Spring Break

Hi, everybody.  Hope you're doing well.  I think I told you in my last post that we were going to be out of town this week so I might not get to blog.  We've been in Daytona Beach, Florida since early Saturday morning and this is my first chance to write something.  We left our house Friday afternoon and drove all the way through, with just an hour nap at a rest area in Georgia.  When we got here, our room wasn't ready so we changed into our swim suits and hung out around the pool for several hours until our room became available.  Unfortunately, I decided not to use sun block and now I look like a lobster.  I have been putting aloe vera on my skin several times a day and so far I'm not in any pain.
We have been having a blast with our daughter, Lori, and her friend Kylie.  It's just so great to be able to spend this time with Lori, as she will be leaving for college soon.  Too soon for me.  She's my baby girl.
Anyway, on to the low carb stuff.  We packed low carb foods and snacks for the drive and stopped at an IHOP for breakfast, so we didn't have any issues with staying on track on the way down.
As soon as we got in our room and unpacked, we headed to the local Super WalMart to get groceries for the week.  We stocked up on fish, cheese, cream cheese, low carb wheat bread, low carb lite soy milk, pork rinds, nuts, lots of green, leafy veggies, and other things that we could prepare ourselves in the room.  We took the girls out to a local eatery called Down the Hatch for fresh fish and crab legs a couple of nights ago and we all loved it.  Down the Hatch is a place we have gone to several times over the years and we have never been disappointed.  We usually bring the whole family down to Daytona just about every summer, but with the older ones having so much going on in their lives, we don't get to as often as we would like.  I love seeing the kids grow into such great adults, but at the same time it's a little sad.  When I look at them, I still see my little ones.
Well, I guess I had better get back to the family.  Lisa and I may walk the beach again tonight.  We've been walking at least a couple of miles in the morning and some in the evening, every day.  We like to collect shells and this year we found a sand dollar and a starfish as well as some beautiful shells.  I hope you all have a great day.  I may not get to write again until I get home, but I will try.  See ya!

Crazy Little Thing Called Food

Oh, my, have I been busy lately.  My truck broke down and I've been trying to fix it, but I have to rely on the availability of my friend Greg to get around for parts and such.  Plus, Lisa's car was in the body shop for 2 weeks so she's been sharing my daughter's car, and my son is out of town with his car, so, it's just been a logistical nightmare.  We've been getting ready for a little Spring Break trip to Daytona and since I'm the only one home during the day, I get to do all the laundry and cleaning and vacation prep.  Plus, I had more dental work done this week.  Anyway, enough of that.  I'm back.
I have been reading a lot of articles lately that are supposed to be information for diabetics.  I am appalled at some of the crazy things I'm reading.  I don't understand why some of this info is still out there when so many studies have proven it wrong.  I'll give you some examples.
I found an article about the healthiest snacks for diabetics.  I thought, cool, this ought to be good.  Then, as I read it, I actually got angry.  To begin with, they suggested that diabetics should have snacks that contain 15-20 grams of carbs.  Really?  For a snack?  Some of the suggested snacks were; oranges, graham crackers, low-fat milk, popcorn, English muffins, grapes, peanut butter crackers, bananas, and Cheerios.  As I read why these were good snacks for diabetics, it seemed the writer was more interested in fat and sodium content and not carbs. 
I also found a list of foods that diabetics should avoid, and while I agreed with most of the foods on the list, I didn't agree with some of the 'whys'.  One of the foods was fried chicken, and the reason they gave was that the action of 'frying' added carbs.  What?  Frying does not add carbs.  It's the flour used in the breading that adds the carbs.  Again, frying does NOT add carbs.  Check out Lisa's fried chicken recipes.  She 'breads' with something you may not have thought of using and it's low carb.
Lastly, this bit of advise really got me.  Someone wrote in on what is touted as a diabetic's website, and asked, how many grams of carbs should a diabetic have per day.  The answer floored me.  For women, they suggested 45-60 grams,,,,,,per meal!!!!  3 to 4 meals a day plus snacks with 15 to 20 grams!!!  For men, 60 to 75 grams,,,,again, per meal!!!  Are you kidding me?  When are people going to get off the 'let 'em eat what they want as long as they take the pills or shots' rollercoaster?  None of the medications CURE diabetes.  They just mask the symptoms.  Almost all diabetics get worse and have to increase their meds over the years.  I have said it before and I'll say it again, if your body can't handle sugar, DON'T EAT SUGAR!!
I apologize for the rant, but I just get so frustrated with this.  Please bear with me.  The evidence is out there, and it keeps mounting, so why can't the so-called diabetes experts see it.
I'm going to leave you with that.  We are travelling to Florida tomorrow, but Lisa and I both will do our best to blog.  I'll be thinking of you as I lounge around the pool and walk the beach.  See ya!

Rainy Days and Mondays

Hello, everyone.  I'm finally getting back to the blog and I'm so glad.  I've been working some long hours the last several days, painting a friends rental house with my sons.  She inherited the house and wanted the entire interior painted before she rents it out.  It's an old farm house but in great shape except the paint.  It really turned out clean and crisp looking, so it was worth spending so much time on it.
I went to the dentist this morning to finish up a root canal, so I'm a little numb and in a little pain, but it wasn't so bad.  But, I'm just going to chill out today, anyway.
Lisa really went all out last week creating new recipes for St. Patrick's Day.  I was the grateful recipient of those awesome dishes.  Lisa is such a good cook, or cooker person, as my son, Bradley called her when he was little.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.  You should try all of her recipes.
Did you hear about the incident with The Vegeterian Myth author, Lierre Keith?  Ms. Keith was once a vegan until the diet had a very negative impact on her health.  She now promotes a low carb lifestyle and it has enraged radical vegan groups.  She was speaking at a book fair in San Francisco last week when she was attacked by some of them with a cayenne pepper laced pie in the face. This is the same stuff they use in pepper sprays and it burns the eyes terribly.  How dispicable.
I've been getting a lot of emails lately from some of you readers who have decided to adopt the low carb lifestyle.  I've answered a lot of questions and offered my support.  I am so excited for you.  I've also had several people come up to me around town, telling me that they have started the lifestyle and telling me how much weight they have lost so far and about how much better they feel.  I just love it!  If any of you have any questions or comments or want to share your story, please let me know.  I'm here to help if I can.
Well, that's all I have today.  The pain meds are starting to wear off so, see ya!

Diabetes Meds and Health Risks

Hi, everybody.  I am running a little late today so I don't have a lot of time to blog, but I just had to share something that I saw on the news today.  It just makes me fuming mad.
The Headline reads,

FDA Approved Diabetes Drug Despite Hints at Cancer Risk

Rat studies suggest Victoza could spur rare thyroid tumor, but experts say effects in humans are unclear

Yes, you read it correctly.  The new diabetes medication, Victoza, could possibly cause cancer.  And the FDA approves it anyway.  Victoza, is among a class of medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which is meant to be used along with diet and exercise to control blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin after a person eats.  Did you get that?  Take it after you eat.  Here we go again. Let 'em eat what they want, just make sure they take their pills.
In defending the FDA's stance, FDA spokeswoman Karen Mahoney said, "The relevance of the animal findings to people is unknown.  The type of tumor of concern in people is medullary thyroid cancer, which is a very rare tumor that one cannot expect to be detected in a clinical trial."  So, basically, how it will effect you is unknown and they are okay with that.  Now, I realize that most medications have risks, but what makes me mad is that most mainstream physicians won't even give the low carb diet a chance before they give you a pill or a shot to take every day for the rest of your life.  And, there's more.
Another side effect of this drug is an increased risk of pancreatitis, which is not uncommon in diabetics. Another common side effect is nausea and vomiting, which can also be a sign of pancreatitis, and people taking the drug should be evaluated for that possibility, according to the FDA.  And, the agency is requiring that a medication guide be provided with every prescription filled for Victoza.
Another strange thing about this drug is that it is not meant to replace your diabetes meds, it's meant to be taken WITH your current meds.  I hope your current medication is not Avandia.  I just saw commercial on television that asked if you or a loved one has taken Avandia and had a heart attack or developed cardiac disease, you could be eligible to join a class action lawsuit.  I hadn't heard about this so I Googled 'Avandia lawsuit' and got 166,000 results.  When I searched on 'Avandia side effects, I got 1,110,000 results.  I won't go into all the side effects of these and other diabetes medications, as I said initially, I just don't have the time today, but I hope you get the point.  Why risk it with these meds when controlling your Type 2 Diabetes could, and I stress, could be as simple as changing your lifestyle?  I stress 'could' because I am not a doctor, I am only speaking from my own experience and the research I have done over the last 3 years. 
Well, I'm going to go now, but I'll be back.  See ya!


http://www.usnews.com/health/diet-fitness/diabetes/articles/2010/02/18/fda-approved-diabetes-drug-despite-hints-at-cancer-risk.html

GI Blues Part Three

Hello everybody.  I hope you are having a good day today.  My sons and I are painting the entire interior of a friends house out in the countryside this week.  I love spending so much time with my boys, although at 30 and 25 years of age, I guess I shouldn't call them that.  In my heart, though, they will always be 'my boys'.
Well, let's continue with the GI Blues.  I've been talking about the problems and confusion with the Glycemic Index, especially when used as what some call a low carb diet plan.  It is not, and I repeat, not, a low carb diet.  So, how useful is the GI?  Let's look at it together and you make up your own mind.
First, let's look at the classifications.  A GI of 70 or more is classified as high, 56 to 69 is considered as medium, while 55 and below is classifed as low.  That really doesn't tell us much, and I'll tell you why. 
According to the index, one grain of sugar has a GI of 64, but so does a pound of sugar. Crazy, huh?  So how much sugar can you eat?  There is no way of telling. And, at 64 sugar is classified as medium.  Sugar is medium?  What?
Another confusing thing to me is the GI of breads.  White bread is considered high.  Okay, I can see that.  Whole grain bread is considered low on many GI based diets, but it's GI is actually 69, which should make it medium.  And the difference between white bread and whole grain on the index is only 2 points.  White is 71 and whole grain is 69.  Another confusing thing about breads and grains is that the GI number given to them fluctuates depending on what country you're in.  Whole grain bread in the UK is listed at 74, which is higher than white bread.  And then there's the issue of the exact same foods, made by the exact same manufacturer, but in a different plant having widely differing GIs.  For example, Kellogg's All-Bran, has a GI of 30 in Australia, 38 in America, and 51 in Canada.  It makes my brain hurt.
So, what about whole grain flour?  Anywhere between 52 and 72 in Canada, as high as 78 in Australia, and in Kenya it's 87.  The exact same thing, only made in different countries with differences of 35 GI points.
And here is an example of something even crazier.  You might think that foods containing sugar would have a higher GI than the same food made without sugar, right?  Well, think again.  Banana cake made with sugar is 47,,,,,Banana cake made without sugar is 55!
Had enough?  Hang in there.  I'm almost finished.  Not only does where a food is made effect it's GI, the way a food is cooked or processed makes a difference.  This was recently found to be true in a study by the Department of Dietetics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong.
Lastly, let me address a problem as it relates to diabetics, with one example.  Fructose, or fruit sugar has a GI of 22, which is very much lower than suctrose, or table sugar, which is 64.  Got that?  Fructose has a much lower GI than regular table sugar, yet fructose is much more damaging to a diabetic's health than sugar.  Please, if you are diabetic, do not go on any diet plan based on the Glycemic Index.  It is not low carb, no matter what they tell you.
The Glycemic Index is weak, it has been over simplified, over hyped, and over sold.  It was not developed to be used as a weight loss plan and in my opinion, it should not be.  It may have some use in a clinical setting, but it is certainly of very limited use to the general population.
As far as I'm concerned, what matters to your body is not the GI of a carbohydrate, but the amount of carbohydrate.  50 grams of carbs is 50 grams of carbs not matter what the GI is.  And while most of the GI plans that I've seen advertised (advertised as in it'll cost you), bill themselves as low carb, if you look at the meal plans, it's the same old 'healthy' low calorie, low fat, high carb diet that has been failing dieters and ruining their health for decades.
So, I'm finished rambling about GI today.  And probably for a while.  I hope this information helps you and if you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to write.  See ya!

GI Blues Part Two

Hello, everybody. I hope you are all doing well. I had a great night Saturday night playing drums for Country singer, Natasha Neely's concert. It was a blast. The band sounded great and Natasha put on a really awesome show. We had a packed house and the audience was very receptive. So, now, on to the GI Blues.
I left off in my last blog talking about problems with the Glycemic Index, or GI, and the confusion and issues with the index. Let's continue with that.  In a recent popular woman's magazine, a whole ten pages was devoted to the GI diet. It even stated on the cover that the GI diet was 'the healthiest low-carb plan around'. And it got it completely wrong!
While the authors correctly stated that the Glycemic Index is a measure of how much carbs raise blood glucose levels, in their lists of high-GI, medium-GI and low-GI foods they listed fatty foods as high-GI. Wrong! Their GI is actually zero! They also listed 'omega-3 eggs' as low-GI and 'eggs' as medium-GI, when neither type has a GI at all; and low-fat cottage cheese was listed as low-GI, light cream cheese as medium-GI and full-fat cheese as high-GI when, again, none has a GI. In fact, because fats, meat, fish, cheese and eggs have little effect on blood glucose, they don't have a GI! And lastly, diet fizzy drinks were listed as both low-GI and high-GI depending on whether or not they contained caffeine – yet caffeine is not even mentioned in the GI tables, as published in the July 2002 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Looks to me like ignorance trying to cash in on the latest diet fad.
The article goes on to recommend six recently-published GI diet books. Well, if the article was based on info from these books, then those authors must have gotten it wrong as well. Confused? Me, too. So I wanted to know how the GI was created, and here's what I found.
Scientists fed 50 grams of glucose to their test subjects and measured how much this raised the subjects' blood glucose. That became their reference point and they labeled it 100. Then they tested their subjects with other foods and measured blood glucose response and how it related to the initial reference. If, for example, one of those foods raised their test subjects' blood glucose level to 50% percent of the reference, then it had a glycemic index of 50. This went on as they tested other foods. Then they ran into a problem.
Glucose is very sweet; a bit too sweet for many people. The testers didn't like drinking 50 grams of the sweet stuff so, later, white bread was substituted. Another problem. White bread has a GI of about 70 compared to glucose. And while the people doing the eating preferred this, unfortunately it generated another index in which bread was rated at 100. First it's 70, and then it's 100. What?
So, now there were two GIs: one based on glucose equaling 100; the other based on white bread equaling 100. This started the confusion as both indexes came into general use – and most publications fail to state which one they are using (including the article I mentioned above).
Even more confused? Really, I'm not trying to confuse you guys. I am trying to educate. And in so, I am educating myself. This research that I do is very revealing to me. The more I learn, the more confirmation I get that the low carb lifestyle is the only lifestyle for me. It is not a fad. It has been and is continually being proven to be the healthiest lifestyle one can lead.
There is so much more to this and I don't want to inundate you with it all at once, so, I will continue again tomorrow. Until then, I hope you have a great day and a great life. See ya!

GI Blues, Part One

Sorry, I haven't been on in a couple of days.  We have been having issues with our cable service and wireless router.  If you've ever had to call a technician for help and been put on hold forever, you surely understand.  I've also been spending a lot of time preparing and rehearsing for tomorrow night's Natasha Neely concert, in which I am playing drums.  I am so looking forward to the show.  Natasha is very good and I'm happy to have been asked to play.
As we discussed in my last blog, I'm researching the Glycemic Index, or GI, what it is, what it means, does it really matter, and should you even consider it.  Here's the first part of what will be a series. 
The glycemic index is a scale that measures how quickly carbohydrates are broken down into glucose. The original purpose of the glycemic index was to help diabetics keep their blood glucose under control.  It is a measure of how quickly carbohydrates raise blood glucose and, thus, insulin levels.
But, lately it has attracted so much attention, you can't turn on the TV or pick up a magazine without seeing a weight loss plan that bases it's entire diet on it.  Diet books such as "The Zone," and "Sugarbusters" worship the index like some kind of idol.
While the glycemic index may be useful in some applications, the problem in basing your entire weight loss plan on the glycemic index to dictate all your carb choices is that the index is based on carbohydrates being eaten by themselves in a fasted state.  What I'm saying is, the index numbers change if you're not fasting or when carbs are eaten with fats and proteins.  Overall nutrient value of a food also affects the GI.  How you cook a food, the degree of processing, the ripeness and variety of a fruit, are some other examples of things that affect the GI.  And since the index only identifys the effect different foods have on blood sugar levels when those foods are eaten alone, many nutritionists believe this is one of the main problems with the GI.  When you mix different foods as for a meal, the GI value of the whole meal changes, so it is extremely difficult to correctly calculate the GI for a meal.  Many nutritionists consider this a limitation.
Another problem I find with the GI plans, is that it discourages fats.  And you all know how I feel about that.  And one GI plan even suggested that since it was so complicated, maybe it would be easier to just become a GI vegetarian.  Outrageous! 
I'm going to make this a multi-part blog as it is a complicated issue and I don't want to overwhelm you with a bunch of facts and figures.  I'll write more later.  Have a good day.  See ya!

Glycemic Index; Does it really mean anything?

Good morning to all my favorite people, my readers.  I hope you are all doing well.  I was so sorry to see that another young actor, Corey Haim, was found dead at 38.  Corey admitted to decades of drug abuse, which ranged from pot, to cocaine, crack, speed, sedatives, and more.  How sad.  I really liked this young actor.  Remember his role in The Lost Boys?
I don't have much to say at the moment as I am doing some research on the Glycemic Index; what it is, what it means to you, why it is so confusing, and does it really matter.  I want to fully research the topic and new studies before I write about my findings because what I write here must be the truth.  I owe that to you.
I cooked up one of Lisa's new St. Patrick's Day recipes last night and found it so simple to make.  If I can so it, so can you.  I made a traditional Irish Sausage and Cabbage Stew.  It was fantastic.  You've got to try it.
Lisa is adding new recipes every day so be sure to check them out often.
I'll write more later, but right now, I just want to say thank you to all my readers and to readers who have signed up to 'Follow' my blog.  If you haven't signed up as a 'Follower' please do so.  Thanks again and I'll see ya!

Medications and Low Carb Diet

Good morning, readers.  I hope you're having a great day today.  I wanted to go into a little more detail about one of the things I've told you about my low carb experience.  I've said before that I've been off all diabetes related medications for three years, but I don't think I ever told you how quickly I HAD to stop them.  When I started eating low carb, I was on meds for blood sugar, triglycerides, and blood pressure.  Although they weren't controlling any of these things, I was still taking them.  Within less than two weeks, I absolutely HAD to stop taking them all.  The diet was controlling all of my symptoms so well, that the meds were making my blood sugar levels drop too much.  As soon as I stopped taking the meds, everything just leveled off to ideal levels.  The one thing I should have done is worked with my doctor so he knew I was changing my lifestyle and he could help me by giving me advice on the meds thing.  So, I found some information on About.com and thought it was responsibility to share it with you.  I keep promoting the low carb lifestyle but with all the questions we've been getting lately, I feel I should warn you about how your dependence on medications will be affected.  I call it a warning, but it should be called a blessing.  A blessing because a lifestyle change can get you off the meds.  A warning because it happens so quickly.  Anyway, here's the information I read on About.com.  I am writing most of this in my own words but quoting some of it.  The quotes will be in quotations.
We are always told to consult our doctor before starting any new diet, but few of us follow that advise.  If you are on any medications, consulting your doctor before starting a low carb diet is important.
"It is important for your healthcare providers to be aware of your diet change because dosages of medication might have to be adjusted or eliminated, or a change of medication might be in order. This is particularly true if you are being treated for diabetes or high blood pressure.
If you're taking insulin, you are already aware of the relationship between the carbs you eat and the amount of insulin you need to take.  If you greatly change the amount of carbs in your diet, you should coordinate this closely with your doctor, because a low carb dieter will require less insulin.  You need to be very careful that your blood glucose level doesn't get too high or too low.
"If you have been eating a high carb diet and switch to low-carb one, you will likely need to adjust your medications. Many people find that over time they can control their blood glucose with diet and exercise alone and can stop taking the medication. Continuing to take the same dosage could result in hypoglycemic episodes".
This includes blood pressure medications.  New studies show that a low carb diet often at least partly corrects high blood pressure.  "The problem is that if a person is already taking medication to lower blood pressure, it can go too low.
Dr. Mary Vernon tells this story: Someone she knew from work, who she knew had high blood pressure, asked her one day if lowcarb diets are safe. She said, "Yes, but do it with my supervision." Unfortunately, the man did not follow her instructions. Some time later, he called her -- from the floor of his living room. He couldn't stand up without passing out. He was taken to the emergency room, where she met him. His blood pressure was alarmingly low. It turned out he was taking quite a lot of medication to lower his blood pressure, much of which was no longer needed".
Diabetes and high blood pressure meds are the main ones that may need to be adjusted or discontinued on a low carb diet, but others may be affected.
Me, again.  So, there you have it.  This lifestyle change is so powerful, it comes with a warning.  As I said before, it's also a blessing.  In addition to the many health benefits, imagine how much money you'll save when you no longer have to buy all those pills!
I hope this helps you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.  My life has most certainly changed for the better.  Yours can, too.  See ya!

High Carb Diet Linked to Breast Cancer

I found this information this morning and thought it was very important to share with you.  Breast cancer runs rampant in my wife's family.  Her mother and both sisters have been stricken with this awful disease.  The article follows.

High-carb diets may increase more than just waistlines. New research suggests they might raise the risk of breast cancer.


Women in Mexico who ate a lot of carbohydrates were more than twice as likely to get breast cancer than those who ate less starch and sugar, scientists found.

The study took place at Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ministry of Health of Mexico, and the American Institute for Cancer Research. Results were published Friday in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Fats, fiber and specific foods have long been studied for their effects on various types of cancer, but few firm links have emerged. Being overweight is known to raise risk, but the new study took that into account and still found greater risk from high carbohydrate consumption.

Scientists think carbs may increase cancer risk by rapidly raising sugar in the blood, which prompts a surge of insulin to be secreted. This causes cells to divide and leads to higher levels of estrogen in the blood, both of which can encourage cancer.

A study earlier this year suggested that high-carb diets modestly raised the risk of colon cancer. Little research has been done on their effect on breast cancer, and results have been mixed. One study last year found greater risk among young women who ate a lot of sweets, especially sodas and desserts.

For this study, researchers enrolled 475 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and a comparison group of 1,391 healthy women in Mexico City who were matched for age, weight, childbirth trends and other factors that affect the odds of getting the disease.

Women filled out a lengthy food questionnaire widely used in nutrition studies, and were divided into four categories based on how much of their total calories came from carbohydrates.

Those in the top category -- who got 62 percent or more of their calories from carbs -- were 2.22 times more likely to have breast cancer than those in the lowest category, whose carb intake was 52 percent or less of their diet.

"The findings do raise concern about the possible adverse effects of eating lots of carbohydrates," especially for people who have diabetes, insulin resistance or are overweight, Willett said.

"It adds to the information that diet's important" with respect to cancer risk, said John Milner, the National Cancer Institute's chief of nutrition.

"It leads me to believe that healthier carb sources, or at least diets containing fiber, would be less strongly associated with breast cancer," said Marji McCullough, a senior epidemiologist and nutrition expert at the American Cancer Society.

This is me again.  Please don't think I'm trying to scare you into a low carb lifestyle.  I just feel that part of my job here is to provide information coming from new studies that relate to the low carb lifestyle.  I hope that this information is useful and helpful to you.

St. Patrick's Day

Oh, my goodness!  Lisa has done it again.  She has decided to create low carb versions of traditional Irish dishes and I am the humble recipient of her glorious creations.  Tonight she made a meal so loved in Ireland, it has it's own song to honor it.  It is called St. Patrick's Colcannon.  It calls for potatoes, but Lisa substituted mashed cauliflower, which we love.  The dish combines mashed cauliflower, cabbage, shallots, garlic and corned beef.  It was so good that Lisa, Bradley, and I each had two helpings.  The recipe is posted on the website, so look for it there and try it for a special St. Patty's day treat.
We have been receiving so many e-mails lately that I'm having a hard time keeping up with them.  But, be assured, we answer all of them as soon as we can.  Folks are asking questions about low carb living, telling us their success stories, and just telling us how inspired and motivated they are by the information they are getting from the site.  They are also telling us about the recipes they have tried and how delicious they are.  We are humbled by all the positive comments and I am happy for the opportunity to help others on this road to healthy living.
I am also having people stop me on the street, in stores, and at church, telling me that they are going to start the lifestyle, or their spouse is, or they both are.  How exciting.
Greg weighed in the other day and has lost almost 30 pounds!  I am so proud of him.  Way to go, Greg!
If you have questions or comments about the low carb life, please don't hesitate to contact me.  That's what I'm here for. 
Well, I'm going to watch the Oscars so I'll get back to you tomorrow.  Have a wonderful evening.  See ya.

Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo

I'm baaack.  Hello, everyone.  In my last blog I mentioned playing with Country singer, Natasha Neely this week.  While I love Country music (I actually like most every kind of music, or at least have a musician's respect for all kinds), I love to play some good old Rock and Roll.  And last night I did.  Some of the more seasoned players I know have put together a little jam band we call Whiskers (we all have a little chin hair) and we play the first Thursday of every month at a place called Cricket's in Newburgh, Indiana.  I call it a jam band because we have never rehearsed.  But, as I said, we are all seasoned, so it still sounds good.  We do everything from Johnny Cash to Toto, John Cougar to Michael Jackson, ZZ Top to Huey Lewis.  Well, you get the picture.  We just do whatever we like.  Anyway, last night we played better than ever and I had a tremendous night.  I'm playing tomorrow night with a little R & B group called the Brown Sisters.  That is always fun as the two black ladies that front the band are two of the best singers and entertainers in the Tri-state, and they are a hoot.  I love them both.  Okay, enough about music.
I didn't get around to blogging yesterday as I was so busy  responding to the flood of emails we have received since the article about the site came out in the newspaper.  I am having such a great time answering your questions and kind of getting to know some of you.  I just love the inspiring stories and the courage some of you have trying to make a lifestyle change.  I know it can be hard, especially if you're the only one in the house doing it.  I received so many emails from couples who are going to do it together, too, and that is so romantic in a way.  We all need support in life and lifestyle, and it's such a huge motivating factor when that support comes from your best friend (mine is my wife).  I even had an elderly lady of 76 tell me she was inspired by our story and she's going to give it a try!  You people are just only awesome!
The most asked question I got was, "how many carbs should I have a day and still lose weight?".  Here is the answer I gave from my experience. 
I, myself, limit my carbs to less than 30 a day. That is a good number for me to maintain my weight loss and still keep my diabetes under control. Most experts say 20 - 30 is considered low carb. There are people who do what is called Very Low Carb, or VLC, and they might only have 5 or so. I recommend for the first two weeks, try to do what is called induction, which is nothing but eggs, meat, and cheese (as much as you want). This will give your body a little 'kick start'. Then, you may need to experiment a little to see how many you need to keep the diabetes monster in it's cage (if you are diabetic) and still lose weight. Remember, we're all a little different, but I would suggest the induction and then start off with no more than 20 for a while to lose weight and then down the road try adding 5 and see how that works for you. I would never, ever go over 40 or 50.
I answered that question from my own experience, but tomorrow, I will give you some hard facts and figures from the experts.  Well, I gotta go, Ghost Whisperer is coming on!

Country Music Night

I'm so glad to be home and writing my blog.  I had a great rehearsal with the Natasha Neely band tonight, but it went from 4:00 until almost 11.  I had a lot of fun, but I'm a drummer, and sitting for that long is hard on the old bottom.  I spent most of the morning going over my music and learning 3 new songs.  Then, we learned 2 more new ones at the rehearsal.  That's more than 30 I've had to learn in just over a week.  For this band.  I'm playing with The Whiskers band tomorrow night and have 12 new songs to learn tomorrow.  I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just rambling.  Sorry.
We did take a little break for dinner, and I was able to stay low carb at a place called Cheddar's.  I had a side salad with very little blue cheese dressing and a bacon cheeseburger without the bun.  It was very good.
You may be tired of hearing about the feature story our local newspaper, The Gleaner, ran about us, but we got more good news today.  Greg called me this morning and told me he was in Evansville with his dad at the doctor's office, when he picked up the Courier and Press, which owns The Gleaner, and they ran the same story today.  Very cool.  Hits on the website have gone through the roof.  More than tripled!  We are so happy about that, as we are reaching so many more people with the low carb truth.  We've been getting e-mails and comments like never before.  People telling us their low carb stories and asking questions and just giving us positive reinforcement.  It is so cool.
Before I go, I want to tell you about the March 2, 2010 release of New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight Fast and Feeling Great Forever.  Duke University low carb researcher and practitioner, Dr. Eric Westman, said they wanted to bring back the high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb nutritional approach that Dr. Atkins promoted as his life’s work. The new book brings living the Atkins lifestyle into modern society with a few important strategies that have been missing in previous versions of the Atkins diet.  I can't wait to read it and I think you should, too.
Okay, I'm going to bed now, so that's all for tonight.  Sorry I was so late getting this out.  See ya!

I'm Famous

So, I go into the bank this morning, and the teller tells me that she saw the article about our low carb life in Sunday's newspaper.  She said she thought it was a very good story and it prompted her to check out the website and try some of the recipes.  She had been insulin dependent diabetic until she had gastric bypass surgery and lost almost 200 pounds.  After the surgery, she started eating better and now she no longer needs any diabetes meds.  Good for her!
Then, I went into a local newstand, and the girl behind the counter recognized me and said she saved the article so she could show her brother, who is almost 100 pounds overweight and is pre- diabetic, as she put it.  She also checked out the website and said she can't wait to try the recipes.  I wish her luck in helping her brother.
I went home after the newstand, and my youngest son, Bradley, told me that when he went into the Post Office, several people were discussing the article and when one of the ladies saw him, she recognized him as my son and asked him questions about our lifestyle.  He said they all told him what a motivational story his parents told in the article.  How cool.
When Lisa came home from work, she said several people she works with told her how much they liked the article and were now interested in trying the low carb life.  Awesome.
It just feels so good to know that something that has made such a difference in your life might somehow help others make a difference in theirs.  That something as simple as watching what you put in your mouth, can drastically improve so many aspects of your health and make you feel so much better, that others can see it and want it, too.
My wish for you, whether you're overweight or not, whether you're diabetic or not, whether you're healthy or not, is that you will at least give this lifestyle a chance.  It has been proven that this lifestyle helps to resolve so many health issues, like Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, blood pressure, and it's heart healthy.  They even have success treating pediatric seizure patients.
So, I've preached enough.  My sons' band is going on a mini tour in a few weeks and they needed more seating in their van, so I helped them build a bench seat tonight.  Lisa decided to cook for us all, so she made chicken breast covered in bacon and cheddar cheese, Angus burgers, and my oldest son's cream spinach recipe.  It was awesome. 
Well, I guess I'd better get off now.  Lisa wants me to watch an old Buffy the Vampire Slayer with her.  Other than American Idol, I didn't see much else on.  Speaking of American Idol, who do you like?  Who needs to go home?  See ya!

Oh, No. Not Again!

Well, we had an interesting night last night.  We were still celebrating how well our feature story was received, when, about 10:00, we heard tires squeal and a crash.  I looked out the window to see a car speeding away after it hit Lisa's new Nissan Cube.  She just bought that car a few months ago and now it gets hit by a hit and run driver.  We ran outside but the car was already out of sight.  We called the police and then another car pulls up with two ladies in it.  They said they saw the whole thing and waited around to tell the police what they saw.  The officer didn't seem very confident that they would find the person, but we got a call from them at 1:00 this morning saying they found the car but not the driver.  The car is registered to someone in a neighboring city, so they are getting an arrest warrant today.  I haven't heard from them yet.  I called the insurance company this morning and my body shop.  My friend, Mark, who owns the body shop came and towed the car to his place so he could give us a true estimate.  Now, we're just waiting to hear from him and the police.
As if that wasn't enough, the same thing happened to my truck about 6 months ago.  They found the guy, drunk, driving on a suspended license, with no insurance.  That was a mess to finally get resolved.
And, after all the excitement last night, I had to go in for a root canal at 11:30 this morning.  It went well, but I have to go back a couple of more times to finish everything up.
So, with all that said, we are still excited about the overwhelming response we have had about our story in the paper.  Visits to the site went through the roof and we are getting several e-mails from folks interested in adopting the low carb lifestyle.  I really love helping others get healthy.  My experience has been so positive.  I'm off all diabetic related meds, lost 65 pounds and all my blood work is ideal.  If I can do it, so can you.
I had low carb, flax seed peanut butter on low carb whole wheat toast this morning for breakfast, but after the root canal, I don't know what I'll feel like eating the rest of the day.  I'm still a little numb and it feels like I'm continuously drooling but Greg tells me I'm not.
Speaking of Greg, he's at the house right now.  He'll be blogging in a minute so be sure to read his ramblings. 
That's all I have for now.  Hope you all have a great day.  See ya.