The Science and Practice of Low-Carb Diets {Duke University Office Hours}

Duke University's Dr. Eric Westman answers viewer questions about the Atkins diet during a live "Office Hours" webcast interview, January 19, 2012. Westman is the director of the Duke Lifestyle Medicine program and co-author of "The New Atkins for a New You." Moderating is James Todd from Duke's Office of News and Communications. Learn more at www.dukeofficehours.com.
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[@AlanaD]

I have lost 180 lbs. with a low carb lifestyle. My doctor was a doubter until he saw my lipid profile and ALL of my numbers improved to normal. Eating this way saved my life!

[@ceeemm1901]

How do you feel now? "bbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppppppppppppppppppppp.....flatline"?

[@Beautyinwverything]

You still look pretty fat though

[@daw162]

@@Beautyinwverything probably worth looking at yourself if what you have to offer the world is telling someone who lost 180 pounds that they still look fat. I mean, really think about what that kind of attitude and nastiness does - what does it make? who does it help?

[@KennethBostonian]

I was 301 lbs 1 year and 9 months ago. I went on a LCHF lifestyle, and went from 301 to 193 as of 1/24/17. Happy holidays. My goal is 188 lbs. My Ketones 3.6 mmol, and blood glucose 78 mg/dL 👍🏾, I go to the gym only 3-4 times a week. It really works.

[@cupcakequeen011]

Heyy congrats on your weight loss! ☺

[@makeapennycry]

High carb low fat vegan diet for 5 years left me with a super high cholesterol and extra weight 30 pounds extra and a whole slew of health problems and deficiencies. I even took supplements and ate health food no vegan junk food. Went li carb higher fat, dropped my cholesterol by over a hundred points in two weeks and doing so much better. Losing weight and feeling great. I am a believer in the lo carb. Thank goodness for these doctors willing to speak out and take the mud slinging from those opposed.

[@dis4980]

Seriously vegans will just say you did it wrong. They eject anyone that doesnt do well from their community.

[@jayhillz3705]

Vegans suck

[@snowggirl]

We biked several thousand kilometers a year, guzzled Gatorade but hubby could never lose weight despite massive amounts of exercise.He has been on Atkins 3 years, lost 40 pounds and kept it off. No doubt for him, this works.

[@Madmarsha]

So why it is okay to severely limit 1 macronutrient, fats; but when someone wants to eliminate another macronutrient, carbs, by cutting out sugar, THAT'S where we draw the line? Seriously, does that make any sense? You need fats, you don't need sugar.

[@patricke8627]

This claim makes absolutely no sense. We as humans are not designed to eat more fat than carbs. You are not a lion or a tiger miss. you need to take a step back and read the literature before this fool deceives you into getting cardiovascular disease. Every cell is designed to run off of glucose. This is very simple stuff. Ketosis is a state of sickness. The only reason you lose weight is because your body is deliberately forced to use FAT for energy because you are starving it of its naturally energy source. This is why once people lose 20-30 pounds they start feeling sick and constipated. Your vagina will even begin to smell foul because of the build up of acidity. No fiber, no vitamin c, no glucose. The Atkins diet actually got rewritten after being published because of how dangerous it was and then they said ‘well have some vegetable in there too.’ The creator of the Keto Diet (Atkins) was a habitual liar also, and died of cardiovascular disease. Don’t be deceived by this blasphemy

[@elderyounglagainandagain6613]

@@patricke8627 correct.

[@davecoper689]

@@patricke8627 Another silly argument is "you'll burn fat and use it as main energy source" instead of using carbohydrates. This sounds like a claim we cannot burn fat while being on carbohydrates. What if you eat so many calories on keto diet you don't burn fat as the energy source? You use ketones and that's how you become more energetic. But how do you know you are using ketones? Keto markers? Oh you don't feel good but they say you do? That must be you didn't follow this diet long enough (aka you didn't rewire your brain yet to agree with our ideology)! I skipped the fact keto markers were debunked 100's of times and keto gurus talking about "bullet proof coffee" on purpose. Naturally caffeine will get you more energetic and you'll forget about being sluggish and having empty stomach all the time. Unfortunately that's the exact definition of cheating! Next thing I think about in terms of this extreme carb restriction is the effect on neurotransmitters. If we can never eat what we want (we crave carbs mostly), then how do we deal with our reward system? We have to constantly tell ourselves we cannot do something and it's going to cause stress and on top of everything bad relations with food which in younger people (espescially girls) can turn into terrible eating disorders like anorexia, carb phobia and so on. How can you replace bread? With fake bread made of eggs? How can you get sufficient amounts of all vitamins if you are eating meat and eggs only? Asparagus is the new cure all! Many times keto wackos tell you to imagine you were alone in the wild. They say even if you ate some fruit or vegetable you'd use those sugars as a temporary source of energy and then because you are moving all the time return to the state of ketosis. But what would happen if you couldn't kill an animal and get animal fats? Die? Would you really struggle or just go away and eat something else than animal flesh? Would you really care to stay on this diet without indefinite amount of external, novel motivation? I don't think so. I wish human beings were so committed on their own. According to "keto science" (?) we can turn excess protein into glucose through process called gluconeogensis. But that means your body is completely in control and you can't give it more glucose unless you believe in wizardry or eat more sugars (which would get you out of ketosis). Also you can't turn fats into glucose which constitute 80% of your calorie intake. Meaning you will have issues if you are lifting, running and want to be an active person. If you are laying on the couch the whole time it may fit your miserable lifestyle. Of course, you can eat before workouts or something but do you expect it'll restore all this glycogen, water you lost in several minutes?

[@AlexHackerification]

@@patricke8627 Okay. Then, would you explain this: if the liver has a limit of carbs (100g) and high protein can be damaging, what is lasting? Because, i'm not quite sure, but eating 100g of carbs and moderate protein won't meet your body's needs imo. Oh and, every cell is made of cholesterol.

[@lafingas555]

@@patricke8627 I lost four stone on this diet 10 years ago and it felt unnatural as you say. Im super heavy again and honestly scared to do it again as i have high blood preasure im middle aged now but no other diet works. I am a bit worried but i im trying to weigh up the consequences.

[@racheltania4498]

I've been low carb for four years more or less consistently, and maintain my weight this way. I love it. I keep the fat moderate (not high) and avoid a lot of animal products because I'm not huge on meat anyway. I'm 115 pounds, healthy, and doing great. I see people pushing low fat, high carb diets, but I just never felt well at all on those kinds of things. Constant stomach problems, bloating, water retention, weight gain..it was horrible. If I do splurge on carby foods during the holidays or something, within 1-2 days of going back to my low carb plan, I feel 100% better.

[@cven1103]

This is pure gold. Dr Westman is the man!! Low carb the only way to go.

[@oneeyedboxer]

being an athlete , I tried a form of low carb diet to gain muscle mass and lose body fat and it worked ! I didn't change much about what I eat beside avoiding sugar and starch . Regardless there are other health benefits and also endurance is pretty high.

[@gmanz5]

oneeyedboxer hella gains

[@coomohit]

All that talk about eggs, has made me hungry.Think ill cook 6 up, in butter, to feed my 54 year old 29 inch waist.

[@rassledassle82]

dowhatuwill That's just plain dumb and uneducated talk.

[@rassledassle82]

dowhatuwill You low-fat people have NO PROOF in your claims, however, I can produce several studies showing that there is NO correlation between dietary fat and build-up in the arteries nor is there any proof that eating cholesterol will raise your cholesterol. However, there is scientific proof that eating a diet high in refined carbs (i.e. LOW FAT diets for the most part) causes a raise in cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

[@coomohit]

rassledassle82 Thats what the Vegan mob are though arent they?

[@rassledassle82]

paul coombs Unfortunately, I'd have to agree with you... I used to think they were just concerned about being healthy, but it's even like after they see the evidence, they still can't seem to let their flawed arguements go.

[@Armored11]

dowhatuwill yeah since the food pyramid was first carved out it preached high carb low fat low protein. So people started to cut fat as much as they could. They replaced it with carbs. Look at America now. It's really time for a change.

[@Frederer59]

Dr. Weston is absolutely correct. I only wish he would emphasize cooking more. Make your own bouillon to avoid MSG! The gut is often very messed up and needs to be "healed and sealed" See GAPSdiet

[@tamikajoseph6127]

I 100% agree. However Dr Westman's practice has focused on making it the easiest process possible for people who have a history of "failing" on diets. He takes all the obstacles out of the way

[@djpath1]

Thought i was eating right, couldn't lose the 20 pounds I need to. fruits, whole wheat, fiber cereals. nothing. New doctor said count carbs, stay around 75 grams per day. Weight starting melting off, never hungry, feel great, plenty of energy. I'm sold. Pass the bacon!!

[@R1chbloke8]

Thanks for clarifying that detail, Sepp.

[@adventureswithkatandmouse]

Great information - thank you! I am compiling a LowCarb/Ketogenic/Paleo playlist and this will fit right in.

[@gstrummer]

very informative. thank you tons.

[@tbreedlove2747]

For most of my life, my diet has been the American diet. Processed food, fast food, and sugar in all its various forms. When you mix with protein and fat, not going to be healthy. A1c is normal, blood glucose is normal but cholesterol is off the charts. Sugar cravings high and body pain, headaches and mood off the charts. Statins now my future. I am committed to low carb and body pain etc dropped from level 10 to level 2 in 10 days. My goal is not weight loss but no pain and lower inflammation, and cholesterol. Weight loss will be a generous plus.

[@Starchaser63]

Adolfo, I got the Link from a guy on YT called - Plantbasedathlete you can get it from him, I did not keep it but you can see the full study there.

[@misslilygish]

I have had so many health benefits since I started following a healthy low carb diet. The weight loss was just one of the benefits. I can not imagine ever going back to starving myself fat on a low fat, high carb diet ever again. I went through decades of torture on a 1200 calorie starvation diet trying to lose weight. No amount of exercise would help. Now when I exercise it's because I have energy to burn, not to lose weight.

[@drascatha]

Somebody should fix the out-of-synch sound. This is a great video and it should have a lot more than 1353 views.

[@rxelnyc375]

Honestly can’t believe that there are so many positive comments and the fact that this diet is still being perpetuated. The guys on these high fat diets are going to pay in the future

[@joshuahandfinger9154]

High unhealthy carbs cause high triglycerides

[@Jauhl1]

Fat can certainly be converted to glucose, usually glycerol via gluconeogenesis. The body does this in very small degree though, mainly to keep the bloodsuger from dropping to low and supply the brain with the small amount of glucose it need, when carbs are scarce. The process actually burn more energy then it makes available. The rest of of body can burn fat and ketones directly, indefinetly.

[@tejaswinipatil2678]

Keto has been shown to be harmful in numerous studies, especially without doctor supervision. The *Agoge diet* was the only diet that helped me get rid of that stubborn fat without hurting my body.

[@doddsalfa]

Chet Atkins Guitar June 20, 1924- June 30, 2001 Robert Atkins, MD October 17, 1930 - April 17, 2003

[@kuey_v]

ive done this diet for one week and lost half a stone already. SHOCKING!

[@davecoper689]

I lost 20 kg eating carbs, protein and slight amount of fats only. How is that possible?!!! I BROKE PHYSICAL LAAWSSSSS!

[@williammentink]

@@davecoper689 So, your low calorie diet mobilized your body fat? Via what process, do you think?

[@thinkingoutloud3757]

@@davecoper689 The obesogenic environment is high carbs & high fats. Both high carb/low fat and low carb/high fat are generally effective strategies for weight loss. Which one works better will depend on genotype/phenotype. However, it's often easier to control hunger on low carb/high fat, which is why that strategy's popularity has kicked off.

[@foraminutethere23]

@Uncle Theodor Nice logic.

[@TheRosa63]

so a low carb diet can heal the body so later on you can handle carbs again like fruits, beans, and super whole grains? or are grains always a problem for some people no matter what they do? I read stephanie seneffs blog about metabolic syndrome, adhd, alzeihemers etc all being related to the same nutritional deficiencies. she has a lot of good insight that for 2 years seems to be helping me, tho slow, but I didn't get this sick overnight either. any ideas?

[@MrJayculter]

i eat complex carbs in the morning and lunch but only brown rice and oats and i take simple carbs (sugar) during and after my work to spike my insulin and for the rest of the day i have only protein and fat and i eat 6 times a day to keep burning fat during the day. this doctor is 100% right because it works for me..

[@Draconorst]

Check out the Anabolic diet, its a modified atkins, ketosis diet designed for body building.

[@VespertineDeepwood]

is it ok to take L-Carnatine while doing the low carb diet? would that get rid of more fat faster since its job is to move fat into the liver for burning as energy?

[@beckyd.236]

Our bodies know, it stores fat for fuel ! Maybe we need to start listening to our body !!!

[@joannsmith9]

Does it reduce calcified arterialscarletic arteries ?

[@Eudaimonia239]

i have tried every possible diet, and nothing worked, i exercised also, and felt i wasted my money in gyms for nothing. i started investigating, and after i did, i decided to try a low carb diet, and let me tell you it was hard at first because of the effects carbs has over the body, but it is the best decision i have made, i have lost 80 pounds by now, and is amazing,no one can believe it and i feel better than before.

[@gwss76]

Is glycogen necessary for high intensity anaerobic exercise? Can our body make it if we do not eat carbohydrates?

[@ainzooalgown7589]

I eat a keto diet, my breakfast is 1 cup of black coffee, 2 eggs and 1 stick of butter, i get a lot of weird looks when i eat that way

[@JakobVirgil]

It seems that the take-away is that if can't lose weight on low fat go low carb.

[@TheRosa63]

bad thing about ketosis is it sends the body a message that the food enviroment is sub optimal. it triggors in long run increase in weight regain in some people. it never helped me anyway. now I do low gi/low carb (low carb in blood serum not in caloires) I am sleeping better, more energy better exercise response, less hunger, less desire for junky foods like chips. my a1c has been improving, I had to supplement with iron due to anemia. I take glucose tolerance factor too. it is helping alot.

[@lafingas555]

I lost four stone on this diet 10 years ago i am about to go back on it and everything screams this diet is not normal as it did the first time i did it. It gets results though

[@terrymcnamara4408]

I saw Dr Lee at Duke hospital. He is head of “Liver” issues. I had an issue. His best advice was to lose weight. Like I haven’t tried all my life. Finally, I found high fat low carb, keto diet. 45 pounds are off now, blood work is great! It’s a shame Dr. Lee did not understand enough about this to recommend it to me. A real failure. I was shocked to find a KZbin video by healthcare professionals at Duke University talking about keto. This all happened for me in 2015. Took me to 2019 to find keto.

[@g29er]

There are tons of sources and research that has been done.

[@jameewalker2498]

In reference to Dr. Atkins eating Ice cream, Atkins has an accepted ice cream in it's plan.

[@TheDanimal91]

I've lost 36 pounds on the paleo diet its amazing

[@dedevans6445]

Dr Westman, What is your thought on the Zero Carb diet

[@bloozedaddy]

+Dede Vans not sure if that's even all that possible unless you just eat meat products. Veggies...outside of potatoes ...are good for you...especially the leafy green ones. I think he doc's rule of 20 grams or less per day is good...that's definitely manageable.

[@BridiesMammaG]

@@bloozedaddy Didnt Dr Atkins call that a fat fast? He recommended this for people who were highly metaphorically resistant

[@amazingcurves]

"So...seeing as you feel that "carbohydrates are the bodies preferred source of energy"...how can this be?" This is correct. The misunderstanding arises because of the word "preferred". What this means is that when the body needs energy, it turns FIRST to its stored carbohydrates. If there are no carbs then it turns to its own body fat. This is called ketosis and it is exactly how a low carb diet works. By removing the carbs from our system, we FORCE our bodies to look to its fat reserves.

[@GlenGoesOutdoors]

It depends on the individual... If they have damaged pancreatic beta cells, they may never be able to produce enough insulin to go back to a higher-carb diet. For me I've lost nearly 100lbs and have normal blood glucose (both fasting and HbA1c) but still cannot eat an entire apple without spiking my blood glucose. I eat lower-GI fruits in smaller servings. I can eat about 15-20g maximum carbohydrate per meal without causing glycemic issues. Others may be in better health...

[@juniorquenchfan23123]

many weight lifters do, including me

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Please look up Mark Haub's Snack Food Diet. He has encountered numerous health benefits short term eating pretty much twinkies and coffee. It doesn't mean it is healthy long term and what are the long term health effects? As always with high fat diets cardiovascular disease remains one of the major problems.

[@hmura2670]

I am in low carb diet, I love the results, loose weight, high level of energy, and I want to pass the message to family and friends. I have family that have gout and i have learned that a high fat diet is a factor for gout. Can they go low carb high fat? Thanks

[@carrollhoagland1053]

LCHF ... Low Carb High Fat ... but med proteins ... gout is Uric acid problem ... and excess proteins are turned into uric acid by kidneys ... so get kidney disease indicators along with gout ... no more that 90g proteins per day ... = 3 oz portions ... LOL 70 Going On 100

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Look up his heart records on the internet. They were released to the public. Or do I have to look it up for you and provide you the link myself darling?

[@GNP999]

eating a bacon-nator at "Wendy's is a great way to live" as long as you remove the bun. this guy is going to win the nobel prize

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

An overwhelming amount of evidence shows that the ratio of fat to carbohydrate in the diet is the primary factor in the macronutrient composition of the diet that easily causes passive overconsumption of energy and thus leads to weight gain. In contrast, high- carbohydrate diets seem relatively benign, regardless of the type of carbohydrate. There is little evidence that sugars have direct negative effects on body weight control

[@joshuahandfinger9154]

Sugar causes glycated end products

[@harriethouser4796]

is lemon pepper good for you?

[@jayhillz3705]

Harriet Houser no

[@jacobmatthewseymour]

Triglycerides from 500 to 100! Omg!

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

The populations of Peru and Asians have followed and do follow high-gi diets without diabetes or weight problems relative to Americans.

[@irismetcalfe]

That's simply not true. www.mclinica.com/insights/2016/04/southeast-asias-growing-diabetes-epidemic/

[@torimontgomery8729]

I’m at 2 17. So far no junk food

[@EvBarney]

I suspect we are related ;)

[@hitssquad]

Read: The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance.

[@seriousstrength]

I do not understand why the Atkins pyramid says "lean protein."

[@BridiesMammaG]

So you can burn your own fat?

[@joannsmith9]

What about arterial sclartic arteries!

[@joannsmith9]

WIll it reduce arterial sclartic plack ?

[@ChildrenoftheGorn]

The Baconator has only three grams of trans fat. Compare that to White Castle Homestyle onion rings at 30 grams. the American Heart Association recommends that we consume a maximum of 2 grams of trans fat per day.

[@Kevin-gq2kj]

He be lookin like young dr Eric berg

[@liquidsnake1959]

Sorry only just saw your other comment

[@drascatha]

But I'm not really interested in debating you. What interests me is to get you to keep demonstrating to the world the puerile nastiness that goes with ideology. You're doing great. Keep it up.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Atkins did great. Science is totally against high-fat diets because of the primary risk it poses to the cardiovascular system. You have clearly eliminated bad foods from your diet and have noticed improvements in your health. This could easily have been achieved and more on a high-carb low fat diet with healthy food.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Of all the recognised scientific organisations the world over not one suggests low-carb eating. How about nutritional scientists WHO? How bout Dr. Colin Campbell? How bout Dr. Esselstyn? Dr. Joel Fuhrman? Dr. Dean Ornish?

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Please please tell me how he estimated this? De novo lipogenesis has been PROVEN to be rare in humans.

[@Jan96106]

Nice discussion, but he overstated things when he said you can eat all the animal protein you want. That's not true. Even Dr. Atkins cautioned to eat until you feel full rather than stuffed. If one eats too much protein, it, too, gets converted into glucose and stored in the liver, so the stored glucose in the liver is used as fuel and it slows or stops the burning of fat stores. What is true is that protein and fat signal satiety, so on a low carb diet, one is less likely to over eat. And for those who have hyper-insulinism (those prone towards type 2 diabetes), if their problem is severe enough, when they eat too many carbs, they will never feel full. They will always be hungry and will over-eat.

[@gmmakesmehurl]

I had a similar reaction when he stated that as well. There ARE limits (based on gender, body size etc) that place limits on protein intake. One cannot just gorge themselves on steaks and expect to lose weight. I wondered why he would state that. Maybe because he knows that it is pretty difficult to gorge on steaks, burger patties etc and whilst on this nutritional approach, one is more likely to limit their intake of the aforementioned foods due to the body's needs being met calorically and nutritionally.

[@elisicamost5959]

Correct, well said

[@pookatim]

I am having a great deal of success with low carb. Fact is, when I eliminated the high carb foods, I automatically began to eat a lot less. Not nearly as hungry anymore. This without ever concerning myself with portion size. I just don't eat seconds anymore because I feel satisfied.

[@berrywr1]

I have his book on the science but Jan is right and he too is wrong; there is an anaerobic process that goes on in the liver not an aerobic process; they are completely different; yes, the liver via enzymes produces glucose from amino acids but it is a complicated one and if anyone understands how ATP is produced to make energy in the human body. The aerobic metabolic mechanism that produces ATP is 18 times more efficient than the liver. There is low carb and then there is restrictive low carb which the body then uses fat to produce glycogen which is a much, much harder process than what we know today as starches being converted to glycogen for use in the body.

[@pookatim]

Actually, you end up eating a lot less protein than you think because you are way less hungry.

[@Starchaser63]

recent work has shown that a high-fat high-cholesterol (HFHC) meal induces oxidative and inflammatory stress in addition to inducing an increase in plasma endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) levels and the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, the specific receptor for LPS (1). In contrast, a high-fiber and fruit meal does not induce any of these changes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS- Fasting normal subjects were given 300- calorie drinks of either glucose, saturated fat as cream, orange juice, or only water to ingest. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 1, 3, and 5 h for analysis. CONCLUSIONS- Although both glucose and cream induce NF-B binding and an increase in the expression of SOCS3, TNF-, and IL-1 in MNCs, only cream caused an increase in LPS concentration and TLR-4 expression. Equicaloric amounts of orange juice or water did not induce a change in any of these indexes. These changes are relevant to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and insulin resistance. Diabetes Care 33:991-997, 2010 From the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, State University of New York at Buffalo and Kaleida Health, Buffalo, New York.

[@AdolfoNeto]

Your research might be quite good but as a guide to a lifestyle it seems quite useless yet.

[@Starchaser63]

All diets are ultimately not advised with reference to long term health, the human body is not that simple. Problem is that diets are prescriptive by nature and there fore our bodies will fight back and not be amused at all. When man has solved one problem with diet he unknowingly creates another further down the line. Paleo / HFLC / etc is yet mankind thinking he knows better than nature and will in time be found to be wrong. I follow no diet at all, I just eat clean small easy digestible foods of high fibre with mainly fruit and veg and a little animal protein. The digestive system is so important that it should never be put under stress such as High Fat and animal foods. Long term we will start to see the negative results from this way of eating. To say the average person should eat 3 daily meals of both animal fats and meat with a little veg and no or low carbohydrate is to not understand mankind or nature. Balance is key to good health

[@AdolfoNeto]

I see. It seems you are a vegetarian. OK. I just think LCHF can be really useful for some people and much healthier than their current option. But I agree that this does not mean much for some people, whose diets are so terrible that almost anything is better.

[@Starchaser63]

Firstly I do not label my way of eating as anything such as vegetarian / vegan etc I just eat with what I think best for the human digestive system long term. My thought's are that LCHF is excellent short term for obesity / diabetes type 2 / fatty liver etc, but long term it has more potential for harm especially with regard to the 3 times daily of saturated fat / animal protein and very low or no carbohydrates. Endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease is a concern for long term High Saturated fat and animal protein consumed daily.

[@AdolfoNeto]

"the 3 times daily of saturated fat / animal protein and very low or no carbohydrates" >> This is not necessary. You can do LCHF with only zero, one or two meals a day. And it does not have to include animal protein or saturated every meal.

[@clivegreen5763]

Just wondering how jimmy getting on he looked huge on you tube keto not worked for him.

[@sueking6543]

I just started this diet August 13th ( 2 weeks ago) and started feeling weak and dizzy... I’m on blood pressure pill and water pill..... In the first few days my blood pressure dropped to 123/81, but the past few days Ive been really week. I went to the drugstore yesterday to do my blood pressure in the afternoon and it was 101 over something. I called the dr right away and he said to half my pill. I did that today and went this morning to do my blood pressure because I’m still really weak and dizzy......and just walking in from my car made me worse..... my blood pressure is 85/49..... now the dr is away till after our Labour Day weekend next week....... I am following the diet from Dr Westman that he gave to one of his patients named Brian....

[@kuey_v]

How are you feeling now?

[@jayhillz3705]

Kuey_ v probably in the hospital

[@redc.pedestrian8530]

Dude, your shirt is called an Oxford button down for a reason.

[@Stbudd19]

Think you research may be somewhat tardy, try checking wikipaedia for Robert C Atkins. Appears he died of a head trauma.

[@juggernautrage5384]

check golden voice bouncer cant believe this dudes voice. freaky

[@musicduct]

Eeat proteins, vedgetables, have some pasta so you get some carbohydrates and work out every day. either running or training strength. Then u will be healthy.

[@fedor3000]

unbelievable what some people still think. why fight? leave em in their faulty thinking and let them never live healthy.

[@toddstuder7388]

Westman's great, but I don't have much time for the Atkin's corporation. I've been doing a whole-foods based ketogenic diet for over a year now and it's absolutely amazing in all ways (improved biomarkers, skin/nails/hair, energy level, memory, and so much more). I'll eat this way for life. However, eating 80% Mazola oil would put one in ketosis, and yet no one would call that healthful. Good food choices are important on a ketogenic diet (organic, grassfed, free range, etc.) but far more important are the choices in good fats. Atkin's bars, although I occasionally keep some around, are basically low-grade food choices. It's shocking to me that people still recommend aspartame for sweeteners rather than stevia.

[@drascatha]

Yeah, that's actually the way it works. You bring the claim, then it's your job to bring the evidence. Just the way I wouldn't go on some astronomy video and post a comment saying that the authors were "douches" because the earth is really flat and then demand that they search the internet for "evidence" to refute my claim.

[@selfinflictedjoy]

The blue zones are one of the longest living people... the majority of their diet is legumes, veggies, whole grains, potatoes, fish and little meat. I followed Valter Longo's research and have not only lost weight but blood markers are back to normal. Find what works for you.

[@soteriacharis6338]

As to the salt intake concerning heart disease/high blood pressure, I think the 'avoid salt' is old school thinking. Avoid refined white salt is what I'd say, but enjoy raw mineral rich salt instead. :)

[@john0094]

Or just less salt

[@mattbrew11]

1 meal a day vs 10 meals a day yields virtually no metabolic difference

[@hotmojo1]

Once the elite athlete is fat adapted he can exercise with great efficacy on a strictly fat predominant diet vs the toxic carb loaded diet.

[@raquelcristinapimentacoelh3249]

I totally agree.

[@raquelcristinapimentacoelh3249]

There´s no such thing as essential carbohydrates!!! I use Ketones as fuel and run 1/2 marathon in less than 2hours. And I feel great right after it!!! 80% fat, 15% protein, 5% carbs from avocado and green vegetables.

[@hotmojo1]

I heartily agree with you, Raquel! I also love your macro percentages and food sourcing. I'm not an elite athlete myself, but just a big guy who is having great results. Weight is coming down, the foods are delicious and satisfying, and I feel a sense of bliss from the fats that is addictive! Blessings to you!

[@raquelcristinapimentacoelh3249]

hotmojo1 💪🏋😘

[@goodnewsgal9401]

Chet Atkins was not a singer. He was a guitarist.

[@Kallenator1988]

Dont spread lies, its just too cheap. Atkins died by head trauma after a fall, and even though he did at one time suffer a heart attack it was not deemed to be a cause of his diet. This information is available at wikipedia.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Plant based vegan diets also cure people's insulin resistance.

[@lisaedwards5650]

No, carbohydrates don't cause heartburn...incomplete digestion causes food to putrefy in the stomach and the regurg is only slightly acidic but burns the esophagus. With complete digestion heart burn disappears. Apple cider vinegar and digestive enzymes work well.

[@Jefferdaughter]

Raw apple cider vinegar works best, of course. Nevertheless, most people seem to experience heartburn after high carb meals.

[@drascatha]

Got evidence?

[@patrickh709]

Evidence of what? Of all the fat people in America? Just take a look around you of the results of the Standard American Diet. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that "conventional wisdom" is totally wrong.

[@daisybloodflower2002]

Maybe you should ask WHO decided a high carb low fat diet is justified and healthy? Just because it has been accepted for 30 years doesn't mean it can't change or was right in the first place - especially when the science (true science not some questionnaire or some study of 10 people over three weeks) refutes commonly held beliefs. If you look you can find 100's, even a study done through Cornell showed better health benefits with low carb....

[@gwss76]

Bahahahahaha!! "Consult" my doctor?! You mean the same one who says fat and cholesterol are bad? And if he tells me not to do it...?

[@lvncsr6166]

started keto diet this week. started taking wheatgrass yesterday. Having Rapid heartbeats. Woke up at 3am with Rapid heartbeats. Having them now, sitting up, or when lying down???? Help????

[@drb4074]

Electrolytes. Get them. Go to the /keto reddit page and read the FAQ. Electrolyte loss is a huge issue when your body is adjusting to keto. Your heart runs on electricity.

[@carrollhoagland1053]

Same here ... AFib ... cured this by getting potassium up ... dumbfounded the docs that I cured my own Atrial Fibrillation ... heart uses an electro-chemical signal ... Check out the SA node and how it works ... dependent on K+ Na + Ca++ ... and the Canadian study of 102,000 showed that min for potassium daily is 2 grams ... but this has no upper limit ... i.e. you can not take too much ... not true of sale Na+ ... On keto .. cannot add dried fruits i.e. apricots for potassium, so I just start daily with Tomato juice fortified with potassium ... with give me 50% of RDA .. Read label on low sodium V8 ... normally 900 mg/K/8oz, and 160 mg/Na .. so only need to add 2 g of KCl ... salt substitute (about 2 tsp/64 ox bottle KCl) .. approx brings to 1800 mg K+ ... AFib .. .gone and as you know doctors will tell you ... you are a candidate for a "Pacemaker" ... Nuts to these doctors ... should have gone to a sports doctor ... so fire that doctor .. LOL 70 Going On 100 ...

[@gnostie]

Going by the level of the students, Duke isn't what it used to be.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

This is quite natural but it is hardly significant and will not give you diabetes, nor is it harmful. Every hormone in your body decreases with age and usage.

[@syahrulramadhan4447]

The *Agoge diet* is really something different, it just works.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Eggs are the menstrual periods of hens. Nuff said really.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

Sorry by athlete I thought I inferred a certain level of ability and serious. Most elite weight lifters actually do not do low carb.

[@Lightofaith]

in this century low carb is great because our grains are genetically modified and sugar is included everywhere. but i also say that you can not compare eskimos to everyone in the world. eskimos live in a different environment. you can not apply what eskimos eat to a hot asian or african environment example. it has been studied that if you give eskimos vegetables they will develop health problems. so it is a yes and no. and people have to just get back to nature and find what is best for them

[@lorenasmith7135]

+LightOfFaith I think you absolutely can compare what Eskimos eat to what Africans eat: The Maaisai of Tanzania and Kenya have a herding culture with a diet based on milk blood and meat.

[@PabloML4T]

If the body converts fat into glucose, it needs glucose badly, so why dont eat that directly? And don't waste energy to convert fat? Fat is a reserve, that body can use, when we are stupid enough (or just can't get) to avoid our simple and basic fuel.

[@Xiaolian7]

Its rather high protein diet or raw food (high carb - fruits) diet. Both are good. It is not that carbs are bad, but carbs with fat - cause weight gain and health issues. Maybe it is best to alternate day of high protein and raw food (high carb), anyone tried it?

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

I never said he died from heart disease, but died riddled with heart disease. I suggest you, as someone who espouses the pursuit and knowledge and quest out of ignorance, to increase you deficient knowledge there buddy.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

I suggest you look up John Mcdougall in regards Steve Jobs. Inform yourself between being a biased fool.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

There is a normal progression in life. To be taken seriously later on you should have the basics covered. There is a high correlation between those who cannot spell and those who fall prey to bs science since they lack critical thinking skills. Pity.

[@LuckynumberSlevin11]

You seem terribly mistaken and confused regarding the difference between science and art. One rather learns from a artist over an student of art, while one always chooses the scientist for medical help over the teenage blogger. In and of itself the teenage blogger can be correct. However if you criticise scientific work as a teenage blogger you better be as informed and technically "qualified" as the person she has criticised. Her critique is exposed through-roughly online if you care you look

[@hitssquad]

No: en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis "it is widely held that fatty acids cannot be converted to glucose in humans directly"