How many times have you told someone you were on a low-carb diet or how many times have you suggested a low-carb diet to a friend or relative that was trying to lose weight or improve health and got the following response?: Oh, I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t want to eat that much meat and all those eggs.
If you’re like me, you hear it all the time. I can’t recall how many times a TV talking head or a radio DJ asked MD and/or me that very thing on live TV/radio. Somehow the great unwashed masses have it in their heads that a low-carb diet is nothing but meat, meat and more meat with a little butter and cheese thrown in for good measure. It doesn’t matter how many times MD and I (and others) make the case on national or local TV and radio, no one seems to listen.
Now comes a study in Nutrition Journal that gives the lie to the low-carb-diets-are-all-meat notion.
Researchers provided questionnaires to a subset of members of the Active Low-Carber’s Forum (ALCF)–an online support group started in 2000 that currently has more than 86,000 members–requesting information about their history of weight loss using the low-carb diet. An analysis of the data reveals that
the membership of ALCF is currently 83% women, which is reflected in the makeup of respondents to the questionnaire. The age distribution showed 61% of respondents between 30 and 49 years of age. We did not request physical data on the questionnaire but asked for goals in weight loss. the responses indicate that the starting weights must have been very high with more than half of the people surveyed indicating that they had wanted to lose more than 50 pounds and 22% intending to lose 100 obs or more. In summary, the survey population was largely middle aged women whose goal was to lose a large amount of body mass.
Although the paper (click here to read in full) discusses a number of aspects of low-carb dieting, the most interesting part to me is the section describing what these people eat. Instead of replacing the starch in their diets with meat, bacon, butter or other fatty foods, the majority of respondents replaced their starch and sugar with vegetables and salads.
That’s right, vegetables and salad.
Contrary to the popular belief held by most non-low-carbing people and by the vast majority of the medical profession people starting on low-carb diets don’t just go face down in the meat and forsake everything else. Instead, according to this paper, they increase their meat intake minimally and their vegetable and salad intake considerably. This study jives with what I have found in over 20 years of clinical practice with patients on low-carb diets. Despite the widespread opinion that it is all meat, in reality it is not much more meat than people ate before, but a whole lot more nutritionally dense foods of plant origin.
This paper is written for primary care doctors to show them that low-carb diets aren’t the fad diets most think they are. The hope of the authors is that the paper will help physicians see through all the negative publicity generated by misguided opponents to these diets over the years and make them realize that the low-carb diet is a valid means of weight loss and lipid improvement.
Make multiple copies so that you’ll have them on hand to shove under the noses of any naysayers you may encounter. I certainly will.
Jimmy Moore made a similar post yesterday. Boy do I love posts like these. I guess I’m the exception to the rule 🙂 This is generally a play to the mainstream to show that even low-carbers eat veggies too.
For the last 7 months and 1 week I’ve been on an all meat diet, 80+% of my diet centers on beef and cheese. I probably eat around 5-7 pounds of beef a week. Stefansson was right when he said that the more you eat a whole food exclusively the more you like it. Every piece of beef I eat tastes just as good as the last. In essence, variety is for the mind, not the body. The need for variety is a mental remnant of acculturation and the reality that if you eat a single type of veggie you’ll end up getting sick (spinach for example, e coli scare aside).
I definitely believe that if you’re morbidly obese that eliminating all glucose is the key. Even on a standard low-carb diet, eating broccoli, etc, I would still get massive cravings. Veggies contain toxins as a natural defense and really should be avoided entirely and whatever vitamins and nutrients are in them are poorly absorbed.
That’s not even mentioning that fiber should be avoided as well as it scars the gut and causes malabsorption over the course of time, which is why old people end up getting thin and sickly after a lifetime of scraping.
Bottom line: Be proud of your meat (double entendre aside :P)!
Hi Robb–
I somehow knew that this post would bring you out of the woodwork:-)
I agree with you completely. I, myself, am on a meat diet most of the time. But, most people aren’t willing to take that step. If the low-carb diet were presented as an all meat diet there would be very few takers and it would have a really bad rap.
In my opinion a low-carb diet high in nutrient dense vegetables is a better option that the high-complex-carbohydrate, low-fat diet alternative. Anything we can use to get people to make the switch is of great value.
Best–
MRE
Yes!! That is a great study and I’m proud to say that I was part of it. I’ll be making copies to hand out also.;)
Hi Judy–
Go for it.
Cheers–
MRE
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your blog. After reading that krill oil article you wrote, my husband’s osteoarthritis has calmed down quite a bit – he’s taking the krill oil and curcumin you recommended. Thanks!
With regard to this post – amazing how people assume that low carb means ‘butter, bacon and lard’. In reality – vegetable consumption goes UP in most cases.
Furthermore, some other changes happen that I haven’t seen mentioned:
1. Elimination of trans fats from the diet. If you’re not eating anything packaged/processed, you’re not getting any trans fats. No more store-bought muffins, bread, frozen meals or what have you, and as a result – no more trans fats. This is a huge benefit to the low-carb way of eating.
2. Elimination of deep-fried foods from the diet. Most deep-fried foods have breading or are made from high carb foods, so most of us never eat anything deep fried. So again, a zero-trans fat diet, plus a reduction in calories.
I wonder what would happen if I told my doctor, “I’ve started eating 4-6 servings of vegetables a day and I’ve eliminated trans fats from my diet.”
I think it would be interesting if ‘low carb’ were renamed ‘zero trans fat diet’.
Sara
Hi Sara–
Good idea. Maybe we could call the low-carb diet the Zero Bad Foods Diet.
Best–
MRE
Thank you for writing about us over there at the LC site. Lots complain that we spend much of our time explaining and justifying ourselves to people who assume we just consume meat and more meat. It’s tedious… ‘Not a low carb diet!’ they say, with shock, yet if you instead say ‘I’m cutting down on refined products like biscuits and bread and increasing my veg and fruit, they’ll congratulate you on your healthy choice.
Sigh.
Hi Annabel–
You’re right. It is truly a matter of semantics.
Best–
MRE
Dang it! It’s not beef and cheese, but beef and _eggs_, 80+% of my diet. Sorry about that. I do eat cheese, but not as much as eggs.
It’s kind of sad really. You know better than most people Dr. Eades of the significance, if not total “carnivoreness” (is that a word?), of meat in the diet of early man. Meat was the main, if not only, source for them for millions of years. That we have to compromise reality, truth and the anthropological record to placate peoples acculturation is unfortunate.
That’s not to say you can’t lose weight or be healthy with minimal carbs, but it’s really a short step away from going to zero carb if you’re eating 20g/carb per day. I certainly noticed the difference when I started doing zero carb.
Hi Rob–
I agree. It’s a matter of perception, however, and I can tell you from experience with many, many patients that a recommendation that they go on full meat diets would send them running for the door.
Some day soon I’ll post on the issue. Someday, that is, when I’m in the mood to receive comments in triple digit numbers that I feel compelled to respond to.
Best–
MRE
Dr. Mike:
Let me again tell you how much I enjoy your blog. You are amazing, informative and extremely funny, in your fashion. Thanks again for your wonderful insights.
I took part in that survey and I have you and Dr. MDE to thank for exposing me to low carbing initially. I have eliminated not only carbs, but as a previous poster said, trans fats, chemicals, processed anything, and make all food from scratch basically. Low carbing is definitely a zero-bad-carbs diet. And, I still use tons of allowable veggies such as greens, tomatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, cabbage. My homemade cabbage and pork chop soup or paprika hamburger soup with mushrooms and tomatoes are to die for.
But when anyone asks what kind of diet I’m on, I respond “I’m on a high fat diet” That usually results in severe speech impediments to the person who asks and I find it funny.
Hi Hellistile–
Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate them.
I know what you mean about the I’m-on-a-high-fat-diet answer. Once I gave a talk to an auditorium full of people on the scientific basis for the low-carb diet. At the end someone asked what the fat percentage in the diet I followed was. I replied that I didn’t calculated fat content, simply grams of carb. The questioner persisted and asked me to make a guess. I finally said that I estimated that my diet was in the 60-70 percent fat range. You could see jaws dropping throughout the auditorium.
Best–
MRE
I love telling people about my high-fat consumption- due to the horrified expressions I frequently get.
Of course, when I told my doctor, he surprised me by being keenly interested. Darn it. 😉 No amusement for me.
I am very lucky to have a doc that supports me 100% on a zero-carb diet.
Hi Lyndsey–
You are indeed lucky to have such a doc.
Cheers–
MRE
Dr. Mike thanks again for your blog.
When you talk about all-meat, can you please include some thoughts on long-term acid-base balance?
And – when people ask me that obnoxious question (anything about percentages) I just say, the grams of fat I take in, is the same as about 20-25% if I was doing the pyramid. That gets em.
Hi Connie–
I will be sure to address the acid-base balance on an all meat diet.
Good idea on the grams of fat.
Best–
MRE
Hi, all. A question for anyone who has low-carbed for an extensive period of time: what kind of LDL, HDL, triglycerides, etc. do you have? Amazingly, I did low carb about 4 years ago and had some of the best blood tests in my life. However, as more and more activity and stress plagued my life, I fell face down in the sweets again. With two Alzheimer’s parents, I know I need to keep weight and cholesterol down, but I’m afraid to go back to the way of eating I enjoyed. Any helpful insights?
H Barb–
Go back to the part of your post where you wrote: “…and had the best blood tests in my life.” That should be insight enough.
Read the Oct. 3 post.
MD and I have had thousands of patients on low-carb diets and looked at blood work on each and every one. Triglycerides go down, HDL goes up, and LDL changes to the light, fluffy variety.
Cheers–
MRE
Insightful as always, Mike. And intriguing.
I’m beginning to think, however, that no amount of ‘science’ or ‘data’ will win people over to ‘low-carb/paleo/carnivory, or whatever we want to call it.
It first needs to become ‘fashionable’ just as low-fat, and vegetarian became fashionable in the proper circles.
After all, low-fat didn’t become the ‘approved’ way of eating because the scientific evidence was incontrovertible. Science had virtually nothing to do with it. (Ironically as you’ve pointed out, there wasn’t a whole lot of data behind it anyway.) Somehow, the whole ‘low-fat/vegetarian/I-don’t-eat-red-meat thing became socially proper, sort of like not smoking. It was simply the ‘accepted’ thing. Gluttons and sloths ate lard; cool people ate tofu and skinlesstastelessleanchickenbreast, and ‘light’ entrees.
At a dinner party, let someone casually comment that ‘I’m a vegetarian’ or ‘I haven’t eaten fat in nine years,’ or ‘I no longer eat red meat’, everyone will nod appreciatively. “Ooohh, you are so healthy, and I should be doing that, too.” (Even if they never will, of course.) It’s accepted, it’s socially cool to say such things.
As you have pointed out, let any study hit the media proclaiming ‘fat is deadly’ or ‘vegetarians have better skin’ or similar and it will get nods of approval from everyone, no matter how shoddy the science. Let Ornish go on Oprah and, well gee, he makes so much sense, and I should be eating that way too. (No one actually does, of course. But it’s nice to say so.) Try to point out the benefits of beef-eating, well, you’re hopelessly clueless.
As a scientist at heart, I would like to think that a four-foot stack of published studies would be enough to change the common thinking. Except I’m beginning to think that science isn’t the thing.
It’s really about fashion. (Which is usually about as logical as bell-bottoms.)
End of philosophy lecture.
Hi Walt–
Unfortunately, I fear that much of what you say is true. But, I think in the end, science will out. It just may not be in the next few years.
If we all do our part, it will come a lot sooner.
Cheers–
MRE
Without intending it, my diet slides to all meat most of the time — well, I eat nuts, cheese, and a lot of eggs, too. Every now and then I want a particular vegetable, so I cook it and eat it! I don’t care for raw veg much. My tummy feels better when I don’t eat vegetables regularly, and my skin and hair are nicer, so comfort and vanity win 🙂
I look forward to a future article on this topic.
Hi Joanna–
As soon as I can gird my loins for all the comments such a post will generate, I’ll sit down and write it.
Best–
MRE
I love the comments about complexions becoming better on low carb–after all, the low carb way of eating IS the anti-inflammation solution for so many health problems. Decrease inflammation, and the body can take care of many things for itself. Dr Perricone, the dermatologist/complexion guru, hit the jack pot when he was savvy enough to call his low carb diet the “anti-inflammation diet”–for a YOUNGER complexion.
Dr Mike, I am finding that the IF is also helping with getting rid of inflammation, I’m finally seeing results. I have now gravitated towards one meal per day in the evening, taking one or two hours depending on hunger. That leaves me with at least a 22 hour fast every day. Looking forward everyday to an evening meal makes it a lot easier socially also. If I need to eat an hour later out with friends, I just adjust the next day, making sure I keep on a 22 hour schedule.
Hi LCforevah–
Sounds like you’re getting it all under control. Good luck.
Keep us posted.
MRE
Hi I love reading your blog, it is so intelligent and welcoming. Just wanted to relate a story, I have 2 female co workers who don’t eat meat, one says she stopped eating meat “in order to lose weight” and the other (VERY HEAVY) says proudly that she hasn’t eaten red meat since she was a kid. I lost 60 pounds in one year on Atkins, and they both saw me do it, and a year later I still have kept it off. I say good luck, good luck “trying to lose weight” not eating meat. Imagine what they are filling the gaps with!!! Lowfat ice cream, low fat tortilla chips, fat free pasta and bread. Its so ridiculous I just shake my head, sadly I don’t even bother much anymore trying to convince the starchitarians otherwise.
Hi Jane–
Starchitarians. I love it.
I remember once after I had written my first book when I was way, way more timid than I am now I found myself on a live radio interview with a woman host in Minneapolis. I was in the studio sitting across from this woman who was hugely obese, but was known to her listeners only by her voice. I laid out the virtues of a low-carb diet, she asked some intelligent questions, then, just as the show was running out of time, she says: “Well, Dr. Eades, I’ve listened to all this, so we’ll let the listeners come to their own conclusions. As for me, I’m not buying it; I’m sticking to my beans and corn.” I thought, Yeah, and they’re sticking to you, but I sat there meekly and said, “Thanks for having me.” The Dr. Eades of today would have said what he thought.
Cheers–
MRE
I’m looking forward to reading your carnivore article. I’m curious because whenever I eat very low carb (mainly the 6 months or so I spent at PP intervention levels – with K, Mg etc) I feel jittery, find it hard to concentrate, and minor physical exertion (like running up and down stairs a few times) has my heart rate racing and my legs turning to cotton wool. At maintenance levels of around 60g I’m fine.
By the way, I’ve abandoned IF because I couldn’t stand the ravenous hunger on low food intake days. Maybe I’ll try again once the thought of skipping a meal no longer induces fear of starvation!
I don’t seem to be able to do anything other than extreme moderation.
Hi Janet–
Sounds like ‘extreme moderation’ is the plan for you. I wonder if there is a book there.
Cheers–
MRE
I’m a bit confused as to why “all meat” includes eggs, nuts and dairy products?? If one includes calves liver (vitamin A) in the diet a few times per month and gets sunshine or eats sardines (vitamin D) — is there any need to include eggs or dairy??? I’ve been reading Blake Donaldson MD’s book and his patients seem to fare extremely well not eating any of the so-called “new” and allergenic foods such as nuts, eggs and dairy. I eat only grass-fed beef, lamb and goat but find that some cuts of the beef are too lean for my tastes. Therefore, I’ve upped the fat content on very lean cuts by adding coconut oil (goes great with curry spices!). Any thoughts on coconut oil?
Hi Annie–
No need whatsoever to include eggs or dairy. It’s just that most people think they can’t live without variety.
I love coconut oil. We use it as our chief cooking oil.
Best–
MRE
Full meat diet post please! And just email it to me, so you can get high quality questions from me without all the other responses from the rest of the rabble. Hee-hee.
Hi AOE–
Not you, too!
First it was Simon nagging me about the fasting; I finally posted on the subject and spent the next week dealing with God only knows how many comments.
I’ll do the full meat post before long, but if I don’t get anything done for the next week, it will be on your conscience.
Best–
MRE
Despite common belief, you cannot survive with out glucose. Your brain needs glucose to function, and glucose is its primary source of fuel. Red blood cells get all of their energy from glucose. These are facts comming from years of scienific research by scientists who dedicate their lives to this.
Fact 2: all veggie do not contain toxins, and most vitimens and minerals are readily accessible within the veggie.
I agree that carbs are getting more attention then they deserve, but the high meat diets listed way above are about as bad as carrying excessive weight. They drastically increase the risks of cancer, osteoporosis, kidney dammage and heart disease. Why not just pick up a pack of cig’s?!?
Puh-lease–
I’m not responsible for the education of every idiot vegetarian that wants to comment on this site. Go get any good medical biochemistry textbook and read the chapter on carbohydrate metabolism, then come back and tell me all the things that convert to carbs in the human body.
And while you’re at it, read up a little on osteoporosis, kidney damage and heart disease, then tell me how a high meat diet causes them. Read the real medical papers–don’t just read the literature from your idiot vegetarian friends.
Geez
MREÂ
Funny… I am a biochemist with a specialization in food metabolism. I read the journals (the real ones written by scientists and peer reviewed by other scientist).
There is no pathway in the human body that converts fat to carbs… this is just pure ignorance on your part. There is a pathway that converts carbs to fats. I suggest that maybe you should go get yourself a PhD in nutritional Biochem, and come back so at least we can have a sensible argument of the issue.
If you care to post your email, I will gladly send you the PDF’d of several scientific papers supporting the above statements.
And I definitely don’t support an all veggie diet. That would be as unhealthy as excluding carbs.
Hello Heather–
Had I known you were a scientist, I wouldn’t have been so cavalier with you. I thought you were just another idiot vegetarian trying to waste my time.
Our disagreement is a matter of semantics, or more accurately, precisely defining our terms. I agree with you 100 percent that fatty acids cannot be converted into carbs. As you pointed out, there are no biochemical pathways that accomplish such a thing. But, I’m not talking about fatty acids, I’m talking about fat.
As I’m sure you know, fat is stored as a triglyceride: three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone. When fat is metabolized the three-carbon glycerol backbone is released and can along with other glycerol molecules be converted to glucose. Most biochem and physiology texts indicate that anywhere from 10-15 percent of the calories in stored and/or dietary fat (also a triglyceride) can be converted to glucose. I would assume the 10-15 percent range is a function of the chain length of the fatty acids making up the triglyceride. This is the fat I’m talking about when I say that the body can convert fat to carbs.
A simply misunderstanding cleared up. Friends?
Cheers–
MREÂ
Fly up for a beer and all is forgiven 😛
I think we essentially have the same ideas here, but in opposite sides. We all agree that you need meat (how many veg’s do you know taking supplements and getting B12 injections.. real healthy guys!). And who ever wrote the food guide was on a serious sugar high! I just don’t want people to completly forget about carbs and veggies.
Your body can covert some fat components into glucose-6-phosphate. There is a an enzyme that converts glucose into glucose-6-phosphate and vice versa BUT THE REVERSE REACTION IS VERY SLOW!! Glucose-6-phosphate can be used to make fuel for the brain and other systems, but it cannot make up more that about 60% of its fuel (this # varies depending who you ask.. somewhere between 50-75%). The best way to fuel up is with SMALL amounts of COMPLEX carbs (preferable from veggies) and lager amounts of lean meants, eggs, cheese, etc. Have a small bit of oatmeal with sausage and eggs for breakfast. Have a baked potato or corn with dinner. If you work out alot and start feeling shaky and cold, have a banana with nuts or a protein bar, or even hummus (surprisingly good!).
The problem here is refined wheat and sugar. They have little nutritional value and are a shitty fuel source. You’re never satisfied after eating them so you eat more then you have too, and they give you a big spike in energy (where our body starts converting it to fat!) followed by a crash (but now we can’t get all the energy back effectively), leaving you eating AGAIN! The complex ones aren’t broken down all at once (or completely) so you get a little bit at a time.. great for the long day ahead. But proteins and fats keep you full and satisfied and are a better source of energy.
I guess all I am saying is that any extreme is just that… an extreme, and generally isn’t healthy. I say listen to your body. If you want meat, eat meat.. you probably are craving it for a reason. But don’t COMPLETELY ignore the carbs. If you crave it, have it, just do it in a smart way… who doesn’t like a baked potato with a steak for dinner?!?!
Hi Heather–
Thanks for the forgiveness.
We are still on different sides of the how-much-carb-is-good debate. I avoid bananas, baked potatoes, and hummus. And I encourage others to do the same.
Doesn’t mean that we still can’t have a beer, though.
Cheers–
MREÂ
Avoid altogether!?!?! I’ve tried it and can’t do it. I show some serious signs of hypoglycemia. So…. no carbs… at all..
Can you take me through what a typical day is? Eating and output (work, work out, etc?)
Hi Heather–
I’ve taken care of many thousands of patients with low-carb diets, and it has been my experience that if the protein intake is high there are few, if any, signs of hypoglycemia. The dietary protein is converted to glucose and allows the blood sugar to stay at an even constant level without the ups and downs driven by dietary carbs and the subsequent insulin response.
I’ll give you my diet today, which is pretty typical for me. I ate three eggs and two sausage patties along with a couple of slices of tomato for breakfast. I had a thigh, two wings, and a drumstick from a large roast chicken for lunch along with a couple of slices of tomato. For dinner I had a 10 ounce top sirloin steak, three large spears of asparagus, and a small bowl of gazpacho. Usually I have a glass of wine or two with dinner, but I didn’t tonight. And I usually don’t snack between meals. I probably drink 3 or 4 double espressos per day. As far as working out, I walked 18 holes on the golf course. I lift weights about once every four or five days. That’s it. I always have plenty of energy to do whatever it is that I want to do.
This regimen is similar to what I put most of my patients on, so it is very doable.
Hope this helps.
Cheers–
MREÂ
First off, Dr. Mike, I want to thank you. I had been a LCer for quite a while (I was actually one of the respondents in the “Bacon and butter and lard, oh my” survey), but over the past year I fell off the wagon somewhat. Not completely, but enough that I felt horrible. Not too long ago I came across your blog again after more than a year and reading it got me back into the swing of things. Feeling better already! And between reading your blog and Protein Power Lifeplan, I quit smoking too. So thank you! Both items were quite helpful in getting me back on track.
And now that I’ve sucked up a little (Heh, no I really meant it. Thanks!) I have three questions for you:
1. In your Protein Power Lifeplan book, you list Ghee as a good fat for cooking (chart p. 320). Being that I recently found out, through elimination, that my horrible sinus problems were due to dairy, I have been looking into dairy alternatives. I found many with milk allergies were able to use ghee because it contained no milk proteins. However, in researching I came across an abstract on PubMed called “Cholesterol oxides in Indian Ghee” [PMID: 2887943] which says
Being that all I could see was the abstract, I really have no more information to go on than this. So assuming they did find cholesterol oxides in ghee, wouldn’t this be a bad fat to use?
2. I saw you mention.. erm, somewhere… to eat a whole foods diet using only foods that would ‘go bad without electricity’ (or similar wording). Being that I live in a hurricane state and losing power for 2+ weeks at a time has happened more than once, what kind of items would you suggest to someone who needs to stock up on non-perishable food for just such an emergency? I’d like to plan ahead instead of living off crackers for two weeks and blowing all my progress.
3. I see in the comments on your “Bacon and butter and lard, oh my!” post (10/2/2006) you were considering a post on a zero carb diet and the acid-base balance of an all meat diet. I haven’t seen such a post on your blog. Have you written this yet, and if so, can you point me to it? If not, is this something you are still planning on writing?
Thank you so much for your thoughts on this. The first two questions have been nagging at me 🙂
Hi Janet–
Thanks for the kind words about the books; we really appreciate it.
Let’s get to your questions…
1) This is the first I’ve heard of oxidized cholesterol in ghee. I’m assuming this comes from commercially-prepared ghee, which is probably made at fairly high temperatures. You can make it yourself by slowly heating butter and pouring off the ghee as the milk solids drop to the bottom. If you do this slowly and at just a high enough temperature to keep the butter liquefied, the amount of oxidized cholesterol should be minimal. As another alternative, you could use coconut oil, which has no cholesterol, oxidized or otherwise. We’ve pretty much gone the coconut oil way ourselves.
2) I would stock up on canned meats, sardines, especially, if you like them. We love them. You can also get canned salmon and, of course, tuna. And you can get a lot of canned vegetables – spinach and other greens, for example – that work fine with a low-carb diet.
3) I haven’t written the post yet; it’s still on my list of posts to write, however. Stay tuned.
Cheers–
MREÂ
I have no idea how many times I’ve been asked about my “diet”, which is basically zero carb. I eat lots of eggs, chicken and a ton of steak. How can anyone tire from eating a big porterhouse every night? There are some evenings after a day of IF that I eat TWO NY strips. YUMMO! I love eating what I eat and I don’t care what anyone else thinks. My cholesterol has dropped from about 225 to 152 and triglycerides as of my last blood test were at 29. Did I mention I eat GOBS of saturated fat? My favorite cuts of steak are, in order, porterhouse-ny strip-ribeye. So, to Dr. Ornish and everyone else who advocates a low fat, high carb diet…let’s compare blood tests!!
Hi Dave–
Your diet sounds like mine.
Cheers–
MREÂ
Mike, I have read yours and some others accounts of the low carb diet but have yet to be able to do it the way it has to be done.
Suffice it to say I have some pounds I need to dispose of and recently during a routine colon exam one polyp was found and it showed signs of cancer. One of the first things I saw when I began researching that issue is that it was caused by a “high fat” diet. That was the same thing I ran into when I was found to have Prostate cancer about 8 years ago. Bottomline, no matter what you get in the way of ailments, fat is the cause.
I think and have made note of it lately, we generally just do not realize the grams of carbs we ingest each day. We have become so accustomed to eating the bun along with the burger and drinking the coke and having the fries with some catsup not even noticing the extreme numbers of carbs they contain.
Low carb can work. I have seen it work. My Father down in Arkansas who only lived to age 95 ate two eggs with bacon EVERY morning most of his life and veggies from the garden later and never to my knowledge had high blood pressure or cholesterol. After I get this issue with the colon polyp resolved maybe I can make it work for me.
Thanks for taking up the fight…
CB
You are correct. Fat is blamed for everything. One of these days – I don’t know when – this idiocy will end.