Why Carb Wars, you ask? The title came from my first book, Carb Wars; Sugar is the New Fat. The name stuck, although Nourished, the name of my second book, might be a better fit. I hope you will find this to be a friendly and nurturing place where we don’t slavishly adhere to any dogma but try to keep an open mind and follow the evidence wherever it leads. My own views have evolved over the years and I expect them to continue to do so. There is no disgrace in changing your mind when the evidence changes, but refusing to alter your position when you know it is wrong is indefensible.
It’s been more than 30 years since our government first endorsed a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-salt, high-carbohydrate diet. The majority of us became fat trying to follow this advice, but now, for the first time, the obese outnumber the merely overweight and chronic diseases have reached epidemic proportions. We obviously have a big problem in America and the rest of the developed world has foolishly followed our lead with the same sad results. We need to discard everything we thought we knew about nutrition and start over.
In a world where the truth can so easily be manipulated, where confirmation bias taints every media report, and scientific studies can be spun to show whatever the sponsor wants them to show, how can we know what to believe or who to trust? We must take charge of our own health. We can no longer accept what we are told, especially when it comes from someone with an agenda, without examining and evaluating the evidence. Many of us are now doing just that and the times they are a-changing! There has been a paradigm shift in public opinion about what constitutes a healthful diet. Sales of butter and red meat are going up while bread, cereal, pasta, and sugary beverages are declining as people recognize the need to return to the traditional foods that have nourished the human race throughout history.
Our dietary choices play a major role in our modern plagues, in other words—IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD—but don’t worry, you will not find even a hint of deprivation or austerity here! Once you discover the secret, you will find that the very best food for weight management, longevity, the treatment and prevention of disease, and over-all health and happiness is also the most sumptuous, satisfying, and indulgent way of eating the world has to offer. You are invited to the feast. Enjoy.
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Here is a picture from a trip we took a few years ago to Brassempouy, the famous excavation site from the Upper Palaeolithic in Aquitaine, France. One of the oldest known human artifacts, a tiny female head carved out of ivory called la dame de Brassem-pouy, was found here. It is dated to 22,000 years ago. . A young archeologist who was attempting to re-create the stone-age settlement was working down below the museum when our party of four visited, and he gave us a…
So much to blog about, so little time! I got back from New Orleans late Monday, full of enthusiasm and eager to get started on all the projects that the trip inspired. On Tuesday I was off looking for fresh, raw, head-on shrimp to try to duplicate the fabulous New Orleans BBQ shrimp that I had at Jacques-imos. Much to my delight, I found the shrimp at my local Central Market and the dish turned out messy, buttery, spicy, and absolutely glorious on the first…
I’m off to the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) conference, which is being held this year in the food Mecca of America—NEW ORLEANS. I will be participating in the Cookbook Expo on Friday, April 18, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Earnest N. Morial Convention Center. This is a cookbook collector’s dream! The expo is free and open to the public, so if you will be in New Orleans, stop by to talk to your favorite celebrity authors (and me too!) and pick…
I watched part of an Oprah show a while back (it might have been a rerun) in which Oprah and her fitness guru, Bob Green, went to Mississippi to save the residents of “the fattest state in America.” Oprah, who has famously had her own troubles in that regard, was well aware of the irony of her attempt to give out advice on weight loss. She magnanimously absolved Mr. Green of any blame for her most recent relapse and took sole responsibility while vowing to…
Here’s a great new site (well, new to me anyway). I intend to add it to the links list on my Website the next time my live-in, computer-techie husband updates it for me. The Nutrition and Metabolism Society at http://www.nmsociety.org/ provides one-stop-shopping for news, information, and science about everything low carb. Their 2008 seminar in Phoenix starts tomorrow, so I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about that. Here’s a preview: “This symposium will summarize and critically evaluate the evidence supporting the relationship between dietary saturated…
There was a two-page ad in this morning’s Seattle Times for Vytorin® (ezetimibe/simvastatin), which is a combination of two older drugs (Zocor and Zetia) for lowering cholesterol. The headline said, “Do you have high LDL cholesterol? It’s important to talk to your doctor about ways to lower it.” After a few sentences about how the drug works to lower cholesterol, it says in bold type, “Vytorin has not been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes more than Zocor alone.” I did a double take…
