| Q: |
Isn’t this diet hard on your
kidneys? |
| A: |
Not at all! This is an old
argument that has no sound scientific basis to it. The truth is that this
regimen is very healthy for your kidneys and protects them from the
degeneration of inflammation. Inflammation is the most dangerous thing for
kidneys. The reason that diabetics have a higher risk of kidney disease is
because their carbohydrate intolerance leads to inflammation and that destroys
their kidneys. |
| Q: |
Don’t you need carbohydrates
for energy? |
| A: |
Carbohydrates are one source of
energy and that is why this is a low-carbohydrate regimen, not a
NO-carbohydrate diet. However, another important source of energy comes from
the metabolism of fats. When we stimulate the secretion of too much insulin by
eating excessive amount of carbohydrates, the high insulin levels block our
metabolic ability to burn fat for energy. This promotes fat synthesis from
sugar, hypoglycemia and fatigue. |
| Q: |
How about athletes, don’t
they need to carbohydrate-load before an event? |
| A: |
No! That practice comes from an
old school of thought. Athletes perform much better when their metabolism is
adapted to use both fats and carbohydrates for energy. We store much more
energy in the form of fat and it is very important to use it efficiently in
athletics. Athletes run stronger, longer, cooler, use with less water, and
produce less lactic acid and inflammation when they are fat adapted.
|
| Q: |
Won’t eating meat, eggs, and
cheese raise my cholesterol and increase my risk of heart disease? |
| A: |
No! The most dangerous risk
factor for the heart is inflammation. This regimen is specifically designed to
reduce inflammation and dramatically lower the risk of heart disease. It’s
carbohydrates that are responsible for raising your dangerous cholesterol
levels. They also produce inflammation that dramatically increases the risk of
heart disease. Healthy fats don’t put you at risk for heart disease.
|
| Q: |
I’m confused, I’ve
always heard that fat in the diet makes us fat, how can I lose fat by eating
fat? |
| A: |
Just remember that insulin is
very potent at doing two things. First, abnormally high levels of insulin
won’t let your metabolism use fat for energy. Secondly, insulin stimulates
your body’s ability to convert carbohydrates into fat. The sum of these
two factors leads to obesity. Fats don’t stimulate insulin, carbohydrates
do. The easiest way to gain fat is to eat sugar and carbohydrates. Fats can
contribute to obesity if you eat a lot of sugar and carbohydrates with them!
But it’s carbohydrates that are the culprit. |
| Q: |
What will this diet do for skin
problems like psoriasis, seborrhea and acne? |
| A: |
A. You'll be glad to know that
those skin problems respond very well to this regimen. You will experience
smooth, unblemished baby soft skin with the low-carb diet. Supplementation with
borage oil, DMAE, folic acid, colostrums, and Lyprinol® are also good for
the skin. |
| Q: |
I have a tremendous sweet tooth.
Will I ever be able to stop those cravings? How can I control my
appetite? |
| A: |
This regimen is very effective at
controlling the appetite. Your taste for sweets will change once you get away
from them. Your taste buds become more sensitive to the sweetness of healthy
foods like the low-carb fruits and vegetables recommended in my book. Many of
the sweets you now eat will taste too sweet later. Some supplements can also
help such as Metadyl™, Senolin™, and DMAE. Also, cocoa has some
appetite suppressant qualities. Making some low-carb hot chocolate (recipe in
my book) in the morning can help stop cravings. |
| Q: |
Will I ever get to enjoy my
favorite foods again? |
| A: |
If your favorite foods are high
in sugar, then you can only have them rarely. That is because insulin is so
potent at causing problems that if you abuse the carbohydrates excessively, you
can break through any carbohydrate tolerance. One trick is to eat those types
of food at the end of a meal when they won't have as dramatic effect on your
insulin as it does on an empty stomach. Don't eat them as a snack on an empty
stomach! |
| Q: |
I’ve tried a low-carb diet
before. I get tired of the same foods. How can I add a variety to my
diet? |
| A: |
With an improved carbohydrate
tolerance, you are able to add more variety to your diet. Other tips for
low-carb foods are to prepare things differently using different sauces to
flavor meats, etc. There is a recipe section at the back of my book. Check the
links on this website for other low-carb sites that have quite a variety of
menus. |
| Q: |
I started a low-carb diet once
and in the first two days I experienced a headache, muscle cramps, and fatigue.
Where was all that energy that you are talking about? |
| A: |
Those are fairly common side
effects for people who can’t burn fat very efficiently. The dietary
supplements that I provide will dramatically lower your chance of those side
effects. If you’re patient and stick with a low-carb diet, most of the
time the side effects subside within several days. |
| Q: |
Can't I just eat protein and
low-carbohydrate foods and get the same results? Why do I need to also take
supplements if I am changing my eating habits? |
| A: |
The low-carb diet is one
important part of the regimen. By itself, it can improve your health
significantly. However, for many it's not enough. To enjoy dramatic health
benefits including significant weight loss and high energy it may be necessary
to correct the underlying metabolic dysfunctions of fatty acid metabolism with
the appropriate dietary supplements. A low-carb diet alone won't do that for
everyone. |
| Q: |
How do I know which supplements
to take? |
| A: |
I get this question frequently,
but it is difficult to give a general answer. Individuals have different
supplement needs. If a person is young, active, and healthy; they can get by
with few supplements. However, as we age and experience health problems, more
supplementation is usually required. If you'd like help, send me an
e-mail. |
| Q: |
How do I know how much of the
supplements to take? |
| A: |
Part of this depends on how
closely you follow the low-carb diet. The closer you can stay on the diet, the
less you may need supplementation. The reverse is also true; the more of
certain supplements you take, the more carbohydrates you may be able to
tolerate. |
| Q: |
In your last book, you said to
take several folic acid tablets per day. Why has that recommendation
changed? |
| A: |
I still recommend folic acid
supplementation. I have lowered the recommended dose because of my desire to
make the regimen easier to follow and because I have found other supplements
that work better such as Lyprinol®. To lower the risk of heart disease and
other problems, folic acid supplementation is safe and effective. |
| Q: |
I've been taking borage oil,
flaxseed oil and salmon oil in separate capsules. Is it better to switch to the
essential oil capsules? |
| A: |
I'm not saying it's better, but
for convenience and expense, some people may want to. However, you will not get
the same amount of each oil. Essential oil tablets contain 400 mg of each oil.
The individual oil capsules have 1000 mg. Some is better than none, but certain
individuals will definitely want to take higher doses. |
| Q: |
How long should I stay on your
regimen and a low carb diet? |
| A: |
... the rest of your healthy
life! |
