tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39473487750088001182024-02-20T15:22:49.803-06:00Lowcarbaramalowcarbaramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11804337790359927782noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-85358443026810809512018-07-01T20:45:00.001-05:002018-07-01T20:45:36.032-05:00A new old Gary Taubes article from 1998<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/400200/telling-time-by-the-second-hand/" target="_blank">Telling Time by the Second Hand: By emphasizing challenges to conventional wisdom, the popular press distorts how science really works.</a><br />
<br />
With his enormous impact on the landscape of nutritional awareness, it's easy to forget that Gary Taubes was an award-winning science writer for several years before he starting exploding myths about fat -- or about salt, for that matter.<br />
<br />
Gearing up for the<a href="http://conference.crossfithealth.com/" target="_blank"> 2018 CrossFit Health Conference</a> to be held in Madison, Wisconsin at the end of July, Gary sent out one of his rare newsletters, and it contained this link to (as well as the text of) an article published in the MIT Technology Review in 1998.<br />
<br />
The article, he writes, came to his mind because his upcoming talk is about “the pathology of science (i.e., the ‘science of things that aren’t so’).”<br />
<br />
You can subscribe to Gary’s newsletter at his official website, <a href="http://garytaubes.com/">garytaubes.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-63772399514540074112017-02-11T15:07:00.000-06:002017-02-11T15:07:38.270-06:00The Case Against Sugar sparks debateHe's back, baby!<br />
<br />
Gary Taubes's new book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2lCVrM7">The Case Against Sugar</a> is out, but not all folks endorse it, even among the cluster of communities of those who advocate real food, low carb, paleo, and other approaches under that umbrella.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=hotocowive-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0307701646&asins=0307701646&linkId=8af06dd4e687aa2bbcbf5010132be076&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066C0&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p>
<p>
</iframe><br />
<br />
In <a href="http://foodmed.net/2017/02/07/taubes-case-against-sugar-sweet-and-sour/">The Case Against Sugar: Sweet and Sour</a> on <a href="http://foodmed.net/">FoodMed.net</a>, Marika Sboros summarizes the kerfluffle and provides a roundup of videos and articles. You'll find some of our favorite names over the years here, from Richard Nikoley and Stephan Guyanet to Dr. Michael Eades.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-19913297596638545642012-08-17T07:40:00.000-05:002012-09-20T10:42:36.133-05:00Low-carb preference on increase, Gallup Poll indicatesMost people in America still believe it's better to reduce fat in your diet than carbs, but according to a Gallup poll, that majority has eroded over the past 10 years.
See:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/156710/Americans-Say-Low-Fat-Diet-Better-Low-Car.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=All%20Gallup%20Headlines%20-%20Wellbeing">Americans Still Say Low-Fat Diet Better Than Low-Carb
But Slightly More Now Prefer a Low-Carb Diet Than in the Past</a><br />
by Andrew Dugan and Frank Newport<br />
<br />
Note the spin in the headline -- "hardly any more people think low-carb is good." <br />
<br />
But look at the actual numbers in the article. It could just as well have been titled, "Americans' Preference for Low-Carb Diet Skyrockets; Low-Fat Falters." <br />
<br />
In 2002, 22 percent of Americans were reported as saying a low-carb diet was "more beneficial from a health perspective." In 2012, that jumped to 30 percent. That means the number of people who believe low-carb is better jumped by nearly a third.<br />
<br />
Sixty-eight percent said low-fat was best in 2002. That declined to 63% by 2012. Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-23347001582745013852012-06-13T08:02:00.000-05:002012-06-13T08:02:13.109-05:00Sugar in the Cross HairsHow fat became demonized and sugar came to be seen as benign -- and how we started eating so darn much of it. And, significantly, the public health crisis that resulted.<br />
<br />
This surprisingly comprehensive article in the Guardian tells the tale. Names of players probably already familiar to those who follow these issues include Dr. Robert Lustig, Earl Butz, John Yudkin and Gary Taubes. Names and episodes less often covered flesh out the story.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jun/11/why-our-food-is-making-us-fat?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038">Why Our Food Is Making Us Fat</a>, by Jacques Peretti<br />
The Guardian, June 11, 2012 <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-17717790768069837232012-05-05T07:12:00.000-05:002012-05-05T07:13:45.549-05:00What cholesterol is for: Dr. Robert Rowen interviewed by Dr. MercolaI came to this article via the newsletter of Dr. Joseph Mercola's this morning. It's perhaps the best single article on cholesterol I've ever read in terms of clarity, simplicity, scope and usefulness.<br />
<br />
If you want to read one compact article that explains what cholesterol is for, why it's futile and often tragically damaging to attempt to reduce it -- in your body or your food -- and why statin drugs and common vegetable oil are dangerous to health, read this. If you want to send a friend or loved one to one introductory article on the topic, send them to <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/05/dr-mercola-interviews-dr-robert-rowen-part-2-cholesterol.aspx?e_cid=20120505_DNL_art_1">"Dr. Robert Rowen Talks About Cholesterol and Statins: Even if You Eat Organic Food, This Cooking Mistake Can Ruin Your Health"</a> by Dr. Mercola.<br />
<br />
Here are the opening lines by Dr. Mercola:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The idea that high cholesterol causes heart disease is based on the
premise that cholesterol is found in the plaque of people with coronary
artery disease. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But does that automatically mean that cholesterol itself is the root
cause, and must be kept at a minimum to prevent plaque formation?</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The answer is “no.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Missing from this hypothesis is the holistic understanding of how
cholesterol operates inside your body, and why arterial plaques form in
the first place. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Cholesterol is actually a critical part of your body’s foundational
building materials and is absolutely essential for optimal health. </blockquote>
The article summarizes points made in an accompanying 48-minute video interview with Dr. Robert Rowen, who practices medicine in Santa Rosa, Calif. I haven't watched the video yet, but I am eager to do so.Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-75753768931987667502011-10-12T13:50:00.002-05:002011-10-12T14:07:53.450-05:00Los Angeles Times: Harvard's Willett and others say to fear sugar, not fat<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-carbs-20101220">A reversal on carbs</a><br />
Dec. 20, 2010<br />
Los Angeles Times<br />
<br />
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-carbs-20101220<br />
<br />
Marni Jameson wrote the following. Great job, Ms. Jameson! Thanks for telling it like it is, without any cautionary "...but just in case..." obligatory quote from some antifat "authority" at the end.<br />
<blockquote>Most people can count calories. Many have a clue about where fat lurks in their diets. However, fewer give carbohydrates much thought, or know why they should.<br />
<br />
But a growing number of top nutritional scientists blame excessive carbohydrates — not fat — for America's ills. They say cutting carbohydrates is the key to reversing obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.<br />
<br />
"Fat is not the problem," says Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases."<br />
<br />
It's a confusing message. For years we've been fed the line that eating fat would make us fat and lead to chronic illnesses. "Dietary fat used to be public enemy No. 1," says Dr. Edward Saltzman, associate professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University. "Now a growing and convincing body of science is pointing the finger at carbs, especially those containing refined flour and sugar."<br />
<br />
Americans, on average, eat 250 to 300 grams of carbs a day, accounting for about 55% of their caloric intake. The most conservative recommendations say they should eat half that amount. Consumption of carbohydrates has increased over the years with the help of a 30-year-old, government-mandated message to cut fat.<br />
<br />
And the nation's levels of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease have risen. "The country's big low-fat message backfired," says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "The overemphasis on reducing fat caused the consumption of carbohydrates and sugar in our diets to soar. That shift may be linked to the biggest health problems in America today."<br />
Tell us what you think: Are carbs to blame? Add your own comments to the discussion. —<br />
<br />
To understand what's behind the upheaval takes some basic understanding of food and metabolism.<br />
<br />
All carbohydrates (a category including sugars) convert to sugar in the blood, and the more refined the carbs are, the quicker the conversion goes. When you eat a glazed doughnut or a serving of mashed potatoes, it turns into blood sugar very quickly. To manage the blood sugar, the pancreas produces insulin, which moves sugar into cells, where it's stored as fuel in the form of glycogen.<br />
<br />
If you have a perfectly healthy metabolism, the system works beautifully, says Dr. Stephen Phinney, a nutritional biochemist and an emeritus professor of UC Davis who has studied carbohydrates for 30 years. "However, over time, as our bodies get tired of processing high loads of carbs, which evolution didn't prepare us for … how the body responds to insulin can change," he says.<br />
<br />
When cells become more resistant to those insulin instructions, the pancreas needs to make more insulin to push the same amount of glucose into cells. As people become insulin resistant, carbs become a bigger challenge for the body. When the pancreas gets exhausted and can't produce enough insulin to keep up with the glucose in the blood, diabetes develops.<br />
<br />
The first sign of insulin resistance is a condition called metabolic syndrome — a red flag that diabetes, and possibly heart disease, is just around the corner. People are said to have the syndrome when they have three or more of the following: high blood triglycerides (more than 150 mg); high blood pressure (over 135/85); central obesity (a waist circumference in men of more than 40 inches and in women, more than 35 inches); low HDL cholesterol (under 40 in men, under 50 in women); or elevated fasting glucose.<br />
<br />
About one-fourth of adults has three or more of these symptoms.<br />
<br />
"Put these people on a low-carb diet and they'll not only lose weight, which always helps these conditions, but their blood levels will improve," Phinney says. In a 12-week study published in 2008, Phinney and his colleagues put 40 overweight or obese men and women with metabolic syndrome on a 1,500-calorie diet. Half went on a low-fat, high-carb diet. The others went on a low-carb, high-fat diet. The low-fat group consumed 12 grams of saturated fat a day out of a total of 40 grams of fat, while the low-carb group ate 36 grams of saturated fat a day — three times more — out of a total of 100 grams of fat.<br />
<br />
Despite all the extra saturated fat the low-carb group was getting, at the end of the 12 weeks, levels of triglycerides (which are risk factors for heart disease) had dropped by 50% in this group. Levels of good HDL cholesterol increased by 15%.<br />
<br />
In the low-fat, high-carb group, triglycerides dropped only 20% and there was no change in HDL.<br />
<br />
The take-home message from this study and others like it is that — contrary to what many expect — dietary fat intake is not directly related to blood fat. Rather, the amount of carbohydrates in the diet appears to be a potent contributor.</blockquote>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-43900633601645017052011-07-20T20:56:00.001-05:002011-07-20T20:58:45.292-05:00Gary Taubes on Salt: Shake off Your Worries!This one is hard to find sometimes. Gary Taubes's piece on salt was a winner of the 1999 Science in Society Journalism Awards.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.nasw.org/sites/default/files/Taubes%20part%201_%20The%20salt%20controversy.pdf">The (Political) Science of Salt</a> <br />
<a href="https://www.nasw.org/sites/default/files/Taubes%20part%201_%20The%20salt%20controversy.pdf">https://www.nasw.org/sites/default/files/Taubes%20part%201_%20The%20salt%20controversy.pdf</a><br />
<br />
It seems that salt, for some reason, is commonly feared even by cholesterol skeptics who embrace a high-fat, low-carb diet, who know well how misleading and misled the common nutritional talking points are. Dunno why. The links between high sodium and blood pressure problems are even weaker than those between high cholesterol and heart problems. If such a thing is possible.<br />
<br />
Read this. It's the article that, I believe, sent Gary Taubes down the rabbit hole. And I'm so glad it did.Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-65933297795558896372011-03-11T10:17:00.001-06:002011-03-11T10:17:54.320-06:00Web Exclusive: Dr. Oz and Gary Taubes Debate Exercise<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI5OTg2MDI*MzM3NiZwdD*xMjk5ODYwMjcwMjk5JnA9NzE*NDgxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTEmbz*5MmM*Njg4MmVkZDA*/MjBmOGEyM2NjZTYyMWI4ZTY*MCZvZj*w.gif" /> <a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/web-exclusive-dr-oz-and-gary-taubes-debate-exercise" class="active"><img src="http://cache.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/300x200/media/image_thumb/Web_exclusive_Oz_and_GarySTILL.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-300x200"></a><div>As Dr. Oz’s outspoken adversary, Gary Taubes’ theories go against Dr. Oz’s most fervent beliefs. In this web exclusive segment, Gary explains...</div>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-92185196442785349522011-03-11T10:16:00.001-06:002011-03-11T10:16:46.837-06:00The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong, Pt 3.<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI5OTg2MDEzODcwNyZwdD*xMjk5ODYwMjAwMTgzJnA9NzE*NDgxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTEmbz*5MmM*Njg4MmVkZDA*/MjBmOGEyM2NjZTYyMWI4ZTY*MCZvZj*w.gif" /> <a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/man-who-thinks-everything-dr-oz-says-wrong-pt-3" class="active"><img src="http://cache.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/300x200/media/image_thumb/2_113_1-3_Man_who_thinks_Dr_oz_is_WrongSTILL.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-300x200"></a><div>Award-winning science writer Gary Taubes disagrees with the medical community’s most basic rules of dieting. Here, Gary challenges Dr. Oz to ...</div>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-92058741055815131782011-03-11T10:15:00.001-06:002011-03-11T10:15:21.876-06:00The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong, Pt 2.<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI5OTg2MDA4ODg1MSZwdD*xMjk5ODYwMTE4MjY4JnA9NzE*NDgxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTEmbz*5MmM*Njg4MmVkZDA*/MjBmOGEyM2NjZTYyMWI4ZTY*MCZvZj*w.gif" /> <a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/man-who-thinks-everything-dr-oz-says-wrong-pt-2" class="active"><img src="http://cache.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/300x200/media/image_thumb/2_113_1-2_Man_who_thinks_Dr_oz_is_WrongSTILL.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-300x200"></a><div>Award-winning science writer Gary Taubes disagrees with the medical community’s most basic rules of dieting. Here, Gary challenges Dr. Oz to ...</div>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-50706686835623833562011-03-11T10:14:00.001-06:002011-03-11T10:14:30.253-06:00The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong, Pt 1.<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI5OTg2MDAwMzM3MyZwdD*xMjk5ODYwMDYzODU*JnA9NzE*NDgxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTEmbz*5MmM*Njg4MmVkZDA*/MjBmOGEyM2NjZTYyMWI4ZTY*MCZvZj*w.gif" /> <a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/man-who-thinks-everything-dr-oz-says-wrong-pt-1" class="active"><img src="http://cache.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/300x200/media/image_thumb/2_113_1-1_Man_who_thinks_Dr_oz_is_WrongSTILL.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-300x200"></a><div>Award-winning science writer Gary Taubes disagrees with the medical community’s most basic rules of dieting. Here, Gary challenges Dr. Oz to...</div>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-48194640246659049162011-03-11T07:10:00.000-06:002011-03-11T07:10:13.716-06:00Gary Taubes on Dr. Oz's TV showThe Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says is Wrong -- that's the hyperbolic title of the TV episode from February, 2011. At time of this writing, it's been removed from YouTube. Here's a link to a portion of it from the Dr. Oz TV show website.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/man-who-thinks-everything-dr-oz-says-wrong-pt-1">The Man Who Thinks Every Dr. Oz Says is Wrong, Part I</a><br />
<br />
Gary Taubes is the award-winning science journalist whose works on nutrition and diet include the NY Times article Big Fat Lies and the books Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat.Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-46961379818805451512011-03-03T09:20:00.000-06:002011-03-03T09:20:05.205-06:00Gary Taubes on Dr. Oz's radio showGary Taubes appeared on the radio show of Dr. Mehmet Oz on Feb. 24, 2011. The news peg was Gary's new book, Why We Get Fat -- which I got for my birthday and am reading happily.<br />
<br />
Jimmy Moore, of the Livin' La Vida Low-Carb blog, podcast and video podcasts, has posted the Taubes interview in two parts on YouTube. Here are the links.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lMUGUZ3EEEo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/Sbw_8vRvbg0/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sbw_8vRvbg0&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sbw_8vRvbg0&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<br />
Find Gary's new book here:<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lowcarbarama-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0307272702&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-30111792341403222692010-07-24T17:44:00.001-05:002010-07-24T17:45:44.806-05:00Carb mouthwash?Finally, a good use for carbohydrate in sports?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/health/nutrition/20best.html?ex=1295409600&en=53113020ded4026d&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=HL-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M159-ROS-0710-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click">Personal Best: With This Rinse, Performance Improve</a> by <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gina_Kolata" rel="wikipedia nofollow" title="Gina Kolata">Gina Kolata</a>, in the New York Times. Yes, Gina Kolata, she of the disappointing hatchet job review of "<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diet_Delusion" rel="wikipedia nofollow" title="The Diet Delusion">Good Calories, Bad Calories</a>." It seems that athletes who rinse their mouths with a carbohydrate-water solution get the same performance boost as those who just drink the stuff. And somehow, artificial sweetener doesn't produce the boost.<br />
<br />
I first heard of this experiment -- or perhaps it was just one like it -- on the podcast of the science <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio" rel="wikipedia nofollow" title="Radio">radio</a> show <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/">WNYC RadioLab</a>. Interesting stuff. I wonder if the same effect would be found whether or not the athlete is carb-burning or fat-burning. I will have to try to figure out which episode it was. If anyone knows, please drop a comment -- thanks.<br />
<div class="zemanta-related"><h6 class="zemanta-related-title" style="font-size: 1em; margin: 1em 0pt 0pt;">Related articles by Zemanta</h6><ul class="zemanta-article-ul"><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/a-carb-boost-without-the-carbs/?partner=rss&emc=rss" rel="nofollow">A Carb Boost Without the Carbs</a> (well.blogs.nytimes.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://shortformblog.com/offbeat/swigging-carbohydrates-the-new-gatorade-scientists-say-so" rel="nofollow">Swigging carbohydrates = The new Gatorade? Scientists say so</a> (shortformblog.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.patspapers.com/blog/item/the_health_benefits_of_the_slurpee/" rel="nofollow">The Health Benefits of the Slurpee</a> (patspapers.com)</li>
</ul></div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=35bb129b-80c1-45c3-85f4-9350b0e60d7c" style="border: medium none; float: right;" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script defer="defer" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></span></div>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-47285914398981549642010-07-20T09:05:00.000-05:002010-07-20T09:11:16.094-05:00Karbs for Kids: More must be better!The USDA released its 2010 dietary guidelines and everyone is horrified who knows the harm of an excess of carbs and a deficit of fat in the human diet.<br />
<br />
Meantime, I dropped off my child at his summer enrichment program this morning. We strolled through the cafeteria, where he can share in the breakfast they offer, if we wish. It was early, and I took a look at the plastic trays set out ready for the children soon to arrive. I also peeked inside the milk locker.<br />
<br />
Here's what they consider a suitable breakfast for children. Remember that this is in accordance with the current USDA recommendations. It is difficult, very difficult, for me to imagine how it could be even worse, but that's what the new guidelines promise.<br />
<br />
Three doughnut holes<br />
A heap of fruit cocktail, apparently from a can. I would estimate 1/3 to 1/2 cup<br />
Choice of fat-free milk (30g carb, 28g as sugar per 8-ounce serving) or 1% fat chocolate milk whose second ingredient is high-fructose corn syrup<br />
<br />
It is a recipe for diabetes, obesity, heart disease, behavioral problems. Name the modern pandemic, this breakfast will help you get there.<br />
<br />
Think it can't get any worse? Here's a great post from Tom Naughton about the newer guidelines:<br />
<a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2010/07/19/2010-dietary-guidlines-carbohydrates-are-wonderful">Carbohydrates Are Wonderful</a>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-43600966413457161342010-07-11T08:03:00.000-05:002010-07-11T08:07:52.799-05:00Pandora's Seed<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lowcarbarama-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400062152&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
I just found out about this book via my Audible recommendation. It looks really interesting. I am curious to see how it compares to and relates to <i>Guns, Germs and Steel,</i> which also explores the some of the devastating effects brought on by the advent of agriculture.<br />
<br />
From <i>Publisher's Weekly, </i>June 8, 2010, as presented on the Amazon.com page for <i>Pandora's Seed:</i><br />
<br />
"More food but also disease, craziness, and anomie resulted from the agricultural revolution, according to this diffuse meditation on progress and its discontents. Wells (<i>The Journey of Man</i>), a geneticist, anthropologist, and National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence, voices misgivings about the breakthrough to farming 10,000 years ago, spurred by climate change. The food supply was more stable, but caused populations to explode; epidemics flourished because of overcrowding and proximity to farm animals; despotic governments emerged to organize agricultural production; and warfare erupted over farming settlements. Then came urbanism and modernity, which clashed even more intensely with our nomadic hunter-gatherer nature."Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-26864515978927038982010-03-12T11:10:00.000-06:002010-03-24T15:12:19.509-05:00MSNBC on the new Atkins book<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=lowcarbarama-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1439190275&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<br />
MSNBC Online pans the new Atkins diet book with the usual alarmism, misunderstanding (for instance, that Atkins is a high-protein diet, whereas it's actually a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet), appeal to baseless dietary guidelines (this diet recommends eating less carbohydrate than the U.S. government recommends -- what a shocker!) , and reference to flawed or misconstrued studies.<br />
<br />
Here's the link to the article, titled "<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35819203/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/">New Atkins Diet — a Protein Overload? A steak may satisfy, but it's not a weight-loss secret weapon.</a>"<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35819203/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35819203/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/</a><br />
<br />
The article is written by Elisa Zied, R.D., who is identified as an MSNBC co-contributor in her byline at the top of the article, but who is revealed as a "spokesperson" for the American Dietetic Association at article's end. That should tell you everything you need to expect about her point of view.<br />
<br />
My only hope is that, with all her complaining about how the diet makes you lose weight fast while not feeling hungry, she will inadvertently lead people <span style="font-style: italic;">to </span>the book instead of away from it.<br />
<br />
It's almost cute. According to this article and its headline, a steak is not a secret weapon for weight loss -- except that it is.<br />
<br />
Here's the book's Amazon link.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Atkins-You-Ultimate-Shedding/dp/1439190275?ie=UTF8&tag=lowcarbarama-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lowcarbarama-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1439190275" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
The authors are doctors Eric C. Westman, Stephen D. Phinney, Jeff S. Volek. Dr. Westman was interviewed on Jimmy Moore's Livin La Vida Low Carb Podcast in February. Check it out <a href="http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/1638/dr-eric-westman-explains-the-most-important-book-of-2010-episode-338/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Another place to learn more about a carbohydrate-restricted approach to diet, health and weight loss can be found at my friend Misty Humphrey's new site, <a href="http://free-healthy-diet-plans.com/">free-healthy-diet-plans.com</a>.Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-60764681251514175462010-02-04T11:47:00.001-06:002010-02-04T11:48:54.687-06:00Carbs are the culprit<p>A phrase for today:<br /><br />Carbs are the culprit.<br /><br />(Nothing to add. I just thought it was a good phrase, and I didn't want to forget it before I wrote it down!)Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-90802250552753961732010-02-03T06:40:00.000-06:002010-02-03T14:51:45.243-06:00"Purity and quanity" of modern sugar and fat<p></p><p>In his blog post <a href="http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/12/31/the-unwisdom-of-john-mackey/">The Unwisdom of John Mackey</a> Seth Roberts wrote:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>John Mackey is the founder of Whole Foods, a business I greatly respect. But he’s not always right.</p> <blockquote><p>“You only love animal fat because you’re used to it,” he said. “You’re addicted.”</p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p>Well put, Seth. The rest of his post is worth reading, as is the comment thread below.</p><p>I commented in response to the following comment (which was not made by Seth):<br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p>The conventional wisdom is that sugar other than honey and fat other than blubber weren’t available in modern quantities and purities until agriculture.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>My comment follows:<br /></p><p>Sugar *including* honey was not available in modern quantities and purities until recently. Agriculture was invented some 10,000 years ago. Sugar became cheap and plentiful with the advent of the European powers developing warm-weather colonies around the globe suitable for sugar plantations. Honey became cheap and plentiful much later.</p> <p>The 19th century saw the invention of human-made beehives with removable, replaceable square frames that bees spontaneously fill with honey. Until then, humans had to smash a beehive (and usually kill the bees) to get at the honey. Honey in any controllable, scalable quantity dates only from that time.</p> <p>Modern, large-scale, commercial beekeeping involves keeping a cheap syrup solution near the beehives for the bees to visit. Cheap honey comes from bees that never lit upon a flower. I suppose you could call the resulting product “pure” in that it is simpler, lacking the complexity of wild or artisanal honey, in content and in taste.</p> <p>As far as the “purity” of modern fat, I don’t understand what is meant by this. True, olive oil has been available in large quantities since the dawn of the agriculture. (Only in its “extra-virgin” form, though.) But modern plant oils, like canola and cottonseed, are the result of complex, high-tech processes like bleaching and hydrogenation that result in substances that may appear “pure” to the naked eye, but they are so altered from any naturally occurring fats that our animal bodies cannot safely metabolize them. The problem with them does not inhere in their quantity, but in their quality: they are not fit to eat.</p> <p>Why marginalize blubber? The fat of many types of marine fauna supported the human race throughout our history. Arguably, it was eating all those high fat creatures so easily captured along shorelines that enabled our brains to grow big enough for us to figure out how to hunt down faster, stronger land creatures. Humans have long thrived on a lot more fat than many well-meaning people allow themselves today. </p>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-61127396415786858422010-02-02T05:13:00.000-06:002010-04-13T12:56:50.860-05:00Authority versus humble reasoningThis quote comes from my A.Word.A.Day e-mail from <a href="http://wordsmith.org/">wordsmith.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.<br />
<br />
- Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer (1564-1642)</blockquote><br />
<br />
It got me thinking about the processes that have shaped modern mainstream thinking about diet, especially as the 2010 USDA dietary guidelines are being formulated. The <a href="http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAsMeeting5.htm">fifth meeting of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee</a> will take place Feb. 9-10. You can attend via Webinar.<br />
<br />
Not a single researcher or other representative of a reduced carbohydrate, raised fat point of view was included on the panel, despite several excellent candidacies, which I think included such important figures as Dr. Jeff Volek, Dr. Mary C. Vernon and Dr. Eric Westman, among others.<br />
<br />
Instead we have the sorts of people who say that there's no real difference between the impact of high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose on the body.<br />
<br />
No difference? One is processed directly by the liver, while the other isn't. The liver. That thing people are getting transplants for. That sounds important to me. We have people who say that it's not a problem if up to 25% of our total caloric impact comes from HFCS -- a substance unknown to the human body until a few brief decades ago.<br />
<br />
We have people saying that total fat intake should be reduced still further, down perhaps as low as 7.5%.<br />
<br />
Authoritative bodies such as the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, the Centers for Disease Control, the Mayo Clinic, the United States Department of Agriculture and on and on have been proclaiming for decades that dietary fat is our enemy. They say that our modern woes come from to the saturated fats and animal foods on which our species has flourished since time immemorial.<br />
<br />
They say that refined vegetable oils are the answer to our troubles. They propose the preposterous idea that our bodies not only can use, but <span style="font-style: italic;">require</span>, substances impossible to come by previous to 20th century industrial technology.<br />
<br />
They leave implicit the notion that the proper human diet is mostly made up of grains, and center on a tangent: whether the grains can be refined or must be left whole.<br />
<br />
They assert most of our energy should be taken in as carbohydrate, and as little as possible from fat, despite the record of human history and despite the inability of countless researchers working for scores of years to find any evidence for this recommendation.<br />
<br />
And they selectively, consistently, ignore scientific results from colleagues who follow the data towards the support of an alternative hypothesis.<br />
<br />
It matters not how weighty and ponderous are these authoritative bodies. What matters is the humble reasoning of individuals.<br />
<br />
A developing site dedicated to just such research-based reasoning can be found at <a href="http://myimsonline.com/">Innovative Metabolic Solutions</a>, a project of Drs. Vernon and Westman and science journalist Gary Taubes. I learned about it through <a href="http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/1500/dr-mary-vernon-327/">Dr. Vernon's recent appearance</a> on Jimmy Moore's podcast. Check it out for some actual information about the interplay of diet, health and the chronic conditions debilitating so many members of our society today.Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-58723460045762658282010-01-04T20:48:00.000-06:002010-01-04T20:48:25.930-06:00How shellfish saved the human race Boing Boing<a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2009/12/16/how-shellfish-saved.html">How shellfish saved the human race Boing Boing</a>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-82674322128944333342009-12-23T11:46:00.000-06:002009-12-23T12:42:04.472-06:00Ketogenic Diets and Physical Performance<p><p>There's a good chance someone you know has told you, "Low carb! I tried that, and I felt horrible." Further conversation will reveal that your friend switched abruptly from eating lots of carbs -- if not in the form of sugar, then definitely in the form of starch: bread, pasta, potatoes and so forth -- to eating virtually no carbohydrate at all. Whatever the ratio of protein to fat in the diet your friend jumped into, the resulting effects included lethargy, hunger, muscle weakness. Further conversation will, no doubt, also reveal that your friend did little reading, followed no particular author or doctor's plan, and simply winged it, with little information and less understanding about how and why reducing carbohydrates leads to fat loss, and what it takes to adjust your metabolism to this new regimen without suffering. Or even any understanding that a low-carb diet is healthier overall, not just a quick way to weight loss.</p><p><p>Or you may have heard that studies show the benefits of carb-loading for exercise, or that carbohydrate provides better fuel than dietary fat for exercise.</p><div><p>The key concept missing in all this is "keto-adaptation." It takes time to adjust after carbohydrate consumption is cut down. That means that studies lasting less than a week don't really show how well the body works in the absence of carbs; they only show how rocky the withdrawal phase can be.</div><div><br /></div><div><p>Here's a paper that expands on this topics, explaining what the studies really show. It's easy to read and has lots of good info.</div><div><br /></div><div><p><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/272/">Ketogenic diets and physical performance</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/272/"></a><p>Stephen Phinney wrote this paper, which appears on the National Institutes for Health (NIH) Web site, and was published by Nutrition and Metabolism (London) in 2004. It appears on the NIH site courtesy of BioMed Central.</div><div><br /></div><div><p>Thanks to Richard Tamesis, M.D, whose comment on this <a href="http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/supplements/protexid-and-protexid-nd-and-adventures-in-dr/">Protein Power post on a natural treatment for GERD</a> led me to Phinney's paper.</div><div><br /></div><div><p>Dr. Phinney was featured in the "Atkins Nutritionals Teleconference Call with Dr. Stephen Phinney and Dr. Jeff Volek in Episodes 170, 171 and 172 of Jimmy Moore's spectacular<a href="http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes"> Livin' La Vida Low Carb</a> podcast show. At the time of this posting, I am unable to access the podcast files from Jimmy's site, but if you contact me via the comments field, I'll do my best to get the MP3 files to you.<p></p><p></p></div>lowcarbaramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11804337790359927782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-80118063522575182742008-09-25T06:07:00.000-05:002008-09-25T06:17:41.365-05:00What's become of Mediterranean Diet Central?<p>A lot has changed since the famous Seven Countries Study, in which Ancel Keyes creatively presented data that would support his hypothesis that a diet high in saturated fat leads to heart disease, and that a diet low in saturated fat protects against it.<br /><br />Rosenthal, who evidently hasn't read Good Calories, Bad Calories, mistakenly dates the identification of Crete as an exemplar of good nutrition from the early 1990s, but Keyes put forth his views in the 1950s.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/24/europe/diet.php">http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/24/europe/diet.php</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Flood of junk food puts Greeks at risk<br /></span>By Elisabeth Rosenthal<br />Published: September 24, 2008<br />International Herald Tribune (an international version of the New York Times)<br /><br /><br />Excerpt:</p><p><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><blockquote>KASTELI, Greece: Dr. Michalis Stagourakis has seen a transformation of his pediatric practice here over the past three years. The usual sniffles and stomachaches of childhood are now suddenly interspersed with far more serious conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. A changing diet, he says, has produced an epidemic of obesity and related maladies.<br /><br />Small towns like this one in western Crete, considered the birthplace of the famously healthful Mediterranean diet - emphasizing olive oil, fresh produce and fish - are now overflowing with chocolate shops, pizza places, ice cream parlors, soda machines and fast-food joints....</blockquote></span></p>Vesna VKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064900795747489085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-28268180341920532842008-06-21T08:08:00.000-05:002008-06-21T08:15:38.608-05:00The conversion of a raw vegan familyIn the UK Independent:<br /><br />"How our vegan diet made us ill"<br /><p>By Natasha Mann<br />June 17, 2008<br /><br /><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-living/how-our-vegan-diet-made-us-ill-848322.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-living/how-our-vegan-diet-made-us-ill-848322.html</a><br /><br />Excerpt:<br /><blockquote>One morning over breakfast, Holly Paige looked at her daughter and realised things weren't right. Lizzie should have been flourishing. Instead, her cheeks were pinched, she was small for her age, and although she had skinny arms and legs, her belly was big and swollen. When Lizzie smiled, Paige suddenly noticed her upper front teeth were pitted with holes.<br /><br />"I was absolutely horrified," recalls Paige.<br /><br />At the time, Paige was feeding them what she thought was the most nutritious diet possible. They had been raw vegans for three years, and ate plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, soya and pulses, but no meat, fish or dairy. <br /></blockquote><br /><br /><p>Thanks to renegadediabetic at livinlowcarbdiscussion.com forum for the tip.lowcarbaramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11804337790359927782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947348775008800118.post-15348246033350657842008-05-06T06:45:00.000-05:002008-05-06T06:53:09.286-05:00Epidemiologist Paul Marantz criticizes dietary guidelinesHere's the Feb. 13 podcast of Scientific American.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=13BE8F96-CC52-62E0-362994556CDDD508">Fat Chance: Do Dietary Guidelines Actually Contribute to Obesity</a>?<br /><br />http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=13BE8F96-CC52-62E0-362994556CDDD508<br /><br />Paul Marantz criticizes the dietary guidelines to reduce dietary fat, as well as the standard practice of treating markers for disease (cholesterol levels, blood pressure) rather than the diseases themselves. Here's he's interviewed by Steve Mirsky in the weekly podcast, Science Talk.<br /><br />The link above will take you to a written transcript, as well as a link to the audio podcast.<br /><br />Thanks for laughingW on the Protein Power forum for mentioning it in this thread about whole grains.<br /><br /><a href="http://proteinpower.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4760">http://proteinpower.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4760</a>lowcarbaramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11804337790359927782noreply@blogger.com0