I don’t think there is enough awareness of the troubles that sugar causes in our body and how it is impacting our society as a whole. There have been some shocking research done on the impacts of sugar! We underestimate the impact of how what we put in our mouth impacts what is doing on in our body.
To help raise awareness on these challenges and how it is impacting us, an amazing line up of speakers has been brought together for the Kick Sugar Summit!
If you are aware of the “who’s who” in the low carb world, you will be impressed with the caliber of speakers being brought out for this FREE online event.
Day 1 – June 10, 2019
Dr. Robert Lustig – Professor Emeritus University California San Francisco
Dr. Vera Tarman – Author of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction
Dr. Brian Lenzkes – Voted One of the “Top Doctors” in San Diego for 11 Years
Gin Stevens – Author of Delay, Don’t Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle
Dr. Robert Cywes – Bariatric Surgeon
Doug Reynolds – Founder of LowCarb USA
Dr. Chris Palmer – MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School
Dr. Bret Scher – MD, Cardiologist, Stanford Graduate
Day 2 – June 11, 2019
Gary Taubes – Author of Why We Get Fat and The Case Against Sugar
Wolfram Alderson – CEO Hypoglycemia Support
Dr. Nasha Winters – Author of Metabolic Approach to Cancer
Dr. David Diamond – MD, PhD, Neuroscientist
Craig Emmerich – Author of Keto: The Complete Guide to Success
Dr. Lewis Cantley – The Cantley Lab
Belinda Fettke – The Driving Force Behind the Current Dietary Guidelines
Bitten Jonsson – Leading Sugar Educator
Day 3 – June 12, 2019
Prof. Tim Noakes – Professor Emeritus University of Capetown
Dr. Mark Cucuzella – MD, FAAFP, Professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine
Dr. Jake Cushner – MD, Medical Director of McNair Interests
Dave Feldman – The Cholesterol Code
Jackie Eberstein – RN, Former Director of Medical Education at The Atkins Center
Dr. Gary Fettke – Orthopedic Surgeon Low Carb Crusader
Dr. Shawn Baker – Orthopedic Surgeon Author of The Carnivore Diet
Julia Ross – Author of The Mood Cure, The Craving Cure
Dr. Kristie Sullivan – Author of Keto Gatherings & Keto Living Day By Day
Day 4 – June 13, 2019
Thomas DeLauer – Nutrition and Business Performance Coach
Lynn Terry – TravelingLowCarb.com, Keto Expert – on Keto for 8 years
Lisette Cifaldi – Founder & CEO of Eating Sanity
Dr. Antonio Martinez II – Attorney and Patient/Health Advocate
Dr. Keith Berkowitz – MD, Founder & Director of the Center for Balanced Health
Alison Gannett – Cooking for Cancer Keto Coach
Dr. Ben Bocchicchio – “Slow Maximum Resistance Training” AKA ‘S.Ma.R.T™’
Dr. Josh Turknett – MD, Author of the Migraine Miracle
Brandon Straker – Coach & Personal Trainer – Reset U Fitness
Day 5 – June 14, 2019
Pete Evans – Author, Chef & Producer of The Magic Pill Documentary – Netflix
Dr. Aseem Malhotra – Internationally Renowned Cardiologist
Andy Petranek – Co-Founder of the Whole Life Challenge
Ann Childers – Psychiatric Physician
Dr. Joan Ifland – PhD, MBA, Food Addiction Professional
Dr. Hassina Kajee – MD, Board of Directors of The Noakes Foundation
Jayne Bullen – MBA, Managing Director of the Noakes Foundation Nutrition Network
Peter Ballerstedt – PhD, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky
Rita Venter – Banting 7 Day Meal Plans
If you are looking to learn the science behind how sugar impacts us and how the low carb and keto world makes it so much easier, and enjoyable, to be sugar-free, register today at the Kick Sugar Summit Registration Page.
What is the big deal behind sugar anyway? The Diet Doctor has released a very good article on How Sugar Damages the Brain. It is not just about weight gain. Sugar causes inflammation, high blood pressure, creates insulin resistance, and…many more damaging effects on the body. This is important information that everyone should know. I hope you will take the time to check it out!
Kicking sugar is one thing that most people experience immediate health benefits from and feel noticeably better. Good luck in your own personal health journey!
Guacamole is one of my favorite snacks. I use it on homemade almond flour crackers, pork rinds, and as a vegetable dip. I put it on top of my burgers, salads and sometimes I just eat it up with a spoon!
The invention of frozen avocados made so that I can whip up a batch easily whenever unexpected guests come over. If they live the high carb life, then I just push some taco chips their way while I stick to dipping in the veggies or whatever else I happen to have on hand.
Just note that frozen avocados are found in the fruit aisle. It took me a bit to realize that. In fact, if you keep the following items always on hand, you will always have what you need to make this recipe:
dehydrated onions
minced garlic in a jar
salsa (replace this for the Roma tomatoes)
This recipe is the easiest I have found. I have adapted it a bit over time. I am one of those people that think cilantro tastes like soap, so I don’t include it in this recipe. If you are a cilantro fan, go ahead and add it!
Avocados are a magical food that tastes rather bland on its own, but simply add some salt and pepper to it, and suddenly it is the most delicious snack! If avocado tastes so good with just salt and pepper, you can imagine how yummy it is after you add onion and garlic.
Here is my favorite recipe:
2 avocados, mashed
1/4 cup chopped red or yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 small Roma tomato chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Mix everything together in a small bowl. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (while you are talking with your guests) to allow the flavours to mix. Then take it out and season to taste. Garnish with some parsley or black olives for a nice touch.
Depending on your mood and tastes, consider adding the following:
Cilantro
Bacon
Mayo
Red or green chilies
6 servings: 2.3g net carbs (5.6g total carbs, 3.3g fibre), 7g fat, 1g protein
I want to give a big shout out to Sandi Sauriol! Since taking my 7 Days to Ketosis Mini Course, she has lost 35 pounds. She is feeling better than ever and only has 10 pounds more to get to her perfect weight.
Two years ago, Sandi was diagnosed with a rare aggressive breast cancer resulting in a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. Her doctor recommended chemotherapy, but she chose not to. Instead she sought advice from a Naturopathic Doctor. She learned more about cancer and its causes and learned how to keep her immune system healthy and at its best. She discovered that sugar is very bad for cancer, but Sandi was having a hard time staying away from the poisonous white stuff.
Then Sandi discovered the Low Carb Life Now menu and supports, and it helped her to kick start her keto learning. She had tried to learn keto eating from a book, before discovering the Low Carb Life Now plan, but found the complex recipes and approaches to take too much time. Food and meal prep was exhausting! The Low Carb Life Now plan made eating low carb so easy for her. The approach made it easier for her to stay away from sugar and decrease her carbs! Now, Sandi loves how she no longer feels hungry and is always satisfied with her meals. The weight she looses actually stays off. Without this easy approach, she would have given up on this way of eating and would not have experienced the success that she is now enjoying.
You are an inspiration Sandi! I wish you continued health and energy.
Do Low Carb High Fat Diets Lead to an Early Death?
There seems to be quite the uproar in the medical community right now in relation to an article published in the Lancet claiming that “Both high and low percentages of carbohydrate diets were associated with increased mortality, with minimal risk observed at 50–55% carbohydrate intake.” So, if you eat low carb, you will die sooner.
As you can imagine, this caught the attention of the Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) community. Medical experts around the globe are furious that the Lancet, a normally very reputable medical journal, allowed a study to be published that was so flawed in its collection and use of data.
Check out the Tweet by Doctor Aseem Malhotra, explaining that this article is completely false.
The suggestion that low carb diets shorten lifespan is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY FALSE. To imply they do is A MISCARRIAGE OF SCIENCE! What does the TOTALITY OF EVIDENCE say? My response on BBC World to yesterday’s #FakeNewshttps://t.co/SOkIgwLqq5#obesity#NHSpic.twitter.com/FPk2KMXx39
This video from Doctor Ken D Berry is the most comprehensive review I have seen so far: https://youtu.be/Ce6eHcUOc4s
There seems to be such a war on right now on if you should eat carbs or not. As a low carb eater, I know I have been cautioned many times from well meaning citizens about how carbs are good and we can’t be healthy without them.
Let me clear up a couple of things:
#1. I still eat carbs. I just choose to eat less carbs and I choose foods that contain less carbs. I truly believe that eating too many carbs is harmful, and I have experienced the impacts myself.
#2. I am human. I still have a treat every now and then. But for at least 80% of the time I stick to a way of eating that keeps my carbs low.
#3. You actually don’t need to eat carbs. Carbohydrates are the one macronutrient that your body can produce itself using a process called gluconeogenesis. There is another really good video on this from Dr S arah Hallberg who explains this process and more. She is part of Virta, a company that specializes in reversing Type 2 Diabetes through low carb diets.
#4. I am getting lots of fiber. Vegetables have a lot of fiber and I drink more water than ever. Everything is slipping out quite well thanks.
#5. I know how to get all the vitamins and minerals I need. I find it quite fascinating that there is currently a billion dollar industry of vitamin and mineral supplements that are “so important” for “optimal health”, yet people caution that low carb diets will require you to take supplements. Ummm…I thought we had to take them on a high carb diet too? There are many doctors out there who don’t actually believe you have to take them on either diet if you pay attention to what you eat and get proper nutrients through food. Well except for Vitamin D. Nearly all of us have to take that.
Now that we have those things out of the way, I think it is important for people to know that I am really not one of those crazy people that just jumps on the latest band wagon. I spend a lot of time doing my own research. I have a medical background (trained as a medical laboratory technician) and I have been interested in fitness and nutrition most of my life.
I truly believe that both high carb diets and low carb diets can be healthy.
For years I lived on a high carb diet, probably around 60% carbohydrates and I was ridiculously healthy. I had experimented with the Paleo diet first, but I found that it really wasn’t for me so I moved more into a way of eating that would be considered a Mediterranean style diet. I would say that I used guidance similar to that provided in this article on Best and Worst Carbs to Add to your Diet. I ate lean meat, tons of fruits and vegetables and about a thumb size of fats (olive oils, cheese, nuts) each day. If I did eat sugar, I used honey.
The reason I know that I was ridiculously healthy is because of the lab test results my husband and I received after applying for medical insurance. When the tests came back, my husband received a more expensive insurance rate, and I came back with a “super preferred” rate. My blood tests, blood pressure, weight, everything were all better than normal, which was excellent considering I was in my early 40’s.
This shocked my husband so he decided to do something about it. He began jogging and eating my diet. In only 3 months, he was able to re-take the tests and get his results down to a normal range for his age. What you put into your body matters folks! There is absolutely no doubt about that.
You have to do what works for you.
You may ask then, if I was so healthy, why I would switch to this seemingly crazy, low carb way of eating. Well, what I didn’t add to the explanation above, is how incredibly hard I had to work to keep my weight within the normal range. Although the tests came back all rosy, in order to stay within my target weight for my height, I would have to go through cycles of starving myself and exercising a lot to keep my weight down, only to gain it back gradually and start the process all over again. I would cycle within 10-15 pounds all the time, carefully monitoring and adjusting all the time. Doesn’t that sound fun?!?!??
I feel so bad for people who don’t like eating vegetables and don’t like exercise. How can they possibly lose weight? I love vegetables and I love exercise and I still struggled to lose weight and had to focus on being careful everyday!
What I didn’t realize at the time was how my relationship with sugar, even that found naturally in honey and fruits, was causing my challenges and how it could be solved by eating a low carb diet.
My past regular cycle would go something like this:
I would start my day with a piece or two of whole wheat toast with cheese or else peanut butter and jam, or fruit and yogurt, or a smoothie, or a quick breakfast bar. By about 10:00 I would get hangry (so hungry I was angry). I would eat veggies and cottage cheese or some other protein. Lunch would be a healthly wrap with meat, cheese and lettuce, more veggies, some fruit and sometimes a cookie or one of those “100 calorie” snack packs. I would always crave food in the afternoon so would satisfy myself with healthy energy balls filled with peanut butter, dates, seeds and natural honey. Then I would be aching for food once I was home so would snack on some whole wheat crackers or some other tasty snack while I made a healthy supper of lean meat and grilled vegetables. If I was ambitious and felt like doing something special I would whip up a yummy dessert.
That doesn’t seem too bad does it? I ate mostly whole real foods. Definitely much healthier than a lot of people I know. Even though the food looks healthy, I was eating too frequently, causing insulin to constantly be in my blood stream to regulate the sugar levels and storing it as fat. The insulin (and its friend ghrelin) were there to tell me to eat more. The hormone leptin was supposed to be there to tell me to stop eating, but it must have been taking a nap. Speaking of nap, I would have a mental fog nearly every afternoon and would feel so sleepy.
Then I discovered the low carb way of eating and everything changed.
I clearly remember the first day I didn’t have a snack in the morning. I had a busy day at work and the next time I looked at the clock it was 12:00 and I had not eaten anything since breakfast. That had never happened before. I never understood how people could forget to eat, until that very moment.
Then I started to lose weight. I had my usual 15 pound target to make, so I kept with the plan until I had reached my goal. I was so excited! And then the strangest thing happened. I hopped on the scale one morning and had lost an additional 2 pounds! I had never, ever, “accidentally” lost weight before. Losing weight was always a challenge. Losing those pounds accidentally actually scared me so I started eating more on purpose until I went back up to my original target.
Then I noticed my constant level of energy. No more highs and lows. No more afternoon mental fog and sleepiness. I was just always the same. All day. I didn’t even realize how bad it was before.
Then I started to read more about Type 2 Diabetes after I did an online survey to detect my risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. My risk was high. Even though the food I was eating was considered healthy, I was eating in a way that would lead my cells to become insulin resistant. That was the clincher and that will probably keep me eating this way for most of my life.
So will a low carb diet cause me to die early?
I am not a fortuneteller, so I guess I can’t say for sure, but I know that based on the warning signs, my family history, and my observations of people my age, that my high carb diet was definitely taking me down a dangerous path. If a low carb diet is going to prevent me from getting Type 2 Diabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes is proven to decrease your life span, then I can say that a low carb diet will give me some additional years. Are there other factors in the low carb way of eating that will cause a decrease lifespan? I haven’t found a single credible study proving so as of yet. But I will keep looking.
So what is the healthiest way to eat?
Although I am not a doctor and would never give you medical advice, from the reading and research that I have done, I would say a healthy diet is one that:
provides you with all the nutrients you need to feel healthy
keeps your waist size and visceral fat at a healthy level
is customized to work with your lifestyle
What more can you want than that? I hope you stay open to the options out there, take a good look at how you feel and where you want your health to be and know that you are in control of your choices.
My First Newsletter on the Low Carb Ketogenic Lifestyle!
Does anyone even do newsletters any more? Well I am!
I am committed to sharing my low carb passion with anyone who is curious. This way of eating takes so much of what we have learned about what is healthy and turns it on its head!
There is a lot to learn, but I will help you through it in easy, but sized pieces.
Here is how it will be set up:
1. A new delicious low carb recipe.
There are a lot of really creative people out there cooking up tasty meals and treats that fit well within the low carb lifestyle.
2. An article from doctors who specialize in the low carb ketogenic diet.
This is not a fad diet, it is a movement. I will post articles from doctors who are working every day to prove it and have some great results to support it.
3. An inspiring success story.
Those who have committed to making long term changes have experienced amazing results. Not just weight loss but also health improvements that they previously thought would mean being on medication forever. Throwing out the pills?? Amazing.
I hope you enjoy it! Here we go…
1. Low Carb Recipe
Ideally when you are on a low carb keto diet you want to learn to live without bread. However, sometimes you need to treat yourself or just add some more variety. That is when I whip up a batch of these yummy waffles made work almond flour. I top then with a few berries and then whip up some cream with just a bit of vanilla and liquid stevia. Heavenly! Get it here.
There are so many health benefits of the low carb ketogenic diet. There has been some great research around how it can improve arterial flexibility and better blood flow in less than two weeks.
Want to see more research from keto experienced doctors? Follow me on Twitter @LLifenow.
3. Inspiring success story
Once people realize that weight loss is not a calorie thing, but a hormone thing, the successes are amazing!
I love this story from Ruled.Me. It is definitely possible (and easy once you figure it out) to adapt your menu to work with both low carb and high carb diets at the same time, but it is so much more fun to do it with your spouse. Learn about a couple’s story here.
I love it when people share their stories. Share yours on my Facebook Page.
Happy learning! Low Carb and Keto is a way of living, not a short term diet. There is a lot to learn, but it is a journey that just get better and better. Good luck on your journey! Feel free to reach out to me at tiffiny@lowcarblifenow.com if you have any questions.
