We have now officially made it through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays yet again and how many people are willing to stand up and say they stuck to their low-carb lifestyle 100 percent every step of the way? Anyone? Well, I know some [...]]]>
Weight gain should be your call to action, not your downfall

We have now officially made it through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays yet again and how many people are willing to stand up and say they stuck to their low-carb lifestyle 100 percent every step of the way? Anyone? Well, I know some have and I congratulate them for their persistence in their healthy lifestyle change. It is certainly a place where many people would like to be.

But for others, maybe you’ve added on to the weight gain you had prior to the past couple of months and you’ve decided the time is right to do something about it. Welcome to the next chapter in your journey to better health and I hope to offer education, encouragement, and inspiration to you as you begin this great adventure! It’s not always gonna be a smooth ride, but you’ll never regret going down this path for yourself.

When you’ve been livin’ la vida low-carb for quite a few years and lost a significant amount of weight like I did in 2004 shedding 180 pounds, people often wonder if your body weight just magically stays the same year after year without any fluctuations at all. Oh, don’t I wish it worked that way! The reality is that even when you are doing everything you know to be “right” that helped you lose the weight to begin with, sometimes the weight will begin to creep back on again ever-so-slowly. It’s not a sudden thing just as weight gain doesn’t happen overnight.

But what if you seem to be doing everything right and there’s no weight loss? Or even worse — WEIGHT GAIN! Is it the end of the world? Do you just pack up your efforts towards living a healthy lifestyle and say the heck with it all? It can certainly feel that way at times and I can personally attest to the frustration that comes with gaining back some weight.

As I documented many times in 2008, a sudden 30-pound weight gain just refused to budge and come off of my body no matter what I seemed to do. In fact, the issue continued in 2009 and got even worse with another 20-pound weight gain for a total weight gain of 50 pounds over the past two years. What the heck is going on here?! This isn’t supposed to be happening.

I’m having a full thyroid function panel run using Dr. William Davis’ Complete Thyroid Profile Home Blood Test Kit to try to find out some answers to this. But until the results come in, I am working on making a few subtle changes to tighten up my low-carb lifestyle here and there by doing those things that have produced the best results over the past couple of years of tinkering. I started back today drinking protein shakes, cutting way down on my overall fluid consumption (something suggested by Dr. Robert Su during my visit with him last week in VA), and being extra careful about the carbohydrates I am allowing in my mouth. These are all things I recognize I need to work on that may help turn the tide of what is happening. Beyond any medical reason that we find, I know what to do when it comes to healthy low-carb living.

Of course, I will always STRONGLY believe in a natural, grass-fed and organic whole foods-based diet that is consists of a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb nutritional approach with a level of calories that keeps you from being hungry. That will never change for as long as I will live because I have seen too much good that has come from it. Maybe some people have a tendency to consume more calories than are necessary because old habits begin to creep in again, but that doesn’t mean anyone needs to go to drastic levels under 1200 daily to make weight loss happen. That’s just not necessary.

Speaking of health, that’s the one bit of good news in this whole scenario with my weight being elevated. My LDL cholesterol particle size is primarily the large, fluffy kind, my HDL “good” cholesterol is well above 50, my triglycerides are below 100, and a CT heart scan of my arteries a few months back showed zero plaque buildup! I still don’t take any prescription medications anymore, although I love taking my supplements that are working with the foods I eat to do my body a lot of good: CoQ10, iron-free multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, acidophilus, vitamin D3 gel caps, MCT oil, and EGCG.

So, while it is a bit dismaying to see the weight creeping up a bit and the clothes fitting tighter than before, I’m not giving up or losing hope. Not now, not ever! Although I will admit it is frustrating for this to happen, the thing that keeps me going is knowing that I am being pro-active about this and taking every measure possible to bring it under control. Sadly, many people go back to eating sugar, flour, and all that other carbage that they just don’t need when the scale stops cooperating. But I know better and am motivated by my stellar health.

Regardless of where you are in your low-carb journey, keep your chin up. You might have been knocked down hard in 2009, but that’s okay. It’s time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and begin anew on your own personal journey to a healthier YOU. There will be a lot of messages trying to entice you to do this, that, and everything else in between over the next few weeks to shed the pounds, but I say don’t even put the focus on the weight loss. Start living healthy and the nice side effect of weight loss will spontaneously happen. You are worth it and deserve nothing less than the best. Be encouraged to NEVER GIVE UP no matter how hard it may seem.

Despite my setback over the past couple of years which I’ve talked about openly here at my blog many times, I’m still jazzed that I’ve kept off a triple-digit weight loss and still care enough about what I’m putting in my mouth to keep the junk out and the nutritious stuff in. Whatever 2010 has in store for me, I can feel confident that I will continue making those better choices for myself even as I try to figure out what may be happening with my weight gain issues. I’ll be interviewing former Biggest Loser Season 3 winner Erik Chopin next week who knows a thing or two about weighing over 400 pounds, losing a significant amount of weight, and then gaining most of it back. I hope to squeeze that one into the podcast schedule in late January 2010.

I had Christine take a couple of photos of me today without my shirt on to show you what I look like now. You’ve been fairly warned:

By the look on my face, you can tell I’m not a happy camper right now with how my body looks. UGH! That gut is so repulsive to me and it seems to be the place on my body where I’ve gained most of the 50 pounds. Some of it is still the excess loose skin from my original weight loss in 2004, so it looks worse than it could be. But I’m not satisfied staying this way and am taking appropriate measures to bring my weight back down again. I will not be assigning any kind of “goal weight” or other such nonsense like that because my weight is not really important to me.

Being healthy, feeling great, staying active, eating nutritious high-fat, low-carb meals, and looking good all play a role in this equation. If that means a 50-pound weight loss to get me there, then so be it. Maybe it will be 60, 70, or even 100 pounds. I’m not gonna put this in a narrow box and expect to accomplish what I have set out to do. The sky is the limit and I’m ready to take it on. Won’t you join me on this journey that will never end for the rest of your entire life? What a ride it will be and you’ll be better off as a result.

Now that I’ve thrown it all out there (LITERALLY!) for everyone to see, I’d love to hear your feedback. Have you struggled with your weight and find yourself in a similar predicament of wondering what’s going on? Have you overcome a situation like this before and want to offer up some friendly advice for your fellow readers? I also welcome your feedback via e-mail anytime if you don’t want to share publicly. I understand what you are going through and am right there with you when it comes to dealing with the reality of weight management. Together we will beat this one pound at a time!

It’s that time of the year yet again when I name my annual “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” Top 10 Low-Carb Movers & Shakers. These are the most influential, news-making, momentum changers from within the low-carb community who are spreading our message [...]]]>
Find out who the biggest “movers” and “shakers” in low-carb were this year

It’s that time of the year yet again when I name my annual “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” Top 10 Low-Carb Movers & Shakers. These are the most influential, news-making, momentum changers from within the low-carb community who are spreading our message louder and further into the mainstream of the nutritional and health communities as we attempt to penetrate the culture with the truths we have discovered for ourselves about healthy high-fat, low-carb living. We’ve seen great strides happening on the research front, from medical doctors, and fresh voices of reason from around the world articulating why this way of eating is so preferred and I’m happy to announce to you the top 10 low-carb movers and shakers of 2009 (see who got named in 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005):

1. GARY TAUBES

How can you NOT put Gary Taubes on a list of the year’s biggest “movers & shakers” on behalf of the low-carb lifestyle? Ever since his monumental New York Times Magazine op-ed piece “What if It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?” was published in July 2002 igniting a whirlwind of interest in healthy low-carb living among an ever-growing number of overweight and diseased Americans, the man has been a true champion of this cause sharing so eloquently and brilliantly within the mainstream of the medical community the science behind why carbohydrate restriction works and is so incredibly effective in bringing about improvements in the weight and health of those who do it. When he released his blockbuster 600-page masterpiece Good Calories, Bad Calories in 2007 continuing the conversation he had started in his original column, I have probably heard from more people who say that single book changed their thinking on nutrition more than any other publication out there! From my many podcast interview guests to well-known health experts to even average, everyday people just living their lives, Gary Taubes (listen to my January 2009 interview with him) has been a source of invaluable information and education like no one else in the low-carb community (check out this video/slide presentation of his June 2009 Dartmouth-Hitchcock lecture called “Adiposity 101 and the Alternative Hypothesis of Obesity). He is a true ambassador for livin’ la vida low-carb that I am privileged to name here among this list of prestigious supporters of the high-fat, low-carb nutritional approach. The ripple effects that Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories will have on the entire health establishment can’t help but be felt for many more decades to come.

2. DRS. MIKE & MARY DAN EADES

The most dynamic husband/wife duo promoting a high-fat, low-carb diet in 2009 was once again two of my favorite people within the low-carb community — Protein Power authors Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades! From Dr. Mike’s always engaging and entertaining “Health and Nutrition” blog to Dr. Mary Dan’s deliciously satisfying low-carb recipes blog, they are a perfect one-two punch for people interested in healthy low-carb living. And if you haven’t caught their fabulous PBS television show Low Carb Cookworx yet, then you don’t know what you’re missing! In 2009, their brand new low-carb book The 6-Week Cure For The Middle-Aged Middle: The Simple Plan to Flatten Your Belly Fast! was slated for a March release, but their publisher pushed it back until September because of the downturn in the economy. Better late than never, though, as the Crown Publishing release has sold steadily well so far heading into the Christmas holidays and into New Year’s resolution time in a couple of months. Listen to my September 2009 podcast interview with the Eades to hear just a taste of why they yet again made this list of the most influential low-carbers of the year! We can always expect consistency and a healthy defense of the low-carb way of life from Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades.

3. NORA GEDGAUDAS

A brand new voice added to this year’s list of the best low-carb representatives of 2009 is none other than Nora Gedgaudas, author of a February 2009 book on paleolithic low-carb nutrition entitled Primal Body-Primal Mind: Empower Your Total Health The Way Evolution Intended (…And Didn’t). Nora infuses a very distinctive professionalism and knowledge about the benefits of high-fat, low-carb eating into the public discourse through her outstanding Voice of America radio show called “Primal Body-Primal Mind” (listen to Nora’s interview with me in September 2009). And I got a firsthand taste of this myself when I interviewed her on my podcast show in October 2009. I’m always amazed by the fresh, new faces who seem to just pop up on the low-carb scene out of nowhere each year and Nora Gedgaudas was certainly one of the biggest (and most pleasant!) surprises of 2009!

4. DR. RICHARD BERNSTEIN

There are very few legends of the healthy low-carb lifestyle still with us today, but none is bigger and still making such a monumental impact on the lives of real people like the great Dr. Richard Bernstein. Well known for his work on behalf of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients using a low-carb nutritional approach to bring about normal blood sugar control, Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars is THE go-to guide for people dealing with an adverse reaction to carbohydrates on their health. You could hear during my June 2009 podcast interview with the 75-year-old stalwart Dr. Bernstein that he feels like the work he has done for nearly six decades has only had a minimal effect on changing the hearts and minds of those who suffer from the debilitating results of living with diabetes. But, as I shared during my interview with Dr. Bernstein, he’s playing a much more profound role than he even realizes, including people like Dr. Stan De Loach down in Mexico City who is using the Bernstein low-carb principles to manage diabetes among the clients he sees, especially the younger generation who are already dealing with obesity and insulin issues. Whether he will ever get to see it or not, Dr. Richard Bernstein has, is, and will forever be known and revered for his major contributions to the healthy low-carb lifestyle. We all owe this man a great deal of gratitude for his incredible work on behalf of low-carb and he belongs among names like William Banting and Dr. Robert C. Atkins as the most influential for livin’ la vida low-carb of all time!

5. DEON VAN DER MERWE

Nothing speaks louder volumes about the life-changing impact of healthy low-carb living than an unbelievable weight loss success story. While weight loss is certainly not the primary objective of livin’ la vida low-carb, it certainly is a very nice side effect that captures the attention of people to get them interested in trying this awesome way of eating for themselves. Just as my own 180-pound weight loss success on the Atkins diet in 2004 attracted a lot of people to begin frequenting my blog and getting interested in trying a low-carb diet for themselves in the United States, South African Deon van der Merwe has done the same thing after losing a total of 170 pounds following the basic principles of low-carb nutrition. Deon’s physical condition was in complete disarray in December 2007 when he weighed in at 375 pounds, experienced a host of health complications, and had the disappointing feeling that he’d have to live that way in the few short years he had left to live. But after trying every diet under the moon, Deon started on the Atkins diet with just a few tweaks of his own here and there and he went on to lose a total of 170 pounds in just seven months. After his weight loss success, he created a web site about his low-carb experience including an outline of sample low-carb menus. In fact, Deon even created an at-home low-carb meals delivery business in South Africa called Diet In A Box to help those with busy lives be able to stick to their low-carb lifestyle with ease. Life is going well for Deon van der Merwe in 2009 as you can hear in my May 2009 interview with him. I can envision many more people like Deon who experience such a dramatic turnaround in their weight and health in the coming years as a direct result of his influence on their lives. That is why he is one of my top “mover & shakers” of 2009.

6. DR. RICHARD FEINMAN

He may not be a household name (yet!), but SUNY Downstate biochemistry professor Dr. Richard Feinman is certainly leaving his indelible mark on behalf of low-carb through his work at The Metabolism Society, a nonprofit health organization providing research, information and education in the application of fundamental science to nutrition which believes that the therapeutic potential of low-carbohydrate diets for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease is under-investigated and under-utilized. Whenever I have a question about low-carb that stumps me, I turn to Dr. Feinman to help craft a response, including this question I received from a reader about gluconeogenesis. Plus, there’s nobody better at dissecting those ignorant, poorly-designed studies that come out from time to time than Dr. Feinman as he exemplified with the infamous Sacks calories study in March 2009. Dr. Feinman attracts the best researchers on carbohydrate-restriction in the world to his accompanying scientific journal Nutrition & Metabolism where you can find some of the most cutting-edge science on high-fat, low-carb diets anywhere! Anyone who has met Dr. Feinman will tell you the man is on a mission to share the clear evidence supporting low-carb diets out to as many people as possible, beginning with those skeptical, yet quite impressionable medical school students he teaches in Brooklyn, New York. Read my June 2006 blog interview and listen to both Part 1 and Part 2 of my May 2008 podcast interview with Dr. Richard Feinman to see for yourself why he is such a deserving member of this list of the best low-carb crusaders.

7. DR. DOUG MCGUFF

Another first-timer to the annual “movers & shakers” list of low-carbers making a difference is none other than Dr. Doug McGuff. He released a book called Body by Science: A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week in December 2008 that trumpeted the “super slow” approach to muscle growth in conjunction with a low-carbohdyrate nutritional approach that helps bring about the kind of results people are looking for. And he’s been touring around the country sharing with anyone who will listen why the message he communicates in his book about restricting carbohydrates and exercise is what is needed to bring about the desired changes in physique and weight. Listen to my March 2009 interview with Dr. Doug McGuff and bookmark his “Body By Science” blog to see what this rising low-carb star is up to!

8. DR. JEFF VOLEK

Behind-the-scenes, there’s a LOT going on in the research world supporting low-carb diets. Whether you hear about it in the mainstream press or not, there is solid science happening on behalf of a high-fat, carbohydrate-restricted diet by some of the most intelligent people conducting studies on the metabolic impact of this way of eating. And one of the best in the business is Dr. Jeff Volek from The University of Connecticut. This co-author of Men’s Health TNT Diet has worked with another one of our “movers & shakers” Dr. Richard Feinman to connect the dots between low-carb and metabolic syndrome and has presented evidence that more saturated fat in the diet doesn’t lead to higher amounts of saturated fat in the blood. Dr. Volek is going to be around for a very long time trumpeting the low-carb evidence for all the world to hear if they will look at it from an unbiased, open mind. Check out my September 2006 blog interview, this lecture for Atkins Nutritionals that Dr. Volek did with another fantastic low-carb researcher named Dr. Stephen Phinney in 2008 as well as my March 2009 podcast interview with him to see why he is worthy of being among the best of the best low-carbers of 2009.

9. TOM NAUGHTON

Another newbie on the list this year burst on the scene in 2009 as a first-time filmmaker with what what I have dubbed “THE Low-Carb Event of 2009″ with the release of his fantastic documentary film entitled FAT HEAD. His name is Tom Naughton and he’s quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the blogging world with his FAT HEAD blog. When Tom’s film finally released in February 2009 well over a year after I first interviewed him at my blog, there was great anticipation that this hilarious little project refuting the claims made in Morgan Spurlock’s critically-acclaimed Supersize Me documentary would provide an excellent introduction to livin’ la vida low-carb for people who would not otherwise read a complex book like Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories. The result has been a phenomenal run maintaining the #1 position among comedy documentaries for the entire year on Amazon.com. WOO HOO! And I could tell when I interviewed him on my podcast show in February 2009 and had the privilege of meeting him in person in October 2009 that this was a man who wanted to use his comedic genius to communicate a very serious message that is so sorely needed in our high-carb, low-fat culture. I’m thrilled to have Tom coming with us on The 3rd Annual Low-Carb Cruise to the Bahamas in March 2010 where he will be showing FAT HEAD along with providing some commentary about how and why he decided to create it. If you are one of the few in the low-carb community who still HASN’T seen this movie, do yourself a favor and get a copy ASAP for yourself and get several extra for friends and family who are skeptical about livin’ la vida low-carb as gifts!

10. DR. ANNIKA DAHLQVIST

Last, but most certainly not least, we don’t often stop and think about the impact that low-carb is making in countries around the world. But high-fat, low-carb diets are making great strides in places like Sweden while the United States and the UK stay stuck on stupid with conventional low-fat diets ruling the roost. We have people like Dr. Annika Dahlqvist to thank for bringing the LCHF (low-carb, high-fat) way of eating into the mainstream overseas. Although the so-called health “experts” tried to run her out of the medical profession, Dr. Dahlqvist is stronger than ever beautifully defending the LCHF lifestyle, instigating an explosion of interest in low-carb in her country, while directly challenging those who want to stick with the status quo regarding nutritional advice. She has inspired people in her country like world-class triathlete Jonas Colting to be bold in his support for livin’ la vida low-carb and is leading a low-carb revolution that I can only dream will happen all around the globe, including in the United States of America, someday. Although you may not be able to read and understand her fabulous Swedish low-carb blog, there is an English version of it that just came online so you can keep up with one of the biggest international low-carb heroes!

Honorable mentions: DR. JOHN BRIFFA, DR. JONNY BOWDEN, JACKIE EBERSTEIN, DR. DEBORAH SNYDER, JULIA ROSS, SEAN CROXTON, JONAS COLTING, DR. STEPHEN PHINNEY, SALLY FALLON, JOSEF BRANDENBURG, DR. JAMES E. CARLSON, J.P. FANTON, DR. ERIC WESTMAN, DR. STEVE PARKER, FRED HAHN, DR. WILLIAM DAVIS, LIERRE KEITH, DR. DWIGHT LUNDELL, NINA PLANCK, DR. JOE LEONARDI, DR. CHRISTOPHER GARDNER, DR. MARY C. VERNON, DR. KEITH AND VALERIE BERKOWITZ, DANA CARPENDER, DR. ROBERT SU, KENT ALTENA, RICHARD NIKOLEY, AND LAURA DOLSON

Well, now that you’ve seen who I think are the best low-carb “movers and shakers” from 2009, it’s YOUR turn to tell me who I missed giving proper credence to on this list. Was there someone OBVIOUS that I just tee-totally missed or do you agree with my picks? Tell me what you think about this mix of old school low-carb advocates along with a few new kids on the block. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below.

Fans of professional basketball know that tonight is the beginning of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. Superstars like Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and all the rest will be putting their playing talents on full display for [...]]]>
Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom and Dr. Daniel Amen

Fans of professional basketball know that tonight is the beginning of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. Superstars like Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and all the rest will be putting their playing talents on full display for all the world to see them do what they get paid to do. And most of us who will be watching these games will automatically assume that the players are some of the healthiest people on the planet, right? Well, looks can be deceiving as one medical professional who happens to be a Lakers fan noted this week about Los Angeles forward Lamar Odom.

Dr. Daniel Amen is a Newport Beach, CA-based psychiatrist who has written a series of books on brain health over the past ten years. He is also rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers to beat the Orlando Magic starting tonight, but is concerned about Odom’s obvious love for anything and everything that contains sugar in it. And this isn’t just some passing adoration for sugary foods–you could quite accurately calls this obsession with the sweet stuff a bona fide addiction that must be dealt with. Watch this shocking story about how much sugar-loaded food Odom requires each day, the reaction (and justification) from his coach Phil Jackson, and then Odom himself attempting to rationalize why he eats this way now that Dr. Amen has called him out on it.

Did you notice how Lamar Odom treated this like one big joke? The one quote that he said during the original story that got Dr. Amen to comment about this is as revealing and honest as it is stunning: “You only live once, so eat as much candy as you can.” What a nice role model for our kids, huh? Forget about what you’re doing to your body, kiddos, just eat up all that sugary stuff and don’t worry about obesity, diabetes, and all the other potentially harmful consequences of consuming this stuff! Sheez! And they just blow it off by saying that Odom doesn’t really eat THAT much sugar. If that’s true, then why flaunt it like he did in that news story? Did he LIE to embellish the story or is it true and this is just a way to deflect attention from it?

“It’s funny because the games I played well were the games where I ate candy for breakfast,” Odom, who is averaging 12 points and 9.5 rebounds in the playoffs, told reporters. “It’s the reason why I got double digits in points and rebounds. I guess I’m going to have to eat candy for breakfast in order to play well.”

Breakfast of champions, eh? Hey Lamar, how about eating some good quality eggs and a steak for breakfast, it’ll give your body all the energy you need to power through your games and have a clear head to boot! Good grief, what is this world coming to? And he’s passing on these bad habits of his to his children who he’d rather have the approval of than to show them the difference between right and wrong on the subject of healthy nutrition.

“If your dad always has candy, how cool is he?” Odom said. “Coolest dude in the world. My kids think I’m cool.”

Is that the goal of being a father–to be “cool” to them? WOW! This whole situation concerned Dr. Amen so much that he decided to write a blog post about it entitled “The Lakers’ Lamar Odom, Sweet Tooth, and Erratic Play” where he explains his theory behind why Odom lacks the concentration to perform at his highest level of basketball abilities–the excessive sugar is draining his brain and causing him to “space out” at times during games. Dr. Amen accurately described sugar in his post by saying it “acts like a drug in the brain.”

It causes blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, leaving you feeling tired, irritable, foggy, and stupid,” Dr. Amen noted in his post. “Eating too much sugar impairs cognitive function, which may explain why Odom doesn’t always make the smartest decisions on the court.

Those are some harsh words from Dr. Amen, but they are grounded in reality. While the 30-year old nine-year veteran of the NBA may not be worried about the negative impact on his health from consuming all that sugar now because he thinks he NEEDS it to perform well, the truth is that constant flow of sugar is spiking blood sugar and insulin levels to the point that his pancreas will have no choice but to begin inhibiting and substantially slowing down the natural insulin production which will put him on a one-way street to Type 2 diabetes. No amount of jovial wisecracks about this very real addiction will be able to stop the inevitability of such a fate from happening and Odom will have nobody but himself to blame for that.

Dr. Amen went on to say that while Odom may not have a weight problem from his sugar addiction yet because he is using those sugary carbohydrates to fuel his playing time on the basketball court, there are some inescapable effects on his health that are no doubt already happening to him and laying the groundwork for future health problems that he will be unable to avoid.

“Excessive sugar consumption also promotes inflammation, which can make your joints ache, and that’s definitely a bad thing for a professional athlete,” he added. “It is also linked to headaches, mood swings, and weight gain…for the average person who isn’t playing full-court basketball for hours each day.”

This is a direct result of the low-fat diet health scam we’ve all been led to believe is accurate because that’s what we’ve always been told. Avoid the fat because it will clog your arteries and give you a heart attack, those so-called health “experts” have said. And yet, the truth of the matter is it is the sugar and the foods that turn to sugar in the body (starchy carbs) that are leading to inflammation behind the arterial walls that Dr. Amen is talking about. The symptoms from consuming the level of sugary foods that Odom is allegedly eating each day are virtually endless (by the way, all of those sugary foods he’s consuming just happen to be “naturally low-fat”). Cut out the sugar and all of those negative health issues clear up. Why wouldn’t somebody like Lamar Odom want to do this to enhance and even extend his career in the NBA?

You’d have to say it’s arrogance, a feeling of invincibility, and a position that it’s “my body and I can do with it as I please.” That’s true and Odom can certainly make the choices that he sees fit for himself. The consequences of his actions may not manifest themselves today, tomorrow, next year, or even until his NBA career is over. But if he keeps on downing those Gummi Bears, Honey Buns, Lifesavers, Hershey’s white chocolate cookies and creme, Snickers bars, cookies, and other sugar-infested foods on a regular basis, it will come as no surprise to anyone when his health will be in jeopardy. Maybe Dr. Amen has given Odom something to think about now and hopefully he will give pause before stuffing his pie hole with more of that carbage! For his sake and for all those impressionable kids out there (including his own!) watching him do this to himself, we can only hope.

Offering his own bit of advice to people like Odom who are severely addicted to sugar, Dr. Amen said it’s best to “get your sugar consumption under control.”

“You’ll feel so much better and your brain will function better, too,” Dr. Amen concluded. “And, maybe the Lakers can get their 15th championship and Odom can get his first.”

If Type 2 diabetes doesn’t get Lamar Odom, then Type 3 diabetes of the brain might. Odom should DEFINITELY listen to people like Dr. Amen and The Brain Trust Program author Dr. Larry McCleary who know what they are talking about. Sugar is not an innocuous substance–it is a very real detriment to weight and health. And the sooner people like Odom realize that and do something about it, the better.

Here’s a listing of my upcoming podcast interviews on “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore”:

Episode 250–May 4, 2009–DR. FITNESS AND THE FAT GUY (popular diet and health radio hosts) Episode 251–May 7, 2009–VALERIE BERKOWITZ (co-author of The Stubborn [...]]]>
Summer 2009 schedule for this Top 25 iTunes Nutrition & Health podcast

Here’s a listing of my upcoming podcast interviews on “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore”:

Episode 250–May 4, 2009–DR. FITNESS AND THE FAT GUY (popular diet and health radio hosts)
Episode 251–May 7, 2009–VALERIE BERKOWITZ (co-author of The Stubborn Fat Fix)
Episode 252–May 11, 2009–DR. JOE LEONARDI (low-carb weight loss success and “Fat Then Fit Now” blogger)
Episode 253–May 14, 2009–DR. STAN DE LOACH (low-carb diabetes educator in Mexico)
Episode 254–May 18, 2009–DR. STEVE PARKER (author of Advanced Mediterranean Diet)
Episode 255–May 21, 2009–LISA MARSHALL (creator 24/7 Low-Carb Diner)
Episode 256–May 25, 2009–JOSEF BRANDENBURG (personal trainer/nutrition coach “The Body You Want”)
Episode 257–May 28, 2009–DEON VANDER MERWE (South African low-carb weight loss success)
Episode 258–June 1, 2009–MAUREEN SULLIVAN (Seale Harris’ Lite For Life)
Episode 259–June 4, 2009–RICARDO BOYE (low-carb wellness coach in Georgia)
Episode 260–June 8, 2009–SEAN CROXTON (creator Underground Wellness)
Episode 261–June 11, 2009–SALLY FALLON (President of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Trends and Eat Fat, Lose Fat)
Episode 262–June 15, 2009–JONAS COLTING (Swedish Olympic athlete who eats low-carb)
Episode 263–June 18, 2009–DR. MALCOLM KENDRICK (author of The Great Cholesterol Con)
Episode 264–June 22, 2009–JIMMY PENA (fitness expert)
Episode 265–June 25, 2009–REINHARD ENGELS (author of The No “S” Diet)
Episode 266–June 29, 2009–JULIA ROSS (author of The Diet Cure)
Episode 267–July 2, 2009–GRETCHEN BECKER (author of The Four Corners Diet)
Episode 268–July 6, 2009–HANK CARDELLO (author of Stuffed Nation)
Episode 269–July 9, 2009–NINA PLANCK (author of Real Food and Real Food For Mother And Baby)
Episode 270–July 13, 2009–JO CAVANAUGH (Healthy Hot Mama blogger and YouTuber)
Episode 271–July 16, 2009–CRAIG BALLANTYNE (creator of Turbulence Training)
Episode 272–July 20, 2009–RON WILLIAMS (author of Faith And Fat Loss)
Episode 273–July 23, 2009–DAVID JAY BROWN (author of Detox with Oral Chelation)
Episode 274–July 27, 2009–BEN FURY (creator of Bettercise.com)
Episode 275–July 30, 2009–MARK “DR. TEA” UKRA (author of The Ultimate Tea Diet)
Episode 276–August 3, 2009–RACHEL TOMKINSON (New Zealand saturated fat activist)
Episode 277–August 6, 2009–MIKE CROWLEY (President of Dreamfields Pasta)
Episode 278–August 10, 2009–CYNDY KRYDER (author of Nude Mice)
Episode 279–August 13, 2009–DR. BRIAN WANSINK (author of Mindless Eating and former USDA Dietary Recommendations head)
Episode 280–August 17, 2009–DR. DWIGHT LUNDELL (author of The Cure For Heart Disease)
Episode 281–August 20, 2009–MARION URICHICH (author of One In A Hundred Million)
Episode 282–August 24, 2009–DR. DEBORAH SNYDER (author of Keto Kid–low-carb for epilepsy)
Episode 283–August 27, 2009–DR. JORGE FLETCHAS (fibromyalgia and iodine expert physician)
Episode 284–August 31, 2009–DR. KEVIN WEILAND (author of The Dakota Diet)

THANK YOU for listening! As always, if you have a guest you think Jimmy should interview for an upcoming episode of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show,” then please e-mail him your request at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Keep in mind these podcasts are recorded several months in advance sometimes and new guests are always be pursued by Jimmy. We appreciate your support!

A new “Video Consumer Mapping” study found that the average American spends eight hours in front of some kind of screen throughout the day…televisions, computer monitors, cellphones, GPS, movie theater screens, or other devices. [...]]]> Fun to the Filled to the Friday time, baby! It’s “Fun-Filled Friday” and here’s what I got for you this week:

A new “Video Consumer Mapping” study found that the average American spends eight hours in front of some kind of screen throughout the day…televisions, computer monitors, cellphones, GPS, movie theater screens, or other devices. Interestingly, you’d think it would be the younger generation adding up all this face time in front of a screen. But you would be wrong!

Although no children under the age of 18 were a part of the statistics in this study, people aged 45 to 54 averaged the most daily screen time at just over 9 1/2 hours. For those who are 65 years old and up, television viewing is seven hours a day! WOW! Of course, I can’t talk very much. After you add up all the blogging, e-mail, podcasts, YouTube videos, and other stuff I do with my various web sites online, several hours of television and movie watching with my wife Christine, looking at my GPS screen in my car when I’m driving, checking out my iPhone for e-mails and games, and the occasional Wii game playing, I probably rack up about 12 hours of screen face time a day…AT LEAST! EEEEEEK!

Perhaps I need to take part in the Earth Hour event coming on Saturday night at 8:30PM wherever you are on Earth. Have you heard about this yet? Here’s a quick little PSA about it:

Now, call me crazy, but how does turning off your lights for one hour at nighttime do anything to help resolve the global warming problem? I know it’ll make people feel good about themselves in the short run, but think about it people–what’s the point of doing something that really isn’t gonna make a hill of beans difference at all except for a few pennies of savings on your electric bill? I dunno about these kind of gimmicky activities for people to get all excited about solving global warming.

Nevertheless, here’s what it’ll look like for many homes and businesses who will be participating in the Earth Hour tomorrow night:

Have you seen the wooden spoon trick yet? I am DYING to try this with someone at a party or something because it is a hilarious practical joke to pull on someone who doesn’t know about it yet. Of course, by posting this video I’m letting more people in on the con, but it doesn’t make it any less funny to watch:

A few weeks back, I shared a controversial video of my gray cat Smokey getting pelted with a snowball that my wife Christine caught on camera. Today, I have another video of Smokey that is just as hilarious that I can’t wait for you to watch. She likes to sleep a LOT and when she does there is a plethora of snoring in the air. Check it out!

That’s one funny kitty! Finally, speaking of animals, have you seen the Baa-Studs 2009 act? This is one of the most incredibly choreographed videos I’ve ever seen in my life with real sheep making stunning scenes come to life on the screen. You’ll not believe your eyes watching this:

That’s it for this week’s “Fun-Filled Friday.” Send me your fun, funny, and frolicking submissions for future Friday posts by e-mailing them to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Have an OUTSTANDING weekend everyone!!!