[podcast flashvars=”titles: ‘Dr. Eric Westman (Episode 338)'”]http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/wp-content/uploads/llvlc338-dr-eric-western.mp3[/podcast]
Hello and welcome back to The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore!
In today’s episode, Jimmy presents two interviews. First, Jimmy speaks with a representative from Nebraska Cultures about a research study into the usefulness of Lactobacillus acidophilus for human health. For those of you who are taking probiotics as part of your health regimen, you will be interested in learning more about this upcoming study set to be released in late 2010.
In the featured interview today we are very proud to present Dr. Eric Westman from Duke University to discuss the newest version of the popular Atkins low-carb diet called New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight Fast and Feeling Great. Listen in for a fantastic look at why Dr. Westman strongly feels this book “gets it right” when the December 2008 Atkins book didn’t, who is behind this newfound effort to promote the science behind high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb living, what new information has been added, and much, MUCH more!
LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 338
– Company conducting research on acidophilus
– Dr. Eric Westman bio
– New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight Fast and Feeling Great
– RELATED PODCAST: One-On-One With Duke Researcher Dr. Eric Westman (Episode 54)
– RELATED BLOG POST: New Atkins Diet Book By Today’s Top Low-Carb Researchers Set To Release In March 2010
I really enjoyed this podcast. Very informative. I need to get this book and study it.
Louise, this is the best thing to happen to low-carb since Good Calories Bad Calories in 2007.
Next time, let Mr. Westman read the book before giving an interview.
And Jimmy do you really need this kind of Lactobacillus-sponsors to keep your fantastic show alive?
VBR
Floris, Dr. Westman WROTE the book and provided the science behind it, so I don’t think he needs a lecture from you about every minutia that’s contained in it when I asked him a specific question about the information therein. It’s nice to have reference when you’ve written a book…mine is 500 pages and I’d probably need to have a page number referenced, too.
As for the acidophilus information shared at the beginning, they weren’t a sponsor and I received NOTHING from them in return for this. I found it interesting cutting-edge information that warranted being shared about the new study on this supplement a lot of people who are livin’ la vida low-carb take.
Why so cynical, my friend? 🙂
–Jimmy
Dear Jimmy, I’m a big fan of yours and a very very low carber. I try to live without a bias. I’m perhaps a little bit cynical because I really got the feeling that Eric Westman did not know answers on easy questions and got the impression that he did NOT write and read big parts of the book. Also I get a bad feeling about three doctors connecting their names to a doubtful organization like Atkins Nutritional. Where do we need a new Atkins book for? This does not help. For the rest I think Westman speaks on a manner that he is the big scientist who knows everything and you are the layman who is just good enough for bringing out the message. I think Westman does NOT know the whole scientific story and people like you perhaps even have a broader view.
Sorry about my misconception about the acidophilus/sponsor thing. My “bias” 😉 is that when you eat very low carb and stick to basic foods you don’t need any supplements. For me, acidophilus is nonsense. Also I got the feeling that the outcome of this study is already fixed.
VBR, your big fan Floris
THANKS so much for your thoughts, Floris. But as someone who knows Dr. Westman personally both as a friend and having seen him as a doctor, I know his heart is in helping people with what he has learned from his patients and letting the science behind what he discovers guide him moving forward. Too often most physicians just stick with the pharmaceutical answer to everything without questioning whether or not there is a better way. That’s what sets him apart from his “holier-than-thou” counterparts in the research world.
As for the supplement, I’m a big fan of taking them because quite frankly you can’t get enough of the nutrients you need from diet alone. I proudly take probiotics, Vitamin D3 gel caps, fish oil, an iron-free multivitamin, chromium, and a few others. They are going to keep me healthy for many years to come. THANK YOU for all of your support of my work!
–Jimmy
Dear Jimmy, I agree, Dr. Westman is a very big step in the good direction.
For some years now I live mainly on grass-fed beef, eggs, butter and tallow. I never take a supplement.
THANK YOU for your good work.
I love Dr. Westman’s sincerity. “Seeing his patients change brings him to work.” I know this is true. He wants to help people improve their lives. He will take time from any other activity to help a person struggling with their low-carb lifestyle. He certainly did that for me last year.
Floris. I am upset by your criticisms. I think you need to understand that Dr Westman is a very busy physician and scientist. I write a lot, and when it’s only part of my job, I can’t remember what I wrote, or my colleague wrote yesterday, let alone some months ago (a book especially is written a long time before publication). The fact that he stumbled once over what was in the book is nothing. He wanted to make sure he reiterated what’s written in the book – to make sure he gave the points as in the book. He could just have given Jimmy obvious facts but in the long run that wouldn’t be so effective.
Jimmy is a one-of-a-kind blogger. He devotes his life to his blog and these podcasts, to learning and keeping up with all the current literature and science, to providing great analyses of publications that are all too often misquoted by the media’s so-called scientific journalists, to finding information from his many sources when he doesn’t have answers, and attending meetings to hear directly from low-carb professionals as well as those opposed to low-carb life styles.
He can’t continue to do this full-time work without sponsors. Have you taken action and made a contribution to Jimmy? What is your beef? Do you learn anything about low-carbing by listening to Jimmy’s podcasts or are you actually opposed to the low-carb lifestyle?
THANK YOU MC! If everybody who listened to this show just donated SOMETHING towards keeping it going, then I’d never have to find another sponsor ever again. Unfortunately, too many people enjoy the information but don’t bother supporting it financially. Until that happens, we’ll have to keep looking for products and services to promote. I appreciate your comments!
–Jimmy
Dear MC-OZ, I did not mean to upset you. I’m very pro Jimmy and he knows that. Jimmy is not helped by people who never criticize him. I just give my honest opinion. I would be in favor a format in which Jimmy is fully financed by his listeners/members. I don’t like the influence of his sponsors at all. The Jimmy Living’ la Vida Low Carb Broadcast Organization. Count me in.
I don’t mind criticism at all, Floris. But I can tell you this–there’s no “influence” by my sponsors here at this podcast on the content provided. Whether I’m supported by businesses or individuals, the content remains the same no matter what and I will guarantee that as long as I’m in charge of this show (and that will be forever!). Choose to purchase from the businesses or not, but realize that it is what is needed to make this wonderful show you enjoy happen.
–Jimmy
Interesting, good interview Jimmy,
I don’t feel good about the funding source for this book – “Atkins Nutritional“ I don’t see how this book will benefit this company. If you look at the ingredients in any of the Atkins Nutritional products you have to conclude that these are not something that should be eaten by anyone. These products contain a lot of horrible stuff.
I don’t believe The Atkins Book can be improved on.
I hear ya about how ANI will benefit from this, Carl. But I think ANYTHING positive about the Atkins name will help their business, so repackaging the diet so that it is easy-to-understand and do gets people to stop fearing low-carb and helps them in the long run. I agree the bars could be a whole lot better and they need people like Dr. Westman on their product development team to help with that.
–Jimmy
Sounds like that pro-biotic company already made up there minds about how and why there strain is better. That study they are doing is likely to support their cause. Please read this review of microbiology within the gut lumen to help make an informed desicion about pro-biotics. http://www.usprobiotics.org/docs/AAM%20probiotic%20report%20june%2006.pdf
THANKS for the info, Pharm! I like putting information out there so that it will make people think about what they believe. Information and knowledge is power.
–Jimmy
Hi Jimmy.
You may want to take a look at an interesting study (see post below) of various hormone levels (including adiponectin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) after a high saturated fat meal. What makes this study interesting is that it is one of the first to look at the effect of dietary saturated fat on adiponectin; a health-promoting hormone secreted by body fat.
http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2010/03/adiponectin-and-tumor-necrosis-factor.html
The conclusion contradicted the authors’ initial assumptions. Saturated fat had positive effects: an increase in adiponectin and decrease in tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
Interestingly, those effects were later messed up by three low fat meals rich in refined carbs and sugars, which were supposed to help the participants “recover” from the high fat meal.
THANKS Ned! I’ll take a look into it!
here’s a radio program featuring two of the authors, phinney and westman: http://hoe.kgnu.net/hoeradioshow.php?show_id=184 (select download to listen as the direct feed no longer works.) as i remember, phinney discusses the “atkins flu” – though i don’t recall if he used that term. very important stuff as many people drop out of low carb programs on account of the initial discomfort that induction/extreme carb reduction may entail. two weeks to up to two months may be the adjustment period according to phinney…enzymes, etc., and in other sources – if not this one – i’ve encountered talk of upregulated gene expression kicking in. i got the book yesterday and was hoping to read a lot about this but only encountered a statement acknowledging the “flu” and its potential duration of up to two months and the utility of taking salt to counter these transient uncomfortable effects. sound advice – dr. mary vernon advocates the same – but again, the book could benefit from a discussion of the mechanics of the flu. the book addresses other anti low carb bugaboos such as cholesterol, saturated and total fat intake, possible increased ldl (showing that, even so, particle size is favorably redistributed), etc. so, again, too bad the flu was not discussed in greater detail. a good book though because it introduces to the medical community westman, phinney, and volek (and in the acknowledgements others such as drs. vernon and feinman). it’s very important to demonstrate that such capable people – medical professors and true scientists – are advocating low carb eating.
THANKS sss! I don’t think they address the “flu” because it’s easily remedied with the bouillon broth as Dr. Westman noted in my chat with him. It’s likely a depletion of electrolytes which the added salt restores. I agree this puts the names of three amazing researchers out there for all the world to see. 🙂
I loved the interview. I view it as a company to hiring a consulting firm to review where they are. Keep what’s working and toss out or clarify what isn’t. I believe it to be a totally credible approach. Otherwise they could have just published on their own with a new spin. I like the back to basics approach while leveraging new science to make it easier to do as a lifestyle.
The one topic that I wish more professionals would address is the effect of a healthy low carb approach such as Atkins on inflammation in the body. The material I have read so far is very contradictory. One says it helps and others say it doesn’t.
Do you have any information or resources on low carb and inflammation?
The best experts on inflammation are Dr. Barry Sears and Dr. Ron Rosedale. I agree, we need more people talking about this.
–Jimmy
I think it’s real coup to get this interview as the book came out. Congratulations!
I think some of the friction here, shows how some of us who try support each other on forums like this and other can get caught up in the minutiae, that scientists and doctors aren’t as concerned about. A good reminder that this program is about controlling you insulin to lose weight, maintain weight and create general good health, not reading and citing phrases from the book like we’re lawyers.
You are doing really important work, Jimmy, getting all these people on the record. I really appreciate it.
Thanks Gloria! It helps that I’m on a first-name basis with a lot of these key players.
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Thanks Jimmy
Great book! Dr. Atkins would be happy to have his name on this newest version. I just bought six of them to share with friends.
Keep up the fantastic work!
Mike, that is so great! THANKS for your feedback!
–Jimmy
Jimmy, I LOVED this interview. They are all spectacular, but this one was really special. Thanks!
Jazzy