If you are jealous of the success that sucralose (Splenda) has enjoyed in the marketplace, and want a piece of the action yourself, here are a few hints for you:

1. Make your crap taste better. It’s nasty, 99 percent of the time.

2. Make it cheaper. It’s ridiculously expensive. For [...]]]> Dear stevia sellers:

If you are jealous of the success that sucralose (Splenda) has enjoyed in the marketplace, and want a piece of the action yourself, here are a few hints for you:

1. Make your crap taste better. It’s nasty, 99 percent of the time.

2. Make it cheaper. It’s ridiculously expensive. For Pete’s sake, it’s a fucking dried leaf. This is not rocket science.

3. I was going to say “make it stand up better to baking” but this page says it can bake at temperatures up to 400 degrees F without breaking down, and most baked-good recipes call for temperatures lower than that. I’ll take their word for it. It’s still not an ideal substitute for sugar because it can’t do everything sugar can do. Neither can sucralose, I’ll admit, but polyols can, and health nuts don’t like those either.

That’s all you have to do, guys. Quit it with the bullshit hysteria campaigns. I just saw something on Facebook that said sucralose was initially developed as an insecticide. They also said that bulked out sucralose affects you the same way sugar does. I commented on the post thusly:

If they think this stuff affects you the same way as sugar just because it has maltodextrin and/or dextrose in it (depends on which form of Splenda you’re talking about, granulated or packet), they’re crazy. I get sick from eating table sugar because my body is no longer accustomed to it. I don’t get sick from Splenda. Now, I don’t generally eat huge amounts of it either. I have a couple packets here, a couple packets there–nothing like the sugar I was consuming years ago.

It’s still not as bad for you as sugar is. Anyone who says otherwise obviously thinks losing eyesight and kidneys and feet is no big deal. I have type 2 diabetics in my family and can’t play around with this.

Stevia? Make it taste better first. And stand up better to baking. And frankly there have been some concerns about the safety of stevia too. Let’s just say sweetness is poison and accept that if we’re going to have a lot of sweet stuff, REGARDLESS of the sweetening agent, that we are taking risks with our health and lives. How about that?

and…

Other comments, based on what I’ve read here:

http://www.downtoearth.org/health/vitamins-supplements/sucralose-dangerous-sugar-substitute

1. The thymus gland is supposed to shrink. You’re supposed to have barely any thymus left by the time you’re an adult.

2. My hemoglobin A1C was normal when I last went to the doctor, which was this most recent July. I’ve been using Splenda for years now. That glycosated [sic] hemoglobin they’re talking about is what the HgA1C measures.

For what it’s worth. I’ll keep my mind open about the insecticide thing but really, you eat herbs, don’t you? They kill bugs too.

Seriously, have you looked into the toxicity of herbs? I love them, I love learning about herbal medicine and I think that on balance they’re better for us than the chemical soup presented to us by the pharmaceutical industry, BUT, they’re still dangerous if you use them wrong–even the culinary herbs. They use thymol, one of the most important constituents in thyme, rosemary, and culinary sage, as an antifungal preservative for the original United States Constitution. If you opened the capsule the Constitution is kept in without taking proper precautions, you’d get sick.

These nature nuts (and I mean that in the best possible way) will get hysterical about a few atoms of chlorine but make themselves sick cutting all the fat out of their diets, or ingest an essential oil they’re not supposed to eat and die of liver failure. It’s insane.

I was reading a comment today on the California Avocado Commission’s fan page by someone who throws avocado pits into their Vita-Mix when they use avocados in a smoothie. The CAC’s response was something like “OMG please don’t do that, that’s bad for you.” WTF people? You’re on Facebook advertising your stupidity to the world. Do a goddamn Google search. Your liver will thank you.

But I WAY digressed there. Dear stevia sellers, if you would just work a little harder at selling your product on its own merits (and giving it more merits–it hasn’t enough yet, if you ask me), you wouldn’t need to smear the competition.

I want to like your stuff. Really, I do. I’m trying.

Oh, and it would help if you would be more forthcoming about the potential hazards of YOUR product. I’m just sayin’.

No love,
Me.

That all changed today. I think it’s time for T. [...]]]> I’d heard of the China Study which supposedly proves veganism is healthier than eating animal foods. But I hadn’t read the book, so really couldn’t have an opinion about it. I’d heard from some LC bloggers that it was bunk, but again, nothing definite.

That all changed today. I think it’s time for T. Colin Campbell to get a real job.

If you’re a numbers junkie and haven’t seen this brilliant blog post already, go NOW. You will be catatonic with delight. And she lays out Campbell’s own data in a way that even a statistics-ignorant layperson like me can somewhat understand.

Aaand… she’s very neutral in tone. She is not pushing any particular agenda. She just wanted to see if the numbers lined up.

So there you go. Have fun, kiddies. Unless you’re vegan, in which case you’ll ignore her completely and pretend there are no problems at all with the study. Good luck with that, ya hear?

A low-carb guru weighs in on the dietary guidelines

…Actually, calling Dr. Phinney a “guru” is kind of stretching it. I never even heard of the dude until the buzz started about the new [...]]]> Someone on my Facebook feed linked to this article at the L.A. Times about those ridiculous new USDA nutrition guidelines:

A low-carb guru weighs in on the dietary guidelines

…Actually, calling Dr. Phinney a “guru” is kind of stretching it. I never even heard of the dude until the buzz started about the new Atkins book*. But I guess every movement must have a guru, especially if you’re Californian. I mean, that’s been their whole experience since the Sixties, hasn’t it?

OK. Cheap shot. I’ll stop now. (If I have any Californian readers lurking out there, ah lurves yoo!)

Overall I’m pleased with the tone of the article. Seriously, it could have gone a lot worse. I’m suspicious that a lot of folks in Hollywood are following some kind of low-carb regimen, and might have had a few choice words for the Times had they been less than neutral on the subject.

That said, I had a bit of an issue with the way they covered the cholesterol angle. People will just not let this die, and they won’t even dig any deeper to find out what is known about cholesterol and how it responds to diet. I guess I can’t totally blame them; it’s difficult to want to find out more when you’ve got that drumbeat in the media going The science is settled the science is settled THE SCIENCE IS GODDAMN SETTLED and you find yourself going “Oh. The science is settled. All righty then,” and turning back to your reality TV and your fat-free bagel with fat-free margarine and fat-free cream cheese on top. (Ew ew EW.)

So I thought I’d add a note or two in the comments. I don’t necessarily expect my comment to be made public–I mean, I might get lucky, but who knows, there might be a PETAbot moderating the comments–so I’ll repeat it here, for those of you who haven’t heard all this stuff about cholesterol yet.

There are another couple of angles on the cholesterol story with regard to low-carbohydrate diets. It seems that when your doctor orders a cholesterol profile on you, nine times out of ten the lab employs a formula to determine your LDL, rather than counting it directly. For some reason, the formula includes your triglyceride count–which isn’t even a cholesterol number, but never mind.

This plays out interestingly when the patient has low triglycerides, which occurs the vast majority of the time with people who eat low-carb. This makes sense if you know what triglycerides are: they’re former digestible carbohydrates. Your body takes the excess of those and turns them into fatty acids with the intention of storing them in fat cells. Eat less of the digestible carbohydrate foods, and you make fewer triglycerides.

Unfortunately the end result is that low triglycerides skew the formula for LDL calculation–making LDL look higher than it really is. There is a solution for this, because there is a lab test that will count LDL directly, but you must ask for the test, and you must check to see if your insurance will cover it.

If you want to verify what I’m saying for yourself, do a Google search for the Friedenwald formula or Friedenwald’s formula (either will get you results).

The other angle on cholesterol and low-carb diets is that the relative danger of LDL particles depends greatly on their size. It’s been shown over and over again that on a low-fat, high-carb diet, many people form LDL particles that are small and dense. If the person switches to a high-fat, lower-carb diet, the particle size can and often does change to something larger and fluffier. You want large and fluffy LDL. That’s normal LDL and is an indicator of good metabolic health. As far as researchers can tell, fluffy LDL is way too big to fit into your artery lining and form plaques. Only the tiny LDL particles do that.

Again, there are lab tests that detect, if indirectly, your LDL particle size. Ask your doctor about those too. I just did a little glancing around on Google, and Johns Hopkins says it’s not necessary to ask for particle size testing since a doctor knows all they need to know from the regular cholesterol test, but Johns Hopkins also says cholesterol is a fat, which isn’t true either. (It’s a waxy alcohol.) Get the tests done, both direct LDL count and LDL particle size, and then you can make more intelligent decisions about your health care and dietary approach.

Personally, all I need to know is that I can’t utilize minerals or fat-soluble vitamins as efficiently if I’m not eating enough fat, and that fat helps me feel full sooner at a meal than if I cut it out of my diet, and that I feel a lot less crazy and mood-swingy when I’m eating more fat, including saturated (but not trans!). Oh, and I’m losing weight too. But that’s just a bonus.

Oh, I missed that where Phinney parrots the same old mantra about not eating saturated fats with large amounts of carbohydrates. That’s one of the flaws in the whole Atkins philosophy, as far as I’m concerned–Dr. Atkins had this blind spot too**. It’s going to influence some people (and probably already has) to think that if they eat large amounts of carbohydrates they’ll be OK as long as they ditch saturated fats. But if you have metabolic issues–including whacked-out cholesterol and blood pressure, even if you’re not obese–your first step should be to cut the carbs, not the saturated fats. So they could drop this whole “saturated fats are not evil… well, except sometimes” thing they’re doing and it would make me really happy.

—–
*I have… my own opinions about the new Atkins book, based on what I’ve heard from other people, but until I’ve gotten my grubby mitts on it and read it, I shall keep those to myself. I need to make sure it’s an informed opinion, not just blowing out my ass.

**And hey, I can’t blame the guy for having blind spots. Everyone does, and maybe the geniuses among us most of all.

I sympathize. I don’t react [...]]]> Because your average dedicated low-carber is typically concerned about general health and not just weight loss, the LC community overlaps somewhat with organic food advocacy and similar movements. So, every now and again you’ll hear some LC blogger or book author wax eloquent about the dangers of artificial sweeteners.

I sympathize. I don’t react to most non-nutritive sweeteners but suspect that aspartame (Nutrasweet) probably gives me slight headaches as often as not. Most of the time I try to avoid it. Sometimes the only diet soda option at a restaurant, though, is a diet soda with Nutrasweet in it, and sometimes I really want a soda. Not as often as I used to, but I figure once in a while isn’t going to kill me. And generally, given the choice between a natural option and a synthetic one, particularly when the synthetic option is made by an Evil!Corporation hellbent on poisoning humanity, I’d much rather have the natural option.

But. There’s a problem.

Not one single solitary I am not kidding I shit you not here natural nutritive* sweetener on the market is good for me. Not a one. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Nada.

I’ve done some reading up on this and I understand that some sweeteners are less processed, that they come with the full complement of minerals and vitamins from the original plant (only the minerals would survive cooking, for the most part, but never mind), that some raise blood sugar less than others. I get it. I really do. I really am not a stupid sheep who follows crowds and never investigates for herself.

That’s why I am not bleating along with the herd on agave nectar, honey, Succanat, or any of those other poison powders that so many other people in (or near) my health community insist on consuming.

No, not even if I try to go full Paleo. It’s going to be 95 to 99 percent Paleo, I’m afraid. Can’t budge on this one. Sorry.

It doesn’t matter if there are minerals present in the sweetener to make up for the ones stripped from my body when my body processes that sweetener. It doesn’t matter if it’s mostly fructose because even if it doesn’t raise my blood sugar much on the front end, it will give me fatty liver on the back end, which leads to diabetes anyway, so I don’t know why you’re getting all excited about glycemic index, since it won’t make any damn difference in the long run.

What matters to me is that if I was ever able to process various nutritive sweeteners in a healthy way, and still be healthy afterward, and not be halfway to diabetes as a result, that time is well past. I am in a state of imbalance of some kind now, and sugar makes me sick. In more ways than one. And I live in this world, not in an imaginary world where everybody has suddenly, magically reverted back to perfect Paleo eating and never gets sick from food anymore. Culture is a powerful thing, and food is very much a cultural issue. In short, I like being able to eat with family and friends, and to at least approximate the foods they eat. I am not going to get an extra bonus in heaven for being a culinary weirdo. So in that sense, artificial sweeteners let me displace all that nasty poison powder with something slightly less nasty and poisonous that may very well buy me a few extra decades’ time–in which I won’t be blind, on dialysis, or wearing prosthetic feet.

In that sense, it’s almost like being on medication. Most medication these days, by the way, is (wait for it) synthetic. Oh mah stahs and gahtahs.

Some of the arguments against artificial sweeteners are kind of silly, too.

I’m prejudiced against aspartame not because I believe it makes formaldehyde in the body (maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t, I don’t know so I’m not gonna make that claim), but because it’s a rather large dose of an amino acid which causes brain damage in people who can’t make the enzymes to process it. (That’s what the disease PKU is.) I have a hard time believing that overdosing on that amino acid wouldn’t also cause brain damage of some kind in normal people. Being normal only means you can break down the amino acid or change it, not that your system wouldn’t be overwhelmed by huge amounts. Kind of like the way you can drown yourself drinking too much water.

I’m a little annoyed at the claims about sucralose (Splenda) though. I’ve heard three so far. Some people say it causes the thymus gland to shrink. Funny, I could have sworn aging does that. If someone could show me where they controlled for the normal aging process, I might be concerned. Hasn’t happened yet. Some people say sucralose is dangerous because it has a chlorine atom in it. Whoops, so does table salt. I don’t notice any adverse effects from eating that stuff, quite aside from the government’s asinine claims about the dangers of sodium. There’s one more argument, not quite as loud or popular, that claims sucralose adversely affects the balance of microflora in your intestines–you know, all the good bugs that help you digest stuff and stay healthy. I haven’t seen a whole lot to support this one either. And it seems to me the effects could be offset by eating enough probiotic foods**.

I’m a little weird on saccharin because it supposedly caused cancer in rats. The problem was allegedly serious enough for the government to require a label on the stuff all throughout my childhood. They’re pooh-poohing that research now and claiming that the risk is minute and that all substances are toxic in high amounts. I agree, but that doesn’t mean all substances are carcinogenic–important distinction there. I don’t know about you but I think I’d rather drown than have cancer, and I’m terrified of drowning. But hey, pick your poison. I just avoid saccharin because it tastes like shit, to tell you the truth.

One valid argument I’ve heard against using artificial sweeteners is that you never train yourself to do without the sugar. I guess I can sort of buy that. Except, I am doing without the sugar. Except, on the rare occasion I have anything with actual sugar in it now, it makes me sick–wow, guess I got trained. What these people are actually saying is that I’m bad for ever wanting to eat something sweet. I’ve got something to say to that, but I want to keep this blog relatively PG-rated. Also, see what I said above about cultural influences. I don’t want to be a mutant outcast from society–I just want to be healthy. If artificial sweeteners let me achieve that? Bring on the Splenda, bay-bee.

(Stevia? Tastes like unwashed ass to me most of the time. If it’s processed right and backed with some kind of citrus flavor, it’s all right. I also like TruVia and PureVia, but the purists among us would say I was wrong for eating a sugar alcohol along with the stevia. Plus, they’re way more expensive than Splenda, and still don’t taste quite right. Oh well.)

—–
*Nutritive sweetener, by the way, is about the silliest damn food industry term I think I have ever heard in my life. Oh? It’s a nutrient now? Pray tell, what’s the deficiency disease? Clear arteries? Sharp vision into your eighties? A well-functioning pancreas? Keeping all your toes? Oh no, can’t have that… pass the sugar bowl.

**No, not the fakey nasty sugar-laden over-processed ones available at most grocery stores. Most grocery store yogurt is an abomination unto the Lord, and we won’t even speak of what they’ve done to kefir. It’s worth your while to learn how to make your own.

Health stuff this past week: The swelling in my foot has improved tremendously even with variations in the weather. On the other hand, over the weekend I developed some weird kind of GI problem. I suspect it was a virus, and it seems to be clearing up now, [...]]]> 248.5 | 241 | 140

Health stuff this past week: The swelling in my foot has improved tremendously even with variations in the weather. On the other hand, over the weekend I developed some weird kind of GI problem. I suspect it was a virus, and it seems to be clearing up now, but it had me scared for a bit. Every once in a great while I get pain in my left lower quadrant, and more rarely it’s accompanied by a fever, but it’s always temporary and once it’s gone I blow the whole thing off and go on with my life. So when something crops up it worries me all over again. Wheehaw.

Not much going on here at the mo’. This has got to be the most boring weight-loss blog in the history of human existence. I did, however, secure a new supply of Ketostix last time I was at Walgreen’s. So things may get interesting here soon. No promises, but thanks for sticking around.

Well, my feet were really swollen yesterday, especially the right one which has been giving me grief for over a year now and I said to myself, “Watch me be back above 240 tomorrow.” You know how fatties like to say it’s water weight–well, it probably is. I’m pretty sure [TMI ALERT] [...]]]> Shit.

Well, my feet were really swollen yesterday, especially the right one which has been giving me grief for over a year now and I said to myself, “Watch me be back above 240 tomorrow.” You know how fatties like to say it’s water weight–well, it probably is. I’m pretty sure [TMI ALERT] that I ovulated this week too, which doesn’t help. No, I’m not trying… you can just tell, if you know what to look for. Ew, you’re grossing out now so never mind.

Actually my feet are still swollen today. I was joking on FB a couple days ago that usually when we get weather fronts I get a headache. This time I didn’t get the headache but did get swollen feet, general blahs and a horrible mood. Still got em. Big black dog chasing me. I am so not a dog person. Especially not of the mood variety.

Stupid part is I have health insurance as of the first of this year. Have I used it? Ha. Well, I did get in to see the dentist, and I have my first-ever permanent filling–yep, one, I’d have had two if I had not lost its counterpart on the other side of my lower jaw, not bad for age 36 huh?–but aside from that? I don’t know what it is other than I can’t be arsed because they will just treat me like a child when I go in the front door on account of I’m about a hundred pounds overweight. I know how this goes. It’s a gain in pounds, not a drop in IQ points, but you can’t tell them that.

I know. How am I supposed to know when I haven’t even tried. Gotcha.

Other shit is going on too, which is probably why I suddenly went quiet. Mostly mental shit. The usual. Appreciate the people you have in your life because they will not always stick around if you don’t. It will probably hurt them like hell to cut you loose… but if they have any self-regard at all, they will. Don’t let it go that far. Even if you think you won’t care now. You might care later.

I’ll let you guess whether I’m talking about me, or about the people I cut loose. Have fun, kids.

Wow, what do you know. Cool. Also: HOLY SHIT I’M OUTTA THE 240s. I don’t EVER want to see that weight range again. *loud imaginary applause*

Hey, whaddya want. I’m a Leo Moon*. We love applause.

I would love to say I’ve been a saint, but ’tis [...]]]> 248.5 | 239.0 | 140

Wow, what do you know. Cool. Also: HOLY SHIT I’M OUTTA THE 240s. I don’t EVER want to see that weight range again. *loud imaginary applause*

Hey, whaddya want. I’m a Leo Moon*. We love applause.

I would love to say I’ve been a saint, but ’tis not the case. There was that batch of lentil and beef soup we went through for a few days–homemade, though. It’s hard for me to remember what all I have eaten otherwise, I just know it hasn’t been a lot. I’ve had this weird aversion to eating. I do eat eventually, but it’s more like a “oh well, guess I gotta make my stomach stop growling” or “if I don’t eat something I will turn into a huge grouch” rather than giving much of a shit about food one way or the other. So my caloric intake has probably been low.

Now the thing with low-calorie eating is that it can go either way. If you’re low-cal and also low-carb, the weight’s gonna come off. If you’re low-cal but high-carb, maybe not so much unless you also run yourself to death. (This is how exercise turned into one of those items of Conventional Wisdom about weight loss. If you are eating more of the stuff that makes you fat as a percentage of your diet, your other option for weight loss is to lose muscle and bone mass. And that’s what lots of strenuous exercise on low calories does to you.)

I’m doing more the former, although not on purpose. I am also marking time until payday comes again. Money got screwed up again, so we’re all pretty close to the bone right now and eating out of the freezer and pantry. Possibly we might go grocery shopping today, since Matt’s checks take at least two days to clear, and in this case the second day is Friday, well after the point at midnight when his paycheck hits the account. So I gotta quit screwing around here in a few and try to put a menu together. If I incorporate what we already have lying around the house so that we don’t have to buy as much, it’ll be a big help. And if I put the menu together, it’ll be much, much easier to stay on the wagon.

The other thing is I had a mini-crisis yesterday. Our favorite coffee joint had their yearly anniversary sale, $1 mochas and lattes. Ordinarily this is not a big deal. They have a handful of sugar-free Da Vincis on hand, so even though a frozen latte has some lactose in it and is therefore carby, the sugar-free syrups make it more than bearable. Unfortunately, Matt was the one who got my drink and he forgot to ask for the sugar-free syrups. And the nice makers of Splenda are not kidding when they say it tastes like sugar. I could not tell the difference. I just got sick as a dog after drinking over half the cup. I don’t have any strips left for my glucose meter or I’d have tested. I bet my sugar was way high.

So, on the agenda along with better compliance with low-carbing will be a glucose tolerance test. That will make me sick too, but if I’m up for a diagnosis of diabetes, sooner is better than later. And I think–I believe–that I’m still at a stage where I can control it with diet.

That’s depressing. Let’s be happy. I’ll say it again… I am now out of the 240s. Yay. Maybe I should photograph my entire self again. Unlike with my weigh-in photos, I will be much more fully clothed. *hands you the brain bleach* I think I will also do it in a tank top and the shortest shorts I own. You’ll want way more gallons of brain bleach than what I just gave you, but I could use the visual motivation.

—–
*I don’t necessarily believe astrology is literally true, and I sure don’t think it is a science, but something is going on there. The three most major men in my life have all been Leo Moons. I had kids with two of them. And OMG the ego. And the charm–that’s what really got me. In one case I didn’t even know his moon sign until over a dozen years later.

…more rapid weight loss initially was associated with better [...]]]> Fortuitously, I was at Girl Gone Primal‘s blog a few minutes ago and happened across an interesting link in her RSS feed. A Dr. Briffa has written the following in his blog entry, For weight loss, does ‘slow and steady’ really win the day?…

…more rapid weight loss initially was associated with better results in the medium and long term. The authors of this study concluded: “Collectively, findings indicate both short- and long-term advantages to fast initial weight loss. Fast weight losers obtained greater weight reduction and long-term maintenance, and were not more susceptible to weight regain than gradual weight losers.”

He goes on to caution:

Now, there are several potential explanation for why more rapid losers did better in the long term. One is, they did more in terms of cutting calories/upping activity. Another is that they had greater propensity to lose weight, say for metabolic reasons (e.g. generally more rapid metabolic rates). It is possible, therefore, that more rapid weight loss does not cause better results (the two things might just be associated with each other).

However, what the results of this study do suggest, that more rapid weight loss is not a barrier to sustained weight loss. If anything, faster weight loss initially may augur well for those looking to the long term.

I commented:

What really annoys me about this tidbit of conventional wisdom is that “everybody knows” being fat is unhealthy. You know, if I catch smallpox virus, I know that’s unhealthy. What I want, then, is to get rid of the virus as soon as possible. There ain’t no such thing as recovering from smallpox too quickly.

What’s so different about obesity? If it’s bad for me to be fat, well, if I’m only losing a pound a week or less, I’m still fat! Nobody says obesity is OK if you’re losing it. Obesity is bad, full stop–that’s the message that is put out there.

So… Pick one. Either losing fat is OK no matter how fast you do it or obesity doesn’t really matter. That’s how I see it.

Seriously. This is one of those things I hate about weight- and diet-related conventional wisdom. Being a fattie is bad… but losing fat quickly is bad. WTF? The faster I lose it, the less time I will spend being a fattie and the less risk I have of an early death, theoretically. Why is this a problem?

Quit it with the mixed messages already. Unless you can back them with science, and I hate to be the one to break this to you, but “I hope this information is true” or “This information makes sense to me” or “Everybody knows this information, it’s a no-brainer” do not constitute backing an idea with science.

Just sayin’.

Anyway, I don’t want to call her out by name, but an old friend of mine from high school recently [...]]]> I don’t know if I have OCD, but whatever it is, it’s going crazy right now–usually I start these things out with a picture but I have none to use for this post. Argh.

Anyway, I don’t want to call her out by name, but an old friend of mine from high school recently hurt her leg and her doctors recommended bariatric surgery if she wants to be able to walk long distances ever again. Her BMI’s somewhere in the 50s range. She had a weight problem back in high school too, and along with most of the rest of us she’s put on additional weight over the years. I asked her what she’s tried so far and she listed off “dieting” (whatever diets that might be), Weight Watchers and eating more veggies. She also apparently has a thyroid problem, which for some reason her docs didn’t seem to want to wait til that got most of the way straightened out before making grand sweeping pronouncements about the fate of her GI tract.

She’s looking at resecting rather than lap band, too, which especially worries me. Lap band is at least reversible in the majority of patients who get it. Resecting, not so much, and the mortality rate is higher.

If there’s anything I can do to help her not have to have the surgery without getting in her face about it then I will do so. I figure the best way to do that is to just provide information. Now’s the time to make all that WILFing* I do pay off for someone besides me. Well, as far as it has paid off for me, anyway, up til now.

To start, here’s info on hypothyroid, which I believe is the condition she’s suffering from:

Stop The Thyroid Madness – Anyone suffering hypothyroidism has already gotten the song and dance about TSH and maybe T4, and only been prescribed one of the synthetic thyroid drugs. This site is a gateway to the rest of the story.

Thyroid-info.com – A site put together by a patient advocate. There’s at least one really good piece there on why it’s important to do more tests than just the TSH to diagnose your specific thyroid problem.

Now, here are some sites about low-carbing, people who’ve done it and people who recommend it:

Jimmy Moore’s Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb – Dude who lost well over 100 pounds following the Atkins plan. He’s leveraged his weight-loss story into two published books, a popular low-carb blog and a podcast radio show. He’s also a fairly regular fixture on the yearly Low-Carb Cruise. I think my friend will like this guy a lot. Click on the Blog link to read his blog, obviously.

Michael Eades, M.D. is the author of Protein Power, a popular low-carb weight-loss plan. This one goes a little heavier on the science but oftentimes it’s still easy to follow. The commenters help clarify things, too.

Low Carb Friends is a message board for people following any sort of low-carb plan. They have an awesome before & after photo album too.

The Lighter Side of Low-Carb is written by a bloggy friend of mine (never met her in person) who comes up with some pretty amazing LC recipes for those foods we LCers most often miss on our diets. Oopsie rolls, cauliflower & mozz pizza crust, cheesy taco shells, you name it.

Low-carb diet plans…

Atkins is still the best-known. Ignore all their ads for shakes and bars and crap unless you are REALLY craving something sweet… all that soy can’t be good for the thyroid. You don’t need that stuff to do Atkins, anyway. It’s possible to do the entire shebang on whole foods alone, with maybe a multivitamin for insurance.

Sugar Busters is an oldie too. I don’t know much about it but there are people who’ve tried it and been successful.

South Beach Diet – I’m not crazy about this one because the author is all OMG I’M A CARDIOLOGIST LOLZ and harps on the nonexistent “dangers” of saturated fats. Duh, Dr. Atkins was a cardiologist too. But this plan seems to work pretty well for people who can’t deal with the strictness of Atkins or similar plans, and who absolutely refuse to go the rest of their lives without grain.

That’s all a start, anyway. I think I might like to put together a site eventually that is more comprehensive but that would provide resources for the curious or concerned and address issues that frequently come up, like the legendary increase in LDL cholesterol that some people see on low-carb (it’s harmless and frequently overstated, but I don’t have room to explain here).

If it helps my friend get her bearings and discover that she has other options besides surgery, though, it’s all to the good.

While we’re at it, does anyone know of LC foods that are easy to prepare for someone with an injured leg who can’t get around the kitchen much? She’s married, but he’s military. She has kids, but I’m not sure they know how to do food prep yet, and she’s limited in her ability to teach them right now for the same reason she’s limited in her ability to cook. If you can’t figure out the comment system, shoot me an email and I’ll pass on your suggestions to her. Thanks!

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*WILF = What was I Looking For, or an acronym signifying mindless clicking around the Internet, which I tend to do when I get into reading about diet and nutrition stuff.