Low-Carb Diet And Health Headlines To Start Your 2009

The new year is FINALLY here and we’ve been cookin’ with lots of visitors ever since the calendar changed. I love it when January rolls around and brand new people are exposed to the life-changing and positive message of livin’ la vida low-carb. This is a healthy way of eating that so many people are discovering is their answer to managing their weight, controlling their blood sugar and insulin, and just plain feeling better than they ever thought possible. What other nutritional approach can offer all of this while allowing you to consume delicious and satisfying foods that you actually want to eat? Pinch me because I must be dreaming!

With all that’s happened in the first week of 2009, I’ve barely had time to blog about some of the latest low-carb diet and health headlines that have caught my eye. So as I like to do from time to time, I’m gonna just shove ‘em all into one big blog post and offer a smidgen of commentary on each. These are the hottest, hippest, and most relevant stories that I’ve seen as of late and I urge you to give them a look see, too. ENJOY!

CARBS ARE ADDICTIVE, RESEARCHERS FIND (OH REALLY?)

Well, whaddayaknow, a study out of New Zealand finds that the blood sugar rush that comes from the consumption of carbohydrates is as addictive as nicotine addiction in cigarette smokers. Of course, the coverage of this study focused primarily on the refined, processed carbs as the culprit in obesity and disease while espousing the traditional “eat your healthy carbohydrates” from sources such as whole grain breads, cereals, starchy vegetables and legumes. Will they EVER learn that even these “healthy” carbs turn to sugar in the body which then spikes blood sugar and insulin levels leading to the very same addictive reaction this study warns against? Wake up people!

WYNONNA JUDD THE NEW ALLI SPOKESPERSON

I was watching television this week and saw a commercial with country music superstar Wynonna Judd in it. Unfortunately, the ad was for the controversial over-the-counter weight loss drug called Alli. I’m not a fan of Alli as I shared in this podcast about it a couple of years ago but there must be a lot of people trying this fat-inhibiting drug to help them shed the pounds. Or at least they hope so now that Judd has put her name on it. And some may say “what’s the harm in taking a diet pill like Alli?” Well, there’s plenty to be concerned about with the requirement that you consume a low-fat, low-calorie diet while taking it along with an exercise plan. And if you’re livin’ la vida low-carb consuming a high-fat, low-carb diet, don’t even think about taking Alli. You’ll only ask for trouble (and don’t find out the hard way what I’m talking about–listen to my podcast to see what I mean).

NEW CELEBRITY DIET ESCHEWS FAT-FREE FOODS, SAYS EAT UP ON FAT

Sometimes it can seem like the message of consuming fat for health will be impossible to break through into the mainstream of the health debate, but then along comes a book like Secrets of Gorgeous: Hundreds of Ways to Live Well While Living It Up by Esther Blum, a dietitian and holistic nutritionist whose “Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous” web site is all about enjoying life while living a healthy lifestyle. And that philosophy is catching on with such Hollywood stars as Sarah Jessica Parker, Teri Hatcher and Sharon Stone who now eat up on fat because Blum tells them it is much better than any low-fat or fat-free food they could eat. The article calls this high-fat plan “one to watch for 2009.” I’d say it’ll reach FAR BEYOND that!

GIRLS ALOUD SINGER CHERYL COLE GOES ON “ATKINS”

I guess you can say any publicity is good publicity for the Atkins diet, but to be honest I’d never heard of the band Girls Aloud or Cheryl Cole before this story. But she says she was inspired by Jennifer Aniston being on the Atkins diet a few years back, so she decided to give it a try…or so she says. What did she eat on her “Atkins” diet? Chicken in cream sauce with a couple of carrots–EVERY SINGLE DAY! Ummm, that’s NOT the Atkins diet sweetheart, so I suggest you pick up a copy of Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution and read it from cover to cover if you truly want to eat this way. More people need to read the book as I suggested in this YouTube video to find out what Atkins low-carb eating is about or visit Jackie Eberstein’s web site where she outlines the basics of Atkins. There you will find that the REAL Atkins isn’t as “extreme” as these media stories make it out to be (as I’ve said before, too many reporters and health “experts” foolishly battle the Atkins diet without ever opening the book).

WHERE’S THE NEXT DIETING TREND IN AMERICA?

The media just loves trying to find a good, juicy story to share with their readers and that is no exception when it comes to diet. Yet over the past few years, they’ve been looking for “the next Atkins diet” to come along and sweep them off their feet. While this article offers tepid suggestions about what would constitute a good diet for people to follow (eat vegetarian, consume whole grains, cut your portions, yadda yadda yadda), the question remains: what’s the next dieting trend in America? I have a theory–since nothing has become the clear-cut successor of the Atkins diet, then that must mean livin’ la vida low-carb still rules the roost! And I believe it will continue to do so for many more years, decades, and centuries to come.

ATKINS NUTRITIONALS GETS A CELEBRITY SPOKESPERSON

After a few rocky years following their bankruptcy in 2005, Atkins Nutritionals is back and stronger than ever as company spokesperson Colette Heimowitz told me in a blog interview back in 2006 when the company emerged out of bankruptcy proceedings. In August 2008, I interviewed Heimowitz at my podcast show to find out what the “sweet, sexy science” slogan was all about and she said they were getting ready to announce a big celebrity who would represent the company. We now know that celebrity is Courtney Thorne-Smith who has starred in three hit television shows over the past 15 years, including “According to Jim,” “Ally McBeal,” and “Melrose Place.” She credits Atkins low-carb with getting her “off the diet rollercoaster.” I think this is AWESOME and maybe this will encourage more closet low-carb celebrities to share their good experiences with this healthy way of eating, too!

LONG-TERM LOW-CARB DIETS ARE SAFE…AGAIN!

One of the biggest criticisms of low-carb diets is that we don’t have enough long-term data to support them. That’s what the low-fatties like to throw in our faces as their “evidence” for opposing carbohydrate-restriction. That’s always been such a lame excuse to me because there’s plenty of evidence of people who have been living a low-carb lifestyle for many years with no trouble whatsoever (see Barry Groves who have been eating a high-fat, low-carb diet for nearly half a century as a PRIME example). Now we have this December 2008 study published in Nutrition Research that found dramatic improvements in such health markers as triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in excess of one year on the diet. And insulin resistance improved in every study participant except one. The researchers concluded that long-term low-carb “does not induce deleterious metabolic effects and does not increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.” This reaffirms previous research out of Harvard in November 2006 that found similar results from patients over a 20-year period. The truth is getting out there!

STUDY FINDS BLOOD SUGAR SPIKES LEAD TO MEMORY LOSS

Just last month we were told by researchers from Tufts University that low-carb diets can lead to memory loss and lessened cognitive ability. And yet now we have a new study published in the December 2008 issue of Annals of Neurology that concludes just the opposite–memory loss is brought by high blood sugar levels, a condition remedied with a low-carb diet. Excessive glucose in the area of the brain called the dentate gyrus results in warped memory ability. Dr. Larry McCleary will be appearing on my podcast show next month to discuss how the brain functions better on ketone bodies produced by a high-fat, low-carb diet than on glucose created by a high-carb diet. The researchers in this study confirm that the brain/blood sugar connection confirms this as a new kind of diabetes–what Dr. McCleary describes in his book The Brain Trust Program as Type 3 diabetes. This is on the cutting edge of research that you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the coming years.

ADA REAFFIRMS THEIR LOW-CARB RECOMMENDATION

When the American Diabetes Association (ADA) FINALLY relented in 2008 and gave their approval to low-carb diets for diabetics to use for weight loss, I was only slightly excited about it. They did it reluctantly stating that the data only showed low-carb to be effective for weight loss up to one year and that’s why they thought it would be a good idea. Nevermind all the blood sugar/insulin-controlling properties that come with livin’ la vida low-carb that have a tremendous impact on the health of diabetics. Anywho, I guess they liked the results they saw from this edict last year because they’re giving low-carb the green light in 2009 as well. One of these days, the ADA will wise up and discover the research that shows low-carb is best for people with high insulin levels.

ENTER AMY DUNGAN’S GREAT START GIVEAWAY CONTEST

I like contests as much as anyone which is why I enjoy doing them from time to time here at my blog. But my blogging buddy and low-carb friend Amy Dungan is running a contest right now at her “Healthy Low-Carb Living” blog where you can win some really cool low-carb prizes just by guessing some close-up shots of common household items. She did this last year and it was a LOAD of fun, so go check it out for 2009. You have until February 1, 2009 to enter. GOOD LUCK! I’ll be running my 4th Annual Low-Carb Blogiversary contest coming up in April. Stay tuned!

NEW STUDY FINDS RATS GET FATTER ON ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

When I decided to go on a “sweet”-free diet experiment in November 2008, the purpose of it was to test the theory that the taste of “sweet” on the tongue may be eliciting an insulin response and thus removing that “sweet” would eliminate the insulin which would produce weight loss. In just two months of doing this, I lost 25 pounds and it seemed to confirm the theory. Now researchers conducted a psychological study that concludes sugar substitutes caused lab rats to consume more calories and gain more weight as a result because the cravings for sugar could not be satisfied. But was it the extra calories consumed or the insulin response from the “sweet” taste that led to the weight gain? We need a study done on this “sweet” causing an insulin release to find out the answer to this mystery once and for all.

DIET COKE PLUS IN HOT WATER WITH THE FDA OVER HEALTH CLAIMS

Remember Diet Coke Plus when it released in April 2007? They touted it as the very first calorie-free, carbohydrate-free soda product to be infused with vitamins and minerals. The idea was to convince consumers that drinking this product would provide them with added nutritional supplementation that they would not receive from a regular diet soda. It took the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) nearly two years to figure this out, but they have now warned The Coca-Cola Company that they are in violation of labeling rules for claiming Diet Coke Plus is nutritious and fortified. The FDA does not recognize such claims in snack food items such as carbonated beverages. They have mandated Coca-Cola remedy the infractions or face fines and/or further legal action. A Coke spokesperson remained firm that they have not done anything wrong by saying, “This does not involve any health or safety issues, and we believe the label on Diet Coke Plus complies with FDA’s policies and regulations.” It’ll be interesting to see how this apparent impasse will be resolved resolved with a powerful government entity taking on the #1 beverage manufacturer in the world.

NEW BERRY-BASED SWEETENER HEADED TO THE MARKET

It seems like every time I do research online, I come across another story of yet another all-natural sweetener to replace sugar. In a way, that’s good inasmuch as it gives people more options when they decide to kick the sugar habit. But it also means you gotta sort out all the possible ramifications of adding another new sweetener to your diet and make sure it’s okay. A new sweetener derived from a West African berry called Brazzein is in the process of being made available for purchase within months. It will be marketed under the name Cweet and it’s actually a protein rather than a carbohydrate as most sugar alternatives are. It’s 300 times as sweet as sugar and reportedly does not have an aftertaste.
It can be used in cooking and is now in the process of being reviewed by the FDA for approval as a new sweetener. Considering they just recognized stevia rebiana as a GRAS sweetener for the first time, the time might be perfect for this new sweetener to give these other ones a run for their money.

LOW-CARB BETTER THAN LOW-FAT IN COMBATING METABOLIC SYNDROME

One of the leading low-carb scientists of our day is Dr. Jeff Volek from the University of Connecticut who teamed up with legendary researcher Dr. Stephen Phinney, Dr. Richard Feinman, and Cassandra Forsythe on this new study published in the December 12, 2008 issue of the scientific journal Lipids. The 12-week study looked at two diets consisting of the same amount of calories, but varied in carbs and fat. All the metabolic syndrome markers improved in the study group that consumed higher amounts of saturated fat and a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Of course, we knew that already from this previous Volek study in November 2005. Keep it coming, Dr. Volek! (Be looking for my podcast interview with him coming this Spring.

A COMPELLING CASE FOR VITAMIN D CONSUMPTION

One of my favorite educators in the low-carb community is Jackie Eberstein who worked as a registered nurse with the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins for 30 years. She’s seen a lot of patients over the years and is arguably the most knowledgeable expert on the Atkins Nutritional Approach in the world today. With that in mind, I’m glad to see she addresses Vitamin D supplementation and why it is important for EVERYONE. This column coincides very well with the podcast information we heard from Dr. William Davis this week.

BON APPETIT HAILS RED MEAT CONSUMPTION…SORTA!

It’s nice to see some common sense nutrition shared in such a mainstream food magazine like Bon Appetit. The column hails how healthy grass-fed beef is and is okay to eat as part of a healthy diet. Unfortunately, they do throw in that it’s better to cut your consumption and replace it with a vegetarian dish. UGH! So close, but yet so far.

STUDY: DIET MORE IMPORTANT THAN EXERCISE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Somewhere this week Gary Taubes has got to be smiling. In his blockbuster 2007 book Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes cited research he found that backed the idea that cardiovascular exercise is virtually useless for weight loss and only makes you hungry. This brought on an avalanche of critics for Taubes, but now a Loyola study says diet composition more than physical activity determines weight loss effectiveness. Hmmmm, so getting your diet right is the first priority for people wanting to shed the pounds and exercise is good for improving conditioning and stamina. That’s what I’ve been telling people who want to start livin’ la vida low-carb. Make better choices in your diet first and foremost and the weight loss will happen with or without the cardio.

10 THINGS THE FOOD INDUSTRY DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

If you are skeptical about whether food companies have your best health interests in mind even with products they market as “healthy,” then this column is REQUIRED READING. Most of what’s included in the column isn’t new, but it’s nice to see all of this information in one place for people to know the truth about how they’re being bamboozled through slick marketing.

SILLY ANTI-ATKINS COLUMN MISSES THE POINT OF LOW-CARB

This column tries so hard to describe the Atkins diet as “high-protein” (although it’s more aptly considered “high-fat” instead), but we see a lot of the same shoddy issues I previously addressed in this blog post from November 2006. How can people get it THIS wrong about the Atkins diet? Where is the journalistic integrity and the basic due diligence in quality reporting these days? DISGRACEFUL!

That’s it for now, but it’s plenty for you to chew on. As always, if you see something in the news about livin’ la vida low-carb that you think I should see, then please feel free to e-mail it to me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANKS for spreading the good news of low-carb living to everyone you know.