Here's another great clip from Tom Naughton's documentary, Fat Head, describing the colossal mistakes made in "official" dietary advice, starting with the blunders of Dr. Ancel Keyes :

I'd be crying if Tom Naughton didn't make me laugh so hard.

I just got back from Jimmy Moore's low-carb cruise to the Bahamas.

Among the many interesting people I met on the cruise was the creator of the documentary film, Fat Head, Tom Naughton.

Tom brings both creative insights into low-carbohydrate eating as well as humor. Low-carb eating can be a pretty contentious issue, but Tom made it fun. He will make you laugh about many of the odd notions we have about diet.

Among the best parts of Fat Head is Tom's portrayal of the effects of carbohydrates on insulin and fat metabolism:

Fat Head joins the ranks of films like Food, Inc, that make nutrition information entertaining. For anyone interested in a unvarnished look at diet, weight loss, along with a few laughs along the way, Tom Naughton's Fat Head is worth viewing.

You've heard it before: oatmeal reduces cholesterol. Oatmeal producers have obtained permission from the FDA to use a cholesterol-reducing claim. The American Heart Association provides a (paid) endorsement of Quaker Oats.

I've lost count of the times I've asked someone whether they ate a healthy breakfast and the answer was "Sure. I had oatmeal."

Is this true? Is oatmeal heart healthy because it reduces LDL cholesterol?

I don't think so. Try this: Have a serving of slow-cooked (e.g., steel-cut, Irish, etc.) oatmeal. Most people will consume oatmeal with skim or 1% milk and some dried or fresh fruit. Wait an hour, then check your blood sugar.

If you are not diabetic and have a fasting blood sugar in the "normal" range (<100 mg/dl), you will typically have a 1-hour blood glucose of 150-180 mg/dl--very high. If you have mildly increased fasting blood sugars between 100 and 126 mg/dl, postprandial (after-eating) blood sugars will easily exceed 180 mg/dl. If you have diabetes, hold onto your hat because, even if you take medications, blood sugar one hour after oatmeal will usually be between 200 and 300 mg/dl.

This is because oatmeal is converted rapidly to sugar, and a lot of it. Even if you were to repeat the experiment with no dried or fresh fruit, you will still witness high blood sugars in these ranges. Do like some people and pile on the raisins, dried cranberries, or brown sugar, and you will see blood sugars go even higher.

Blood sugars this high, experienced repetitively, will damage the delicate insulin-producing beta cells of your pancreas (glucose toxicity). It also glycates proteins of the eyes and vascular walls. The blood glucose effects of oatmeal really don't differ much from a large Snickers bar or bowl of jelly beans.

If you are like most people, you too will show high blood sugars after oatmeal. It's easy to find out . . . check your postprandial blood sugar.

In past, I recommended oat products, specifically oat bran, to reduce LDL, especially small LDL. I've changed my mind: I now no longer recommend any oat product due to its blood sugar-increasing effects.

Better choices: eggs, ground flaxseed as a hot cereal, cheese (the one dairy product that does not excessively trigger insulin), raw nuts, salads, leftovers from last evening's dinner.

Could mustard--yes, the yellow condiment you smear on hot dogs--be a super heart healthy food in disguise?

Consider that mustard contains:

Vinegar

Turmeric

No appreciable sugar

The vinegar slows gastric emptying, resulting in slower absorption of any carbohydrates and a reduced glucose area-under-the-curve. Of the little fats contained (about 3 grams per 1/4 cup), most are desirable monounsaturates. Mustards are relatively rich in selenium, with 20 mcg per 1/4 cup, helpful for protection against cancer and thyroid disease, and magnesium, 31 mg per 1/4 cup.

Turmeric is added to most mustards. One of the constituents of turmeric, curcumin, the substance that confers the bright yellow color, has been a focus of interest for its anti-inflammatory effects. Curcumin has been documented to reduce activity of the inflammatory enzymes cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipoxygenase, and reduce activity of inflammatory signal molecules, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), interleukin (IL)-1,2,6,8, and 12, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP). Curcumin also has been shown to reduce LDL oxidation, a potentially important step in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Turmeric is used as a tea by Okinawans. (Hmmmm . . . )

Turmeric content of mustard can vary, of course. Likewise, sugar content. Look for mustards that are not sweetened, so avoid honey mustard in particular. Look for hot, brown, horseradish, Dijon, etc. If there is a downside to mustard, it's sodium content, though the 709 mg per 1/4 cup should only be a problem for those who are sodium-sensitive (African Americans, in particular).

So perhaps mustard isn't exactly a super health food. But it may have some bona fide health effects and should be used generously especially if you are concerned about blood sugar and inflammatory phenomena.

There is no doubt that exercise yields benefits across a spectrum of health: reduced blood pressure, reduced inflammation, reduced blood coagulation, better weight control, stronger bones, less depression, reduced risk for heart attack.

Exercise also influences blood sugar. Diabetics understand this best: Exercise reduces blood sugar 20, 30, 50 or more milligrams. A starting blood sugar, for instance, of 160 mg/dl can be reduced to 80 mg/dl by jogging or riding a bicycle. (I recently had brunch at an Indian restaurant with my family. Blood sugar one-hour postprandial: 134 mg/dl. I was sleepy and foggy. I got on my stationary bike and pedalled at a moderate clip for 60 minutes. Blood sugar: 90 mg/dl.)

Could the reduction of blood sugar with exercise be THE reason that exercise and physical activity provide such substantial benefits?

Think about it. Reduced blood sugar:

1) Reduces risk for future cardiovascular events.
2) Reduces glycation of proteins, i.e., reduced glucose binding to proteins like the ones in artery walls and the lenses of your eyes.
3) Reduces blood coagulation
4) Reduces endothelial dysfunction (abnormal artery constriction that leads to atherosclerosis)

This might explain why it doesn't require high levels of aerobic activity to derive benefit from exercise, since even modest efforts (e.g., a 15-minute walk after eating) reduce blood sugar substantially.

The incredible 33-year, 18,000-participant Whitehall study tells us that a postprandial (after-eating) blood sugar of an impossibly-difficult 83 mg/dl is required to erase the excess cardiovascular risk of blood sugar. Could this simply be telling us that physical activity or exercise is required to suppress blood sugars to these low levels?

It makes me wonder if an index of the adequacy of exercise is your post-exercise blood glucose.

Question: What is the most effective tool available to help you lose weight?

A pedometer (walk 10,000 steps, etc.)?

A treadmill?

A bicycle?

No. None of the above.

The most important tool you can use to achieve weight loss is your glucose monitor:

Because different foods generate different blood sugar (glucose) responses, the timing of your blood sugar is an important factor to consider.

This question has come up a number of times. Commenters have asked whether the one-hour postprandial glucose is timed with the start of the meal or the conclusion of the meal.

In my view, if we simply ignored all aspects of meal composition, then blood glucose should be obtained one hour after the conclusion of a meal. This is because most mixed meals (i.e., mixed in composition among proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) yield peak blood glucose levels at 60-90 minutes after consumption. Timing blood glucose to 60 minutes after the conclusion of a meal puts the sample right about at the peak.

But this is an oversimplification. For instance, here is the blood glucose behavior after so-called "complex" carbohydrates wheat bread, rye bread, rye made with beta glucan, and whole wheat pasta (50 grams carbohydrates each) in slender, healthy volunteers, mean age 29 years:

From Juntunen et al 2002

Note that blood glucose peaks at 35 minutes postprandial. (To convert glucose in mmol/L to mg/dl, multiple by 18. Thus, whole wheat bread increased blood glucose from 94 mg/dl to 122 mg/dl. Also note the lower peak glucose for pasta, but sustained higher glucose levels hours later.)

In another study, older (mean age 64 years), overweight (BMI 27.9) females with diabetes were given 50 grams carbohydrate, 50 grams carbohydrate with olive oil, or 50 grams carbohydrate with butter:

From Thomsen et al 2003. Control meal of soup plus 50 g carbohydrates ( {blacktriangledown}

), the control meal plus 80 g olive oil ( {circ}

), and the control meal plus 100 g butter (•).

In this experience, note that postprandial glucose peaks 60-120 minutes after the meals (consumed within 10 minutes), delayed more when either oil is included. Blood glucose started at 144 mg/dl and peaked as high as 230 mg/dl with carbohydrates only; peaks were reduced (along with AUC) when oil was included. (Note the differential effect, olive oil vs. butter.)

These two sets of observations give you a range of blood glucose behavior. One side lesson: Carbohydrates should never consumed by themselves, else you will pay with a high blood sugar (not to mention the hypoglycemic response later for many).

You non-diabetics who check your postprandial blood sugars already know: There are hidden sources of sugar in so many foods.

By now, everybody should know that foods like breakfast cereals, breads, bagels, pretzels, and crackers cause blood sugar to skyrocket after you eat them. But sometimes you eat something you thought was safe only to find you're showing blood sugars of 120, 130, 150+ mg/dl.

Where can you find such "stealth" sources of sugars that can screw up your postprandial blood sugars, small LDL, inflammation, blood pressure, and cause you to grow visceral fat? Here's a few:

Balsamic vinaigrette
Many commercially-prepared balsamic vinaigrettes, especially the "light" varieties, have 3 or more grams carbohydrates per tablespoon. Generous use of a sugar-added vinaigrette can therefore provide 12+ grams carbs. (Some, like Emeril's and Wish Bone, also contain high-fructose corn syrup.)

Hamburgers
I learned this lesson the hard way by taking my blood sugar after having a hamburger, turkey burger, or vegetarian burger (without bun): blood sugar would go way up. The effect is due to bread crumbs added to the meat or soy.

Tomato soup
If it were just tomatoes, it would still be somewhat high in sugars. But commercially-prepared tomato soup often contains added high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and wheat flour, bringing sugar totals to 12 to 20+ grams per half-cup. A typical 2-cup bowl of tomato soup can have upwards of 80 grams of sugar.

Granola
Sure, granola contains a lot of fiber. But most granolas come packed with sugars in various forms. One cup of Kellogg's Low-fat Granola with Raisins contains an incredible 72 grams (net) carbohydrates, of which 25 grams are sugar.

Given modern appetites and serving sizes, you can see that it is very easy to get carried away and, before you know it, get exposed to extraordinary amounts of sugar and carbohydrates eating foods you thought were healthy.

And don't be fooled by claims of "natural" sugar. Sugar is sugar--Just check your blood sugar and you'll see. So raw cane sugar, beet sugar, and brown sugar have the same impact as white table sugar. Honey, maple syrup, and agave? They're worse (due to fructose).

What should your blood sugar (glucose) be after eating?

Take a look at the data from the Whitehall study reported in 2006. The Whitehall Study stands apart from other studies in that it was very large (over 18,000 participants) who were observed for an unusually long time (33 years). All participants were administered a 50 gram glucose "challenge" at the start with glucose levels checked after the glucose challenge.

Here's what they found:

From Brunner et al 2006.

I met infertility specialist, Dr. Michael Fox, on Jimmy Moore's low-carb cruise just this past March.

Dr. Fox is quiet and unassuming, but had incredible things to say about his experience with carbohydrate restriction in female infertility and pregnancy. While readers of The Heart Scan Blog already know that I advocate a diet free of wheat, cornstarch, and sugar for heart health and correction of multiple lipoprotein abnormalities, it was fascinating to hear how a similar approach seems to yield extraordinary benefits in this entirely unrelated area of female health. Obviously, female infertility and pregnancy are unrelated to heart health, but the extraordinary benefits witnessed by Dr. Fox in this area suggest that some fundamental lessons in human physiology can be learned. The results are so incredible that we are all sure to hear more about this approach as experience grows.

So I tracked Dr. Fox down in his busy Jacksonville, Florida practice to fill us in on some details.

WD: Dr. Fox, could you tell us something about yourself and what led you to use carbohydrate restriction in your female patients?

MF: I have been in practice as a reproductive endocrinologist for 15 years. During that time, I have seen our specialty move from a broad based practice of reproductive endocrinology to a narrow IVF [in vitro fertilization] focus, with patients being pushed through IVF in a cookie-cutter fashion without any emphasis on non-medical therapy.

Our focus has been to remain as a broad practice where we individualize care and attempt in every case to achieve pregnancy short of IVF. Five years ago, this continued quest for better care led us into the insulin resistance, low-carbohydrate metabolic world that has transformed our practice, although our practice offers all aspects of reproductive endocrinology including sub-specialized minimally invasive surgery, and all available infertility options.

WD: I have been intrigued by your comments about improved fertility with the low-carb diet. Could you elaborate on this?

MF: Yes, five years ago, as more information regarding Polycystic Ovarian Disease or Syndrome (PCOD/S) and its relationship to insulin resistance (high insulin levels) was emerging, we had a simple realization. As we've known for some time, insulin stimulates excess male hormone levels in the ovary, which disrupts ovulation and fertility. Then our job was to lower or virtually eliminate high insulin levels. Again, in simple fashion, we looked at physiology and realized that insulin is released only in response to dietary carbohydrates. Thus, elimination of carbohydrates should resolve the problem. This, in fact, is the effect that we have seen.

In our previous approaches to PCOD, we utilized oral ovulation medicines generating pregnancy rates in the 40% range overall. Now, with the nutritional approach, for those patients that follow our recommendations, our pregnancy rates are over 90%! This has dramatically reduced the need for in vitro fertilization in these patients.

To extend this idea further, we first started with relative low-carbohydrate diets, such as the South Beach diet, but quickly realized this didn't produce a metabolic effect. Over time, it has borne out that only the very low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD) approach produces significant metabolic change. Our impression then was that the current U.S. nutritional exposure probably increases insulin levels and that this has a detrimental effect on fertility.

To counter this effect, we now recommend the VLCD to all fertility patients and their spouses. The pregnancy rates do seem much better overall, as well as seeing a reduction in miscarriage rates. For the first time at our national meeting last year, there were three articles that showed improved pregnancy rates in patients without PCOD or insulin resistance in IVF when Glucophage was used. This drug decreases insulin. This supports the idea that our entire population is subjected to fertility-reducing high-carbohydrate diet.

WD: Do you see any other changes in these patients on the diet?

MF: Yes. All metabolic parameters, as well as many common complaints, improve. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels improve, while "good" HDL cholesterol levels increase. Weight drops at a pace of 12 lbs per month very steadily and we have many many patients who have experienced 50lb wt loss. Blood pressure decreases steadily in these patients and we are often able to get them off of cholesterol and blood pressure medicines. Common symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, decreased energy, migraine headaches and depression all dramatically improve. Again we can often get patients off depression and migraine suppression medications. So this approach helps in a multitude of areas.

WD: I was also interested in hearing more about your experience with morning sickness and the effects of a low-carb diet. Could you tell us more about this? Also, any thoughts on why this happens?

MF: As we continued to expand our thoughts about VLCD and fertility/pregnancy, we began to extend the nutritional approach into pregnancy. We know that pregnancy hormones dramatically worsen insulin resistance that is responsible for the condition, gestational diabetes. If insulin resistance is worsened, then reactive hypoglycemia is worsened. One of the biggest symptoms of hypoglycemia is nausea. So, in response to this, we have counseled our patients on the diet in pregnancy and have found a dramatic reduction in nausea. We recommend snacking every two hours in pregnancy.

The other "traditional" issue in pregnancy are cravings. These also likely stem from hypoglycemia. I have had many husbands tell us later that their wives, in contrast to friends etc, were calm and not moody or anxious during their pregnancies. Hypoglycemia probably is a serious issue for the fetus as well and may be the "signal" that turns on the insulin-resistant gene. Many theorists feel this might be an activated gene during the pregnancy.

WD: Do you use any unique approaches to the low-carbohydrate approach, e.g., inclusion of dairy, meal frequency, "induction" strategies (i.e., induction to the diet, not of labor!), etc.?

MF: Yes. As I'm sure everyone who works in the VLCD world does, we also have some tricks to make this work better. My biggest push, although hard to get patients to agree, is to see a counselor along with our follow-up in order to deal with "addictive behaviors" and "stress eating" that so many of our patients relate to us. Good stress management and cognitive behavioral therapy go a long way in helping this become a permanent change.

We also really push frequent calorie intake or "snacking." I think again that hypoglycemia produces an inborn drive to "cure" or "fix" starvation and leads to dramatic overeating. We have a short list of snacks that we recommend. The concept of hunger is offered as a failure of the program. We aim to eliminate hunger, as it represents hypoglycemia. The analogy I use is, if you drove your car until you ran out of gas before you ever sought to find gas, your life would be miserable. So it is the same with your metabolic engine: If you let it run out, the measures your system takes to fix it are very detrimental to life and certainly to nutritional health.

Our other big push is fat. People can wrap themselves around protein and vegetables, but they totally miss the high-fat (animal fat) part of the conversation. We have to really push that aspect. In regards to dairy, we allow for non-processed cheeses and minimal milk. An alternative is to mix about 4 oz whole milk with 4 oz of heavy whipping and 4 oz of water to create a "milk" with less sugar. Similarly, shakes and smoothies can be made with heavy whipping cream with pure whey protein powder added to create a liquid meal for those who "don't have time" to cook.

WD: Thanks, Dr. Fox. We look forward to hearing more about your approach in future.

Contact information:

Michael D. Fox, MD
Jacksonville Center
Reproductive Medicine
www.JCRM.org
Phone 904-493-2229

Jim Purdy
6/6/2010 6:31:08 PM |

QUOTE:
"While readers of The Heart Scan Blog already know that I advocate a diet free of wheat, cornstarch, and sugar for heart health and correction of multiple lipoprotein abnormalities ..."

And I do know that, but it has been hard for me to give up wheat.

However, I am getting chest pains more and more frequently after big meals, so I'm gong to have to make some major changes in my diet.

Jim Purdy
The 50 Best Health Blogs

Richard A.
6/6/2010 9:07:09 PM |

A high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is being used to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet

There is good theory that the ketogenic diet would also benefit those with Alzheimer's, but don't expect big pharma to fund the control studes. What is needed is for a foundation or the government to fund such studies.

DrStrange
6/6/2010 10:02:32 PM |

Well lets start the fun here:

"Again, in simple fashion, we looked at physiology and realized that insulin is released only in response to dietary carbohydrates. Thus, elimination of carbohydrates should resolve the problem. This, in fact, is the effect that we have seen."

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/66/5/1264
published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1997

Beef raises insulin level more than oatmeal, fish raises it more than popcorn, and cheese more than white pasta.

Has there been a change I missed?

Anonymous
6/6/2010 11:04:25 PM |

Does he test for gluten intolerance or celiac?

Anonymous
6/7/2010 1:54:58 AM |

Here's a great recipe for Low Carb Bread

http://bestlowcarbcooking.info/you-can-have-your-bread-eat-it-too.html

Matsmurfen
6/7/2010 4:29:46 AM |

Take a look at the Swedish "Kostdoktorn" blog (The Food Doctor?)

http://www.kostdoktorn.se/mindre-socker-fler-barn

There you can see a video with Dr. Fox!

Anonymous
6/7/2010 8:12:02 AM |

Interesting!! My sister-in-law is obese, always has been. She carries an extra 60 pounds yet she has had 4 children and never has had a problem getting pregnant. Although in the last pregnancy she was diagnosed with gestaional diabetes (6 years ago). Many of my co-workers are overweight and I see what they eat on a daily basis. High carb foods, lots of junk mixed in with some vegetables, no fruits whatsoever. All of my very overweight co-workers have had numerous pregnancies. No infertility problems at all. I'v known only 2 women (skinny) with good diets who have had infertility problems.

Ed
6/7/2010 2:25:55 PM |

This sort of stuff is very interesting.

Note that Dr Lindeberg has been able to correct type-II diabetes in a number of patients in trials through the application of a not-low-carb "paleo" style diet. See Stephan's reporting here: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/search?q=paleolithic+diet+clinical+trials

I applaud Dr Fox for his work and I hope his patients appreciate how lucky they are to have him.

I'm in the camp that believes that liver dysfunction caused by excess vegetable oil consumption over an extended period of time is a very key component in modern society's explosion of insulin resistance. I hope that Dr Fox is paying attention to omega-3 and omega-6 consumption in his patients.

Meredith
6/7/2010 2:39:32 PM |

Hi Dr. Davis, Is there a link to Dr. Fox's VLCD diet? I looked on the website you listed for him and the nutrition section was not available. Or is there some other way to get the information on the diet he recommends?

Thank you!

Sincerely, Meredith

Jonathan
6/7/2010 5:31:27 PM |

I definitely don't feel guilty if I eat a LC snack but if I eat enough, good quality fat, I'm not hungry enough for a snack and my blood sugar barely varies (though the ultra stable blood sugar took a couple of months on HFLC to level out so well; but I was really messed up with highs of 300's).

Miki
6/7/2010 8:15:17 PM |

Amazing results. Thanks for spreading the word. It reminds me that Weston Price in NAPD mentions tribes that used to prescribe a special diets for newly married couples and pregnant women. We are relearning...

Sarah V.
6/7/2010 10:21:56 PM |

I'm interested in the "short list of snacks" Dr. Fox recommends to his patients.

Anonymous
6/7/2010 10:39:20 PM |

Interesting that he is on the high saturated fat bandwagon. Ready to finally hop aboard now, Dr. D?

Emily
6/7/2010 11:29:44 PM |

this is really interesting, thanks for posting this interview.

Jennifer
6/7/2010 11:55:42 PM |

Very informative post and interview. I am a first-time reader and I hope to become pregnant agian after suffering from terrible "morning" aka for me, all day sickness. I am going to reaserch VLCD more! Thanks

Anonymous
6/8/2010 1:08:17 AM |

Hi,
Could you please explain the hormonal connection? I, like other women undergoing IVF, have experienced rapid weight gain that is very hard to lose, even though I have been on LC for 5 years.

Anonymous
6/8/2010 1:11:46 AM |

Could you please explain the hormonal connection? I too have experienced rapid weight gain while doing IVF, even though I have been LC for 5 years.

Dr. William Davis
6/8/2010 1:46:00 AM |

As I suspected, Dr. Fox's unique experience has triggered a lot of interest.

I will track him down again in future to see if there are resources or places that he will be continuing his conversation.

More to come.

LeonRover
6/8/2010 10:20:24 AM |

Tut, tut, DrStrange, cherry picking ?

The abstract quotes the following:

"Total carbohydrate (r = 0.39, P < 0.05, n = 36) and sugar (r = 0.36, P < 0.05, n = 36) contents were positively related to the mean insulin scores, whereas fat (r = -0.27, NS, n = 36) and protein (r = -0.24, NS, n = 38) contents were negatively related."

The insulin AUC data for beef was collected for 13 subjects and with reported values of 7910 +-2193. All one can say is that individuals show a wide variation in insulin response to beef.

DrStrange
6/8/2010 4:19:55 PM |

Okay then. So beef CAN cause a very high spike in insulin, just does not necessarily that it does so always for everyone. No blanket statements. Carbs (and the definition of "carbs" as word is generally used, is pretty sketchy as used) maybe are not the only thing causing high insulin levels. Definitely refined carbs, the "whites", are problematic to say the least!

A closely related issue is the protective effect of the antioxidents etc with the "carbs" in non-starchy vegetables vs the lack of those nutrients in meat/dairy

Lucy
6/8/2010 5:17:51 PM |

Thanks for posting this! I went through GD in my second pregnancy, and successfully low-carbed (against the advice of the pregnancy diabetes counselors) after the diagnosis. Third pregnancy I just track the blood sugar and watch the carbs with my primary. It's a marvelous tool and so little information about low carbing during pregnancy, unless you want negative info.

Perhaps Dr. Fox could address the persistent messages that ketosis during pregnancy increases the risk of retardation in the baby?

I keep running into that line of logic (fortunately i don't think I had to go so low in carbs as to stay in ketosis to control GD so I don't worry much).

Rabbi Hirsch
6/8/2010 6:30:31 PM |

Thanks.
This is a most read for all infertile couples...

Rabbi Hirsch Meisels
Jewish Friends With Diabetes international.

Anne
6/9/2010 3:55:42 AM |

There is a link between infertility and celiac disease. Could some of the success with the low carb diet be related to the elimination of gluten grains.

Anonymous
6/9/2010 12:02:23 PM |

Dr. Davis could you kindly shed some light on gram flour viz a viz your recommendation against wheat?

Anonymous
6/10/2010 7:21:24 AM |

Fascinating post. Thanks.

PeterVermont
6/11/2010 3:42:35 PM |

I was surprised at Dr. Fox's emphasis on frequent snacking. My experience is that reducing carbs has all but eliminated sharp food cravings. I interpreted this as meaning that my body was efficiently switching from carbohydrate to fatty acid metabolism -- in that context lower blood sugar does not trigger hunger since the cells have an adequate alternate energy source in the fatty acids.

V. Alium
6/12/2010 12:05:25 PM |

The heart conditions can cause lightheadedness or fainting and may lead to a life-threatening irregular heart beat known as ventricular fibrillation.

Anonymous
6/13/2010 10:37:25 PM |

I am a woman with PCOS, and have been following a very low carb diet for some time now, though admittedly not perfectly. I have experienced the benefits the Dr. mentions, specifically as related to anxiety, depression, mood fluctuation, cravings, binging, and alcohol. I have also lost some weight. Also, to the commenter who posted about knowing only two women (skinny) who had fertility issues, that is really only a small circle of aquaintences and does not reflect the fact that as many as 1 in 10 women in the USA have PCOS. Cheers.

Amber
7/1/2010 3:53:41 AM |

PeterVermont, In general you are right, but pregnancy hormones change everything. Even under severe carbohydrate restriction, I suffered intense frequent carbohydrate cravings.

LA Pharma
5/3/2011 11:25:10 AM |

T3-Cytomel (from LA Pharma) can cause an increase in basal metabolic rate.

Lyndee
7/10/2011 2:57:07 AM |

Cheers pal. I do apprecitae the writing.

Johnette
7/10/2011 4:29:04 AM |

All of my questions settledÂ—tanhks!

Destry
7/10/2011 4:45:06 AM |

Check that off the list of things I was counfsed about.

Tori
7/10/2011 2:25:06 PM |

Great comomn sense here. Wish IÂ’d thought of that.

stnjnltt
7/11/2011 9:47:22 AM |

Y8lx9g , [url=http://vofxdpdeljgl.com/]vofxdpdeljgl[/url], [link=http://mqkeovojuckg.com/]mqkeovojuckg[/link], http://mmvafpcmpomz.com/

Datherine
7/11/2011 4:17:53 PM |

AFAICT you've covreed all the bases with this answer!

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