It’s a “super” edition of “Fun-Filled Friday” today as Sunday’s big football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers is set to take place in snowy Dallas, TX–and it looks to be a really good one! Whether you care that the Steelers will defeat the Packers 31-18 or not, that’s cool. Not everyone is a huge NFL football fan–although this year the television ratings for professional football have been WAY up from previous years. Either that’s a sign that there’s not much good on television or the talent on the field has gotten a whole lot better than it has been in recent years past. Regardless, Sunday’s big game is expected to be the most-watched television show in the history of television surpassing the nearly 106.5 million that watched the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts in last year’s exciting game. I would not be surprised to see that record shattered with over 110 million people tuning in. Of course, even if you hate football, there’s always the creative and sometimes hilariously ridiculous ads that run during the commercials at $3 million per 30-second spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC8pUZjIKiM
Ohhhh, I can’t wait for that and to hear the Blackeyed Peas perform the halftime show. Should be fun! Never at a loss for words about how he feels is Paleo superhero Art De Vany (my podcast interview with him is set to air in Episode 451 on March 3, 2011), author of The New Evolution Diet, who wrote an intriguing column in The Daily Beast entitled “The Super Bowl’s Threat to Men” which details how the high-carb snacks typically served during the Super Bowl leads to a decrease in the production of testosterone. EEEEK! Leave it to Art De Vany to share the truth about this stuff without mincing words. And he’s right!
Have you ever wanted to see a bit of the story behind how Dr. Robert C. Atkins became synonymous with the low-carb diet? The BBC broadcasted a truly fantastic documentary on the life of Dr. Atkins and his far-reaching influence on our culture featuring a lot of people you’ll recognize like Jacqueline Eberstein, Dr. Mary Vernon, Veronica Atkins, Dr. Gary Foster, Dr. Eric Westman, and others. It’s not a perfect documentary on this great man’s life, but you should love it nonetheless. ENJOY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d_wxJageqw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmuZDefFaFI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKfNEO75rKc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkHD325eGl8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtQIqf2WiYM
The tone of this documentary wasn’t exactly pro-Atkins, but this merely shows that despite the incredible weight and health improvements seen by so many of us that there’s still a stigma attached to the healthy low-carb lifestyle. We’re doing our best to change that misconception. Some days it feels like we’re stuck in that movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray and the media and so-called health experts are like that annoying character Ned:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkW_ZkMtmlQ
BING! Oh my, what a memorable part of that movie. Classic! Speaking of classic, who doesn’t remember Ginger Rogers dancing gracefully with the great Fred Astaire in numerous movies in the 1930s? This classic movie and dance star of an era gone by might have left us in 1995, but there’s another Ginger Rogers who is still alive and kickin’ in 2011 at the age of 92. Check out the incredible dancing feats she does with her 29-year old great-grandson in a way that the Ginger Rogers we all know and love would be very proud of. Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O-o5gwi4HI
WOW! That’s just remarkable. Go Ginger, go Ginger! It’s incredible how people STILL know who Ginger Rogers is all these decades after her heyday. It makes you wonder if the people who booed teen sensation Justin Bieber at a recent New York Knicks basketball game will even know who he is 10 or 20 years from now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aaeaqye-cRw
Who knows? I don’t get the appeal of this young guy, but like Miley Cyrus, you take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. He didn’t deserve to get booed though. And 17-year old Courtney Penry doesn’t either after her audition for this year’s American Idol. The new season is underway with a greater emphasis on the stories and personalities behind the contestants. Courtney certainly stood out for her open personality, witty sense of humor and awesome voice. If you missed her doing and imitation of a chicken, you gotta see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSo28I_RGT0
Bwuck bwuck bwuhhhhh! Go girl! And it turns out that Ryan Seacrest infatuation was a big joke. She definitely made an impression and I look forward to seeing her in Hollywood week. Definitely gonna keep the show interesting if she continues to make it to future rounds. You know what else is interesting is some of the television programming coming out of the UK. BBC One features a show called “The One Ronnie” and this one called “My Blackberry Is Not Working!” had me rolling with laughter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI
Ohhh, that is so good! The kids love this new one–Eggs-box! LOL! Something I don’t love is how the new USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines and the impact they are having on what people think a healthy diet looks like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98VLwosp_7I
This just reminds me that we still have a TON of work left to be done! Thankfully we’ve got people like Denise Minger out there brilliantly analyzing this stuff for people to understand the ramifications of what this means. You MUST-READ “The New USDA Dietary Guidelines: Total Hogwash, and Here’s Why” to see why Denise is a voice to be reckoned with. We also have the legendary low-carb physician Dr. Richard Bernstein out there touting common sense regarding the use of high-fat, low-carb diets for helping people with diabetes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyOI9bk3VZc
You can access more of this lecture presented by Dr. Bernstein at the American Society of Bariatric Physicians conference in New Orleans, LA in November 2010 by visiting ASBP.org. Let’s see what else is happening the low-carb news and health headlines this week:
- Are you ready to be inspired? You gotta see “The Unconquerable Dave” over at Mark Sisson’s blog. WOW! What an amazing transformation. Don’t miss this one!
- There’s a new Paleo podcast out there for you to enjoy called Paleo Weekly featuring “My Low-Carb Journey” podcaster Hank Garner and “Diabetes Warrior” blogger Steve Cooksey. Listen to Episode 1 of this fast-paced conversation between two Paleo enthusiasts. And I’ve got some podcast news to share with you very soon about an exciting new show I’ve been thinking about doing for a while now. It will be totally different from my “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show”–but I think you’re gonna love it! The first episode is set to air on Friday, March 11, 2011…more about it coming soon, but here’s a sneak peek!
- Did you see the headline “Scientists Seeking to Make Us Feel Full With Less Food” this week? It seems these wise scientists want to help people feel fuller by eating less. Hmmmm…isn’t that what a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet does naturally? *Shakes head*
- Are new food labels gonna help curb obesity in America? Putting nutritional info on the front of the package doesn’t necessarily help consumers–it’ll probably confuse them even more. Education about how to read the current nutritional label is more necessary than any new label rules.
- What utter garbage! Look at this column about a new Australian study that claims losing weight on a diet plan doesn’t necessarily prevent disease since “people tend to gain the weight back.” This is a case of mixing two concepts that don’t necessarily mix–thin doesn’t necessarily mean healthy and being overweight isn’t an automatic recipe for health decline. When will they ever learn?
- Diabetes is a lot more out of control than most people realize with almost 26 million Americans who have it (mostly Type 2) and another 57 million adults have prediabetes. It’s estimated that one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050. Why do the really smart people trying to deal with diabetes continue to ignore the low-carb answer? Control the carbohydrates, stabilize blood sugar and insulin, and virtually “cure” the disease. What’s the problem?
- Dr. Jonny Bowden was featured in Forbes magazine this week with “Ten Healthy Snacks To Eat At Your Desk” which includes pictures to illustrate. Notice what these foods have in common? Hmmmm, this is a low-carb blog that talks about healthy nutrition. Gee, I wonder what it could be?
- On the flip side of things, we’ve got this crazy column extolling the virtues of eating carbs for weight loss. O…M…G! What idiocy! This idea of resistant starches is so ridiculous for those of us with a sensitivity to carbohydrates–resistant or otherwise. It’s a dangerous message for people with blood sugar/insulin issues. The worst part about journalism like this is that is fools people into believing something that’s just not true. That’s a crying shame.
- My low-carb fitness buddy Josef Brandenburg is conducting a low-carb food drive in the Washington, DC area. Every Sunday in the month of February at 10am they’re doing free group interval classes in exchange for a one-pound donation of non-perishable protein. The reason they are doing this is because after the holidays people often forget about the hungry. When people do donate to Food Banks they are probably going to send in their canned fruit and the box of mashed potatoes that they never got around to eating–nutritionally devoid crap that just makes poor people fat and costs us more in public health dollars. A low-carb bent for a good cause! Josef’s “The Body You Want” is located at 1070 Thomas Jefferson St., NW Washington, DC 20007 in the Basement and you can RSVP via email to Natillie (info@thebodyyouwant.com) or give her a call at 202-316-1457. THANKS for supporting this good cause!
- My friend and author of Tender Grassfed Meat Stanley Fishman wrote about the “First Low-Carb Doctor–2500 Years Ago!” that will open your eyes to the low-carb lifestyle that you might not have thought about before. GREAT JOB Stanley!
- Did you see Dr. Oz’s appearance on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” this week promoting the toxic nature of grains? Sure, he also dissed red meat, but this was pretty huge. The problem I have with Dr. Oz is he seems to be all over the board with his nutritional advice which becomes incredibly expedient to him when he’s questioned about what he believes. The problem is this guy is admired by so many Americans as an authority on diet–and he’s not even close!
- A couple of years ago I shared an interview with Dr. Stan DeLoach who is a low-carb diet advocate for diabetes control in Mexico. He told me about his annual Campamento Diabetes Safari to help diabetic children learn how to eat properly for their disease–the low-carb way! Well, the 2011 camp is scheduled to take place April 27-30, 2011 at Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec, Yautepec, Morelos (a 75 minutes by nonstop bus from Mexico City). The total cost of this camp is $230 per person which is all inclusive, except for transportation, and it is open to anyone who is 7 to 18 years of age who use insulin in the treatment of the hyperglycemia that can accompany Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Learn more at Diabetes-Safari.com and e-mail any questions you may have about the camp to saludo@usa.net.
- WHOA! Just when you think we’re not having an effect on our culture with the low-carb message, along come something like this. Take a look-see at “Five Products Facing Consumer Backlash” which highlights “Low-Fat Foods” for their inability to produce weight loss in those who have tried it. Here’s how it was described in the “Backlash” section: Consumers simply ate more in the mistaken belief that they were eating healthier. In actuality, they were replacing fat with carbohydrates and sugar. YEP, that’s exactly what happened. What’s ironic is in the opening paragraph of this column, it states the following: “Consumer history is littered with products, gadgets and items that consumers love to love, only to later hate them. Remember margarine, the Atkins Diet and Barbie, to name a few?” What the! Why lump in the Atkins diet into this story if it’s not even a part of the story? Dorks!
- The lunacy of the opposition to low-carb diets continued in this column entitled “You Are What You Eat” and it’s such hogwash how they describe healthy low-carb living: “Extreme low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet can trigger a potentially dangerous reaction called ketosis, which causes the body to use fat for energy.” Why is eating REAL FOOD considered “extreme?” What is so “potentially dangerous” about being in ketosis and using fat for fuel. The sensationalism used to pervert public opinion about low-carb diets is wearing thin and I just don’t think people are buying it like they used to.
- My blogging friend Vesna posted a very kind review of my 21 Life Lessons From Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb book this week that I thought was worth sharing with you. I was hoping people would walk away from reading my book with the impression that Vesna had and she did an outstanding job of capturing the essence of my overall message. THANK YOU Vesna!
- The Los Angeles Times published a really nice story interviewing Dr. Eric Westman about The New Atkins For A New You book last week. My favorite line in the interview was when Dr. Westman was asked if the Atkins diet is healthy. His answer: I don’t use the drug terms of safe and effective anymore, I just call it a healthy way of eating. When you look at the foods that people are eating, it’s real food. And that’s a brilliant point. Doctors peddle unsafe drugs all the time to patients and that’s never question–but don’t you dare put someone on that DANGEROUS Atkins diet. The double standard is so crystal clear to anybody paying attention.
- And now a little Gary Taubes news for you. Gary has often expressed his desire for the work he is doing to reach far beyond the diet and health community and into other areas of interest where people are concerned about their weight and health. With the release of Why We Get Fat, that’s exactly what has happened. On a Windows-based podcast by Paul Thurott, he expressed his desire to give the Taubes/low-carb eating plan a try for himself. If you listen early in on Windows Weekly 193, then you’ll hear Paul discussing this with his co-host Leo Laporte and it’s a fascinating conversation to eavesdrop on if you believe in the low-carb lifestyle. THIS IS AMAZING!!! I passed this on to Gary and he was grinning from ear to ear. Dave Dixon from “The Spark Of Reason” blog also chimes in on Taubes as does Erin at the “Bearing Blog.”
- And finally, if you haven’t heard about The Great Health Debate starting February 6, 2011, then you won’t want to miss this. This FREE series of debates presented by Kevin Gianni will feature lots of head-to-head battles with pro-meat vs. vegan activists like Sally Fallon & T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Jonny Bowden & Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Mark Sisson & Frederic Patenaude, and so many more. You must pre-register for this online event…but it is 100% FREE! Sounds like fun!
One last thing before I finish up this “Fun-Filled Friday” post. One of my readers told me about a book her first-grader brought home this week and was required to read three times to take a test about it. You’re never gonna believe what the subject matter was all about:
Yep, bread and cereal were featured prominently as a GOOD thing and this propaganda for grains is started early on in the lives of children so they become oblivious to the deleterious effects of carbohydrates later in life. Thankfully this young man who was forced to read this has a low-carb momma who cares and she was outraged: “I could barely let him read it once! It went on and an about how bread is soo good for you! Crazy!!! It was published in 2002. Poor little first graders who have to read this crap!” YOU GO GIRL! Can you imagine if a vegan mom saw her first-grade son bring home a book called Hamburgers And Bacon? HAHAHA! That’d be a hoot.
That’s all we have for you on this Super Bowl Weekend Edition of “Fun-Filled Friday.” Enjoy the big game and stay safe out there in those frigid temperatures and icy/snowy/wet stuff out there. If you have anything you’d like to share for a future Friday post, just drop me a line anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANKS for reading and have a super-duper weekend everybody!
