Konstantin Monastyrsky goes absolutely ballistic about Dr. Atkins

You can always tell about a man’s true character when they are challenged on what they believe. After posting my recent book reviews on Amazon earlier this week, one of the authors did something rather surprising–he left a 1-star review of MY book Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat to Sensationally Skinny in One Year. HUH?! My rating of his book was a 3-star, but this obviously set him off and he retaliated against me and my book as a result. The author who did this is the subject of my second interview as part of this special “Wacky Week” of podcasts.

In Episode 199 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we are graced with the presence of a Ukraine-born author named Konstantin Monastyrsky, author of a book several of my readers have told me about called Fiber Menace: The Truth About the Leading Role of Fiber in Diet Failure, Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and Colon Cancer. As you listen to the interview today, it won’t take very long to learn why this guy’s just a few fries short of a Happy Meal–bashing the cream of the crop low-carb authors Dr. Richard Bernstein, the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins, Dr. Mike Eades, Dr. Arthur Agatston, and others. Although I attempted to steer the conversation to talk about his book, Konstantin wasn’t interested in discussing why fiber is a “menace” but instead showed why HE is the real menace. You just gotta hear it to believe it–YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH!

There are FOUR ways you can listen to Episode 199:

1. Listen and comment about the show at iTunes:

2. Listen and comment about the show at the official web site:

3. Download the MP3 file of Episode 199 [29:17m]:

4. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez

If you wanna make sure you NEVER miss a new episode of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” then be sure to Subscribing to the RSS feed or click on the “Subscribe” button at iTunes. If you need assistance about how to subscribe to the podcast, then just CLICK HERE for a video tutorial from my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien to show you how.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS PODCAST! Visit the iTunes page for “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore” and write a review about the show. This makes a tremendous impact on who accesses the show and we’ve seen a huge influx of new listeners in recent weeks and months because of the efforts of those fans of the podcast who took just a few moments of their time to leave a brief comment at iTunes. THANKS for sharing with others about my podcast and let’s keep it on the front page at iTunes heading into 2009. You guys are truly amazing people!

What do you think about this clown claiming Dr. Atkins, Dr. Bernstein, and Dr. Eades have grave “errors” in their writings? Am I being too harsh on Konstantin Monastyrsky or is he off his rocker? Respond to today’s incredibly interesting podcast interview in the show notes section of Episode 199. If you’d like to learn more about Konstantin Monastyrsky and his Fiber Menace book, then visit his official web site. Just be careful not to say ANYTHING negative about him or he may lash out at you, too!

WHEW! With “Wacky Week” behind us, we’re looking forward to next week on Monday when we celebrate our monumental 200th Episode of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” It’s hard to believe we have done 200 shows in the past two years, but it is a reality. I’ll be joined in the studio by my wonderful executive podcast producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien as we reminisce on memories about the show since it began in October 2006. Then on Thursday, before you eat up on that Thanksgiving turkey, we’ll have the great Dr. Barry Sears of Zone Diet fame talking about his brand new book entitled Toxic Fat.

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The upcoming 2010 dietary recommendations will likely change very little

Oh, I had such high hopes for the United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services when Cornell psychology professor Dr. Brian Wansink was named the new executive director of the Center For Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) late last year. The author of a fantastic book about how our perception influences our behavior in regards to our diet called Mindless Eating, Wansink came across to me as a highly personable and open-minded individual who was open to hearing from a variety of voices in the health arena.

I recall having a very delightful half hour conversation with Dr. Wansink after writing this blog post criticizing his research and then again in my blog interview with him in November 2007. On both occasions, he made it clear to me that livin’ la vida low-carb is indeed a good viable option for some people who desire weight loss and have been unsuccessful on other diets.

“I very much agree with your big point that if a person wants to lose a lot of weight a serious…low carb approach like the one you recommend can be very useful,” Wansink said.

Since Dr. Wansink has made it clear that he sees no real problem with the low-carb nutritional approach, one would think he’d be delighted to have at least one or more low-carb research experts on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, right? If you actually believe that, then you would be dead wrong!

Despite the fact that several prominent low-carb researchers and practitioners were nominated to be on this panel earlier this year, including Eric C. Westman, M.D., M.H.S from Duke University, Mary C. Vernon, M.D. from The University of Kansas, Richard D. Feinman, Ph.D. from SUNY Downstate, Stephen Phinney, M.D. from The University of California-Davis, and Jeff S. Volek, Ph.D. from The University of Connecticut, all of the low-carb nominees who were under consideration were summarily rejected for inclusion in this vitally important nutritional advisory committee. Did you get that? NOT ONE SINGLE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE LOW-CARB RESEARCH WORLD WAS CHOSEN! What a slap in the face!

Instead, 9 of the 13 who were chosen are members of The American Society for Nutrition (ASN), an organization steeped in the high-carb, low-fat dogma of conventional wisdom as it relates to diet and health. The ASN President is James O. Hill, PhD and he should be a name you are familiar with. Dr. Hill is the founder of the heralded National Weight Control Registry which has made it quite clear their belief that a low-calorie, low-fat diet is the ONLY healthy weight loss method for people to follow. It’s not surprising to know what those nine individuals from ASN who are sitting on this 2010 Dietary Guidelines board will be promoting for Americans to follow in order to be “healthy.” UGH!

One of the ASN members–Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, LD–has been slated to serve as chairwoman over the committee. Looking through her research papers, you’ll find Dr. Van Horn has been keenly interested in “very low-fat diets” for health and weight loss for more than a decade and will no doubt bring this philosophy to the table when drafting the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines. Dr. Hill underlined how critical this committee is to the future of health in America.

“The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee plays a crucial role in the development of nutrition policy in the United States. Their work forms the foundation upon which the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are based, which provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases,” he explained.

And that is what is so disheartening about this glaring omission of the low-carb voice in this committee. Sure, a lot of people ignore the government recommendations about their health when they come out, but I believe there is a trickle-down effect that happens when these new dietary guidelines are enacted. It works like this–the new guidelines are shared with the public, presentations about the new guidelines are presented at various medical conferences attended by physicians, dietitians, nurses, and other medical professionals, the patients are shared this information when they visit their doctors, and the patients tell their family, friends, and co-workers about what they have learned.

Whether you realize it or not, this information seeps through and becomes a part of the health culture upon which people base their opinions about what constitutes a healthy diet. Just look at the way people react when you and I tell them consuming fat is healthy? They think you’re nuts. Why? Because that’s what they’ve always heard. Despite all the studies and research that has been conducted and published in peer-reviewed medical journals, fat-phobia in America is still going strong. What is most incredible about this view of fat is that it is not based on any substantive Level 1 evidence to support it as reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Gil Wilshire from Columbia, Missouri so brilliantly explained in an op-ed piece in 2006.

I’m not blaming Dr. Wansink for failing to include a low-carb research representative on this committee. That distinction belongs to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt who announced 13 members of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Taking nothing away from those who were selected, it just astounds me that they couldn’t even muster up enough courage to select a single one. The people who were chosen were selected for “their expertise in dietary intake, human metabolism, behavioral change, and health.” Does that not perfectly describe Dr. Mary C. Vernon? Dr. Eric Westman? Dr. Jeff Volek? Dr. Richard Feinman? Or how about anyone from the highly-qualified and prestigious American Society of Bariatric Physicians? Of course that describes any of these candidates, but they were not chosen.

Now why would that be? Several members of the low-carb community have been attempting to get the answer to that question and all we have received is the cold shoulder. I’ve even attempted to contact Dr. Wansink directly to bring him on my podcast show to talk about this, but he has not answered my e-mails either. I guess what’s done is done and there is no further discussion about it. Period!

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has already begun meeting over the past few weeks, reviewing the scientific literature, speaking with the public, and deliberating in open forums. A report will be submitted to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services soon which will be used in setting the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Interestingly, USDA Secretary Schafer says he welcomes the input of the public in these discussions about the nutritional recommendations.

“I want to emphasize that this will be an open and transparent process,” he said. “All meetings are open to the public, and all meeting minutes and transcripts will be posted online at www.dietaryguidelines.gov.”

Maybe if they’re so interested in transparency in this process we should arrange a caravan of people to camp out in Washington, DC to attend these meetings and voice our concerns. This wouldn’t have been necessary if they had simply given us a voice on that committee. Just when I think low-carb is on the brink of being accepted and finally given the proper due it is afforded, something like this happens to tear down that optimistic notion.

Nevertheless, I’m remaining encouraged about that prospect despite this apparent rejection of livin’ la vida low-carb on such an important panel. They can try to ignore us and the phenomenal results we have enjoyed from healthy low-carb living, but we’re not going anywhere anytime soon. When they flub up this 2010 dietary guidelines, then maybe we should start lobbying for a “change” to speak in the vernacular of our President-Elect Barack Obama. We SORELY need change to happen in the American diet–and SOONER rather than later!

Here are the 13 members of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee:

Linda V. Van Horn, PhD, RD, LD, (Chair) Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Preventative Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Dr. Van Horn has expertise extending across many areas of nutrition research and public health as a nutrition epidemiologist who has conducted population level research in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and breast cancer. She is currently the principal investigator in the Women’s Health Initiative Extension Study and the Dietary Intervention Study in Children.

Naomi K. Fukagawa, MD, PhD, (Vice Chair) Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director of the Clinical Research Center, University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT. Dr. Fukagawa is a board-certified pediatrician and an expert in nutritional biochemistry and metabolism, including protein and energy metabolism; oxidants and antioxidants; and the role of diet in aging and chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. She has chaired the National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Centers’ Committee and is currently a member of the National Institutes of Health Integrative Physiology of Diabetes and Obesity Study Section.

Cheryl Achterberg, PhD, Dean and Professor, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. Dr. Achterberg’s research has evaluated the impact of behavior on the dietary patterns of populations, including low-income and elderly Americans. She has served on panels for numerous groups, including the World Health Organization, the Institute of Medicine, and the United Nations as an expert in nutrition education and community interventions.

Lawrence J. Appel, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and International Health (Human Nutrition), Division of General Internal Medicine, and Director, ProHealth Clinical Research Unit, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD. Dr. Appel is a physician whose research pertains to the prevention of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease, typically through lifestyle modification, such as dietary intake of sodium and potassium. Dr. Appel served on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee as a member of the science review subcommittee and Chair of the electrolytes subcommittee. He has also served on several committees for the Institute of Medicine, including the Dietary Reference Intake Panel for electrolytes and water, which he chaired.

Roger A. Clemens, DrPH, Associate Director, Regulatory Science, and Adjunct Professor, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Science, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Clemens has extensive experience in functional foods and technology with a special emphasis on probiotics and prebiotics. He has expertise in toxicology and food safety, as well as knowledge of food processing and the food industry. He is a spokesperson for the American Society for Nutrition and the Institute of Food Technologists.

Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, Director, John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, MA. Dr. Nelson is a leading authority on physical activity and energy balance, with extensive research experience integrating the science of energy balance into behavior change programs. She recently served as Vice Chair of the first Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee chartered by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Sharon M. Nickols-Richardson, PhD, RD, Associate Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. Dr. Nickols-Richardson’s expertise focuses on dietary and physical activity determinants of muscle strength and bone density, as well as dietary interventions for obesity and nutrition over the lifecycle from child nutrition to older adults. She served the Institute of Medicine as a consultant on the Dietary Reference Intakes book “The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements.”

Thomas A. Pearson, MD, PhD, MPH, Senior Associate Dean, Clinical Research and Albert D. Kaiser Professor, Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY. Dr. Pearson is an epidemiologist specializing in lipid metabolism and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. He contributed significantly to the American Heart Association’s guidelines for prevention of heart disease and stroke, and is as a founding member of the World Heart Forum for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD, Professor, Nutritional Sciences and Public Health, University of Connecticut, and Director, Connecticut Center of Excellence for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos, Storrs, CT. Dr. Pérez-Escamilla is an internationally recognized scholar in the area of community nutrition for his work in food safety, obesity, diabetes, and food security, with a specialty in Latinos and low-income American populations. He is currently serving the Institute of Medicine in re-examining the pregnancy weight gain guidelines.

Xavier Pi-Sunyer, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Dr. Pi-Sunyer has expertise in obesity, type 2 diabetes, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and general medicine with over 250 research papers on these topics. He chaired a National Heart Lung and Blood Institute obesity committee and has served on the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intake Panel on macronutrients. He has also served on the Food and Drug Administration’s Science Board Advisory Committee to the Commissioner. He was also a member of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Eric B. Rimm, ScD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Dr. Rimm is an epidemiologist whose research evaluates the impact of lifestyle factors, particularly diet, that relate to the risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. He is internationally known for his work on moderate alcohol consumption and health and has served on the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes Panel for macronutrients.

Joanne L. Slavin, PhD, RD, Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Slavin is an expert in carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Her research expertise focuses on the impact of whole grain consumption in chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, as well as the role of dietary fiber in satiety.

Christine L. Williams, MD, MPH, Vice President and Medical Director Healthy Directions, Inc., and former Professor, Clinical Pediatrics, and Director, Children’s Cardiovascular Health Center, Columbia University, New York, NY. Dr. Williams is an expert in nutrition in cancer prevention and preventive cardiology, especially hypercholesterolemia, in children. She received the prestigious Preventive Cardiology Academic Award from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for her work in preventive cardiology for children.

Of these thirteen very distinguished and qualified members of the committee, only Dr. Lawrence J. Appel shows any promise for articulating the low-carb point of view. He released a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2006 that concluded a high-healthy fat, low-carb diet was best for improving heart health. Granted, he’s not convinced saturated fat is healthy and thinks whole grains are a necessary part of a good diet. But he’s not preaching a low-fat diet either. Here’s hoping Dr. Appel rubs off on the committee with some of his low-carb philosophy.

What do you think about the low-carb voices being snubbed for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee? Is it that big a deal to have no real low-carb experts on the committee or does none of this really matter in the grand scheme of things? I’m interested in what you think, so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

11-19-08 UPDATE: I’m not the only low-carber talking about this and disappointed that nothing is really gonna change with the new 2010 recommendations–check out what Dr. Mike Eades wrote about this today and he makes a great point about how many people the government feeds everyday using the dietary guidelines that this committee creates–an eye-popping 50 million Americans! Can you see why they don’t want to change the guidelines too much?

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If you eat-a the meat-a, then prepare for some resistance from PETA!

When you are trying to convey a message of peace, love, care and concern as a core belief in your organization, then you would at least expect the members of that group to exhibit these traits themselves in the tactics they use to promote their philosophy. But apparently that doesn’t hold true if you are a member of the extremist animal rights, anti-meat wacko group known as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). They are a fringe organization that is doing everything in their power to prevent people from consuming meat for two main reasons: 1) on moral grounds for the welfare of the animals and 2) for health reasons contending that a vegetarian or vegan diet is far superior nutritionally to one that consists of meat.

I don’t personally have a problem with someone who chooses to eat a meat-free diet (although you can make your low-carb lifestyle vegetarian, I do think you are limiting yourself from some truly fabulous nutrient-rich foods that are indeed an essential part of a healthy diet), but PETA always seems to take things to the extreme to say the least: dressing up in nothing but cellophane and describing meat-eaters as “cannibals”; conducting a national letter-to-the-editor writing campaign trashing the Atkins diet using the exact same letter; creating fake public surveys to make it look like the ultra-low-fat, vegetarian diet is more mainstream than it is; PETA nutcase Jody Gorran bringing a frivolous lawsuit against Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. that ran the good Atkins name through the mud for several years before a judge finally threw it out last year; and most recently in September 2008, PETA convinced the United Nations that meat consumption was a major reason for global warming! In fact, just this week they pressured the star of the #1 movie in America Daniel Craig from the latest James Bond flick Quantum of Solace to go vegetarian for the sake of the animals and health. Oh brother!

EXTREME? I think that’s putting it nicely. But you gotta hand it to them–just when you think they can’t go any more overboard than they already have, along comes something else that is equally shocking and almost always controversial like this news story out of Vermont last week. You should watch the video report of it because you’re not gonna believe what the PETA people are wanting to do in the Green Mountain State!

With all the gall and audacity that they could muster up in a letter addressed to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, PETA claimed that since meat-eating is so unhealthy the health insurance premiums of meat-eaters in that state should be increased. Additionally, they surmise that vegetarians and vegans live healthier and should be rewarded with decreased health insurance premiums. They’re SERIOUS about this, too!

“Given the latest news about the effects of E. coli on meat-eaters — and the mountain of evidence linking meat consumption to some of our nation’s deadliest diseases — this change will benefit Blue Cross Blue Shield’s bottom line while also helping to ensure that your policyholders don’t flat line,” the PETA representative wrote in a letter to the president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont.

Oh where do you begin with something like this? The continued hyperbole that PETA uses to communicate their message is quite nauseating to say the least. It’s a well-known fact that there is no danger of E. coli if you stick to grass-fed beef and the alleged “mountain of evidence” against meat does not exist. I suppose if you repeat a lie often enough some people will begin to believe it is true, but that doesn’t suddenly make it a fact.

My contention is that those of us who consume a healthy meat-based high-fat, low-carb diet are benefiting our weight and health much more so than the vast majority of Americans who are consuming excessive amounts of processed, refined, garbage foods that are the real culprit in obesity and disease. Meat is not the great health threat PETA wants you to believe it is–sugar, junk food, fast food, and soda are the real enemies to optimal health. Why doesn’t PETA spend any time and money at all exposing the truth about these real detriments to health if they care so much about the subject?

Rather than admit there are multiple ways to live a healthy lifestyle besides being a vegetarian, PETA instead insisted that Blue Cross Blue Shield take action AGAINST meat-eaters to punish them.

“By giving your policy holders a financial incentive to go vegetarian — and penalizing those whose meat-based diets fuel our nation’s worst health problems — Blue Cross Blue Shield could save millions of dollars in the long run,” the PETA representative asserted in the letter.

How about this, PETA? You eat your diet that makes you healthy and I’ll eat my diet that makes me healthy and neither one of us criticizes the choice of the other. That sounds like an amicable plan, right? I’ve always contended that people should find the plan of action that works for them and then do it. If that means low-fat, low-carb, Weight Watcher, and even vegetarian or vegan, then just do SOMETHING that will put you on the pathway towards bettering your health. Too many people are apathetic because they think they have to live up to some standard of perfection in their efforts. But this journey is not about perfection, but rather pursuit. Staying in the game is most of the battle.

Thankfully, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont isn’t buying PETA’s propaganda…YET!

“Under Vermont law, we would not be allowed to vary rates based on the dietary and nutritional habits of various members,” a representative noted. “We have no information one way or the other if vegetarians are more healthy.”

This is why groups like PETA need to be responded to when they propose such public changes. I wouldn’t put it past them to attempt to change the state law in more liberal ones like Vermont, Massachusetts, and California, for example, to define what a “healthy” diet is as low-fat vegetarian. And they’d have a precedent in place on the federal level with the USDA pushing low-fat diets as part of their U.S. Food Pyramid for the past three decades. It sounds outrageous to think about it happening, but the reality is this could indeed come to fruition if PETA gets their way.

Lest you think my description of PETA labeling them as “extremist” is a little too harsh, look at the campaign they are doing for the Thanksgiving holiday season entitled Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals!. It’s quite cutesy (kinda like the Bad Fats Brothers was for the American Heart Association), but the message is so far from the truth it’s not even funny. Be sure to play the game all the way to the end as you get to make your own Tofurkey! Mmmmm, yummy! NOT!

This reminds me of that classic scene in the hit CBS-TV comedy “Everybody Loves Raymond” where Raymond’s mother Marie is on a low-fat diet “health” kick during the Thanksgiving holiday season. So she made a tofurkey and forced everyone to eat it. This is just too funny not to share!

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Most of the time I allow the health headlines to build up before I write a blog post about them since they tend to trickle out here and there. But although I just did an update a couple of weeks ago with the new health stories that have recently come out, there has been a rush of health headlines I just couldn’t avoid this week. And so I’m sharing those with you today. ENJOY!

NYC MAYOR BLOOMBERG NOW WANTS TO BAN SALT

First it was trans fat followed by government-run food establishments in New York City. Now Mayor Michael Bloomberg is on the warpath to reduce salt from food by one-fifth in the next five years because of the alleged “public-health threat facing” New Yorkers because his administration believes salt contributes to high blood pressure. This will merely be a suggestion for restaurants and food operations to comply with on a “voluntary” basis, according to the report. But what’s all this bellyaching over? Haven’t they read the latest research and information on salt? Maybe a little more education and a lot less hyperbole is in order for New York City’s chief executive!

VITAMIN C AND E NOT GOOD AT PREVENTING HEART ATTACKS OR CANCER

A new study presented at a cancer research symposium on Sunday claims that people who take vitamins C and E do not appear to lower their cardiovascular or cancer risks. It was a fairly large study (14,600 male doctors) of 50+ year old physicians and focused primarily on vitamin pill supplementation and not so much on obtaining these vitamins from healthy foods. Although the study is being lauded, there is concern that many of the doctors were already “very healthy” before the study and that it began when they were already in the aging process–thus, skewing the results. Additionally, the dosage of these vitamins was very low compared to more aggressive naturopathic professionals would suggest to their patients attempting to ward off heart disease and cancer. The other “X” factor is the diet (carbs have been shown to feed cancer cells) and exercise program of the individual study participants. This information is unknown and could very well have played a role in the incidence of cancer as well. In other words, this study didn’t prove much at all.

SPEAKING OF VITAMINS, WHAT DO THE EXPERTS TAKE?

This recent CNN story featured several big names in the health industry to get their take on what vitamins they personally take as part of their healthy lifestyle. Most notably was Dr. Andrew Weil, who has been losing weight on a low-carb regimen for the past year or so, and Harvard medical school professor Dr. Walter Willett. I was most encouraged by what I saw Dr. Weil was taking because it mirrored much of what I take, too: A daily multivitamin/multimineral, vitamin D, magnesium, alpha lipoic acid, omega-3s, and CoQ10. I also take chromium, cinnamon, calcium, fiber, and acidophilus (a probiotic). When asked what he thought about studies like the one above showing vitamins C and E are not as good for you as once believed, I LOVE what Dr. Weil said in response: “I believe vitamins E and C are important as part of our antioxidant defenses, even if we have not yet documented specific preventive effects.” In other words, I’m gonna keep taking my vitamins whether you like it or not! Go get ‘em, Dr. Weil! He did suggest men skip the iron since they get plenty of it in the foods they eat, but warns against taking calcium supplements which could lead to prostate cancer. Hmmmm, maybe I should dump that one from my handful of vitamins in the mornings.

THE ULTIMATE PRIMER ON VITAMIN D

With all the attention being given to vitamin D lately (ever since my interview with Dr. William Davis last month, I have been taking 10,000 I.U. daily), I wanted to put together a column detailing this rising star in the vitamin world. But my friend and fellow low-carb blogger Scott Kustes from the “Modern Forager” blog beat me to the punch and did a PHENOMENAL job in the post “Just How Important Is Vitamin D?” You should print this out and reference it often for all you’d ever want to know about why vitamin D should be a part of your supplementation each day.

ARE WE SURPRISED? CORN DOMINATES FAST FOOD!

Michael Pollan foreshadowed this news in his instant classic The Omnivore’s Dilemma a couple of years ago, but research has confirmed the obvious for us all–CORN IS IN EVERYTHING THESE DAYS AT FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS!!! Are we REALLY surprised about that? I mean, with all the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) pumped into everything these days, it is virtually impossible to avoid. This newly-discovered “basis of all fast food” is raising the eyebrows of those who claim they had no idea. Say WHAT?! You gotta know this was happening and it didn’t happen overnight either. According to the research, only a dozen food items came back corn-free out of the hundreds they checked. YIKES! With over $100 billion spent annually on fast food, that’s a whole lot of corn being consumed by unsuspecting consumers who wonder why they have a weight and health problem.

DIET DEBATE RAGES ON STRONG IN SWEDEN

Although there isn’t much open discussion of high-fat, low-carb diets within the context of a national discussion in the United States right now, the same cannot be said for the country of Sweden (I’ve previously interviewed Dr. Annika Dahlqvist and Per Wikholm on my podcast show to discuss the details of this newfound interest in low-carb, high-fat diets). On Sunday, there was a major national television program called “Kalla Fakta” (Cold Facts) with some of Sweden’s best investigative journalists revealing the poor science behind the official dietary guidelines of a high-carb, low-fat diet. They revealed some rather damning evidence showing a rather tight bond between the so-called health “experts” and the food industry and even featured interviews with Dr. Dahlqvist and other high-profile Swedish low-carbers. Can you imagine if American journalists cared enough about getting to the truth behind the dietary guidelines being promoted by the United States Department of Agriculture to connect the dots between the “experts” and the food manufacturers here? There would be an uproar like you’ve never seen before. Speaking of recommendations, in the next few days I’ll be sharing some news about the panel chosen for the new 2010 Food Pyramid panel that is not good if you are a fan of livin’ la vida low-carb. Stay tuned!

HUNTINGTON CITY, WV: THE FATTEST, UNHEALTHIEST CITY IN AMERICA

Now this is a distinction I don’t think you’d be too proud of. But for the residents of Huntington City, West Virginia–the new “fattest and unhealthiest city in America”–that’s EXACTLY what they are–PROUD! The story blames the economy, poverty levels, a fatty diet, junk food restaurants, lack of exercise, and smoking as the main culprits in the disproportionate obesity rates and incidence of diabetes and heart disease. It’s sad to see them passing the buck of responsibility to something besides making their own conscious choices regarding their weight. There seems to be a great deal of apathy among the citizens of this community about their health problems. That’s a difficult tide to turn when people just don’t seem to care. I see people like that every day of my life and it’s so sad. My late brother Kevin was one and I used to be before the Atkins low-carb lifestyle saved my life. Some television producer–somebody like Mary Bissell from the Canadian documentary My Big Fat Diet–should go to Huntington City and see if they can motivate the entire town to get healthy. Sounds like a ratings winner to me!

SPAM MAKES A COMEBACK DURING DIFFICULT TIMES

The economy has been going through some challenges in late 2008, but not all companies are suffering from this grim news. Hormel Foods, makers of the popular canned meat known as SPAM, has seen booming business in recent months because people are stocking up on the inexpensive processed ham and pork food produce. For just a few bucks, you can get a 12-ounce can of SPAM to feed your family and people are putting aside their jokes and disdain for this el-cheapo food that just happens to be low-carb, too (just 1g carb per 2-ounce serving)! But not everything that’s selling well in these challenging economic times is low-carb. Rice and beans are also selling extremely well because they are cheap and filling. I would assume Ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, and other cheap processed foods are soaring in sales during these economic hardships as well.

WANNA PETITION TO REMOVE HFCS FROM COLAS IN AMERICA?

The move against high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is gaining momentum with leadership from businesses like Jason’s Deli restaurants removing HFCS from their menu. Despite the recent intensive marketing campaign by the Corn Refiner’s Association promoting HFCS as healthy, people have come to realize what a danger this substance is to their weight and health. That’s why a petition has been created to convince the major soda manufacturers to ditch the HFCS for better alternatives. Granted, most people who are livin’ la vida low-carb wouldn’t drink regular soda anyway, but the move away from this highly unnatural, man-made sweetener derived from corn would be a step in the RIGHT direction!

And that’s about it for now! If the news keeps coming this hot and heavy, then plan on seeing another big post again real soon with all the health information your brain can handle. As always, if you see a diet or health-related news story that you think I might want to know about, then send it my way by e-mailing livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

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Dr. Betty Martini actively warns of the dangers of aspartame

There are those who believe consuming artificial sweeteners is a bad idea while others don’t have an issue with them at all. But on the extreme end of the “no sweeteners” bandwagon are activists like Dr. Betty Martini. She leads the group Mission Possible World Health International and is on a one-woman mission to get aspartame and other “dangerous, killer” sugar alternatives off the marketplace. While I do believe her intentions are in the right place, her aggressiveness in marketing her message makes her come across as a just little bit crazy in my opinion (she’s left comments on my blog and other places on the Internet that are longer than most of my blog posts). That’s one of the reasons I chose my interview with her to be highlighted during this special “Wacky Week.”

In Episode 198 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we hear directly from Martini, who was given an honorary doctorate degree for her community activist role in exposing the negative impact of aspartame specifically along with Splenda, Xylitol, sorbitol, and other fake sugars. I’ll concede she makes some very good points at times during the interview. But as you listen to her speak, you can’t help but notice Martini’s message is overridden by her flamboyant rhetoric. Decide for yourself when you listen to today’s podcast.

There are FOUR ways you can listen to Episode 198:

1. Listen and comment about the show at iTunes:

2. Listen and comment about the show at the official web site:

3. Download the MP3 file of Episode 198 [23:58m]:

4. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez

If you wanna make sure you NEVER miss a new episode of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” then be sure to Subscribing to the RSS feed or click on the “Subscribe” button at iTunes. If you need assistance about how to subscribe to the podcast, then just CLICK HERE for a video tutorial from my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien to show you how.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS PODCAST! Visit the iTunes page for “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore” and write a review about the show. This makes a tremendous impact on who accesses the show and we’ve seen a huge influx of new listeners in recent weeks and months because of the efforts of those fans of the podcast who took just a few moments of their time to leave a brief comment at iTunes. THANKS for sharing with others about my podcast and let’s keep it on the front page at iTunes heading into 2009. You guys are truly amazing people!

Do you agree with me that Dr. Betty Martini is a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal? Or do you think she was quite lucid and articulate making a compelling argument against aspartame and other artificial sweeteners? Tell us what you think in the show notes section of Episode 198. Visit the Mission Possible World Health International for more information about Dr. Martini’s work. See what The Media Awareness Network has to say about Martini’s information about aspartame.

Coming back on Thursday for more of “Wacky Week” when we are joined by Konstantin Monastyrsky, the author of an amazing book about fiber entitled Fiber Menace. Although his information about the dangers of consuming fiber is quite useful and dead on, Monastyrsky’s eccentric hatred for the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins was a bit over the top for me. There’s some good info in the interview, but it breaks down by the end. This will certainly be a podcast you’ll never forget! Listen in for it on Thursday!

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Weeding through all the literally thousands of diet, health, and nutrition books that come out each year can be quite challenging. Many of them are stuck on the same low-fat, eat less, exercise more mantra that has made us fatter and fatter and sicker than we’ve ever been! But it doesn’t have to be that way as 14 new diet and health books I’m reviewing today will show you. ENJOY!

1. Refuse To Regain: 12 Tough Rules To Maintain The Body You’ve Earned! by Dr. Barbara Berkeley

There are books galore written on the subject of weight loss, but very few of them ever talk about the even more important subject when it comes to diet: WEIGHT MAINTENANCE! Yeah, you can lose weight on just about any diet out there, but can you keep it off over the long-term? That’s what Dr. Barbara Berkeley has been exploring over the past few years and she’s come up with twelve “rules to maintain the body you’ve earned.” Some of them are obvious (weigh everyday, exercise, limit your menu to healthy foods), but others aren’t so commonplace (commit to a three-month opt out period from modern foods, eat only foods our ancestors would have consumed, and make sure you have one acceptable treat per day). As someone who has lost 180 pounds in the past and put back on about 30 of those pounds, I found Dr. Berkeley’s advice to be extremely helpful. She made me become more aware of areas where I had allowed myself to slip while simultaneously making new suggestions that may point to a pathway back to the success I experienced before. Whether you are at your weight loss goal yet or not, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of this fabulous book from a bariatric physician who truly understands what it takes.

2. Fitness Rants For The Chronically Enriched: A Rogue Fitness Pro Redefines The Athletic Side Of Aging by Penny Hoff

Are you old and cranky? (Okay, wrong question!) Are you “chronically enriched” and need a gentle shove in the right direction when it comes to exercising? (Ahhhhh, that’s better!) If so, then this is DEFINITELY the book for you. The author Penny Hoff has been through the rigors of exercising like there’s no tomorrow and realizes she could never keep up that pace as her body started getting older. So she put together these mini “rants” that remind me of a series of blog posts to guide older wanna-be fitness freaks into shaking their body and making it sweat a little. Penny offers sage real-world advice that people of all ages can learn from.

3. The Science Of Perfect Weight: A New Way Of Thinking, Eating And Living To Achieve Your Perfect Weight by Bob Proctor and Melonie Dodaro

We all are searching for that undefined, yet rarely achieved “perfect weight” in our lives, aren’t we? It’s an elusive goal for many, but the man behind THE SECRET thinks he may have stumbled upon what it takes to reach it once and for all. Bob Proctor, well-known for his work on the uber-popular “The Secret,” along with Melonie Dodaro take readers through the process of growing from the inside out so they can accomplish the “weight release” (they don’t like the use of the term “loss” since it implies something that needs to be found again) they desire. This book is less about the nuts and bolts of shedding the pounds and more about getting your mind right about what it needs to be focused on in order for the “perfect weight” to happen. Now don’t get me wrong, there is some excellent nutritional and fitness advice in the program as well, but the take-home message is about beating down those monsters in your head that plagued your every effort. It’s time to overcome and beat down those demons once and for all.

4. Crack The Fat-Loss Code: Outsmart Your Metabolism and Conquer The Diet Plateau by Wendy Chant

If people would approach their weight loss like Gil Grissom on an episode of CSI, then perhaps they’d be a lot more successful at shaking the weight than they are. Finding the clues that lead to fat loss, applying those facts, and continually following the evidence can insure nothing but the best results humanly possible. That’s what author Wendy Chant has set out to do with this book. Through voracious scientific research, she has examined what it takes to burn fat and has developed a tested “code” for making it happen no matter who you are. Interestingly, the primary fuel source for energy that also brings about fat-burning is not carbohydrate–it’s fat! Chant is a big fan of what’s known as carb-cycling and suggests a series of four specific plans tailored to your particular goal. It’s an intensive eight-week program that then transforms into your permanent lifestyle choice. The best part about this new diet book is how encouraging Chant is throughout. She says to put away the negative thoughts about how you look and feel and just enjoy the life and the body you’ve been given. The changes that need to happen will happen if you commit to working the plan as best as you can. With special guidance all along the way and even some great recipes to make it work for you, this may be the clue you need that will unlock your own fat-loss code!

5. Meat: A Love Story by Susan Bourette

For people who adore low-carb living, this book sounds like a dream come true with a “love story” about one of the very staples of a low-carb diet. But investigative journalist Susan Bourette wanted to use this book to give people more of a reality check about the meat they are putting in their mouths so they can better appreciate not just the nourishment they are getting from it, but also the process it took to get it on your plate to begin with. Going undercover and making the rounds through the meat industry over the course of a year, Bourette shines the light on many of the problems associated with meat-making that are well-documented in the many news headlines about Mad Cow Disease, E. Coli, and just about everything from those animal rights wacko groups. But she also grew to have a greater appreciation for how healthy meat can be in your diet when the animals are treated well, given the proper diet of grass in the case of cows, and not tampered with artificially. In the end, she grew a deep appreciation for meat that she never thought about before and departed those lessons for all of us to enjoy. Whether you are a devout vegetarian and meat-eating maniac, you’ll find something in this book that will give you an even greater appreciation for this basic of all foods.

6. The Healthiest Meals On Earth: The Surprising Unbiased Truth About What Meals To Eat And Why by Dr. Jonny Bowden

One of the most prolific and talented low-carb writers in the post-Atkins era has got to be Dr. Jonny Bowden. Enthusiastic doesn’t even begin to describe this man who is devoted to helping people live better by making better choices about their diet, exercise routine, and life itself. His latest project is a companion book to the bestselling 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth sharing some great-tasting recipes using many of the ingredients in that robust list of “healthiest foods.” Written in typical JB-style with loads of fun-filled yet informative explanations where appropriate, this is one of the best cookbooks you’ll ever lay eyes upon! Low-carbers will especially appreciate all the attention to the healthfulness of consuming fat as part of these collection of meals.

7. Sugarettes: Sugar Addiction And Your Health by Dr. Scott Olson

What if we started treating sugar addiction like we do nicotine, heroin or crack cocaine addiction? Do you think it would change our perspective about how we view it? You bet it would which was the intention of the author and naturopathic physician Dr. Scott Olson when he wrote the book. Making the case that sugar is as harmful to public health as any drug out there today, Olson outlines all the ins and outs of this issue to help sugar addicts overcome their problem. Much of his advice focuses on cutting out not just the sugars that you consume, but also anything that would turn to sugar in the body. In other words, starchy carbohydrates are considered sugar by his definition as well. This is a perfect read for anyone who is following a controlled-carb nutritional approach and needs an extra boost of support in overcoming the need for sugar in their lives forever.

8. Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad by Dr. Barry Sears

The most cutting-edge nutrition expert of our day has got to be Zone Diet creator Dr. Barry Sears. Long before anyone was talking about inflammation as a root cause in heart disease and other health issues, he was coming up with solutions to the problem that now is becoming more and more evident is the primary reason why people are suffering from heart attacks, cardiovascular issues, and even death. Don’t be fooled by the title, though. Dr. Sears is NOT describing dietary fat that you consume in your daily meals, but rather that fat that just sits there in your abdomen and never goes away. He believes that fat is “toxic” because it is a sign of the untreated inflammation that can and will lead to greater health problems down the road. Attacking it with an aggressive specialized fish oil treatment along with the Zone dietary approach can “reverse toxic fat syndrome in 30 days.” That’s what Dr. Sears says will happen and has the case studies of real people who have done it to prove his point. Whether you buy into the Zone diet or not, this book is well worth it just for the information on reducing inflammation to slow down the aging process, improve heart health, and restore your overall health to where it needs to be. That’s something you can trust Dr. Sears will watch out for. He always has!

9. The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat And Sick by Dr. Richard J. Johnson

Is it even conceivable that there is a substance in the foods we are eating that is quite literally making us fat and sick? Not only is it possible, but it’s happening with nary a fuss from the hundreds of millions of people each and every day who stuff their faces with food products containing high-fructose corn syrup. You’ve seen this in just about every processed food ever made and it’s even shown up in toothpaste and baby food of all things. HFCS has become a pandemic and Dr. Richard Johnson is trying to sound the warning alarm about it before it’s too late. He links it directly to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and obesity, among other health calamities. The only bone of contention I have with Dr. Johnson is that I don’t think his work goes far enough. Simply blaming fructose and not recognizing the equally-damaging impact of other carbohydrate sources that can turn to sugar in the body (as Gary Taubes so aptly points out in his book Good Calories Bad Calories) is shortsighted. Nevertheless, Dr. Johnson has written quite a primer on HFCS that those people who blindly eat this stuff would be wise to study, absorb, and change their habits!

10. Strong Kids Healthy Kids: The Revolutionary Program For Increasing Your Child’s Fitness In 30 Minutes A Week by Fred Hahn

Everybody at some point or another gets on a fitness kick and tries to incorporate exercise into their family life for the sake of their health. It’s a noble task that oftentimes ends in quick failure because you didn’t have a clear-cut plan of action to make this new discipline become a permanent part of your regular routine. Fitness expert Fred Hahn understands this and wanted to equip parents and children alike with exercise that will be efficient, effective, and effortless compared to any activity you’ve ever done before to improve your strength and health. This book could easily have been called “Slow Burn For Kids” because many of the principles are taken directly from Hahn’s bestselling Slow Burn Fitness Revolution book co-written with Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades. The playful language that Hahn uses definitely reveals he’s a daddy who knows how to talk to his child. And that “voice” comes through loud and clear throughout the book. Combine “slow burn” fitness with a healthy low-carbohydrate nutritional approach and you have a perfect way to make your kids stronger and healthier than you ever thought possible!

11. Fat: An Appreciation Of A Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes by Jennifer McLagan

You’ve just gotta love a book that has a big fatty slab of meat on it! And while fat has gotten an unfair bad rap over the past few decades from the low-fat diet apologists, the fact is that fat consumption is an important part of living as healthy a lifestyle as you can. This is something Jennifer McLagan wanted to convey with her book to give people a greater “appreciation” for what is arguably the most flavorful ingredient you could put into a recipe (nope, not salt, not sugar, and not spices of any kind can compete with good old-fashioned FAT!). From butter to meat fats, McLagan gives you quite a history lesson on the subject of fat (and you can’t miss the section on where the ghastly margarine came from!) to whet your appetite for some truly incredible fat-based dishes to make. Not all of them are low in carbohydrates, but they can easily be adapted to just about any diet. Except for a low-fat one. Sorry low-fatties!

12. Trick And Treat: How ‘Healthy Eating’ Is Making Us Ill by Dr. Barry Groves

One of the world’s most outspoken proponents of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet in modern-day society is UK-based researcher Dr. Barry Groves. This man is a walking, talking encyclopedia of all the information you could ever want to know about livin’ la vida low-carb and imparts that knowledge on all of us with this new book–a play on words with the popular slogan used at Halloween in the United States, but an apt title for what is happening with healthcare in the 21st century. Railing against the “healthy” low-fat diet that has been recommended for so long with no evidence to back it up, Groves runs through a long laundry list of various health myths where he sets the record straight. Medical school students and long-term doctors would probably learn more about diet and its relationship to health just from reading this book than in all the years they spent in medical school and in practice combined! Want an inexpensive education in health–READ THIS BOOK!

13. Fiber Menace: The Truth About the Leading Role of Fiber in Diet Failure, Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and Colon Cancer by Konstantin Monastyrsky

Eat your fiber, get your whole grains, you need to make sure you eat your fruits and veggies to promote good digestive health. Has anyone ever bothered to ask if all that advice is prudent or not? Well, Konstantin Monastyrsky has done the research on fiber and it’s not as essential as we have been led to believe. In fact, he contends that fiber is not only NOT good for you, but it can wreak havoc as a “menace” on your health. The book goes on to talk about all the horrific conditions that consuming high amounts of fiber can lead to and it’s quite graphic for those of you who have queasy stomachs. But what made my stomach turn the most was how incredibly ignorant Monastyrsky was about the low-carb diets such as Atkins and South Beach. An avid zero-carb diet supporter, he describes these more traditional low-carb diets as a “passing fad” and dismisses them completely. Since I lost 180 pounds consuming that Atkins “fad,” I think it is quite arrogant of him to come down so hard on a way of eating that is very clearly helping a lot more people than he thinks. It looks like fiber isn’t the only “menace” we learn about in this book!

14. The Complete Beck Diet For Life: Featuring The Think Thin Eating Plan by Dr. Judith S. Beck

Can you just “think” yourself thin? Dr. Judith Beck certainly seems to think so and shows you how you can do it in this new book that follows up on her bestselling Beck Diet Solutions program. Her “cognitive therapy” approach for helping people lose weight zeroes in on the mind’s role in the dieting process. While most diet books tell you what to eat and when (and this one offers some of that, too!), the primary purpose is to train your mind to start playing a more active role in your life, consciously making choices with a reason behind them and being confident about those choices. While the book is tailored for people desiring weight loss, what you’ll soon realize is the principles Dr. Beck teaches can and will apply in just about every area of your life, too. And that’s one of the things that makes this book “complete” as it pertains to managing your diet and health in a way you’ve never thought about before.

Seen a book that you think might be of interest to people who are livin’ la vida low-carb? E-mail the name of the author and title of the book to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I see most of them as they come in, but sometimes a few good ones may slip through without me seeing them. THANKS!

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Steve Yu wants to inspire people to achieve anything they want

There are lots of “buzz” words in the weight loss and fitness world that are thrown out there for people to use when describing this journey. Things like “motivation,” “lifestyle change,” and “willpower” are the norm in the common vernacular of people going on a diet. But one word sticks out above all the rest when you talk about the process of shedding pounds and getting healthy: INSPIRED! Some people think if they could only get some inspiration from others who have accomplished what they want to do, then it will give them the impetus to succeed too. That’s the premise of a new documentary film coming in 2009 called INSPIRED: The Movie.

In Episode 197 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we hear from Steve Yu, the man behind INSPIRED: The Movie, whose life was radically changed when he and his wife Mariah decided to get themselves into shape for their marriage by entering a national fitness competition. When Mariah won the $100,000 grand prize in the contest and people started asking what she and Steve did to change their appearance, that’s when Steve realized there was great potential for a documentary film that would empower others to change their lives, too. He talks about the entire process of making this movie over the past three years and how excited he is to hopefully present the film at all the major festivals next year, including the most prominent one in the world–Sundance. Listen in to hear Steve Yu share about his incredibly ambitious project INSPIRED: The Movie.

There are FOUR ways you can listen to Episode 197:

1. Listen and comment about the show at iTunes:

2. Listen and comment about the show at the official web site:

3. Download the MP3 file of Episode 197 [32:07m]:

4. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez

If you wanna make sure you NEVER miss a new episode of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” then be sure to Subscribing to the RSS feed or click on the “Subscribe” button at iTunes. If you need assistance about how to subscribe to the podcast, then just CLICK HERE for a video tutorial from my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien to show you how.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS PODCAST! Visit the iTunes page for “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore” and write a review about the show. This makes a tremendous impact on who accesses the show and we’ve seen a huge influx of new listeners in recent weeks and months because of the efforts of those fans of the podcast who took just a few moments of their time to leave a brief comment at iTunes. THANKS for sharing with others about my podcast and let’s keep it on the front page at iTunes heading into 2009. You guys are truly amazing people!

SPECIAL UPCOMING PODCAST: On November 24, 2008, my little podcast will be celebrating its 200th episode in a special way that I want YOU to be a part of. Call our podcast hotline number at (206) 202-6516 and leave your personal 200th podcast message about the show on our comment line. Feel free to ask any questions for me or my podcast executive producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien who will be joining me for this special episode. He and I will be recollecting on the past couple of years since this podcast began sharing memories about the humble beginnings of the show, how it has evolved into what it is today, and this amazing ride as the #1 most-listened to and longest-running low-carb podcast show on iTunes today! Hurry and leave your comment for us because we will be recording it on November 17, 2008. Our special Episode 200 will air on Monday, November 24, 2008.

What’s your impression of Steve Yu’s INSPIRED: The Movie film? Do you think there will be an audience for a movie featuring people who have accomplished miraculous changes in their life through weight loss and health improvements? Talk about it in the show notes section of Episode 197. Visit the INSPIRED: The Movie web site, blog, and YouTube video clips to learn more about what Steve Yu is up to and check out this previous blog post I wrote about being filmed for INSPIRED: The Movie. Be looking for updates on when you will be able to see this documentary in 2009.

Coming up next week, we have two very…uhhh…let’s just say “interesting” podcast interviews to share with you. Most of my interviews feature authors and experts who articulate their point of view and stay pretty much on their talking points. However, as you see in these interviews next week, some guests can’t help themselves and get all “wacky” on me. That’s why I’m dubbing this my “Wacky Week” to let you hear how strange some of my interviews have been. Coming on Monday, we’ll hear from Betty Martini, a community activist against artificial sweeteners who takes her opposition to substances like aspartame to the extreme as you will hear in my interview with her. Then on Thursday, we are graced with the presence of Konstantin Monastyrsky, the author of a groundbreaking book entitled Fiber Menace, whose phenomenal book about the dangers of consuming fiber was overshadowed by the author’s overzealous disgust and disdain for the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins. It was a disappointing interview that showed such promise to be great…but maybe you’ll get something positive out of the wackiness of next week’s guests. Stay tuned!

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What does Jimmy Moore do in a typical day? Find out in today’s YouTube video!

Ever since I started working full-time as a low-carb health blogger in October 2006, many of my readers have wondered what in the world I do all day. From research and writing columns for a variety of web sites, interviewing guests for my podcast show, making YouTube videos, running a low-carb forum, reading and reviewing the latest diet and nutrition books, going to the gym to workout, taking time to play with my cats…(GASPING FOR AIR!)…and so much more! It keeps me quite busy, to say the least, and I wouldn’t trade this experience of helping people from all over the world for NOTHING! I consider it the highest privilege and honor to be able to do what I do on a daily basis.

In Episode 55 of “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube,” I give you a brief glimpse into what a day in the life of Jimmy Moore looks like. The idea for this video came from my fellow low-carb weight loss buddy/blogger Kent Altena who recorded his own “day in the life” video recently on YouTube. So, using my handy-dandy little FLIP camera, I open the door into my life so you can see my routine. Although I could have shared MUCH more than I did in these 10 minutes, this will let you know what my life is like (if you are curious at all).

See for yourself what a “day in the life” of Jimmy Moore is like in today’s video:

Have you missed any of our previous YouTube videos? Never miss another one by subscribing to our YouTube videos and you’ll be one of the first to know about them once they are uploaded to YouTube. Christine and I are always open to suggestions for show ideas and welcome your e-mail about the videos anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANK YOU for watching and sharing our videos with others.

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