In Episode 391 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we have two very exciting interviews to share with you about a brand new organization and an event coming in 2011 you need to know about. The new group is called Committee For A Healthy Nation and we have two of the founding members to share about this organization committed to sharing the science behind healthy nutrition in government dietary guidelines–Adele Hite and Pam Schoenfeld. Hear them talk about why this new group was created, their mission to promote inclusion in nutritional guidelines of low-carb diets, how they are hoping to impact the current direction of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines based on the new science, and how people supporting the science behind carbohydrate-restriction can get involved in The Committee For A Healthy Nation. My apologies for the severe echo during this portion of the interview (technical issues happen and we usually try to fix them as well as we can before they hit the airwaves).

Then, in the primary interview today we have five guest speakers to tell us about the upcoming The Ancestral Health Symposium coming August 5-6, 2011 at UCLA (FYI: the fact that the event will be held at UCLA does not imply or represent endorsement by UCLA or the Regents of the UC regarding the content and programming of our event). This will definitely be the low-carb/Paleo nutritional “Woodstock” and it’s gonna feature anybody and everybody in the community thanks to the efforts of event organizers such as Seth Roberts, Brian Geremia, Brent Pottenger, Aaron Blaisdell sharing about why they wanted to do an event of this magnitude. Listen to them share why they are each personally involved in this movement, their individual interest and involvement in traditional diets, the reason why they wanted to gather together the key players in the ancestral health movement, who the guest speakers who will be featured in The Ancestral Health Symposium, how the presenter scheduling will work, details on who is invited and how they can be a part of this event, whether the media is lined up to cover this story, and what the plans are for future events.

Click here to learn more about the event and start making plans NOW to be a part of nutritional history on August 5-6, 2011 for the Ancestral Health Symposium in Los Angeles, California.

It’s been a couple of weeks now since that 13-member Advisory Committee for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their best recommendations for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the response from members of the low-carb community has been quite staggering in their underwhelmed opinion about what has been handed down as dietary truth like the Ten Commandments to Moses from the mountaintop! But, as I previously shared, what they are promoting as healthy nutrition to the American people is still very carbohydrate-heavy and fat-phobic to say the least with their recommendations for people to be eating even MORE carbs (you know, all those “healthy whole grains”) and to slash dietary fat, especially the dastardly “artery-clogging” saturated fat, even further. These asinine and archaic recommendations are still based on decades old propaganda (can you say Ancel Keys?!) that do not accurately reflect the most up-to-date research and information that we have at our disposal today.

The level of incredulity and concern regarding the seemingly blatant miseducation of the American people about something as critical to their lives as how they should eat for optimal health led me to seek out some of my favorite low-carb and health expert friends from around the world to chime in on the issue. We are in a serious philosophical battle for reaching the hearts and minds of people who struggle with obesity, diabetes, and chronic diseases that could easily be preventable if the truth about things like saturated fat and carbohydrates was more clearly defined for people so they can make informed decisions for the health of themselves and their families. Many people are seeking out this alternative information on the Internet which is why I am constantly writing and talking about it every chance I can get. While you and I might not be looking to the USDA for dietary answers, sadly a lot of people are trusting that this 13-member panel knows exactly what they’re talking about–and nothing could be further from the truth.

Click here to hear what some key voices in the real food, low-carb movement have to say about these new 2010 Dietary Guidelines and my upcoming testimony before the 13-member USDA Advisory Committee on Thursday, July 8, 2010.

While watching the exciting final round Sunday coverage of the U.S. Open PGA golf tournament on NBC television, you probably couldn’t help but notice all of the multitude of promotional advertisements about a special weeklong campaign happening this week dubbed “Healthy at NBCU.” Analysts Johnny Miller and Dan Hicks cut in often between the golf action to hype how all of the NBC Universal-affiliated stations would be putting the focus on “Healthy Week” during the programming. This includes not just NBC, but also Bravo, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, Universal Orlando, CNBC, iVillage, Syfy, The Weather Channel, Oxygen, Access Hollywood, Telemundo, Universal Studios, The Today Show, USA Network, and all of the other entities under the NBC Universal umbrella. They’re making a big deal about this by providing viewers with “the information and inspiration they need to take positive steps toward better health and wellness.”

It’s a noble effort if the right kind of information is shared that will actually help the people who are watching. While summertime television viewing is sporadic at best with mostly reruns, B-rated shows, and vacations keeping people away, it’s those people who ARE watching television that makes the message that is communicated to the at-home audience during this campaign so important. Upwards of 80 million people are impacted by one or more of these NBC Universal entities on a weekly basis, so there is potential to make a lasting impact on the thinking and mentality of the viewers who are being exposed to the “Healthy at NBCU” promotion.

So what are they promoting exactly? Click here to see the high-carb, low-fat, vegetarian message that dominates this campaign and why it is WRONG to be pushing this on unsuspecting Americans.

As much of a sports fan as I am, I gotta admit professional hockey is not something I’m all that into. The National Hockey League (NHL) just hasn’t appealed to me since Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull retired from the game many moons ago (yes, I’m showing my age with those names). I’m sure if I gave these new guys a chance to show me their skills I’d enjoy it but I barely have enough time to watch the NFL, NBA, and Major League baseball along with the occasional PGA Tour Golf and even professional tennis during major tournaments like Wimbledon (told ya I loved sports!).

But I’d never even heard of Jonathan Toews, Antti Niemi, Duncan Keith, or Dustin Byfuglien from the Chicago Blackhawks team that just earned a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals after sweeping the San Jose Sharks out of the playoffs. I’m always impressed by underdog stories of teams that have been down rising from the ashes to gain worldwide attention for their improvement. It gives people watching at home that there is hope for them to do the same in their life (like losing weight or reaching some other tangible goal) and that’s what makes sports so much fun to watch. I’ll admit it’s been quite an impressive run for this unlikely Blackhawks team to reach the elite status in their league after several years of lackluster performances from its players and team.

So what has been the difference? Would you believe it could possibly be tied to Vitamin D? Yep! That same Vitamin D that Susan Siljander from GrassrootsHealth recently shared about on my podcast show in March 2010 and has been the subject of an entire YouTube video last year as well as a blog post chronicling my wife Christine’s paltry D3 level of a pitiful 9. She has since gotten her Vitamin D levels up to 52 and rising thanks to taking a high-dose 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 gel caps we get from Sam’s Club. The result? Muscle and joint pain gone, better mood, and she’s come off of her prescription Paxil for the first time in over a decade! There is no coincidence between Vitamin D levels and vastly improved health and the team doctors with the Chicago Blackhawks realized this when they started observing the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency amongst their players in early 2009.

Click here for more on this intriguing story about Vitamin D from the sports world!

I don’t know what your plans are for this summer, but I’m so excited to share with you about a special series of lectures on carbohydrate restriction and health coming up July 8-August 19, 2010 thanks to the organization of a company called Innovative Metabolic Solutions (IMS), a physician and patient-based resource for education about the benefits of low-carb living that was the brainchild of three of the biggest names in the low-carb community–Gary Taubes, Dr. Mary Vernon, and Dr. Eric Westman.

The 2010 Summer Module Series will be taking place on Thursday nights all summer long beginning after Independence Day and running until the kids go back to school in late August. The interactive web-based lectures will begin promptly at 8PM ET and you can listen through your telephone or call in through Skype. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the kind of professional lectures you would hear at the top obesity and nutrition conferences, then this is it! And the best part is they are all tailored with a low-carb-friendly undertone backed by the scientific evidence that has been pouring out of the research in recent years.

IMS really did a fantastic job of lining up the best and brightest minds on the low-carb science forefront to present to you the most dynamic information on this way of eating you’ll hear anywhere. They attempted to have a very diverse set of voices to present information on various areas of health and how low-carbohydrate nutrition can produce benefits to patients. CME credit is available for medical professionals who attend these classes at a cost of $175/class or $150 each if you sign up for all 7.

Of course, most of us are lay people and don’t need CME credit, so IMS is offering a very special consumer discounted price for this series of just $60/class or $50 each if you register for all 7 of them. Once you see who is speaking, you’re DEFINITELY gonna want to make this a weekly appointment to listen, absorb, and learn all that you can throughout the summer.

Click here to check out the very special guests who will be speaking along with what they’ll be talking about, including Gary Taubes, Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jeff Volek, and many more!

Real food. Those of us who blog about diet and health talk about it a lot, but most people have no idea what you’re saying when you advocate for “real food.” They think all that stuff in their local supermarket is real food–we know better, though, don’t we. Real food promoter and author Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food) notes that 90% of the food supply has some derivative of corn in it and that’s a scary thought. From high-fructose corn syrup to modified corn starch, these additives to our “food” supply are making us fat, sick, and decidedly unhealthy. That’s why I was happy to hear about “The Nourished Kitchen” blogger Jenny McGruther’s upcoming 12-week online e-course beginning June 1, 2010 called “How To Cook Real Food.”

Inspired by the recent newfound interest in real food espoused by the ABC-TV show “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” Jenny is hoping to keep the fire burning on this important movement regarding cooking from home delicious and nutritious meals from scratch. Gee, imagine that novel concept! One obstacle that people have about doing this is the perception they don’t have the time, energy, resources or knowledge about how to do it. But that’s where this e-course will come in.

I don’t know about you, but my experience cooking food growing up was browning some ground beef to mix with the seasoning packet in my Hamburger Helper or Rice-A-Roni box meal along with canned green beans and corn with raw biscuit dough. Yum-my! NOT! In this day and age of convenience and the need for quick foods to grab and go, the allure of candy bars, potato chips, and sugary soda is hard to get away from. But it is vital we change this culture of carbohydrates as I’ll call it and get back to focusing on the most important part of food–and that’s the food itself. REAL FOOD! Something your great grandmother would have recognized a century ago.

If you’re stumped about how to get started on your real food journey, then let Jenny McGruther help you get started the right way with her exclusive 12-week e-course. In no time, you’ll be whipping up some mouthwatering real food dishes made from food you purchased from local farmers who are committed to providing the best possible ingredients for your family’s menus. Yes, your family will notice the difference between your old diet and this fresh, real, whole foods eating plan that Jenny helps you create.

Jenny is not just a blogger at “The Nourished Kitchen” but she is also the manager of a local farmer’s market, so she’s got all the inside secrets about what to look for when you’re shopping and how to get the most bang for your buck. She’s also a highly-skilled natural foods cooking queen so you can learn from her easy-to-apply techniques for bringing the “wow” factor back to your kitchen.

Here’s what Jenny herself has to say about her exciting upcoming e-course:

“I’ve taken everything I know about cooking real food and condensed the information into 12 easy lessons – everything you need to get started. You’ll be able to find fresh local foods, maximize nutrition and minimize cost while developing simple, nourishing recipes that your family will love. Real food doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive if you have the right know-how. In this multi-media, online e-course, you’ll learn how to shop in season, maintain a budget and plan healthy meals for your family.

All of the classes are found online and you can download the teaching materials at your convenience. If you’re an early riser and want to start your learning at 5:00AM, then you’ll have that option. Or if you prefer to do your learning later at night, that’s an option too. YOU pick the time of day you want to view each lesson every week beginning on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 and Jenny will be right there waiting to share some incredibly practical tips for implementing real food into your life. There are also printable materials to help reinforce what you see and hear Jenny sharing on the videos. All of the courses will be available to you on demand for a full six weeks after the class ends so you can go back through the lessons again if you need a refresher.

Jenny is confident you are gonna LOVE this class so much that she is offering a very special 14-DAY NO-QUESTIONS-ASKED REFUND POLICY. She’s sure you’re gonna absolutely enjoy this experience of learning about real food so much that she’s willing to do that for you. There really is nothing to lose to try the course for yourself and see how you do with it. You know you’ve always wanted to start cooking better for your family but didn’t know how. Now with Jenny’s help, you can learn in a very short amount of time just how easy it can really be.

The classes are limited, so if you want to register you must do so no later than Monday, May 31, 2010. Enrollment will close on that day and classes will begin promptly on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. CLICK HERE to get in on this unique opportunity to begin your own real foods journey or to pick up some new cooking ideas for how to feed your family well.

Jenny offers up why YOU might want to take her e-course:

If you’ve ever wondered how to feed your family healthier, wholesome and nourishing meals, but been stumped trying to put it all together, you need this class.

If you want to support the local foods movement, but are stumped by seasonal cooking or how to even find quality foods from local farms, you need this class.

If you want to save money and time feeding your family healthy, organic, seasonal meals, you need this class.

If you want to learn to cook from scratch, if you want to give up sugar and learn to use natural, wholesome sweeteners, you need this class.

If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to soda and soft drinks, you need this class.

If you want to develop your own recipes based on locally available fruits and vegetables, you need this class.

You need to learn how to cook real food. It’s good for the environment, your local economy and, most of all, it’s good for your family’s health.

Need I say more? Here’s a syllabus of the 12 lessons found in this e-course:
Lesson #1: What is Real Food & Where to Find It
Lesson #2: Eat Whole Grain
Lesson #3: Homemade Sourdough Bread
Lesson #4: Homemade Salad Dressings
Lesson #5: Prepare Seasonal Vegetables
Lesson #6: Make Real Pickles
Lesson #7: Roasted & Slow-cooked Meats
Lesson #8: Stocks, Broths & Soups
Lesson #9: Easy Homemade Yogurt & Cheese
Lesson #10: Soda & Soft Drink Alternatives
Lesson #11: Naturally Sweet Desserts
Lesson #12: Menus & Meal Planning

The “How To Cook Real Food” e-course includes:
12 Comprehensive, Multi-media Online Classes
Video Tutorials Teaching You How to Cook Real Food
Digital Workbook to Take Notes & Develop Your Own Recipes
Charts Outlining Seasonally Available Foods
Fact Sheets and Handy Tips Analyzing the Value of Real Food
Online Discussion Forum for Members Only
Menu Planning Tips & Sample Meal Plans
Sample Shopping Lists and Equipment Recommendations
SPECIAL BONUS: Discounts & Coupons from Companies I Trust

Lest you’re concerned Jenny’s e-course may not apply to your healthy low-carb lifestyle, she assures me that “there’s some really good stuff in the class for low-carbers, we even cover natural, sweetener-free desserts and, of course, there’s a lot of focus on preparing tender grass-finished beef.” Sign up for the “How To Cook Real Food” e-course and let me know what you think! At least try it for a couple of classes and if it’s not for you then Jenny will refund your money. Let’s start our own “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” food revolution bringing real food back to the forefront of American culture. It’s an uphill battle, but it can start with YOUR family’s menus beginning in June 2010!

NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: http://cmp.ly/5

TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY to enter my 5-Year Blogiversary Giveaway Contest. I am literally swimming in all of the wonderful entries from my enthusiastic blog readers and it’s gonna be a fun time this weekend sorting through them all compiling your answers for a survey and then selecting the winners of the prizes I’ve been sharing about over the past week, including the Grand Prize of a SousVide Supreme and SousVide Supreme Cookbook compliments of my friends Drs. Mike & Mary Dan Eades.

In case you’ve missed any of the previous prizes available in my blogiversary contest, be sure to check out Prize Package Post #1, Prize Package Post #2, and Prize Package Post #3. If you want to enter to win a prize in this contest, then you need to e-mail me your answers to the following BY TODAY in order to be eligible in my 5-Year Blogiversary Giveaway. Please put in the subject line “BLOGIVERSARY CONTEST”:

1. Your full name, mailing address (no P.O. boxes please), and telephone number.
2. Which eating plan do you follow? How long have you been eating low-carb?
3. How much weight have you lost following a low-carb nutritional approach?
4. What led you to begin a controlled-carb diet in the first place?
5. Have you read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes?
6. Are you a diabetic? Type 1 or Type 2? Any family members with diabetes? Who?
7. How and when did you find and start reading the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog?
8. What is your favorite part of the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog?
9. Would you be interested in joining us on The Low-Carb Cruise in the future? Why or why not?
10. Name someone you would like for me to interview on my podcast who has not yet appeared?

E-mail your answers to livinlowcarbman@charter.net no later than 11:59PM ET TONIGHT and the winners will be picked at random this weekend and announced to the world on my blog on Tuesday, May 4, 2010. One entry per household please so everyone can have a chance to win a prize. We’re only hours away from this giveaway contest coming to an end, so don’t be left out of the fun. ENTER ASAP!

Click here to see the final 5-Year Blogiversary Prize Package #4.

Time is running short in my 5-Year Blogiversary Giveaway Contest, so if you haven’t entered yet you should really do so as soon as possible. I’ve already set a record for entries into my annual blogiversary celebration and for that I appreciate everyone who has responded. But there’s plenty of room for more and LOTS more prizes to share with you today.

Entering my 5-Year Blogiversary contest will give you a chance to win one of many outstanding low-carb prize packages including the big Grand Prize which is the SousVide Supreme and accompanying SousVide Supreme Cookbook from Drs. Mike & Mary Dan Eades. Check out Prize Package Post #1 and Prize Package Post #2 to see some of the other nifty stuff up for grabs just for being a reader of the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog. Aren’t you just special?

Once again, in order to enter to win a prize in this contest you need to e-mail me your answers to the following to be eligible in my 5-Year Blogiversary Giveaway. Don’t forget to put in the subject line “BLOGIVERSARY CONTEST”:

1. Your full name, mailing address (no P.O. boxes please), and telephone number.
2. Which eating plan do you follow? How long have you been eating low-carb?
3. How much weight have you lost following a low-carb nutritional approach?
4. What led you to begin a controlled-carb diet in the first place?
5. Have you read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes?
6. Are you a diabetic? Type 1 or Type 2? Any family members with diabetes? Who?
7. How and when did you find and start reading the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog?
8. What is your favorite part of the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog?
9. Would you be interested in joining us on The Low-Carb Cruise in the future? Why or why not?
10. Name someone you would like for me to interview on my podcast who has not yet appeared?

Please send your answers to livinlowcarbman@charter.net no later than 11:59PM ET on Friday, April 30, 2010 and the winners will be picked in a random drawing this weekend and then announced at my blog on Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Remember, one entry per household to make it fair for everyone to win a prize. This contest is open to my blog readers from all around the world and I’m hearing from so many of you. Keep them coming in! You still have time to enter.

Click here to see The 5-Year Blogiversary Giveaway Contest Prize Package Post #3.

Ever since I released my second book 21 Life Lessons From Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb: How The Healthy Low-Carb Lifestyle Changed Everything I Thought I Knew in November 2009, the response has been sensational. I receive encouraging e-mails from people everyday thanking me for writing it and sharing the knowledge I’ve gathered over the past few years about low-carb living. I’m honored that there are 52 amazing reviews of my book at Amazon including 44 five-star, 7 four-star, and 1 three-star review and the positive reaction has been better than I could have ever expected. I poured my heart out into that book and I’m grateful people are being encouraged and educated by the message of livin’ la vida low-carb.

You can get a taste of the content in the book by watching this YouTube video outlining the chapters and special features included in it. I’m very proud of this beautiful book and I want to give you an opportunity to get your hands on a copy for yourself. Now through the end of April 30, 2010 (this Friday!), I’m offering an awesome April special deal for readers of the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog who would like to get it. You will receive an autographed copy of 21 Life Lessons From Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb shipped to you with FREE PRIORITY MAIL (you’ll get it in 2-3 days). Plus, you’ll immediately receive an e-book copy of the new book as well as my 2005 debut e-book release Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year. The total value of this package is $60, but it’s yours for just $25. To take advantage of this limited time offer, simply click here. THANK YOU so much for your amazing support of my work!

We’re still rockin’ and rollin’ with entries into my 5-Year Blogiversary Giveaway Contest and I’m excited by all the enthusiastic responses I’ve received from quite literally all around the world. The reach of the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog simply amazes me sometimes, but I credit the faithfulness of my wonderful readers for making the message of healthy low-carb living march on strong in 2010. Thank you for all you are doing to promote the positive benefits of carbohydrate-restriction to a world that so desperately needs to hear it!

If you haven’t entered my 5-Year Blogiversary contest yet, then you still have time! In case you missed it, the Grand Prize is one of those nifty water oven cookers called the SousVide Supreme plus the brand new SousVide Supreme Cookbook that was donated by the amazing Drs. Mike & Mary Dan Eades. But there are PLENTY more prizes you will hear about in the coming days, including Prize Package Post #1. Don’t forget, you need to e-mail me your answers to the following information if you would like to win a prize in my 5-Year Blogiversary Giveaway. Be sure to put in the subject line “BLOGIVERSARY CONTEST”:

1. Your full name, mailing address (no P.O. boxes please), and telephone number.
2. Which eating plan do you follow? How long have you been eating low-carb?
3. How much weight have you lost following a low-carb nutritional approach?
4. What led you to begin a controlled-carb diet in the first place?
5. Have you read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes?
6. Are you a diabetic? Type 1 or Type 2? Any family members with diabetes? Who?
7. How and when did you find and start reading the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog?
8. What is your favorite part of the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog?
9. Would you be interested in joining us on The Low-Carb Cruise in the future? Why or why not?
10. Name someone you would like for me to interview on my podcast who has not yet appeared?

Send your responses to livinlowcarbman@charter.net with the subject line “BLOGIVERSARY CONTEST” no later than 11:59PM ET on Friday, April 30, 2010 and the winners will be picked in a random drawing this weekend and then announced at my blog on Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Please only one entry per household to make it fair for everyone to win a prize. The contest this year is attracting a much larger international audience than ever before and that is pretty neat. Regardless of where you live, send in your entry and YOU could have a chance to win one of a whole bunch of nice low-carb prizes.

Click here to see the second set of low-carb prizes that YOU can win in the 5-Year “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” Blogiversary Giveaway Contest.