Top cut-up fruit with flavored yogurt for a quick dessert.
- Top casseroles...or vegetables with shredded low-fat cheese.
- Top a baked potato with fat-free or low-fat yogurt.

What's wrong with this picture? Why all the intense focus on "fat-free or low-fat" options? Clearly these heavily-publicized dietary recommendations are creating a lot of unhappy young couples who are trying to bring a little bundle of joy into the world that they can call their own. On what basis are they pushing these nasty foods that are actually working against women who want to conceive all in the name of "better health?"

I remember from my personal low-fat diet experience in 1999 how utterly disgusting all those low-fat foods really are. The worst ones to me had to be the fat-free cheese and skim milk. The cheese was so gross and didn't even seem like real food. Describing it as a cardboard box texture is being MUCH too kind. And then the white water that passed for skim milk was about as useless and I never got used to drinking that stuff. Getting 2% was about as close as I could get to skim!

However, one thing I continued to do even after I stopped my low-fat diet and started gaining my weight back was to keep drinking 2% milk instead of whole thinking it was somehow a "healthy" alternative. When I started livin' la vida low-carb, I didn't drink regular milk anymore and switched to Hood's Carb Countdown (now called Calorie Countdown) milk instead.

Yet, I kept on buying 2% milk for my wife Christine. We will celebrate 12 years of marriage in August and have been desperately trying to have a baby since we said "I do" to each other in 1995. Unfortunately, the good Lord has not chosen to bless us with a little munchkin just yet and we trust in His perfect timing. But after reading this study, I can't help but think what role the 2% milk Christine has been consuming over the course of our marriage may have had on our inability to conceive. I don't know if it has anything to do with it or not, but you have to wonder.

We're working out the issues that could be the culprit by getting checked out to see if it's me or her preventing the conception, but I know one thing we're gonna start doing--BUYING WHOLE MILK FOR CHRISTINE AGAIN! It may not be the reason for our inability to have a baby at all, but it's certainly worth a try to see if we can get her ovulation to be more consistent and regular to set up a higher probability for a future pregnancy. Cross your fingers and wish us luck!

There have been previous studies that hinted at the possibility of problems with infertility linked to dairy foods, but hardly any of them have been on humans like this one was. That's why Dr. Chavarro wanted to see what impact the fat content in the dairy foods consumed in a woman's diet can play regarding the prospect for motherhood.

Their conclusion: "High intake of low-fat dairy foods may increase the risk of anovulatory infertility whereas intake of high-fat dairy foods may decrease this risk."

Did you get that all you Dr. Dean Ornish-loving low-fatties? Eating lots of low-fat dairy INCREASES infertility while eating lots of high-fat dairy DECREASES infertility. How much clearer can it be that that?! I'd love to hear what Ornish and his low-fat minions have to say about this Harvard study. Let the spinmeisters begin like they did following the Stanford study published in JAMA last month!

If you are a woman trying to have a baby, Dr. Chavarro recommended what I am going to do with Christine's dairy intake.

"Consider changing low-fat dairy foods for high-fat dairy foods; for instance, by swapping skimmed milk for whole milk and eating ice cream, not low fat yogurt," he stated.

HA! Now THAT'S a switch seeing a RECOMMENDATION to eat the high-fat version of a food INSTEAD of the low-fat one. It really makes you wonder what other unintended consequences of this low-fat diet LIE we have been told for decades has had on the health and well-being of our society. How many tens or even hundreds of thousands of women have been left without an answer to their infertility problem while our government has kept on peddling the very reason they never got to be a mother? How sad.

When you stop and think about it, you can't help but wonder out loud about what would have been or even still COULD be if our government would simply end their nonsensical endorsement of the biggest dietary failure of our generation. That's why I have been on the frontlines of the debate to have our government actively promote low-carb alongside low-fat as another healthy dietary option for people to consider for weight and health management.

But, as is the case with most researchers who come out with something positive regarding low-carb, high-fat consumption, Dr. Chavarro got right back on the government talking points in what he recommends after a woman is "with child."

"Once they have become pregnant, then they should probably switch back to low-fat dairy foods as it is easier to limit intake of saturated fat by consuming low-fat dairy foods," he explained.

And what exactly is wrong with saturated fat, Dr. Chavarro? Noted researcher Dr. Jeff Volek has found that consuming saturated fat in combination with a low-carbohydrate diet has no ill effect on your health. In fact, the so-called studies showing how "harmful" saturated fat is like this one are so ill-conceived that they are ripped to shreds by objective researchers like Anthony Colpo.

This continuous onslaught against saturated fat by people who are supposedly intellectuals regarding diet and health is needlessly causing alarm among the general public. The fact is eating saturated fat is good for you and it's high time we stop demonizing it in the same breath as trans fats. Those are indeed bad news for your health, but saturated fat is not even close. The studies about saturated fat are mounting quickly and all you "experts" can apologize to me later for being so ignorant about it now.

At this point, Dr. Chavarro would like to further his research on low-fat dairy as it relates to infertility so he can "confirm or refute the findings" from this study. We'll be watching for those results with great interest, Dr. Chavarro!

You can e-mail Dr. Jorge Chavarro at jchavarr@hsph.harvard.edu.

Womens Health And Fitness Podcast Directory Brings You The Best Of The Best

Are you a woman who cares about the subjects of health and fitness? If so, then you may want to check out the Womens Health and Fitness Podcast Directory. It's brand spankin' new and on the cutting edge of bringing you all the best information about living a healthy lifestyle that you can find on the Internet today.

What it is specifically is a categorized directory of podcasts, expert articles and forums that provide information on the most popular and current issues in women's health and fitness. The list of topics is constantly being updated and includes ones like exercise, nutrition, the mind-body connection, age-specific health information, and motivation.

Additionally, you can find workouts and exercise music that you can download and take with you for that walk around the block or even to the gym. The directory specifically attracts women who are looking for information and advice on taking care of themselves and improving their personal health and fitness. We could all use a little more of that, can't we? :)

They recently invited me to submit my low-carb podcast to their directory and I did. With the issue of women's health at this web site of the utmost importance, they are hoping to draw together all of the most popular and useful links and information to help people get exactly what they need without wasting their time on useless ones. The Womens Health And Fitness Podcast Directory wants to be the go-to site for healthy living for females.

If you have a health-related blog that you would like to submit to them, then please share that information to add it to their growing directory. This could be an excellent way to get your blog or web site about livin' la vida low-carb in front of an audience that may not otherwise know who you are. Share what you do with other women who are interested in diet and health!

Go ahead and check out Womens Health and Fitness Podcast Directory.