Why Are So Many Low-Carbers on the Heavy Side?

Question: Why Do So Many Low-Carb Representatives Tend To Be On The ‘Heavier Side’? by Erin Chamerlik, MT(ASCP) This question was posted on Jimmy Moore's blog. Jimmy Moore spent decades eating himself up to 410 pounds. He drank 16 cans of coke and ate boxes of Little Debbie Snack cakes each day before someone gave him a copy of Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. After losing 180 pounds following a low carb diet, Jimmy started blogging about the low carb lifestyle. He records a podcast show twice a week that airs on iTunes featuring interviews with a variety of guests (I will be the guest on his show 12/20/10). Below is my answer to the question, "Why do so many low-carb representatives tend to be on the heavier side?" Also, you might like to read Sherri's story at the end of this article. Sherry was following the low-carb plan for 20 months, yet only lost a few pounds. Why does one person lose 180 pounds eating low carb and another person finds it difficult to lose any weight on the same plan? Low-carb does not define food quality. Our bodies were created to run efficiently on whole food fuel. We do well eating quality animal protein, healthy fats (butter, coconut oil, olive oil, seeds, nuts, olives), and complex carbs (mostly vegetables). Processing food degrades the quality of food. These seemingly little things we eat every day slowly add up: artificial sweeteners, including sucralose, do not fool the body bottled salad dressing made from inflammatory oils like canola oil and soybean oil low-carb goodies that contain MSG, trans fats, and artificial ingredients One can eat low carb junk all day long and stay within a specified goal of carb grams and totally miss the nutrition boat. What is low carb junk food? It is the processed food like Atkins Dark Chocolate Decadence Bars or Strawberry Shakes. Low carb food is big business. Stores and internet retailers push thousands of packaged pasta, bars, cookies, crackers, flavored popcorn, buns, bagels, snacks, treats and candies that are created with boat loads of artificial, toxic, inflammatory ingredients. These products have MSG in many hidden forms. They have artificial dye like Red 3 and Blue 1. They have artificial sweeteners like sucralose, and inflammatory oils like canola oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil. You can't lose weight and be healthy eating fake sugar, MSG, artificial dye, soy, inflammatory oils and refined grains. Some people will hang on to weight until they get rid of the processed low carb food and eat whole foods. The second thing that may be happening is eating too little food (REAL food that is!). I have clients that are skeptical when I tell them they can't lose weight because they aren't eating enough. For some reason they trust me and try to follow my advice, which is simple: 1. Eat three meals a day that each contain PFC (animal protein, healthy fat and vegetables). I recommend eating 1-3 vegetables at every meal. 2. Yes, whole fruit (not fruit juice) and whole grains (like brown rice, quinoa and steel cut oats) are fine to eat in moderation -- but they aren't the main event. Skipping meals leads to problems with leptin and glucose. Skipping animal protein and fat can lead to cravings later for "low-carb" cookies, candy, chips etc. Skipping vegetables, especially dark green leafy, makes your nutrient piggy-bank low while making your acid-load piggy bank high. That is the third issue - one of acid-alkaline balance. We need a good supply of vegetables and a little fruit to balance out the acidic foods (animal foods). Hard cheese is especially acidic. What about water? Dehydration contributes to weight gain. Are the low-carb folks drinking half their body weight in ounces of water? Have they quit drinking diet pop and energy drinks? Food sensitivities? Even a little bit of wheat in a nice low-carb bread or protein bar can be too much if your are sensitive to gluten. Many adults are also sensitive to commercial dairy, yet low-carbers love cheese, cream and other commercial dairy products. Some people will hang on to weight until they get to the bottom of their food sensitivity issues. We can become sensitive to any food - especially the favorite foods that we eat 7 days a week. You have been fearfully and wonderfully made and your body's fuel requirements are unique. There is not a single diet that is good for everyone. Yet, it is true that everyone benefits from eating whole food, real food. Not food that has been created in a food lab and produced in a factory. Please read Sherri's story that follows. The low carb diet didn't work for Sherri even though she followed the plan for 20 months. She barely lost 1 pound every 2 months. See what Sherri discovered was holding her back from permanent weight loss and improved health. Looking for Real Food? If you live in Illinois or Iowa, check out Wallace Farms. I belong to a buying group and we purchase grass fed meat from Wallace Farms in Iowa. It is delivered nearby every other month. Sherri's Story I used to skip meals because I wasn't really hungry; I've never been a foodie. If I ate breakfast I would just eat yogurt or cereal. This would usually lead to a mini mid-morning crash and I would eat chocolate, cookies or another source of instant sugar. Since taking Erin's class I became aware I was definitely eating too much sugar and simple carbs in the form of breads, cake, cookies, bagels, etc. I gravitated to things that were quick and would satisfy my hunger immediately. I was chasing my glucose level daily. The reason I took the Wellness & Weight Loss Class was because of my health concerns that were on the verge of meeting with an endocrinologist yet again. I suffered from frequent heartburn for the past 10 years. Often I was choking, coughing, had excess saliva and felt my throat constricting particularly during the night which was very frightening. I had been diagnosed with Barrett's (Esophagus) Syndrome years ago but it had quieted down until the last year. I took Prevacid or Prilosec to help manage my condition. Ironically, in an attempt to eat better (whole grains and healthy yogurt) I was beginning to have the same GERD (reflux disease) symptoms return and worsen. Enter the elimination diet. I was fearful to take Erin's class because I didn't want to go through the deprivation I had experienced on other diets. After the first few days of not eating gluten or dairy I was amazed at how much better I felt. I quickly learned how to incorporate complex carbs (big difference from the simple carbs I had been ingesting), animal protein and healthy fat into three meals a day and the meals were very satisfying. Within a few weeks I was so "at peace" with my body and I was amazed at the difference in the way I felt, even my sleep patterns were amazingly different. During the class we were taught how to test for food sensitivities to gluten and dairy. The class helped me discover that I have a sensitivity to dairy and gluten and possibly night shades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers). Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley and rye. I limit the grains I eat to about 1-2 servings a day of brown rice, quinoa, or some other gluten-free grain. Remember when I first said that the very act of "eating right" with whole grains and healthy yogurt ended up being the cause of my health issues? Well, until I took this class and began the eating regime I was unknowingly causing those symptoms. Now I am eating as many whole foods as possible. This does take more time and I am cooking much more but I am learning how to organize, prepare and cook to make it more efficient. I try to fix large quantities when I cook to have food on hand for those times that I am hungry and don't have a lot of prep time. Instead of processed vegetable oils I use raw, unprocessed coconut oil for cooking and it makes a great lotion for the skin! I also drink green smoothies. These might include frozen berries, raw spinach, Sun Warrior protein, an avocado, nutritional yeast, crushed flax seeds, walnuts, Nutrex-Hawaii spirulina and almond milk. Over the last two to three months I have lost 15 pounds. No matter how hard I tried in the past I could not lose weight. I did the low-carb Atkins-type diet for nearly two years and lost about 12 pounds. The problem was that there was no emphasis on the quality of the food and I was eating bad fat like vegetable oils and poor quality protein. I was eating a lot of dairy during that diet and I now know that I am sensitive to dairy.  By eating whole foods and discovering my food sensitivities, I am sleeping better, my heartburn and my throat issues are gone for the most part. I have less brain fog and my skin is healthier. The 15 pound weight loss is just a wonderful fringe benefit. The cravings pretty much stay away as long as I make sure I have animal protein to balance the glucose level. When my blood sugar is balanced then I don't feel hungry. I feel calmer. I was surprised at how little protein I was actually consuming before. If you are thinking about taking the class with Erin or trying a whole food diet I would say start where you can. Begin small if you need to with a few changes. But, honestly, the benefits of 3 weeks of (gluten and dairy) elimination far exceeds what the sacrifice seems to be. Read up on Erin's information, especially the types of food to have available immediately. Then you are better prepared to concentrate on what you can rather than what you can't eat. Shop healthy, prepare in advance and keep referring to the written materials for other recipe ideas. Don't be afraid to ask questions and ask for encouragement.- Sherri Wild Rice Meatballs Original recipe from www.weightandwellness.com has been slightly changed. 1 lb ground beef 1 organic egg – slightly beaten ½ cup onion – finely chopped 1 ½ cup cooked wild rice 1 tsp Bragg's Herb & Spice Seasoning 1 tsp garlic powder or finely chopped garlic to taste Preheat oven to 375. Combine ingredients and shape into 12 meatballs, approximately 1-½ inches in diameter. Place on baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes or until done. To Complete the Meal – serve with ½ sweet potato, 1 cup green beans and 1-2 tablespoons butter.

Get off the Slippery Sugar Slope post Thanksgiving

Get off the Slippery Sugar Slope post Thanksgiving
by Erin Chamerlik, MT(ASCP)


It's Monday. Thanksgiving is over.

Pitch the leftover pumpkin pie, cookies, bread and pull yourself up.
You are on the slippery slope and you don't want to stay there because it is a fast slide down to January 1, 2011.

Read through some stories on my website to be encouraged by real people who changed the way they eat....to Whole Food....Real Food...the way God created food.

They stopped eating the stuff that comes in packages and cans, or that is passed to you through a drive-up window. They stopped eating highly processed rancid vegetable oils like canola, corn oil, safflower oil, peanut oil and soy oil. They eat animal protein, and healthy fat like butter, coconut oil, nuts and avocados. They eat vegetables, eggs, grass-fed meat, fruit, and fish.

Learn how to get off the SAD Standard American Diet. Factory food - processed food - simple carbs - bread - sugar - cereal - brownies - cookies - pie - candy --> fast tracking you to disease and weight problems.

Cancer Cells Eat Sugar - Manage with Nutrition

As much as the cancer patient will want comfort foods like sugar treats and bread or pasta, remember that cancer cells eat sugar, and these foods quickly breakdown into glucose in the bloodstream.

That is how the PET scans work. A sugar-dye is injected into the person, they are scanned and the results are seen as cancer cells take the glucose.

"Consider the million-dollar positive emission tomography device, or PET scan, regarded as one of the ultimate cancer-detection tools. PET scans use radioactively labeled glucose to detect sugar-hungry tumor cells. PET scans are used to plot the progress of cancer patients and to assess whether present protocols are effective." - Cracking the Cancer Code: The Secret to Transforming Your Health from Inside Out

By Matthew J. Loop (Reference Journal of Nuclear Medicine study by Gatenby, R.A. Potential Role of FDG-PET Imaging..) http://jnm.snmjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/36/5/893

SOURCE: A.P. John Institute for Cancer Research
(Volume 57, Number 4, Pages 429-431) Of The Journal Medical Hypothesis Appears An Article About The Dysfunctional Mitochondria:

"The mitochondria are compartments that produce most of the energy necessary to maintain all of the chemical activities of a cell. Without sufficient energy neither normal, or cancerous cells can sustain life.

Normally, cells derive approximately 70 percent of their daily energy needs from the mitochondria and approximately 20 percent from another process called glycolysis.
The article also points out that if cancer cells cannot utilize their mitochondria they must rely almost totally upon glycolysis for their major supply of energy.
This defect in the mitochondria, places cancer cells at a big disadvantage which cancer scientists and oncologists can now capitalize on.

Oncologists can also take advantage of these new findings and help shut down the energy supply to cancer cells through diet and nutrition."

Dr.Chi Van Dang, a researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, reports (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Feb 17, 1998) the benefits of a low carbohydrate diet for most cancer patients:

"A low carbohydrate diet reduces the availability of glucose to cancer cells. All carbohydrate foods are broken down by digestive enzymes into glucose. Glucose is the only food that can be broken down into energy by glycolysis. Without sufficient glucose, most cancer cells can not survive. Equally important, is the fact that shutting off the glucose supply to the body does not harm normal cells because they can still derive all of their energy needs from their otherwise healthy mitochondria."

To review the actual article please visit www.apjohncancerinstitute.org/doctor.htm

Nutritional Natural Help for ADHD

I received a letter from a reader asking for help with child diagnosed with ADHD..here is the closing paragraph of the letter.

..." She LOVES CARBS, anything smooth and creamy, does not like hardly ANY fruits or veggies. Now, my question for you, after typing all this is…. How do we address the ADHD with diet and possibly medication treatment? The DR said that a side effect of the Ritalin would be wanting to eat more… YIKES, this kid can not have an increase in appetite or we are going to spill over into the area of overweight.

I am worn out looking for OTC Homeopathic drugs that do nothing but waste my money. Everyone has an opinion and I am without any positive results other than what I have always done for her. I know we need to change our diet and increase exercise. Can you give me some helpful advice?"

Answer: Thank you for writing. My heart goes out to you and your family.
I feel very strongly that you can avoid Ritalin and its horrible side effects. Unfortunately, in the space of this email I am only able to say "do this" and "don't do that" without giving you the background info and how to's.

Nutrition is essential and foundational. What is right for your daughter is best modeled by you!

1. Eat whole animal foods, organic when possible.

Beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, organ meats from pasture-fed animals (Try Beyond Organic or find a local farmer to supply you. Commercially raised animals are given hormones, antibiotics, chemicals and don't have the right kinds of fat in their meat and eggs. Animal protein for every meal! Essential amino acids that build healthy neurotransmitters are found in meat and need to be supplied regularly throughout the day. Wild-caught (USA) fish not farm-raised. (visit www.westonaprice.org and find a local chapter. Email the closest one and ask them where to buy meat/eggs if you don't have a local source).

2. Eat vegetables in salads, soups, or lightly steamed with organic butter. (No corn, white potatoes)

3. Eat 1-3 whole fruit per day (no fruit juice, just the whole fruit)

4. Eat healthy fat at least 3 meals a day. Organic butter, Extra virgin olive oil, raw unrefined coconut oil (Nutiva Brand), Organic Coconut Milk (like Thai brand canned), olives (read the labels, no additives), nuts, seeds, avocados

4. Eat 3 meals a day that consist of healthy animal protein, healthy fat, vegetables.

5. 100% completely eliminate gluten (wheat, barley, rye) and dairy (except organic butter). Google gluten-free and dairy-free websites to learn more about what foods contain gluten/dairy.

6. Drink only purified water. No soda, milk, juice, caffeine. Organic herbal tea is ok, try chamomile.

7. Use unrefined salt (not just sea salt) like the brand Real Salt.

8. Eliminate all refined oils including canola, sunflower, safflower, corn, soy, and peanut. These oils are refined at high temperatures and extracted with hexane, deodorized. These are toxic omega-6 oils. Your daughter must stay away from them, processed food and restaurant food that is made with them.

9. The most important thing to do first is add cod liver oil. Try Carlson's liquid cod liver oil with lemon (from vitacost.com). I would start with 1 tbs. per day. This is essential. It is omega-3 oil that the brain must have. It is healing and protective.

A study by the University of Adelaide in Australia found that fish oil improves the symptoms of ADHD more effectively than drugs like Ritalin and Concerta and without any of the side effects.

You can also try 1 tsp and work up to 1 Tbs over time.

10. Eliminate processed, refined, boxed, canned food with any ingredients that are not whole foods. No artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, etc.

11. Use only natural sweeteners in moderation. Raw honey, 100% pure maple syrup and stevia powder.

12. Don't cook food in the microwave or on non-stick cookware. Use stainless steel.

13. Eat whole, unprocessed non-gluten grains like brown rice (not quick cooking) and quinoa.

14. Avoid soy foods except fermented organic soy products like wheat-free Tamari sause, tempeh, miso.

15. No refined flour or refined grain foods like cookies, chips, crackers, bagels, box cereal

16. Buy lunch meats, chicken sausage, breakfast sausages without any added chemicals like nitrites. Look for organic brands like Applegate farms and Organic Prairie.

17. Supplements to consider: Nutrients that help build healthy brain cells, in addition to Carlson's Cod Liver oil, include pantethine*, phosphatidylserine*, magnesium (Relaxamag*), and blueberries.

Nutrients to help with digestion: a good probiotic (Like Dr. Ohhira's or WellnessResources.com Super dophilus*), digestive enzymes (Digestive Helper*) and a good multi-vitamin/mineral (Daily Energy Multi*)

* www.WellnessResources.com

18. Avoid immunizations now while healing the brain. Try to keep your daughter doing physical activity, crafts, hobbies, working on her music...all these things stimulate new nerve connections

I hope that you will take the courageous step to try this nutrition plan. Of course, your daughter will not be happy, and she may have detox reactions from letting go of the refined carbs - so maybe it is best to start this over a long weekend! It is going to probably be a matter of taking a black garbage bag through the kitchen and removing foods that aren't going to be allowed. If we get hungry enough, we'll eat the good stuff!

The brain, nerves, cells all need healthy fats from saturated animal and plant sources and the omega-3 fats.

I know that this list is lengthy. Except for a few supplements it is the way that we should all eat. Full-fat organic dairy may be ok, but would need to be tested after removing it 100% for a period of 3 weeks.

Tastebuds will re-set after awhile and the carb cravings do quiet down after about a week. If you can get through the first few days, it will get easier.

I hope I haven't scared you off. At least, please try this for 3 weeks. If you don't see big improvements, I would be surprised. None of us function well on high carbs and low vegetables/fruits/healthy fat/healthy protein.

If we need to schedule a phone consultation to get into more depth and detail, please let me know.

You may visit my website for more information about consultations - Get Better Wellness

Erin Chamerlik MT(ASCP)

Refined Carbs linked to Cancer: Wheat 101

Photo: Microsoft

The food we choose to eat has the potential to produce life or to produce poor health.

by Erin Chamerlik, MT(ASCP)

“as many as 39% of the most common cancer cases could be prevented by an improvement in these nations’ overall diet, exercise habits, and weight management.” 1

Let’s talk about improving that “overall” diet.

We all love our grains!

Bread, pasta, baked goods, pizza, cereal, white rice, rolled oats, rolls, bagels, donuts, waffles, cookies, cakes, yada, yada, yada.

You can keep reading. I’m not going to make you feel guilty! I’m going to help you figure out how to improve your mood, drop some weight, lessen your cravings and improve that “overall” diet so that your “overall” health will soar!

Oh, and maybe that little benefit of preventing cancer will be the icing on your “overall” cake.

Remember, our bodies are amazing and self-healing WHEN we give them what they need.

We wouldn’t put kool aid in our car’s gas tank and then be surprised that the engine sputters and konks out. Likewise, we shouldn’t expect PEAK PERFORMANCE from our bodies unless we are eating for peak performance.

Here we go – white flour is man’s decimation of God’s creation.

A study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Mile Markers, and Prevention shows a link between the consumption of refined carbohydrates and cancer.

“Once again, we see that preventing cancer comes down to dietary choice. One of the easiest things a person can do to prevent cancer, based on this research, is to avoid all processed carbohydrates. That means eliminating from your diet refined white flour, refined white sugar, milled grains, and ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup.” 2

Stay with me for this … Wheat 101.


Behold the Wheat Berry, created with 3 parts:

• Bran (outer shell, has fiber)
• Germ (nutrient rich)
• Endosperm (mostly starch)

Whole wheat flour combines all 3 parts.

White flour is made from the endosperm only.

How is white flour made?


Today it is milled at high temperatures using high speed rollers.

Then it is hit with chlorine gas to whiten the flour and “age” it so that it can be immediately sold.

All this processing causes a loss of

• vitamins (75% B vitamins are lost),
• minerals (80% are lost), and fiber.

Oh, don’t forget about the bonus….a byproduct is formed called alloxan.

Google that little chemical gem and you will see that alloxan is a nasty chemical byproduct that is used by scientists to produce diabetes in lab rats for the purpose of studying diabetes.

Gosh, I wonder…. If alloxan is present in white flour and it causes diabetes in lab rats…. Could it cause problems in us humans? Hmmmm.

You know the answer.

IF you are going to eat bread, keep it very limited and look for 100% whole grains. It is still refined into flour and it still gives your blood sugar a jolt.

If you don’t see that as the first ingredient listed on the bread, move on!

Buy brown rice and spend the time cooking a big batch on the weekend.

Buy the oat groats or steel cut oats and take a pass on the refined rolled oats. It matters.

Try this in the world’s best laboratory (your body):

Eliminate refined flour for a week and see how you feel.

Best use for refined flour: Paper-mâché, or paste (flour + water).

"The risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer can be reduced through the simple act of substituting whole grains for refined grains. Refined foods such as white flour and white rice are stripped of the fiber and nutrients that whole grains still possess.

The first word on the label must be whole—don't be fooled by artificial brown or caramel coloring." Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 108

References

1. http://www.pritikin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1493:live-healthy-prevent-cancer&catid=34:nutrition&Itemid=64

2. http://www.naturalnews.com/001812.html http://www.healthiertalk.com/little-known-secrets-about-bleached-flour-0499

http://www.healthy-eating-politics.com/white-flour.html

Farmageddon Trailer

I just drank milk for the first time in 10 years. I have long turned against pasteurized milk - it made me cough and always caused a phlegm reaction (sorry, gross). That is just an outward sign of a food sensitivity causing inflammation throughout the body. I quit pasteurized milk because the quick high heat destroys valuable nutrients and enzymes that bring health benefits. I quit commercial milk because homogenization blasts the healthy fat to smitherines.

Through realmilk.com I located a local source for raw milk.
It is legal to buy it in my state. Some states make this a criminal offense and armed raids have been happening across the country - confiscating and destroying milk and businesses and our choice to acquire the kind of food that we deem healthy.

The government will allow cigarettes to be sold but they do not want raw milk to be sold. It is safe to drink raw milk and it is healthy for the body.
Watch the trailer Farmageddon by Kristin Canty - and please forward this on!



Farmageddon Trailer, by Kristin Canty.
Please watch the trailer
http://www.localharvest.org/blog/18714/entry/the_gestopo_coming_to_a

Is Your Vanilla Made From a byproduct of the Paper Mill

Source 1

Most vanillin today is obtained from paper mill waste liquors.

"It was recognized as early as 1875 that the waste sulfite liquor contained some vanillin.
The problem was concentration and purification of the crude vanillin in the paper mill waste liquors."

Wikipedia:
"Natural "vanilla extract" is a mixture of several hundred different compounds in addition to vanillin.
Artificial vanilla flavoring is a solution of pure vanillin, usually of synthetic origin.
Because of the scarcity and expense of natural vanilla extract, there has long been interest in the synthetic preparation of its predominant component. The first commercial synthesis of vanillin began with the more readily available natural compound eugenol."

Today, artificial vanillin is made from either guaiacol or from lignin, a constituent of wood which is a byproduct of the paper industry.

Which water is best to use for making baby formula?

Questions: Which water is best to use for making baby formula?

Answer:
here's more than you probably wanted to know... :)

Nursery water and tap water have fluoride that can damage the teeth-to-be (all people should avoid fluoride in water, toothpaste, dental treatments etc - accumulates in the brain, weakens the bones, links to cancer and all sorts of fun stuff).

I have a paper written by Russell Blaylock, MD neurosurgeon, "Why Fluoride is Toxic" if anyone wants a copy, let me know.

The best water is home-filtered water using reverse osmosis or some system that removes fluoride and other contaminants (there are hundreds on contaminants in water that can't be boiled out).

The pitcher filters and carbon filters don't remove fluoride effectively.
I have R/O in my home but it was expensive. I wrote to a company that sells and affordable system and asked for a discount I could offer my clients or class participants, here it is
please see the resources page on my website, Get Better Wellness.

Boiling water kills bacteria but doesn't get rid of chemicals like fluoride.

Purified water is better than distilled since these companies are usually reducing fluoride.
You can Google around for a list of bottled waters and their fluoride content, but I think Ice Mountain is good if you can't get a home filter now.