Low Carb Freedom

Another carb count accuracy story... but this one is balanced

Kudos to WAFF.com who did a balanced piece on carb counts (unlike this one.) And we need news stories like this!

Low Carber Registry...

Good article.... It points to a low carb registry. I've been on this for a year and a half, and I've never felt better!

More Low Carb Label Testing

Finally, the journalists are doing something useful! They are testing the low carb products to make sure that the carbs on the package reflect the actual carbs in the box.

CarbTastic Asian Broccoli soup, available at Shaw's, which I tried and didn't much care for, had "double" the amount of carbs. (Note: I just checked this out... Talk about writing spin! The "fixed" label says that it has 3 grams of net carbs. I already ate my package so I can't see what the "double" claim is.. did it go from 1 1/2 to 3 grams of net carbs? If so, it needs to be changed, but the way it is written certainly makes it sound a lot worse than it was. Another update: It is even worse spin! According to Fantastic, the net carbs stayed the same. The total carbs and fiber went up. Kudos to their PR people for putting out such a great Q&A.) And, man, are they quick to rectify matters! Vitacost sells this and they have already updated the nutrition label information. Damn, you have to check these journalists coming and going, don't you?

Darielle pasta had four more carbs than advertised, (I just got a package of it... and if it tastes better than the reformulated Bella Vita, I'll take the four extra carbs.) Darielle says it tests every shipment versus one box. The article lists lots of other products where the package is actually accurate (thank goodness!)

Eating out there were discrepancies, which are attributed to portion size. Read it! (Update: But be very skeptical! Are they talking about total carbs or net carbs? Are they trying to do a hatchet job?)

The article says that most people don't read labels... Well, I think that they need to do a new survey. I know I never buy a product without reading the label... ever. And I bet that most low carbers do the same thing I do.

Get Your Low Carb Valentine's Day Chocolates at Wal-Mart & Walgreens

I checked at Target and Shaws today and they didn't have them... so I am off to Wal-mart! And check out my Valentine's Day post full of recipes and other ideas.

Update: dun, dun, dun, another Wal-Mart press release bites the dust! (OK, a lame attempt to sing this sentence to Queen's Another One Bites the Dust.) I went to Wal-Mart looking for low-carb chocolates in a heart box. I came up empty handed. I found some Whitman's and Hershey's sugar free boxes -- that I didn't want. I did find some low carb valentine's hearts at Stop & Shop though... (They only had some sugar free choices at CVS too.) Guess I have to put caveats in front of every Wal-Mart news release that says you can find products at Wal-mart.

Now It's Not Bad For You... It's Bad For The Environment

How quickly the arguments shift....

Just like we were going to run out of food by the year 2000 due to overpopulation...

Dr. Atkins: Can't attack the scientific studies then attack the man

Report: Diet doctor Atkins was obese, suffered heart disease, medical examiner report says

For those of you who haven't read Dr. Atkins book and don't know about heart disease, the above headline just confirms your worst fears.

For those of you who don't read the news much, the headline may bring questions -- even if your own blood work shows much improvement.

For those of you who know that infection can and does cause heart disease (my cousin, at just over 40, has this condition because of a viral infection and he can no longer be a pilot because of it) and who know that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, who leaked the report, is not responsible, the headline is one shot in the battle over nutrition, and the stakes are very high.

The original medical examiner's report was given to the Wall Street Journal, and while I am a subscriber, I haven't "fisked" their nutrition articles because they don't appear online (although at the bottom of this post, I do talk about it.) What I am surprised about is that the Wall Street Journal doesn't describe how being in a coma causes fluid retention until the sixth paragraph and doesn't mention at all how the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shares staffers and space with Peta.

Dr. Atkins' wife has responded on the website.

What I don't understand is... if the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is so anti low carb, why don't they just let the medical studies being done confirm their worst fears instead of using this tactic? Why? I suspect it is because each of the medical studies have confirmed Dr. Atkins methods and so they have to go after the man before this gets too far.

It won't work.

It might have worked 25 years ago before the advent of the Internet, before Americans had a chance to be a pack and not a herd in terms of the media outlets, before it was OK to question prevailing wisdom and doctors were God in terms of knowledge. Those days are over. And real scientists want to know the truth... and the people will demand the truth with rigorous studies. This is what we owe Dr. Atkins.

For more on this topic, read my post Atkins and the Aliens that cause Global Warming.

Agghhh! Another incorrect carb count! Low-Carb Emporium Bagels at Pure Foods!

This just keeps on getting worse and worse....

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- According to KCBS News in Los Angeles, Low-Carb Emporium, a manufacturer of numerous low carb products claims 15 grams of carbs per bagel. "Our lab found triple the carbs -- 55. Low-carb Emporium says they just re-did the formulas and will be getting lab reports on new formulas soon," said KCBS News.

I've written on this before.

New Kemp's Carb Promise Ice Cream

I haven't seen this yet, but I definitely have to try the Toffee Fudge Chunk and the Caramel Cow Tracks!

(But remember, no more than 300 calories a day of non-naturally low carb foods!)

Low Carb Shop in Florida

Sebastian, Florida... I need a map!

Canada... To Carb or Not to Carb?

I wrote before how New Brunswickers didn't want to give up their potatoes, but it seems that McDonalds in Canada is being very agressive in its low carb rollout.

True Carb Count Accuracy?

Now this story is a bit scary. I did my own reporting on the Bella Vita Low Carb Pasta carb discrepancy, but it seems that it is more widespread. This is also why there are Low Carb Coalitions springing up.

Until this is cleared up, and you are stalled on your weight loss, you might want to eat just naturally low carbohydrate food. What else can I tell you after reading these reports?

(Although, I know that the Bella Vita Pasta must have now changed the formula to accurately reflect the carb content because, to be quite honest, it doesn't taste nearly as good as it used to!)

Low Carb Diets & Prostage Cancer

Well, they are finally trying strict methods to back up claims that low fat diets are best to fight disease and they are getting some conflicting information. Imagaine that? (sarcasm off) Look, I don't know the answers, but neither do these doctors that are claiming "the house is on fire" at every turn without reading the new studies that are coming out!

Nirvana? A low carb french fry?

I'd love to give this a taste test! Low Carb French Fries!

Sugar spat sours Mexico's taste for corn syrup

Mexico should be happy that they aren't getting more high fructose corn syrup! This stuff is in EVERYTHING! I wish some of the people complaining about Atkins would investigate this through rigorous scientific method!

Truth About Trade & Technology - Sugar spat sours Mexico's taste for corn syrup

Low Carb Valentine's Day

OK, for all you men and women out there just looking for what to do with your low carbing loved one, just read this post. You're bound to find something that suits your love.

Low Carb Dinner Out:

You can go just about anywhere and get a low carb meal as long as you stick to meat and fish, sans bread. A salad bar is wonderful, try the full fat ranch dressing, or a Caesar Salad without the croutons is also great. You can also choose to cater one of the restaurants that have specific low carb menus like TGI Fridays or Ruby Tuesdays -- they have low carb whipped cauliflower, etc. Wine is just fine! Or order a Michelob Ultra or other low carb beer if that is your preference.

Low Carb Dinner In:

Start out with a Caesar Salad made with Cardini's Caesar Salad Dressing and shredded parmesan cheese found in the cheese case (not on the shelf!)

If she likes seafood, have scallops wrapped in bacon as an appetizer, followed by pasta with white clam sauce (It tastes sinful!) or crab cakes! (Just make them cakes instead of balls.)

If she likes steak, I would order from Omaha Steaks to get some good ones (I prefer their top sirloins), or go to your local meat market and have them help you out. I always marinate mine in Durkee Grill Creations Marinade Mix, but I still have to try the new Carb Options marinade. Here is one recipe for Beef Wellington. (It uses a little phylo dough, which should be OK since it is so thin.)

Or try some other recipes in the recipe index.

Now for a low carb dessert, low carb chocolate strawberries! I would buy some Carb Safe 3.54 oz. Dark Chocolate bars, heat them on the stove (slowly and not too much), and take some nice luscious red strawberries and make my own chocolate-covered strawberries for a great presentation! These are available at Trader Joes. If you can't get to a Trader Joe's, get the Pure De Lite Dark Chocolate bars and try the same thing. Or a bowl of raspberries topped with whipped cream (see the Low Carb Gift Basket below for more on this) would be a luxurious treat.

Low Carb Gift Baskets:

For your love, try some Russell Stover Low Carb candies (available from BJs) mixed with Carb Safe Chocolate from Trader Joes. The Russell Stover Low Carb chocolates have a nice red package, and the Carb Safe Chocolates have a nice black package. Mix them up in a small red or black basket with a red or black ribbon for a distinctive but appropriate look. (Some Pure DeLite bars also have a red package.)

If you would like an even bigger basket, I would add the following:

Some low carb jam (I really prefer the Keto over the Steels.)

Some low carb syrup (The kahlua is the best. Some of the newer types, like egg nog, seemed to have been rushed into production and don't taste the best.)

Some sweet nuts (These are so good!)

I would cap this all off with a deluxe whipped cream dispenser that allows you to have low carb whipped cream anytime! My husband got me this for my birthday last year and I love it. You can get these at Kitchen, etc. stores or on Amazon. The dispenser can be kept in the refrigerator and you can use it for two weeks. They need CO2 chargers, which can also be purchased at Kitchen, etc. or at Amazon. (My husband mistakenly thought that they came with the chargers and didn't purchase any so we couldn't use it the same day.) I have only used the deluxe model so I don't know how the other models work, but there is a price range. For my model, I need two CO2 chargers for each batch.

Whipped Cream Charger Pack ($5.95 for 10)

iSi Cream Whipper Chargers, N20-24 Pack (24 pack)

iSi Dessert Whip-Pint, White ($39.95)

iSi Gourmet Whip-Pint, Brushed Stainless Steel ($89.95) (This is the one I have. Also good for hot sauces.)

Valentine's Day for Kids

I am going to buy my kids a small toy, a book and give them a few small low carb chocolate bars or low carb cookies. For insertion into their friends' Valentine cards, I will give them a tattoo, a sticky toy or some small gift instead of chocolate. For parents who haven't discovered bulk toy shippers on the Internet, let me give you these links:

Rhode Island Novelty (Great shipping time to the Northeast! A minimum $50 order, but you can buy stuff for all the holidays.)

Oriental Trading Company (They will pack small orders, but I find them more expensive than the other bulk shippers)

Balloon and Novelty (In Texas)

Let me know some of your ideas!

Protecting Your Kids: Carlie Brucia

With the abduction, rape and murder of a young girl from Florida, Carlie Brucia, all parents look at their children and say, "It could have been my child." I have read about it on other blogs and the information given does not go far enough, but I know a lot of parents read this blog. Parents can do something. They can get the book, Protecting the Gift, from Gavin de Becker, read it, and teach their kids.

Parents tell their children, go to a policeman.... wrong.
(Why is this wrong? Because kids can't always recognize a policeman! Did you notice that the person who abducted the girl had a name tag on a uniform? That probably allayed some of her fears, and it shouldn't have!)

Parents tell their children, never talk to strangers.... wrong.
(Kids need to talk to strangers to get themselves out of a situation. They also observe their parents talking to strangers every day. Kids need to be able to choose which strangers to talk to to get help. An older woman is the first choice, least likeliest to be a predator of any kind, plus usually has the time and the inclination to make sure that the child is safe with a parent and not a surrogate like a store clerk.)

I felt so strongly about this book that I had my old company, FamilyEducation.com, work with the author and we received excerpts from his book that are still available online. We also created quizzes. (I no longer work for them, and I would never work for a company that allows those damn popups like they do. Talk about driving off customers. But in this one case, it is worth it to take the time to get through it.)

Gavin de Becker tells us to:

1.) listen to our intuition

2.) Teach Girls to Say NO (READ THIS! The lessons on teenage girls talks about a series of escalating clues that shows how young girls can be manipulated and the decoding skills necessary to spot and stop it.)

How would it be if teenage girls had some initial wariness about every man they encountered? It would be realistic - sad maybe, but realistic. Here's why: rapes and other sexual crimes are virtually always committed by men, and most rapes and sexual assaults happen to girls under eighteen years of age.

3.) apply scenario-based learning. Scenario-based learning is very effective with teenagers. (This is frightening! Have your teen read it and discuss it with her!)

Finally, here is a page with links to all sorts of quizzes, etc.

But the best thing to do is to buy the book Protecting the Gift and read it. (If you have a shower to go to, give this as a gift! It covers protecting children of all ages! I see now that it is imperative that my 10-year old receive the teenager lessons!)

To the parents and friends of Carlie Brucia, my prayers are with you.

New Low Carb Yogurt! Dannon Light'n Fit Carb Control

Finally, they are coming out with a low carb yogurt! Only 3 grams of sugar in a 4 oz. serving. I remember the first time I read a yogurt label after having completed the Atkins book, I thought I would have a heart attack! 23, 36, or even over 50 grams of sugar per serving! (No wonder my son was having difficulty, he loved yogurt, and here I was thinking I was giving him a healthy snack!) Now I am begging them to come out with a version of this in a sleeve that I can put in the kid's lunches! Yu gi oh version!

I haven't seen these anywhere yet... please comment if you find a store that carries them!

Where are the low carb pitas?

I recently received this email from a reader:

Why has Market Basket, Shaws and Hannaford stopped selling Josephs oat bran low carb pitas! Many friends along with myself have been searching for them everywhere and no one sells them. We have 3 market baskets within 5 miles of us and not one of them has them. BRING THEM BACK!!

I think I found the missing pitas -- they are at BJs. You get 3 packages of them for about $3.59, all bundled together. BJs also has Thomas's Carb Counting Bagels, two packages for $4.50 or thereabouts. (As I said before, they also have Atkins approved bread and Russell Stover Low Carb Candy, 15 bars for less than $10.) In the choice of the pre-packaged low carb war, BJs beats Costco.

I suspect that the missing pitas will soon show up again at Market Basket, Shaws and Hannafords. It is probably a supply problem. Remember, Shaws and Stop & Shop were out of Carb Countdown for a while (I could only find it at Johnny's Foodmaster) until supply caught up with demand (and now Market Basket and Crosby's have it.) I would bet that the same thing is happening here.

BTW, the low carb pitas have 60 calories each and 5 net grams of carbs.

Bread makers, cereal makers, losing sales, giving extra to food banks because of Atkins

This is a very good article that documents declining sales. This article only has the mandatory "people will go off the diet" quote from a regular person rather than the usual mandatory "this diet is unhealthy" from a dietician -- who quotes no actual studies, just consensus science as opposed to real science.

People with Diabetes Told to Test More Often

For those of you who are borderline diabetic, stick to Atkins to try to halt the progress of the disease. For those of you who have Type 2 diabetes, read this. You need to test two to four times a day.

Hershey to come out with new 1 g Sugar Carb low carb chocolate bar

Since low carb chocolate is so easy to produce, there are lots and lots of offerings, including this new Hershey offering. I will know that low carb chocolate has gone mainstream when I see it selling at the checkout counters themselves instead of in a special section or in the chocolate section. (Do I want to see low carb chocolate there? Not really... I don't want people eating too much of it. You only get an extra 300 calories a day to eat on non-naturally low carb foods. This makes it too easy to get!)

Eating Out with Low Carb Bagels

New World Restaurant Group, which owns and franchises a lot of bagel chains, is adding low carb bagels to the menu! These bagels have the same amount of carbs as Thomas' Carb Counting Bagels at 18 grams, and slightly less than the Senible Bagels at 20 grams. (See the low carb bagel battle.)

Chains include:

Einstein Brothers
See their menu!
Find their locations!

Noah's:

They aren't advertising the new lower carb bagels yet, but I assume they are available according to the article. You can probably just substitute a lower carb bagel in any of their menu items.

See their menu!
Find their locations!

I'll update their other chains, Manhattan Bagel Company and Chesapeake Bagel Company in March when they add their own version of low carb bagels.

As always, don't eat more than 300 calories of low carb bread, pasta, candy, etc. -- anything that is not naturally low carb -- a day. The metabolic advantage isn't unlimited!

Superbowl Complaint

I just wrote the following to CBS regarding the half-time show. I have kids... and families watch the Super Bowl. (Plus, I posted my Superbowl Party Menu here. It didn't include blindfolds for the kids in the "stuff that you can buy" section.)

Dear CBS,

We had a group of families watching the Superbowl, including the half-time show. This group included a 7-year old, a 10-year old, an 11-year old, a 12-year old, and a 13-year old. The display of Janet Jackson's anatomy was uncalled for and shocking.

Next year we will turn off the half-time show because CBS is not to be trusted with a family audience. We should have known that this wasn't exactly family entertainment with the dance that lead up to the exposure, but this was beyond the pale.

You owe the entire nation a public apology at the very least. You should also be fined. The damage has been done. How could you let this happen? Do any of you have kids?

Sincerely,

Katherine Prouty

What to make of this???

I read this report that said low fat high carb people lost weight... This is always a good thing, but if I were a medical reporter or even a lifestyle reporter, I would ask the following questions:

What was their cholesterol like before and after the study? Why didn't you also add a low carbohydrate group to see what the outcome would be in comparison to the low fat group? When you give people pre-packaged food, don't they usually lose weight (think Jenny Craig) because they are eating less than if they made it on their own? Did they track hunger pangs? In your next study, will you try it with a younger group and not just an older group where hunger tends to lessen?

All research is good... they just needed to go further.

Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of NY, disses Atkins

Anne of Dragon Bear Cave caught the news story... and then patiently tried to explain where Michael went wrong...

And check out her pic!

Blame it on Canada

Blame the obesity epidemic on Canada? (Some Canadians don't like this Atkins fad at all. (grin))

(When researching the Blame Canada phrase, I didn't realize how prevalent it had become. I guess it makes sense because I didn't know where I first heard it or how many times I had heard it. This is where it started, with South Park, a TV show turned movie that I have never watched. This is the only site with lyrics that doesn't try to take over your computer and try to put some awful software on it.)

I say, give people the facts and then let them decide for themselves... I certainly don't want to take away New Brunswickers' potatoes. But give them the facts based on research and study. The website they quote, The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, is something else. I'll discuss it in another post.

Atkins and the Stock Market

This story in National Review certainly makes sense to me...

Another Company Enters the Low Carb Drink Mixer Market, Competition for Baja Bob

I have tried Baja Bob's drink mixers... The only one that I like is the Desert Lime. Looks like there will be more competition soon. I will never drink a regular Pina Colada again! 500 sugar calories!

Hallelujah! Diets should be based on history, lifestyle, ethnicity, and preferences!

According to this article:

A person's genetic predisposition and medical history are just as important as gender and age when it comes to determining dietary needs, according to an article published in Nutrition Today.

Read the medline article. I'll look for more links because that one will evenutually expire.

Here is the link to Nutrition Today where you can purchase the story.

See my previous comments on this issue.

And I only hope that this filters down to the nutritionists who keep on insisting that this diet is unsafe (based on what study, I'd like to know) and who insist that portion size and exercise is the only correct way to lose weight. My husband just read me parts of this article in our local paper's health section (not online) The Skinny on the Atkins Diet by Stacey Marcus, which interviewed four local nutritionists who all had extremely negative views on the Atkins diet:

Gail Valente, outpatient nutritionist at Salem Hospital, cautions that the Atkins diet can have short-and long-term effects on health. She notes that for the brain to produce enough glucose to function, it needs 130 grams of carbohydrates each day. Valente says that not one of the four phases of the Atkins diet meets that reuirement, with the intial phase starting at 20 grams per day increasing to 90 grams in the fourth phase. Valente further warns that long-term risks of the Atkins diet include high cholesterol and deficiency in essential nutrients and vitamins.

It is too easy to fisk this, but here goes...

long-term risks of the Atkins diet include high cholesterol While there hasn't been enough time to do really long-term studies, short-term studies show that it reduces the risk of high cholesterol.

deficiency in essential nutrients and vitamins... Atkins thought that vitamins and minerals were extremely important. He even has an entire book devoted to it. And what vitamins and minerals do you get from white refined bread that you don't get from broccoli, asparagus, etc... the types of carbohydrates that Atkins urges you to eat?

for the brain to produce enough glucose to function, it needs 130 grams of carbohydrates each day Well, I've been on Atkins for over a year... and I must be brain dead... and so must all the Eskimos whoever lived on pure protein like whale meat and seal. If the brain doesn't have glucose, it uses ketones, which, of course, work. And Atkins has lots of carbohydrates... the good kind. (And here is a list of more studies on the brain and diet.)

One quarter-teaspoon of cinnamon a day helps keep the doctor away

This is a repost of a tidbit that was buried in another review. It deserves its own header.

And I intend to put cinnamon in my eggnog since "diabetics who incorporated one gram -- equivalent to less than one-quarter teaspoon -- of cinnamon per day for 40 days into their normal diets experienced a decrease in levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and blood fats." Not that I am diabetic, but it certainly sounds as though it couldn't hurt. (Update: Here is another link since that link expired.)

If you are against orange juice -- and say so -- you will be sued!

This article is unbelievable!

The state Department of Citrus on Wednesday redirected its marketing strategy to convince consumers that orange juice can be compatible with the Atkins diet as well as the weight loss plan pushed by television talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw.

The department's lawyer also is reviewing some books - such as "The South Beach Diet," which discourages drinking orange juice while dieting - and other publications for possible violation of state disparagement statutes.

It goes on to say:

Under Florida law, growers may sue anyone who publicly says fruits, vegetables and other perishable food products are unsafe for consumption but can't back up their claims with scientific evidence.

"I think if people write things that aren't true about our product, we'll first talk about it with them and hopefully avoid litigation," Crawford said. "We're not going to stand back and be slandered."

Well, if this is the case, then the peanut industry and the egg industry should be able to go after the U.S. government for saying the fat in peanuts and the cholesterol in eggs were bad for so long! (Both now have been disproved.)

What, you can't even discuss scientific evidence? Fructose raises blood sugar? (Speaking of which, the Fifty50 diabetic food manufacturer should soon be out of business -- their whole marketing message states "Flavored with fructose!" in big letters on their boxes.)

Paging the Volokh Conspiracy... can you help me out here? Do they have a prayer with this threat of legal action?

Further on the article it states:

Citrus commission members received some optimistic news Wednesday about diet and citrus.

A study commissioned by the Department of Citrus and conducted by Scripps Clinic in San Diego showed that people who consumed half a white grapefruit or drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day without changing any other part of their diet or exercise lost more than three pounds. The study also showed declines in insulin and glucose levels.

The study examined 79 people over a three month period.

The Department of Citrus is planning a marketing campaign around the study's results.

"All of those diets tell you to eat fresh fruit," said Andy LaVigne, the state's largest citrus growers association. "So how about some grapefruit?"

Well, if you look at the glycemic index for orange juice, it is 46. The glycemic index for a grapefruit (which has fiber in the fruit and slows the absorption of sugar) is 25. The glycemic index for grapefruit juice is 48. Do you get this information from this article? No! (How often did they eat a grapefruit versus drink the juice? And did they drink the juice alone or with a meal? Drinking the juice alone would spike blood sugar more. And, in a very controlled study, if drinking the juice alone caused the same results as eating the fruit with the fiber, this would be very interesting. It should be tested again with orange juice. Is there something different about grapefruit juice? Could grapefruit have a magic ingredient like cinnamon?) The juice makers are still out of luck... the fruit growers aren't. And what are they going to do? Sue the researchers who study the glycemic index?

I give my kids VERY little juice nowadays... about 4 ounces a day... and I just purchased Tropicana's Light 'n Healthy. I'll see how they like it. All in all, juice makers should be doing what the article states Tropicana is doing instead of litigating this.

Some members of Florida's citrus industry have adopted to the low-carb phenomenon. PepsiCo Inc.'s Tropicana earlier this month introduced Light 'n Healthy, a line that has a third less sugar and calories than regular orange juice.

An 8-ounce serving of Light 'n Healthy has about 70 calories and 14 grams of sugar, about a third less than regular Tropicana orange juice, which has 110 calories and 22 grams of sugar.

I have an email into Tropicana asking them what the glycemic index is of Light'n Healthy versus regular orange juice. I'll let you know if they respond.

Update:

The Volokh Conspiracy has responded in record time. According to Eugene:

"Swamped, can't get into this, but the statute is clearly unconstitutional. It's also not clear that the statute would even apply, since saying that something is fattening isn't quite the same as saying it's unsafe for consumption."

I want to thank him for taking the time! (I feel like a blog groupie.)

Another Update:

The Chief Nutritionist at Tropicana wrote:

We do not test our products for glycemic index. Light 'n Healthy has 14 grams of sugar in 8 fluid ounces (compared to 22 grams for OJ)

(Guess Tropicana is between a rock and a hard place here.)

Another Update:

Gave my kids the low carb orange juice this morning and there was not one comment.... this is good... that means that it tastes the same as regular orange juice according to their palette!

Low Carb Heading Down Under

It isn't just the Americans... go Aussies! (And do try some Australian Shiraz... absolutely fabulous! The little backstory vignettes on the back of the bottles are great too.)

How Many Low Carb? 59 Million?

According to this report, there should be a lot more restaurants creating low carb specific dishes and more food companies devoting money to low carb. We'll see the detailed study soon.....

BP Gourmet Responds

On Friday, I emailed my article about the confusing BP Bourmet packaging to the company to let them know. On Monday morning, I had the following response from Irene Boris:

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. That particular box was a transition box for us, so I can see how it can be confusing. Starting this week BP Gourmet Cookies will be in a yellow box and The Smarter Carb will remain in a green box.

Thank you for your support,

Irene

I can't ask for more than that!

Walden Farms Low Carb at Shaw's and Stop & Shop and other updates..

Walden Farms Low Carb Salad Dressing is now at Shaw's and Stop & Shop. It is in the refrigerated section near the lettuce. (It says it is no carb, no calories and no fat... well, what is in the thing then?) I bought the Ranch to try.

The Middle East Pita Pockets are near the deli section in Market Basket. These things look just like regular whole wheat pitas! They aren't wraps. I'll try them this weekend...

I tried to get the Snapple a Day Low Carb, but Stop & Shop only had the sugar laden version. Oh well. The grocery manager was apologetic. (His wife does Weight Watchers and he doesn't understand this low carb thing at all.) I did meet a diabetic in Stop & Shop. I got him to try the Carb Countdown chocolate milk. I suggested that he heat it up to make some killer hot cocoa! I hope he likes it!

I did buy the Lower Carb cookies at Stop & Shop. These are NOT baked by Stop & Shop, but they are in their no sugar/low sugar area. They also have pies. You can tell that this area is in flux because some labels don't have sugar alchohol versus sugar. They do have stickers that say net 2g of carbs or some such though. I bought 20 cookies for 10 dollars. I'm going to put them in the big low carb cookie battle, but I ran out of one brand and I have to buy it before I have the battle.

Stop & Shop also has Atkins bread (not the Arnold Atkins bread) in their bakery section.

I had to run to Shaws to get more plain Sensible bagels for my daughter. I checked out their bakery. They have no sugar versions of some things, but I didn't buy any of it because it doesn't say net carbs and I think their stuff is still catering to the diabetics and not the low carb dieters.

Shaws has the Atkins bread and Ezekial Low Carb bread in their freezer section.

Oh yes, Market Basket still doesn't have Carb Countdown. Shaw's has Carb Countdown for $2.99 regular price; Stop & Shop has it for $3.19 regular price.

Shaws doesn't have the Carb Options line in yet either. The spaces are still there in the barbecue section though!

And when oh when are they going to get a good low carb cheesecake that you can buy at the store? Market Basket carries Alden Merrell.. this is a natural!

Burger King to Add More Low Carb Options

The blogosphere has spoken... and said that the Burger King low carb move was lame, so they are adding more options in the spring including steak strip, chicken strip, and shrimp salads. (I wish I could say the above, but I'm sure the blogosphere had nothing to do with it. Burger King must have known that its offering was lame from the start.)

Low Carb Certification Battle

In this post, I explained why Trader Joe's pulled Bella Vita pasta from the shelves and said:

There is even a new trade group that has just started to address these problems (of nutritional labeling), the Carbohydrate Awareness Council. This reminds me of all of the "security labeling" that went on to try and clean up or make people more comfortable with internet shopping years ago. You could even pay for "audits" to get the label from some of the big 5 accounting firms. Truste is one of them that still remains. Who knows about this one?

Well, a new one was just announced here. It is the "Low Carb Consumers League (LCCL), a non-profit association dedicated to establishing and adopting scientifically based nutritional, manufacturing, testing and marketing standards on behalf of low-carb consumers."

In addition to these two groups, there is the Atkins label.

It looks as though each manufacturer is backing one of the three different labels so far.

Who knows who the winner will be?

Win Free Low Carb Bagels for a Year!

As you can see in this review, these are good bagels! They are having a contest on their website, good until March 15th. I entered, but I want everyone to know about it.

Update: My daughter makes me go to Shaws to buy her this bagel versus the Thomas's Carb Counting Bagel.

Carb Options Line Launches

Well, the intriguing spaces at Shaws are now explained with an article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. Unilever, a big consumer brand company, is launching their Carb Options line, with their name brands such as Skippy, Wishbone and Lawry's front and center.

From where I sit, the low carb dressings from Wishbone are not that big of a deal. Ken's Italian, which I love and recommend, is low carb naturally. Most ranch dressings are inherently low carb. The Low Carb Skippy peanut butter has 3 grams of net carbs and less than 1 gram of sugar per two tablespoons, that is slightly less than Simply Jif, with 4 grams of net carbs and 2 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoons. I'll do a peanut butter battle with these two brands soon.

I really don't do low carb bars. My first taste of them have warned me off them for life!

The one product I MUST try is the barbecue sauce. As I have said before, I have not found one that I like a LOT.

I must say that the news section of the Wall Street Journal portrays an anti low carb bias in most of its health reporting. It is hard to link to and fisk because you need a subscription, and I don't think they would take too kindly of me typing in the entire article. For example, in this article, going low carb is seen as very riskly because Unilever owns Slim-Fast and Slim-Fast has taken a nose dive. Well, Slim-Fast has taken a nose dive because the pack and not the herd of the American people has learned to read a nutrition label and are horrified at what is in a Slim-Fast shake! Furthermore, I hope the rollout of the Carb Options line is better than the Slim-Fast Challenge rollout... what a fiasco! And no one has yet claimed my Slim-Fast bar!

Two Updates:

Accosting the Grocery Manager at Shaws for the new Carb Options Line

Carb Options Barbecue Sauce is Great

Burger King Goes Low Carb in a Small Way

David Bernstein of the Volokh Conspiracy nicely sums up what Burger King has done about low carb:

"Hold My Buns! Drudge links to a report noting that bowing to the low-carb craze, Burger King will now offer bunless Whoppers, for the same price as Whoppers with buns. How is this different then in the past (1) ordering the Whopper, but stating, "no bread please"; or (2) ordering the Whopper, and throwing the bread away, feeding it to birds, etc.?

Next thing you know, automakers will "offer" cars without tires for the same price as cars with tires. New advertising slogan for Burger King: "Offering you less, for the same price!" "

At least Hardees gives you an extra piece of lettuce or two to help eat the messy thing without fork and knife. (And the real reason they did this was to make it easier for their people to place the orders... I'll have a number 9... rather than making people learn the complicated register to have it "their way" sans bun.)

Holiday Inn Hotels go Low Carb

Breakfast has always been a great low carb meal if you like eggs... but it is nice to be catered to...

Holiday Inn is giving low carb menu space.

Trader Joe's to Stop Carrying Bella Vita Pasta because of Nutrition Label Discrepancies

Trader Joe's has stopped carrying Bella Vita Low Carb pasta because, in a third-party independent test of the product, the carb count didn't match the carb count on the label. According to Dianne O'Connor, spokesperson of Trader Joe's in their Needham office, "There was a discrepancy in the last batch. The numbers were off. We don't carry that product any longer." It seems, according to the grocery manager, Trader Joe's was alerted by a third party to test this batch. However, according to Dianne O'Connor, Trader Joe's regularly tests vendor's products via third party labs.

The products were immediately pulled from the shelves after the testing so few, if any, customers purchased the product.

While trying to personally track down this product for the last six months, I can testify that it was a big seller. It sold out all the time. According to my local Trader Joe's manager, when it was labeled soy pasta years ago, they couldn't give it away. As soon as it was delivered as low carb pasta, they couldn't keep it on the shelves.

I called Racconto, the parent company of the Bella Vita line, to ask them why this batch was different from the previous batches, but they didn't return my phone call by the time I posted this article.

There has been a lot of arguments as to what is low carb, how to label low carb food, etc. Atkins got dinged a few years ago by the FDA so it and other companies have started using "net carbs" to try and distinguish between high glycemic carbs and low glycemic carbs. Many "established" groups do not recognize a difference between high glycemic and low glycemic carbs. (Read Atkins and the Aliens that Cause Global Warming for more background.)

There is even a new trade group that has just started to address these problems, the Carbohydrate Awareness Council. This reminds me of all of the "security labeling" that went on to try and clean up or make people more comfortable with internet shopping years ago. You could even pay for "audits" to get the label from some of the big 5 accounting firms. Truste is one of them that still remains. Who knows about this one?

I suspect that there is some fierce infighting among these companies because, with this new sector, new brands could be made to rival the established "high carb" companies like Kraft. Some companies are staking out a "carb is a carb" territory very directly like Betafoods.

This labeling problem also seems to have been going on for some time, according to the website Low Carb Luxury.

It is the dawn of a new sector! Let the battle begin! It only gets better for the consumer!

On another note, I talked to the nutritionist at Trader Joe's to ask her about the Trader Joe's Eggplant Parmesan label. It lists the total carbs as 4 but 5 and 6 carbs for fiber and sugar. Of course, this is mathematically impossible. She confirmed that the net carb count was 11 and that the new label was currently being approved. I was the second or third caller on this item. (At that carb count, we should try it! If you do "net carbs" like I do.)

New Low-Carb Line Coming to Shaws!

I went to Shaw's this week to try their new Sensible bagels, but I found intriguing holes on their shelves. There was a hole in the regular barbecue sauce section with the enigmatic words CRB OPN or something like that. Same thing in ketchup and same thing in salad dressings. I found the grocery manager and he said that there was going to be a whole new line coming in and that the merchandise people make the space and about a week later the products come in. Well, I can't wait to go back and try these. I have yet to find a really great barbecue sauce that my whole family likes that is low carb, and I'll test this one out right away. I hope to go back to him and get the complete list and post it.

As for ketchup, I can't wait until Heinz comes out with their product; it is supposed to debut this month. We'll see.

BP Gourmet Cookies Label Warning!

I went to Market Basket today to try to get a jump and try the tortillas that they have on sale tomorrow, but I couldn't find them. While there, I found a whole slew of BP Gourmet cookies in the green box. Wow, they are adding the low-carb line that they have at Stop & Shop and Trader Joe's. I looked at the flavors and some of them were new. Then I did a double-take, the box was the same color, it had all natural on the top, but it had fat-free on the label. I looked at the sugar content. Nope, these were not The Smarter Carb line! Even though there were in the same color box! So be careful! I almost popped one of them in my cart!

Update: BP Gourmet responded in this post.

Also, most stores carry their biscotti, but my kids prefer their Vanilla Meringues (my daughter’s favorite) and the Vanilla Rocky Road. They are 2.99 a box at Trader Joe's. Usually more expensive elsewhere.

Slim-Fast Challenge Falls Down -- and not pant sizes

OK, I told everyone to go to Wal-mart or Sam's Club to check out the free samples of low carb Slim-Fast foods. Well, if your experience was anything like mine, it wasn't worth the effort for a pedometer with the Slim-Fast logo.... because that was the only useful object I received out of the deal.

I got to Wal-mart about 10:30, a table was set up, it had cardboard kits to hand out, but they couldn't find the samples anywhere. They asked me to look around the store for ten minutes. One hour later, I went back to the table and they still had not found the samples. They said there was a sample in the kit, so I took the kit. They didn't have the forms to sign up for the Slim-Fast challenge itself, but they gave me a kit anyway.

While I was waiting for them to find the samples, I checked out the Slim-Fast products on the shelves. All of them were just LOADED with sugar. I found one box of the new low-carb Slim-Fast product that said it had 3 grams of net carbs. Just ONE box! Not one type, just one box!

I got home and opened up my kit... the sample inside was for their normal sugar-laden meal replacement bar! It has 35 grams of carbs and 16 grams of sugar. (It is better than some of their shakes though.)

Inside the booklet it was all the usual drivel on how to lose weight. Nothing about having a low-carb option to their line.

So... I will send my complimentary sugar-laden Slim-Fast bar to the first person who emails me. The execution of the Slim-Fast rollout certainly was a bust in my estimation.

Please comment on your experience.

Free Slim Fast Low Carb Shake Samples

Don't forget to go to your Wal-mart or Sam's Clubs today to get free samples of the new Slim Fast products. While you are there, check out the selection of low carb candy bars at Wal-mart, you can't beat their prices. Wal-mart also carries pork rinds, which are hard to find in the northeast. (Although, I only use them for breading.)

Food Industry Fights Back Against Low Carb

The potato people are worried. French fry sales are down 5% across the world and demand is down across the country, according to this article, Potato industry speaks out on low-carb diets.

"The U.S. Potato Board says a single potato has only 9 percent of the recommended daily allowance of carbohydrates, and that spuds have protein."

Well, isn't that the problem? What is the recommended daily allowance of carbohydrates and how was it derived when it was created? Isn't the problem with the food pyramid that anyone who takes their nutritional requirements from the government, and who doesn't exercise religiously, is going to turn into a potato? Aren't they going to be more at risk for diabetes and heart disease?

I say, let's continue the testing and take it long term. We already know it is safe in the short term. I've been on it way over a year and I'm much healthier!

Waist Size and Diabetes

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it seems that doctors should add another instrument to their medical kit -- a measuring tape. If you have a relatively large waist, you are three times more likely to have or develop diabetes. While doctors are still examining risk factors, maybe you should do a quick check at home.

In my case, it seems personal experience dovetails with this conclusion. While I was heavy, and even had to take the second dreaded "glucose tolerance test" while I was pregnant, I was never at risk for diabetes. I was so concerned, I even went to Mass General and was vetted for a diabetic study. They didn't take me after thoroughly testing me even though I was heavy, didn't exercise much, had to take the second glucose tolerance test while pregnant, etc. I do have a pear shape though and not an apple shape. In other words, my waist was always my smallest part. I tend to carry my weight in my hips and thighs. On the other hand, sugar does have an impact on me. If I eat a snack or meal high in sugar, I want to take a nap right away!

(As always, I hate to make predictions or draw conclusions since I am not a scientist. See my previous Diet Coke consipiracy theory.)

Low Carb Television (TV) Shows on Food Network and QVC

Heads up!

There are some television shows that focus on low carb.

I have the following schedule. Your times may be different in your market.

The Low Carb Revolution on the Food Network:
Success stories; secret recipes; how low-carb dieting works

Shows on Sunday, January 4, 10 p.m. and Monday, January 5 at 2 a.m.
Shows on Saturday, January 10 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, January 11 at 4 p.m.

Set your recorders or Tivos!

Cooking Live! on the Food Network:

Feel good foods: Low carb meals in munutes. Shrimp scampi, burrito with bran cereal, salad, roast beef sandwich.

Shows on Wednesday, January 7, at 10 a.m. Heads up! This show was made in 2001.

Low-Carb Gourmet Food on QVC.

Shown Tuesday, January 6, at 3 p.m.

I had to reset my Tivo to let me see the QVC schedule. I had set it not to receive this channel.

I have my Tivo set and will watch these shows and post reviews.

For those of you who have Tivos, I found these using a wishlist of "low carb."

Atkins and the Aliens that cause Global Warming

For those of you who have followed Atkins a long time, you know that he begged for scientific study regarding the low carbohydrate diet. You know he offered to fund studies and have no part in them. Why? Because he KNEW what the inevitable outcome would be. He had walking examples in his office every day. And the studies that have come out once the scientific community relented and actually did some studies rather than dismissing his theory out of hand do support his assertions. All of the naysayers repeat that it is unhealthy based on no scientific evidence. They also seem to prefer the morbidly obese to have stomach reduction surgery rather than go on Atkins. (O.K., I am exagerating here. They want people to go on the one diet prescribed by the US Government food pyramid that was created without scientific study. Even though it doesn't work for many people.)

Michael Crichton, the scientist, doctor, and author has made an amazing speech where he exposes the political nature of science and how it reaches into the depths of our government agencies. It is truly a damning indictment... and it should be mandatory reading for all schoolchildren. It also talks about a fix where double-blind studies should be used, etc. With nutrition, we are actually lucky and more along the path of true scientific enlightment. His most damning points regard computer modeling.

An excerpt:

I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had.

Let's be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus.

There is no such thing as consensus science. If it's consensus, it isn't science. If it's science, it isn't consensus. Period...

As the twentieth century drew to a close, the connection between hard scientific fact and public policy became increasingly elastic. In part this was possible because of the complacency of the scientific profession; in part because of the lack of good science education among the public; in part, because of the rise of specialized advocacy groups which have been enormously effective in getting publicity and shaping policy; and in great part because of the decline of the media as an independent assessor of fact. The deterioration of the American media is dire loss for our country. When distinguished institutions like the New York Times can no longer differentiate between factual content and editorial opinion, but rather mix both freely on their front page, then who will hold anyone to a higher standard?

Read the whole thing!

Ironically, it was the New York Times Magazine's article by Gary Taubes which really made it OK to question the consensus.

And read the footnote to this Resolution article that demonstrates how Gary Taubes was treated after it was published.

Hat tip to One Hand Clapping and Instapundit.

Update: This is just going to continue until the empiricists in the scientific community take back the lab.

It's January when Retailers move Exercise and Diet Food to the Front

Just walked through Target and CVS today. They are restocking all of the Christmas shelves with exercise clothes and diet foods. What is different this year is low carb is front and center. Costco had all sorts of exercise equipment, but Costco even had Atkins shakes for the first time (only chocolate.)

All of this movement at the retail level is masking the concern at the manufacturing level -- at least for the low carb foods. Many great articles are being written about Atkins sending the price of eggs and beef up (despite the neglible potential for mad cow.) Pasta and breadmakers seem to be broken into two camps, some who want to fight and educate against the trend and some who want to give in and sell low carb versions. (From my seat, the companies should have started developing low carb versions six months ago and already have them on the shelves. Those that have them on the shelves already will win big.)

The best all-around article I have seen is this Fortune article by Matthew Boyle.

When did carbs replace fat as nutritional enemy No. 1? What does it mean for the pork-rind industry? Is Wonder Bread toast? And what the heck is ketato? How low-carb mania is roiling the food business.

Read the whole thing. Take special note of the reference to Heinz coming out with a low carb ketchup! Heinz announced it on October 3 --I can't wait. My husband will be overjoyed. He can't stand most low-carb ketchups.

Slim-Fast turns low carb with Whoopi

Slim-Fast has brought on Whoopi Goldberg to plug their new low carb line of food and shakes. Slim-Fast lost 20 percent of sales last year because of the low carb diet trend. For those of you who don't know Slim-Fast's nutritional information, it is loaded with sugar and carbohydrates -- 40 grams of carbs and 35 grams of sugar. My mother-in-law used to drink them before I got her on Atkins. She has lost over 20 lbs. and her blood work is moving in the right direction. Her doctor is thrilled.

According to the New York Times, on January 10th Slim-Fast reps will be at Wal-marts and Sam's Clubs to give out product samples.

When I was taking some courses for my master's degree last year, I created a business plan that took on Weight Watchers since I said that they would never switch to low carb because they were too afraid of losing the endorsement of most nutritionists. With Slim-Fast's switch, it is a good thing I didn't try to launch the company. I predict by the end of this year Weight Watchers will have a low carb alternative as well. The people in this country are a pack and not a herd -- people gravitate towards things that work because we still allow free choice in the marketplace. And since we have a capitalist system, companies have to thrive on change, no matter how much it hurts.