[podcast]http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/wp-content/uploads/llvlc162-charles-washington.mp3[/podcast]
Oftentimes people who are unfamiliar with livin’ la vida low-carb mistakenly describe it as a “zero-carb diet.” Anyone who has ever read Protein Power, Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, or any of the other respectable books about low-carb dieting knows that NONE of them advocate NO carbs. Not a single one. It just doesn’t exist despite that pervading stereotypical view of what this way of eating is all about. But today’s guest not only eating zero carbs, but he is also an active athlete running in half marathons.
In Episode 162 we hear from Charles Washington, one of my moderators at the “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Discussion” forum, and he’s proudly zero-carbing and loving it. After following the low-fat diet dutifully and losing a good amount of weight on it, Charles gained it all back when he started lifting weights. That’s what drove him to learn more about low-carb nutrition, led him to my blog, and put him on a learning path that has him doing what he is doing today.
There’s one thing about Charles Washington that you cannot deny–he backs up everything he says with the facts from researchers, authors, and people who survived and thrived on basically a zero-carb diet. For someone who has not been trained in medicine or nutrition, he articulates his point of view clearly and logically. That can be difficult to pull off when you are suggesting something like eating only meat for your diet, but Charles does it.
He’s been sharing his views on the zero-carb path at my forum with quite a response–it’s the #1 most-read thread at “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Discussion!” Today’s podcast is the first time many people will hear Charles talking about eating this way, why he chose zero-carb over low-carb, how Gary Taubes’ book Good Calories, Bad Calories changed his life, what he does to prepare for a half-marathon eating no carbs, his response to Dr. Mike Eades’ recent blog post stating that calories count on a low-carb diet, and so much more! I’ve been dying to share this interview with you and now it’s here.
What’s your impression of Charles Washington and his zero-carb diet? Were you persuaded that perhaps eating no carbohydrates is possibly a healthy way not just to live, but also a preferred method for runners and athletes looking for maximum performance?