tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19589127247079462152024-03-13T03:03:54.203-07:00Dr James Carlson Low Carb Nutritional ExpertDrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-1574499334551399922013-07-27T06:54:00.000-07:002013-07-27T17:20:48.345-07:00The Ignorance Continues! A Very Important Question...or, Shame On You Grandma!I was reviewing my comment sections and came across this recent question regarding the Paleo lifestyle. I'll post the question first then my reaction....ummm, I mean response. I must admit when I read this question my immediate visceral response was a vehement "Are you kidding me!!??" directed at the profoundly ignorant biological grandmother, who represents, unfortunately, the abysmally and continually ignorant majority. Any ways, here's the question;<br />
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<span class="datetime secondary-text"><a href="http://drjamescarlson.blogspot.com/2013/05/genocide-how-your-doctors-dietary.html?showComment=1373987427875#c279955847102292505" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #99ddff;">July 16, 2013 at 8:10 AM</span></a></span></div>
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<em>Dr. Carlson,<br /><br />My question was about feeding a 3 year old child a low carb paleo diet. My girlfriend and I follow a low carb paleo diet, not for weight loss purposes but rather for overall health and wellness. Our diet consists mainly of meat (chicken, beef, pork, turkey, fish), non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and so forth), eggs, nuts (raw mixed nuts), cheese (usually aged cheddar), low sugar fruits (mostly berries), and the occasional dessert (dark chocolate, ice cream). Naturally, my girlfriend's child eats the same food that we do.<br /><br />Based on the research I have done this type of diet is ideal not only for adults but children as well. However, the child's biological grandmother is alleging that the diet we feed the child is a form of child abuse because it restricts, among other things, whole grains. She has stated an intention to make it an issue in family court and has already contacted CPS. Accordingly, I am feeling a pressing need to contact a low carb pediatric expert and get advice on the diet that we follow.<br /><br />I understand that without seeing the child in person you couldn't make any pronouncement about the child's health but I was hoping to get a statement on the safety of the diet for a child in general. Again, it isn't for weight loss purposes, but only overall health. It is our desire to instill healthy eating habits into the child while he is young and to ensure that he develops into a healthy adult who will avoid things like diabetes, obesity and other problems associated with the standard American diet in the long run.<br /><br />Thank you very much for your time sir.</em></div>
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Hello There,</div>
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Sorry it took me so long to respond but when I finally got to your question it invoked a ton of deep emotions in me, I had to make a Blog post of my answer. Let me cut to the chase; <strong>DO NOT EVER STOP FEEDING YOUR CHILD THE WAY YOU ARE FEEDING THEM!!!!</strong></div>
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I hope the bolded locked caps emphasized my point. Hey, when you're right, you're right and you are right! You're research led you down the correct path to understanding the proper way to eat and I congratulate you. Both you and your girlfriend are feeding your children exactly the way they should be eating. OK, I'm not much of a carrot fan because of the high sugar content, but I really cannot complain much because all the other food is right on track.</div>
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So the biological grandmother is going to make an issue of how you're feeding your child in family court, and has already contacted CPS because you're not feeding the kid whole grains? </div>
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Really? Really?? Really!!!??? </div>
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Holy WOW! </div>
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It's obviously apparent this grandma has no idea that sugar is sugar is sugar. That cholesterol and fat production starts with sugar; both glucose and fructose. She has no idea of the glycolytic pathway and how acetyl coenzyme A, derived from sugar, will ultimately be transformed into both cholesterol & fat. But then again, why would she? Most physicians, dieticians and nutritionists also have no clue as to the correct way to eat, so why would grandma?</div>
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To make the suggestion or even the slightest innuendo that whole grains are good for us is just plain wrong! The fact is that the consumption of whole grains, multi grains, seven grains, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, yogurt, oat meal and fruit <strong>ARE THE REASONS HEART DISEASE IS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER; WHY WE AMERICANS ARE GETTING FATTER AND FATTER AND WHY THE PREVALENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IS SKY ROCKETING!!!!</strong></div>
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So for those of you who think these aforementioned foods are OK, go ahead and eat them and make the drug companies richer. Because the end result is just that; you're going to need a ton of medications to treat the diseases you'll bestow upon yourself by eating those poisons. So congratulations! And don't you dare suggest to those of us who understand the correct way to eat to eat whole grains because <strong>YOU </strong>are wrong, not us!</div>
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No, I am not a low carb pediatric expert, but I am a Board Certified Family Physician in practice for over 20 years, with prior undergraduate training in biochemistry and molecular cellular biology. I have been placing patients of all ages on a low carb Paleo way of eating for over 16 years. I have lost track of the success stories over this time frame but what I do know is the following;</div>
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If you want heart disease follow how the American Heart Association tells you to eat. If you want diabetes or to have your diabetes poorly controlled, follow how the American Diabetes or American Dietetic Association(s) tell you to eat; and finally, if you want to increase your risk for cancer follow how the American Cancer Society tells you to eat. And no, the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute, the ridiculous 'My Plate' campaign, the Surgeon General and Dr. Oz will not escape my wrath because all of you are incorrect as well.</div>
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The foolishness has got to stop!</div>
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From the misinterpreted rabbit study to the manipulated seven country study up to and including the ignorant McGovern report, our country has been brainwashed into thinking whole grains and fruit are good for us and that we need to avoid that nefarious, pernicious grass feed cow. And don't even think about eating those cage, antibiotic and hormone free eggs, because you will die a horrific, tragic and almost immediate death!</div>
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The answer is that we all need to be eating and feeding our children exactly the way this individual is eating and feeding his child! And even though my blog posts are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness, I will be happy to testify on your behalf in Family Court and even in front of the CPS if you wish. It would be my honor! You just have to provide the steak and eggs :-) </div>
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My final words, <strong>SHAME ON YOU GRANDMA! </strong> I should contact child <em>and</em> adult protective services on you for making the suggestion anyone should eat whole grains.</div>
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And so my rant for today has finally come to an end. Enjoy your weekend everyone!</div>
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dr jim :-)</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374932465&sr=8-1&keywords=genocide+how+your" target="_blank">Author; GENOCIDE: How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You!!!! (available in paper & Kindle)</a></div>
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<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-77258182448763008102013-05-28T09:36:00.000-07:002013-05-28T09:36:23.091-07:00GENOCIDE: HOW YOUR DOCTOR'S DIETARY IGNORANCE WILL KILL YOU!!!! Now on KINDLE!Took me awhile but I finally created the Kindle version! Yay!<br />
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dr jim :-)DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-44870601167875830322013-05-06T09:41:00.001-07:002013-05-06T09:41:13.802-07:00KETONES, KETOSIS AND FAT...OH MY! <span style="font-size: large;">Here was a great question sent to me in regards to ketosis;</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>I’ve had a great deal of difficulty finding a straight answer
regarding ketosis. Not ketone production; but specifically what the levels
really mean – what to look out for – and do you really need to be in ketosis?
Let alone, all the time? <br /><br />More important to me though, is not being able
to find studies / info that talk to Low Carb and young children. LC is so
'taboo' in American society; people seem to be fearful to say its ok for kids
too. It should be though, am I right? (All those years of brain washing by
industry have left me doubtful - could I be hurting my children by having them
avoid excessive carbs? - Stevia is great - but is Splenda ok for them?) The
other day I walked into my son's Beaver Scout meeting to see the "dreaded"
Canadian Food Guide on the wall (don't even get me started). Turns out teachers
don’t appreciate it when a 6 year old advises the information is incorrect.
*laughing to myself*. I want to be sure that my kids have the right information
on how-to-eat so that they will always be able to make informed decisions. I
want to know if ketosis is a state that is ok for children. Can levels ever be
too high? Does it need to be monitored? I very sincerely appreciate any insight.
<br /><br />Your loyal reader/follower ~</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Physicians who are first learning about low carbs will often confuse benign dietary ketosis with the life threatening diabetic ketoacidosis. Benign dietary ketosis is just that, benign, and it has nothing to do with diabetic ketoacidosis. In fact, the only similarity between the two is that both have the 4 letters 'keto' shared among the terms, but that's where the similarity ends. Oh, and a 'sis' and a 'di' and a couple t's etc....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Benign dietary ketosis occurs when one is using free fatty acids for the creation of the universal energy source ATP. Not that I want to get too biochemical on anyone, but notice I am refraining from using the word 'burn', i.e. as in 'burning' fat for fuel. There is absolutely no burning of anything going on here. What is occurring is that the free fatty acid is being broken down by enzymes which cleave off 2 carbon fragments at a time from the fatty acid. These two carbon fragments are referred to as acetylCoA, which then enter a pathway referred to as the Kreb's cycle, where ATP is produced. Of course there is creation of other biomolecules e.g. FADH, NADH, but I want to limit our discussion to where the term ketosis applies. The term used in biochemistry to describe the whittling away of fatty acids to create ATP is referred to as beta oxidation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is when our bodies use the beta oxidation pathway to create ATP that ketones are created. Ketosis simply means we are creating ketones because we are using free fatty acids for the creation of energy. Here are a few interesting points; in order for the 2 carbon fragments to enter the Kreb's cycle, some carbs need to be consumed. This is because the acetylCoA molecules neeed to combine with another molecule called oxaloacetate in order to get into the Kreb's cycle. Since our bodies can only make oxaloacetate from sugar (glucose and/or fructose), some carbs need to be consumed in order to keep the cycle going. This is why I often will repeat to my patients to not do <em>no carbs</em> and try to get at least 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrates a day. Another interesting point is that our bodies can use ketones for fuel e.g. heart, kidney (renal cortex), respiratory muscles and brain. (Berg, Biochemistry,7th. edition, pp 654-655.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now I know the question wasn't really asking me about how ketones are produced, I just wanted to provide a brief run down on how and why ketones appear in our blood; and I also want to point out that I am not talking about diabetic ketoacidosis, I will discuss that condition further below; here I am focusing on benign dietary ketosis only.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what do the levels mean?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The level of ketosis can be measured by performing blood work or by checking the urine. There are strips on the market which check for ketones in the urine and a lot of people who start low carbs purchase these strips. The problem with these strips is that some people, even if they are in the beta-oxidative pathway and losing weight, may test negative. This is because some people's physiologies are better at utilizing ketones than others, resulting in a negative result on the ketostix and causing confusion. I generally tell my patients to not get these strips because if they are losing weight they have to be utilizing fat for the creation of ATP, so it's a waste of time and money to get them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So basically I don't even have my patients check their ketone levels at all, so I'm not concerned about how high (or low) the levels are. Those of us eating more fat and less carbs will tip the biochemical scales in favor of ketone creation and again, I'm not concerned about the level in <em>benign dietary ketosis.</em> We can generally remain in ketosis for our whole lives and I remember reading somewhere Eskimos (Inuit?) eating their native diet stay in ketosis their entire lives. As far as if we really need to be in ketosis my answer is that you will be, so long you are eating more fat and less carbs, it's a biochemical certainty. Remember that when we are eating lower carbs and more fat we are also secreting less insulin and influencing enzymes (HMG-CoA, acetyl CoA carboxylase, Hormone sensitive lipase) to utilize fat for energy production, lower production of cholesterol and will keep the body in a beta oxidative mode, hence perpetuating the ketotic state.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You're correct, low carb is a taboo when it comes to children and even more of a taboo when it comes to pregnant moms. Children should absolutely be eating low carbs and it is safe for them to be in ketosis. I have had the privilege to work with thousands of pregnant moms who I have, and I might add, very safely placed them on low carbs, and yes they were eating more fat and cholesterol and protein and they all did fantastic! Especially moms with a histroryof gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, preeclampsia etc; do exceptionally well and most do not need to take any medicine at all once started on low carbs. An interesting side note is that the biggest chapter in my groundbreaking, whistle-blowing, soon-to-be-number-one-globally book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367857423&sr=1-1&keywords=genocide+how+your+doctors+dietary+ignorance+will+kill+you" target="_blank">Genocide:How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You!</a> is my chapter on pregnancy; go figure....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But getting back to children, they absolutely should be in a ketotic state i.e. eating low carbs and more cholesterol, fat and protein. And no, don't even get me started on the ridiculous My Plate campaign (we had to convert to descriptive circles here in America, I guess the pyramid was too complicated), so I am soooo with you on the 'Canadian' food guide. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I personally have never tried Stevia, but I can comment on both splenda and equal as sweeteners. I can also comment on Stevia come to think of it, it's safe so no worries. Splenda's ingrediants are actually dextrose, maltodextrin and sucralose. I learned from<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nourished-Cookbook-Health-Metabolic-Balance/dp/0979201810/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367857332&sr=1-1&keywords=judy+barnes+baker" target="_blank"> Judy Barnes Baker</a> ( an expert who has written low carb cookbooks, and yes, you too <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=dana%20carpender%20cookbooks&sprefix=dana+carpende%2Cstripbooks%2C176" target="_blank">Dana Carpender</a>, another low carb cookbook expert, I think she has like 13 now, showoff :-) over the summer</span> <span style="font-size: large;">that when splenda is used for baking purposes that there could be an appreciable increase in the carb amount. This is due to the dextrose, maltodextrin ingrediants, not the sucralose, so we need to be cautious when using splenda to bake with. As a side note, there exists a few products that are liquid sucralose only, which one can use for cooking and provides zero carbs in the finished product.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Since sucralose is chlorinated sucrose, there have been some concerns as to its safety. I have come across no studies showing any danger with the use of sucralose. Yes, I have come across anecdotal reports written by non-scientists voicing concerns over sucralose, but from a biochemical perspective I have seen no ill effects. I want to emphasize that the vast majority of my patients do low carbs, use splenda to cook with and their blood work as far as liver, kidneys, etc. have all been normal, so I personally have no issues with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Equal's first 2 ingredients are the same as splenda, but the sweetener in equal is the dreaded aspartame. Let me assure you that for most people aspartame is a safe sweetener. the only people who have to worry about aspartame (which is really just 2 amino acids linked together) are people who lack the enzyme necessary to break down aspartame; they are referred to as phenylketonurics or PKUs for short. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">LOL! No, teachers do not appreciate being corrected by anyone, let alone a 6 year old. It reminds me when my daughter was in, I believe third grade and the following question was on her nutrition quiz; 'What is the healthiest snack?'</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A. apple</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">B. candy bar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">C. potato chips</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">D. cookie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what does my daughter do, she writes in E. none of the above; and yes, she failed that test. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So yes, ketosis is ok for children of any age; and, no, don't bother checking or monitoring the levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now the above conversation pertained to benign dietary ketosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life threatening medical condition seen in Type 1 diabetics and is the reason most physicians counsel their patients, especially the ones on a low carb diet, to avoid ketosis on any level. These doctors are confusing the two different types of ketosis and because of this, these docs will often give contradictory advice. We discussed above a little bit about how we get into dietary ketosis, by utilizing fatty acids for the production of energy. Once we are in the beta-oxidative pathway we will create ketones, period. So here's the conundrum; when a doctor suggests to a patient they need to lose weight, but also tells them to not go into ketosis. This is a contradictory state of affairs because the only way to lose weight (excepting liposuction) is for the body to <em>get into ketosis; </em>that is, to lose fat stores, hence to lose weight, occurs by utilizing the fat for the creation of ATP and requires the body to be in ketosis; there is no other way! These docs might as well be telling their patients to jump in a pool naked, but don't get wet!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">An interesting side note and a very important one for Type 1 diabetics, is when a Type 1 diabetic follows a low carb diet, their sugars become easily manageable and they don't see the highs and lows as the Type 1's eating too many carbs. A great book for any diabetic is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/B0054U581W/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367857269&sr=1-3&keywords=dr+bernstein%27s+diabetes+solution" target="_blank">Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution by Richard K. Bernstein M.D</a>. a must have if you or a loved one suffers from diabetes. My comment to my patients about Dr. Bernstein's book is that for Type 1's it's a solution, for type 2's, it's a cure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hope this helps!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">dr jim :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367857197&sr=8-1&keywords=genocide+how+your+doctors+dietary+ignorance+will+kill+you" target="_blank">Genocide: How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You!</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367857197&sr=8-1&keywords=genocide+how+your+doctors+dietary+ignorance+will+kill+you" target="_blank">Soon to be available on Kindle!</a></span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The answers to these
questions are for informational purposes only and are not intended to prevent,
diagnose, treat or cure any illness. They are, however, meant to hopefully
eradicate the profound persistent nutritional ignorance of most medical
professionals; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dr. Jim<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-73972902268759993152013-04-26T13:41:00.004-07:002013-04-26T15:56:01.394-07:00HOW A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE VIOLATES THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS!!!!For you Zombie fearfuls creating your safe houses and underground bungalows fear not the Zombie apocalypse for it violates the 3 Laws of Thermodynamics! Yes, I am an avid viewer of <em>The Walking Dead</em> and have myself conjured up many a ways to protect myself and my loved ones lest the inevitable occurs. <br />
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About 2:32 this AM I awoke with the startling realization of why a Zombie Apocalypse could never occur; THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS, THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS, THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS!!!!! I screamed at the top of my lungs and instantaneously received a kick from my wife Bruce Lee would be proud of, startled my sleeping dogs into a barking frenzy and immediately fell back to sleep hoping this true Eureka! moment would still be with me upon my awakening.<br />
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Fortunately, it stayed with me and now I must relate to all why a Zombie apocalypse (do I really need to capitalize Zombie, dunno, but I'll continue out of respect for the Zombies of course) can never occur due to strict violations of the laws of thermodynamics. What this also means is that if a Zombie apocalypse does ever occur we must find and eliminate the energy source behind it, before it's too late for us all. Due to the unerring laws of thermodynamics the only way a Zombie apocalypse could occur is if we humans (or is it 'us humans' whatever, I'm not being graded) or possible extraterrestrial beings, supply an outside energy source to fuel the Zombie resurrection. OK, so let's look at each of the laws of thermodynamics and analyze why they will save us from a Zombie demise;<br />
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The first law of thermodynamics states that <em>'the total energy of a system and its surroundings is constant</em>.' (Biochemistry, 7th Edition, Berg et. al.) Or said another way, energy is neither created nor destroyed, it just changes forms. Ah ha you say! That's it! There <em>can</em> be a Zombie uprising because it's just the energy changing forms part that allows Zombies to resurrect. <br />
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Not so fast. We need to analyze this law a bit further. The first thing we need to calculate is the total amount of people who have died. This is difficult because we can only do this within <em>recorded</em> history. So, using what we know from recorded history 99,000,000,000, that's 99 billion people have died throughout the <em>known </em>recorded history of the world. That number is going to be higher, much higher. Right now an interesting thought just occurred to me "In a Zombie apocalypse, is it just humans in the Homo sapiens species which will become a Zombie? What about H. floresiensis, H. neanderthalensis, H. rhodesiensis, H. heidelbergensis, H. paleohungaricus, or H. erectus (my personal favorite) all the way back to H. australopithecus?" (BTW, I left about 8 or so genuses out, but I think you get my point) Oh yeah, that part of the discussion only applies if you, ummmm, 'believe' in evolution. <br />
<br />
Anyway, will other primates become Zombies as well; you know like gorillas, monkeys, chimps etc. What about other animals? Since we never see anything other than human Zombies I guess we can assume the term Zombie only applies to those of the Homo sapiens variety.<br />
<br />
Getting back to why a Zombie apocalypse violates the first law of thermodynamics and using the more formal definition of the law, that is, 'the total energy of a system and its surroundings is constant', it would take a large amount of energy to awaken, in a Zombie sense, those 99 billion people. That's a tremendous energy input. Where's this energy coming from? Is it from other parts of our galaxy, our universe? Is it energy which traveled through a wormhole perhaps (right now I'd love to have a hot line to Stephen Hawkings)? And that's just to get the 99 billion <em>known</em> dead into a Zombie transition.<br />
<br />
I know, I know, now you're thinking that Dr. Jim is a fool. Everyone knows it's a virus that is causing the Zombies to rise and that's where the extra energy is coming from. The problem with this line of reasoning is that viruses are neither alive or dead, they are either activated or inactivated. Viruses must rely on living cells to become activated. But we all know Zombies are already dead (really referred to as the living dead, but that's not an oxymoron I am about to tackle here, right now I'm battling the laws of thermodynamics), so the cells are dead, ergo these cells cannot activate viruses. So forget the virus theory contributing to the Zombie apocalypse.<br />
<br />
So again I ask; where is all the energy coming from to allow the Zombies to become Zombies. Heck, we all know they can walk, appear to move all intact extremities and can easily eat brains (and apparently digest them, I guess) when presented to them. Getting back to the <em>intact</em> extremities; another first law thermodynamic problem is that when a Zombie limb is severed (and even a head), the extremity still moves or the head still moves etc. Is the energy allowing this motion related to the initial intact Zombie or is it fueled separately from the same source that originally fueled the Zombie in the first place. This brings up a whole new set of problems with our first law, but the question is the same; if energy is neither created nor destroyed, if the energy of a system and it's surroundings is constant, where is all this extra energy coming from to create, cause, allow etc the Zombie apocalypse? As a side note, do Zombies digest? They never show a Zombie urinating or using the bathroom for that matter, so like how is the stuff they eat, ummmm, digested? Is it digested? Does it just sit in the Zombie belly and cause bloating? But a Zombie's already dead so is it safe to assume that the esophagus, stomach, intestines and all digestive organs & enzymes are dead too, or are they still working? And why the craving for brains? Anyone who understands the correct way to eat will immediately have the answer to that, 'Zombies eat brains because brains are mainly fat and Zombies obviously instinctively know the correct way to eat.' Bottom line; Zombies are following a low carb diet and they know more about the correct way to eat than most physicians, nutritionists and dietitians! (Sorry, I just couldn't resist)<br />
<br />
So the take home message as to why a Zombie apocalypse violates the first law of thermodynamics is; Because there is a constant amount of energy in our universe and that energy is neither created nor destroyed and since one cannot create energy out of a vacuum (forget the whole Big Bang thing for now, it just muddies my hypothesis); to have a Zombie apocalypse would require more energy than is currently available in our universe! Can't happen, no way, no how! Phew! OK, on to the second law;<br />
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The second law of thermodynamics states; '<em>the total entropy of a system plus that of its surroundings always increases.'</em> (same reference as above) The second law deals with a concept known as entropy or the fact that our universe favors towards disorder. An easy way to visualize this is if you have a child, go clean their room, don't clean up after them for a month; then check their room. The result; entropy! <br />
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The second law deals a lot with heat exchanges as well, referred to as enthalpy, but I wont touch upon that here, all we need to remember is that systems tend toward disorder, not order. In a Zombie apocalypse to rise from the dead would require the creation of some type of, say, order. I don't want to use the term heat because I do not know the temperature of a Zombie. I'm assuming they'd be at room temperature (which, as an aside, raises an interesting question; could a Zombie exist without proper attire in Antarctica or the South Pole? Wouldn't they just freeze? Assuming I'm wrong about this thermodynamic stuff and a Zombie apocalypse actually happens, shouldn't we all just move to a much colder climate? After all, all the Zombies I've ever seen were in warm environments, OK, back to our discussion).<br />
<br />
So to have a Zombie Apocalypse would require the creation of more order in our universe, much more order (remember the 99 billion plus number); since this goes against the second law of thermodynamics and directly violates entropy (think of a room cleaning itself by itself with no outside influence, just cannot happen) a Zombie apocalypse is impossible. Phew! That made sense. Now on to the third law;<br />
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The third law of thermodynamics states that 'the entropy of a perfect crystal at absolute zero is exactly equal to zero.' (This definition I just remember from chemistry so I'm the reference.) This is an easy law of thermodynamics to apply to Zombies because IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ZOMBIES BECAUSE THEY WONT BE ABLE TO MOVE BECAUSE THEY'LL BE FROZEN!!!!!! Duh! They'll be at zero degrees Kelvin or something like that...<br />
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In conclusion; from my erudite discussion above one can conclude that a Zombie Apocalypse cannot occur as it will be in violation of all three laws of thermodynamics.<br />
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Caveat; in the event I'm wrong, someone, or more frighteningly, <em>something</em>, will be supplying the energy necessary to create the energy needed to increase order to allow the Zombies to come after us. We'll need to find that energy source and destroy it. Barring that, buy yourself a Northface or Patagonia or just a really warm coat and get to the nearest, most coldest climate and good luck!<br />
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Have a great weekend all!<br />
<br />
dr jim<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367007578&sr=8-1&keywords=genocide+how+your+doctor%27s+dietary+ignorance" target="_blank">GENOCIDE: HOW ZOMBIES KNOW MORE ABOUT NUTRITION THAN YOUR DOCTOR</a><br />
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<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-43061850330174158582013-04-15T14:02:00.000-07:002013-04-15T14:04:54.841-07:00SO MANY WAYS I CAN RESPOND TO THIS; AHH, LET ME COUNT THE WAYS...<div class="content">
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<em>High Fruit Low fat is the way to go. This man is a nutcase. Our body runs on simple sugar.</em><br />
<em>All the don't eat list he mentions is correct: Refined starchy carbs. But then he puts fruit in with that. And he recommends a high fat diet that means you will get </em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAKF28g_Ze4&list=UUfRvk5Aum57OIMyVZtDATlg&index=2&feature=plcp#" id="_GPLITA_0" in_rurl="http://i.trkjmp.com/click?v=VVM6Mjg0NTk6MTg6aGlnaCBibG9vZCBzdWdhcjo3ZWY2YjJlNDBmYjI1Y2NjZDliMzlhNTVlYjcwNTk1Njp6LTEwNDEtMTA3NTUzOnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbTowOjA" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="Click to Continue > by Text-Enhance"><em>high blood sugar</em></a><em> because your blood is full of fat and it prevents insulin from working. He is insane.</em></div>
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<span class="time" dir="ltr">This comment was posted in response to a presentation I gave in Northwest Indiana. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAKF28g_Ze4&list=UUfRvk5Aum57OIMyVZtDATlg&index=2&feature=plcp" target="_blank">Click Here to Watch</a>. My immediate reaction was that this is exactly what most people out there believe. We, who understand the correct way to eat, never can forget there are still many people out there who believe what this person wrote. It is up to us, my fearless low carb warriors, to continue our crusade fighting the establishments. I could respond to these profoundly ignorant statements and ad hominem attacks with my biochemical wit, but it's just not worth my time. </span></div>
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<span class="time" dir="ltr">Oh, Natalie and Saicho, I didn't forget about you. Quick comment, benign dietary ketosis is just that, benign. This goes for our children as well. Doctors often confuse benign dietary ketosis with diabetic ketoacidosis, an entirely different and very dangerous and deadly physiological event. Full comments on ketosis to follow.</span></div>
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<span class="time" dir="ltr">from your nutcase and insane....dr jim :-) </span></div>
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DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-80029128414422074382013-03-20T12:49:00.001-07:002013-03-20T12:49:34.842-07:00Another Diabetic DiscussionI'm currently involved in training as part of a Care Management team approach, which will help prepare me for the implementation of the Patient Centered Medical Home. This is the concept that...wait for it...wait for it....physicians actually ask the patient what we as clinicians can do to help them care for themselves better. Call me crazy but doctors are actually being taught they have to talk to their patients and then really, truly actually listen to what they have to say...A concept whose time, ummmmm, should've already come.<br />
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This weeks discussion was on diabetes and I had alot to say, but kept it short, for, uh, brevity's sake. First off, who is brevity and second off, it wasn't short....<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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Remember, my blog posts are for informational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any diseases. However, they are intended to hopefully eradicate the nutritional ignorance of the medical profession...<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Diabetes
Forum;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a family
physician with a profound concern for the diagnosis and correct treatment of
diabetes, and having been directly involved with the management and care of
thousands of diabetics over my 20 years of practice; I can state without reservation
that the current standards of care for diabetics is wrong. Unfortunately,
organizations like the American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic
Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, the National
Institutes of Health, the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute, the
Surgeon General, TV personalities such as Dr. Oz and even the White House’s new
My Plate campaign, all have it wrong as far as the correct way to eat is
concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My direct
clinical experience has taught me that in order to correctly treat diabetics,
carbohydrate<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(carb) restriction is
mandatory. The current ADA guidelines recommend that diabetics go no lower than
139 grams of carbs per day. This is wrong. Experience has shown me that when I
reduce the carb count to 20 to 40 grams of carbs a day, dramatic sugar control
becomes immediately apparent. Yes, you read that correctly; I did state that I
reduce my diabetic pt’s carb intake to 20 to 30 grams a day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This
reduction is simple in a newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic who is not on any
medications; but if I get a diabetic already diagnosed on meds, the clinical
approach needs to change. For instance, if I see a diabetic who is on insulin
(and this can be a type 1 or 2 ) and I get the impression that they are serious
about lowering their carbs to help lower their meds; I will immediately stop
any short acting insulin (e.g. Humulog) and cut in half the long acting insulin
they may be on. Also, meds like Byetta (a hormonal incretin analog which
increases GLP-1 secretion) and Januvia (a dipeptidyl peptidase type 4 inhibitor
which allows incretin analogs to stay in system longer) will be stopped as will
any sulfonylurea (e.g. glimeprimide and glipizide, which work by stimulating an
already fatigued pancreas to secrete more insulin hence facilitating B cell
burnout and the eventual need for insulin).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The insulin
can be stopped and adjusted and the meds can be d/c’ed because once a diabetic
reduces their carb amount these meds are no longer needed. I have a big issue
with any Type 2 being started on any sulfonylurea due to their mechanism of
action. As a side note, if anyone has seen the black box warnings on
sulfonylureas it includes ‘increased risk of cardiovascular mortality’ and that
it ‘should not be used for prolonged therapy,’ a fact that most clinicians have
either forgotten or had no idea about, because I still get diabetics in my
office on these meds; usually for many years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting back
to adjustments and d/cing of meds, when one dramatically lowers their carb
intake there will not be a large increase in post prandial serum blood sugar;
therefore the short acting insulin (which is used to lower post prandial blood
glucose) will not be needed. Meds like Byetta & Januvia also work by
helping lower postprandial blood glucose and they will not be needed as there
will be no large increase in post prandial blood glucose because of the carb
lowering. The most dangerous of these meds are the sulfonylureas. These meds
need to be stopped immediately once a pt implements low carbs. This is because
the sulfonylureas will continue to force the pancreas to secrete insulin,
irrespective of the blood glucose readings and dangerous life-threatening
hypoglycemia can result. I have counseled many a pt who started a low carb
regimen on their own, without stopping the sulfonylurea, and subsequently woke
up in the hospital after their syncopal event. What’s even worse is that the ER
doctor or nutritionist who sees the patient tells the patient they should never
have lowered their carb intake; not understanding that is the wrong approach
and the pt should have stopped the medicine, not increased their carb intake. Why?
Because the pt was no longer consuming large amounts of carbs and does not need
the med any longer. This would also be true of Byetta, Januvia, and short
acting insulins.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s take
some time to discuss insulin and its role in the treatment of diabetics. There
are four types of diabetics; Type 1 DM whose pancreas’s no longer can make
insulin so they need to take it exogenously; the Type 2 DM whose pancreas is
actually hyper-secreting insulin and represents the most common type. This
hyper-secretion can go on for years which is why eventually the B cells can
burn out (a process facilitated by sulfonylureas and assuaged somewhat by the
use of exogenous insulin). This hyper-secretion is also the reason the cellular
insulin receptors become resistant due to receptor down regulation as one of
the contributors; and this is also the main reason we should never, ever use a
sulfonylurea to treat a type 2 diabetic, as their pancreas is already
overworking and these meds facilitate its demise. There is also a less
recognized type of diabetes known as type 1 and a half or type 3 diabetes. This
type of diabetic is one who is insulin requiring, but now has developed
resistance to exogenous insulin, a situation we are seeing more of as more
clinicians are using insulin in the initial treatment of even type 2 diabetics
(a treatment I do agree with but with some caveats). The fourth type is
gestational diabetes and these pts do very well with carb restriction which is
safe in pregnancy, so long the pt is eating more fat, cholesterol and protein.
Some authors have argued there are at least two more types (drug induced
diabetes as one sees with steroid use and Juvenile onset type 2 diabetes, which
is self-explanatory) but for brevity’s sake we’ll limit our discussion to the 4
types above.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now let’s get
back to insulin. We all learned in nursing or medical school that insulin helps
to lower serum blood sugar. This is done via a second messenger system
specifically the Inositol 1-4-5 triphosphate, e.g. IP3 and the diacylglycerol
or DAG molecules. This fact was learned when we took biochemistry but
unfortunately was quickly forgotten. Analyzing this second messenger system
further and looking specifically at the DAG molecule, we need to note that one
of the ‘acyl’ groups is arachidonic acid which when metabolized releases
pro-inflammatory mediators (</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachidonic_acid"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Click Here for more on Arachidonic Acid).</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> It is these mediators that can and
do cause a cellular apoptosis. What’s even more of a concern is that some of
these mediators have been shown to be oncogenic. The possible end result of
allowing our cells to see too much insulin is the eventual death of the cell. Said
another way, not only does the elevated blood sugar cause cellular damage, but
so too insulin can cause cellular damage or death (culminating in organ damage)
and this is a point missed by most clinicians. Therefore I disagree with the
intensive insulin therapy and do agree with lowering the carb intake in our 60
yo female pt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While some
may be thinking it difficult to lower the carb intake so strictly, I must state
that the majority of my patients are very happy to have this option to treat,
an option too few doctors even know about. As far as motivational interviewing
is concerned it really is a treatment that sells itself. Most pts do not want
to take meds and they especially do not want to take insulin as this requires a
needle. I have successfully treated thousands of diabetics with a low carb
approach with success nothing short of miraculous. The only problem is that
most clinicians, dieticians, nutritionists, and politicians do not even
understand the correct way to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to
get back to insulin a little while longer because it is such an important
hormone to understand. When a healthcare professional is asked to describe the
effects of insulin secretion, all will correctly state that it helps lower
serum blood sugar; but insulin has many more effects biochemically which I want
to discuss further, as it directly affects diabetes care. Insulin also
increases the activity of HMG Coenzyme reductase as well as acetyl Coenzyme A
carboxylase. The first enzyme catalyzes the rate limiting step in cholesterol
biosynthesis; the second enzyme catalyzes the start of the biosynthesis of
fatty acids. Therefore, any increase in the secretion of insulin which occurs
via the consumption of carbs, will also increase the biosynthetic rate of both
cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis. The end result is progression of
atherosclerosis, elevation of triglycerides, lowering of HDL, and increases in
weight all of which contribute to the manifestation of ‘the metabolic syndrome’
which culminates in development of overt type 2 diabetes. In fact, the
treatment and reversal of not only type 2 diabetes but of the entire metabolic
syndrome is so easy; it should be an embarrassment to the medical community
that we haven’t been able to do this yet on a widespread scale. As a side note,
there is a website that lists doctors who understand the importance of low
carbs in the treatment of disease, just go to LowCarbDoctors.com <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now it is
easy to say we need to dramatically lower our carb intake to experience better
and ultimate sugar control, but we aslo have to analyze further what exactly
carbs are and this is where it can become controversial. Everyone knows that
cakes and candies are bad for us as well as the white starchy foods; but what
about whole grains, muti-grains, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, yogurt, oatmeal
and fruit? Are these foods safe for a diabetic to eat? Well, let’s analyze
those foods further. Diabetics are often told that they can eat whole grains
and the like, and that fruit is fine to eat too. This is false. Whole grains
are complex carbs and as such contain many sugar molecules (one grain contains
6 x 10 exponent 1017 molecules which is a 6 times 10 to the 1017 power!) and
one slice of whole grain bread may contain even more carbs (even after
subtracting the fiber) than its white counterpart. The body will break down
these complex carbs into simple sugars and that’s where the trouble starts. One
may not see an immediate rise in blood sugar for an hour or so after consuming
complex carbs, but it will happen if one keeps checking blood glucose levels.
Another side note is that blood sugar should always be normal, it should never
be elevated. This sounds like a tautology but let me explain further. I use a
normal range of 80-100 and I warn my diabetics they should always be in that
range. That any increase in blood sugar will create cell damage and is dangerous
to their organs. I am confused as to why the ADA allows a post-prandial
increase in blood sugar and considers this to be ‘normal.’ It is not and any
rise above 100 should be evaluated. In fact, I tell my patients who are going
to get their labs drawn to not fast, as fasting is cheating and changes the
blood chemistry into what it truly isn’t and we want to see what the blood
normally looks like. Another fact is that a simple 6 hour fast (and a lot of
clinicians tell their pts to fast 12-14 hours) can normalize blood sugars and
triglycerides, and the clinician will not know a pt is over consuming carbs and
cannot counsel the pt effectively. Another reason blood sugar should always
remain normal is that the attachment of glucose molecules to cells in our organs
occurs via a nonenzymatic pathway, referred to as nonenzymatic glycosylation.
What this means is that glucose attaches to the cells in a concentration
dependent manner and no intermediaries are needed for this to happen. This
glycosylation process is what leads eventually to end organ damage and the only
way to prevent this is by having normal blood sugars all the time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting back
to the whole grains (and this goes for any grain, oatmeal etc.) once they are
metabolized to simple sugars, insulin will be secreted form the pancreas and
this will facilitate persistent insulin resistance as well as increase the
biosynthesis of cholesterol, free fatty acids, help to lower HDL, encourage
weight gain, & create pro-inflammatory mediators via the second messenger
system. This cascade of events will occur with any glucose molecule. The
glucose released from complex carbs is not ‘special’ in any sense. To think
that at the level of the cell a cell can ‘recognize’ a glucose molecule as
being from whole grains, oatmeal, white starchy food or a chocolate bar is wrong.
Cells are not cognizant of where a glucose molecule comes from, they just do
biochemically what they’re programmed to do when glucose enters them; make us
fatter, create plaque forming deadly cholesterol and of course elevate blood
glucose serum levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And now a
word about fruit. I tell my diabetics that fruit is a poison and they should
stay away from it. Any diabetic who actually checks their blood sugar level
after eating fruit knows this. I am utterly confused as to why the
organizations as delineated above refuse to understand this. Another
biochemical fact is our cells use both glucose and fructose to make cholesterol
and fat and that fructose is actually transformed into cholesterol & fat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">faster</i> than glucose. This means that
when one eats a piece of candy and piece of fruit, the fructose in the fruit
will be converted more quickly into fat & cholesterol, than the glucose in
the piece of candy will be. This is a biochemical fact. Why? Quite simply
because fructose enters the glycolytic pathway about a third of the way in and
needs to be modified less than glucose. So, no, diabetics should not be eating
fruits as allowed by the ADA guidelines.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to
take time out now to dispel a few myths about glucose. Glucose is not the
primary energy source of the body. I know this is a controversial statement but
let me explain further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is that
our skeletal muscles, renal cortex and myocardium all prefer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">free fatty acids</i> for fuel, not glucose.
Also, when given the choice the brain prefers ketone bodies for fuel over
glucose. Interestingly enough, the breakdown products of fatty acid metabolism
(in a process referred to as beta-oxidation) are ketone bodies. Another
interesting point is that some will claim that the only way glycogen can be
stored (in the liver and muscles) is by the consumption of carbs, which allows
glucose to be stored as glycogen. This is not true. We can also make glucose
from the glucogenic amino acids as well as the glycerol backbone chain found in
triglycerides. The utilization of free fatty acids for energy comes from
shuttling 2 carbon acetyl fragments into the Kreb’s cycle then onto the
oxidative phosphorylation pathway, not by creating glucose (this is the beta
oxidative pathway).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another
misconception I wish to clear up is the whole ‘burning of fat’ or ‘burning of
calories’ notion. When we catabolize or breakdown macronutrients (fat,
carbohydrates or protein) this is not a combustion process, it is a digestive
process. For example, the breakdown of carbohydrates begins when a carb is
ingested. If it is a complex carb, it will be acted upon by different enzymes
(mono & disaccharidases) to release a glucose molecule(s). This glucose
molecule will then enter the cell and be shuttled into the glycolytic pathway.
The end result of this pathway is the creation of a molecule (actually 2) of
pyruvate which then will be transformed to Acetyl CoA. I often refer to Acetyl
CoA as a pivotal biomolecule because its fate depends upon how much
carbohydrate one has consumed. If there is an overabundance of carbs ingested,
the Acetyl CoA will be shuttled into the cholesterol and fatty acid
biosynthetic pathway. If there is not an overabundance of carbs consumed it
(Acetyl CoA) will then move into the Kreb’s cycle and then finally into the
oxidative phosphorylation pathway (the final step in the oxidation of glucose.)
It is important to stress that nothing is burned because it creates a
misunderstanding of what really is happening biochemically. Glucose is
metabolized to create either ATP (the energy currency of our bodies) or is used
to make cholesterol or fat, there is no actual burning. The same is true of fat
and protein digestion, they are not combustion processes. This is so germane to
a diabetic (and anyone) because we are told to count calories. This is wrong.
We often hear the phrase ‘I need to burn up my calories,’ and this, too, is
wrong. We are not burning any calories or fat. We metabolize fat, protein
and/or carbs to either create biomolecules and/or to create ATP. Again, there
is no combustion going on here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now the
process to determine how many calories are in an item of food is indeed a
combustion process. We’ve all come across the calorimeter; a cylindrical metal
device containing water, a thermometer, a lid and a heat source. To determine
the amount of calories we simply place an item of food inside, heat it to
reduce it to carbon, and record the temperature rise of the thermometer. The
temperature rise is how we actually measure calories. In fact, the definition
of a calorie takes all this into account; i.e. a calorie is the amount of heat
needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. All
this is very important to understand when caring for a diabetic. Only by
realizing that the calorie is irrelevant in human nutrition, that the burning
of anything from a nutritional standpoint is a fallacy, can we better care for
our diabetics. The bottom line is that we need to be counting grams of carbs,
not calories. Also, by focusing on calories and suggesting they be lowered,
will often deprive the pt of important sources of fat & cholesterol in the
diet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With this
introduction I will now move onto the questions for this week’s forum;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What might you assume is causing the
patient’s blood sugar variability?<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have here
a 60 yo female suffering from diabetes for 8 years, stated as non-compliant,
with concomitant diagnoses of CVA, HTN and depression; she’s also stated to be
‘maxed’ out on oral meds. My first encounter with this pt would consist of an
in depth discussion with the pt about her diabetes, determine exactly why pt is
experiencing difficulty with blood sugar control and ascertain how much her
depression contributes to her ‘non-compliance.’ I put non-compliance in quotes
because I have seen many a pt whose sole reason for non-compliance was a lack
of understanding about their disease and not a voluntary attempt to disregard
the advice of the physician or nurse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I would also
address the 2 other medical conditions (HTN & CVA) and discuss with pt that
many people experience depression with having only one medical condition e.g.
diabetes, but she is dealing with 2 more, greatly increasing her risk for
depression. I would then add that many pts can get depressed from the simple
act of taking meds on a daily basis; this increased risk of depression (&
frustration) increases the more meds one has to take. It also needs to be
ascertained exactly what type of CVA pt suffered and if (depending on area of
brain involved) the location of CVA is contributing to depression e.g. deep
limbic system, pre-fontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, basal ganglia &/or
temporal lobes. It should be noted that evidence based studies have shown
antidepressants to be ‘modestly beneficial’ with ‘adverse events significantly
more common.’</span> <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">(Hackett,
Anderson, House; Cochrane Database Syst Review 2008.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, psychotherapy was shown to have ‘no
evidence of benefit.’ (Ibid). Another trial revealed ‘that a care management
program, which included depression education, antidepressant treatment guided
by algorithm, and monitoring of therapy was more effective than usual care’
i.e. discretionary use of antidepressants. (Stroke. 2007;38(3):998) Further
studies go on to state an ‘eight-week psychosocial-behavioral intervention plus
antidepressant therapy was superior to antidepressant treatment alone.’
(Stroke. 2009;40(9):3073) With all this conflicting data it is easy to see why
the treatment of depression of this pt that’s post-CVA can be a challenge. That
said, a care management approach, which is exactly what these tutorial sessions
are teaching us, appears to be the best approach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After
discussing with pt her individual med conditions and assessing where her
knowledge base is at, I would then go over her medications with her, again
asking what she takes and how she takes it. For my own edification, I also
review the med list from a pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The med list
appears to only list the diabetic meds and it immediately became apparent to me
that meds the pt may be taking for her HTN or CVA could be contributing to her
depression; for brevity’s sake I will only focus on the diabetic meds. The
first med listed is metformin. This is a safer med for diabetics to take as its
mechanism of action is to help increase a cell’s sensitivity to insulin and
also decreases gluconeogenesis in the liver; this has the effect of more
effective utilization of circulating insulin and diminished ‘dumping’ of blood
sugar into the serum. This is a medication that does not (usually) cause a
precipitous drop in blood glucose, so I can safely allow my pts to continue
this drug when starting a low carb regimen. Both glimeprimide & glipizide
are sulfonyl ureas and stimulate an already overworked pancreas to secrete even
more insulin. As mentioned above, but it bears reiterating, this will have the
effect of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">increasing</i> insulin
resistance (despite the package insert’s contradictory comments), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">increasing</i> the likelihood of beta-cell
burnout, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">increasing</i> the intracellular
production of both cholesterol & triglycerides (which directly increased
cardiovascular morbidity & mortality), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">increasing</i>
cellular apoptosis via the use of the second messenger system, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">slowing</i> down and/or preventing weight
loss by its inhibitory action on hormone sensitive lipase; this is not an
exhaustive list but I will stop here. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now the next
2 meds, Byetta and Januvia are an interesting combination and it appears the
prior physician was using them for their complimentary actions. Januvia was the
dipeptidyl peptidase type 4 inhibitor which interestingly enough,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would prevent the Byetta from being
metabolized, allowing Byetta to exert its physiological effects longer
(increasing glucose dependent insulin secretion, decreasing glucagon secretion,
slowing gastric emptying…) As a side noted, studies have shown Byetta to reduce
the HgA1c by 0.5-1%,( immediate release) to 1.5-1.9% (sustained release), which
would reduce our pt’s HgA1c to 12.0 (sustained release), which is a negligible
lowering of average blood sugar. In addition, post-marketing studies have shown
increased risk of pancreatitis with Byetta use. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After review
of her med list. I would immediately begin counseling on carb counting and
would gauge pt’s motivation for starting. If I sensed she would seriously
consider starting to lower her carbs, I would stop the glimepiride, glipizide, Byetta
and Januvia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I agree with
the start of Insulin therapy, but I would need clarification of what ‘intensive
insulin therapy’ means. The orders do not reveal if we are adding Insulin <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in addition to</i> or are we eliminating any
meds once starting insulin? These orders immediately reminded me of a study I
read a few years back which suggested that tight HgA1c control (<6 .5="" 3="" about="" all="" am="" amp="" and="" answer="" as="" associated="" be="" better="" blood="" bolt="" came="" certainly="" death="" disease="" end-organ="" equates="" finally="" greater="" i="" in="" into="" less="" me="" morbidity="" morning="" mortality.="" of="" one="" over="" read="" regulation="" researchers="" sat="" seeing="" so.="" so="" study.="" study="" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" sugar="" sure="" t="" taught="" that="" the="" this="" tissue="" to="" upright="" was="" wasn="" we="" were="" weren="" why="" with="" would="">the increased morbidity & mortality was
not due to the tight control of the HgA1c</6></span></span></div>
, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it was due to all the meds the pts were on to get the HgA1c lower</i>.
The pt’s blood sugars were not being controlled through the correct way to eat,
but through the use of these medications and the pts were suffering because of
this.<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting back
to my pt, I would stop the meds as described and start solely on long acting
insulin (assuming pt allows), and yes, using the pens makes it much easier
(some insurances wont allow), discuss the importance of low carbs, and have the
pt call my office on a daily basis with blood sugar results. Now some may
immediately become concerned at me stopping 4 PO meds and starting on just
long-acting insulin stating (correctly) that the pt’s blood glucose will almost
certainly rise. That is correct, but it is OK. Hypoglycemia is more dangerous
in the short term than hyperglycemia, so I’m ok allowing my pt to run a little
higher as we figure out the correct dose of insulin. Another couple points
about insulin. Once we take more than 20 units at once (some authors say 10
units), there can be erratic absorption so it is best to ‘split’ the dose
above, say, 30 units; i.e. give 20 units SQ in one area and 10 units SQ in
another. Also, we run the risk of creating more insulin resistance by using
increasing doses of insulin; thus the pt runs the risk of developing type 3
diabetes. This is where metformin is helpful because it helps maintain insulin
sensitivity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 1 week pt
will return with both a sugar and food diary (remember she was in contact with
me daily all week) and we will discuss the results.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as
what’s causing the blood reading variability, it is because pt most likely
received inadequate diabetic teaching (or more importantly, the incorrect
diabetic training) and may possibly be ‘afraid’ to use the insulin; this is why
it’s important to have pt come back with not only a sugar diary, but a food diary
as well and we would want to ask <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">exactly</i>
how she is taking insulin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Looking at
pt’s labs reveals a diabetic nephropathy as microalbuminuria is elevated with
an elevated Cr. I would like to stress that the correct approach is to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>restrict protein intake, but
encourage increased consumption of protein, fat and cholesterol and to lower
the carb intake. What is happening in diabetic nephropathy (as well as all the
other end-organ damaging effects) is that the aforementioned non-enzymatic
glycosylation is occurring at the glomerular level and this impairs the
filtration mechanism of the nephron. This impaired filtering mechanism, with
the subsequent increased proteinuria, is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i>
from the consumption of protein, but from the overconsumption of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sugar</i>. Eating more protein will not
create more kidney damage as is commonly thought. In fact it’s beneficial. I
have seen microalbuminurias in the 100 range (highest 800) revert to normal
upon eating the correct way. This is a reversal of the nephropathy. In addition,
other end organ damage (eye and nerve) can also reverse when a pt begins to eat
the correct way. A quick note about the lipid profile; the triglycerides are
elevated. These will also lower once the pt lowers their carbs and begins to
eat more fat, cholesterol & protein.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What would your next steps include in
care-managing this pt?<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A full
discussion of diabetes including the correct way to eat; recommended reading:
my favorite is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes
Solution </i>by Richard K. Bernstein (2007).; I would have anyone on my care
management team read this book and keep it as a handy reference; training of my
support staff as to the correct way to eat for counseling our pts….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have so
much more to say, but I think this is a good primer for continued study </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-87191355506680467082013-01-26T09:21:00.000-08:002013-01-26T09:21:24.522-08:00OOPPS !!!! I DID IT AGAIN!Yes, I did, much to my chagrin.....So we're eating these delicious MISSION CARB BALANCE 'Whole Wheat Tortillas' when my wife starts to read the ingredient list....and we can all guess where this is going... "Jim, what's interesterified soybean oil?" Yes, the tortilla I was currently masticating fell out of my mouth (but I managed to save the meat part)....<br />
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"Goshdarnit!!" I exclaimed. And yes, I really did say goshdarnnit...I immediately recognized that type of soybean oil as I had done a radio show on it a few years back. Interesterification is a process that switches around the fatty acids on a triglyceride molecule. Remember that a triglyceride molecule contains 3 (the tri part) fatty acids connected to a glycerol backbone chain. These fatty acids are connected to the glycerol backbone chain through what are known as 'ester' linkages; hence the 'ester' part of inter'ester'ification. Now, vegetable fats generally have specific fatty acids at the 1 and 3 position of the glycerol backbone (stearic & palmitic which are saturated) and an unsaturated fatty acid (oleic or linoleic) at the 2 position. The interesterification process will remove the # 2 fatty acid and replace it with a more saturated one.<br />
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Ok, I can hear some of you saying "So what's the problem with that? Now you have a triglyceride that's completely saturated and haven't you been saying all along Dr Jim that saturated fats are better for us than mono and polyunsaturated?"<br />
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Yes, you are correct in your understanding that saturated fats are the safest & healthiest fats to consume (I can hear the gasps of incredulity from anyone new reading my Blog who doesn't understand the correct way to eat; and btw, I broke 45,000 views this month, woo hoo, there goes my ego again....or is it superego....or the id? Aw heck, what did Freud know anyway...:-)<br />
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Ok, so back to that newly created saturated fat from the interesterification process; the first problem is that we are creating a fatty acid that our bodies may not have seen naturally before. What this means is that like trans fats where our bodies do not have the necessary enzymes to break them down, resulting in the buildup of free radicals; so too is my concern that we may not have the necessary enzymes to break down this 'new' fat created by the interesterification process; will this result in the creation of free radicals as well?<br />
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There have been studies looking at the effects of the interesterified fats on human blood chemistry and while the number of subjects were low, the results were cause for concern. One study revealed that the HDL (our good cholesterol) lowered and that insulin levels dropped dramatically causing blood sugars to raise by about 20%. It is important to note that this study looked specifically at postprandial blood levels <em>not</em> fasting blood levels (postprandial simply means after eating). Other studies revealed no changes in blood sugar, but this study was reporting the effects on <em>fasting blood sugar only</em>. Now it needs to be stressed that fasting blood levels do not truly reveal what's going on in our bodies. Labs analyzed after a 12-14 hour fast do not reveal the true biochemistry of our blood; it is what I call cheating. We should always measure non-fasting labs if we want a true idea of what is really happening in our bloodstreams.I immediately recognized that fact when I saw the researchers had performed the analysis under a fasting state, this is not telling us what is really going on with our blood biochemistry.<br />
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If all of this isn't enough , a quick review of how an interesterified fatty acid is created should be enough to scare the fecoliths out of ya.... This is, once again, a highly industrialized process using bleaching detergents, carcinogenic solvents, dangerous metallic alloys, and deodorizing. This last step, referred to as deodorizing, can actually cause trans fats to appear in the mix; ummm, not good.<br />
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So the moral of this story is please read your side packaging ingredient list; you'd think I would've learned my lesson with the whole Green Giant debacle....And no, I'm not eating the rest of those tortillas. An interesting side note is that not all Mission low carb wraps have the interesterified fatty acids; so again, my mistake was that I assumed that because I had read through the ingredients before and didn't see partially or interesterified fats, that I was ok......and let's all remember what happens when we assume...<br />
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Have a great rest of your weekend everyone! And thanks to everyone who helped me break the 45,000 view mark!<br />
<br />
dr jim :-)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359220816&sr=8-1&keywords=genocide+how+your" target="_blank">Author; GENOCIDE: HOW YOUR DOCTOR'S DIETARY IGNORANCE WILL KILL YOU!</a><br />
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DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-88232506673082051032012-12-20T14:10:00.000-08:002012-12-20T14:12:05.707-08:00YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME GREEN GIANT!!!!Ok, so I'm sitting down with my beautiful wife eating our grass fed beef and eating Green Giant broccoli in cheese sauce when my wife remarks "Hey, there's partially hydrogenated oil in this!" I couldn't believe it! So I grab the box from her and low and behold there's partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list. Needless to say I wasn't very happy. Actually, I was downright angry. I went to the freezer and checked the cauliflower & cheese and sure enough, it too, had partially hydrogenated oil in it as well.<br />
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I purchased these products because they are low in carb, but shame on me, I never glanced at the ingredient list. So yes, my bad on this one. I mean like, really, why in the world would anyone feel the need to put in a broccoli and cheese (or cauliflower) partially hydrogenated oils? To this I say, shame on you Green Giant for adulterating your food with trans fats! <br />
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Now I do take all the blame for not checking the side-packaging label. Whenever we are shopping my wife will always ask, usually throwing whatever food item it is halfway down the aisle (she would make the Manning brothers quite envious with her throwing arm) "Hey, is there partially in that?!" When I was on the receiving end of the Green Giant stuff I have to admit I really didn't check because, well WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVEN THINK OF PUTTING TRANS FAT IN A SIDE DISH LIKE THIS!! <br />
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That's correct......Green Giant would. <br />
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What makes me even more frustrated is that if you look at the labeling it claims to have 0 grams of trans fat per serving; this is NOT true. Just so we're all on the same page, if the serving size has less than 500 mg of trans fat the Federal Government allows the food manufacturer to proclaim 'zero grams' trans fat per serving. If this doesn't alarm anyone, it should. Let's face it, who eats just one serving size? I could easily eat the whole box of that broccoli & cheese stuff, so then how many grams of trans fat am I getting now?<br />
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What got me even more angry was that on one of the boxes it stated "Redeem this lid to help in the fight against breast cancer." I found this quite interesting as trans fats have indeed been implicated in increasing one's risk for cancers; does this seem contradictory to anyone? Oh yeah, and on the upper right part of the box is an endorsement from Weight Watchers. Apparently, the biggest weight loss consortium out there is unaware of the adverse effects of trans fat on our health (increased risk of cancer and heart disease etc...etc...).<br />
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I guess the take home message here is to make sure you read the ingredient list on anything you buy; don't assume anything; you see, even I make mistakes. And remember, if you see partially hydrogenated oil (usually either soybean or cottonseed) in the ingredient list that food contains trans fats so avoid it like the plague.<br />
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Happy Holidays to All!<br />
<br />
dr jim :-)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356041277&sr=8-1&keywords=genocide+how+your" target="_blank">Author, GENOCIDE: HOW YOUR DOCTOR'S DIETARY IGNORANCE WILL KILL YOU!!!</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TlBEf-v5fQ" target="_blank">Watch my critique of the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidleines.</a><br />
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<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-30637626638058391022012-12-03T06:28:00.001-08:002012-12-03T06:35:55.963-08:00BE DAZZLING LECTURE!I was privileged and honored to be invited to speak about nutrition at an event hosted by the Franciscan Alliance in Northwest Indiana. The event was called Bedazzling and it was attended by well over 400 women as it focused mainly on women's health. This was a great opportunity to get the word out about the correct way to eat, especially to women. Now nothing against the male gender, but my experience over the years has been that it is women who seek and want the truth about how to get and stay healthy. Being able to reach this large an audience at once was a great way to spread the truth about proper nutrition!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAKF28g_Ze4&list=UUfRvk5Aum57OIMyVZtDATlg&index=2&feature=plcp" target="_blank">Click Here to watch my lecture!</a><br />
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Hope everyone enjoys!<br />
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dr jim :-)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1354545305&sr=8-4&keywords=genocide+how" target="_blank">Author; <em>GENOCIDE: HOW YOUR DOCTOR'S DIETARY IGNORANCE WILL KILL YOU!</em></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TlBEf-v5fQ" target="_blank">Watch my critique of the USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines!</a>DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-3655716584330660182012-11-02T16:50:00.001-07:002012-11-12T11:36:45.752-08:00Actually, It Was Eratosthenes...So just for the heck of it I decided to see if I had any more reviews of my book on Amazon.com and came across this one from August (the fact that it took me nearly three months to realize I had a review pretty much reveals how often I check); the review is italicized below,<br />
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<span style="margin-right: 5px;"><span class="swSprite s_star_3_0 " title="3.0 out of 5 stars"><em>3.0 out of 5 stars</em></span><em> </em></span><span style="vertical-align: middle;"><em><b>Too many errors please re-edit! Galileo did not prove the earth is round.</b>,</em> <nobr><em>August 7, 2012</em></nobr></span><em> </em></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A4AF7YPU74PYM/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><em>Odile S. Brock "Small stuff"</em></span></a><em> (APO AE) - </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A4AF7YPU74PYM/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview"><em>See all my reviews</em></a><br />
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<em><b><span class="h3color tiny">This review is from: </span>Genocide: How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You!!!! (Paperback)</b></em><br />
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<em>I know that what the author says about diet is correct. I've been on a low-carb diet (the GAPS diet, to be exact) for 1 year today and have cured my hypertension, constipation, lowgrade UTI and more. I'm 58, weigh 112 lbs and I'm full of energy.<br /><br />What I'm looking for is a book TO HELP ME CONVINCE FAMILY AND FRIENDS that they should also change their diet to low-carb. I don't want my siblings to die young. I want my mother to live many more healthy years.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I KNOW my family will be turned off by the myriad errors in spelling and style (there are a lot of teachers in my family).<br /><br />I'm pretty sure everyone in my family will read the paragraph about Galileo and say: something like: "What?! Galileo didn't prove the earth was round! He proved the sun didn't revolve around the earth. Magellan, who circumnavigated the globe, proving it is round, died before Galileo was even born. If the author makes such a basic mistake why should I keep reading?"<br /><br />That is where I stopped reading, anyway.<br /><br />Please re-edit this book. I'll be happy to proofread it for you!<br /><br />Do your homework about Galileo and other items not in your field.<br /><br />Also, please use another word than Genocide. Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group."<br /><br />Please use a less politically and emotionally charged title so that thoughtful, educated people can read your book.<br /><br />I like the rest of what I read.<br /><br />I'm still looking for the right book.</em><br />
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My first response was "Ouch, that wasn't very nice," but I also felt privileged that not only did Odile take the time out to purchase my book, but went the extra step to write a review of it; so to this I say 'Thank You.'<br />
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I congratulate this critic on understanding the correct way to eat, thank goodness for that. I also understand the fervor you have to want to make the rest of your family and friends understand the right way to eat.<br />
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As far as convincing family and friends as to the correct way to eat all I have to say is 'Good Luck with that." Despite my nearly twenty years of clinical experience and deep understanding of the correct way to eat, I often face a challenge every time I attempt to explain the correct way to eat to colleagues of mine. Very, very frustrating indeed.<br />
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I must admit I'm a little confused about a few things you wrote. You stated that you stopped reading after my unforgivable mistake of saying that Galileo proved the earth was round, when you stated he simply revealed that we live in a heliocentric not a geocentric universe. But despite the fact you say you stopped reading my book after my most egregious error, your second to last line reads "<em>I like the rest of what I read" </em>So my question is 'did you really stop reading?' Hmmmm...<br />
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As far as the 'myriad errors' in spelling and style, I'm not sure what you mean. The only word I consistently and purposely misspelled was oopps! There I go again. If there are any other spelling errors please point them out to me. As far as style is concerned I did have a few 'expert' editors attempt to edit my book , but when they were done I didn't like my book at all. It just wasn't me. You see, I write in what I like to refer to as 'a conversational tone.' Anyone who has met me and has had a conversation with me will immediately understand that how I wrote my book is how I speak. One common criticism is that I used too many commas, well, too bad, they were necessary, to depict, the way, I actually speak. As an interesting side note, all the critics of my style of writing have never written a book themselves; just thought I'd throw that out there...</div>
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Let's see, as far as mistakes in books go; having obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree, a Medical Degree, a Masters of Business Degree and a Law Degree and having read a few hundred books to obtain those degrees (I'm being modest here as I have no idea how many books I had to read, was it a thousand or so?); let's not forget all the other hundreds upon hundreds of non-fiction books I've read over the years; I have never read a book that did not contain at least a few errors in it.</div>
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While we're pointing out errors in my book one you failed to mention although it was obvious to me after my book was published; I incorrectly defined lacto-ovo vegetarians as 'not' drinking milk or eating eggs, when in fact I know they do; it was just something that despite the fact I read my manuscript dozens of times I just missed it. And even more interestingly enough, I had a good friend who is a vegetarian proofread for subject matter errors <em>'And he missed it too</em>!' OOpps...<br />
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Ok, let's get back to my alleged Galileo faux pas. You're correct that Galileo is widely known to have correctly depicted that the sun is the center of our planets's (heliocentric) revolvement, not the earth (geocentric) as was thought by the Catholic Church at the time. This is why he was placed under house arrest. By the way he has since been exonerated by the Pope and has achieved the status of the "patron of the dialogue between faith and reason". </div>
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Since Galileo was completely aware of Copernicus's work and why he suggested his heliocentric theory, and since I was already completely aware not only of Copernicus's 'assumptions' but that Galileo was <em>also</em> very much educated in Copernicus's work; and since Copernicus's assumptions underlying the heliocentric view are replete with the words 'celestial circle or sphere,' 'lunar sphere,' celestial sphere,' mention of the 'earth's radius,'our sphere,' etc..., it is easy to see why I mistakenly made the comment that I did. Oopps....<br />
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As far as Magellan is concerned let me ever so politely educate you that Magellan himself did not complete the entire voyage around the world, having been killed during a battle which occurred in the Philippine's. So, ummm, no, Magellan was not the first person to realize the earth was not flat. As a side note, our planet is considered a flattened sphere last time I checked, so it isn't really round per se.<br />
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Ok, so who really was the first person to prove that our planet is round? It was a Greek mathematician and astronomer by the name of Eratosthenes in the 3rd century BCE. This genius calculated, correctly, the circumference of the earth; something he wouldn't have even wasted his time on if he thought the world was anything but round. So it appears we're both wrong, doesn't it...<br />
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It was interesting my critic suggested that I '<em>Do your homework about Galileo and other items not in your field'. </em>Again....ouch! Well, I do have a strong interest in Astrophysics and Quantum Mechanics which is why I went as high as differential equations in undergrad to help me understand the theory more; but I must admit I am certainly not a Galileo historian, so,yes, my apologies are in order. <br />
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Let's see, what else; Oh, my critic wanted me to change the title of my book as it evokes negative emotion. Let me just say I am totally aware of the definition of Genocide. It is a terrible, horrific word created by Raphael Lemkin in 1943. When one looks at the etymology of the word it is easily apparent as to why the use of the word Genocide is appropriate. In fact, it really is a Global Iatrogenocide meaning that it is the doctors all over the world holding on tenaciously to an ignorant view of how we should eat, that may ultimately be our downfall.<br />
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And the comment "<em>Please use a less politically and emotionally charged title so that thoughtful, educated people can read your book" </em>is an interesting one. While I am certainly not a best-selling author.......yet....; more than a few very erudite people have indeed read my book and not only did they learn a lot from it, they thoroughly enjoyed it. Among these people are teachers at every level including college professors, doctors, nurses, lawyers, mechanics, iron workers, truck drivers, retail workers, fellow authors, nuclear and particle physicists and the list goes on and on. In fact, to make the comment "<em>so that thoughtful, educated people can read your book' </em>is a direct affront to all those wonderful individuals who have read my book. I believe you are denying your friends and relatives access to the very book which <em>will</em> convince your family and friends as to the correct way to eat. That's too bad...<br />
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As a side note, when I went to see reviews of other books you may have reviewed there was only one other, which you gave 1 star to; I guess I should be flattered that you gave me 3. It was apparent by looking at your other reviews that I needed to be a fork, a knife or a juice press to receive 5 stars; hey, wait a minute, doesn't juice contain a lot of carbs? Just saying...<br />
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Oh yeah, and the "<em>Please re-edit this book. I'll be happy to proofread it for you!" </em>just sounds like a dig to me. If you're going to proofread, shouldn't you be editing? <br />
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I have to admit that the first time I read this review it didn't occur to me, but as I read it again there was, at least to me, a bullying undertone. Also a strong sense that I was some kind of moron because how could I not have known it wasn't Galileo who revealed the world was round and also that I was an idiot for not realizing something <em>everybody</em> knows........except for me....<br />
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Look, I said it before and I'll say it again, I will be the first to tell ya I don't know everything; but about the correct way to eat...well, that I do understand.<br />
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Have a great weekend everyone!<br />
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dr jim :-)<br />
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<em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1351864790&sr=8-4&keywords=genocide+how" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Author of GENOCIDE: HOW YOUR DOCTOR'S DIETARY IGNORANCE WILL KILL YOU!</span></a></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><o:p>
<em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TlBEf-v5fQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Watch my critique of the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines down in D.C.</span></a></em> </o:p><br />
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DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-64665183574728412482012-10-04T09:42:00.001-07:002012-11-02T07:15:32.120-07:00HUMAN MADE NUTRITIONAL DISASTERS!!!!I borrowed that caption from Dr. Donald W. Miller after I watched his captivating lecture today on YouTube. This is a video everyone must watch! I found it both educational and highly entertaining. It's about 53 minutes long, but entirely worth every minute of it. I like the fact he brings up a whole host of studies and states the facts and clears up the misconceptions behind them. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe9z32NZHY&feature=related" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO WATCH!</a><br />
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As I watched this video I kept screaming out loud "THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I ALWAYS SAY!!!" Of course my wife who was watching with me kept telling me to 'Hush Up Dr Know-it-All', while simultaneously rolling her eyes and laughing at my adolescent antics." She said I was acting like the Giants had won the Superbowel again...Ha ha, I just wrote Super bowel by mistake, not Superbowl; is that like a euphemism for megacolon (just a little GI humor for everyone today :-) I am sure my non NY Giant fans out there can go off on that typo, but this a G rated blog, alright maybe sometimes PG 13, so be nice....<br />
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OK, I confess, I was jumping up & down every time Dr. Miller would repeat or show a study that I relate to my patients on a daily basis; I guess giving ghost high fives and thumbs up, with the cool head nod of "Yeah, that's right..who's the man now, huh..." while watching the video classifies as 'adolescent.' I guess what got me excited about the whole video was that I didn't know about Dr. Miller and this was the first time I had come across this video. I also feel embarrassed because I should've come across this video a long time ago. <br />
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If only more docs would open their minds to understand the truth about nutrition. My next phone call is going to be to Dr. Miller; let's see if they put me through :-) to relate to him that calories mean nothing in human nutrition as I didn't hear that point made in his lecture.<br />
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dr jim :-)<br />
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<em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genocide-Your-Doctors-Dietary-Ignorance/dp/1419685821/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1351864790&sr=8-4&keywords=genocide+how" target="_blank">Author of GENOCIDE: HOW YOUR DOCTOR'S DIETARY IGNORANCE WILL KILL YOU!</a></em><br />
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<em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TlBEf-v5fQ" target="_blank">Watch my critique of the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines down in D.C.</a></em> <br />
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P.S. I'll let ya'll know if I actually get to speak to him. Going to find his podcast he did with Jimmy Moore now and listen in. <br />
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<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-64959755884357678912012-09-26T16:08:00.001-07:002012-09-26T16:08:35.553-07:00 ‘We Are Hungry’
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the
title of one of the latest videos gone viral created by teachers and students
in response to new school lunch programs, which spawned from the Healthy
Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. These new programs are being implemented across
America in an effort to stop the childhood obesity epidemic. Like all the other
incorrect beliefs about nutrition this Act is even more egregious because it
now allows Government intrusion at the level of our schools, and forces our
students to eat the wrong way. If schools fail to introduce lunch policies
based on this Act they will lose state and federal funding; thus the schools
are literally being coerced to adopt these incorrect dietary beliefs into their
lunch menus.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IB7NDUSBOo" target="_blank">CLICK HERETO VIEW VIDEO</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This ‘Act’
unfortunately focuses on the incorrect premises that eating fat makes us fat,
that eating fat & cholesterol is dangerous & that calories are
important in human nutrition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does
everyone remember my counters to the 3 big dietary myths?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s see,
it went something like this;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Eating fat makes us fat</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wrong, eating fat
DOESN’T make us fat or fatter,</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Eating saturated fat & cholesterol containing foods increases our
risk for heart disease; </span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Wrong; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>eating more saturated fat & cholesterol
containing foods LOWERS one’s risk for not only heart disease, but for obesity
and diabetes</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> and
that<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">One needs to count calories in order to be healthy or lose weight</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wrong, the whole concept of a calories is IRRELEVANT and actually
dangerous in human nutrition!</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only
thing these school lunch programs are going to do is make our kids heavier,
increase the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in our children,
create a whole host of diminished cognitive abilities which will manifest as
worsening test scores; and will also put at risk the ability of school athletes
to perform at their optimum and at worst could put their lives at risk when
performing at athletic meets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I cannot
over emphasize the seriousness of this new school health initiative. I have
already made it known at the national (and Global) level my major problems with
the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines. The guidelines then & still adhered
tenaciously to the converse of the myths above; i.e. eating fat makes us fat,
eating saturated fat & cholesterol is bad, and calories are important in
human nutrition. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TlBEf-v5fQ" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY CRITIQUE OF THE USDA 2010 DIETARY GUIDELINES<o:p></o:p></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When are we going
to start basing the way we should be eating on nutritional, biochemical facts?
When will the term ‘nutritional science’ no longer be an oxymoron? Why are we
allowing beliefs, opinions, theories and suppositions to dictate how we should
be eating and when will it end? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How about
some facts…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When are
these self-proclaimed ‘experts’ and I use that term loosely, going to
understand that it is the sugar molecule, be it glucose or fructose, that our
bodies use to make plaque forming deadly cholesterol and fat. When are they
going to realize that sugar is sugar is sugar NO MATTER where the sugar
molecule comes from?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How about
the FACT that our skeletal muscles, myocardium (our heart muscle) and renal
cortex (part of our kidneys) PREFER free fatty acids for fuel; that our brains
prefer not glucose for fuel but ketone bodies, which interestingly come from
the breakdown of free fatty acids.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These are
facts…not beliefs…and anything contrary should not even be entertained as
remotely resembling science.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Btw, I came
across the video above as a result of the USA TODAY article entitled ‘KIDS PUSH
BACK ON NEW SCHOOL LUNCH,’ which was featured today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OK, so a few
people have already said to me ‘calm down Dr Jim, all the students have to do
is bring lunch from home.’ <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ummmm, not
so fast. Remember the elementary school student in Florida whose lunch bag was
searched and then seized by school ‘officials’ and then forced to eat from the
school’s lunch menu. Not only was this an obvious 4<sup>th</sup> Amendment Constitutional
violation (as well as a 5<sup>th</sup>, 14<sup>th</sup> and probably even an 8<sup>th</sup>,
but I’ll take my legal hat off…for now), but it underscores what I think is the
fact that schools may well start ‘inspecting’ lunches brought from home. I see
this happening because one way the schools are being ‘forced’ to implement
these new guidelines is via the receipt of state and federal funds, and don’t
tell me for a second that if the schools fear that students are bringing in
food which is against the school’s forced policy, the schools wont fear the
loss of these funds; believe me, it will start happening. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let me take
time out to say that if my child’s lunch bag was inspected, child protective
services would be called immediately to inquire why would I allow my child to
eat sandwiches (which btw are on low carb bread) with double-triple the amount
of meat and wait for it, wait for it….2 pieces of cheese and surrounded by…can
we hear a gasp from the audience…an abundant spreading of real mayonnaise! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can hear them saying ‘Put the cuffs on
‘em,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lock him up and throw away the
key…’ followed by the quintessential pirates mantra ‘har,har,har, we got ‘em’… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know I am not
the only one who understands why we have an obesity pan(epi)demic and why we
are seeing type 2 diabetes & heart disease in our children; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and as I’ve said so many times before and now
this is directed to the ‘Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010’….Congratulations
for forcing our kids to get heavier, for increasing the probability that our
children will suffer cognitive decline and guaranteeing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our school athletes will perform poorly; and
for obvious and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not so obvious
violations of our Constitutional rights! Great job….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">dr jim<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">P.S. Congratulations
to the teachers and students involved in the creation of the video! Last check
it had received 251,203 hits, pretty awesome! Loved the video! Great lyrics!
Just a little advice for the singer, do the words American Idol, X-Factor, or
The Voice ring a bell? Go for it! Great work everyone and I take my hat off to
you all for having the courage and wherewithal to create such an important
video! I am in full support!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-65436264795414082732012-09-12T18:01:00.000-07:002012-09-27T15:41:22.758-07:00Website Down.....but not forgotten??Unfortunately (or maybe really fortunately) my website was taken down by my host server(or). This is the <a href="http://www.drjamescarlson.com/">www.drjamescarlson.com</a> site. My apologizes to anyone who attempted to view this site and was unable.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the cost of maintaining the site became cost prohibitive. Also included with that was my <a href="mailto:drjim@drjamescarlson.com">drjim@drjamescarlson.com</a> e-mail address which I thought was pretty cool until I no longer could afford it. I am working on creating a new e-mail address so everyone can get ahold of me, but I'm still working on it. I have <a href="mailto:drjimcarlson@gmail.com">drjimcarlson@gmail.com</a> but forgot my darn password, oops; I think I may know what it is so patience please :-)<br />
<br />
The reality was that I really only used the website to allow my patients and others to read the first couple chapters of my book for free. No worries as I'll place the chapters here on my Blog for all to read, and oh yeah, this Blog is free for me as well :-) so I don't have to worry about being shut down here.<br />
<br />
The other thing is that my website was like really, ummmm, boring. There were no changes made on it for years and my lovely wife Gloria had to gently break it to me that she (and others) thought my website, errrrr, let's be nice, stunk; she knows I'm very sensitive at times...<br />
<br />
To be legally and factually accurate, what was done by my host was 100% legal; it's the ethical/moral part of it I'm having a difficult time with; at least they could've shot me an e-mail like they did in the past to let me know I was past due; and to be fair to my emotions, I was shouting expletives when I first realized what had taken place...remember my anger management issues?..and my poor dogs scurried into hiding places heretofore unnoticed by me due to my vitriolic tirade; their hiding places would make a preadolescent profoundly envious during an intense hide-and-seek adventure...don't worry, I'm all better now...<br />
<br />
Ahhhh, but as the perennial optimist as well as proactive kinda guy I am, I immediately saw the positive side to what had transpired; it was the proverbial fire being lit under my gluteus maximus, medius, minimus and pyriformis; you know, the wake up call that I needed to create a better, more dynamic website. So yes, I'm working on that now too. Don't know if it'll be <a href="http://www.drjamescarlson.com/">www.drjamescarlson.com</a> as I don't know if I lost that URL, but no worries as I'll let everyone know as soon as I know myself. And, ummm, if you've tried to send me e-mail using <a href="mailto:drjim@drjamescarlson.com">drjim@drjamescarlson.com</a> on or about September 7th, I didn't receive it. As soon as I know my new e-mail I'll post it here.<br />
<br />
Thank you all for your patience and understanding!<br />
<br />
Good night to all! I'll be posting chapters of my book in the days to follow.<br />
<br />
dr jim :-)<br />
currently without a website...but with an astounding Wife, a Blog and Twitter account and a very optimistic demeanor :-)<br />
<br />
<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-4037724273136315272012-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:002012-04-22T08:10:30.242-07:00Excellent Questions From a Fellow Low-Carber!Dear Dr. Carlson,<br /><br />I have been reading the chapters of your book online.
I'm writing to buy an electronic copy of your book and also to ask for your
advice if you're able to give it. I want to thank you in advance for spending
your time responding to my questions. I think you've done a very valuable thing
writing your book.<br /><br />I am a 49 year old woman who was obese for over 10
years. I have lost most of my extra weight and I've been researching how to
keep it off and be healthy long term. I am also experiencing long-term (years)
fatigue and mild depression symptoms, and I was diagnosed this January with mild
sleep apnea, which is being successfully treated with cpap at this point.
<br /><br />I've been eating very low carb (high fat and protein) for over two years
now. I eat organic dairy and grassfed meat and mostly organic
veggies/fruit/nuts. Low carb eating is a big part of how I lost all the weight,
and it's definitely the only thing that keeps the weight off -- it still keeps
trying to sneak back on, very difficult to maintain, wish I understood better
how to maintain. It's hard to pinpoint what foods are causing me to gain. I
weigh every day and chart it, and I do write down what I eat, but I think some
very low-carb foods, like almond flour recipes, or homemade crustless quiche
(eggs/cream/cheese/veggies), still do trigger weight gain for me. The only
sugar I eat is a little in dark chocolate. I don't eat any grains. I have a
serving of strawberries or an apple every day or two, no other fruits. I just
wish I could actually figure out what I "can" eat, and settle down to that, so
my weight wouldn't keep creeping up again!<br /><br />I am 5'6", 159 lbs right now.
My highest was 242 lbs, 3 years ago. My lowest was 143 lbs last April, but
couldn't keep it there. I exercise 2-3 times a week (mild circuit training-
Curves) trying to work up to more times, but I have a tricky right knee and
lower back, so have to go kind of slow to not mess them up and have to stop
again.<br /><br />From my reading, It seems like my test results are looking pretty
good. I'd like to know if you see what might be missing still in my
understanding of all this and how I can keep the weight off easier and feel
better. I know you can't advise me as a doctor. Please advise me as a
researcher, trying to understand the science of how all this works. In case it
fills in any blanks, I will tell you that I have also had shingles and active
Epstein-barr virus in the past 10 yrs, that I have an autistic son, that my
father was malnourished as a baby, and that my paternal grandmother was also
very obese, and apparently at about 40 "went to bed" and wasn't really able to
do much the rest of her life. I think that was the direction my health was
going, before I started on this quest, and I am determined to stay active and
get healthier and healthier.<br /><br />MY STATS<br />Fasting blood sugar most days is
around 90 (this makes me really happy - a year ago it was 103)<br />Cholesterol,
total - 140<br />Triglycerides - 53<br />HDL cholesterol - 74<br />VLDL cholesterol
Cal - 11<br />LDL cholesterol Calc - 55<br />T. Chol/HDL Ratio - 1.9<br />C-Reactive
protein, Cardiac - 0.71 (ref 0-3.00) - this was up in the danger range when I
was obese.<br /><br />I've been reading your book and also Gary Taubes, Robert
Lustig, Mary Fallon, and others, and as I understand the scope of the health
emergency here, and how all roads lead to the same answer - stop eating carbs
and sugar - I'm finding myself needing to tell other people what I know about
how they can be healthier for the rest of their lives. I know you can relate,
as you are on that mission, too. Most adults, even very smart ones, know so
little, and hear so much misinformation! I hate it that they're still being
told to eat low-fat and whole grains, it just kills me to see my young adult
kids eating lots of flour and sugar, and also friends who are my age eating in
ways that will make them sick. It doesn't work to just tell someone what
they're doing wrong, though. With my own kids, I'm thinking I can at least ask
them to get their lipids tested, fasting blood sugar and BMI, and what to do if
they are not in range. With others, I'm not sure how I can effectively help.
Do you have any advice for me? I'm not sure they'd read a whole book if I
handed it to them, but maybe they would read a booklet, something shorter,
especially if it seemed really credible and scientific. What do you think?
Have you had luck getting your family and friends to change their
eating?<br /><br />I am done with the first 10 chapters, so I guess I need to buy an
electronic copy of your book!<br /><br />Please let me know how I can do
this.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />
<br />
My response;<br />
<br />
<em>Hi There!<br /><br />Your story is so like all the thousands upon thousands of
e-mails I have received over the last few years since I had written my book. You
are so not alone. It is indeed difficult to eat the correct way because we are
inundated on a daily basis about the 'accepted' diet which in reality is simply
killing more and more of us. A few words of caution...get rid of the fruit and
berries, they contain glucose and fructose and this will slow down our ability
to lose weight and can be used to create not only fat, but cholesterol as
well.<br /><br />Your lipid panel is awesome! Interesting how eating more fat and
cholesterol actually makes us more healthy....hmmmmmm :-)<br /><br />As far
as your young adult children are concerned, that's a difficult prospect because
diets have become unfortunately a belief, rather than based on scientific fact,
so people continue to eat the way they believe is the right way,
despite the voluminous evidence to the contrary. Your children will need to come
to an understanding of the correct way to eat and then wish to implement a
change in their dietary habits, proselytizing rarely works. <br /><br />I hope my
response was helpful and even though my response to you is for
educational purposes only, I implore you to continue to eat the scientifically
correct way :-)<br /><br />Oh, as for the rest of my book, simply send $9.99 to
PayPal using </em><a href="mailto:drjim@drjamescarlson.com"><em>drjim@drjamescarlson.com</em></a><em> and I'll
e-mail a copy right on over. Now I'm off to have a nice grass feed cut of
beef!<br /><br />dr jim :-)</em><br />
<br />
And some follow-up questions....<br />
<br />
Hi There Again!<br /><br />See my italicized responses after your questions below
:-)<br /><br />I am happy to support your work! I'm excited to get going on more
reading. I've been diagramming some of the processes out as I go through, to
help the information sink in so I can internalize it well enough to explain it
to someone. <br /><br />If you are willing and have just another couple of minutes,
I was wondering if I could ask a few questions. These are the nagging things
that I worry about:<br /><br />1. Cutting fruit entirely from my diet sounds scary
to me. Is there anything fruit adds to the diet that is essential to being
healthy? Aren't there some flavonoids in fruit/berries that are anti-cancer,
and are not in veggies? I definitely want to cancer-proof my body as much as
possible. I also understand that raw fruit has enzymes in it that help
digestion. <br /><br /><em>Nope, fruit adds very little to our diets other than
sugar. It is virtually devoid of nutrients due to all the processing so all it
really provides us with is, again, sugar. As far as the
phytonutrients/flavanoids stick with berries, but stay with blue, black and
raspberries avoiding strawberries which tend to contain more sugar. As far as
digestive enzymes I'm not aware of that.</em><br />2. Is there anything that
grain and carb foods provide for health that I am missing by not eating them for
years on end? Same question as above - any healthy nutrients in grains that are
essential? Seems intuitively to me that if people have been eating them for so
many years, there must have been a nutritional reason.<br /><br /><em>There is
nothing essential in grains that you are missing. Just because people have been
consuming them for years does not equate with them being healthy. Along the same
line of thought, is there an intuitive health reason people have been smoking or
drinking soda pop for so many years, that's certainly not healthy. I guess it
all goes back to the realization that low fat, low cholesterol diets are
unhealthy; then we look around and see all the major medical
organizations, doctor TV shows, magazines, medical schools, most
doctors/nutritionists/dietitians, major university studies (like Harvards latest
red-meat study) and then we look at how we're eating (which is correct) and then
we wonder how 'they' all can be wrong and how could 'we' possibly be right? So
then we step back and wonder about the possibility of nutrients in say grains
and apples or whatnot...Coming to the realization that low fat/cholesterol diets
are not just wrong but essentially will wipe out the human race is a very scary
realization...but a true one. Remember, beliefs can be right or wrong....the
facts just are....</em> <br /><br />3. If I am able to eat small amounts of
nutritious carbs and not gain weight, are they an ok addition to my diet? In
other words, would 1/2 cup of brown rice or a potato or a piece of sprouted
wheat bread now and then be ok, or even be a smart idea for some health reason,
as long as my numbers stay good, or is my goal really, really to cut
grains/carb-foods completely? Just trying to understand where that "line" is
that I'm trying to end up on the right side of! What about ketones? Is it
really ok to be in a ketogenic state on a semi-permanent basis? Maybe this is
in the part of the book I haven't read yet...<br /><br /><em>Excellent question. OK,
so first off let's re-emphasize I am not talking about zero carbs, you'll need
to get some. If you suffer from heart disease, obesity, diabetes, heartburn,
asthma, allergies, colitis, irritable bowel, eczema, psoriasis, any connective
tissue disease (including fibromyalgia), have a family history of any type of
cancer (and this list goes on and on)...you will need to stay around 20 to 30
grams of carbs a day; and yes, watch your biochemistries because the proof lies
there (HDL, triglycerides, liver, kidney, blood sugar, HgBA1c etc). As far as
benign dietary ketosis is concerned, well, it's benign, so you can stay in this
state for your entire life and the only thing that'll happen is you will stay at
a healthy weight, your biochemistries wont stray into the danger range, you most
likely will not need medications and you will live a very long and
healthy life</em>.<br /><br />4. I'm not sure I agree with you about non-nutritive
sweeteners. Have you revised your opinions about them at all since you wrote
your book? <br /><br /><em>Yes, I have. My favorite remains the sweetener sucralose, ie
Splenda. But when cooking with it beware that Splenda also contains dextrose and
maltodextrin which, depending on how much Splenda one uses, can increase the
carb content significantly. In the interest of revealing to the public I do not
know everything (some people actually think I do :-) I just learned that about
Splenda a few weeks ago told to me by Judy Barnes Baker expert low carb author
and chef and has a few books of her own out there ('</em><span style="color: black;"><em>Nourished: A Cookbook for Health, Weight Loss, and
Metabolic Balance' & 'Carb Wars: Sugar is The New Fat') which are excellent
sources for delicious low carb cooking.<br /><br />I just did an interview with the
Salt:NPR blog on the metabolism of sucralose & Stevia, both of which remain
inert and have minimal to no effect on our physiologies when ingested, so I gave
them a thumbs up at this time. And certainly better/safer to consume than
sugar/carbs.<br /><br />A quick word about Aspartame, aka Nutrisweet. It is a
sweetener created by joining phenylalanine with aspartic acid. Allegedly
the only people who will have trouble with this sweetener are those lacking the
enzyme necessary </em></span><span style="color: black;"><em>to break these 2 molecules
apart rendering phenylalanine and aspartic acid. They are referred to as
phenylketonurics. Here in America, most children (and notice I used the word
most, not all) are screened for the absence of this enzyme at birth. If the
enzyme is absent, the parents are immediately told that their child needs to
avoid not only aspartame but phenylalanine containing foods.Sounds simple enough
but here's where it gets tricky; analysis of the nutrisweet molecule reveals
yes, one molecule of aspartic acid and one molecule of phenylalanine, but off to
the side is a molecule of methanol, which is a poison in our systems when
consumed in even a small quantity. Once cleaved from the larger molecule
methanol will be metabolized to formaldehyde (yes, you read that right) and then
to formic acid which in the quantities consumed in say a diet soda, passes
through the body without causing any damage. Hmmmmm. If that doesnt sit right
with you than we are on the same page. I have to state in the literature I
perused it was stated that the change from formaldehyde to formic acid was
almost instantaneous so those two species dont stay in our bodies long; and yes,
i am still squirming a bit uncomfortable in my seat right now....so I do tell my
patients to try and avoid nutrisweet in large amounts, but again, what is the
lesser of 2 evils nutrisweet or carbs...oh yeah, I am writing all this as I open
up another diet Pepsi...shhhhh, hey, nobody's perfect :-) <br /><br />Hope these
answers help!<br /><br />dr jim</em> :-)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.drjamescarlson.com/">www.drjamescarlson.com</a> </span><br />
<br /><br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-52971920129114173862012-04-18T14:22:00.007-07:002012-04-18T14:22:55.003-07:00A Little Background History as to Myself!<a href="http://www.jobshadow.com/interview-with-a-family-physician-and-wellness-expert/" target="_blank">Click here to learn a little bit more about the background of Dr Jim :-)</a>DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-44421916898607347252012-04-13T13:52:00.001-07:002012-04-13T13:52:34.158-07:00EAT RED MEAT!!!! GOSHDARNIT!!!!Below is a transcript of my interview with Bob Lederer on the Harvard Study eschewing red meat; btw, eat red meat it's totally cool :-) To listen to the actual interview goto <a href="http://www.wbai.org/">www.wbai.org</a> go to the archives and look for my interview on April 9th, this past Monday...or just read the transcript below. And thank you to who ever did this transcript it is very much appreciated ;-)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Red Meat: Bane or Boon?” Host Script for Health Action
Program, 4/9/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Audio soundfile at </span><a href="http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/wbai_120409_230050haction.mp3%20"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/wbai_120409_230050haction.mp3</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome
to Health Action. I'm Bob Lederer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
tonight we're taking on a very controversial issue in the field of nutrition
and health, so brace yourself to hear someone who's firmly going against the
grain (pun intended).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We're going to give
some close scrutiny to a recent, large-scale and highly‑publicized Harvard
study that purported to show that ANY level of red meat consumption increased
the rate of mortality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The osteopathic
physician and author we will speak with is one of a growing chorus of nutrition
experts with a very different view and a very different clinical
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me state up front that I
am not necessarily endorsing all of this doctor's views and recommendations,
but particularly because I know that many in our audience are highly
health‑conscious and critical thinkers, I think it's important to hear this
rarely aired viewpoint. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To begin, here is a typical example of the many media
accounts of the study - this one from the Los Angeles Times of March 12,
2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under the headline, "All red
meat is bad for you, new study says,"
[http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-he-red-meat-20120313,0,2364743.story],
the article reads: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">QUOTE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eating red
meat - any amount and any type - appears to significantly increase the risk of
premature death, according to a long-range study that examined the eating
habits and health of more than 110,000 adults for more than 20 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For instance, adding just one 3-ounce serving of unprocessed
red meat - picture a piece of steak no bigger than a deck of cards - to one's
daily diet was associated with a 13% greater chance of dying during the course
of the study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even worse, adding an
extra daily serving of processed red meat, such as a hot dog or two slices of
bacon, was linked to a 20% higher risk of death during the study. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Any red meat you eat contributes to the risk,"
said An Pan, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in
Boston and lead author of the study, published online Monday in the Archives of
Internal Medicine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Crunching data from thousands of questionnaires that asked
people how frequently they ate a variety of foods, the researchers also
discovered that replacing red meat with other foods seemed to reduce mortality
risk for study participants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eating a serving of nuts instead of beef or pork was
associated with a 19% lower risk of dying during the study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team said choosing poultry or whole
grains as a substitute was linked with a 14% reduction in mortality risk;
low‑fat dairy or legumes, 10%; and fish, 7%. UNQUOTE <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And now joining us by phone to look behind these scary
statistics is James Carlson (http://drjamescarlson.com/), an osteopathic doctor
in Port Jefferson Station, New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr.
Carlson is a board‑certified family physician and clinical biochemist with 20
years of experience treating people with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and
cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is the author of the book
Genocide: How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks for joining us on Health Action, Dr.
Carlson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks
so much for having me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, this study really has
impressively large numbers of patients and seemingly large risk, large
increased death rates for red meat eaters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So can you start by giving us your overall view of the study and how its
findings contrast with your clinical experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as part of your answer, help us
understand the difference between an observational study and an intervention
study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first heard
about this study about a month ago, I think it came out in March, I immediately
was suspect,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with the results because of
what I see in my own practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
basically in my practice, I focus on the treatment of Type 2 diabetes or
diabetes in general, Type 1 and 2, obesity, heart disease, blood pressure
issues, et cetera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the way I
approach these particular disease processes is by doing exactly what the
studies suggest that we shouldn't be doing, and that's by having patients
consume more red meat, animal products, and back off on their whole grains and
fruits and all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So when I heard the results of the study, I immediately
raised an eyebrow and I said, okay, here we go, another, anti-red meat study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you look at the study further, you really do need to
understand the difference between an observational study and an interventional
study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it's interesting because in
an observational study, it's basically a study where they don't have, your
classic control groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, you're
just kind of drawing inferences about possible effects of a treatment or a
change on your subjects, and no treated group or control group is
entertained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is outside the
control of the investigator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you look at the interventional type of study, this is
the study we're more familiar with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is where you have, you know, two groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You'll have one group where you, create a change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We'll use the example of maybe having these
particular people eat, red meat and then your control group where they don't
eat red meat and, you'll keep everything the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is usually what we call a
prospective study where you follow the participants forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be retrospective where you follow them
backward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But observational studies are
fraught with hazards, and this indeed was how the Harvard study itself, was
created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But it flies in the face of what I've seen clinically over
the last 20 years as to how I treat my patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by giving my patients or suggesting to
them to consume more red meat, I'm seeing, wonderful health benefits, not the
scary stuff that they're suggesting in the study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, Dr.
Carlson, the Harvard study is the latest of a long line of observational
studies claiming to show that red meat poses a risk of coronary heart disease
and even cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a 2009 book titled
The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice & Accountability
[http://lierrekeith.com/vegmyth.htm], by small farmer, feminist, and
environmentalist Lierre Keith, has a chapter summarizing the evidence debunking
the alleged causative link between red meat and various illnesses and
death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">She writes that "a meta‑ [or combined] analysis of 167
cholesterol‑feeding experiments found that raising dietary cholesterol had a
negligible effect on blood cholesterol, and no link to coronary heart disease
risk."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Lierre Keith also notes
that "there are human cultures consuming 80% of their calories in the form
of saturated fat with no coronary heart disease." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So let me ask you:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What's your view of the evidence behind this supposed link between meat,
cholesterol, fat on the one hand and then disease on the other hand that is
really widely believed both within the medical profession and the nutrition
profession? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great ‑‑
it's a great question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it's
interesting too because Lierre Keith<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>actually mentioned there are human cultures consuming 80% of their
calories in the form of saturated fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the medical profession can't understand something like this, they
call it a paradox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So she's probably
referring to the Stein paradox or the French paradox, or the Eskimo or Inuit
paradox where they consume high saturated fat and cholesterol but yet they have
very little to zero coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The evidence behind the supposed meat- cholesterol-fat disease
connection, I, again, from my clinical experience over the last 20 years,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've seen the studies, I've seen a lot of
them and, for me, the evidence is flimsy at best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I like the word, I like the word that you used,
"believed," it's so widely believed within both the medical and
nutritional professions, because beliefs can be right or wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, truths and facts just are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at the outset when I'm counseling my patients
on the correct way to eat, I'll tell them that this is not my theory, opinion,
supposition or belief. These are the nutritional facts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And this is a controversial topic, so I don't mean to
appear, arrogant or what not or obnoxious when I say that, it's just that, I've
seen what I've seen clinically over the last 20 years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I, being a clinical biochemist, I also
understand biochemically, what's happening to create these positive health
benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So my view of the evidence behind these supposed meat
cholesterol-fat-disease connections, very flimsy and a lot of these, are the
observational studies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
why don't you just tell us briefly what's known now about the role of
cholesterol in the circulatory system and the nervous system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
cholesterol is extremely, when we're looking at the health benefits, of course,
of cholesterol in the foods that we're eating, say, in the red meat, very
beneficial for, proper nervous system growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Very, very beneficial, for I'm sorry, you mentioned nervous system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what was the other one?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
circulatory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh,
circulatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, actually, it's
very important because cholesterol is an extremely important biomolecule in our
cell membranes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And without cholesterol,
you can't have proper nerve function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can't really have proper circulatory function without, cholesterol
being found in the diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, I'm talking about cholesterol in the foods we eat, I'm
talking about the cholesterol, say, in red meat, in butter, and the things that
we're told to avoid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I'm also going
to say, too, that saturated fat is very important to consume as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We get into trouble when the body is allowed to create
cholesterol, to create fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I need
to stress that the creation of cholesterol and fat in our bodies comes from the
modification of sugar molecules known as glucose and fructose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So glucose and fructose, wherever it may come
from, whatever its source, the body will create cholesterol and fat from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is where it gets dangerous, when
we're creating cholesterol and fat from sugar, not from the consumption of
cholesterol and fat in food items.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what
are the most common sources of glucose and fructose in the in the modern U.S.
diet?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh,
boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, no one would argue cakes and
candies and processed foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I take
it a step further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is where I
get a little controversial because I do indeed pick on whole grains and
multigrains and seven grains and whole wheat pasta and brown rice and yogurt
and oatmeal and, of course, fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
always get these weird looks from nutritionists, doctors, fellow colleagues
when I say that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But let's look at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let's just analyze, what I'm really saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I'm really saying is, those food items I
just mentioned, they contain an overabundance of carbohydrates. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carbohydrates are broken down into simple
sugars, and the body uses these simple sugars to create cholesterol and
fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that's a biochemical fact, so
that's undisputable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it's disputed
widely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I even have colleagues who
dispute it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But any basic biochemical
textbook will show you that, of course, carbohydrates are broken down into
simple sugars, and it's the simple sugars the body uses to create plaque forming
deadly cholesterol and fat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so,
what has been both the research and your experience with the role of reducing
carbohydrates, whether they're complex, whether they're whole grain, or whether
they're refined, in alleviating diabetes and heart disease?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's
been my experience that when I back off on, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or tell my patients to back off on the whole
grains now, remember, as a physician, I'm privileged, you know, where I can
analyze blood work, where I can look at blood data such as triglycerides, fats
in the blood, HDL, good cholesterols, total cholesterols and whatnot, checking
blood pressure and all, analyzing blood sugars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I have my patients who are, say, a Type 2 diabetic,
when they back off on their whole grains and fruits, their sugar numbers do
indeed get better, they have better control of their numbers and, interestingly
enough, blood pressures also start to drop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Basically, when I back off or have my patients back off on
carbohydrates in all of their, shapes and sizes, very wonderful things happen
metabolically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my patients consume
more red meat or, say, even poultry and, of course, lamb and pork, their
numbers do indeed get better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And it's also an interesting thing, Bob, that over the last
20 years, the single biggest thing that I've seen to help raise HDL, or good
cholesterol, has not been exercise or anything like that, has not been, say,
you know, fish oils or anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's
actually been the consumption of saturated fat or increased consumption of
saturated fat and cholesterol in one's diet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by
the way, just one slight clarification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In your litany of foods that contain carbohydrates that can be harmful,
you included yogurt, but weren't you really just referring to flavored
yogurt?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because plain…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plain
yogurt…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you
know why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is not,
does not have carbohydrates; right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good
distinction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plain yogurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, there's, the Greek yogurt out
there is actually pretty low in carbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, no, we're going to move that out, you know, from that whole litany
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, nutrition writer Denise Minger prepared
a recent analysis of the new Harvard red meat study (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/will-eating-red-meat-kill-you/#axzz1rwuNb5ph)
and she noted "the folks eating the most red meat were also the least
physically active, the most likely to smoke, …the least likely to take a
multivitamin….[and had] higher BMIs, which is a measure of obesity, higher
alcohol intake, and a trend towards less healthy non-red-meat food
choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although -- continuing from her
quote, although the researchers tried their darnedest to adjust for these
confounders, or confusing factors, not even fancy-pants math tricks can
compensate for the immeasurable details involved in unhealthy living, the
tendency -- as well as the tendency for folks to misreport their diet and
exercise habits, and whatever mild insanity emerges from trying to remember
every food that hit your tongue during the past year."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that's a reference to the method of the
study was based on food surveys that were updated about every four years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think of her analysis of this
study?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
it's a very good analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean,
basically in nutshell, she's defining an observational study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that goes back to trying to remember, you
know, every food that hits your tongue during the past year, quote-unquote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, you know, the thing is it's exactly what
they're doing in this study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They're
not, you know-- when I analyze my patients' food intake, I have them do a food
diary where they're actually -- I tell them whatever you put in your mouth, I
don't care if it's a Tic Tac or whatever, I want to know what's going on, write
it down at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You know, now you're going retrospectively, trying to have
people remember what they ate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it's
an interesting psychological thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
know, if we're being watched, we tend to want to, you know, look better, you
know, so we'll say we eat more of this, that or the other thing and we'll tend
to put, you know, even less of things we know we shouldn't be eating even
though we are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I definitely agree with her analysis there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it's interesting too because it was --
or, you know, we picked on red meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
glaring thing was red meat, the evil was red meat, and they didn't even look at
the higher BMIs, the higher alcohol intake, the most likely to smoke and all
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just "red meat is
bad" is basically the glaring headline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, Ned Kock, who's a professor
of advanced statistics at Texas A&M International University, who has
dissected several medical studies, concluded
[http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-arch-intern-med-red-meat-mortality.html]
that the Harvard researchers in this study made a critical error in failing to
control for two factors that skewed the results:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is gender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this sample, the women consumed a lot MORE
red meat than the men, yet they died at LOWER rates than men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the authors averaged the results of the
women with those of the men, so this key distinction was submerged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second factor that he says that researchers should have
controlled for was diabetes incidence due to excess calorie intake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Professor Kock's analysis found that the more
red meat was consumed, the FEWER people died from diabetes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And he concludes, quote, the data reported by the authors
suggests that, when we control for biological sex and incidence of diabetes, an
extra 234 grams of red meat per day, okay, so this extra red meat is associated
with a REDUCTION in mortality of approximately 23 percent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the exact opposite...of what was
reported by the authors, unquote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then he notes, not incidentally, that this -- what
sounds like a big effect, 23% reduction in mortality, is also a minute effect,
just like the effect [of the red meat on mortality] that was reported by the
authors."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, the
actual numbers of deaths are not even that big in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But --<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- in
any case, that when-- when controlled by these other factors, that it's
actually not an increase, it's a reduction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do you think of Professor Kock's analysis?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's --
it's interesting because, being in clinical medicine, that's exactly what I
see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the more red meat that my
patients consume, I'm not going to say that fewer people die from diabetes, but
I will say this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The better controlled
my patients are with their blood sugars to the point where the vast majority of
them do not need medications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, if we extrapolate or just look at it scientifically,
the side effects of diabetes, say, the blindness or the heart disease or the
need for dialysis, is all due secondary to the elevated blood sugars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when I control blood sugars, by having
them back off on carbs and eating more red meat, I'm lowering their risk of
adverse events from the diabetes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
that's exactly what I'm seeing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I'm going to have to agree that an extra amount of red
meat per day associated with a reduction in mortality, again, I'm going to have
to say that that's also true because not even so much of my Type 2 diabetics
and Type 1s who do phenomenally well with carbohydrate restriction and eating
more red meat, but also, I see HDLs increase, I see weight loss come off, I see
blood pressures normalize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I'm seeing
-- not to look too much into what he did, but that's exactly what I see in
clinical medicine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So now, let's turn to the
finding in the Harvard study that consumption of PROCESSED red meats -- such as
bacon, hot dogs, salami, bologna, and so forth --correlated with even higher
death rates than those who ate unprocessed red meats. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, since nitrites and nitrates are contained in all these
products and have been found to be cancer-causing, would you say that these
forms of meat are bad dietary choices that could well worsen one's health over
the long term? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to the
presence of the nitrates and nitrites, you would want to be careful consuming
these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I generally <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have my patients, try to avoid these things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You know, it's interesting though, if you do a literature
search on nitrates and nitrites, and I came across some data in 2011, December
2011, saying that they weren't even being recognized as being carcinogens,
which I found quite interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
it's well known that nitrosamines are indeed cancer-causing, so you definitely
would want to be careful with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think the statistic was 20% versus 13%<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>processed versus unprocessed-- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--
respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, you would want to be
careful. I'm not going to sit there and tell people to eat a slab of bacon or
salami or bologna. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when you get into
a whole gradation, it's like,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what's
worse?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get proposed this question all
the time, is that, for a Type 2 diabetic, what's worse, consuming, whole grains
versus processed meats versus unprocessed meats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm going to go with the, of course, the
whole grains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I'm going to say,
well, if you're going to eat processed foods, do it, in moderation, and
certainly -- mild to moderate consumption, and certainly make sure you're
taking, vitamin supplements, especially vitamin C, which is known to neutralize
nitrosamines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
speaking of extra vitamins, one of the things not addressed in this study and
was actually criticized by a letter writer to the Annals of Internal Medicine a
couple weeks after that Harvard study was published was the fact that in this
country, most red meat comes from corn-fed cattle that are confined in close
quarters and filled with antibiotics and growth hormones which, of course,
undermine human health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I would add
that this method of mass livestock production with its massive use of huge
acreage of land, very destructive of the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been well documented
to be tremendously destructive of the environment and a contributor to global
warming, not to mention the cruelty to the animals involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that's for another program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I wanted to focus on is the fact that this study didn't
look at any possible differences between those who ate corn-fed beef versus
pasture or grass-fed beef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, that's a tiny number in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But as nutrition writer and supplement producer Michael Mooney wrote
actually today, that when you compare corn-fed beef to grass-fed -- grass-fed
beef is four times higher in vitamin E, five times higher in total Omega 3
fatty acids, four times higher in selenium, and higher in vitamin B1, B2,
calcium, magnesium and K, each of which have been found in different degrees to
prevent either cardiovascular disease, cancer, or to help prevent
cardiovascular disease, cancer, or depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I realize that grass-fed beef is much more expensive and
it's hard to find outside of middle-class neighborhoods, but do you recommend
that your patients try to include grass-fed beef in their diets?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you alluded to the use of supplements,
but would you say for people who have to eat the conventional commercial red
meat, that they should take high-dose nutritional supplements to try to, make
sure they get some of those vital nutrients?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Definitely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you know what,
that's representative of the vast majority of what we here in America
consume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's not the grass-fed, it's
the grain-fed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the problem with the
grain-fed is, as you alluded to -- and what supplements would those be would
be, of course, vitamin C, you know, B complex, vitamin D as in David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The more the cattle or the beef that's grain-fed, you have
more Omega 6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory and less, Omega 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grass-fed beef is much better for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I know, of course, it's more
expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if you can't afford the
grass-fed beef --this is one of those, you know, what's the lesser of two
evils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can't afford the grass-fed,
you're going to have to go after the grain-fed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 24pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
other thing that I want to say before I forget is that, interestingly enough,
the grain-fed -- let me get this right -- the grain-fed beef actually has more
E. coli, more problems with E. coli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
know, so that whole E. coli, </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">O157:H7
</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">that
basically is seen a lot more so with grain-fed beef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So there's a multitude of benefits, of
course, for the grass</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "MS Gothic"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">‑</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">fed
versus the grain</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "MS Gothic"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">‑</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">fed.<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I'm sorry to interrupt
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's
okay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We're
very short on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let me just
quickly touch on one final issue not addressed in the study, which was the fact
that compounds called AGEs that are present in many foods but in higher levels
in meats have been linked to a variety of illnesses and tend to be dramatically
increased with high-temperature cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, this is also true of a cancer-causing chemical called heterocyclic
amines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So would you agree with the advice of the American Dietetic
Association to avoid oven frying, deep frying, broiling, and roasting meat, and
instead use steaming, poaching, stewing, and boiling to reduce these toxic
compounds?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, we do know that these
advanced glycation end-products and we do know that some heterocyclic amines --
just quickly, though, for the audience, heterocyclic amines are interesting
critters because they range from vitamins, such as niacin, to cancer-causing,
amines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do see these created more so
in the types of cooking -- oven frying, deep frying -- that you mentioned, so I
would definitely say, go with the steaming, the poaching, the stewing, the
boiling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I also tell my patients too on top of, supplements to get
your beef, to the temperature of 140.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don't overcook it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, and
we've known for quite some time, although we may not have known of AGEs and
heterocyclic amines,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that, the more you,
quote-unquote, cook your food or, quote-unquote, burn your food, that it tends
to be more carcinogenic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that was
just becoming more educated and we know about these advanced glycation end-products
and, of course, the heterocyclic amines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I would say, yes, be very careful how you indeed cook the meat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have 30 seconds to just
give us a take-home message about this Harvard study and what people should
think about in terms of the role of red meat in their diet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DR. CARLSON:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would
say be very cautious with this study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It's one of many studies that are just I think, setting out a bias
toward the consumption of red meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Red
meat is not evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Red meat is definitely
very, very good to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially if
you're obese or Type 2 diabetic or have heart issues, red meat is definitely
the way to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, go with grass-fed
versus the grain-fed and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't
forget your vitamins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, definitely
back off on your whole grains and your fruits, the things that I feel
clinically are what's causing the major issues with, Type 2 diabetes, heart
disease, and the list goes on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MR. LEDERER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I want to thank my
guest, Dr. James Carlson, osteopathic physician and author of Genocide: How
Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His website is </span><a href="http://drjamescarlson.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://drjamescarlson.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, to obtain all the references listed in tonight's show
and much more information, you can visit the Facebook page "Red Meat Won't
Kill You," sponsored by the Weston A Price Foundation. Just go to
Facebook.com and search for "Red Meat Won't Kill You."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Foundation supports movements aimed at
restoring nutrient-dense foods to the diet through accurate nutrition
instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock,
community-supported farms, and other strategies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On their website, westonaprice.org, they state,
"Although many of our members are farmers, the Foundation has no ties with
the meat or dairy industry, nor with any organization promoting these
industries." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And also on the Facebook page and the Foundation site, you
can find a link to the Brooklyn chapter which lists sources of grass-fed animal
products in the NY-NJ area, including a consumer co-op, the Park Slope Food Co-op.
Click here to find a local </span><a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/local-chapters/find-local-chapter"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Westonaprice.org
chapter</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dr. James Carlson
attained degrees in biochemistry and cellular physiology from Cornell
University before receiving his medical degree from the New York College of
Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, New York. He served as the chief resident
at Delaware Valley Medical Center in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and later
obtained a master's of business with an emphasis on healthcare economics and
physician practice management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
Carlson holds a juris doctorate, with an emphasis in healthcare law from
Concord University School of Law, located in Los Angeles, California. His is
the author of GENOCIDE: How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You.
Currently, he is currently in a private medical practice in Port Jefferson ,New
York.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bob Lederer has been a
journalist and advocate for health empowerment for 25 years, and is a new
member of the Weston A. Price Foundation. In 1990 he cofounded a program
offering grassroots perspectives on HIV/AIDS on WBAI/Pacifica Radio, and has since
1994 been co-producer/co-host of Health Action, a weekly WBAI show covering
alternative approaches and challenges to corporate undermining of health and
blockages to health care access. For many years he was an activist with ACT UP,
the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, demanding research on and access to both
conventional and alternative HIV/AIDS treatments and preventive measures such
as needle exchange. Since 2006 he has been Researcher and Policy Analyst with
the Bronx Health Link, a nonprofit agency doing research, education and
advocacy for low-income residents of the Bronx. He is currently working toward
a Masters in Public Health at Hunter College.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Health Action airs
Mondays from 11:00-11:30 PM on WBAI/Pacifica Radio in New York (99.5 FM, livestreaming
at wbai.org) and can be accessed in the audio archives for 90 days after each
program.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-24131218760783846712012-04-09T15:57:00.000-07:002012-04-09T15:57:53.012-07:00Live Interview Tonight On The Red Meat Study...Listen In & Learn the Truth!Heterocyclic Amines, Advanced Glycation End Products and Nitrates..Oh My! And what do all these fancy molecules have to do with red meat consumption? Go to
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.wbai.org/">http://www.wbai.org</a> at 11:00-11:30 PM ET where I will be discussing the now (in)famous red meat study as published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know, I know, I'm usually in bed by 9:30 myself but this will be a great talk so please tune in and Enjoy! My host is Bob Lederer, a very knowledgeable individual as to the correct way to eat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">dr jim :-)</span></div>DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-86260132630018384162012-04-07T05:46:00.000-07:002012-04-07T05:46:39.562-07:00The IatroGenocide Continues!Check out this article and then read my comment below!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2012/03/red-meat-mortality-the-usual-bad-science/" target="_blank">Click Here for Article</a><br />
<br />
My comment,<br />
<br />
First off, let me commend Zoe on an excellent article correctly analyzing that ridiculous study! As a Board Certified Family Physician and Clinical Biochemist with 20 years of experience treating actual, live, breathing, real human beings who suffer from obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and who at times succumb to cancer; I knew as soon as I heard and read about that study that it should never have been published.<br />
<br />
Why? <br />
<br />
Because the focus was on the consumption of red meat (processed and/or unprocessed)and the statement that even a small serving of red meat a day statistically increases(d) one’s risk for that ever present downer known as death was a ridiculous and yes ‘arrogant and erroneous’ comment made by researchers who just wanted to get ‘something’ published<br />
<br />
Well here’s the problem and it’s a BIG one. I am in the front lines of medicine and i treat patients on a daily basis with the diseases as delineated above. The problem is that when my patients eat MORE red meat (or meat in general, even if it is processed, I can hear the ‘OMG’ sigh emanating from all the readers at this point) the disease process they are dealing with gets BETTER ladies & gentlemen NOT worse! The MORE my patients consume red meat, and meat in general, and the LESS fruits and whole grains and some veggies likes carrots and corn they eat——THEY GET BETTER, NOT SICKER!!!!!<br />
<br />
How do I define better? Let’s see, simply stated, the MORE meat and the less whole grains and fruits consumed equates with lowering of blood sugars to a normal range, lowering of elevated triglycerides to a normal range, raising of HDL (the protective cholesterol), loss of weight, normalization of blood pressures—ALL USUALLY WITHOUT THE USE OR NEED FOR MEDICATIONS!!! I’m using bold here people because we can play around all we want with multivariate statistical analysis lines/plots/curves/Z lines or whatever, but the fact of the matter is exactly what Zoe stated–to make the claims as stated in this article is indeed ‘ignorant and erroneous’ and downright deadly!<br />
<br />
What was that statement, ummmm “There are liars, there are damn liars…and then there’s statistics.” Mark Twain<br />
<br />
My major problem with this article (by the way I cannot even use the word research because I’m sure the ‘proud authors’ of this paper probably just plugged some numbers in their Excell Spreadsheets to come up with all this ‘crappy’ data) is that not only will most doctors, nutritionists and dietitian buy into the fallacious results; the real victims will be the vast multitudes of people who will be told that eating red meat is bad for them, wont eat it because they think that to be true, and then will go on to develop uncontrolled high blood pressure & blood sugars, high fats in the blood, low HDLs and the list goes on. <br />
<br />
Gee, what a shocker that Dean Ornish was one of the ‘reviewers’ of this article. He takes credit for converting the ex-president into a Vegan, does he also take credit for Clinton’s heart attacks and failing health?<br />
<br />
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—”Vegetarians are the sickest people in my practice and they require the most medications to treat their myriad disease processes.”<br />
<br />
…and they wonder why the main title of my book is GENOCIDE…<br />
<br />
Thank you for your time.<br />
<br />
Dr. James Carlson BS, DO, MBA, JD<br />
<br />
P.S. And yes, I am still upset I didn't make up the portmanteau 'IatroGenocide.' Don't worry, I'll get over it eventually...:-)<br />
<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-3892445898025021352012-02-20T15:53:00.000-08:002012-02-20T15:56:46.050-08:00Check This Story Out! They Are So Lucky I'm Under The Weather Right Now!But I'll be back tomorrow with my full response to this ridiculous infringement of personal privacy! If they inspected my kid's lunchboxes I'm figuring Child Protective Safety would be called. Oh, that's right, my 11 year old daughter and 7 year old son know more about the correct way to eat than these ignorant bureaucratic buffoons who actually still think that eating fat & cholesterol is bad for us.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/16/should-states-regulate-bagged-lunch/">Click here for the story!</a><br />
<br />
Oh yeah, don't forget to check out the carb-laden School Luncheon Menu. It's getting worse everyone, not better....<br />
<br />
dr jim<br />
<a href="http://www.drjamescarlson.com/">http://www.drjamescarlson.com/</a>DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-4905535045111815922012-02-19T13:19:00.000-08:002012-02-19T13:19:39.842-08:00Can Eating Too Much Fat & Protein Actually Lead To Increased Fat Storage? Or, has Dr. Jim finally contradicted himself?Dr. Carlson,<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for your very detailed response to my question. It is incredibly helpful, and I'm sharing it with pretty much everyone I know. One very brief follow-up question though, if you wouldn't mind indulging me:<br />
<br />
Excess carbs obviously lead directly to storage. But is it not possible for the body to convert and store fat and/or protein as well? In other words, a normal/reasonable amount of fat, protein, and cholesterol won't lead to fat conversion and storage when that same amount of carbs would. However, is this still the case if one consumes a serious excess of fat protein and cholesterol? (as might happen, say, when I spend a few hours at my favorite Brazilian steakhouse, Fogo de Chao).<br />
<br />
Much thanks once again! <br />
<br />
Sean<br />
<br />
Hi Sean, <br />
<br />
No problem and I like your follow-up questions too; I'm going to think this through as I type and explain kinda like an impromptu lecture, so enjoy! :-) <br />
<br />
It is possible for the body to store excess fat and protein consumption as fat. Here's how; we'll look at fats first; <br />
<br />
When we consume fats we consume them usually in the form of triglycerides. A triglyceride is composed of 3 (three) fatty acid side chains (hence the tri) attached to a glycerol backbone. While beta-oxidation of the acyl side chains will release acetyl groups that will shuttle into the Kreb's, this will also release the glycerol backbone. The glycerol backbone can indeed be transformed to glucose via gluconeogenesis. <br />
<br />
It needs to be re-emphasized that gluconeogenesis <em>is not</em> the reversal of glycolysis; that gluconeogenesis occurs mainly in the liver and to a lesser extent in the kidneys (these are organs which are essential to glucose homeostasis); and that gluconeogenesis ends with glucose-6-phosphate and free glucose is not usually generated, but it can be, say after sleeping 8 hours (nighttime fast) or prolonged starvation. And finally we need to remember that the usual fate of glucose-6-phosphate is conversion into glycogen. Any glucose released will be used by the brain (but remember, the brain prefers ketone bodies for function if given a choice), or any other organ that needs glucose; there generally will not be enough glucose released to create a long chain fatty acid to be stored in the adipocyte, nor will the physiological signals be present to support this. <br />
<br />
But we need to remember that the question pertains to the <em>over consumption</em> of fat, so we certainly aren't fasting in this scenario. Over consumption of fat is very difficult to do despite what everyone thinks. Now, I am not talking about eating a double cheeseburger with the bun along with a regular coke and fries; unfortunately a common meal out there these days. Which, by the way, also has an overabundance of carbohydrates. I'm referring to eating a bunch of bacon, sausage, butter, rib eye steaks, non lean burgers with cheese (with no bun or regular coke), or say four eggs or so...man, I'm beginning to drool... <br />
<br />
Remember the scenario above with the eventual release of the glycerol backbone which could be converted into glucose (this, of course, is occurring intracellularly, not extracellularly). Now here's where we run into some trouble. Assuming one is a glutton and eats a mega amount of bacon, what is really going to happen. Yes, alot of fat was consumed; yes, there could be a large release of the glycerol backbone which can be converted to glucose-6-phosphate; will there be a release of glucose extracellularly or does there even need to be a release? Why can't the glucose-6-phosphate created just start shuttling down the glycolytic pathway to pyruvate, then to acetyl CoA and we all know the rest. <br />
<br />
The answer lies in the fact that the signals for the creation of fatty acids will not be there. Remember, we ate no carbs and all fat (of course protein too which we'll analyze later). What are the signals needed? Overabundance of glucose (there is none), relative increase in insulin release (there was none), relative decrease in glucagon concentrations (the exact opposite occurred as more glucagon is secreted); so with an over consumption of fat it is still very difficult physiologically to get fat creation from fat consumption, so long as not too many carbs were consumed with the fat, as is the case in our scenario. <br />
<br />
Another fact about eating alot of fat; fat consumption is a natural appetite suppressant. We think it has to do with the release of cholecystokinin, but the fact remains; when we eat alot of fat, we are fuller longer; satiety prevails. When we are fuller longer we dont eat as much..so we are giving the body nothing to store. Another problem our fat glutton runs into is either malabsorption of the fat or ensuing emesis due to their gluttonous behaviour, both of which will not allow any absorption of any of the fat at all. <br />
<br />
So I guess my final answer is over consumption of fat could in theory lead to fat storage but it is extremely difficult to do since the biochemical signals favoring a glycolytic run into fat will not be favored when we over consume fat. (Can anyone say 'Run-on sentence' LOL) <br />
<br />
Now let's look at protein over consumption; <br />
<br />
Proteins are broken down into amino acids. These amino acids can be either glucogenic, ketogenic or have qualities of both glucogenic & ketogenic. Glucogenic amino acids will be converted into glucose and ketogenic amino acids can be converted into ketones or fatty acids. So right away we can see that over consumption of proteins containing predominantly ketogenic amino acids (only leucine and lysine are strictly ketogenic) can give rise to fatty acids. An amino acid is referred to as ketogenic if degradation gives rise to Acetyl CoA or Acetoacetyl CoA. These two species can be transformed to fatty acids as we discussed in an earlier post. Amino acids giving rise to pyruvate, oxaloacetate, fumarate, succinyl CoA or alphaketoglutarate are termed glucogenic as they can be used to create glucose. Fans of the Kreb's Cycle will immediately recognize oxaloacetate, fumarate, succinyl CoA and alphaketoglutarate as intermediaries in the Kreb's, a simple reminder that these amino acids are glucogenic. <br />
<br />
I can certainly go through the degradation pathways of gluco/ketogenic amino acids, but I feel it is beyond the scope of this post :-) Of course I find it very exciting and anyone who wants to review the degradative pathways of amino acids further will be referred to pp. 690-696 of Stryer's (now really Berg, Tymoczko & Stryer) 7th Edition of <em>Biochemistry</em>, my personal favorite source for biochemical facts. <br />
<br />
To summarize, we can see that it is quite difficult to create fat from the consumption of fat. Indeed this flies in the face of what most self-purported nutritional experts proselytize, that eating fat makes us fat; we see from a simple review that this is biochemically difficult to do. But over consumption of protein, in the form of the mixed or ketogenic amino acids will lead to the creation of fatty acids. But then this question is immediately raised by myself; since we over consumed protein to get to this stage; there will be low glucose, low insulin, increased glucagon, hence all the signals to favor B-oxidation of free fatty acids, not creation and storage of fats, so now we are right back to where we started...gosh I love this stuff :-) <br />
<br />
Also, just as we will either vomit or poop out (mainly poop thank goodness) some of what we ate, a portion of our protein gluttony once again will not even have a chance for absorption. So while the question asked what happens when we over consume protein and/or fat and can this lead to the storage of fat, the short answer is that all depends and it depends mainly on us over consuming carbs with the protein/fat indulgence. Over consumption of fat/cholesterol without carbs can cause a fat buildup but is extremely unlikely due to the signals favoring fatty acid degradation and not storage. <br />
<br />
I hope I didn't confuse anyone too much. Oh yeah, anyone know a good Brazilian Steak House on Long Island, NY. :-) <br />
<br />
Have a great rest of what remains to our weekend everyone and as always thanks for reading and keep those biochemical questions coming! <br />
<br />
dr jim <br />
<a href="http://www.drjamescarlson.com/">http://www.drjamescarlson.com/</a> <br />
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<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-25496591608547796942012-02-05T12:53:00.000-08:002012-02-05T13:01:06.735-08:00Great Questions From a Future Doctor!I always love when I receive a question from a future doc about proper nutrition. It is exciting to me because I know once I explain the correct way to eat, dispelling the many myths that surround nutritional science, I have just not only educated one person, but the tens of thousands of patients this future doc is going to meet over the course of their career.<br />
<br />
As a side note, I have been in practice for 20 years. At about 35 patients a day, sometimes more, never less; I have easily had over a 130,000 patient contacts. Yes, you read those numbers right :-) So just imagine how excited I get given a chance to properly educate a future doc on the right way to eat. His question is italicized below and my answer will follow;<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Dear Dr. Jim,</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>Hello! I recently stumbled upon your blog and found it to be a quite useful source of information. I'm an Army Officer and graduate student headed to medical school next year. One of my major responsibilities in the Army has been to ensure the health and physical fitness of my Soldiers. So I've been trying to gain a better grasp of nutrition science, but much of what I've read I've found to be apocryphal, even from so-called nutrition experts.</em><br />
<br />
<em>In any case, I had a question I thought perhaps you might be willing to answer on your blog. I am curious about the rate and efficiency of food absorption and processing. </em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>In short: if one eats a "normal" American meal made up of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, how long does it take for those excess calories one eats to be absorbed, transported, and stored as fat?</em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>On a related note, how efficient is this process? I'm thinking of this in the context of individuals who are trying to lose weight by lowering their calorie intake. If over the course of the week a person (baseline 2500 calories/day) diets at about 1800 calories per day, but then on one of those days "slips up" and consumes a whopping 6000 calories, is that basically the same as consuming 2370 calories per day over the course of that week or, given the huge volume of food, would some of the nutrients during that 6000-calorie-feast pass through the gut without being absorbed? </em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>Thank you for your time!</em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>Very best regards,</em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>S.W.</em><br />
<br />
Dear S.W. <br />
<br />
Thanks so much for your intriguing questions about nutrition. Apocryphal is indeed the case when trying to weed through all the hoopla concerning the right way to eat. Over the years I have come to view the term 'nutritonal-expert' as an oxymoron, as most of them haven't a clue about the correct way to eat. Sure, they can recite the glycolytic pathway faster than a match can burn down to their finger; but they really haven't stopped to view the pathways in an integrated fashion, the way these pathways should be viewed. This I attribute to inadequate academic training which still unfortunately persists today, and the tenacious, vehement denial by these 'experts' that we have the biochemical understanding to basically eradicate obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, GERD and many types of cancers TODAY! <br />
<br />
To understand that plaque-forming deadly cholesterol and fat production starts with a sugar molecule (glucose & fructose), requires an understanding that the pyruvate we arrive at when glycolysis ends and the subsequent acetyl-CoA that's formed, that not all this acetyl-CoA is shuttled into the Kreb's with the oxidative phosphorylation pathway ending it all. No, that's not the case. <br />
<br />
(Don't worry, I'll get to your questions in a bit :-) <br />
<br />
I was under the impression when I studied biochemistry & molecular cellular biology in my undergraduate years that it went like this--Glycolysis----Kreb's----Oxidative Phosphorylation---the end. I wasn't told that AcetylCoA is a pivotal bio-molecule and while it can be shuttled to the Kreb's, there were indeed other fates for AcetylCoA. Like condensation of 2 AcetylCoA molecules to get acetoacetyl CoA the starting point for both cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis. I wasn't told that insulin actually acts to increase the creation of HMG CoA reductase by increasing its actual gene expression, thereby creating more of this rate-limiting enzyme, the end result being production of more cholesterol. While I knew the biochemistry behind the creation of fatty acids and I knew it started with , once again, acetylCoA; the integration of all the possible fates of acetylCoA were not taught to me; I had to put that all together myself many years later as a practicing physician. On top of all this, it was never really stressed to me that insulin performs many different biochemical activities in our cells. <br />
<br />
Sure, everyone knows insulin is needed to get glucose inside the cell, but as I mentioned above; who remembers that insulin increases HMG-CoA reductases's actual gene expression; that insulin allosterically activates acetyl CoA carboxylase (via dephosphorylation of the enzyme) stimulating an increase in free fatty acid production; that insulin works via a second-messenger sysytem and that one of these messengers DAG (diacylglycerol) has an arachidonic acid side chain that when undergoing degradation helps gives rise to inflammatory and cancer causing mediators and the list goes on and on. In fact, I refer to insulin as 'the dirty little hormone' in my book. Sure, we need it to survive, but very little of this peptide hormone is needed for optimum health...very little. <br />
<br />
So let's get to your first question... <br />
<br />
<em>In short: if one eats a "normal" American meal made up of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, how long does it take for those excess calories one eats to be absorbed, transported, and stored as fat?</em> <br />
<em></em> <br />
In short, it takes about 8-10 hours for our bodies to create and store fat. When a mix of food is eaten in a 'typical' American diet, it is almost always an overabundance of carbohydrates. Now we need to understand that ALL carbohydrates no matter their source, are broken down into the simple sugar glucose and it is glucose that gets stored as fat in the fat cell or adipocyte as it's called. To create & store fat requires the presence of insulin which will activate the acetylCoA carboxylase enzyme as mentioned above encouraging the biosynthesis of fatty acids with the subsequent storage in the fat cell. <br />
<br />
Hence, overeat carbohydrates in any form and I mean ANY form, such as whole grains, multi grains, 7-grains, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, fruit (fructose gets stored quicker than glucose as it needs LESS modification) yogurt or oatmeal and you will create and store pounds and pounds of fat. <br />
<br />
But wait, i hear some of you yelling...'What about glycogen? Doesn't the body create glycogen stores first and then go on to store the excess as fat.?!?!' <br />
<br />
While that is true, the typical American diet is so overloaded with carbs that all the signals for fat storage are set into play. That is, eat too many carbs (easy to do), secrete insulin, glucose gets shuttled doen the glycolytic pathway, more acetyl CoA is created, more substrate that acetylCoA reductase has to work with and since insulin has been secreted by the carb laden meal, increased activity of acetylCoA reductase occurs. <br />
<br />
Said bluntly-Eat too many carbs, in any shape or form...get heavier. Did I forget to mention that while over eating carbs will increase your creation and storage of fat; it will also result in the increased production of plaque-forming deadly cholesterol as well. So, in a nut-shell; eat more carbs, you get heavier and increase your risk not only of heart disease but many other disease-processes. <br />
<br />
Let me also state the fact that ALL one's carbohydrate needs can be met by eating protein, fat & cholesterol containing foods, without the need to even consume carbs. Of note, the glucogenic amino acids, as well as the glycerol backbone chain from triglycerides can be used to create glucose; there are also many examples of societies that eat predominately fat and protein and have low rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes &cancer (the Inuits are such an example), despite the fact that they are eating what the 'nutritonal experts' around the world tell us not to eat. <br />
<br />
Ahhh, you have mentioned my all-time Nemesis....The Calorie! <br />
<br />
Arrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!! <br />
<br />
As chapter 6 in my book states "Calories are irrelevant in Human nutrition." Remember that a calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of H20 by 1 degree Celsius and that the calorie is important only if you are a heat biochemist. The calorie is measured by a combustion process. When we eat a piece of meat, it doesn't go into our stomach and burn (via a combustion process) it is 'digested' and I cannot emphasize enough that combustion and digestion are two entirely different processes. <br />
<br />
Now when we eat excess 'calories' we are really not overeating heat (sounds kinda silly when I put it like that), we are overeating carbohydrates; and it is these carbohydrates in the form of glucose that the body will store. Our bodies don't store calories, we store glucose biochemically altered into fatty acid molecules. It took me a very long time to understand the calorie is irrelevant in human nutrition and to this day I'll slip and use the word burn or whatnot; but please always remember that counting calories are an utter waste of time, a red-herring at best. <br />
<br />
Which of course all this talk about that nefarious calorie is a nice segue into your next question... <br />
<br />
<br />
<em>On a related note, how efficient is this process? I'm thinking of this in the context of individuals who are trying to lose weight by lowering their calorie intake. If over the course of the week a person (baseline 2500 calories/day) diets at about 1800 calories per day, but then on one of those days "slips up" and consumes a whopping 6000 calories, is that basically the same as consuming 2370 calories per day over the course of that week or, given the huge volume of food, would some of the nutrients during that 6000-calorie-feast pass through the gut without being absorbed?</em> <br />
<br />
Seems like a loaded question. Reminds me of those algebraic problems I saw in high school..."if Jimmy is on a train headed north-northwest at a speed of 60 mph and a tail wind is hitting the train at 5 mph, but Jimmy is hopping backwards on one foot in a cross diagonal pattern, how long will it take before Jimmy's gastrocnemius claudicates....?' Huh? <br />
<br />
Alright, back to the question.<br />
<br />
Since we just learned calories mean nothing in human nutrition, we can just multiply all your numbers by 0 to get 0. In other words, once we understand calories are irrelevant and that it is the grams of carbs that are important, the whole question itself becomes irrelevant. You see, we aren't storing calories at all, but the simple sugar glucose from the carbs. Sure, one can place the food items in question which comprise the calories mentioned into a calorimeter, burn it and see how much heat is being given off; it will tell us nothing about what is really happening in human nutrition, specifically with weight loss.<br />
<br />
Let's use a clinical scenario. It took me awhile to realize that my morbidly obese patients actually increased their calories before weight loss kicked in. I didn't realize this because I was focused on carb intake, not calories. The patient who brought this to my attention was over 500 LBs and came in all distressed one day. When i asked him why he told me that he was consuming 4x the amount of calories he was consuming before (2500 to now 10,000 a day!) and his problem was that he was wondering Why he was LOSING weight?!<br />
<br />
<br />
He confessed he did not increase his exercise at all and despite quadrupling his caloric intake HE WAS LOSING WEIGHT!!!! This was my Eureka! moment when I started to actually count calories and carbs on my patients. What was actually happening is that in my morbidly obese patients, they were often doubling, tripling their caloric intakes before they saw an appreciable weight loss, but they were not increasing the calories via carbs, but by the consumption of more fatty & cholesterol containing foods. As weight loss progressed, the calorie intake was lower and lower, but the calories always took the form of more fat, cholesterol & protein, NOT carbs.<br />
<br />
Ask any morbidly obese patients and they'll tell you flat out "I've tried everything, even starving myself and I can't lose weight." Most obese patients do calorie restrict, but since calories mean nothing the end result will be failure; and those who do lose weight, since they almost always are eating a non sustainable low fat low cholesterol diet, will fall off this dietary path, having to start all over again, unfortunately oftentimes still thinking they are heavy due to over consumption of calories and fat.<br />
<br />
So for your patients who say, eat 6000 calories a day up from say the 1800 or so, it all depends on what they ate exactly. If those calories were mainly in the form of carbs, they will store and gain weight; if it was in the form of more fat and cholesterol, the biochemical signals will not favor storage and they will not really see an appreciable weight gain if any. And that is why to answer that question we need to know exactly what the foods were that got the person to 6000 calories.<br />
<br />
Hope that helps!<br />
<br />
Hey, my fingers are getting tired and I have to get a few low carb beers on ice so I can watch the Giants win the Superbowel in a couple of hours!<br />
<br />
I hope my explanations helped not only for your personal understanding, but to make and keep our troops the healthiest in the world! Thanks again for asking some very important questions about human nutrition! And CONGRATULATIONS upon your acceptance into Medical School, maybe I'll be teaching your nutritional biochemistry course :-)<br />
<br />
drjim :-)<br />
<a href="http://www.drjamescarlson.com/">http://www.drjamescarlson.com/</a><br />
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<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-21434853245859406362012-02-04T11:15:00.000-08:002012-02-04T11:21:31.610-08:00You were Right-They were Wrong<em>Here is an e-mail I just received today that I want to share with everyone...</em> <br />
<br />
Dr. Jim,<br />
<br />
You are going to love this story! <br />
<br />
Last August, I had my blood tested and was shocked to hear the results.<br />
<br />
August <br />
<br />
Non-HDL 178 <br />
<br />
TRI 104 <br />
<br />
LDL 157 <br />
<br />
HDL 54 <br />
<br />
Total Chol 232 <br />
<br />
I insisted the lab must have made a mistake. For most of my adult life, I have eaten a no pig, no cow, low sodium, low fat, no caffeine diet. I exercise regularly and look very fit. Most people cannot believe I am in my 50s. My Doctor told me that high cholesterol is often an inherited trait and there might not be much I can do about it. In fact, I was already pretty much following the diet he would recommend. I could try to cut back on the eggs and cheese, but there was "probably not much more that could be done with my diet at this point." We would do the test again in 6 months, but I should be prepared for a future that included statins. Did I mention I hate to take drugs? Well I do.<br />
<br />
Purely coincidentally, my husband had been listening to you on a local health radio program in Dallas at about the same time. He told me about it, so I started surfing the internet until I found you. As a person with a math and science background, I was swayed by your detailed explanations and immediately changed to a low carb diet. I confess I still do no pig, no cow, but I added more fat - mostly nuts & cheese. <br />
<br />
After the switch, I mentioned to one of my sisters that I was doing the low carb thing to get my cholesterol down. She quickly cut me off and proclaimed there was nothing I could do, because it really is "all hereditary". (As an aside... I don't make it a habit to take medical advice from a lawyer even if we do have the same parents that both had high cholesterol.)<br />
<br />
Well I just had my blood retested for the first time since going low-carb. Here are the results compared to my August numbers. (I know you won't be surprised.)<br />
<br />
August 2011 Feb. 2012<br />
<br />
Non-HDL 178 121<br />
<br />
TRI 104 41<br />
<br />
LDL 157 113<br />
<br />
HDL 54 58<br />
<br />
Total 232 179<br />
<br />
My doctor called me amazed. He really didn't think results like that could be achieved by changing your diet. He confessed that before getting the result, he had warned my husband that I was likely to be disappointed. So he implored me to tell him what I had done to achieve these results. I told him that I just did what Dr. Carlson recommends. I cut out the gratuitous carbs and ate more fats and eggs. I shifted my fruits and vegetables from mostly fruits to mostly vegetables and I try to make sure my carbs are the high fiber kind. <br />
<br />
I suggested he put his prescription pad away and start handing out your book.<br />
<br />
Thanks for putting it all out there on the web for us.<br />
<br />
m.j.<br />
<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-30474549492805248282012-02-03T08:40:00.000-08:002012-02-03T08:50:37.991-08:00Dr. Oz Truly is The Bane of My Existence!Definitions of bane from American Heritage Dictionary; <br />
<br />
1.Fatal injury or ruin: "Hath some fond lover tic'd thee to thy bane?" (George Herbert).<br />
<br />
2.<br />
a. A cause of harm, ruin, or death: "Obedience,/Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth,/Makes slaves of men" (Percy Bysshe Shelley).<br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white; color: yellow;"><span style="color: blue;">b. A source of persistent annoyance or exasperation</span>:</span><span style="background-color: white;"><em> </em></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"></span><br />
3. A deadly poison.<br />
<br />
Sorry Dr. Oz, but it's true. You fit precisely with definition 2 b (or not 2 b, sorry, couldn't resist. Definition 3 could easily pertain to the consumption of carbs, but I'm here mainly to vent out my frustrations against Dr. Oz) <br />
<br />
Whenever I have a chance to peruse his show I always get this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that millions of viewers are watching him & believing the nutritional nonsense he spews forward & then I pace back & forth, back & forth and wonder why this guys on television and then my auditory hallucinations start again and all I hear is the repetitive mantra Oprah...Oprah...Oprah (I know that was a run-on sentence so just put your red pens down and follow me on this one :-)<br />
<br />
The latest comments from and about his show are how he is promoting baryatric surgery as the be-all-end-all solution to weight loss and as a diabetes cure to name a few. While my patients know I am not against gastric bypass and/or the lap band (we now have a gastric sleeve procedure to add into the mix) as a 'tool' to help facilitate weight-loss; everyone needs to understand that this surgical option should not be promoted as first-line therapy.<br />
<br />
So long as Dr. Oz continues to disseminate the incorrect way to eat, millions of people will continue to believe that low-fat, low-cholesterol is the right way to eat. The end result will be exactly what we physicians continue to see on a daily basis; people getting heavier, cholesterol panels getting worse, blood sugars & pressures going higher and the list goes on and on.<br />
<br />
A few weeks back when I was unlucky enough to come across his show..ok I was channel surfing and I heard someone mentioning L-arginine and my biochemical ears became pointy and my fingers immediately came off the channel up button and there it was...the Dr Oz show. He was talking about L-arginine and how it can help increase the pituitary's production & secretion of Growth Hormone, which, by the way, it cannot and this was shown in studies performed years ago. I then wondered why anyone would even mention the L in front of arginine as the only arginine our bodies can utilize is the L version so its superfluous to even say 'L'-arginine. It only suggests to me that that person just wants to look clever in the eyes of others. (As an aside the letter L is a designation of the chirality of particles, that is, bio molecules can have mirror images of one another referred to as enantiomers, the mirror image of the L is the D molecule go do an Internet search to learn more if you wish)<br />
<br />
Anyway, my point is that I just happened across his show, heard an amino-acid mentioned, noticed it was the Dr Oz show and couldn't stop myself from watching. A good analogy here is like when you are cleaning out your refrigerator (finally) and you come across that Tupperware container you know you put in there about a year ago; you simply cannot discern for the life of you what once resided in there, you just know it's been there for about a year; and you must, just must take the top off and smell what now remains before discarding the decomposed organic remnants into 5 thick padded garbage bags, immediately rushing these hermetically sealed bags outside to the garbage for fear your smoke detectors will go off due to the thick pungent odor you can cut with a knife;; then worrying you might have to explain to fire rescue what that 'terrible odor' is....ok, I think I've made my point.<br />
<br />
The fact of the matter is I actually like Dr. Oz, but I vehemently opine he should not be attempting to educate us on any way to eat. But then of course why should I be picking on Dr. Oz? The vast majority of doctors, nutritionists, dietitians and just about every self-proclaimed health guru promotes the low-fat, low-cholesterol dietary myth, so now I guess I've come full circle....<br />
<br />
I guess what's happening is that I am just sick & tired of people promoting the wrong dietary message and believing in it's so-called virtues, despite the fact that we are getting heavier, still dying from heart disease and the complications of diabetes and failing to see 'the emperor's new clothes' for what they really are.<br />
<br />
As I've implored many times in the past....<br />
<br />
"When will it all end?"<br />
<br />
I really do not know.<br />
<br />
OK, my dogs need to go outside and i need to figure out what I'm going to eat for lunch today before i work out later with my beautiful & wonderful wife Gloria; yes, I have actually started to train once again....could body-building Jim, er, Dr. Jim be making a come-back? You all just have to wait and see :-) Have a great weekend everyone!<br />
<br />
And before I forget......<span style="font-size: large;">GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
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dr jim<br />
<a href="http://www.drjamescarlson.com/">http://www.drjamescarlson.com/</a><br />
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<br />DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-11084536150193202632012-01-06T05:17:00.000-08:002012-01-06T05:20:05.246-08:00BRINGING THE LOW-CARB MESSAGE TO BRAINERD MN!LISTEN LIVE @ 9:30 AM ET TODAY! <a href="http://www.3wiradio.com/">CLICK HERE!</a>DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1958912724707946215.post-42738254124304810502011-12-04T07:21:00.001-08:002011-12-04T07:22:45.767-08:00Nationwide Interview in 10 Minutes w/ Jim Brown!<a href="http://www.gcnlive.com/">Click Here To Listen!</a>DrJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816843097842253829noreply@blogger.com0