Ask The Low-Carb Experts

AIR DATE: October 24, 2013 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: "Grain Brain & Ketones"

LISTEN LIVE TONIGHT AT 7PM ET by calling (712) 432-0900 and use the access code 848908.

The biggest breakthrough health book of 2013 contains a simple, yet profound message--the carbohydrates we are eating in our diet are directly leading us down the inevitable pathway to dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative brain health ailments. It's the #1 New York Times bestselling book  (read ) by a Naples, FL-based neurologist named  (listen to Jimmy's interview with him in ). Dr. Perlmutter identifies in his book the key role that ketone bodies play in various aspects of our health, especially brain health. And that some of the most common foods consumed in our diet--namely whole grains, sugar, starch and other culprit carbohydrates--are the very things that are robbing our bodies of adequate ketone production to thrive as our bodies were intended. That's what we'll be addressing in Episode 51 of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" this week when we take on the topic "Grain Brain & Ketones."

REGISTER FOR SEAN CROXTON'S "REAL FOOD CON"NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: TRY WATER THE WAY PALEO MAN ENJOYED ITNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we address in this episode:

LENI ASKS: What is the impact of a ketogenic diet on bone health? There’s a lot of information on the web that seems to indicate that a ketogenic diet creates an acid environment that leeches calcium and other minerals from the bones. Is this true?

ADAM ASKS: What has been your response to the emerging idea that saturated fat is the root cause of Alzheimer’s disease? And I’m curious about what would bring on Alzheimer’s faster: a high-carb, high fat diet or a high-carb, low-fat diet?

MARY ASKS: After reading Dr. Perlmutter's eye-opening book where he mentions fasting blood sugar levels are closely associated with cognitive function. Would that be the best thing for me to track or would it be more useful to track post-prandial blood sugar and/or blood ketone levels?

REBECCA ASKS: If a person already has moderate to severe Alzheimer's or signs of dementia, is it too late to reverse the damage by eating low-carb, high fat? Can there be any reversal in symptoms?

LINDA ASKS: In 1997, I underwent surgery for a benign, but fairly large brain tumor. The dietitian put me on the Food Pyramid diet and I ate that way until I read Dr. William Davis’ Wheat Belly in 2011. We don’t touch wheat and gluten anymore and happily eat low-carb. I wonder what effect grains have on the development of brain tumors. As a 63-year old, is it too late for me to achieve optimal brain health after a lifetime of eating grains?

SANDRA ASKS: Should my husband be worried that his cholesterol has risen from 208 to 267? He eats what I eat—a low-carb, moderate protein, high-fat diet. His doctor will undoubtedly want to put him on a statin and my hubby is kinda freaking out about all of this. Any words of comfort you can give us?

LISA ASKS: I loved Grain Brain and have already implemented many of your suggestions. I've heard it argued by people in the low-carb and Paleo community that it's the processed foods doing most of the metabolic damage to our health in modern society. However, the unifying factor in many of the world’s traditional cultures is that they're all eating real, whole foods. But Dr. Perlmutter seems to be saying that even real, whole food carbohydrate-based foods like fruits and tubers are poison. Does this apply to everyone, or just those who are metabolically challenged in some way? I think many will find it hard to swallow the "all carbs are poison for everyone" theory when there seem to be so many people eating real-food carbs while maintaining excellent health.

HILARY ASKS: If carbs are so bad for our health, then how do people like Michael Phelps and Dr. Oz perform so well for so long eating pasta, pitas and pancakes? And why don't football players drink olive oil and eat sticks of butter on the sidelines rather than a solution of sugar and electrolytes?

MARGARET ASKS: When I hit my early 40’s I started having occasional memory issues—it’s both annoying and embarrassing. I've been eating low-carb, high-fat with no grains or sugars and copious amounts of coconut oil for the past two years. I am an avid exerciser and at a normal weight, but I’m still insulin resistant. While my memory hasn’t gotten any worse, it hasn’t gotten any better either. Can I ever hope to see improvement if I continue with what I’m doing or are there other things I can do to help with this?

KIM ASKS: I am a 53-year old female who has been on a ketogenic diet for about a year. I am reading your book and now know that many of my problems are a direct result of inflammation. I have lost 90 pounds so far, but I still have a lot of belly fat and inflammation. My low-carb friendly doctor recommends that I stay on a 1,000-calorie-a-day fat fast for a while to see what impact that will have. What effect will all this have on my brain? And what can I do about my belly fat and inflammation since I now know it shrinks the brain?

WENDY ASKS: Can you explain why switching from a grain-brain to a ketone-brain is so important in light of menopause? All the books about this subject say to eat soy and flax, load up on the carbs, exercise them off doing cardio exercise, and somehow avoid stress—yeah right! Obviously these people have never had hot flashes! When I started eating ketogenic after reading a book by your fellow neurologist Dr. Larry McCleary called The Brain Trust Program, I noticed my hot flashes disappeared for a while, but then they came back. Why aren't medical professionals from various fields willing to offer any meaningful enlightenment on this issue? Is this something that neurologists like yourself will need to lead the charge on?

DELILAH ASKS: For an 80+ year old woman already showing signs of dementia, how helpful will a ketogenic protocol be at this point? Is there any expectation of improvements and/or reversals in neurodegeneration at this point?

TRISH ASKS: I inherited the ApoE 4 genotype from a relative who developed dementia at an early age. In light of this, is a low-carb, high-fat diet the best one for me to be consuming to support my brain health? Or should I consider cutting back on my intake of dietary fat as has been recommended for ApoE 4’s?

MEREDITH ASKS: I'm confused about your statement in your book and on “The Dr. Oz Show” that it's okay to eat certain grains such as rice. What is it about the non-gluten grains on your "eat in moderation list" that makes them acceptable? Thanks for clarifying. Loved your book!

ERIC ASKS: Are you aware of any animal or human studies on the effect of ketogenic diets on Alzheimer’s disease?

AMBERLY ASKS: When I have been pregnant, my doctors have told me that being in a ketogenic state is not healthy for a developing fetus, specifically for their brain development. What research is there to support or refute this position? If ketones are good for an adult's brain, why wouldn't they be good for a growing baby's brain?

DAVID ASKS: I've been reading your book and talking to my sister about it. She made the point that it wasn’t until grains were introduced into the human diet that there were great intellectual and artistic advances in our civilization. She can't think of one non-grain based population that has produced any great philosophers, artists, etc. She argues that a grain-based diet is what fueled all the great intellectual achievements in human history and thus will do the same for her. How do I respond to this assertion?

DAMON ASKS: I have struggled for a long time trying to increase my blood ketone levels to an adequate level and it has never happened while eating ~200g fat, ~60g protein, and less than 30g carbs daily for that past six weeks. Is it possible to do so much damage from consuming carbohydrates in the past that becoming ketogenic is now impossible?

KURT ASKS: I've eaten mostly the SAD diet for the 54 years I’ve been alive. I probably already have a huge backlog of AGE's to now overcome. At my age, can a ketogenic diet reverse and even repair the damage that’s been done from a lifetime of high-carb eating?

ANN ASKS: If I remove gluten and grains from my diet at 50 years old, am I able to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease? Or has the proverbial damage already been done?

AIR DATE: October 3, 2013 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: "All Things Intermittent Fasting (IF 101)"

Just mention the word "fasting" to the man on the street and the reaction you'll get from most of them would probably fall somewhere between completely scoffing at the idea to the sheer terror at the realization of going without food for more than a few hours. This concept of fasting even on an intermittent basis, as has become popularized in the Paleo community in recent years, is certainly a highly controversial and misunderstood strategy that could very well be the last piece of the puzzle in optimizing your weight and health issues. Is intermittent fasting (aka IF) the right way to go for everyone, especially for women who seem to have more difficulty with this? Is there anyone who absolutely shouldn't IF or even those who must do it for therapeutic purposes? And how long and how often should these fasting periods be done to get the most benefit out of them? These are just some of the questions we're going to explore further with a nutritional habits expert named  (listen to Jimmy's "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" podcast with him in ) in Episode 48 of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" where we'll take YOUR questions on "All Things Intermittent Fasting (IF 101)."

Here's your chance to speak directly with the expert to ask YOUR questions. Start getting me your questions on this topic NOW by e-mailing them to  no later than 3PM ET this Thursday. You can also ask your question LIVE on my show by calling (712) 432-0900 or Skype the show for FREE by calling the username freeconferencing.7124320900. Whether you call or Skype, be sure to use the access code 848908. Listen LIVE and  if you like what you hear. This is golden opportunity to interact with the best nutritional health experts in the world, so don't be bashful. We look forward to sharing this brand new episode of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" with you later this week.

SUGAR-FREE, LOW-CARB PEANUT BUTTER CUPSNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: LOW-CARB PASTABILITIES FROM QUEST NUTRITIONNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we address in this episode:

RENEE ASKS: I have long heard that women in general don't have great results from intermittent fasting. I'm wondering whether you agree with this, why it happens, and if this applies to post-menopausal women? I am a post-menopausal female and naturally IF more days than not. What effect does IF have on women's and men's hormones?

KARL ASKS: I have been doing Intermittent Fasting for the past few weeks eating meals between 12-8pm. Do you have any suggestions about how I can make sure I get enough food in my body during that 8-hour window? I feel like I’m eating way too few calories.

I do have a cup of coffee with about two teaspoons of heavy cream in the mornings. Does that coffee and/or cream make any difference in the effects of an intermittent fast? Should I add a tablespoon of coconut oil or MCT oil to make it better? Or should I be going that entire 16 hours without any calories consumed to technically do an IF?

JENNY ASKS: I've been eating low-carb, high-fat for 3 months now and incorporated a 24-hour fast, two days a week for the last month. I also try to mini-fast for 17 hours between my meals everyday. When does the timer begin for fasting: as soon as I put my fork down or about 3 hours later when I've digested my last meal?

One issue I am having is that I want to take my vitamins everyday, especially on fasting days, but I can't keep them down on an empty stomach. Is there any type of food that I can eat to stay in a fasted state but is substantial enough to let me take my vitamins? I tried almond butter and was able to keep the pills down but it was not the best option for me. Would a pure fast be even more beneficial than a multivitamin?

DAMON ASKS: Assuming proper caloric load and macronutrient breakdown compliance, what could be the reasons for not getting results as far as fat loss goes when engaging in regular periods of intermittent fasting?

Are there any disadvantages to doing resistance training in a fasted state in the morning if you don’t eat until later in the day?

DEB ASKS: I’m a 48-year old woman and changed my exercise to mainly weight-training and short bouts of high intensity interval training with lots of walking, but was eating low-calorie/low-carb/Paleo for part of the time and doing IF for most of that time frame. I check my muscle progress by doing hydrostatic weighing and I was told I’m losing muscle because I train in a fasted state. Does the kind of exercise matter when doing it fasted? What should I be doing and what should I avoid if I exercise in a fasted state?

JASON ASKS: How important is it to eat as soon as possible after a fasted workout? I enjoy my post-workout fat/protein shake but I could just as easily go without it as I am rarely hungry after a workout. Am I harming recovery and/or muscle growth if I just wait until lunch to eat after my morning workout?

Is there a known physiological benefit to forcing a 24 hour fast? What are the health reasons to do periodic fasts during the week?

JANIE ASKS: I skip breakfast just about every single day as I'm just not hungry in the mornings. Sometimes I'll have decaffeinated coffee with a tablespoon of heavy cream but I wonder if that officially breaks my fast. I see people in the Paleo community having multiple tablespoons of fat in their coffee yet they say that they are still fasting! I am pretty sure a 900-calorie cup of coffee is NOT fasting, right? Is there a calorie level that I can consume in my coffee that keeps my intermittent fasting going?

GEZ ASKS: I’m a 44-year old man and have lost 70 pounds following a low-carb, moderate protein, high-fat diet. Intermittent fasting 16-18 hours daily and high intensity eccentric exercise for 30 minutes once a week helped me shed the final 14 pounds. My question is I’m finding it difficult to lose the remaining fat around my waist and lower back. Should I change the length of my intermittent fast to longer periods of time between meals? I’ve also considered adding in a high-carb day once a week in the vein of Keifer’s Carb Nite Solution ketogenic cycling system. Any thoughts?

MICKEY ASKS: I have been fasting quite regularly and eat one meal in the evening around 1500-2000 calories a day. I don't really get hungry at all during the day. My concern is whether or not I am prone to losing too much muscle mass doing this? Is it possible to overdo it when you are fasting?

AIR DATE: September 5, 2013 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: "Low-Carb Diets & Spinal Pain"

Have you ever suffered from back pain in your life? If you're like most people, the answer is an emphatic YES! Spinal pain is the #1 cause of disability worldwide and lower back pain is the #2 cause of missed days at work (behind sunny days!). What's at the root cause of all of this chronic pain that people are dealing with? And what can a low-carb and/or Paleo nutrition and lifestyle plan do to help alleviate the aches associated with our backs? That's what a Milwaukee, WI-based chiropractor named  will be exploring with us in this week's show. Dr. Ralston presented a lecture entitled  at the recent 2013 Ancestral Health Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia last month and he is a big fan of CrossFit, Paleo and low-carb diets. In other words, he knows just a thing or two on this subject we've got for you in Episode 43 of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" addressing the issue "Low-Carb Diets & Spinal Pain."

LOWER YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS NATURALLY:Use "THANKYOU" coupon code to get 10% off!NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: LOW-CARB PASTABILITIES FROM QUEST NUTRITIONNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we address in this episode:

MARGIEANNE FROM NEW ZEALAND ASKS:I’m a 75-year old woman and have had Bells Palsy since February 2012. I am working hard to stay in a state of nutritional ketosis. Recently I twisted my back while re-learning to ride a bike again. My chiropractor is doing wonders so I have great hope of feeling better than I did before the accident. I think I'm doing okay with my diet except I seem to be stuck about 44 pounds heavier than I’d like. I have about 30g of coconut oil daily and 10-15 mL of cod liver fish oil. Since I'm not losing weight, I've been tweaking things until I find what works again, including setting for myself a goal of getting in 10,000 steps/day several times a week. Is there anything else I can do to optimize my health based on what you’ve heard from my story?

KIM ASKS:I suffer from a lot of back pain mostly due to spinal fusion, scoliosis, degenerative discs, and fibromyalgia. The pain has gotten a lot better since I started eating low-carb. Why does low-carb help with back pain? I know I would have less back pain if I could lose some belly fat, but low-carb alone is not getting rid of it. I currently take oxycodone for the pain and wondered if taking pain medications interferes with weight loss. Do you have any natural remedies that can help me with my persistent back pain?

J.D. ASKS:I used to get severe pain in my lower back whenever I ran. Over the years, it began showing up when I walked, too. Among my many pre-low-carb attempts to fix my health, I tried a calisthenics routine for a few months that involved back extensions and that improved things considerably extending the distance I could walk. When I started eating low-carb, it had progressed to the point that I couldn't walk more than half-a-mile without pain. In fact, two weeks after starting low-carb, it was gone, entirely, and has never come back again! I spent the day at the State Fair, last weekend, walking for more than ten hours, carrying a backpack, and I had soreness in my joints, and in my shoulders and back, and was generally worn out--but I never experienced that back pain. And here's the thing: it disappeared over the space of two weeks, during which I did no exercise and lost about five pounds. So what changed?

I have to think that the problem involved fuel partitioning. My hypothesis is that because I was severely insulin resistant, and thus hyperinsulinemic, when I walked the muscles in my back were mostly burning carbs, and that the pain I felt was just ordinary lactic acid build-up. After I went low-carb and got my insulin levels under control, I regained the ability to burn fat. Of course, I may be entirely off-base, but whatever happened, it couldn't have been a response to weight loss or exercise, because it happened before any significant amount of either had occurred. Does Dr. Ralston have any thoughts about my situation?

AIR DATE: August 29, 2013 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERTS: FEATURED TOPIC: "Cholesterol Clarity Q&A"

 

With the much-anticipated release of the book  by Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman, both of the coauthors joined us on "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" this week for a Q&A session answering listener questions about this critically important new book about the subject of cholesterol. This book was written to fill a major void in the marketplace of an easy-to-understand manual on cholesterol, why it's not the evil substance we've been led to believe, what really matters the most on your cholesterol panel, and which levels are optimal if you are going to pay attention to cholesterol. Here's your exclusive chance to hear directly from both Jimmy and Dr. Westman answering listener questions about the book. That's what we've got for you in Episode 43 of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" in this Cholesterol Clarity Q&A.

Get (or download the ) from Amazon.com:

SUGAR-FREE, LOW-CARB PEANUT BUTTER CUPSNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we address in this episode:

ROXANNE ASKS:I have read and enjoyed books by both of you and am very much looking forward to reading Cholesterol Clarity! I am a 53-year old diabetic female who had heart bypass surgery 6 months ago. There is a history of cardiovascular issues on both sides of my family. I've read that statins can have some rather serious side effects. What, if anything, can you say to me and my doctor to convince us that it would be safe for me to stop taking the 10mg Lipitor I am now taking?

JAMES ASKS:So what's the deal with plant sterols? I see it for sale as a supplement to "lower your cholesterol" and I see people taking it. Is there any benefit to it? What about the harm in taking it? I follow a low-carb, high-fat lifestyle, so I get plenty of dietary cholesterol from animals.

TRAVIS ASKS:I have a one word question: Eggs. I eat at least three eggs a day everyday for breakfast along with some cheese and bacon. I feel this kind of large low-carb breakfast really gets me through the day. However, I can't find any consensus about eggs. Are they good, good in moderation, bad long-term, or will eating 21 eggs a week kill me?

KEVIN ASKS:I've read that higher serum cholesterol could be a clue that something else is going on in the body—for example, tissue damage that needs repair, or a decreased ability for cholesterol to be delivered into cells. Could you please talk about the role of LDL in particular, and what an increased level might indicate about other health factors?

KEN ASKS:The homeostatic model for serum cholesterol appears to be well worked out for a standard high-carb diet. Do you think that the correct model is substantially different for a ketogenic low-carb, high-fat diet, and that this might be the reason for the large number of "hypercholesterolemic" responses on this diet? Might the small intestine, instead of liver, be the dominant source of endogenous cholesterol on this diet?

DENNIS ASKS:My question is about the effect of fructose, sugar alcohols, and alcoholic beverages on your triglycerides. Would the fact my triglycerides are crazy high at 260 while everything else is fine mean that I should limit these things in my diet?

JULIE ASKS:I have been diagnosed with a number of health issues including diverticulitis and Type 2 diabetes. Since then, I have been doing Paleo and cut out all gluten, sugar and high carb foods in my diet. I discovered that going ketogenic was right for me. Before I went keto, I had blood work run with the following results:

Total cholesterol — 265HDL — 64LDL — 176Triglycerides — 158A1c — 5.8

The next time I had blood work done was 6 months later. I asked for a VAP test and, although my doc doesn't understand how to read this test, she ordered it for me on my insistence. I moved towards a higher-fat diet and lost 40 pounds over that time since my last cholesterol panel. Here are the numbers:

Total cholesterol — 313 (my doctor was pushing statins)HDL — 108LDL — 187Triglycerides — 77

To tell you the truth, my doctor had no idea how to interpret the more advanced numbers on my VAP test and I don't understand it either. I didn't accept the idea that I needed to go on a statin drug but I am greatly concerned with this very high 300+ total cholesterol level. So how do I interpret these cholesterol tests and what should I be doing differently in my diet to work on any weakness in these results? What exactly should I be looking for to track my progress?

MARYANN ASKS:The only guidelines I repeatedly see for the ApoE genotype 3/4 and 4/4 people are this: exercise, avoid smoking, abstain from alcohol and cut your saturated fat intake. Do you agree with these recommendations, especially the mandate to cut down on saturated fat? If so, how do you advise you patients who are eating low-carb, high-fat to reconcile this mandate to basically limit or avoid saturated fat with all that we know about the life-saving benefits of eating this way? What do people with this ApoE genotype gain by avoiding saturated fat?

PATHOLOGIST DR. SMALL:I’m 59 years old and went low-carb about a year ago and my HDL rose from 50 to 77 and my triglycerides dropped from 92 down to 38. My cardiologist was stunned and asked me how I got such an outstanding triglycerides/HDL ratio with an outstanding CRP level of .4 and an carotid artery scan that show I have the arteries of an 18-year old. But he was not impressed with my LDL being above 130, my ApoB rising to 102, and my LDL-P coming in at 1500. How do you prioritize the favorable readings against the somewhat unfavorable ones? Do Heart Calcium Scores from a CT scan really tell the tale of where you stand with actual disease taking place in your coronary arteries?

HOLLI ASKS:I'm wondering how I can raise my LDL cholesterol levels since they seem to be too low. I haven't tested recently, but my previous test showed my total cholesterol is 142, HDL is 78, LDL is 71, and triglycerides are 50. I've been working on correcting a leaky gut and eating a Paleo/GAPS diet for the past year. My energy is very low, I’m always tired and my hormone levels are all on the low end of normal. I'm wondering if my too-low cholesterol could be part of the problem and if so, what can I do to raise it? I am not taking any cholesterol-lowering medications.

DAVE ASKS:I went to my doctor and he says I am in the "dangerously high LDL range" and I should stop eating my low-carb high-fat diet and reduce my egg consumption to no more than 3 per week. My last lab results were the following:

Total cholesterol – 254LDL – 186HDL – 52Triglycerides – 82Blood glucose – 79

Over the last three years, my triglycerides have decreased, HDL increased, LDL increased, blood sugar decreased and weight decreased. I used to take a statin drug, but I will never take it again. I realize I probably shouldn’t worry about it, but my doctor went crazy about my numbers. Is the increase in my LDL cholesterol something I can choose to ignore or should I modify my diet to reverse the upward trend?

JW ASKS:Is it possible that the rise in either total cholesterol or LDL-P that some people report while on a ketogenic diet is due to the fat leaving the adipose tissue as they lose weight? Are there any studies that show if it persists or goes away once weight stabilizes? And if your HDL is higher than your triglycerides while your fasting blood glucose level is under 100, do you care what total cholesterol or LDL-P is assuming there is no familial hypercholesterolemia?

AIR DATE: June 27, 2013 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: "Anxiety, Bipolar & The CARB Syndrome"

NOTE: The audio will be published by midday on Friday

Think about the tremendous load of stress we are putting on ourselves in modern society and the impact that is having on our mental health and well-being. Here are some sobering statistics: The Centers For Disease Control estimates 1 in 10 Americans are clinically depressed, The Anxiety And Depression Association Of America notes that 40 million American adults have an anxiety disorder and The National Institute Of Mental Health says that another 5.7 million Americans are impacted with bipolar disorder annually. This is something our guest expert this week has seen up close and personal in his Northern Minnesota family practice. A few years back,  couldn't help but notice that his patients were getting fatter and sicker than ever before and the indelible effect this was having on brain health was alarming to him. That's when he sought to find answers and developed what he refers to as  which identifies the metabolic component involved in the health of your brain that can manifest itself in a myriad of ways. In Episode 41 of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts," we had Dr. Wilson zoom in specifically at answering YOUR questions about "Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar & The CARB Syndrome" solution.

LOW-CARB PASTABILITIES FROM QUEST NUTRITIONNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: LOWER YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS NATURALLY:NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are a few of the questions we addressed in this episode:

CODY ASKS: My 13-year old daughter wakes up every night and cannot get back to sleep for over an hour. This has been an issue as long as we can remember. She has always been very temperamental as well and is prone to quite a bit of anxiety. She is a super picky eater and attempting to change her diet in any way, shape, form or fashion causes EXCESSIVE trauma. She also doesn't like meat. She does love cheese (Kraft Extra Sharp Cheddar and Cheeseheads String Cheese are the specific brands she’ll eat) and a lot of fruits (she’s very aware of textures and doesn't like apples that are too crunchy, even the hint of a grape seed, etc.). But other than those two things, her go to foods are junk, such as Cheetos, crackers, Pringles, candy, pizza and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. She has asthma and eczema as well. She's seen 5 different psychiatrists and has received 5 different diagnoses. She's been on a handful of medications, all of which were either ineffective or made her worse. She is now off of all the meds and I supplement with a daily multivitamin, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, B vitamins, magnesium and selenium. Do you have any suggestions on how we can help her?

DR. VAN DERVEER ASKS: Hi Dr. Wilson, I'm a psychiatrist in Boulder, Colorado. I'm seeing big improvements in my patients with anxiety and mood disorders by recommending the elimination of grains from their diets. Can you please share your insights on where we are currently with the science of a brain-gut inflammation connection?

NANCY ASKS: I just had lunch with an elementary school teacher today. She was telling me how the numbers for autism have skyrocketed and of course mainstreaming autistic kids into the schools. We talked about the effect this was having on the classroom environment and the fact that the parents of these children seem to be in denial about what their child is going through. Would our sugar and carbohydrate-laden diets have anything to do with this increase that has been happening?

MICHAEL FROM AUSTRALIA ASKS: At the age of 42 I had my first panic attack and I remember the exact time and day it happened. It has been relentless every single day for the last 22 years. I went down the conventional health path with various general practitioners, shrinks and psychologists—all to no avail! My shrink put me on Xanax and I think I have tried every SSRI known to man with no success. When I attempted to wean myself off of Xanax, my generalized anxiety disorder returned with a vengeance. It’s a miserable place to be in. I discovered the low-carb, high-fat way of eating over decade ago thanks to people like Dr. Mike Eades and Gary Taubes. Their advice had marvelous affects on all my physical health markers, including my lipids, BMI and blood sugars. However, it has not helped me with my anxiety at all. At this stage I am not optimistic of a cure, but do you have anything that can give me some hope for the future?

PHIL FROM THE UK ASKS: I currently eat a low-carb diet that consists of less than 30g of net carbs per day. I had a Vitamin D test and it came back as "insufficient." So I began supplementing with 4000 IU daily for a month and fixed that. I also take an EPA supplement that is extracted from fish oil. Is there any science around which if any omega-3 fish oil supplement is most effective for depression and anxiety issues? Does DHA in some way negate EPA if they are taken together?

RICK ASKS: How common is magnesium deficiency in those people dealing with anxiety problems? Also, considering your medical practice is in northern Minnesota, how often does you see people that are deficient in Vitamin D and do you use it in treating patients dealing with depression and anxiety issues? If so, what is the ideal blood level you are shooting for in your patients? Finally, have you used probiotics in treating depression?

AIR DATE: November 1, 2012 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: “Finding The Diet That's Right For You”

If you've been listening to my podcasts or read my blog for any length of time, then you've obviously heard me talk about one of the basic philosophies that I think is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Here it is: "Find a diet plan that is right for you, follow that plan exactly as prescribed by the author and then keep doing that plan for the rest of your life making appropriate tweaks along the way to keep it working." But how do you go about figuring out what the "right" diet and lifestyle plan is for you? That's what we'll be exploring further in Episode 33 of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" with a highly-qualified guest expert named  (listen to my March 2012 interview with Peter in ).

TRY THESE DELICIOUS NEW PRE-MADE PALEO MEALSUSE COUPON CODE "LLVLC" FOR 10% OFF YOUR ORDERNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: TRY THE WORLD'S FINEST CACAO BEAN LOW-CARB CHOCOLATEEnter "LLVLC" at checkout for 15% offNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this podcast:

RENEE ASKS:I have been refining what I think is my perfect diet for about 3 years now. During that time my diet has drastically changed for the better. I eat a very strict Paleo autoimmune diet with no dairy, nuts or nightshades. This has worked very well for me and now I am experimenting with a few little things here and there to tweak my diet that help me go from feeling good to feeling great. I am wondering about the cross-reactivity of coffee with gluten. I have heard that this can be a problem for some people, but I dismissed it because I didn’t want to believe that it can be a problem for me. But now I’m thinking that it IS a problem for me because after quitting coffee I started losing weight with no other changes in my diet. And it's not just calories because I replaced the coffee with a coconut oil cocoa that would have equal calories since I made my coffee into a coconut oil latte anyway. I know that gut issues are the minority of manifestation of gluten intolerance, so this effortless weight loss might be showing some type of healing. I also heard that a study came out early this year confirming that a coffee/gluten cross reactivity is a significant problem. What are your thoughts on this issue?

MICHAEL ASKS:I'd like to hear Peter address hypercaloric feeding on a ketogenic diet in combination with weight training. Is it possible for someone who is already basically lean and healthy to overeat and train his way up in size? What is the likely practical limit to size gain and performance in weightlifting with insulin levels being kept very low?

MIKE ASKS:I have found success stabilizing my weight on a diet of 20-30g of carbs per day. However, I can't seem to lose those last stubborn pounds. I am a 5'8" male and currently weight 160 pounds with 19% body fat. My goal is to get down to 15% body fat. I started monitoring my ketones and after a month was able to lose another 4 pounds and 1% body fat, but it was very hard for me to maintain the high percentage of fat in my diet required to get my ketones high enough. Recently I started slow lifting and I really like that program. But when I increased my protein to aid muscle development I knocked myself out of ketosis and am right back to the 19% fat, 160-pound mark. I suspect a hormonal problem is contributing to the difficulties in losing but I’ve tested my testosterone twice and both times it’s near the high end of the "normal range." Recently my TSH also tested fine at 1.9, my Free T4 Direct was in the middle of the lab range at 1.32, and my TPOab was also in the middle at 12. My Free T3 was on the low end of the lab range at 2.2 (with the lowest reference range being 2.0). Given all of the above, are there variations I could try in my diet that could get me unstuck and help me reach my goal?

MARYANN ASKS:I’m a 76-year old woman with the H63D gene for hemochromatosis and have high ferritin. My latest test was 436 and it goes up and down with an all-time high of 625. My doctors says that a phlebotomy is unnecessary unless it goes over 1000. I also have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation which I understand eating the Paleo way is the best for this. My A fib discussion board members say my ferritin is way too high now. What diet would you say would be the best for me?

TINA ASKS:I am 42 years old and have been overweight since having children in my early 20s. I am 5'4" and weigh 199 pounds. My A1c was 5.8 when I check it a few months ago and my doctor advised me that I’m at risk for Type 2 diabetes and that I need to start exercising 30 minutes per day. I have been playing around with low-carb/Paleo and primal diets for the past few months but I can't decide which way to go. I have read tons of information and listen to many health podcasts like the ones from Jimmy Moore, Balanced Bites and Fat Burning Man. Where do I start? I crave sweets at least once a day and that continues to be my biggest downfall. How do I pick the diet that’s right for me?

PALEOZETA FROM AUSTRALIA ASKS:I would like Dr. Attia to talk about intermittent fasting and…well, diarrhea. Sorry. About 10 minutes after I eat again following an intermittent fast, which works very well for me in conjunction with my ketogenic diet, I tend to have one or two bouts of diarrhea. I was reading that it could be our body expelling the toxins in it, but I’m not so sure about that. I’ve heard other people who do IF having this same issue. Do you have any insights about this?

JAN ASKS:I'm a peri-menopausal woman, and I eat a low-carb, high-fat version of primal. My doctor is pushing statins on me strictly on the basis of my LDL-C which registered in at 142 using the Freidewald Equation. My HDL is 79 and my triglycerides are 71. Because of my insurer and financial situation, getting an NMR Lipoprofile test to measure my LDL-P is out of my reach to better assess my risk factors. I can't even get them to do a C-Reactive Protein test to assess whether there's inflammation. Is there any dietary tweak I can make to bring LDL-C lower without negatively impacting my excellent HDL and triglyceride readings?

ERIC ASKS:It seems very timely that Dr. Attia will be on your podcast, Jimmy, as your latest Apo B results showing 238 and an LDL-P score of 3451 would appear to be quite alarming based on his recent “The Straight Dope On Cholesterol” series. Since Dr. Attia is a huge fan of ketogenic diets AND has a lot of knowledge about the importance of lipid markers, I would imagine he would be in a fantastic position to help clarify what is going on here. He seems to believe that the Apo B number is one of the most important markers of cardiovascular health. By the way, what is Dr. Attia’s Apo B number?

JACK ASKS:Since cycling is a topic that is rarely addressed in Paleo/low-carb circles, does Peter have any tips for maximizing endurance athletic performance while on a ketogenic diet? Whenever I try to do cycling while in ketosis, I often feel fatigued and lose some of my power. Alternately, if I eat a lot of carbs and sugar-laden cycling food, I get stomachaches and feel bloated and grouchy most of the ride. Peter's blog has been the only thing I've ever seen talking about this topic and I’d appreciate hearing more from him about this.

ROGER ASKS:Does a ketogenic diet repair or re-regulate an underactive thyroid? I’ve been on this diet for a year and a half now, but my hypothyroid symptoms still exist although I feel much better. My latest blood tests suggest I have low T3. I’m athletically built, never been overweight and exercise moderately. I’m wondering if Dr. Attia is a proponent of doing any thyroid supplementation in conjunction with a ketogenic diet as a beneficial approach to treating these hypothyroid symptoms?

MICHELE ASKS:I heard you mention on your previous podcast with Jimmy that you use vegetables as a vehicle for consuming more fat. How important are vegetables in the diet if you’re eating a high-fat, low-carb diet? I always get confused because you hear how important it is to eat a lot of vegetables but I’m not particularly fond of a lot of them when trying to increase my ketones.

TOM ASKS:We often hear the phrase used in the low-carb community that “there’s no dietary requirement for carbohydrate.” I’ve always assumed this comment was directed at the usual suspects like breads, cereals, pastas, legumes, etc. However, I have to ask, are vegetables really necessary to consume? In my case, I’m referring to non-starchy vegetables, such as kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and so forth. While vegetables contain vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals, I’ve read that cruciferous vegetables are also potentially goitrogenic. Cooking these vegetables for long periods of time supposedly helps to mitigate any deleterious effects, but the suggested cooking time is a minimum of 30 minutes. So what’s the scoop on veggies?

DARREN ASKS:Over the past year and a half, I've been following a low-carb diet stopping short of nutritional ketosis. I'd put my daily carbohydrate input close to 100g out of a 2700- calorie diet. It has allowed me to accomplish and exceed the goals that I set out to do:

- Lowered my Triglycerides from ~330 to <70- Decreased my A1c from 5.8 to 4.7- Reduced my fasting blood glucose numbers- Shed over 35 pounds off my body

During that time, I've been reading as much information as I can about a low-carb lifestyle. Looking at the best low-carb diet studies that I have seen, most are centered on ketogenic diets and clearly show the benefits of that lifestyle. And yet it seems there are still many questions about nutrition that are either unanswered or do not have answers backed by solid science. Should I be concerned about any long-term health risks from my diet falling short of ketogenic levels? Will your NuSI project be focusing primarily on a strict ketogenic lifestyle or a variety of diet plans across the spectrum? And are there any specific tests that I need to run on myself before, during and after if I wanted to do an n=1 experiment of getting into nutritional ketosis?

AIR DATE: October 18, 2012 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: “Ketogenic Diets & Cancer”

Philadelphia physician  and the  is currently involved in studying a topic that is very near and dear to his heart that happens to be what we'll be discussing in this week's ATLCX podcast. The hot topic we'll be taking on in Episode 31 is "Ketogenic Diets & Cancer" which is gaining a lot of traction amongst researchers looking for nutritional solutions to this horrible disease. Dr. Champ is currently completing his specialty training in radiation oncology and has a keen interest in the dietary effects of carbohydrate restriction on the prevention and treatment of cancer. The connection between our modern American diet, obesity and cancer has been quite remarkable, and Dr. Champ hopes that the work he is doing can help people fight all three. You may have already read his recent review article published in the scientific journal International Journal Of Breast Cancer entitled  We're seeing incredible health benefits from carbohydrate-restricted diets and Dr. Champ took on your questions about how ketogenic diets play a role in the treatment of cancers.

TRY THESE DELICIOUS NEW PRE-MADE PALEO MEALSUSE COUPON CODE "LLVLC" FOR 10% OFF YOUR ORDERNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: TRY THIS NEW LOW-CARB SNACK OPTION FROM NICK'S STICKS:NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

RELEVANT LINKS SHARED IN THIS EPISODE:-  (listen to Jimmy's interview with Dr. Fine in Episode 628 of  on Monday, October 22, 2012 about his published results)- - - - 

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this podcast:

GEZ ASKS: Do we know which cancers are the most likely to go into remission with a ketogenic diet? And why are other cancers relatively unaffected?

JOHANNAH ASKS: I have been very interested in following a ketogenic diet to combat my cancer. Is a very high-fat diet feasible for those of us cancer patients who have had our gall bladder removed? Does this diet also need to be calorie restricted in order to be effective?

SANDI ASKS: I have a pituitary adenoma as well as Cushing’s disease and other aliments (lupus/Hashimoto's/Celiac's/PCOS/etc.) and despite every effort I cannot get into ketosis nor can I get my blood sugar below 150. Is it the cortisol that is keeping my blood sugar up and prohibiting me from getting into nutritional ketosis? If not then what other things can prevent ketosis in someone eating a high fat, zero carb, moderate protein diet?

FORTUNE ASKS: One of my best FB buddies is a 2-year breast cancer survivor. They did the gene analysis of the tumor and discovered it was a very aggressive one; later she discovered she also had the BRCA genes! She had a double mastectomy and reconstruction. She continues with the usual treatment for cases like hers, a rather expensive medication. She is a very strong person, but we of course are all terrified of a recurrence. Should we recommend low-carb to her? Is there any evidence that low-carb could slow or halt the expression of the BRCA? BRCA can also lead to ovarian cancer, so it's possible she could get that as well. Could low-carb help her delay or even avoid ovarian cancer?

JAN ASKS: I was very excited getting to meet ketogenic diet cancer researcher Dr. Thomas Seyfried at the Ancestral Health Symposium in Boston this year and was privileged to spend a lunch hour visiting with him about his work with brain cancer. I was so impressed by what he shared that I wrote down a summary of my thoughts and passed along to my fellow RN friend who is the Clinical Nurse Specialist for Oncology at a leading cancer center in California who regularly speaks on this subject. But I was completely flabbergasted at her response when she said "You're not going to tell me that SUGAR causes cancer" and then she just rattled off a bunch of comments about quacks who are misleading cancer victims and it was just really frustrating to me. This is such an important topic and I know from what I've heard about your work and my visit with Dr. Seyfried that there is a place for this discussion. But I couldn't even get started with this "expert." She wasn’t even the tiniest bit interested in even looking at the research...and this is not the first time. Unfortunately, I've heard this kind of response from a lot of folks who work in cancer treatment. What can low-carb and Paleo practitioners do as a community to get beyond the "quack" label and get people to at least consider this as a viable part of their treatment options for cancer patients?

GREG FROM ALBERTA ASKS: As a layman it seems fairly obvious that any tumor that can be imaged using the fluorodeoxyglucose radiotracer is a tumor which can be affected by limiting glucose consumption. As a new ketogenic diet fan, it seems like all cancers might respond well, but this could just be selection bias on my part. Since mitochondria in tumors can also use glutamine and even lipids as a fuel source. To the best of your knowledge are there breast cancers that would be better served on a protein-limited or even a fat-limited diet? Are there any other common cancers where a restricted ketogenic diet as advocated by Dr. Seyfried might not be effective in helping combat cancer? Are there diagnostic tools that can be used to separate out cancers based on what they require for growth (e.g. Carb/protein/fat)?

MIKE ASKS: My mother has stage 4 ovarian cancer and is now in her third round of chemotherapy treatment. On this round the doctors have put her on a low dose chemo program which she has now been on for several months. She has some small spots in her liver and hip area, however since the third round of chemo began it doesn't appear that the spots have grown. She is gaining weight (mostly fat) and recently she had a fasting glucose test with a result of 120. I have been encouraging her to eat a ketogenic diet but she says she just doesn't think she can give up bread and sugar, though she has tried to cut back. Do you feel a ketogenic diet would benefit her at this point, especially if her cancer appears stable for the moment? How hard should I push this?

C.L. ASKS: I was one of the 50-80% of women who do not fit the risk profile for breast cancer but received a diagnosis of Stage 1, ER+ in 2009. This may be apples and oranges, but is the ketogenic diet easier for the liver to detoxify than the standard low fat/high carb that is recommended by oncologists? I ask because I have the double C mutation for the MTHFR mutation which regulates the enzyme for folate uptake. I take the proper B now, so my folate should be adequate but I am always looking for ways to make life easier for my detoxification pathways. On the face of it, I would think more fat would be more burdensome for the liver but apparently everything I've heard for the last 30 years about fat has been wrong. I am new to this low-carb lifestyle and am reading as fast as I can. When I was diagnosed I was an ethical vegetarian but realized that would have to change when I began reading about the effects of insulin and cancer. If a ketogenic diet proves a valid treatment, do you think esters might have an application for cancer patients who are under treatment and/or want to avoid recurrence?

ANDY ASKS: My questions are about Dr. Seyfried's ketogenic cancer therapy. It is predicated on starving malignant tumors of their fermentable nutritional substrates; blood glucose & glutamine. A diligent ketogenic diet manages the blood glucose & prescription sodium phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl) manages the blood glutamine.

I have 4 questions regarding this therapy:

1. Is there any evidence regarding its effectiveness (either anecdotal or clinic testing)?2. Are there any side effects (especially for the sodium phenylbutyrate for glutamine)?3. How effective is it when combined with traditional chemo & radiation therapies (radiation supposedly elevates blood glucose)?4. Should regular self-testing of blood glucose & ketones be incorporated into the therapy?

AIR DATE: October 11, 2012 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: “Getting Low-Carb To Join The Scientific Mainstream”

In recent years, we've seen a lot of momentum happening within the scientific realm towards carbohydrate restriction that could quite possibly be the beginning of the next low-carb revolution. This is the hypothesis of this week's special expert guest on "Ask The Low-Carb Experts." He is Brooklyn, NY-based SUNY Downstate biochemistry professor and the founder of the  named  joining us to talk about the hot topic "Getting Low-Carb To Join The Scientific Mainstream." There's a plethora of quality research being conducted out there on carbohydrate-restricted diets on a variety of fronts from metabolic syndrome to epilepsy to cancer. But unfortunately these research projects for the most part are not being funded by major funding sources like the National Institutes for Health or other key sources. So how do we get low-carb to join the scientific mainstream so that more investigation can be done into the veracity of this way of eating? That's what we explored in this conversation with Dr. Feinman.

CHECK OUT THE LOW-CARB MEALS FROM DIET-TO-GO:Low-Carb meal plans from . No carb counting, no cooking.Enter "LLVLC" at checkout for 25% off!NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: TRY LOUISE'S FOODS LOW-CARB BREAKFAST BITES & GRANOLAUSE COUPON CODE "LLVLC" AT CHECKOUT FOR 15% OFF!NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

***Dr. Feinman talked about a project he is helping high school senior Matthew Engel with encouraging people on a low-carb diet to take pictures of what you eat and e-mail it to them. Here's the address: ***

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this podcast:

TC ASKS:I'm interested in what Dr. Feinman thinks about the Harvard study recently cited by Dr. Barry Sears from The Zone Diet entitled 

HARMONY ASKS:I'm a little too young to properly remember the battle over cigarettes. But are there any lessons we can learn from that experience to use in the promotion of the science behind low-carb diets?

DEBBIE ASKS:In Canada, . It seems after decades of nutritional decay, government health leaders there are finally seeing the light on the science. Do you think a similar announcement for adults will be forthcoming in Canada? How close are we in the United States seeing something similar to this happen here?

BOB ASKS:It seems to me that the main reason low-carb diets are not an accepted part of the mainstream is that organizations such as the USDA and the NIH produce documents such as the Food Pyramid and MyPlate that push for carbohydrates to be a major part of a healthy diet. In light of the evidence that supports the health benefits of a high-fat, low-carb diet, why has there not been a lawsuit challenging this erroneous advice? Wouldn't someone who has meticulously followed this advice and then developed worse symptoms with their diabetes, for example, have a legitimate case and be able to set the precedent that high-fat, low-carb is a valid alternative? Are you aware of anything like this in the works?

NANCY ASKS:People like Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz seem to have a lot of influence with average people when it comes to healthy living because of their prominence on national television. I personally do not watch them because I like to do my own research and come up with my own informed decisions on how to live a healthy life. But everyday I hear people around me asking, 'Oh did you see what Dr. X said about BLANK?' Is there anyone out there who you see breaking into mainstream television like Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz have to promote the scientific principles of low-carb lifestyle? What would it take to make something like this happen in terms of sponsorship, profitability and keeping the messages communicated focused on what the science is showing?

RICHELLE ASKS:I would like to suggest that efforts be directed at the universities and scientific publications – especially textbooks. This year I purchased the “Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology 12th edition” and I was mortified by the ignorant comments in the textbook about cholesterol, nutrition, heart disease and basic metabolic processes like lipid metabolism and ketosis which was actually confused with ketoacidosis. This is a current textbook teaching emerging medical professionals and it's spouting information that has long since been dismissed and corrected. Food and pharmaceutical companies pay for research to be conducted in the universities that have the experts that write these textbooks and so it is obvious why it is difficult to change their minds, perhaps unless the government insists. We need to convince our government health departments of the fact that unhealthy populations cost the government and the community a boatload of money. Does Dr. Feinman have any ideas about where and how to start making inroads on this front?

PETRO ASKS:Given the remarkable results of treating both metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes with a low-carb diet, is Dr. Feinman aware of any research on the combination of treating either of the two conditions with both a low-carb diet and metformin? Previous research suggests the combination of metformin and exercise may be more complicated than expected. If Type 2 diabetes is the health crisis of the future, it seems that careful research into the combination of treatments typically used is indicated and ought to be ripe for funding by any responsible health organization.

DAN ASKS:What research has been done or is planned for the effectiveness of low-carb in controlling diabetes and especially reducing cardiovascular risk for diabetics? Studies like ACCORD or ADVANCE claim to show no or worse cardiovascular benefit to lowering blood sugar with drugs. What about those who maintain excellent blood sugar control with low-carb? Doctors are quick to prescribe statins to diabetics, though I don't see any benefit in the study data for diabetics who haven't already had a heart attack. It would be good have data that shows diabetics who control blood sugar with low-carb have no higher cardiovascular risk than non-diabetics.

AIR DATE: October 4, 2012 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: “Cholesterol Testing: What Matters Most?”

This week we're very excited to bring to you one of the world's leading lipidologists and experts on just about everything you could ever want to know about cholesterol numbers named  from . He's the Director of Cardiovascular Education at the  in Richmond, Virginia and is one of the most requested speakers in the United States with expertise on atherothrombosis, lipoprotein and vascular biology, advanced lipoprotein testing and more. Dr. Dayspring has given over 4000 lectures in all 50 states educating medical professionals and the lay public alike.

Many of you first heard him in  and afterwards had lots of questions for Dr. Dayspring about cholesterol. That's why we decided to bring him back on ATLCX to take on the topic "Cholesterol Testing: What Matters Most?" so you can speak directly with him about your burning questions on your cholesterol concerns. This was a golden opportunity to get clarification on any issues regarding cholesterol testing that concern you.

TRY THESE DELICIOUS NEW PRE-MADE PALEO MEALSUSE COUPON CODE "LLVLC" FOR 10% OFF YOUR ORDERNOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: TRY THIS NEW LOW-CARB SNACK OPTION FROM NICK'S STICKS:NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this podcast:

COLLEEN ASKS:In an ideal world, should everyone know what their LDL-P number is? What is the ideal number or target range for LDL-P? How important is LDL-P as a biomarker for risk of heart disease? Other than diet, what would be common causes of high LDL-P?

TRISTA ASKS:If someone has high cholesterol (mine is 307 total, 48 HDL, 239 LDL, and 95 triglycerides with mostly Pattern A LDL cholesterol), is that a reason to stop eating a low-carb diet? And who would you say needs to be taking a statin drug as an appropriate treatment option for lowering cholesterol numbers?

UROLOGIST FROM BRAZIL NAMED J.C. ASKS:We know that statins raise insulin resistance and can interfere with blood glucose control in Type 2 diabetics. I have a patient who has already had two heart attacks and seen great improvements in his health since adopting a low-carb diet. Would you consider taking him off simvastatin if his Apo-B remains low after stopping the medication? And for those of us who live outside the United States, how good is an Apo-B test as compared with the NMR Lipoprofile? What is the desirable value for Apo-B?

ANDREI ASKS:Do other favorable test readings, such as large fluffy LDL particles, high HDL, low triglycerides or low CRP levels, singularly or in combination, reduce the risk of heart attack posed by a very large LDL-P number?

DANNY ASKS:You mentioned in your previous interview with Jimmy that sterols, not just cholesterol, have the potential to incorporate into arterial plaque. I did some research and  where arterial plaque was scraped and analyzed and a direct relationship was established between the amount of plants in the diet and the amount of plant based sterols that end up in the arterial wall. What is the mechanism behind plant sterols becoming plaque? Does the addition of plant sterols in the diet make our lab results, especially the calculated LDL tests, look good for no real benefit? And if this is true, why does cholesterol get a bad rap and these sterols enjoy the halo of healthiness?

ORLEATHA ASKS:Recently, Paleo diet practitioner Chris Kresser wrote in a blog post that "the number of LDL particles in the blood...is a risk factor for heart disease." After getting an NMR Lipoprofile test run, what number should be cause for concern?

BRIAN ASKS:How do cholesterol numbers get calculated? We see LDL, HDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol. And why isn't the NMR Lipoprofile test the standardized cholesterol measurement in the medical profession yet?

SHARI ASKS:Is it possible for someone to have too low cholesterol? My total cholesterol has never been more than 95 testing over the past 15 years. Some people in the Paleo community have said I should be very concerned but my general practitioner thinks my very low cholesterol is great. What do you say?

FORTUNE ASKS:What should APOE 3/4 or even 4/4 people look for in their lipid tests given that they will probably not be "normal?" And what should APOE 3/4 or 4/4 do to reduce their risk?

IKE ASKS:My question is in regards to the test that is performed by Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc called the Apolipoprotein E Genotype. What are the implications on the lipids of a high-fat, low-carb dieter with the 2/4 genotype combination? I believe that this occurs in 1-2% of the population. Would these people need to eat less saturated fat?

WILLIAM ASKS:You have said in more than one interview I have heard that you believe it really boils down to the LDL particle number and that particle size is not as important. With that in mind I would think the Lp(a) test would be all you would need to run to obtain that information. So, what is the BEST, most cost effective lab test to have done if you could do only one test to give you the most information about heart disease risk?

ANN ASKS:Does what I eat in the few days prior to my lab draw make a difference in my Apo B and small LDL-P...especially if I overindulge in carbs the day before the draw? If a lab report gives both Apo B and LDL-P and one is high and one is normal which one do you go with?

ALLYSON ASKS:Why do you see HDL decrease with autoimmune diseases such as lupus? Is it associated or causal? Does the HDL decrease in response to the disease? Why do you suspect hyper absorption when you see high HDL-C?

KAY ASKS:I have been eating low-carb Paleo since January and have lost 45 pounds. I just went to the doctor for the first time since 2007 and he ran blood work. My total cholesterol went up to 334, mostly LDL, and the doctor is alarmed. In order to prevent my doctor from ordering me to take statins, I told him that I had read that losing more than 30 pounds within a few months can temporarily elevate total cholesterol, and that I would have another blood test done in 3-6 months. Is it true that my weight loss may be the reason for the jump in total cholesterol and LDL?

ED ASKS:I had the NMR test and it reveals an elevated (high risk) LDL-P count of 1573 but also a calculated, intermediate risk of Apo-B of 62. I recently noticed that these results were from a non-fasting test. Is it possible that the LDL-P and APO-B (both particle counts) are affected by the fact the the test was done in a non-fasted state? Would you recommend this test only be done in only a fasted state?

RICHARD ASKS:It has been stated by Chris Masterjohn that within the same individual, cholesterol readings can vary from day to day. In fact, it was reported that total cholesterol has a standard deviation of +/- 17.5 points meaning that a reading of 200 for example, could easily vary between 165 and 235 over a two-day period. So if this is accurate, how meaningful are the various cholesterol readings particularly since most MDs only get one test and make their decisions based on that singular piece of data?

AIR DATE: September 27, 2012 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERT: FEATURED TOPIC: “The Truth About Low-Carb Research”

On this week's episode of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" we delve deeply into the science supporting carbohydrate-restricted diets as we welcome an outstanding health and fitness researcher named . You may recall hearing him in  or on his own outstanding Top 20  discussing his comprehensive book examining all the historical research on nutrition, fitness and health entitled . And he'll be joining us as one of the special guest speakers on the . Jonathan spent over a decade pouring over literally thousands of pages of research data in an effort to learn so much more about what's true and not true about diets and can articulate practically anything you want to know about low-carb diets as found in the research literature. He has become very well-versed at the overwhelming evidence supporting this healthy way of eating and we were so pleased to have him joining us in Episode 28 to take on YOUR questions about this topic.

CHECK OUT THE LOW-CARB MEALS FROM DIET-TO-GO:Low-Carb meal plans from . No carb counting, no cooking.Enter "LLVLC" at checkout for 25% off!NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: TRY LOUISE'S FOODS LOW-CARB BREAKFAST BITES & GRANOLAUSE COUPON CODE "LLVLC" AT CHECKOUT FOR 15% OFF YOUR ORDER!NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this podcast:

MIKE ASKS:I've read Good Calories Bad Calories as well as Why We Get Fat both by Gary Taubes. Are there areas of Taubes' research where you uncovered different or conflicting findings from the data? Also, has anything in your research uncovered whether different diets tend to benefit different people? It seems to me that the diet community is very polarized and everyone is seeking a "one-size-fits-all" solution. Based on your research do you think some people would do better on a low-carb diet than others? Do you think we are close to determining at the outset which lifestyle modifications will work best for certain people? For example, are we headed towards a day where someone can answer a questionnaire or take a blood test and get feedback on the types of diets likely to work best for them? Thanks for your responses to my questions.

REBECCA FROM AUSTRALIA ASKS:I have a question about fat. Why is it in The Smarter Science Of Slim that only low/no-fat products are recommended? For example, you only cite the use of low-fat dairy. And not very much of it at that. This is disturbing to me particularly since I find fat much more satiating than green veggies or protein. I know that Jonathan also recommends including healthy fats in your diet, but it's not much either. I still have a major issue with the whole low-fat ideas he is promoting. I have listened to Jonathan being interviewed on podcasts many times, and also regularly listen to his "Smarter Science Of Slim" podcast. But this question has never really, to my mind, been appropriately addressed and answered. I know he can talk a lot about the research, but I would really appreciate a simple answer that doesn't include the re-telling of all that research.

NICK ASKS:You emphasize LEAN protein and LOW-FAT dairy. While you do say that some fat can be healthy and yet there still seems to be a remnant of lipophobia - or perhaps, lipo-skepticism - in your diet plan? Despite all the emerging evidence, you still seem to believe, to a degree, that fat makes you fat. You call your program SANE, but isn't this a quite in-SANE position on nutrition you are taking?

JEAN ASKS:I am currently making changes to my diet eating low-carb and using the principles of The Smarter Science Of Slim. I have lost some weight and have felt better overall, but sometimes I have a craving for sweets like chocolate brownies. Recently I heard  and she talked about taking amino acids when you crave carbs or sweets. I am wondering if you have seen any research on the use of amino acids in curbing carbohydrate cravings. If so, would you recommend using them as supplements and in what dosage?

A PALEO REGISTERED DIETITIAN NAMED KELLY ASKS:Want to address your input on the Paleo diet for people with Type 1 diabetes. It has done wonders for me as well as my clients. In your research, have you determined what amount of carbohydrate intake is ideal for a Type 1? Or do you think it is best for Type 1 patients to cycle their carbohydrates or use intermittent fasting as a means for lowering blood sugar and insulin requirements?

DAYTONA ASKS:Many of us have to convince our doctors that we aren’t killing ourselves on a low-carb diet. If you could make a one-page handout that we could bring with us to the doctor with references to major studies highlighting the effects of a low-carb diet on health (for example, weight control, cholesterol, kidneys and blood sugar) and any other convincing data, what would you include?

BOB ASKS:In listening to both Jonathan's and Jimmy's podcasts and it seems that the major difference in what you each are advocating is the amount of protein that can or should be consumed. I understand the reasoning behind each of your positions, but what conclusion do you come to collectively? Or do you just agree to disagree?

CLAIR ASKS:My question is about yogurt! I am so confused about what yogurt to eat and how to count it. Jonathan recommends low-fat greek yogurt and I have heard that the carb count on yogurt is not actually what it says due to the bacteria in it. I have been getting a low-carb yogurt from a particular grocery store across the border in Canada and I just don't know if this is the best option. I am not a huge fan of greek yogurt, but would be willing to choke it down if it is indeed the best choice.