One of the most exciting events in the world of low-carb over the past few years has been the annual low-carb cruise where so many of your fellow low-carbers have come together for some amazing times of learning, fun, and excitement! Listen to one of the Low-Carb Cruise Committee member Kim Eidson share about the roster of guest speakers who will be joining us May 1-6, 2011, the fun activities that are on board, where the low-carb cruise will be leaving out of and the three destination spots the ship will be docking at, the kid-friendly cruise line we are using for the cruise, and the brand new official web site at LowCarbCruiseInfo.com for more information and how to sign up. I hope you can join us for The 4th Annual Low-Carb Cruise coming up in May 2011. If you have any questions, check out the cruise Facebook page and forum and feel free to e-mail our Cruise Director Becky Gandy if you have any questions about this premier low-carb event of the year!

In Episode 397 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” the inspiring “Week of Weight Loss Success 2″ continues on adding to the stories we’ve already heard this week from Deryl Williams, Charles Cicciarella, and Caroline Jhingory. Today’s special guest is Traci Marshall who was featured on pages 11-13 in The New Atkins For A New You because of her 95-pound weight loss story. Listen to Traci share about her Atkins diet experience, how the Atkins web site helped her in her health efforts, how she’s adapted to low-carb living with low-carb friendly recipes, the improvements in her health since she started on Atkins, the reaction by her doctor to her weight loss and health success, the misconceptions that persist about what the Atkins diet is, the flexibility of the new Atkins book, how her children has adapted to low-carb living naturally, how her depression symptoms changed when she consumed a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet, the “miserable” and “trapped” feeling she felt after having a baby, the “side effect” health benefits she experienced eating low-carb, the independent studies that are coming out supporting low-carb living, why a vegetarian diet wouldn’t work for her, how the Atkins diet is the REAL “real food” diet, why she encourages people NOT to diet but to just start eating the foods allowed on the Atkins plan, her aspirations for writing a success story/recipe book because of the feedback she’s received from people, and the role moderate amounts of exercise played in her weight loss success.

Click here to quickly find out why Traci Marshall is quite the ambassador for the Atkins diet!

The Atkins diet enjoys a rather odd position in the world of health and nutrition–you either love it or you hate it! There are very few people who kinda like it or kinda dislike it. And I suppose this has a lot to do with the misconceptions and myths that pervade about it in our culture. But the fact is most of these perceptions about the Atkins low-carb lifestyle are easily combatted with the facts that have been borne out by the experience of real life low-carbers and the science that backs them up. Today’s podcast interview guest is arguably the most knowledgeable expert on the Atkins diet today after working directly with the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins for nearly three decades.

In Episode 389 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we welcome back to the show registered nurse Jackie Eberstein from Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition and co-author of Atkins’ Diabetes Revolution. I wanted to bring her on the podcast to address many of the lingering myths about the Atkins low-carb diet that still pervade in our culture. Listen to Jackie share what she thinks Dr. Atkins would say about The New Atkins For A New You, her attempts to correct the ongoing Atkins myths over the years, her typical low-carb menus, why she has to personally stay very low-carb, why reactive hypoglycemia is not caused by low-carb eating, the impact of sweeteners on hypoglycemia, whether you should count calories on the Atkins diet, why “calories in, calories out” is totally bogus, why Atkins won’t raise your lipids to unhealthy levels, why high triglycerides are not caused by fat but by insulin (stoked by carbohydrate consumption), which is more important–LDL particle number or particle size, why red meat is not the great harm it is purported to be in studies, why pigs are better animal studies than rats and worms, why there are no kidney damage concerns for people eating the Atkins diet (because it’s NOT a high-protein diet, it’s a moderate protein diet), why getting adequate protein is so vital to your health, her reaction to what the 2010 Dietary Guidelines will include and whether low-carb will even be considered, whether the Paleolithic diet jives with the Atkins diet, why free-range, organic meats are best, her response to the “one golden shot” theory that you can only lose weight on Atkins low-carb once, why there is a lot we don’t understand fully about fat cells, why cutting fat while consuming a low-carb diet is not wise, why the scale is not an accurate measuring stick for your weight loss progress, why regular exercise is an important companion tool with low-carb living, why some people are continually tired on the Atkins diet and what they can do to overcome it, the research links she provides on her web site, why Atkins does not lead to osteoporosis, why low-carb is not lacking in nutrition because you need to take supplements while on it, how consuming carbohydrates actually depletes nutrition from your body, and what she wishes more people would understand about the Atkins diet.

Click here to listen to this interview for anyone who thinks low-carb is harmful to some aspect of their health–Jackie Eberstein is one conversation you don’t want to miss!

Are the radical vegans attempting to sabotage the new Atkins book?

On March 2, 2010, the long-awaited release of The New Atkins For A New You book hit bookstore shelves with anxious anticipation from people looking for the latest science and information behind a healthy carbohydrate-restricted lifestyle change that was given prominent worldwide attention by the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins himself beginning in the early 1970s. Featuring three of the most prominent and highly-respected researchers of low-carb diets in the entire world as authors–Dr. Eric Westman from Duke University, Dr. Jeff Volek from The University of Connecticut, and Dr. Stephen Phinney from The University of California-Davis–this new book has been making shock waves in the publishing world! It debuted at #5 on the New York Times bestseller list for Paperback Advice and has remained a consistent seller ever since.

But not everyone is happy about the tremendous success this new Atkins book is receiving. It should not at all be surprising that the leading voices of dissent are those in the radical vegetarian/vegan community led by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. Heralded by those who eschew meat in their diet for his January 2005 bestselling book release The China Study, Campbell is a real hero to the vegans for what they think is his monumental contribution to their cause. So when The New Atkins For A New You was released, Campbell was looked to by vegetarians and vegans to give them guidance about how to respond. He gladly obliged.

Click here to read about the call to action Dr. Campbell put out to his followers to make it appear people are opposed to The New Atkins For A New You book and why his reasons for opposing it are superfluous.

Dr. Eric Westman gives the full scoop on why a new Atkins is needed

What’s the first thing people think of when you say the “Atkins diet?” Things like all-you-can-eat high-protein meat, eggs, cheese, very little veggies or fruit, no bread or sweets and stuff like that probably immediately come to mind. Others think it was just some dangerously unhealthy passing fad that faded out in 2004 and is only still followed by people who are putting their long-term health at risk. But today’s podcast interview guest is one of the leading low-carb researchers who has teamed up with two other low-carb research colleagues to co-author a brand new version of the Atkins diet for 2010 to put the focus back on the science supporting the low-carb way of eating!

In Episode 338 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we welcome back to the podcast Duke University low-carb researcher and practitioner Dr. Eric Westman who is here to share all about the March 2, 2010 release of New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight Fast and Feeling Great Forever. You might be wondering “here we go again” with yet another attempt at revamping the Atkins diet like the December 2008 release of The All-New Atkins Advantage: The 12-Week Low-Carb Program to Lose Weight, Achieve Peak Fitness and Health, and Maximize Your Willpower to Reach Life Goals by Colette Heimowitz (who I previously interviewed here) and Dr. Stuart Trager which disappointed many within in the low-carb community with their focus on “lean protein” and a very heavy emphasis on lots of fruits and vegetables getting away from the basic principles that the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins based his original diet on. But as you’ll hear from Dr. Westman, they wanted to bring back the high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb nutritional approach that Dr. Atkins promoted as his life’s work. The new book brings living the Atkins lifestyle into modern society with a few important strategies that have been missing in previous versions of the Atkins diet.

Listen to Dr. Westman share about who is behind this new Atkins diet book, what’s different about this book from the previous Atkins diet books, why some people need to keep carbs very low forever, how much pressure there was to water down the message to make it more marketable, why Dr. Atkins was never interested in doing studies on his low-carb diet, why we need a brand new version of Atkins in 2010, ways to minimize the negative effects of the “Induction flu,” some of the changes in terminology in this new book including “foundation vegetables,” “Atkins Edge,” and “metabolic bully,” what the healthy role of saturated fat is in Atkins low-carb, his thoughts on the so-called “Eco-Atkins” and how to properly make a vegetarian-styled Atkins diet, whether Atkins Nutritionals is returning to the original principles that Dr. Atkins built the company on, how often the Atkins bars and products are pushed in the sample menus, why the main focus of the diet is on real foods, who the target audience of the book is, the role of calories and portion sizes on this new Atkins, a practical list of ways to break stalls, why consuming dietary fat is so important to fat-burning, the definition of “net carbs” and the role of sugar alcohols, why consuming vegetables are so important on the Atkins diet, the purpose of eating often especially for people who are just beginning a weight loss regimen, why this book should not be read literally but rather as a generalized guide, the impact that both prescription and over-the-counter drugs can have on weight loss, the purpose of the success stories listed in the book, and why he is not accepting royalties from the sale of this book and where the money will actually be going.

Click here if you have any questions about New Atkins For A New You because I’m sure this interview will put to rest a lot of what you may be concerned about. ENJOY!

A newly-updated low-carb plan with scientific studies to boot

In an exclusive first-look at the brand new book from Atkins Nutritionals obtained by Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb, advocates of a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb nutritional approach will have a lot to cheer about. Three of the most well-known and highly-respected researchers of carbohydrate restriction were charged with penning an updated Atkins diet book that would be simpler to follow and completely backed by the latest science. The result of those efforts are culminated in the March 2, 2010 paperback book release New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight Fast and Feeling Great Forever.

Click here for an exclusive sneak peek at what will be one of the most talked about diet and health books of 2010!

Low-fat vegetarian “China Study” author Dr. T. Colin Campbell

We’ve all heard the famous saying “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” And while I attempt to be a friend to virtually everyone I meet regardless of my own personal differences of opinion on any number of issues, it’s almost impossible not to identify certain people whose world view is so opposite to your own that it is radically different in every way as somewhat of an enemy combatant. But in the case of the low-carb community, there is one man who certainly fits within the definition of that term: Dr. T. Colin Campbell.

Just as people who are livin’ la vida low-carb often point to the September 2007 release of Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes as the very best book about healthy high-fat, low-carbohydrate nutrition that articulates the science behind the message we advocate, on the other end of the spectrum is Dr. Campbell’s January 2005 book entitled The China Study which promotes an ultra low-fat, plant-based diet for health. There could not be two more starkly different publications on the subject of healthy living out there than these two and both are considered the masterpiece, the magnum opus, the pièce de résistance so to speak of how people should be eating for the sake of controlling their weight and improving their health by their respective supporters. It’s a strange dichotomy how these two tee-totally opposite messages could simultaneously be given the same kind of dignity and disdain all at the same time.

The vegetarian/vegan community hypes The China Study as the be-all, end-all, there’s-no-sense-in-discussing-anything-further final say on all things related to diet, health, and nutrition. That truly is unfortunate because most low-carbers I know are at least open-minded and pragmatic enough to know that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all diet that is for everyone. This kind of monolithic thinking is displayed almost exclusively by those who herald Dr. Campbell as a hero to their cause. In my upcoming book entitled 21 Life Lessons From Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb, I discuss in Lesson #12 my encounters with the fringe element of the low-fat, vegetarian movement which is sadly much more common than people even realize. It’s such a shame they have to be so exclusionary of the healthy low-carb message.

The reason I’m bringing up Dr. Campbell is because he recently jumped in on the discussion thread I created at Amazon.com a few years back called “What Are Your Criticisms Of The Low-Carb Lifestyle?” It’s amazing how that thread has taken on a life of its own over the past three years and it comes in spurts. From enthusiastic defenders of both low-carb and low-fat to a few crazies here and there, it has attracted them all. But imagine my surprise several weeks ago when none other than Dr. T. Colin Campbell himself made an appearance on the thread to articulate his viewpoints.

Click here to read Dr. Campbell’s rather unflattering opinions about livin’ la vida low-carb along with my direct response to this low-fat vegetarian dinosaur!

Woman’s World finds itself wrapped up in controversy again over Eco-Atkins

You know what they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. But that familiar saying only applies if in attempting to imitate you don’t completely pervert the intent of the original idea. But that’s exactly what has been done to the original Atkins low-carb approach by a very aggressive group pushing a vegan-styled diet they call “Eco-Atkins” as a means to discredit the original Atkins diet created by the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins.

The latest excursion into beating up on the Atkins diet comes from the editors atWoman’s World magazine. As one of the most widely-read publications for women in America today, they frequently highlight new diets for women to try. You might recall they had to print a mea culpa to their readers in February 2008 just eight months after featuring a big cover story on the now-infamous Kimkins diet which was later found to be a fraud run by a morbidly-obese woman who had claimed in a podcast interview I conducted with her in 2007 that she had lost 200 pounds. Oops! Well, the latest issue of Woman’s World isn’t much better as they put the focus squarely on this “Eco-Atkins” diet nonsense.

Click here to see the brief history behind this “Eco-Atkins” movement and why it is nothing more than an attempt by the radical vegan and vegetarian groups out there to pervert the amazing benefits of a healthy meat-based, high-fat, low-carbohydrate nutritional approach.

Gee, what a surprise — the Atkins diet is maligned again!

One of the primary purposes of what I do at this blog is to make people think about what they believe and why they believe it. On the subject of nutrition and health, the difference between what is fact from fiction could very well have your life depending on it. That is one of the reasons why I speak out so passionately about what I believe both from my own experiences as well as all the research I have done on healthy low-carb living.

My goal is to arm you with fact-based information, get you excited about livin’ la vida low-carb, help boost your confidence as you speak with people about this amazing way of eating, and hopefully encourage you to carry on the low-carb torch to others by standing in defense of what it has done for you and millions more. I’m thrilled to see so many new faces joining us long-term low-carbers in articulating what this remarkable nutritional approach has done for both our weight and health. It’s like we have our own little army of troops out there who are constantly on guard to protect the message from being distorted by would-be evildoers.

That’s precisely what happened yesterday in a newspaper column entitled “The Hidden Perils Of The Atkins Phenomena.” Find out more about the lies about low-carb that were shared in this column and the response one of my readers shared with the editors at that paper by clicking here.

Dr. Heidi Dulay is a big believer in livin’ la vida low-carb

Whether the medical and nutrition community wants to admit it or not, the fact is there are a lot of practitioners out there who are helping their patients with weight loss and health issues with a low-carb nutritional approach. While they may not always describe it like that, when you take a good hard look at the plan, it’s totally low-carb. Today we have an interview guest who is not only unashamed of calling her program low-carb, but willingly shares how to make your low-carb lifestyle even better.

In Episode 246 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we hear from certified nutritionist and hypnotherapist Dr. Heidi Dulay who created The Extreme Regime Fat Burn Formula program to help people who want to maximize the results of their low-carb lifestyle. You’ll hear Dr. Heidi discuss the peculiar way she stumbled on to low-carb, the changes she has seen in the health of the people she has placed on this diet, the dangers of statin drugs, the impact of books by Gary Taubes and Michael Pollan on the work she does, what is good about saturated fat, and why grass-fed beef is so much better than the industrialized, corn-fed ones that dominate the modern food supply. It’s over an hour-long discussion of delicious low-carb living!

There are FOUR ways you can listen to Episode 246:

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 246 [65:02m]:

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

Subscribe to the RSS feed or you can click on the “Subscribe” button at iTunes. If you are having trouble, then watch this video tutorial from my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien.

What do you think about Dr. Heidi Dulay and her “extreme regime” plan for livin’ la vida low-carb? Share your reaction to it in the show notes section of Episode 246. Be sure to check out Dr. Heidi’s Extreme Regime Fat Burn program. Coming up on Thursday, don’t miss Dr. Loren Cordain, author of the bestselling book The Paleo Diet!

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Tom Naughton talks with me about healthy low-carb living

From time to time, I’m asked by my fellow low-carb and health bloggers and podcasters if they could interview me about the work I’m doing with my various “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” projects. I consider it the highest form of respect and admiration when a peer recognizes the impact of your contributions towards the subject you are most passionate about. Here are a few that have happened over the past couple of years, including with Laura Dolson from the About.com Low-Carb Diets web site, Atkins Nutritionals, Mark Sisson from “Mark’s Daily Apple,” Connie Bennett from the “Stop Sugar Shock” podcast and Dr. Jonny Bowden.

I have another one to share with you today from my friend Tom Naughton who you might know better as the creator of the hilariously funny and informative new documentary film about the healthy benefits of low-carb eating called FAT HEAD. He recently took me up on my suggestion that he start blogging and he’s a real natural at it with his comedic background (not that his background is funny and all, but that he makes a living making people laugh–oh nevermind!).

Tom asked if he could interview me for his new blog site and I was happy to do so. Click here to access Part 1 of this interview today. Part 2 will be posted at the FAT HEAD blog on Tuesday.