HARVARD STUDY IMPLICATES SALT AND NITRITES, EXONERATES RED MEAT

default image

A new study published in the journal Circulation says that red meat is not the cause of heart disease and diabetes. Lead author of the study, Renata Micha, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said, “Although most dietary guidelines recommend reducing meat consumption, prior individual studies have shown mixed results for relationships between meat consumption and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.…Most prior studies also did not separately consider the health effects of eating unprocessed red versus processed meats.…Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot…

Continue reading

SO CLOSE

As you may know, I have now finished my second book, but I have not yet explained the circumstances that lead up to it. Here’s how it happened. When I decided to publish Carb Wars, I joined the International Association of Culinary Professionals. I decided to go to their 2007 convention in Chicago since any members with new books were eligible to participate in their annual book expo. It was there that a chance encounter on an elevator led to a book contract with a…

Continue reading

The 3rd Annual Low-Carb Cruise

default image

“The Fascination” at the Carnival Cruise Terminal in Jacksonville Florida. Debbie Cusick took this “arty” picture of me reading the graffiti at Fort Charlotte in Nassau. Here is the rest of our tour group with our guide (that’s me in the hat, Mary-Clare Holst in the white shirt, and Kerrie Lettiero with the visor. Debbie took the picture.) Our 3rd (my second) annual low-carb cruise was even more incredible than the last one. I’m a bit tardy getting a blog up about it, so I…

Continue reading

WHO NEEDS LOW CARB? (PARTIAL LIST)

default image

– Those who have diabetes who want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on medication. -Those who have a family history of diabetes or have been told they are pre-diabetic or insulin resistant. Anyone with an “apple” body shape is probably insulin resistant. -Those who suffer from hypoglycemia. -The overweight and obese. This is by far the largest group who could benefit from carb restriction; they now make up over two-thirds of the population of the United States (data from the National Health and Nutrition…

Continue reading

A NEW BIRTHDAY! (WE NEED A HERO, PART 6)

default image

I am very tardy in following up on my last post about my visit to fribromyalgia specialist, Dr. St Amand. The first time I saw him, I had been following his protocol for about 6 months without having any noticeable change in symptoms, unlike most people, who feel dramatically worse at first and then begin to feel better. I was very discouraged to learn that my efforts had indeed been ineffective. He suggested that I switch to prescription guaifenesin rather than the over the counter…

Continue reading

CARB WARS FEATURED ON LIFESCRIPT

default image

A huge thank you to Life Script, the premier website for women’s health, for the feature article on Carb Wars, which included 7 recipes with pictures and a story written by Nicole McEwen. Life Script is the 4th largest independent health site and the 10th largest women’s online community. . Judging by the comments, the article evoked the usual controversy among the pro- and anti-low carb factions, even though the writer softened my message somewhat by suggesting that lack of exercise might be responsible for…

Continue reading

“FAT” IS A WINNER!

default image

Well, knock me over with a lamb chop, if Jennifer McLagan hasn’t won the prestigious International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Single Subject Award for her book celebrating–fat! And she beat out two really big names in food circles to do it: the other nominees were Under Pressure, by Thomas Keller, famed chef and owner of The French Laundry restaurant, and A Year in Chocolate by Jacques Torres (a famous name and the word chocolate in the title usually insures a win!). OK, so she didn’t…

Continue reading

PROGRESS REPORT and WE NEED A HERO, Part 5

default image

I’m up to recipe number 78 with 12 more close to completion for the new book; that’s more than half way home for the food and menu part. (Yeah!) I can’t share any of it until after the book comes out, except with my recipe testers, who agreed to keep everything confidential. (All very cloak-and-dagger-ish, isn’t it?) My fantastic team of volunteer testers are doing a great job, by the way. I wouldn’t be progressing this quickly without their feedback. I was afraid that I…

Continue reading

CINNAMON WARNING: UPDATE

cinnamon (CarbWarsCookbooks.com)

< Cassia cinnamon, True cinnamon > (c) 2012, Judy Barnes Baker Dr. Richard Anderson, of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, and his colleagues were looking into the effects of chromium on insulin action. While testing various foods, they found something that had a much greater influence on blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides: it was apple pie. It turned out to be the cinnamon in the pie that produced what Anderson called the “most significant nutritional discovery he’s seen in 25 years.” He…

Continue reading

SUMMER ADVENTURES: Southern California and Dr. St. Amand

default image

I’ve been traveling for the past three weeks. I will blog my way through my notes about the interesting things I encountered, food-related and otherwise. The first leg of our travels took us to Southern California for a family trip touring the theme parks and tourist attractions with my daughter, Glenda, and her family. My son, Nathan, who lives in L.A., took the week off to join us. This picture is of my two kids and my three grandchildren at Legoland. Left to right: Glenda,…

Continue reading