The Quality of Calories: What Makes Us Fat and Why Nobody Seems to Care
November 27, 2007, 04:00PM
Sibley Auditorium
1 hour and 45 minutes of pure science. "He blinded me with science!" Totally awesome lecture, based upon his book, "Good Calories, Bad Calories Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease"
This lecture of course, cannot cover every part of his book, but it sums up the latter third of the book quite nicely.
Thanks to Dr. Mike Eades and his Protein Power blog for sharing this link.
I've been insanely busy with concerts and work but learned about this little gem of a site.
www.pandora.com you pick an artist or composer and it will play free radio for you, you just have to register after a bit. My stations are mostly jazz based Bessie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, Elvis Presley, Dixieland Jazz, BB King. It could be improved by having an option for styles of music and I searched for various Broadway composers but didn't find much. Old jazz/blues music really cheers me up when I'm totally sick of Christmas music.
I haven't even finished reading this gem of a book but thought that I'd put the word out that this book is incredible.
Here is a blurb...
"
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In this groundbreaking book, the result of seven years of research in every science connected with the impact of nutrition on health, award-winning science writer Gary Taubes shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong.
For decades we have been taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more. Yet with more and more people acting on this advice, we have seen unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues persuasively that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar, easily digested starches) and sugars–via their dramatic and longterm effects on insulin, the hormone that regulates fat accumulation–and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. There are good calories, and bad ones.
Good Calories
These are from foods without easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars. These foods can be eaten without restraint.
Meat, fish, fowl, cheese, eggs, butter, and non-starchy vegetables.
Bad Calories
These are from foods that stimulate excessive insulin secretion and so make us fat and increase our risk of chronic disease—all refined and easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars. The key is not how much vitamins and minerals they contain, but how quickly they are digested. (So apple juice or even green vegetable juices are not necessarily any healthier than soda.)
Bread and other baked goods, potatoes, yams, rice, pasta, cereal grains, corn, sugar (sucrose and high fructose corn syrup), ice cream, candy, soft drinks, fruit juices, bananas and other tropical fruits, and beer.
Taubes traces how the common assumption that carbohydrates are fattening was abandoned in the 1960s when fat and cholesterol were blamed for heart disease and then –wrongly–were seen as the causes of a host of other maladies, including cancer. He shows us how these unproven hypotheses were emphatically embraced by authorities in nutrition, public health, and clinical medicine, in spite of how well-conceived clinical trials have consistently refuted them. He also documents the dietary trials of carbohydrate-restriction, which consistently show that the fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be.
With precise references to the most significant existing clinical studies, he convinces us that there is no compelling scientific evidence demonstrating that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease, that salt causes high blood pressure, and that fiber is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Based on the evidence that does exist, he leads us to conclude that the only healthy way to lose weight and remain lean is to eat fewer carbohydrates or to change the type of the carbohydrates we do eat, and, for some of us, perhaps to eat virtually none at all.
The 11 Critical Conclusions of Good Calories, Bad Calories:
1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, does not cause heart disease.
2. Carbohydrates do, because of their effect on the hormone insulin. The more easily-digestible and refined the carbohydrates and the more fructose they contain, the greater the effect on our health, weight, and well-being.
3. Sugars—sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup specifically—are particularly harmful. The glucose in these sugars raises insulin levels; the fructose they contain overloads the liver.
4. Refined carbohydrates, starches, and sugars are also the most likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the other common chronic diseases of modern times.
5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating and not sedentary behavior.
6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter any more than it causes a child to grow taller.
7. Exercise does not make us lose excess fat; it makes us hungry.
8. We get fat because of an imbalance—a disequilibrium—in the hormonal regulation of fat tissue and fat metabolism. More fat is stored in the fat tissue than is mobilized and used for fuel. We become leaner when the hormonal regulation of the fat tissue reverses this imbalance.
9. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated, we stockpile calories as fat. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from our fat tissue and burn it for fuel.
10. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. By driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism and physical activity.
11. The fewer carbohydrates we eat, the leaner we will be.
Good Calories, Bad Calories is a tour de force of scientific investigation–certain to redefine the ongoing debate about the foods we eat and their effects on our health.
Ok, so I haven't blogged much, but I've been following this story for months.
It seems everyone in the low carb world in which I currently lurk has an opinion and a blog to share it with.
As far as I know, Kimmer was a member of the Low Carb friends forum. She said that she lost 198 pounds in 11 months by doing her own version of Atkins, "Kimkins". She had quite a following and started giving advice to everyone and anyone. She had her basic plan which later evolved into several plans. From off the top of my head they would consist of:
Basic Kimkins: All the lean protein you wanted and 20 grams of carbohydrate from a list (smaller than Atkins, but recognizable) with just enough added fat to "make it doable".
K & E: lean protein and egg whites only (I may be wrong on this, I didn't live it, just read about it a while ago and am too lazy to check facts, will give full links to many blogs and threads at the end.)
Shakes only: protein shakes only, 4 a day with certain limits on carbs, fat, and protein.
Bootcamp: 500 calorie a day limit with an hour of cardio. (unfortunately many newbies and people who have never done low carb in their life thought this was the best plan that they should follow.)
Vegetarian Kimkins: 800-1000 calories a day (don't really know the details)
Not only are these plans unsustainable, unhealthy, and downright dangerous, there are so many problems that I don't know where to begin.
(Not in any certain order)
1. If you eat low carb, you must also increase your fat intake to be healthy. Native Americans knew that eating only lean meat (like rabbits) was totally unsustainable, after 3 days "Rabbit Starvation" would kick in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation
2. Kimmer advocated a "plan behind the plan" which consisted of encouraging her followers to lose a pound a day, ever decreasing their calories, the use of laxatives, diet coke fasts, and the ever popular term S.N.A.T. which stood for Semi-Nauseas-All-The-TIme. People would say they were dizzy, nauseas, weak, tired, and sick and Kimmer would congratulate them on having achieved the desirable SNAT.
3. After having some disagreements with LCF Kimmer left to create her own forum, complete with paid membership. It started at $14.95 with an e-book supposed to come out. She had a business partner, Catherine who would handle the technical end of things and Kimmer would give support and personal coaching. Catherine later was bought out by Kimmer. You can read her husband's account of business at Slamboard. The membership price rose several times until it hit $60 for a "Lifetime Membership".
4. On the Low Carb Friends board and on Kimkins.com there were several fund raisers for Kimmer's foster children. People would donate a dollar per pound lost for Kimmer's boys. Not only is this illegal (mail fraud), there is evidence that she didn't have any foster children at the time. The ones that she had more than 5 years ago were taken away because she allowed under-age drinking. If she had any foster children later than that it would be a huge scandal for the foster care system in Corona, CA as she was also receiving disability social security checks for mental illness.
5. Many people were made aware of the Kimkins diet saga from the Woman's World magazine that proudly announced that Kimkins was faster than bypass surgery.
Picture from slamboard.
Featured were two members of Kimkins, at least one of whom was on the staff of Kimkins. The diet was "cleaned up" because the truth would have been too horrifying to readers and included string cheese, low carb yogurt, more vegetables and the like. There was also a photo of "Kimmer" who used the name Heidi Drake. Some claim that kimkins gained 40,000 members at $60 each from this magazine.
6. Photo conspiracies abound as Kimmer puts up her before picture on her website: the woman in the blue shirt with sunglasses, and several questionable "after pictures" to include lounge chair lady, and the woman in the red dress who looks about 20. Much debate raged as to whether these photos were actually Kimmer. Several super sleuths tracked down some of the other photos and named them as actresses and models.
7. Famous low carb spokesman Jimmy Moore of the Livin' La Vida Low Carb Jimmy's Blog was an affiliate of Kimkins and had banner ads on his blog (probably the biggest and best known low carb blog). It was rumored that he was raking in the money from clicks and referrals in which he got to keep a percentage of memberships sold through Jimmy's site. As more of the controversy raged, Jimmy stuck by his decision to do Kimkins and to support and promote it. Many concerned people contacted Jimmy with their suspicions and at first he ignored them. He did a phone interview with Kimmer and he posted it in a series of podcasts. Some of the low carb community were serious enough that they contacted Jimmy's sponsers and said they would boycott the products if they did not pull their advertising on Jimmy's blog. Soon after, Jimmy wrote an apology and removed the kimkins links on his blog and ended his affiliation with Kimmer. Some also say that Jimmy wasn't actually doing Kimkins because of his love of frankenfoods and his blogging about low carb products not allowed on Kimkins.
8. A private investigator is hired to take photos of Heidi Drake, aka, Heidi Kimberly Miller PI Photos. In the photos Heidi appears to be larger than her previous blue shirt photos. Unconfirmed--the private investigator says that Heidi is actually bald. It appears she has a medical condition that would account for that aspect, alopecia.
9. Some people would like Woman's World to at least print a retraction. If they covered the plan behind the plan they'd probably sell many more copies and a tv movie of the week.
From Kimkins Exposed at wordpress
"write letters to the magazine to issue a retraction and apology to their readership.
Konnie Wiederholz
Chairman
Bauer Publishing
270 Sylvan Ave.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632-2521
Hubert Boehle
CEO
Bauer Publishing
270 Sylvan Ave.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632-2521
The company may also be contacted via telephone at 201-569-6699.
You may also fax your letters to 201-569-5303"
10: Jeanessa fights back with a class action lawsuit. Jeanessa
From Jeanessa:
Lawsuit Reps Needed!!!
I am making an appeal here for more reps!!! You can be a current or former member and participate, all you need is to have paid for the Kimkins.com service! You can be a current or banned member!
Please contact jeanessa at kimkinslawsuit@yahoo.com to participate!
11. There have been spies and moles....on both sides....the drama continues with private messages being posted for all to read.
12. There have been incredibly long, entertaining and moving threads about the kimmer saga, the survivors, the friends finding themselves on new sites, humorous photoshopped images, movies, and duck avatars. (Based on reading that Kimmer was suspicious of anyone with a duck avatar.)
Let me share them for anyone with a couple of months of free time to kill ;)
Anti Kimmer Blogs Emerging The Kimmer Thread Continues Kimmer Kimmer Kimmer
Kimmer Kimmer Continued Kimkins Exposed Becky's Blog Christin's Blog Deni's Blog Kimkins Controversy
Kimkins Dangers 3 Fat Chicks Kimmer Review Kimkins Survivors Petition On Line
Yesterday I went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Sadly, the film did not live up to my expectations. Maybe I had my hopes up too high but too much of the movie seemed to fall flat. Don't get me wrong there were some great scenes and I thought all of the new cast did a very good job. Maybe a run-though would be in order, as much as I can remember from one viewing. Unlike Goblet of Fire which I saw 2-3 times the first weekend, I will not be seeing this one again by myself. I will take my oldest daughter to it later in IMAX.
Opening music and theme...ok I expect to hear the basic theme of the series, gray smoke/mist works for me but does nothing to particularly excite me.
Harry at the playground. This does not look much like I imagined it, there seems to be way too much bare field and grass, like they are in Nebraska or something, not that I have been to Surrey or Nebraska myself. I was glad that I could see the houses, it made me feel as if I wasn't completely crazy and I was indeed watching Harry Potter.
Dudley and his gang were ok, I like that they kept several lines from the film in there, not sure if I like his entire gang being present when Harry pulls his wand, that's just asking for trouble. Storm coming in was a nice effect, got it dark and foreboding. If the other boys think that Harry started the storm, well there is another huge problem.
The tunnel...didn't look the way I envisioned an alley at Wisteria Drive to look at all. Maybe those kind of things are all over England and I just didn't know about them, but I though it looked a bit science-fictionish to me, futuristic and bizarre. I liked the big dementer jump (scare, noone ever looks up, I'm told), not sure about how the dementors looked now, it really happened too fast to see much of.
I wanted Dudley to be sick, I wanted the questioning by Uncle Vernon to last for at least a little bit. I didn't like the one "howler" they sent expelling Harry without the follow up owls and Uncle Vernon wanting to kick Harry out of the house and the real howler from Dumbledore saying "Remember my last." They ended with taking Dudley out of the house in the car, which I suppose worked for time constraints.
The Order arrives and no one gets a proper introduction, Lupin was supposed to have been with them, make Harry prove that he's not a death eater in disguise. I think that they may have left out that "never got around to much teaching" part from Moody which I found to be funny. I liked Kingsley Shacklebolt, but I don't know if the witch was supposed to be Hestia Jones or Emmeline Vance. Not that it really matters but if Harry is not supposed to call her Nymphadora, what is he supposed to call her because they never say the word Tonks. There was no packing of Harry's belongings and was he flying his own broom or one that they brought with them?
Flying was good, it might have gone on a bit long, the music did nothing for me, it was just background noise. Why were they flying so close to the ground/river, don't they know they could be spotted by muggles?
Grimmauld place. I don't mind that it popped out of the wall, but could Harry be let in on the secret please? Just show him the scrap of paper with the address and burn it, is it asking too much? Otherwise it looks like any wizard who hits his staff a few times on the ground could have the same effect. It didn't look entirely as I would envision the house of black to look but not totally off the mark. I envisioned the family tree tapestry to cover one wall and have smaller writing, but I don't mind that they blew it up into a wall paper type thing so you could try to read some of the names.
Kreacher was good I thought, but there wasn't much of a role for him, I think they just put him in because JK said that they'd be sorry if they didn't later, probably pertaining to book 7. Hermione attacking Harry with a hug as soon as he enters was very sudden but that's ok, it turns it into a "jump" kind of moment. Ron and Hermione don't really have much to say in this movie. I wish they would have left in the prefect badges and Harry's jealousy.
Going to Hogwarts, I liked Luna Lovegood, I thought she was great. Hermione introducing her as "Looney" seemed a bit wrong for her to make that mistake, and where did they meet before anyways? Ginny should have introduced her and maybe have some Sytherins walk by and yell, "hey Looney" or something like that.
Feast in the great hall, I was glad to see the house tables back again, I don't remember them clearly (maybe I should re-watch my dvd of 4 to confirm) in the past couple of movies. To be honest, I can't remember Professor Grubbly-Plank's face but I suppose that it doesn't matter since you never see her again in the film. Umbridge was right on I think. Poison wrapped in pink with a really annoying, perky "hem hem" instead of her fake cough but I liked it and thought that it worked.
The middle part of the film is sort of muddled to me, this is where I started wishing that I hadn't drunk the medium sized (movie theater drinks are huge and just as well since I paid $4 for it) soda. The scenes didn't seem to flow well, it was choppy and episodic and I couldn't tell you the real order to them. I know the story very well from the book but it seemed like there were some good scenes mixed in with some botched scenes. I'd have to do a rewatch to be more specific.
Ron and Hermione's roles are greatly reduced in this movie. They are used for looking at Harry when he's going off (he could go off a bit more maybe), they convince him to start Dumbledore's Army, they are there for the reaction to the kiss, and they fight with him at the ministry. Hermione gets to meet Grawp who is definately tall enough, maybe too tall, but what did they do to his face? Computer graphics can do anything you want them to do now a days and someone decided on that face? Weird. I have a similar complaint about the centaurs. They look all muddled about the heads, they don't look like men's bodies and horses put together, they looked like badly formed modeling clay. I'm not very artistic, but I strongly suspect that I could make a better centaur just by using real actors for the tops and computer generating the bottoms (I would need help for this part since I've never done anything like it.)
Flashing back a little, I thought that Harry's dreams were mostly ok, I don't get the Voldemort in the black suit at the station but I liked the head/neck posturing that Harry later imitated. The ministry of magic doesn't look much like I envisioned it. His trial does not take place at the department of mysteries either. They seem to walk though the floo network. They left in the paper airplane memos and the explanation of them. Why? Maybe someone thought that it was funny. The Wizengamot members were wearing different colors, for what purpose? Did some have different ranks then other's does it mean something? Percy was there but wasn't introduced as a scribe or assistant. Mrs. Figg totally fell flat for me and where was Mundungus Fletcher? I wanted her to say "I hope Dumbledore murders him!" They never say that she is a squib either.
I'm running out of steam now, I might come back and put some ending on this or add a part two after I see it in IMAX but that won't be until August or so.
Waiting for Book 7, and that will hopefully not disappoint.
Last week on Friday night I caught the 5 p.m. show of Spider-man by myself since Emily wouldn't leave her on-line chat with her friends. She was going to go with me on Saturday, but I forgot I had the district festival on Saturday and would be spending all day with 6 of my students at the festival.
The first time I saw the movie was the best. There were many great surprises, the action sequences were breath-taking. I loved the music, the story, the characters were wonderful. If a character had just a few lines, they were fraught with meaning and personality. The storyline is based on the first two movies. After I got back home Saturday night from the festival, I popped Spidey one into the bedroom dvd player and watched it again, seeing little clues and scenes that have relevance to the 2nd and 3rd movies. I then started Spidey 2 but fell asleep. No matter, I'll catch it again sometime.
Emily agreed to go with my on Sunday afternoon. She was really into it, and laughed at some great lines and situations. It turns out that she had read some of her father's old Spider-man comics that had been left at my mother's house while she was visiting one summer and knew a lot about one of the villains and sympathized with that one and cried towards the end of the movie. She agreed it was great and that maybe we'd see it again sometime.
I reviewed my movies during the week and watched the special features and even finally listened to the commentaries this morning between 4 and 8 a.m. (though I was dozing through parts of it). I so can't handle caffiene anymore, I had a Mocha Moolatta from Dairy Queen in the mall the night before along with an iced tea. The caffiene hits me the next morning and I get up at 4 a.m.
So, sometime during the week I see an ad for Spidey at the IMAX theater. I search for it on-line and determine that the one in Reading, Mass is the one closest to us, so Emily and I go today and with the exception of one crazy Masshole driver when I manage to merge, the trip goes smoothly.
We go up this huge hill to the Jordan's Furniture (it might as well have been called Jordan's Empire) and we are there fairly early. We go in a gigantic revolving door, a pair of horses might be able to go into each of the partitions. As we enter, on our right there is a trapeze demonstration going on. People can pay money to take a swing or to have lessons. There is an ice cream place with tables and moving water fountains that light up and perform a show to music. Emily was unconcerned about it but I was mesmerized. We decided that after the movie we'd have a closer look at this place but we'd better go try and find the actual theater inside the enormous furniture store. We wander through high end furniture that I will never be able to actually afford unless I write an incredibly successful novel and I'm starting to feel like I'm getting lost when after peeking out the windows to see the view, we catch a glimpse of the theater and go over. Everything is a little surreal. I'm not sure I get the concept of the place. I finally figure out that you buy your tickets at the concessions bar. The doors aren't open yet but the line is forming so we join it after filling up our drinks. The electronic board informs us of the times of the show and the next three shows all say SOLD, which I guess means sold out. Finally the doors open and the line starts to move, and we go in. We go down a curved hall and enter at the foot of the stadium seating. There are blue foot lights along the aisles and big band swing music playing to a light show on the giant screen. I try the view from half way up but the screen seems to be way too close to my eyes so we go all the way up to the top row. I want to center more but Emily is happy one seat in so I guessed it would do. The seats were leather and huge and extremely comfortable, there was plenty of leg room and cup holders. The music is incredibly upbeat and makes me want to dance. I leave to go to the bathroom and and my way back in I walk in time to the music up the steps. I want to do a dance move like I had seen......but I don't. About ten minutes before the movie is to start the fire alarm starts going off. Nobody moves until the ushers call out for us to evacuate to the parking lot. We go out and I try to avoid the smoke from the smokers. Two fire trucks pull up and twenty minutes later we can go back in. In another ten or so minutes they finally start the movie. The only trailer they show is for Order of the Phoenix which will also be shown in IMAX with the last 25 minutes in 3-D.
Once you get used to it, it's mostly like any other movie, though I had trouble focusing in on the first fight, it was quite blurry to me but I must have adjusted for the rest of the movie. The sound was quite good, once our seats vibrated to the bass in a big scene. I could feel the seat in front of me vibrate quite often as my foot or leg was resting against it. I wanted my seat to vibrate more but it only did a little bit. I took advantage of the big screen to see some details that I hadn't seen the first few times. Emily cried at the same place she did before and continued until almost the end of the movie. This one is definately a must-buy the first day it is released on dvd.
As we leave I'm still overwhelmed by the furniture store. Almost everything in the bathroom is automatic, I'm surprised that the soap dispenser isn't automatic. The sinks were shaped like bowls, what else would a furniture store have? We go down the escalator to the main area we came in. We see Beantown, a Jelly Belly store and there are sculptures and artwork and everything is decorated with Jelly Belly jellybeans. There is a Fuddrucker's restaurant, I've heard they are good but have never been to one but Emily wasn't hungry then. I check out the fountains and their synchronized performance until Emily pulls me away. She wants to go buy some jeans because that's two days in a row, someone thought she was much younger then she really is. Yesterday at a restaurant she was offered crayons and a kid's menu. Today at the theater I asked for two tickets and they gave me one adult and one child 12 and younger. I told her that's because she dresses like she's 12. I'm acting like I'm 12 because of my new crush on James Franco as Harry Osborn.
I highly recommend Spider-man 3 if you are a fan.
Music Teaching Philosophy
I have always enjoyed music. In my family, my older brother and sister had piano lessons, but I wasn’t able to start until my 8th grade year. That didn’t stop me from picking out songs on the piano and figuring things out for myself. My mother helped me sometimes, but often I didn’t want to listen to her. I was always very involved in music at church and when I was very young I sang a solo, “Away in a Manger”. I asked my mother “How did I do?” She replied, “You did fine but you were a little flat at the end.” Thus began my determination to improve.
I sang in the junior choir at church and around 8th or 9th grade took voice lessons. When I was in high school the Ecumenical Choir performed the “Hallelujah Chorus” and “Deep River”. Those songs opened up the world of choral literature to me. After my freshman year of high school, there was no choral program offered, due to other student’s lack of interest. The summer between my freshman and sophomore years I learned the trumpet, playing my piano music on it and the next fall I was in marching band. In my junior year I made All-State as a Soprano II. During my senior year they brought back chorus and I joined and also sang a solo for Baccalaureate.
I also enjoyed sharing my musical knowledge with my niece, who was eight years younger than me. We often were in the cellar during the hot summer days, playing the piano and singing, later she played her flute along with the piano. I took the opportunities when I could to help her become a better player and singer. Sometimes she wasn't so appreciative of it.
It was my experience at All-State that made me realize that I wanted to be a music teacher. The power of music creates incredible responses. Words can not describe music. I agree with Bennett Reimer when he says “music sounds how feelings feel”. Music is important to us as individuals, to our culture, to our understanding of other cultures and as human beings. Some are driven to create, some are inspired to move, some prefer to listen actively, some listen passively but music’s power is always with us. I believe in music for music’s sake. The studies that show that the test scores of students who study music are higher than non-musicians are just a nice bonus.
I also agreed with John Feierabend when he said that every person should have some common musical experiences. Everyone should be able to sing a lullaby to their child, they should be able to dance at their wedding and everyone should be familiar with the songs of their culture. Music is for everyone. I have used many of John Feierabend’s resources and materials when teaching elementary general music including his collections of songs, movement activities, and Conversational Solfege.
When I teach students, it is my goal to give them the tools and skills they will need to be successful. I believe the Music Education National Standards are important tools in designing curriculum and striving for high quality. Students should be able to sing, perform on instruments, improvise within guidelines, compose and arrange music, read and understand written musical symbols, listen to and describe music, be able to enjoy music performances, understand how music and the other arts are connected, and understand how music’s history is linked to culture. The one thing that is not included in the National Standards that should be is how to move and respond to music.
When it comes to teaching music, I believe students should have a hands-on approach. I want students to experience music by making it, playing instruments, singing songs, creating music, moving to music, listening and interacting with each other to know what music is and enjoy it. Music can be a life-long pursuit that will be appreciated by all.
Well I was very excited to find out Thursday evening that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released on July 21st, 2007!
I celebrated by wearing my Harry Potter shirt to school (work) that day (casual Friday) and had Harry Potter Day with my chorus students. I had a bag of hard wrapped candies and I would ask students Harry Potter trivia questions and then throw them a candy. I made up questions ranging from very easy for those who hadn't read the books to moderately hard.
How are your Harry Potter trivia skills?
What is the American title of the first book?
What is the British title of the first book? (none of my students knew that one)
Who is Harry's arch-nemesis?
What is Harry's middle name?
What is Harry's mother's name (maiden)?
What is the spell to make an object float in the air?
What does the Mirror of Erised show you?
What obstacle did Harry have to face in the second book (title)?
What creature do spiders flee from?
What is Hagrid's first name?
What is You-Know-Who's real name?
What school does Harry go to?
Who is the headmaster?
Who is the Prizoner of Azkaban?
What is the name of the large body of water on the school grounds?
What is the name of the really big spider?
What kind of creature is that spider?
Who is the defense against the arts teacher in year 3? (full name)
Who is the D.A.D.A. teachers supposedly in year 4?
Who is it really?
What tournament is Harry forced to participate in in year 4?
What is the spell to summon an object?
What does Harry have to get in the first task?
Name each of the contestants and what they would miss most.
Who dies in book 4?
What is the spell for a patronus?
What form does Harry's Patronus take?
What form does Hermione's patronus take?
What form does Ron's patronus take (you'd have to read the interview with Rowling, Emerson and Mellissa as posted on mugglenet.com)?
Where has Harry's Godfather been hiding in book 5?
Name four (or more) members of the Order of the Phoenix.
What is Dumbledore's full name?
What is Sirius' brother's name?
What is the name of the group that Harry helps form to study defense?
Who dies in book 5?
Who is the Half-Blood Prince?
Who dies in book 6?
Name 4 (or more) Death Eaters.
Who gets bitten by a werewolf?
Name the unforgivable curses and an example of each being used on a character in one of the books.
How many birthday cakes does Harry receive in the first 6 books?
How many staircases are there at Harry's school?
Enjoy!
Wow, it's been a bit since I've had a chance to write.
Today, and maybe some other days, depending on how long this takes to type, I will compare various low carb plans based upon my knowledge and experience. (Notice, I'm still not thin...I have been for fleeting timespans though, just this thing called life gets in the way.)
Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution Rating 5 of 5 *****
The one, the only, and probably the best if you like simple, straightforward and inflexible. (I happed to like all of the above.) Dr. Atkins first published his Diet Revolution book around the time I was born. He updated it with the New in 1992 and there have been several updates since. Rules for Induction lays out all the rules for the first two weeks. Many people, including me don't stray very far from this list Acceptable for Induction. Frankenfoods (processed bars and bread substitutes, low carb tortillas etc.) don't agree with me at all and I gain when trying to consume them. The great thing about the Atkins Nutritional Approach is that you just need to read the book and go to the grocery store and buy real food that people recognize as normal. They may not understand that butter on your veggies is good, or full-fat salad dressing and cheese go a long way to making things taste good and better for you. Study, read, learn and compare and don't just take the media's bashing for granted. Why else was it a best seller 30 years ago and was a best seller up to a few years ago even? Because it works!
Protein Power Rating 5 of 5 *****
The best scientific explaination of how and why low carbing works and is healthy for us. Their plan has a starting point of 30 grams of carbohydrate spread throughout different meals and snacks and has a phase two part that is 55 grams of carbohydrate spread throughout the day. The maintenance plan involves adding in carbohydrate until it equals your protein intake. The first book had a complicated formula (which I, the math challanged person finally mastered at one point) to figure out your daily protein needs. These were made simpler in their second book The Protein Power Lifespan Plan. This book is more about other aspects of health but it is still a good read. Since my Critical Carb Level for Losing is about 25 (unless I am exercising heavily) I take what is useful and keep my Atkins carb levels. I learned about the importance of magnesium from Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades. They have great blogs themselves at www.eatprotein.com.
The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet Rating 2 of 5 **
I buy the fact that one can be a carbohydrate addict. I am one myself. I disagree with the treatment prescribed in this book and it's later edition The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Plan. I agree with the complimentary meals, mostly protein and a salad. It's the Reward Meal that I take issue with. If one were addicted to a substance, what makes anyone think they could still have it once a day with no problems? The Reward Meal is supposed to be balanced and nourishing. It can give you whatever you wanted all day as long as you balance your meal. If you want another slice of cake, go for it, just take another serving of meat and vegetables also. The Reward Meal can not take longer than an hour. I've never had a problem with that idea, I tend to eat quickly. People have agonized endlessly about how they are supposed to taste their food when they are cooking to properly season it and how that starts off their hour. One thing I agree with on the program is that artificial sweetners can cause an insulin surge in some people that acts like sugar. One taste of artificial sweetner can send them craving more and then they fall into the real sugar. The CALP book refines the Reward Meal with a salad before and visually divide the plate into thirds with one third protein, one third vegetables and one third being any starch or dessert or carby thing you want. In the past people have interpreted the hour long limit as a challange because the first plan had no snacking allowed. The later plan allows for some snacks I believe. The only person on-line that I know of that was successful with CAD was a lady some years ago, she would have coffee for breakfast, skip lunch and eat a slice of pizza for her reward meal. Not exactly low carb or healthy.
How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds rating 4 of 5 ****
Dana Carpender of www.holdthetoast.com wrote this easy to read and enjoyable book that compares various low carb plans. What works for her is close to Atkins or Protein Power but she discusses other plans and invents a mid-way plan for people in special circumstances like her friend with medical problems. Dana Carpender also wrote several low carb cook books like 500 Low Carb Recipies, and 500 More Low Carb Recipies and others.
Body For Life rating 3 of 5 ***
While not a low carb book, the way of eating can be modified to a lower carb menu. The exercises in this book are very effective if you happen to have time to do it. Since starting this job I can not get up any earlier in the morning to do them and am too busy to do it at night. I have done it in the past with great results. When doing the Body For Life Exercises I can eat about 50 grams of carbs. The exercises consist of 3 days a week of about an hour of weight lifting, alternating upper body and lower body and three days a week of 20 minutes of high intensity interval training. There is one free day a week. There are some great motivational stories and pictures of real people who participated in challanges and won money, cars, vacations, etc. While the EAS company is no longer owned by Bill Phillips, the EAS Carb Control Shakes are very good if a bit watery.
The Secret to Low Carb Success! rating 3 of 5 ***
Perhaps other people will find this book more useful than I did. Laura Richards did do most of her research on the internet and I found that I already knew most of the information in her book, probably because of the internet time I had already put into low carb research and studies and readings. This book is a comparison of various low carb plans with charts to give the information to you in an easy to read format.
Other Plans
I haven't read or studied these plans but they are worth mentioning.
The GO Diet, has also been transformed into the Four Corners Diet, promotes home made yogurt once a day. Yogurt works well for me when I lift weights and add protein powder.
Neanderthin, the cave man diet. Eliminate everything you couldn't gather or hunt for yourself. Give up cheese and dairy and add in fruit.
Sugar Busters, I have Sugar Busters for Kids book. They tow the goverment approved line on fats and saturated fats that most low carbers have rejected. They work on removing sugar and adding in whole grains. Might be okay for someone just interested in eating "healthier" and is fairly active and doesn't need to lose any weight.
South Beach Diet, the first two weeks are stolen completely from Dr. Atkins with no credit given whatsoever. You might be able to have peanuts also. Grains are introduced pretty quick and there is a whole slew of products available to buy, highly processed and full of junk. I believe the first sentence in the book reads, "This is not a low carb diet." It could be if he had the guts to own up to it. Dr. Agatston is a cardiologist and is a pioneer of the newest theory that cholesterol does not build up in arteries to cause heart disease, but rather pimples form on arterial walls and when they rupture it causes heart attacks.
William Banting: Letter on Corpulance is worth reading the review and the original reproduction in it's entirety, the first published diet and it was low carb! Harvey-Banting Diet Letter on Corpulance.
There are many more but I think I got the major ones. Time to go ring bells tonight!
Enjoy!
Anthabeth
