Today Was Eye Opening

Today has been interesting. The following link, which was shared by a thoughtful poster on Livin' Low-Carb Discussion, is why....

Reactive Hypoglycemia: A Disease Of Carbohydrate Poisoning

All of the sudden I'm putting puzzles pieces in place that actually fit. I am now 95% convinced that I am reactive hypoglycemic. I say only 95% because there is still a slight chance there are other issues. But that chance has reduced drastically, at least in my mind.

Here are the parts that stand out for me:(symptoms I have in bold)

Let me list a few symptoms, just to show you that you are not immune:

* Breathlessness
* Panic Attacks
* Memory Problems
* Inability to Concentrate
* Inner Trembling and Pounding Heart 1-4 Hours after a Meal
* Palpitations/Irregular Heartbeat
* Weight Gain in Abdominal Area
* Nightmares

If you recognize any three of these symptoms in yourself over a period of time, you are probably at risk for reactive hypoglycemia.

A more complete list of symptoms:

* Fatigue
* Irritability
* Nervousness
* Depression
* Loss of libido
* Insomnia
* Flushing
* Leg or foot cramps
* Memory and concentration problems
* Anxiety
* Hypertension
* Impotence and inability to maintain an erection
* Headaches
* Dizziness, and sometimes even actual fainting
* Blurring of vision
* Nasal congestion
* Tinnitus (ringing ears)
* Numbness and tingling of the hands, feet or face
* Bloating
* Abdominal cramps
* Bowel problems

Out of 29 symptoms I have 17! For the first time I'm seeing a connection with all these symptoms, which I always assumed were separate issues. Just today, while shopping with my children, I had a dizzy spell, and then was lightheaded for a good little while. We quickly finished the shopping and once I got in the car I ate an Atkins bar. Not long afterwards I felt normal again. I now realize how crucial it is that I carry a snack with me at all times.

More interesting info:

RHG occurs frequently in individuals suffering from Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and explains a lot of the symptoms that people with these syndromes have experienced but never had a clear picture of. FMS and CFS are hard to diagnose and some medical systems refuse to admit that such wide-ranging symptoms could all be generated by one overarching disorder.

Thyroid problems and adrenal insufficiency can also be present with hypoglycemia, and they are both frequently found with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The difficulty with testing for them is that doctors tend to look at test results rather than symptoms. If you come to a doctor with every symptom listed at the above website, but your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is even 1 point inside the "normal" parameters, many times the doctor will tell you only that: "Your tests show that your TSH is within the normal range." (Loosely translated, this means, "Get out of my face with this stupid thyroid suspicion. I'm the doctor here.")

But there is nothing that will cure RHG once it gets established. The only way to deal with it is to put yourself on a STRICT low-carbohydrate diet, and STAY on it. As Dr. Starlanyl states in her article, this condition will lead to Type II diabetes if it is not carefully managed.

That last sentence, which I put in bold, is scarier to me than any Steven King novel ever thought about being.

So this could be a problem I'm having with FMS and/or Thyroid. Or could just be the problem all together.

When RHG sufferers test their fasting blood sugar in the morning, they will find it elevated. (Normal blood sugar in the fasting range should be between 80 and 100 mg/dl.) Their blood sugar will frequently be between 115 and 135. Over a period of careful diet and attention to other factors, like hormone supplementation, that fasting blood sugar should fall to more normal readings.

I've tested my fasting blood sugar twice after getting out of bed. The first time was 107, the second was 104. Not a huge jump from the norm, but above the norm none-the-less. Testing it during the day, after a meal, has been as high as 131. I doubt this is coincidence.

The author, Liz Pavek, doesn't claim to be a medical professional, but she does a good job of summing it up in layman's terms. There's a lot of other info in this article so be sure to check it out.

In summation: This girl is going to pull herself up by the bootstraps and be extra careful. I don't like needles, or medications, enough to risk not doing this right.

You don't have to suffer alone....

*sigh* I'm sitting her with my heart breaking. I've recently had the privilege to get to know many former Kimkins members. I never spent much time on the Kimkins forums, so I only knew of the few that were high profile. I've now had a chance to really get to know a host of wonderful people. Two of them I am quickly becoming acquainted with because we are all three part of the moderating team at www.lowcarbdiscussion.com. I'm speaking of Christin and Deni, two of Kimkins most famous faces.

They've been nothing but wonderful and have been doing their best to make amends for promoting a plan they now believe is unsafe. I believe they have nothing to apologize for, as they were taken in just like the rest of us.

I wish I could say that everything is returning to normal in the low-carb world and Kimkins is fading out. Sadly, that is not yet the case. And lately there has been even more worrisome news regarding the health implications of using the Kimkins plan.

The two biggest concerns I've seen recently (outside of people reporting hair loss, messed up menstrual cycles, muscle fatigue, and anorexic thinking/habits) have come from these two wonderful ladies.

Deni just went to the doctor. Here's what happened, in her own words, from her blog The Open Bench:

...she asked me, "why are you here today?"

And I had to tell her the truth... and with a downward, broken hearted glance, I had to tell her that because of that wonderful, rapid weight loss that she was just gushing over me for... I needed to have the doctor run some tests to see if I had done any damage to myself or not.

She immediately stopped gushing over my weight loss... took down some notes, and shook her head as she walked out of the room.

The doctor came in... so proud and ecstatic to see my weight loss.. knowing that he and I had discussed it many times over the past few years, and then as he listened to HOW I lost the weight (with Kimkins- low carb, low fat, and usually 600-800 calories) he said... "Well, starvation always works doesn't it... but hopefully you only lost weight and nothing else important for your body to function properly."

She goes on to describe the symptoms she's having:

Here's my side effects:
1. extra periods (told this was normal)
2. loss of hair ... loss of about 60% of my thickness if not more. (told it was normal, and even looked it up online for myself! Saw that it said it was common in people who were dieting and skimmed over the part that said "fad diets" or nutritionally deficient diets.)
3. Lightheaded dizzy spells- never mentioned these to anyone .. they were not an everyday occurrence, and I had them sometimes prior to this diet so I easily ignored them.
4. Weird blurred vision- like my eyes would dilate at different degrees... things would get fuzzy and look far away and warped.. I would then readjust my own "focus" and a few minutes later it was back to normal. Again.. I didn't mention it.. figured it was a fluke.. it only happened a few times.
5. heart flutters- never mentioned these to anyone either. Even when they happened, I dismissed them in my mind as quickly as I could. (these are still happening randomly)

Other strange things I noticed:
6. Peanut butter CRAVINGS... like really super cravings... and I knew I wasn't the only one having this. I read post after post after post about people who were feeling guilty for giving into peanut butter or any kind of nuts. So, I wrote this off as "normal"
7. Milkshake CRAVINGS... again.. these cravings were much stronger than any craving I'd ever had before dieting. I heard lots of other people also talk about craving milkshakes, including my mom who also did the diet.

Now the doctor is very concerned and running tests. He told her this:

...warned me strongly that while being extremely overweight isn't good for your health, or for you heart... that sometimes losing it all super fast and not getting all the nutrients necessary for bodily functions.. is an even quicker route to heart disease.

(emphasis Deni's)

Then Christin told us today that she was rushed to the hospital last night with chest pains. Thankfully the ekg's, blood work, and chest x-rays all came out OK. But her pulse kept dropping to as low as 39! She has orders to rest today and is on pain meds for her chest pain. She has to see a cardiologist tomorrow.

Friends, this stuff really worries me. I hope you'll join me in prayer for these ladies, as well as for others who are having problems. Coincidence? I highly doubt it.

Becky, aka ex-kimkins member littlebit, did a search on Christin's symptoms and came up with an alarming find. Here's what she said in a post on www.lowcarbdiscussion.com:

I have been trying to do some research, and what I am coming up with is that this sounds like brachycardia, abnormally low pulse rates caused by electrical malfunctions of the heart. When it occurs, it is almost always in older people. In the young, it is usually a complication of . . . very low calories . . .like those associated with anorexia.

Now this may or may not be what Christin has. Only the doctors can say for sure what is wrong. But I felt it was an important enough possibility to share with you.

Many Kimkins members have fled to our forum for help, friendship and advice. They are suffering.. not only physically, but emotionally. They feel betrayed, used and fragile. They now know they don't have to suffer alone, and neither do you. If you need someone to help you through your journey, someone to reassure you during the confusion, please come and see us. We are loving group who truly want to help. We want what is best for YOU.

If you are considering, or currently on Kimkins, remember: This isn't just about losing weight, it could possibly mean losing so much more. Your health. And that's something that's awfully hard to get back once you lose it. Please don't take the gamble.

I'm not in the mood for ignorance

Sorry, but willful ignorance just hacks me off. It's one thing if a person just doesn't understand something because they haven't been taught. It's another thing to look the evidence right in the eye and declare it's wrong.

I was just sorting through the articles in my inbox that relate to low-carb when I found one written by a dietitian. That should have been my first clue that this was a waste of my valuable time. But since I seem to like self-inflicted torture, I read it anyway. I was steaming out the ears by the end of the article.

It was the same old tired "There's no such thing as a bad carb, blah, blah, blah". Oh yeah? Tell that to my thighs.. they seem to have missed that in class.

Too bad this so-called expert doesn't realize that no one is listening to her hype anymore. Dietitians, doctors, and biased researchers have knowingly lead this country down a path of disease ridden obesity. Do they care? No. If they told the truth they'd lose money. A majority of this nation doesn't NEED all the drugs we are told to use. I'd love to have a dime for every prescription written daily. I'll bet I'd be loaded by the end of the month.

A healthy low-carb diet can do so much for ones health. I know it's not for everyone, but it would sure help a myriad of people get off medications, improve lipid profiles, stabilize moods, increase energy, lose weight - I'm talking about Quality Of Life! I've yet to meet anyone that gave the low-carb lifestyle a REAL try and was disappointed.

So as far as I'm concerned these "experts" can take their health advice and stick in their ear. I'm tired of being lied to, and tired of seeing others lied to as well. I thank the good Lord I know the truth. But there are so many who have no idea that other options exist. They go to the "professional" for the help they desperately need, only to be give the same old useless advice. The patient leaves feeling hopeless, helpless and abandoned.

I'm here to say there is NO reason to feel this way. Look at all the amazing success stories built from low-carb living. Here's just a small sample:

Jimmy Moore
Karen Rysavy
Dana Carpender
Kate Welch


I could list many more success stories, but you get the idea. I mean, you can even look at the success I had from 2001 to 2003!



But surely I, and a host of others like me, must be wrong. We can't function on less than 120 carbs per day. Our bodies just don't do well on less than that, or so we have been told.



They must be right. I look terribly unhappy here. Don't you think I look sickly and peckish? It's all due to that terrible low-carb diet I merely existed on.

Do you have pictures of yourself from your low-carb experience? If so, and you'd like to share them, I love to compile a low-carb picture collage and post it here for all to see.

For those who still refuse to see the truth, Mark McManus posted a great article yesterday titled How to Lose Weight and Keep it off Permanently. He summarizes the path to success in simple terms. No big words or medical jargon. Just good common sense! I'm looking forward to reading his future articles on this subject. And who can argue with Mark? Just look at his pictures and you'll see what I mean. He is a great example of fitness and health!

I'll end this rant with a saying my husband has on one of his t-shirts:

Never Underestimate The Power Of Stupid People In Large Groups!

Like I said, I'm just not in the mood.....

Healthy Habits Combat Childhood Obesity

In the past, when someone thought of obesity, a child was rarely the first thing to come to mind. Children were highly active little creatures who never seemed to slow down. I can count on one hand the overweight children I grew up with.

Sadly, times have changed. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, "The prevalence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 20 years, going from 7% in 1980 to 18.8% in 2004. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled, increasing from 5% to 17.1%."

Wow. Those are some scary numbers! Obesity, in itself, is an awful thing to deal with as a child. While most adults have the tact and manners to be, at the least, polite to a person who is overweight, children can unknowingly be quite cruel. Taunting, name calling, bullying, and exclusion are just a few of the afflictions an overweight child will suffer through on a daily basis. But there is much more at stake here than self-confidence. With obesity comes deteriorating health. This isn't just an issue for adults. Children can suffer from diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression and a myriad of other problems. In fact, a recent study in the Journal of the Academy of Pediatrics discovered that overweight girls tend to hit puberty earlier than normal, which can lead to serious health concerns.

So what is the best way to tackle this growing problem? One word. Prevention.

As parents, educators, and role models, we need to be sure our children are receiving the proper messages about what is and is not healthy. In a society that becomes more confusing with each passing day, we MUST be the clear voice of reason. We can not leave children to their own devices and decisions about what is good for them.

So how do we successfully convey the message of healthy living to our children? TODAY nutritionist Joy Bauer has few suggestions and shared them in this article titled 10 Ways To Keep Your Kids From Getting Fat.

She had some great suggestions which I’d like to highlight here.

Number one on Joy’s list is being a healthy role model. Children tend to want to be just like Mom or Dad. If they see you eating potato chips, all the while you’re telling them they should eat fruits and vegetables for snacks, which do you think they’ll chose? Children look up to their parents, not only as heroes, but for guidance. Make sure you practice what you preach, or it will never sink in. As an example, my daughter started watching what I ate very closely when I started my low-carb plan. Now she no longer eats the bun on her Arby’s sandwiches. She says it’s good for her and tastes better that way.

Joy also mentions making healthy food choices fun. Games, taste tests - get creative! I know from personal experience that letting your children help with meal preparation works wonders. While my son will eat anything that isn’t nailed down, my picky daughter won't touch certain foods. One day I asked her to help me cook dinner. The next thing we knew, she was announcing, with pride, that she’d cooked the broccoli and everyone should try it because it is delicious. Of course this meant she’d have to eat some too. Rarely has she made something she didn’t like, once she tried it.

Another idea Joy mentions is using her 90/10 food strategy, which constitutes 90% healthy choices and 10% junk. I don’t deny my kids the “fun” foods. How hard would it be for a child to attend a birthday party and not get any cake or ice cream? But I also do my best to limit the poison, in the form of simple carbs, they ingest. I don’t want them to develop the carb addictions I’ve battled for so many years.

Suggestions number four, six, seven, and eight involve feeding them a healthy breakfast, loading them up on fiber, limiting starchy veggies, and keeping healthy veggies on hand at all times.

I do take issue with her fifth suggestion, which recommends switching children over to non-fat and low-fat foods after the age of two. Her specific example was milk, cheese and yogurt. She subscribes to the common food pyramid belief that the lower-fat counterparts will be a better choice because of the caloric content. I simply cannot go along with that line of thinking. I rarely allow my children to have anything labeled low-fat. Most of the time a low-fat label can be translated to read: "conatins sugar or high fructose corn syrup". Those are two items I prefer my children cut way back on. And don’t think for a minute that children react to carbs any different than adults. My daughter can, and will, eat candy until she’s sick. She can’t seem to help herself. Where if I set a plate of veggies and meat in front of her, she’ll eat until she’s satisfied and then stop. Another thing to consider is the satiety factor. Which item do you think kids will be more likely to overeat – skim milk or whole milk? Odds are the whole milk will make them feel full much faster, due to the fat content, and they will drink less. Fat is not the enemy.

Her ninth suggestion discourages drinking empty calories. I couldn’t agree more. Thankfully she isn’t suggesting fruit juice as an alternative to sugary sodas.

While a healthy diet is a huge factor in preventing obesity, there is one more element that is crucial to staying healthy. Joy addresses this in the last tip, which I’ve quoted below...

“Encourage daily exercise

Get you kids moving and keep them moving – aim for an hour each day. Limit the TV and video games …. and encourage after school sports, bike riding, long walks, jumping rope, hide and seek, rock hunting…anything goes.”

Here is where I personally feel a majority of the guilt lies. With the progress of technology, we have seen children’s entertainment rapidly morph into a state of sedation. Children can be found all over the world in a vegetative state, watching the latest TV program, playing the latest video game, surfing the net. How many of today’s kids do you know that have ever played kick the can? I fear that not only are we raising a generation of couch potatoes, but worry that the imaginations of many children have stagnated. We need to do more than encourage activity. We need to encourage imaginative thinking. A child is much more likely to participate in something that involves their mind and body. Again, this is my personal observation based on my experience as a mother, and for several years, a pre-school teacher. I can’t provide research to back this theory up, but I believe I’m on target here. Children love a good challenge!

So while we work on improving our own health, let’s make sure we are focusing on the health of our children as well. Just a little extra effort can make a big difference. And aren’t our children worth it?

The Honest Confessions Of A Carb Addict

(Hey everyone! I'm now a regular columnist for www.lowcarbnewsline.com! This is my first article. Please let me know what you think!)

Hi. My name is Amy Dungan and I'm addicted to carbohydrates. I can't really say when or where the problem began. I'm sure I could trace it all the way back to my childhood somewhere. I may never be sure. What I do know is that simple carbohydrates are a huge problem for me. One taste of chocolate cake - just smelling french fries - will start my mouth watering and send my willpower into a tizzy. It's not that I want to eat junk food or be unhealthy, it just seems like I have no control over myself when the cravings hit.


I first realized I had a serious problem back in 2001. I was desperate to lose weight. I had health problems that frightened me and only got worse with each pound I gained. I had a 5 year old, a toddler, and a husband to live for. I couldn't allow myself to go to an early grave. I envisioned someone one finding me unconscious, face down in the ice cream. What I was doing to myself wasn't fair to any of us. How do I take care of my family when I can't even take care of myself?


While doing Internet research on some of the health issues I was having, I came across a website that told about the trials of being hypoglycemic. It sounded very much like some of the suffering I had been enduring. But the author didn't stop there. She continued to tell how she overcame these maladies by going on a no-sugar, low-glycemic diet. At the time it sounded like an impossible task for me. How could I give up sugar? How could I live a normal life that way? It just didn't seem realistic. What I failed to see was that I wasn't currently living a normal life, at least not a happy one. My life consisted of fatigue, pain, IBS, mood swings, severe depression and a general lack of the will to live. I was blind to the answer that was in front of me. I was also scared to give it a try. What if I just failed again? I filed the information in the back of my mind and continued my search for the magic bullet.


A few months later I came across a copy of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. I sat down to read and spent the first few pages laughing. I was a disciple of the low-fat mantra. There was no way this low-carb stuff could be healthy or even help you lose weight. After reading further I started suspecting that someone had been watching my every move. It was as if he'd written that book just for me. I was the poster child for carb addictions. My mind flashed back to all the foods I preferred. The many times I was embarrassed because I couldn't seem to stop eating, even though I was full. The shame I felt as I hid in the bathroom while eating a candy bar, fearing that someone would notice and lecture me. The fatigue after a large meal filled with simple carbohydrates and starches. Tears filled my eyes as I realized I truly had a problem. I also experienced a huge sense of relief. I finally had an answer. All of my adult life I blamed myself for my lack of control. I berated myself for eating when I knew I shouldn't. I would become depressed over my weight, and eat high-carb foods to make myself feel better. I was in a vicious cycle.


I realized low-carb was my only hope. I spent many hours researching and asking questions. I think I lurked on every low-carb forum in existence. When I started Atkins in Nov. of 2001 I was loaded down with an arsenal of information and recipes. It didn't take long for me to realize I was on my way to a better life. In 2003 I reached goal and maintained for several months. But I failed to realize a very important truth--just as a recovering alcoholic can never go back to drinking, neither can a recovering carb addict go back to carbohydrates.


My backsliding started small. I'd have some pizza crust here, a small plate of pasta there. What I didn't notice was how often I'd started craving the very foods I had so religiously avoided for 3 years. It snowballed rapidly. The addiction once again had me in its grips.


I won't bore you with the details, but in January 2007 I started back at square one. Thankfully, I'm quickly losing weight and regaining the ground I've lost in the last couple of years. But I've learned a valuable lesson: once an addict, always an addict. As Dr. Atkins said, one bite really can be the kiss of death. Trust me on this one. It's a lesson you don't want to learn the hard way.