The Lighter Side of Low-Carb

Book winner!

2009-06-12T09:39:00.002-06:00

Wow!

A lot of you entered, but only one can win.

That's like a line from The Highlander. Only without the accent. And maybe a little less violent. Unless someone hits you with a book.

The name of beautimousness was drawn from a bowl of names cut apart from the cloth of gmail...

Congratulations, B from Illinois! I will be shipping the book out to you right away.

Thanks for entering everyone!

Book review: Carbohydrates Can Kill, by Robert K. Su, M.D.

2009-06-05T20:10:00.005-06:00

We've heard that carbohydrates can cause myriad problems in the body, but rarely is that sentiment laid out this boldly. Rarer yet is when it is penned and asserted by a physician.

Subtitled, "With a physician's personal experience, and a mountain of evidence..." this is a book written by a doctor with great experience regarding medicine, and, moreover, the knowledge of physiology as regards carbohydrate ingestion.

The book opens with a brief discussion of carbohydrates and the human body to how carbohydrates affected his body, complete with illustrations. In Chapter 5, the book segues quickly to Dr. Su's personal journey. A meaty section of the book, outlining, in about 130 pages, Su's personal battle with weight and health, and his ability to turn things around with physical activity and reducing carbohydrates, this portion tends to be more of a working diary than anything (I skipped around a bunch).

Chapters 6- 7 outlines medical evidence of the many dangers of carbohydrate intake, and forms the premise of this book. For research from everything from Alzheimer's to Diabetes, Su shows the temerity of a doctor getting to the bottom of the carbohydrate debacle, and takes readers along on his journey.

A great read for knowledge regarding one physician's journey to better health, this book is worth a weekend of quiet contemplation.

Title: Carbohydrates Can Kill
Author: Robert K. Su, M.D.
Publisher: Two Harbors Press, , Minneapolis, MN
Pages: 383
Paperback
Publication Date: 2009

For more information and to order this book, please visit: Carbohydratescankill.com
_________________________________________________________________

Would you like to win a copy of your very own?

Send me an email titled: Carbohydrates Can Kill with your name and address by next Thursday evening. I will draw a name next Friday and will mail one copy book to one randomly drawn winner. As always, I delete addresses and emails once the book is sent, so your privacy is ensured. I only ever open the email of the winner for information purposes only. Names aren't sold, eaten, or pasted on public restroom walls.

Friday is the bomb-diggity.

2009-05-22T06:37:00.004-06:00

Nothing like a little 2002-speak to get the most thrilling day of the week off of the ground.

Low-carbers represent!

I was approached to write a piece for Diets in Review, so now you can see five rudimentary reasons for looking to low-carb as a healthy lifestyle choice. The article is short (I spill a thousand words in a sitting), so check it out!

It is not only Friday over here, but the last day of school brings with it a house filled with teens--and they're all going to want to be fed.

You notice I've been refraining from mentioning the glamour that are the Real Housewives of New York. At the same time, I'm also NOT mentioning that they are doing an 'extra footage show' next Thursday, where they're sharing even more of the ba-witchery that are the RHONY. I've been getting into the new series, but they're just hollow shells in New Jersey compared to the Countess chewing with her maw wide open.

Have a great weekend! The recipes will be organized before the end of the month, before they fall off of the front page. In the mean time, there is a google searchie box to the right which will aid you in finding the deliciousness that is whatever you might wish from cauliflower. Just tap your ruby reds together and it will be yours, gorgeousses!

There's no place like home--even if it's piled in socks and looks like it was hit with cyclonic action.

Thanks so much for your continued support of my blog.

2009-05-20T08:44:00.003-06:00

Links here will not be moved again, so please feel free to bookmark the articles here and know they will remain at the bookmarks.

While Examiner.com has ultimately chosen to keep my articles on their site (although I asked for their removal), I believe the format here is easier for printing and general use.

Please feel free to use these recipes for private use and enjoy them.

Please share my blog's link with anyone looking for recipes or articles I have written for the use of friends and family.

Thanks again!

Civil Disobedience for Low-Carbers

2009-05-19T11:45:00.001-06:00

Just say no to croutons and senseless pasta killings.

People are SO concerned about social convention and SO concerned about what others might think.

It's time to take your health into your own hands.

If people want to be difficult, it's time to employ a little civil disobedience.

If someone hands you a plate of pasta, you tell them that pasta is murder. Those little spaghetti trees give their lives for substandard tomato sauces.

If someone tells you cake is low-calorie, so it's ok, you tell them, so is poop, but Betty Crocker didn't put that on the refrigerator aisle.

If someone tries to tell you that a potato is healthy because it's a vegetable, let them know that potatoes contain more starch than Dracula's collar, and itchy collars make vampires grumpy. Then flash your canines.

Just throw people off, use humor, and when worst comes to worst, pull the Fred Sanford, throw your hands over your chest, loll about and yell, "Jesus! Jesus I'm coming to you, Jesus!" at the suggestion that someone is trying to get you to drink a Capri Sun and eat a 100 calorie snack pack.

A little drama goes a long way and makes for great photos later.

All recipes and articles are here!

2009-05-16T14:30:00.002-06:00

Please note: links in most of the articles will go nowhere for the time being and the recipes are not yet linked to the recipe list to the right. If you are searching for something, look to the right below the page view box and scroll for the entire list of all things just added; or you can use the google search box to find the recipes.

I also changed the look of the blog to celebrate a new era of my blog.

It's like shoes, only cheaper.

All recipes are being moved back to this blog

2009-05-15T19:25:00.001-06:00

I have had friends emailing to ask me where the heck my Examiner.com articles are. They're here in draft mode in my blog as of two hours ago.

My apologies for the inconvenience! I moved 300 articles in the last day and a half, and it was a ton of work. I am going to be working overtime in the next week to place everything here without spamming subscribers.

If you're not already a subscriber here, please do subscribe! This way you can keep apprised of changes to this blog--and believe you me, there will be many, or my name isn't cleochatra!

PLEASE NOTE: Links in many articles will not work at this time, since they are still tied to Examiner.com. This will be rectified.

I am working to get recipes up for people who have asked for them. A search in the search box to the right for recipes should net the one you're looking for until I can make links match recipes.

Whee!

MSG isn't always labeled as MSG

2009-05-15T16:57:00.001-06:00

MSG by any other name... still a headache source

Monosodium glutamate, once made largely from various sources to enhance flavors of foods, is hard to pinpoint. Labeling doesn't always provide the information due to different terms for the stuff.

Think it's not a problem?

Hidden MSG is not limited to use in food. MSG sensitive people have reported reactions to soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics that contain hidden MSG. The most obvious common hiding places are in ingredients called "hydrolyzed protein" and "amino acids."

Drinks, candy, and chewing gum are also potential sources of hidden MSG. Also, aspartic acid, found in aspartame (NutraSweet) ordinarily causes MSG type reactions in MSG sensitive people. Aspartame is found in some medications. Check with your pharmacist.

Binders and fillers for medications, nutrients, and supplements, both prescription and non-prescription, including enteral feeding materials and some fluids administered intravenously in hospitals, may contain MSG.

truthinlabeling.com

When speaking to food labeling and avoidance, just as sugar can be hidden in myriad terms, so, too, does MSG go by various names. Folloing is a list of ingredients which either absolutely contain MSG or which often create MSG during processing:

glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Monopotassium glutamate
glutamic acid
calcium caseinate
sodium caseinate
hydrolized corn
gelatin
textured protein
natrium glutamate
carrageenan
natural pork flavoring
bouillion and broth
soy sauces, extracts and proteins
flavors and flavorings
natural flavors and flavorings
hydrolized vegetable proteins
autolyzed yeast
hydrolized yeast
yeast extract
protein isolate
malt extract
barley malt
boullion

For an even more thorough list of ingredients and information, please visit truthinlabeling.org

Spices can harbor secret, bad ingredients

2009-05-15T16:56:00.001-06:00

Where available, read labels. source

Residing in the spice aisle, jars and containers of flavors vie for attention. The problem is that many assume these are healthy spices, devoid of anything other than the usual low-carb herbs many like to use in cooking.

Some hidden ingredients you may not have seen:

1. Sugar. I know, right? Sugar is not necessary for spicing food, but it adds flavor cheaply and has a negative impact on blood sugar. Watch for any forms of -ose as well.

2. Soy. Soy is one of the major food allergy culprits, causing everything from hunger to rashes to weight loss stall. Beware: Soya is still soy.

3. Natural flavorings. The definition for natural flavors stems from the Code of Federal Regulations.

The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.

4. MSG. Mono sodium glutamate tricks the brain into thinking it's enjoying something absolutely wonderful. In fact, MSG is problematic for many users, causing everything from migraines to other negative physical reaction. MSG comes in many forms, which will be discussed tomorrow, and should be avoided.

Spices should bring out the flavor in foods without causing any unnecessary physical issues as a result. If you are using a spice to make jerky and find you are suddenly enduring physical discomfort, look to the spice cabinet. You might just find those seemingly innocuous flavor choices are causing more trouble than they're worth.

Low-carb while being green to save green

2009-05-15T16:54:00.001-06:00

Big blue marble of happiness. source

In the wake of Earth Day, it's important to remember we all share the planet together, and the health of the planet is as important as your well being, since it sustains that healthy body. These tips also help to save money!

1. Keep your freezer stocked. An empty freezer works much harder to keep its temperature regulated than one that is filled. If the budget doesn't allow for a freezer filled with healthy food choices, try adding gallon milk jugs of water to the appliance. It is always smart to keep a large, fresh water supply in case of emergencies.

2. Grow your own vegetables and fruits. You can control the amount of chemicals being put into the soil (and your produce) when you create your own bounty. Victory gardens are coming back, and for a reason. More than simply for economic reasons, people want to know what they see is what they get.

3. Shop smarter. The more quick trips you're taking to the store for groceries (you keep forgetting the fresh whipping cream), the tougher it is to save gasoline, and the worse it is for the environment. Keeping trips to once a week (or less) will emit some of that carbon footprint.

4. Oven lovin'. As you get to the end of a cooking cycle in your oven (and depending upon the recipe), turn the oven off in the last five minutes of cooking. So long as the door remains closed, food continues to cook.

Ways to drink more water

2009-05-15T16:52:00.001-06:00

Drink your health!

Yesterday I spoke to reasons to hydrate.

It's not easy to drink 64 ounces of water a day, and you might not have to think of this task as one that is impossible.

Try these tips for getting more water:

1. Take a shot of water ever 30 minutes. A four ounce glass of the clear stuff every 30 minutes is not like staring down a large glass.

2. Drink more tea. While not every glass of liquid should taste like rosehips, tea is fairly innocuous in terms of beverages. Skip the sweeteners and the caffeine when you can, and enjoy nature's bounty in the form of tiny steeped leaves giving your tastebuds a hug.

3. Chill. Try water in different forms, from crushed ice to snow cones. If you need flavor, add some herbal tea, or make ice cubes to be crushed or shaved from your favorite tea flavors.

4. Concessions. If you just can't give up your diet sodas, try this instead: for every 8 ounces of soda, drink 8 ounces of water first.

5. Exercise. Take advantage of the thirst that exercise creates, and drink your water!

Tip: At the fast food drive thru picking up your Caesar side salad? Skip the bottled water. At well over a buck a pop, if you can't get a cup of the stuff, you're better off pocketing the funds and getting a tall glass of the cold stuff at home or at work.

Tip: Skip expensive beverages in the restaurant. If you're going out for dinner, you could easily save upwards of $18 if a family of six skips the soft drinks and orders the water. The food is so flavorful, why not temper with a glass of the cool stuff?

Water: More than dihydrogen oxide

2009-05-15T16:51:00.001-06:00

Wet, wild and wonderful. source

As snow makes way for warmer spring weather, is it important to visit the importance of staying hydrated.

Five reasons to stay hydrated:

1. Water is essential to life. While going without food for some time might not kill a human, going without water for a relatively short period of time will kill a person. Even Bear Grylls drank his urine when stranded in the desert (well, on tv, anyway).

2. Weight loss. Not only does drinking water replace other, higher calorie and carb drinks, but it helps fill a stomach that may have otherwise been necessarily filled with food for satisfaction.

3. Cleansing. Water helps flush out toxins through using the restroom (the restroom: it's more than for idle chatter and using the cell phone).

4. Healthy skin. Among other things, the body is made from a lot of tissues that require water for health, including the skin. Lacking in water, the body has to draw fluids from less important functions to greater ones. Skin loses out during dehydration.

5. Burn more calories. According to Salynn Boyles, Michael Boschmann, MD, and colleagues from Berlin's Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center, performed a study to determine if drinking water actually speeds weight loss "After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects' metabolic rates -- or the rate at which calories are burned -- increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes."

Click here for ways to incorporate more water into your healthy lifestyle plan.

Low carb Easter ideas keep the day hopping

2009-05-15T16:49:00.001-06:00

Basket of pastel gorgeousness. source

While coloring hard-boiled eggs is a family tradition, the stark truth is that America was more likely founded on brightly-colored jelly beans, bright pink grass and chocolate bunnies that children delight liberating their ears from... with their teeth.

How can you help your family celebrate a moderately healthier Easter this season?

1. Wee Sweet. Don't make candy the entirety of the basket. If candy is a must-have, pick one of their favorite things and give them a small baggy of the stuff.

2. No Sweet. Fill colored plastic eggs with other things, from money to gift cards to iPod dowloads, there are as many ways to fill a basket as your kids have interests.

3. Give a smaller basket. Those huge Easter baskets require more filler. Downsize the basket to make the bounty look greater.

4. Move it! Instead of a passive Easter egg search, put your kids' slow twitch muscles (and brains) to work with a scavenger hunt for their baskets (or prizes).

5. Gift. Give a toy or a gift insted of candy. A toy will last longer and be treasured more than a piece of candy dissolving into the blood stream.

Spring cleaning for your low-carb home

2009-05-15T16:46:00.001-06:00

Refreshing change of pace: Try fresh whipped cream

You might be the only one in your home following a low-carb regimen, but that doesn't mean you can't make healthier choices for others living in your home.

In honor of spring cleaning, here are some quick things you can do to ensure your family is eating more healthfully--even if not low-carb:

Get rid of: Open containers in the refrigerator that have been around for awhile, and especially if they include corn syrup solids.
Replace with: Products that are organic. If containing sugar, it's not optimal, but it's still arguably healthier.
Get rid of: Spices containing sugar or MSG.
Replace with: Products whose ingredients are obvious by scanning labels. Watch for products with hydrolyzed soy protein, which is, to many, a fancy way of saying "MSG". These chemicals can trick the brain--and the blood stream.
Get rid of: That tomato soup in the cupboard that contains corn syrup.
Replace with: Home-made tomato soup from tomato paste. (Recipe coming tomorrow)
Get rid of: That whipped topping that contains corn syrup
Replace with: Fresh whipping cream and a touch of stevia sweetener.
Get rid of: Regrets
Replace with: A pat on the back. Small changes take time, but they end up creating big rewards in the end!

For more tips:
Combating boredom eating
Surviving office parties
Emergency preparedness and low-carb

Low-carb recipe: sweetened condensed milk substitute

2009-05-15T16:45:00.001-06:00

Thick and convincing, to the eye and taste buds

OK, so it's a little late for the holidays. Still, many a recipe calls for sweetened, condensed milk. Even if you could emulate the flavor, how to get that consistency?

It's easier than one might think. At a net carb count of about 12 for an entire recipe, your own low-carb recipes never tasted better.

Substitute anywhere a can of sweetened, condensed milk is required.

Low-carb sweetened condensed milk

1 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup boiling water
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Stevia

Combine all in a blender. Mix until well-blended. Makes the equivalent of one can of sweetened, condensed milk.

Erythritol : Yet another sugar alcohol from corn

2009-05-15T16:43:00.001-06:00

Which bites more? Twilight or corn in your low-carb?

Just when you thought erythritol might be made of unicorns frolicking through Robert Pattison's hair...

Erythritol is made from stuff like corn!

Sure, this one causes supposedly less gastric distress, but that's not a reason to embrace it as the new 'it' sweetener.

While made from birch bark in the past, the corn industry has been working its naughty no no magic on erythritol and has for some time.

One of many erythritol products, Now, states :"Erythritol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years due to its presence in foods such as pears, melons, grapes and mushrooms. Now Erythritol is 100% pure and derived from a corn source."

Looks like the corn industry has consumers coming and going.

Now more than ever, it is important to make informed consumer decisions. Read those labels, and read beyond the ingredients. Words like "erythritol" don't tell the real story of what's inside that little wrapper.

What you need to know about sugar alcohols: Not so sweet

2009-05-15T16:41:00.001-06:00

Lend me an ear? source

You're following a low-carb diet and you've seen them before: those low-carb, sugar free products in the stores or sold online that promise to assuage your sweet tooth without packing on the pounds.

But what do we really know about sugar alcohols?

What are they made from?

While studies show that sugar alcohols do not contribute to tooth decay, we also tend not to know about the other nefarious results of using the stuff. From gastric upset (laxative thresholds) to cravings for sugar, sugar alcohols are a relentless promise of deliciousness without the regrets.

For many, however, the truth might be unsettling.

An online document from the Canadian Diabetes Association gives the only full-on run-down of sugar alcohols this author could locate.

Here are some of their findings.

Sorbitol: Found in mouthwashes, sugar free candies, gums, ice cream and more.
Laxative threshold? 50g/day. What natural foods have a laxative threshold?
Manufactured from (are you ready for this?) corn syrup or glucose.

Mannitol: Found in chocolate coatings for ice cream.
Laxative threshold? 20 g/day. What natural foods have a laxative threshold?
Occurs naturally in pineapple, among other things, but is manufactured from seaweed or mannose (derived from manna, which is a high-carb item).

Maltitol: Found in chocolate flavored bars, baked goods and ice cream
Laxative threshold? 100 g/day.
Manufactured from (are you ready for this?) high maltose corn syrup

Xylitol: Found in oral care products, like chewing gums and mints.
Laxative threshold: 50g/day.
Manufactured from: (are you ready for this?) Xylose, most prevalently from sources such as corn cobs.

Do you see a common bond among 3 of the 4?

The corn industry seems to generally benefit, whether it is convincing us that corn syrup is perfectly healthy or its lower-carb (supposedly) counterparts--also derived from corn syrups and corn products-- are.

With a greater education in food choices by informed consumers, it is important to know that whether it claims to be healthy or not, it's emanating from the same crop.

Sugar alcohols are not only not necessary to good health, but some might argue that it is furthered by an industry whose sole purpose is to make profits, regardless the cost to human health.

Low carb roasted vegetable pizza recipe

2009-05-15T16:38:00.001-06:00

Pine nuts add some extra crunch and are low-carb

Do you have some roasted vegetables left over from your latest frolic with paninis?

If so, look no farther.

Readers/friends have mentioned roasting vegetables for pizza.

I happened to have a summer squash on my counter and decided to roast some vegetables to see what would happen. The results were pretty darned good!

I:
sliced three mushrooms
cubed the raw squash
chopped some onion into chunky clumps
cubed some green pepper

Tossed the pieces in a mixture of olive oil and Mrs Dash Garlic herb blend seasoning (this is my favorite). Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees (stirring a few times to keep the vegetables evenly cooking) for about 45 minutes (it could take you more or less time).

Prepare a pre-cooked cauliflower crust and spread with pizza sauce. Top that with the rest of the lasagna roll-up spinach/ricotta blend (if you have extra, woohoo! If not, you can use a white sauce/alfredo). With the back of a spoon,schmear the sauce/ricotta/spinach mixture.

Next, add the roasted vegetables and chunky, chopped, fresh tomato. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and feta, and, finally, top with pine nuts.

Baked this in a 350 degree oven for another 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

The crust didn't hold up as well initially, but I don't have any problems eating something that decadent with a fork. This is because there are so many toppings, and they weigh quite a lot. Not as much as me... but a lot.

Nutritional amounts will vary according to vegetables used, so make sure to calculate accordingly.

President Obama family plan Victory Garden as trend in home gardening grows

2009-05-15T16:36:00.001-06:00

Veggie Tales... from the White House. source:Greenpeace

More and more Americans are showing concern over what is cropping up in foods purchased in stores. From cattle forcefed grains and antibiotics to foods ripe with high fructose corn syrup, consumers are taking matters into their own hands.

The First family is no exception.

Just some of the harvest the Obamas will enjoy:

"cilantro, tomatillos and hot peppers. Lettuces will include red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic. There will be spinach, chard, collards and black kale. For desserts, there will be a patch of berries. And herbs will include some more unusual varieties, like anise hyssop and Thai basil. A White House carpenter, Charlie Brandts, who is a beekeeper, will tend two hives for honey."

Regardless of political persuasion, more and more American families want to know where their food is originating.

According to Michelle Obama, “You can begin in your own cupboard,” she said, “by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables.”

Jennifer Aniston and Madonna among many celebrity low-carb fans

2009-05-15T16:35:00.001-06:00

She's been in the Zone. source

It's no surprise to anyone that low-carb eating is pretty healthy and delicious.

Add that celebrities also follow some of the regimens available, and you have a recipe for change. Following plans like the Zone Diet and Sugar Busters, the A-listers are looking for food love in all the right places.

The list includes:

Jennifer Aniston
MattLeBlanc
Matthew Perry
Renee Zellweger
Madonna
Brad Pitt
Cindy Crawford
Winona Ryder
Demi Moore
Kristin Davis
Kirstie Alley
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Sharon Stone
Tori Spelling

This list is not only one whose time has come, it's proof positive that eating a healthful diet without excess refined foods is more than knowledge and power--it's a pretty face to boot.

Chili's Guiltess Grill offers options to hungry low-carbers

2009-05-15T16:33:00.001-06:00

Carne Asada: One of the menu options with Chili's new
Guiltless Grills menu

Low-carbers generally suffer from a lack of choices from establishments when it comes to being able to eat out healthfully and within a budget.

Enter Chili's.

A step closer to lower-carb dining bliss with the Guiltless Grills, Chili's promises a lower calorie count, if not always a lower carb count.

For many folks, some of the Guiltless menu options are too high in carbohydrates, pushing into the 50+ carb ranges, something that would suck the life out of folks unless following a higher-carb plan or maintenance.

Still, there's great news in terms of their guiltless Grill in the form of three particular dishes:

From the Guiltless Grill, winners emerging are the Guiltless Carne Asada, Guileless Cedar Plank Tilapia, and the Guiltless Grilles Salmon. Other options include main course, kids meals and sides.

Check the table below for some lip-smacking options.

Chili's Truly Guiltless Items
Guiltless Carne Asada	5 net carbs
Guiltless Cedar Plank Tilapia	3 net carbs
Guiltless Grilled Salmon	5 net carbs
Triple Dipper Wings over Buffalo w/ Bleu Cheese	2 net carbs
Caesar Side Salad (Hold the Croutons)	about 6 net carbs
Cup Chicken Enchilada	8 net carbs
Spicy Garlic & Lime Grilled Shrimp	7 net carbs
Chili's Classic Sirloin	1 net carb
Pepper Pals Grilled Chicken Platter (kids)	4 net carbs

From Chilis:

The New Guiltless Cedar Plank Tilapia is a seasoned tilapia fillet tossed with house-made pico de gallo and a lime wedge. The fillet is cooked and served on a cedar plank.
The New Guiltless Carne Asada Steak Sirloin is flavored with our signature carne asada rub, flame-grilled and topped with house-made pico de gallo and a lime wedge.
Guiltless Grilled Salmon – An eight ounce salmon fillet lightly seasoned and seared to perfection.

With choices for everyone, from kids, to people who eat like them, to soups, to salads, to their latest Guiltless Grill, Chili's is a place the entire family can visit for a great meal that won't break the bank--or your trouser hems.

Review: Fat Head: The Movie

2009-05-15T16:00:00.002-06:00

Did Spurlock feed us a load of bologna?

On the heels of Morgan Spurlock's Supersize Me comes the antithesis to the high-carb, low-fat mantra.

Comedian and former health writer Tom Naughton sets out on a mission: eat McDonalds for 28 days and see what really happens. The results are pretty incredible and documented in the new documentary: Fat Head.

By keeping carbohydrates to roughly 100 per day and dining solely at McDonald's, Tom Naughton not only lost weight, he improved his health profile. While anecdotal, as was Spurlock's experience, Naughton is able to make some important, scientific points regarding the role of insulin in health.

With heavy hitters like the Eades', Jacob Sullum, Dr. Mary Enig, Dr. Al Sears, and Sally Fallon, this film might be surprising. Those expecting a pretty cheesy, cartoonish, ridiculous compendium of "McNugget humor" will be treated to a hard-hitting, intelligent (yet humorous) documentary powerful enough that you'll not only watch it more than once, you might do as I did: I purchased four copies to loan to friends (and two to give away to friends and family).

While Spurlock refused to release his personal food diaries for the period of time he castigates McDonalds in his documentary, Naughton is as forthcoming as he is funny. His diaries are published online here.

Naughton is quick to admit his is more of a modified "Zone" Diet than true low-carb, but the facts of the matter remain (for Naughton): Cut carbs, lose weight, get a good medical workup.

Fat Head
Documentary
Tom Naughton, Director
Time: 104 minutes, with interview extras
Studio: Morningstar Entertainment
Cost: $14.99

Buy this DVD at amazon.com.

Review: PureVia Stevia Sweetener

2009-05-15T15:58:00.001-06:00

Box it up, baby!

It's been a long time coming, but now, as Stevia sweeteners engage the marketplace, there is something oh so sweet in the air.

Enter: PureVia sweetener.

Made from stevia, by the Whole Earth Sweetener Company, this is a granular version that dissolves easily in liquid and tastes pretty fantastic.

No more lip puckering, bitter stevia taste, now consumers can enjoy these little packets of sweet added to everything, from iced tea to hot coffee, to yogurt, to those flax muffins you're baking for tomorrow (I peeked in your window).

Ingredients: Erythritol, Isomaltulose, Reb A (Stevia extract), Contains 1% or less of Cellulose Powder and each Natural Flavor.

Word of warning: while the calories are 0, each packet contains 2 carbs, so budget accordingly.

I'm also a little wary of the ingredients. Natural flavor? In a Stevia sweetener? Erythritol?

Still, even with the advent of the addition of a sugar alcohol to the mix (Erythritol), I haven't noted cravings or any of the other issues associated with sugar alcohols, much the same with other products using stevia (such as Zevia sodas). Still, users should exercise caution should cravings or stomach upset ensue.

A box contains 40 packets of the sweetener, with a stick (packet) acting as a serving.

Distributed by: WholeEarth Sweetener Company LLC. www.purevia.com

Book Review: Fitness After 40: How to Stay Strong at Any Age

2009-05-15T15:56:00.001-06:00

So pretty you'd wish her a pimple if she wasn't also so
darned wonderful.

Don't let author of her book Fitness After 40: How to Stay Strong at Any Age fool you. She only looks like she's 20 years old.

In fact, Vonda Wright, M.D. is an advocate for fitness, regardless of age, and brings hope for geezers like me who always put off fitness because we looked at it as an all or nothing proposition.

Easing couch potatoes into fitness regimens that can work for readers, Dr Wright, an orthopadic surgeon who sepcializes in sports medicine for people over 40, is able to share this information with readers, helping to take them to "the next level."

In her book, among other things, you can learn to:

understand your body and approach exercise and injury in a new way
make the most of your exercise routine during a busy week
hydrate and understand how to eat right
void injury to rotator cuffs, lower back, knees and legs
maximize stretching, running and weight training

She shares, through pictures, proper exercise form, and through words she shares encouragement for a society who feels we lost it after 25. through powerful stories of people well beyond their 60's, readers will definitely find the motivation to look for those walking shoes, to take those baby steps, and to embrace life after 40. She even shares a 6 week plan for taming your inner couch potato.

Turn your inner dud into an inner stud with this book.

Fitness After 40: How to Stay Strong at Any Age
Number of pages: 304 pages
Book size: 9.4 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
Available in Softcover
Publisher: AMACOM,

To order: visit amazon.com

Book Review: The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution

2009-05-15T15:55:00.001-06:00

Frederick Hahn, the ginge Chuck Norris of the East

A fantastic book written by a personal favorite writer and fitness guru, Frederick Hahn knocks what we think we know about fitness training out of the ball park with his book The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow-Motion Exercise that will Change your Body in 30 Minutes a Week.

While many argue that it takes hours a week at the gym to achieve fitness, Hahn argues that slow, meaningful lifting is more beneficial to people, not only in a time-starved chaos of work-home cycles, but for health and fitness in general.

Tackling myths and creating new, positive lifestyle goals that even the busiest body can follow, his book is chock full of intelligence, scientific information, and proper exercise procedures for people looking to lose weight.

An added bonus? Whether you work out from home or in a gym, Hahn shares different regimens, complete with exercises for everyone. This is a book for skeptics who believe hours at the gym a week = necessity. Hahn, himself a low-carber, walks the walk and helps people, not only from his studio in New York, but now in book form, thoughtfully, intelligently, and not a minute too soon.

The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution
Number of pages: 192 pages
Book size: 9.5 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
Available in Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway Books, New York

To order: visit amazon.com

For more info: Want to win a copy of this book? Visit my blog for more details.