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!

Two new studies may be leaving you in disbelief about high-fat, low-carb

When I was thinking about what subjects I wanted to hit on while writing my latest book 21 Life Lessons From Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb, one no-brainer had to be all of the ridiculous headlines that have come out about healthy high-fat and low-carb diets under the guise of scientific research. You’ve seen what I’m talking about whenever a new study releases showing supposed damning evidence against this way of eating and that’s what our culture grabs hold of as “proof” that low-carb and high-fat diets are unhealthy. In fact, we just saw it happen just this week with two new studies that I’d like to highlight and obliterate for you.

Click here to read about a study claiming low-carb diets raise LDL and why they think this is a bad thing as well as another study showing a high-fat diet increases stroke risk in women although they conveniently forget to say what else is in those “fatty” foods. These studies have been touted all over the news this week and it’s time to set the record straight!

Preventing inflammation in the arteries is critical to your health

I often tell people I have the most intelligent-thinking readers in the entire blogosphere as it relates to nutrition and health because you are inquisitive, insightful, and constantly in search of discovering the truth about how our bodies and metabolisms work the way they do. If topics like weight loss and disease control were simple, then there’d be nothing to talk about. Thank goodness for you and me it’s NOT that easy and there are certain nuances that are worthy of further investigation. And these often make for outstanding conversations to begin right here in this forum.

One such subject came up recently in an e-mail from a very dedicated reader of my columns. She wanted to know about the role of acid in the blood being a leading cause of the arterial inflammation which more and more cardiologists are properly educating their patients is leading directly to atherosclerosis.

We already know that cutting down on inflammation is why you and I are eating a carbohydrate-restricted diet, but what about some of the low-carb foods we consume that make our blood more acidic? Are these actually sabotaging our efforts by undermining the positive benefits of livin’ la vida low-carb due to my reader’s theory about acidic blood leading to arterial inflammation that causes heart health problems down the road?

Click here to read her lengthy but logical theory along with some outstanding responses from some of the best and brightest low-carb health experts in the entire world.

Is Whole Foods being foolish enough to promote vegetarian-only diet?

An obvious uproar has ensued within the high-fat, low-carb diet community this week as a result of the seemingly sudden decision by the most well-known health food retailer in the world to actively market and promote a low-fat, vegetarian diet in their 289 stores. Whole Foods Market has strongly branded itself as the go-to place for people desiring to make healthier food choices for themselves and their family and they have long offered customers with a variety of dietary choices that ability to select what best meets their specific needs. But all of that has changed now that they are pushing what they are calling their “Health Starts Here” campaign.

Click here to learn more about this aggressive marketing campaign to heavily promote a high-carb, low-fat vegetarian diet to Whole Foods customers and what key members of the low-carb community have to say in response to this.

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you about a low-carb vs. low-fat plus orlistat weight loss drug study from Dr. William Yancy from Duke University. The headlines all highlighted the blood pressure improvements found in the research, but the take-home message to me was that the low-carb nutritional approach was just as effective for weight loss and health improvements as the most powerful prescription medication on the market today. I wanted to have Dr. Yancy come on for a mini-interview to discuss this study that was published in the January 25, 2010 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Hear him share about the various weight and health improvements seen by the study participants in each group, his frustration regarding the media coverage of his study, why poor adherence to the diet was not discarded in this study, why he used a ketogenic low-carb diet without calorie restriction, and what he hopes the take-home message of his research will be. Special thanks to Dr. Yancy for bringing us this quick update on the latest published low-carb study!

NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: http://cmp.ly/3

Dr. David Friedman wanted to provide a chewable source of vitamins

A lot of us low-carbers take vitamins as part of our health regimen, but are they really being fully absorbed into our bodies? We’ve seen the pills, the liquid versions, and the like taken by millions of people seeking to be healthy. And yet does it really work? Are we getting all the nutrients absorbed into our bodies that we should be? Today’s podcast interview guest certainly doesn’t think so and he’s here today to share about a product he has helped develop that solves the problems associated with traditional vitamins.

In Episode 332 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we hear from entrepreneur and chiropractor Dr. David Friedman who founded a company called Chews4Health. He compares how vitamin pills were like the cassette tape, liquid vitamins were like the CD, and chewable vitamins are like an MP3. Hear Dr. Friedman share about what is happening with pills when they are improperly digested by the body, the difference between synthetic nutrients and whole foods, why manmade vitamin C causes cell damage, the super-fruit complex, sea vegetable blend, super antioxidant mix including alpha lipoic acid, and fruit blend used in Chews4Health, and why this product should be handled just like you would a fruit or vegetable.

Click here to listen to my compelling conversations with both Dr. William Yancy and Dr. David Friedman.

Carnie Wilson getting weight loss help from “The Dr. Oz Show”

One of the most famous people who has made headlines over the years because of her struggles to get her weight under control has got to be 41-year old singer Carnie Wilson (from the early 1990’s music group Wilson Phillips and daughter of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson). After experiencing a phenomenal weight loss thanks to gastric bypass surgery, Carnie has since become pregnant and struggled to get her weight back down again. She currently stars in a new reality television show and asked Dr. Mehmet Oz to help her in this quest to shed the pounds again. Producers from The Dr. Oz Show contacted me last week about participating in a conference call with Carnie and I was able to ask her a question about trying a low-carb nutritional approach. Tune in to the beginning of today’s episode of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” to hear her response to my question.

Rich Vos says he can produce “results typical” with his nutrition counseling

Don’t you hate it when you see all of these television ads promoting the next great diet for producing amazing weight loss success, but then they throw in a crazy CYA legal disclaimer that states “results NOT typical.” I have to laugh every time I see that because I’d be ashamed to boast of producing success and then telling people that they shouldn’t expect to get these same kind of results. Enter Rich Vos who created a nutritional counseling web site called Results Typical. Hear him share in my brief mini-interview with him today how a low-carb/Paleo dietary change can produce some pretty powerful results. Set up a consultation with Rich by calling him at (859) 814-7954 or via e-mail at rich@myresultstypical.com. We appreciate his support of this podcast along with our friends at LO-CARB U!

Motivational speaker Steve Siebold offers up diet encouragement

So you wanna some weight, huh? It’s all just mind over matter, finding a sense of stick-tuitiveness to reach your goals, and getting more mentally tough than you’ve ever been before. Have you heard any of this before? Riiiiiiiiight. Easier said that done. But today’s podcast interview guest notes that getting your mind in the right place and taking personal responsibility for your life is the foundation for making the required changes to produce permanent results.

In Episode 331 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we hear from motivational speaker Steve Siebold, author Die Fat or Get Tough: 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People, who helps people dealing with obesity shift their thinking to produce incredible success. Hear Steve talk about how his semi-professional tennis background got him started in teaching mental toughness, how his own personal weight gain got him interested in the subject of weight loss, the 12-week mental toughness program he created to shed 40 pounds himself, the limited role of willpower in producing weight loss, the death threats he’s received because of his personal responsibility message for obesity, the special interests involved in the weight loss industry, the differences between the way fat people and fit people think, why he uses the term “fat” to get past the delusion of obesity, what his narrow definition of “fit” is, why doctors should tell their patients that they’re fat if they are, whether parents are to blame for the weight of their children, and why the idea of “big is beautiful” is a terrible thing.

Click here to listen and you’ll quickly find out that Steve isn’t afraid to speak his mind because he believes in the end that will serve people better.

Dr. Michael Aziz created “The Perfect 10 Diet” to balance the hormones

Each year we are exposed to so many brand new diet books that attempt to put a new spin on nutrition and health. While the old Biblical saying that “there’s nothing new under the sun” is 100% correct, it’s nice to see how authors try to package their message for consumers to become educated about what to do regarding their weight and health. One trend I’m beginning to see happening that is encouraging to me is the move to play up the health BENEFITS of consuming saturated fat which is something today’s podcast interview guest is all-too-eager to talk about in his new book!

In Episode 328 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we hear from physician Dr. Michael Aziz, author of The Perfect 10 Diet: 10 Key Hormones That Hold the Secret to Losing Weight and Feeling Great-Fast!. This book identifies the 10 key hormones in the body that need to be properly balanced through your diet and Dr. Aziz believes he has found the “perfect” solution to do just that. As you listen to him speak about “low-carb extremes,” you’ll discover he’s mainly talking about the heavy reliance on soy protein bars, too many processed meats, the aversion to consuming carb-rich but what he believes are healthy carbohydrates like potatoes, and eating too much grilled red meat which he links to cancer. While I’m not convinced red meat is at all unhealthy for my body, I do think he makes some excellent points regarding the way some people choose to follow low-carb.

Listen to Dr. Michael Aziz share why he wrote his book, what he thinks is wrong with traditional low-fat and low-carb diets, why mainstream low-carb diets should only be consumed by bodybuilders, what he thinks is “unbalanced” about a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet, why eating a lot of fruit is unhealthy, the macronutrient ratio of his plan, the differences between Perfect 10 and Dr. Barry Sears’ Zone diet, why diabetics are successful on his diet, his support for consuming healthy saturated fats, whether pastured and organic foods are better to eat, why low-fat diets need to be avoided, what the ten hormones he discusses in his book are, the Perfect 10 food pyramid, his aversion to consuming red meat more than once every three weeks, what he thinks about eating more rare cuts of red meat, why dairy is limited on his program, his belief that ketosis is “extreme,” why soy is unhealthy, his problem with some of the low-carb products, how to change the way people think about saturated fat, the problem with vegetable oils, the deception of food labels, his promotion of organic produce to avoid pesticides, what the differences between The Perfect 10 and the Paleo diet, why bread additives are bad, how you can spike your insulin eating a high-fat, low-carb diet, why he believes you should never buy more than ten items at the grocery store at one time, whether it is wise to remain in Stage 1 of his plan, why he promotes consuming more non-sugary, carbohydrate-rich foods that are addictive to stave off cravings, and what supplements he recommends.

Click here to listen to this interview that is packed with a hefty punch of points to ponder. So, take it all in and process what you think about it as it relates to your low-carb lifestyle!

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I had no idea what surprises were in store

I gotta tell you, I love my job. Blogging, podcasting, and writing books full-time for a living is one of those careers where the thrill and adventure of never knowing what super-exciting thing is gonna happen from day to day is what makes all the headaches it brings worth it. Just as that CareerBuilder.com/MSN column about me that ran last week sorta came out of the blue as a huge blessing to the work I am doing, so too did not one, not two, but THREE opportunities to be on television for me yesterday. The adrenaline is still rushing through my veins from such an exhilarating experience.

Click here to lemme tell you about my chance to spread the low-carb message in a big way on Tuesday!

Photo courtesy of Lisa Hechesky
Celebrity chef Alton Brown’s amazing weight loss grabbing fan attention

People who watch The Food Network aren’t usually conscientious of the relationship between diet and health because quite frankly most of the recipes shared by the “stars” on there each and every day are loaded with way too much excessive sugar and carbohydrates that will simply pack on the pounds. The producers have tried in the past to highlight the benefits of eating well on a healthy low-carb nutritional approach when the great George Stella (whose recipes are now being featured on the home shopping channel QVC) was a regular with his “Low-Carb & Lovin’ It” show back in the heyday of livin’ la vida low-carb in the middle of the last decade. But with the low-carb “fad” allegedly passing in 2004 and now that nobody seems to be interested in healthy cooking on The Food Network anymore (although I think they’re missing a golden opportunity to hit an under-served market of viewers!), the producers completely ditched the idea of promoting a health-related cooking show.

But what will they do now that one of their network’s biggest stars has lost a total of 50 pounds by consuming what could easily be described as a low-carb diet? That’s exactly the dilemma they find themselves in with all the Internet buzz surrounding “Iron Chef America” host Alton Brown.

Click here to check out some video footage of Alton Brown’s new slimmed-down body, what he says he did to shed the weight, and a look at what kind of foods he consumed to produce this remarkable 50-pound weight loss.

ATTENTION LLVLC PODCAST FANS! In 2009, I’ve been able to interview some of the biggest names in diet, health, and nutrition and I need your help deciding which ones you thought were the best of the best. Just as we did with the best of 2008 during our special “Encore Week” presentation in January, we’re gonna do it again in the first week of 2010 with the best of 2009. E-mail me your TOP THREE favorite interview guests from 2009 along with any follow-up questions you would like for me to ask them and why you are voting for them to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I will be taking nominations through November 30, 2009 so I can follow-up with your five most-requested podcast guests. Think back through who you REALLY liked and want to hear more from and then send me their names and any follow-up questions you’d like for me to ask them. This was so much fun last year and I can’t wait to see who you want to hear more from!

Local farmer Joel Salatin shares about the bureaucracy of the food industry

I don’t know when it started, but there is a growing dissatisfaction beginning to stir up among people about the quality of their food. That’s why people are no longer happy with just settling for the selections available to them at their grocery stores and instead are turning to local farmers for delicious and nutritious pastured eggs, raw milk, grass-fed beef, and fresh organic produce. While the supermarkets are trying to take advantage of this growing trend by using selective adjectives in their stores, the truth is you can only get the good stuff by buying locally. My interview guest today is extremely passionate about this subject since it is his livelihood.

In Episode 298 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,” we hear from Virginia-based farmer Joel Salatin from Polyface Farms who was featured in Michael Pollan’s incredible The Omnivore’s Dilemma book as well as the stunning 2008 expository documentary Food, Inc. Joel grew up on a local farm and knows all the ins and outs of these dwindling national treasures to the fabric of American society. He has authored such compelling, thought-provoking books as Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front and Holy Cows And Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer’s Guide To Farm Friendly Food and is enthusiastic about defending local food and all the benefits it provides compared with industrialized farms.

Listen to Joel share about the bureaucratic obstacles he faces each day to bring food to the market, why local food tends to be more expensive than food you purchase in the supermarket, why it is impossible for local grass-fed beef to be tainted with E. Coli, the battles he faces trying to bring real food to consumers who want it, his willingness to stand up to the “food police” who try to push him around, how the local food from local farmers trend is similar to the home-schooling movement, the government roadblocks to getting good quality food, why the healthcare “crisis” we are being told about right now is really a “diet” crisis, the work he is doing to “heal the land” of other local farms, and so much more. You can’t help but sense the enthusiasm Joel has for this subject matter and I hope you are encouraged that local food is alive and well in the United States today!

Click here to listen to my interview with local foodie activist Joel Salatin.