Hey everyone! I wanted to tell you about a new low-carb site and podcast called Healthy Mind Fit Body.  Run by two enthusiastic fellas named Kevin Koskella and Wes Bertrand, their blog posts and weekly podcasts are dedicated to helping you make the most of your healthy low-carb lifestyle.  They recently interviewed me for their podcast and the link went live today. It was a lot of fun and I think Kevin and Wes have a got a good thing going – it should be a real help to those looking to live a healthy lifestyle.  I’m looking forward to reversing roles and interviewing them in the near future.

Here’s the link to their website: Healthy Mind Fit Body

Here’s the link to my interview: Living Low Carb with Guest Amy Dungan

Hope you enjoy!

Sunshine rocks!

I’ve seen a lot of bloggers talking about the letter D lately, and they weren’t sponsored by Sesame Street. They were speaking of vitamin D (you know, that stuff we get from sunshine and animal fats – both of which we are told to avoid)  and it’s important role in the body. Or more specifically, the deficiency that many of us unknowingly have. I’ll admit it’s not something I’ve even thought about, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised should I find out I had a deficiency in this area. It would probably explain a few things I deal with on a regular basis.

I don’t think I could explain it any better than these bloggers have, so I’m just going to give you a few links to check into. Think of this as your homework for today.

Dr. Briffa has stalked about the subject extensively:

My vitamin D results are in (take 2)

Low vitamin D levels linked with increased risk type 1 diabetes (again)

Vitamin D associated with significantly reduced risk of death from stroke

Vitamin D supplementation found to improve insulin sensitivity

More evidence links higher vitamin D levels with a reduced risk of death

Recent studies remind us of vitamin D’s cancer-protective potential

Vitamin D found to enhance muscle strength in elderly

Light appears to have powerful painkilling properties for some people

More evidence that vitamin D requirements are much, much higher than traditionally recommended amounts

Sunlight exposure linked with improved brain function

Lower vitamin D levels linked to a higher risk of death

More evidence links vitamin D with body weight

(I could post many more, but I’ll stop here for now.)

Dr. Eades also has touched on this subject:

Vitamin D-bate D-bunked

Vitamin D and influenza

Dr. Jonny Bowden’s thoughts on vitamin D.

Tom Naughton:

Vitamin D is DINOMIT against cancer

More on Viatmin D

And to change things up a bit, here’s a new blog from a good friend of mine who is currently trying to lose weight (not necessarily low-carb, but she’s still trying) and is currently being treated for low vitamin D levels. I’ll be keeping an eye on her progress to see what her results are with her treatment. I encourage you to stop in and give her a word of encouragement as well. No matter what methods we use, weight loss is hard work and we all could use support.

Baby Steps to a Fitter, Healthier Me

While attending a lecture given by Gary Taubes last November, I was hit smack in the head with an interesting point he brought up. Obese people aren’t that way because they overeat – they overeat because they are obese. Think about it. Do you really think a 300 lb man can successfully fuel his body on the same amount of food a 95 lb 12 year old can? Of course not! The bigger the person, the more fuel they will need to keep going.  My daughter can eat like a bird – and she weighs a whopping 60 lbs soaking wet. My husbands 210 lb frame on the other hand would be tired and miserable trying to exist on her meager meals – and he’s not overweight. Do you expect an 18 Wheeler to use the same amount of gas as a Ford Focus? No, you don’t.  Common sense tells us a large truck hauling a large load will require more fuel. Why do we believe it’s any different for us?

Below is a video where Gary’s explains his thinking on this beautifully:

Gary Taubes

Dr. Briffa recently posted something along this line on is blog, although he talks more about the fact that “calories in, calories out” are not always the problem. Sometimes, and probably more often than not, it’s hormones and genes that cause the issues. And while there are certainly gluttonous people out there, we should NEVER assume that anyone is overweight because they are lazy. That is not only a self-righteous and insensitive way of thinking – but it makes you look stupid. So save yourself the embarrassment ahead of time and never ass-u-me.  We are all people who are struggling to find what works, and many have to suffer before they find the answers.