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A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions

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From Abracadabra to Zombies

The Skeptic's Dictionary Newsletter

Volume 8 No. 3

March 1, 2009

"[The free market] is free in the same way a reality show is real." --Bill Maher

In this issue

What's New?
The psychic who wasn't
Pareidolia and lens flare
Beauty and the beast
Alternative treatment for seals
Science news
Why I am not an economist
Scum of the minute

What's New?

There's a new dictionary entry on Andrew Wakefield, the M.D. who started the MMR/autism scare, and a fresh review of Dean Radin's Entangled Minds, the "psichologist" who never saw a ridiculous statistic he didn't like. I've also posted another critical thinking mini-lesson (on ignorance, especially ignorance of the meanings of words, as a hindrance to critical thinking). On a lighter note, Italy lovers might enjoy reading about my stay at a Dianetics hotel on Lake Como.

Skeptimedia has three new posts: evaluating evidence (we often assume pieces of evidence are being evaluated separately when one is actually influencing how we evaluate the other), belief armor (certain beliefs are worn like impenetrable armor), and evolution continues (what follows from the fact that humans have evolved over the past 15,000 years?).

Reader comments were posted from someone who is very concerned that the measurements of Noah's ark be exact so critics not look foolish when trying to estimate how many animals in a single food chain can fit in an X x Y cubed cubit pig sty (or something like that).

I revised the EMF entry to include some information about the safety of microwave ovens. And I revised the IQ & race entry in light of new information from the human genome project and a couple of other sources.

I updated several SD entries:

--criminal profiling (to include links to articles about a recent National Academy of Sciences report that claims forensic "science" is gravely lacking in scientific rigor)

--climate skeptics (to include links to a story about the melting of the ice in Antarctica and to a story about Japanese scientists who compare climate change models to astrology)

--post hoc reasoning (to include a link to a news story with a lovely example of this fallacy. First she had acupuncture, then she got pregnant.)

--levitation and psychic (to include some info on Daniel Dunglass Home)

--morphic resonance (to include a link to an article by Sue Blackmore that evaluates tests of Sheldrake's idea)

--the last newsletter item regarding atheist ads on buses, etc.

--atheism (links to news stories: Texas teacher suspended for being a suspected atheist; militant Catholics deface posters for Religulous; )

--bioharmonics (to include mention of the continuation of this woo-woo)

--criminal profiling (to include a link to an article about a psychic who claims to be an "intuitive profiler")

--memory (to include a link to a blog on the neurological basis of intuition)

--Lysenkoism (to include links to Sharon Begley's piece on "the new Lamarkism" and PZ Meyers blog on why Begley doesn't know what she's talking about)

--the vitamin and mineral supplements page (to link to yet another study showing that supplements have no value in general)

--the autism and vaccines page (to include a link to an article about the decision by a federal court that will likely result in the dismissal of some 5,000 lawsuits by parents who blame vaccines for their children's autism)

--anti-vaccination movement (to include links to six articles exposing the harm this crowd does)

--placebo effect (to include a link to a story about the NHS in Northern Ireland offering several forms of placebo medicine to its clients)

--creationism and intelligent design (to include links to stories about the Vatican's upcoming conference on evolution)

The psychic who wasn't

The following story from a reader in southern California is not based on a true story; it is a true story.

I am in commercial real estate in Venice Beach, CA. I rent booths along the famous Venice Boardwalk to small vendors who sell things like t-shirts and sunglasses. Venice Beach, if you're not too familiar with it, has a large percentage of "out there" people that I come into contact with frequently.

This week I received a call from a woman who wanted a vending space. I asked her what merchandise she planned on selling from it. She replied that she was a psychic and would be doing "readings." She then proceeded to ask me how much the rent would be for the space.

I paused, then told her that "I was thinking of a number."

She hemmed and hawed a little bit, but she finally tried to explain that "it doesn't work that way." I said that obviously she wasn't a good enough psychic to be able to afford the rent for the booth.

I think that I have been waiting for that call my whole life.

The sad truth is that the lady psychic, no matter how good or bad she is at reading minds, will probably do quite well in her chosen profession if she sticks to telling people what they already know, what they want to believe, what they're willing to wonder about, and what they can make sense out of: you've had some bad relationships, you're looking for a change, health issues could come into play, money problems have come to the forefront, you keep an outdated calendar, and you are interested in trying things other people think are silly. Most people still don't understand what cold reading is or how subjective validation works. I can't count how many e-mails I've received over the past 15 years from people telling me about a "psychic" who told them things about themselves the psychic "couldn't possibly know."

Pareidolia and lens flare

Phil Plait posted a photo on Skepticblog that he says is the worst case of pareidolia he's ever seen: a pattern on kitchen tiles that reminds the lady who walks on them every day of her Lord and Savior.

Phil's comment reminded me of a recent e-mail exchange I had with a woman who sent me a digital picture with the request that I not publish it or her letter. In her first e-mail to me, she wrote that she was offended by my stating that after forty years of thinking about the subject, I saw no reason to believe in spirits.

I took a photograph in Zion National Park this summer that will make your statement appear foolish and ignorant in the extreme. Further, I believe it will blow the minds of the entire world.

I've submitted it to two "paranormal agencies" that were apparently bogus because they did not respond. I suppose the photograph scared the hell out of them, as it did me. I do not wish to profit from this photograph, but I think the world needs to see it, I just do not know where to go with it.

Right. So why send it to me? And, if it's so powerful, why doesn't she want me to publish the photo or her letter? Anyway, she sent me the photo and it took about one second to see that it was full of refractions from lens flare due to being taken a little bit before sunset and into the sun. When I didn't reply immediately, she wrote me:

What's the matter, Bigshot? No response to the scary picture? You're a fraud in your skepticism as surely as you proselytize that others are in their beliefs. While this realization is irritating for me, I am still sorry for your fear.

You must think a lot of yourself, having explained away every phenomena in mankind's history. What then do you make of the photograph? You must be experiencing apophenia, huh?

You and your kind are dangerous to humanity, Mr. Carroll. You are leading people away from God with Satan's hand; you are allowing evil to work within you. It astonishes me that I, as a struggling single mother with only half a college degree, could teach you so much about truth. You haven't heard the last of me, but I won't contact you directly again; you're not worthy of my time.

How could I resist replying to such a sweetheart? I wrote back:

I was going to reply soon after I looked at your photo, but I couldn't think of gentle way to tell you that all I saw was a common example of lens flare caused by the refraction of light (sunlight in the case of the photo you sent me) hitting a camera lens with imperfections (which is typical of most cameras for general use). I would have recommended you read more about pareidolia and photography and perception. The outfits that rejected your photo did so because such photos are a dime a dozen and commonly produced by shooting into a bright light source like the sun near sunset.

Your original e-mail indicated that you are a very sensitive person, deeply committed to your views, and that, whatever you think you saw, there was nothing I could say that wouldn't offend you. Your follow-up e-mail proves me right.

Despite her threat not to contact me again, her zealotry got the best of her and she revealed what I missed in her photo:

No surprise you're declaring it sun glare, even though there are 3+ faces, not just of ghosts, but Mormons in the land they inhabited; top middle, 2 in far right. And the demons in all the glares. Someone said they saw a portal and that may be why there's so much in this photo.

If you want to see what's in her photo, just get a camera about a half-hour before sunset and take a picture with the sun a bit off-center or click here. You may get lucky and find a couple of flares with two or three dark or light spots not too far apart. The spots can be seen as two eyes, or eyes and a mouth, if they are surrounded by a light flare and you're not too particular about facial details. The same kind of pattern can occur with reflected light, and, of course, the pattern can be seen with light spots against a dark background. This bit of pattern recognition, along with a strong belief in spirits and a hefty dose of ignorance about photography and perception, is probably the source of many misinterpretations of lens flares as ghosts or geographical formations as constructions by intelligent beings on other planets.

If you want to see some really interesting photos taken into the sun, click here. For those who are sun worshippers and who like to keep things in perspective, click here.

Beauty and the beast

A group calling itself the Beauty Brains has posted several of a proposed nine-part series of articles on "the beauty of skepticism." They began with an article that might be called "The Scientific Method for Dummies." In short, make an observation, propose a hypothesis to explain the observation, make a prediction from the hypothesis, and then test it. The Beauty Brains call their article "Beauty and the Scientific Method." The only example they give involves eating chocolate and getting a pimple. Unfortunately, they belie their own description of the scientific method by the very wise advice to check the scientific literature for other experiments that people have done related to chocolate and acne. Then, instead of giving advice on the importance of having a control group when you test a hypothesis such as "does chocolate cause acne?", the Beauty Brains just advise their readers to create a series of your own tests where you eat chocolate and observe whether you get acne or not. They do note:

If however, you do get acne the next day, it does not mean you’ve proven chocolate causes acne. It just means you haven’t proven that it doesn’t cause acne.

The chances seem slim that most of their readers are going to understand what they are talking about. (If the Beauty Brains knew about it, they could link to my article on Critical Thinking and Control Groups, where I evaluate testing the hypothesis that SprinkleThin™ is a significant causal factor in producing weight loss.) While it is true that you haven't proven that eating chocolate doesn't cause acne when you get acne the day after eating chocolate, it is not clear from this information how you should test the hypothesis. Discussion of control group studies is indispensable. I don't think it's sufficient to note, as the Beauty Brains do:

To figure out what is more generally true, it’s better to look at large, peer-reviewed studies. The sheer amount of controlled data they collect is much more reliable than your small experiments. (Although, you’re [sic] small experiments may be more predictive of what happens to you).

The final insult comes, in my opinion, when the Beauty Brains state at the end of their article: Incidentally, eating chocolate doesn’t generally cause acne. Why not encourage the readers to figure it out for themselves?

Who are the Beauty Brains? I don't know. Only one of them gives a name on the website, where it is written: All of us use “brainy” nicknames because being anonymous lets us blog about all kinds of products from many different companies without any bias.

I must be missing something. The down side of being anonymous is that we have no reason to trust you when you say:

The Beauty Brains are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means.

Cosmetic scientists? Okay. It would be nice to know that you have degrees in chemistry, physiology, medicine, or the like. Without knowing who you are or what qualifications you have, why should we trust you? How do we know you're not a front for one of the cosmetic companies and that your main goal is to post comments critical of competitors' products? How do we know that your main goal isn't to run Google ads and ads for lip puffers that grace your pages? Lesson One in skepticism, ladies, is Trust no one, not even yourself. Thus, a true skeptic, must take with a grain of salt your claim:

We’re here to help you cut through the confusing, misleading and sometimes false information that the beauty companies bombard you with. Our goal is to explain cosmetic science to you in a way that’s entertaining and easy to understand. We believe the more information you have, the better you’ll be able to find products that you like at a price you can afford. So, you can listen to the advertising. Or advice from a friend. Or what your stylist tells you. But if you want to really understand cosmetic products in an unbiased, scientific way, Ask The Beauty Brains. You’ll get answers from a team of scientists who have no sales pitch and nothing for you to buy.

By the way, the Beauty Brains say they were inspired to do their series on the beauty of skepticism by the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, Skepchick, and Carl Sagan. Nice product juxtapositioning. I'm sure Sagan would approve of critical thinking about cosmetics.

Here's a list of the topics for the rest of the series:

2. Experimental Design; 3. Null Hypothesis; 4. Occam’s Razor; 5. Anecdotal Evidence; 6. Confirmation Bias; 7. Correlation & Causation; 8. Argument from Authority; 9. Extraordinary Claims/Extraordinary Evidence.

Apparently, the numerical listing is no indication of the order in which these articles will be posted. The latest post is on the argument from authority and ends with the following advice:

To protect yourself from people who don’t have your best interest in mind, you have to remain skeptical of expert advice from beauty authorities. Understand that they are often wrong. You should never rely on a single source and don’t forget, no one “knows” what will work for you. You have to figure that out for yourself.

What the Beauty Brains say is true and it applies to them as well. The Beauty Brains are putting themselves forth as authorities without identifying who they are. We don't really know whose interest they have in mind.

I would add that you should also be skeptical of people who do have your best interest in mind. I hear the voice of the late U. "Utah" Phillips, who described the folks of Grass Valley, California, after he was diagnosed with coronary heart disease: They've got so many healers there, it makes you sick. Anyone who has been diagnosed with a serious illness knows that many people who love you and want you to get better offer up every bit of quackery you've never heard of as just what your situation calls for.

Alternative treatment for injured seals

A reader sent me a link to an amazing story about a harbor  seal weaner with an allegedly abnormal kyphotic "hump" in his lumbar spine. I use the word 'allegedly' because I have no idea what a normal kyphotic hump would look like in a baby seal. Actually, I didn't even know what 'kyphotic' meant until I looked it up. My dictionary says it has something to do with the "exaggerated outward curvature of the thoracic region of the spine resulting in a rounded upper back."

Anyway, the baby seal was found stranded in the San Juan Islands and given the name Avanti by the folks at the Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre of British Columbia. The IWNCC, or NCC for short, emphasizes "alternative, nontoxic treatments such as homeopathy, herbal remedies and physical therapies." It's reassuring to know that toxic treatments won't be used on injured wildlife.

Avanti "had trouble with all aspects of locomotion including swimming, hauling out and moving on land." Maybe one of the founders owns an Avanti and there is some inside humor involved in this story. In any case, this was one beat-up baby. It had numerous infected punctures and slashes on the lower torso. "Radiographs revealed a possible cracked sternum and diminished disc space between three upper lumbar vertebra." The blood report indicated a serious chronic infection. The poor creature "had no movement in his lower torso, but had movement in his tail." He couldn't have fallen into better hands than the NCC folks.

The treatment included Rolfing and

Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, a Chinese herbal formulae [sic] originated 1500 years ago for improper physical development in children and lower back problems. He was also given high potency homeopathic Nux Vomica for spinal trauma and homeopathic Hypericum for nerve damage.

Liu Wei Di Huang Wan is also known as Six Flavor Teapills and is used to yank up your yin. Soreness in the lower back indicates diminished yin, don'tcha know.

Hypericum is the active ingredient in St. John's wort, commonly used by homeopaths and naturopaths to treat depression. An expert in homeopathic remedies informs us that

The typical Nux Vomica patient is rather thin, spare, quick, active, nervous, and irritable. He does a good deal of mental work; has mental strains and leads a sedentary life, found in prolonged office work, over study, and close application to business, with its cares and anxieties.

Sound like a depressed harbor seal to me.

In addition to Rolfing "to rebalance his structure, release any soft tissue restrictions and regain normal function," Avanti was given "frequent doses of homeopathic China to help counter the effects of dehydration and homeopathic Pyrogenium for infection." To be safe, however, Avanti was given "a course of antibiotics and was tubed with electrolytes every 4 hours." I don't know if antibiotics and electrolytes are considered toxic by all homeopaths, but it is comforting to know that "the electrolytes contained herbal Echinacea tincture to help boost immunity and acidophilus to replace the intestinal bacteria killed by the antibiotics."

I'd say these folks used the right treatments for the wounded weaner, except for one thing. Battlefield acupuncture should have been their first line of treatment. As the seal got stronger, advanced Rolfing was used to release hind flipper soft tissue. Neoprene restraints on his front flippers were used to force Avanti to use his rear flippers. To an outsider, this might appear cruel, but it was for his own good. Under the care of the NCC, Avanti went from 24 to 65 pounds before he was released into the wild to eat salmon and be eaten by an Orca.

If you liked this story, you may enjoy reading about the injured elk fawn who was saved by homeopathic remedies before being released into the wild after hunting season.

Science News

A significant find from a vast cache of ice-age fossils discovered two years ago at Rancho La Brea has been made public: a well-preserved male Columbian mammoth, about 80% complete, with 10-feet long intact tusks, and given the name "Zed." Science News has the story, as does Swoopy and Mickey's Zoo. For up-to-the-minute news, follow the blog of the Excavatrix, who works at the La Brea site and has posted some exquisite photos.

For those who don't know, the la Brea area is one of the richest sources of fossils from the last Ice Age (approximately 40,000 to 10,000 years ago). The Page Museum at La Brea has one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of late Pleistocene fossils. A couple of years ago, the neighboring Los Angeles County Museum of Art opened an area for excavation before it began a major construction project. Twenty-three crates, weighing from 3 to 65 tons each, were loaded with intact blocks from the site for later excavation; hence the name Project 23. Paleontologists at the Page Museum estimate that Project 23 could double the collection by three to four million specimens. So far, some 700 fossils have been recovered, including 3 saber-tooth cats, 1 lynx, 1 North American lion, 6 dire wolves, 2 coyotes, 1 Harlan's Ground Sloth, 1 baby bison, 1 baby horse, 2 dwarf pronghorns, lots of turtles, at least 5 birds (including a teratorn), millipedes, and oak leaves.

So far, Zed is the star of the show. He's the first nearly complete individual mammoth to have been found in Rancho La Brea.

The Page Museum at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits is open to the public. Viewing areas have been set up to watch the ongoing excavations.

(La brea means "the tar" in Spanish and the black stuff oozing up in the area is actually asphalt. Here in California, however, it is tradition to refer to the la brea tar pits.)

Why I am not an economist

Every pundit I've had the misfortune to listen to lately says that we're in a world of hurt economically because of institutions and individuals throwing good money after bad. Now the pundits tell us that the way out of this mess is to throw more good money after the bad. Maybe they're following the homeopathic law of similars: like cures like.

If I understand things correctly, and there's a good chance that I don't, the idea is to give money to institutions so they can hire workers and lend money to individuals who can hire workers who can borrow money and buy things they want but can't afford. We all need more money to spend to get the "free" market rolling again. Trillions of dollars in the value of stocks vaporized over the last year. Trillions more are being printed. The more money we print, the stronger the economy will get. Is this placebo economics? By repeatedly suggesting that this is the cure, will we be conditioned into thinking it is, even if it isn't? Is this what the politics of hope looks like when it's practiced?

On February 24th in his budget speech before Congress and the world, President Obama told us that we're going to hell in a hand basket, but he told us in such a way that most of us are looking forward to the trip. "We're not quitters!" he said, quoting a little schoolgirl from South Carolina. Don't get me wrong. I think he gave a great speech. It was appropriate, given the dire straits we find ourselves in. But Obama and the optimists are sure the future will resemble the past: the economy will recover and we'll enter a new age of prosperity. The pessimists and philosophers aren't so sure. Remember Bertrand Russell's chicken? "The man who has fed the chicken every day throughout its life at last wrings its neck instead...." Induction is a wonderful tool, but it is not inevitable that the future will repeat the past.

As I understand it, we're in trouble because we threw too much good money after bad, so now we need to throw more good money at the problem. We borrowed and spent too much, so we need to borrow and spend some more if we are to solve the problem. We must increase the deficit in order to lower it. The only way to save the "free" market is to have the government take control of the economy until it can be "free" again. Fail economically in a small way and we let you fall by the wayside. Fail in a big way and we reward you with huge loans and few restrictions. Lose your job and go homeless; cause thousands of people to lose their jobs and you get a big fat check for your troubles. Economics is a dismal science; it can turn a skeptic into a cynic. I'd rather be a skeptic.

Scum of the minute

This minute's award goes to EMR Labs, LLC, for its Advanced Bio-Photon Analyzer, which

is designed to tune up your biofield through a resonant effect that harmonizes your energy and helps you to navigate smoothly through a stressful world. Think of the ABPA's effect like tuning forks that remind your biofield of its optimal functioning state. Worldly stress causes the biofield to become more chaotic and incoherent. The ABPA reverses this process, promoting efficiency, harmony, and balance.

EMR claims that in 1994 the US National Institutes of Health "adopted a new term – biofield – to describe a growing body of research showing a subtle field that permeates and extends beyond the physical body." I suppose you could say the NIH adopted the term, since the CAM division gave grant money to blowhards like Gary Schwartz to study this imaginary entity, also known as an aura or a vibrational field. Science long ago gave up the idea of a vital force animating living things, but the idea still resonates with the bioenergy crowd.

The biofield is something you’ve probably already noticed: a vital force that animates our bodies and powers our daily lives. When our biofield is out of balance, we’re out of balance. Disease, fatigue, stress, and apathy all reflect a compromised biofield. When something improves our biofield, such as the ABPA, it enhances our sense of well-being.

Every day, our biofields are negatively impacted by flickering computer monitors, cell phones, emotional stress, microwave transmissions, and traffic jams. We are literally bombarded with frequencies that wear down our immune system and biofield. That’s why it is essential to recharge.

For those who want to spend real cash ($1,795 at the time of this writing) on a device that provides countermeasures to non-existent harmful agents, the bio-photon analyzer is made for you. The promoters of this piece of biojunk want you to know that it is an "essential tool for feng shui practitioners and professionals who want to produce astounding results for their clients." I'd add that any respectable ghost hunter should have one these devices in his toolbox. Better hurry, though. These bio-photon folks may end up like James Folsom, another entrepreneur in the quack device market.

* AmeriCares *

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Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson: ‘I didn’t eat any carbs until today’

#6881758 Celebs arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar viewing party held at The Sunset Tower Hotel, in West Hollywood, California on February 27, 2011.Pictured:  Jennifer Hudson Fame Pictures, Inc - Santa Monica, CA, USA - +1 (310) 395-0500

Jennifer Hudson recently shared more info on how she’s transformed her figure:

â€œI just made sure I stuck to my Weight Watchersâ€¦I also took the extra mile to delete the carbs. I didn’t eat any carbs until today. I made sure when I felt the need to eat something crunchy I ate nuts instead and stayed away from the carbs.â€

… said Jennifer at the Vanity Fair Oscar party.

Wow… ‘deleting all carbs’ sounds kinda strict / unnecassary. Are you fans of low-carb diets?

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  • Lou

    You know what, I think that when it comes to diets, each to their own. If they find that cutting certain foods out works for them, that’s fine. As long as they remain reasonably healthy. She looks phenomenal.

    • dee

      I swear she’s going to gain all that weight back…eventually. Kind of like Oprah did. It’s very hard to live without carbs…especially if you grew up with a taste for them. I’m waiting to see if she keeps the weight off in the next 2 years. Good for her though, for losing all that weight. I’m sure she also went through a lot of emotional times, with the loss of her family.

      • Gabe Zephier

        i disagree. i’ve tried so hard to cut out carbs since march 2015 and haven’t gained any weight back!

  • Ulaa

    I can not believe that in this day and age, when we have access to all this information, some people choose to completely eliminate a big, essential food group from their diet. It is utter idiocy to ‘delete’ all carbs, she will unfortunately gain the weight back or be miserable while trying to stay slim.

    • Ketty

      So true….And one thing, her body don’t look that good!

      • natalie

        thats just jealousy at its finest

        she looks great and she is letting folks know it cost her effort and sacrifice to get where she is

        people hate to see other people do well

        • Charle

          It doesn’t have to be jelousy. I congratulate her for her dedication to lose weight, but for the results she’s having, it seems a bit extreme. With that I mean that her body doesn’t look that special for me.

    • Jen

      How are carbs essential? I know there are carbs in fruit and vegetables, but I assume she meant eliminating things like pasta and bread. They’re man-made foods, so not really biologically essential.

      • Ups

        How in the world somebody decide not to eat pasta, rice or good breat (in my country we eat lots of dark bread with corn). For me it would be a poor life without these lovely meals. A good Pastameal in Italy is more worth for me than a slim figure. But thats just me.

        • Ups

          * can

          • catc

            you think carbs are a part of life because they are a part of yours, but not everyone is like that. i don’t eat carbs apart from fruits and vegetables and it doesn’t bother me at all.

          • Ups

            And because of that i wrote in the end: But thats just me. It’s fine, but i would miss it.

        • gia

          people havent eaten good italian food if they think life is ok without them

          i agree with you!

          • Lila

            Hehe agreed!

          • Anna

            completley agree! I actually feel sorry for people who are SO obsessed with food…you don’t get fat when you eat a mediterranean diet…actually it has been stated that this is one of the healthiest ways of eating…and is is full of indulgence…

        • Casey

          Ups, I feel the same as you!

          In the country where I was born, (also Southern Europe), bread is such a huge part of the cuisine. You don’t have bread with your entree, you have your entree with bread. Because I’ve grown up like that, I cannot imagine cutting carbs out of my diet.

          But to each their own. I agree with someone above who said that these man-made carbs like bread and pasta are not biologically essential, but at the same time, is it really essential to cut them out COMPLETELY out of your diet? Sounds pretty severe and unnecessary to me. Cut down, yes, but refuse to eat an ounce? Sounds kind of depressing and hard to maintain.

        • Yes in my country we eat that as well:) That’s probably some of the healthiest food u can get. I think in the US and UK, in my experience, people think of bread as white bread (or brown toast, which isn’t really dark bread at all), at least that’s what i found out living in UK… and therefore see bread as the enemy. But u really just have to eat the right kind of bread, which u can’t get in many countries, like rye bread, which tastes awesome, way better than white bread 🙂

      • Jenny

        Ok. This is discouraging… Complex carbs are essential for you body to allow your biological functions to work properly. Here’s a little paragraph, written by a professor and PHD in nutrition of Mc Gill university (in my country you need a degree in science, chemical science and biology, (2 years), then a degree in nutritional sciences (3 1/2 years) to become a nutrionist. The profession is under the law of a professionnal order. So it is pretty hard to find charlatans… Not impossible, just really hard.)
        So here’s why carbs are essential. I’m sorry if I sound a bit, let’s say, emotionnal, I am myself a future nutritionist (2 years to go), and it makes me angry that the medias and celebs don’t give the right informations…
        Â«Carbohydrates are an integral part of our diets. Mainly they supply energy, in the form of glucose, to our brains and are stored as fuel in our muscles. Did you know that our brain needs energy in the form of glucose in order to function? This means that eliminating carbohydrates is not the smart move when it comes to a healthy diet and choosing the right carbs is not as hard as you think!Â»

        I would had that for a healthy and balanced diet, carbs that are found in fruits and veggies are not sufficiant because they don’t metabolise the same way than carbs found in whole grain cereals. I also want to had, that our ancestors did eat carbs: bran and wheat for example, are not man-made. They can grow without any human intervention. And we always ate those.

        • Blue

          I’m studying pharmacy right now and even in my basic physiology unit we ate taught that the brain is only able to utilise glucose. If I have significantly less barbs in a day, I can really feel it in terms of my ability to concentrate during uni. My guess is that she’s become accustomed to this feeling of cognitive sluggishness; this coupled with her not needing to think and analyse as much as the average student probably allows her to not eat them

          • emilie

            im studying pharmacy too! woooo!

        • Ashes

          Thanks for your expert info! Personally, I think that there is so much mis-information out there about good eating habits. A friend of mine went on a diet where she was told not to eat fruits at all because of the sugars. I adore fruits, I know that there are loads of benefits to eating fruits regularly and I thought… hang on, this can’t be healthy.

        • So I guess what they don’t teach in nutrition school is that the liver can create glucose from protein using a process called gluconeogenesis…

          I agree that cutting out all carbs as a lifestyle is not needed, but I disagree with the opinion that grains are the good carb. Grains are not something our ancestors ate in anything close to the amount that we do today. And if they managed to collect more than 100 stalks of wild wheat a day they would probably consider it a good day… although looking back, we might say it was a bad day 🙂

          If you want to eat carbs you should get it in form of vegetables, and not in the form of processed grains and of course not as sugar…

        • Emma

          So as a (to-be) nutritionist, don’t you also acknowledge that complex carbs can be found in places other than whole grain cereals, such as in legumes like chickpeas or starches like potatoes?

          To all:
          It’s super easy and healthy to live without bread, plenty of cultures do it. I think for Jennifer, the low carb thing was for weight loss, not maintenance. So it’s not like she’s never going to eat carb again, it’s just that she gave them up for a time to lose the weight. Obviously carbs are needed for weight maintenance and weight gain in the form of lean muscle.

          And I’m pretty sure that the brain can survive for a while without carbs, since the body produces ketones to cope with the lack of carbs. This can’t go on indefinitely, but there’s lots of sites about the “keto diet” that people have been on for years.

      • Are you serious?? I mean, yeah, you can live without carbs, if you don’t work out or do it in such a moderate way your body won’t notice it… But if you train hard to be toned, then you NEED carbs. They’re THE MOST ESSENCIAL food group!! Specially the things you say are “man-made meals”… That’s what you need to eat to be healthy, to have energy and, believe it or not, to stay slim… People burn like 80% of the calories they get from 100gr of pasta/rice/whole bread…..
        I still can’t believe there are so much people like you who really think that living without carbs is a normal thing.

        And BTW, carbs from fruits are just sugars, and if you base your diet on them… it’s most likely that you’ll gain some weight…

      • Thin person

        High carb foods such as bread, cereal and pasta are NOT essential. Man did not start to eat cereal grains until a few thousand years ago and until then survived on a very low carb diet of meat and vegetables. High insulin levels are what causes diabetes, insulin is the hormone which converts carbohydrates into energy and stores the excess as …FAT. Without insulin there is no weight gain. For all you people convinced of cereal’s health properties because you see it on TV and have read a few studies.. do some research and find out who FUNDS those studies. People are fatter than ever because of the low fat, high carb madness.

        • Thin person

          I meant to write- “High insulin levels are what causes obesity”.

    • Fruits and Vegetables are carbohydrates so how the hell can she be healthy without them!?
      They are essential to keep us alive.
      Im sorry but shes reaaaally stupid.

      • Jen

        She meant carbs such as bread and pasta.

    • Tell the same thing to all the chasers of low-fat food… they are eliminating something that really is vital for our bodies… which unlike carbohydrates is essential to our wellbeings.

  • Tash

    I’m so disappointed-I was seeing her as a role model for moderation and doing it right 🙁

  • schuk

    I donÂ´t think that she deleted carbs allt he time she dieted. Maybe just the time before the Oscars. Personally I think she looks gorgeous and congrats for loosing so much weight. And till now, she didnÂ´t gained something back.

  • Norma

    you people are idiots, everyone has the right to what what they want when it comes to their own diets.

    • catc

      it’s true

    • Charlie

      True, but they should keep their hard-core, unbalanced diets to themselves.

      If you put yourself out there as a “role model” for healthy and moderate eating (ie. weight watchers spokesperson).. you have to be careful what you say to the media.

      • Coffee_girl

    • Of course, but when she publishes her diet, she must expect people to comment on it.

  • Brittany

    She looks good, and I do think she only meant for awards season….however, she’s lost so much weight her boobskies look like mine after breastfeeding two children. She’s gonna need some work done on those puppies!! But oh well, good for her to lose that much weight in a seemingly healthy, correct way.

    • aj

      She’s going to need some work done? Please….

  • Helena

    Never could do that- I loveloveLOVE bread, pasta, ….
    In my opinion it’s also not healthy, just like eating “low fat”-products all the time. It’s all about moderation and learning to eat healthy and balanced. If one is cutting out carbs completely it’s either forever or (almost every time) instant weight gain when someone starts eating them again.
    Granted, people’s bodies react differently to different food (some people gain more weight on carbs than others), but there is nothing wrong with some self baked whole-grain bread! yummy!

  • beckers

    saddly the only way i really lose weight is cutting out carbs, I lose small amounts eating healthily and working out, but for big losses i stop bread and pasta.

    • Christina Veal

      Yeah too many carbs, especially super starchy, completely sabotage a diet plan and make it that much harder. That’s why I have a cheat day so I don’t feel deprived and from a scientific standpoint my body doesn’t start wanting to go into fat store mode, become leptin resistant, etc.

      • aj

        How many cheat days do you have if you don’t mind me asking, like 1 a week, 1 every two weeks?

        • aj

          oops read bellow, nevermind 🙂

  • Christina Veal

    Carbs are not an essential food group, at least not in excess. The FDA food pyramid is upside down. Check out a ‘Paleo Diet’, it makes it clear that we somehow survived on a LOWER carb (not no carb) diet for millions of years and didn’t have type 2 diabetes, osteperosis, heart disease and all the other random ailments that have come about since we started eating chemical, processed food. I’m not lumping that in one category as “carbs”, I’m just saying that most food with carbs these days is unhealthy. Bread if completely unnecessary, ESPECIALLY white processed bread. I make my own almond bread and LOVE IT! But regardless, to each their own, we can only know the power of a good, healthy diet by trying it. Until then we condition our bodies to want whatever we continuously put into it. You can’t look at a diet and say you’re only going to do it for three months, that’s unrealistic. I follow low carb 6 out of 7 days (Sat is my “cheat day” for random splurges) and have never felt better.

    • Fraiser

      Dear Veal,
      Carbs are an essential food group, end of story.
      ‘Cheat days’ belong to frustrated women, it’s shocking that some think that a ‘cheating / regret / remorse’ should be associated with our diets. It’s sickening, really.

      • Helena

      • mary

        Dear Frasier,

        carbs are not an essential food group….i dont think humans from the beginning of time ate ate chips, bread, or cake. more like vegetables and meat.

        there is nothing wrong with following a low carb diet. different things work for different people, and you sound ignorant saying “cheat days’ belong to frustrated women. not to mention, alot of women SHOULD feel guilty about their diets. Get a clue and look around you. 70% of the united states is over weight.

        • Most vegetables ARE carbs.

          • apricotmuffins

            and contain considerably less carbs for their weight than bread.

            low carb doesnt mean no vegetables, duh.

          • Mary’s statement suggested that vegetables do not belong to the carb group. As to the other points you made I hadn’t suggested otherwise so no need for the wise crack.

        • Fraiser

          Dear Mary,

          1. Vegetables are CARBS. Who the heck mentioned that cake is essential, are you dizzy? Cake is essential in the sense that you should enjoy life; joy and pleasure… these are essential in a good life.

          2. No HEALTHY woman on this planet should feel guilty about her diet. And a healthy woman eats ALL essential food groups in moderation.

          • britterz

            Seriously!!! I get so annoyed when people choose to be on these random diets that eliminate entire food groups and say that it’s healthy because humans existed for millions of years like this. It proves nothing, what was the bone density of these humans, what was there average lifespan, reproductive rates? No one ever talks about those aspects of health. As a person with a degree in bio and health all this fake “science” that everyone throws around is really ridiculous. If you think that not eating carbs, or meat, or dairy or whatever works for you, then that’s fine, only you know what works for your specific body. But all this, “well cavemen did it” needs to stop. I’ve never seen any physician advocate eliminating entire food groups if the person can metabolically/physically tolerate consuming them.

          • Anna

            @britterz: AMEN….I have a degree in nutritional sciences and now I master in molecular medicine and I can only disapprove of such pseudo science, people have no idea how dangerous a no-carb diet can be.

          • Jen

            When people say they are cutting out carbs they usually mean bread, pasta, etc. Most people don’t think of vegetables as carbs. Don’t be so pedantic. 🙂

      • The Other Leah

        Everything in moderation! It’s just food, after all.

    • Alexa

      The “Paleo Diet” is snake oil, nothing else. There is no scientific research to support its garbage claims. Use your brain.

      • janeir0

        wow you sound kind of ignorant to be honest

        • Charlie

          It is thought that 1000 years ago people had an average lifespan of around 25 years. (Obviously, that was before the advent of modern medicine, improved sanitation, etc.) But why are we so intrigued by the idea of eating like cavemen?

      • Emma

        There is plenty of scientific evidence to support its claims. Look at any research involving high-protein diets, low carb diets, the effects of processed and unprocessed foods, or the effects of cereals grains and you’ll see that the Paleo diet is a healthy one. Furthermore, Paleo was the original pusher of coconut oil consumption, grass-fed beef, leavy dark greens, and fatty fish consumption, and a range of other nutritional insights that the FDA is only now catching on to. Pssh, “snake oil” eh?

    • Carbs are almost everywhere and needed. You have cabrs in vegetables, dairies, meat…. Whole grains (organic) are good, “whitening grains produces” are bad, I’m only ok with this (and almod are very good, rich in fat, proteins and… carbs!).

      Glucids are necessary to produce energy (degradated by oxygens to produce Adenosine triphsophate used by muscles), and brains need at least 120gr glucids per day to rule optimaly. If you don’t at much carbs (“sucres lents” so.. complexe glucids ? such as amidon, gluten…) you would have problems of memory, concentration, as welle as if you eat too much “simple glucids” (frucotose, maltose…).

      • Well, our bodies have evolved since australopothecus period. It’s why some of us can stand dairies, gluten and other couldn’t.
        Neolithic period was the one when they started making things with grains (epeautre, rice, oat.. depending on the place ).
        study :

    • Casey

      So you’re discrediting the FDA’s version of the food pyramid, based on hundreds, if not thousands of replicated, peer-reviewed research, in support of an abstract version of a food pyramid that’s supported, maybe by one real study?

      People who lived millions of years ago did not have type 2 diabetes, but they did have vitamin deficiencies, malnutrition and cancer and their lifespan was 25-30 years, if they were lucky. Put it however you want, but the fact that taste receptors on our tongues tell us to eat carbs, tells me that bread tastes good, is enough to convince me that it IS an essential part of my diet. If it wasn’t, my body would not be encouraging me to put it in my mouth.

      Doesn’t mean we need to eat bread until we barf, everything in moderation, but keep in mind, human beings millions of years ago, are not human beings of today. It’s been quite a while since human beings figured out how to make flour and process carbs…to say that it’s not reflected in our biology to an extent is wrong.

      • Cristina

        Here i am, after 13 hours of work, suffering of chronic gastritis and severe IBS thanking you for these comment, as i am incapable at this point to be coherent and brainy but i know that sometimes, the only thing that can absorb the excess acid in my stomach is some form of carbs (dark bread or plain biscuits)

      • Kimberly

        The food guide pyramid is HEAVILY influenced by agribusiness. They are one of the top lobbies in the US. The meat, dairy, wheat and corn industries disagreed with the original pyramid, while USDA nutritionists advocated for having fruits and vegetables at the base of the pyramid and meat and dairy at the top.

        David Satcher, the ex Surgeon General of of the US came to my university and spoke about this to the School of Public Health. The food guide pyramid has been altered to suit the interests of the food lobbyists, not the health of Americans. And as you can see, 6-11 servings of grain isn’t preventing illness and disease, it’s creating it.

        • @Kimberlly YES! all of this.

        • Bec

          Thank you!! I don’t know why so many people fall for the idea that the Food Pyramid is a healthy guideline. Sweets and grains in moderation is fine, in my opinion. Enjoy yourself and eat them. But I don’t feel that they should be the base of anyone’s diet.

        • Casey

          Kimberly, I agree with you that lobby groups did have an influence on how the food pyramid was formed. However, this isn’t as simple as, “Hey, I am a grain lobbyist! Please include more grain in the food pyramid! We will fund your campaign, thank you!” as people seem to think.

          A lobby and the people who work with the lobby only have so much influence; they both need some concrete evidence to back their platform. The power of the lobby lies in how much money the lobby has to fund research. The grain lobbyists had a lot of money to fund a lot of university research on grain that came out saying grains were good. The grain lobby then used this research as evidence, so their opinion was weighed more heavily than that of other lobbies that did not do the same.

          “And as you can see, 6-11 servings of grain isnâ€™t preventing illness and disease, itâ€™s creating it.”

          I don’t know where you draw this conclusion from. The bad health of Americans is caused by excessive meat and fat intake, not excessive servings of grain. Unhealthy Americans actually do NOT follow the food pyramid as it is.

          The food pyramid may not be perfect, and does not work for everyone. But it’s as good of a guideline as we have so far. Over time, hopefully new research will be added and necessary changes made.

          • Emma

            What about the Maasais in Kenya who almost exclusively eat meat, fat, and dairy?

            Or the Mongolians, whose diet is 70% fatty red meats like beef and lamb?

            Excessive meat and fat intake are not the causes of American bad health. Neither are carbs, as there are other societies who almost completely survive on starches. What draws the almost disease-free Kenyans, Mongolians, and other tribes apart from us is EXERCISE LEVELS. That simple. You can eat all the meat and fat you want and be healthy as long as you’re active.

    • Karin

      You do realize that the science of nutrition is in its infancy, right? There are only a few things that are concrete, mainly that what you eat doesn’t really matter so longer as you’re burning it off and that there is a cascade effect with nutrition, so the foods we eat contain a mixture of nutrients that to our bodies is most easily processed. The sugar cane cutters in the Caribbean eat 6000 calories of pure sugar a day, and the indigenous people living within the Arctic circle have diets that consist ~80% of fat, yet both groups have lower diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc. rates that people in developed countries.

      • Zee

        Aside from their diet, wouldnt their drastically different lifestyles have something to do with the lower rates of ‘diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc’?

        Not to mention, people in developed countries have many ‘lazy’ easy options for food like junk food and yet lead sedentary lifestyles compared to sugarcane cutters or those who live in the extreme cold.

        • Karin

          Hence the part about what you eat doesn’t really matter so long as you’re burning it off.

    • Thin person

      You are so right, Christina. So do I. 🙂

    • apricotmuffins

      I think people have misunderstood you and its a shame. I feel a lot better too, when I cut out bread, pasta, rice etc. I have less heartburn, feel less bloated, less sluggish and have plenty of energy.

      I dont do a strict low carb, but I do try to be considerate.

  • shwolibop

    I think this comment is out of context. I think she was probably asked something along the lines of “how did you prepare for today (the oscars)?”. I dont think she lost all that weight from not eating carbs for a whole year up until the day of the interview. Also by carbs I think she means wheat based processed carbs which are bread and pasta, maybe even potatoes and rice which get converted into sugar which is stored as fat in our bodies. As humans for centuries we have gotten energy from fats and natural complex carbohydrates found in fruit and vegetables – wheat is unnatural for our bodies to digest therefore completely acceptable to cut from our diets. A balanced diet is one which contains proteins, fats and small amounts of NATURAL carbohydrate.

    • Alexa

      Why don’t you educate yourself so that in the future you can avoid spouting lies and looking foolish?

      • shwolibop

        • shwolibop

          Haha you are quite rude aren’t you? What makes you think I would leave an uneducated comment? I know what I’m talking about because I have been educated on nutrition. Carbohydrates are an essential part of the human diet but porcessed carbs (as with all processed food) ARE NOT. Do you think cavemen ate bread and pasta? I’m not saying people shouldnt eat these things what I am saying is they are not an essential food group. Maybe you shoould educate yourself better on how to have a grown up conversation without jumping down peopl’es throats just because you don’t agree with them.

    • amazon

      nothing that is natural is unnatural for our bodies to digest. humans are omnivores- commonly referred to as the wastebins of the animal kingdom- we can pretty much eat anything natural. we didn’t invent wheat or rice etc, we cultivated them and yes we do overprocess a lot of it, but in itself it is perfectly natural and healthy. also it is converted into fat when it is eaten in excess just like any other food group.
      course I am a carb girl- so I’m pretty much going to defend it regardless 🙂 as for jen she looks good and prob does just mean the overrpocessed stuff.

      • shwolibop

        By natural I mean something that doesn’t need to be milled or processed in order for it to be digested by the human body. As I have said, I’m not saying people shouldn’t eat refined carbs but the best diet to have overall is one which is natural with lean protein and clean unrefined carbohydrates, with vitamins and antioxtidants coming from vegetables and some fruit. Essentail fatty acids found in nuts, seeds and oils will speed up your metabolism. Yes consuming less calories will make you lose weight, but refuned carbohydrates do have quite a lot of cals and as someone else mentioned you then add cheese butter to them etc causes more damage. My point was some carbs are very essential but wheat and other processed foods are not and I think what JHud was meaning was she had cut refined carbs from her diet. I haven’t said they are wrong or bad, just simply that if you delete refined carbs from your diet it won’t have a detrimental effect on your health – that’s all.

    • Casey

      “w. Also by carbs I think she means wheat based processed carbs which are bread and pasta, maybe even potatoes and rice which get converted into sugar which is stored as fat in our bodies.”

      Shwolibop, EVERYTHING we eat, EVERYTHING, is converted into sugar (glucose) in our bodies and then stored into fat if it is in excess. Everything. All cells in our body can only absorb glucose as a from of food, so everything we eat gets converted to glucose.

      While I agree with you that human beings still should be getting most of our carbs and fats from things like nuts and fruits, wheat is not unnatural for our bodies. The thing about processing wheat, and turning into flour and baking it is not that you’re making it UNNATURAL…you’re just making a more efficient way to get nutrients by making it more adsorbent by your body and more concentrated. The only issue is moderation…you can easily “overdose” on carbs eating bread than eating fruit, because it’s a more efficient delivery mechanism of carb nutrients.

      • Casey

        turning it into flour*, absorbent*

      • melissa

        I think the paleo perspective is saying that wheat has only been available for a relatively short amount of time compared to human existence. Our bodies are not as adapted to processing it compared to fruit/veg/meat. That doesn’t mean we’re unable to process it, it just isn’t optimal.

        • Since mesolithics, we cultivate wheat and othrs grains (latest research, 2010), so more than 18 000years before JC.

    • jessicamarie

      i agree about the comment probably being taken out of context. I feel like that is happening more and more often with celebrities.

  • Ketty

    I think that she lies about her weight loss. She said month ago she didn’t want to lose more weight but now she cuts carbs to lose faster. And the fact she always talks about her diet upstet me. She’s like Kelly O!

  • cus

    i love carbs, very much.. but yeah not to eat carbs at all is the fastest way to lose weight.. still I can not do it longer than for a day..

  • Alexa

    Carbohydrates are NOT fattening, and avoiding them will NOT make you thin. The only thing that will change your body composition is your calorie intake relative to your activity level. Everything else is snake oil.

    • mary

      umm you are wrong- avoiding carbs do make some people thin. different strokes for different people, hun

    • KittyCat

      Actually yes, overloading on pasta and bread WILL cause you to gain weight.
      As a diabetic I NEEDED to cut out unhealthy starches to maintain my weight and blood sugars.
      You clearly think that you know everything, but your actually very ignorant and stupid. The ONLY reason why cutting carbs out of your diet would cause you to gain weight would be because you start craving them so you binge.

      • kateuk

        You only gain weight if you eat an excess of calories, doesn’t matter whether it comes from carbs, fats or even proteins! If you do not eat over maintenanace calories, you will not gain weight no matter how much of your daily intake is carbs.

        • Charlie

          That’s not actually true.

          Many studies have shown that diets high in protein (50% protein for example), that are the same caloric value as diets high in carbs (65-75%) cause weight loss.

          • aj

            I agree. Personally, for me it is calories in vs calories out. It’s just that high protein makes you fuller for longer so it’s better to eat that if you are calorie restricting.

            When I was at my thinnest, I had a cheese and tomato toastie every morning for breakfast. Wholemeal bread, and low fat cream cheese. (About 320 calories) I felt satisfied, I did not feel deprived and I lost a lot of weight.

    • Bec

      With all due respect, I completely disagree with you. I feel that nutrition is a lot more complicated than that, and for *my* body to be at it’s best, the quality of my food matters just as much as the quantity. As far as I can tell, the majority of carbs are unhealthy, and don’t need to be the foundation of my diet.

  • Christina

    Hi Frasier,

    I didn’t say I eliminate carbs, I simply eat less of them and find the weight melted off and stayed off. I still enjoy fruits, the occassional baked potato, beans, oatmeal. I just eat substantially less of them then the average American and have found success.

    • Charle

      Have you counted calories, by any chance? I would be curious to know if the weight loss was due to cutting one food group or if you ate fewer calories by switching to alternatives to carbs with fewer calories.

  • I’m fed up with this carb nonsense. There are 4 calories per gram of carbs and about 7 per gram of fat; do the math.

    The carb food group is broader than chips and white break. Fruits and vegetables are carbs as well and whole grain starches such a rice are natural. The problem most people have with carbs these days is that they eat them in excess and they add excess fats in them. What do you think makes chips so fattening? It isn’t the potato…

    If you find that you lose weight when you cut out carbs it is most likely the calories that go with it that causes the weight loss. Because unless you make up for the calories loss with other food groups you will automatically eat less when eliminating a food group.

    Yes different strokes for different folks but i’d like to remind people that our bodies don’t work on a ‘whatever makes you happy’ basis.

    Anyway, Jennifer Hudson is not a dietician so I woe to the people that would sooner take her advice on diet tips than a qualified medical professional.

    • kateuk

      Well said Nkeon, spot on!

    • Lila

    • Casey

      I agree with you Nkeon. Like I said above, “processed” carbs are still the same exact carbs as unprocessed carbs, they’re just in a form that is easier for our bodies to take in, making it easier to eat too much.

      But more importantly, a lot of people overfatten the source of their carbs, and then blame the carbs for weight gain without taking into consideration the oil, fat, butter that is consumed with the carbs. You’d be surprised how much oil/fat you’ve consumed when you eat a bag of chips. Doesn’t seem like that much, but read the label. They really pack it in there.

    • Very well said, both Nkeon and Casey – as always! Seems like people sometimes think carbs = pasta + chips.

    • flossy

      Actually I’m a bit annoyed by all this talk of Carbs.
      There are different types of carbs and it needs to be clarified the are the bad kind and the are the good kind
      COMPLEX and the bad kind SIMPLE,

      simple are found in sugary processed foods and are quickly converted into glucose in the body.
      White bread
      Processed cheese

      Slow releasing energy found in
      Whole grain foods.

      You can live a healthy life without the SIMPLE carbs in your diet, but without the COMPLEX carbs. Sorry but it really irks me the way everyone here bangs on about carbs as being either all good or all bad. There is a distinction. Its like taking an apple and placing next to a small piece of chocolate and stating they both have the same calorie content without acknowledging their individual nutritional value. Its insane.

  • aryn

    My mother did, and still does the no carb low sugar diet and lost over 45 lbs. There are so many good substitute foods out there so she doesn’t feel deprived such as low carb spaghetti and sugar free pudding, etc. She replaces mashed potatoes with squash and other healthier choices and her health has never been better and her acid reflux has completely gone away. I think that it can be a very successful diet as long as your body is getting what it needs and can definitely work in the long run.

    • mia

      Whole wheat spaghetti and yams are still carbs, just complex carbs.

      People NEED carbs, it provides the glucose necessary for cellular metabolism.

      Your mom seems to be substituting healthier, more complex carbs for simpler, more quickly metabolised (thus more fattening) carbs. Congrats to her for making the simple changes that make a big difference 🙂

      • Evelina

        Exactly, Mia. Finally, someone with true knowledge of intelligence.

  • esther

    No I’m really against cutting carbs. My roommate is now also doing a diet like that. I lost 20 kg without cutting carbs. Just eating healthier and exercise. Don’t know why people think carbs are bad.

  • Christina

    Hi Nkeon, I agree about the less calories, and just wanted to mention that I eat almost 2000 per day on low carb so it is possible. But I think your point is more for NO carb, anyway just thought I mention.

  • Roxanne

    I’m sorry, Alexa has absolutely no clue what she is talking about. And I hate to be rude but she is speaking with such conviction that I had to say something.

    Carbohydrates ARE fattening! That said, that does not mean we have to cut them out as a food group. We just need to be aware that eating them every day will not make us lean (esp the processed ones).

    And I think I am pretty educated on the topic…I study health economics at MIT and work for both the Center of Health Policy at Stanford and the Harvard School of Public Health.

    • Yes, when they are deep fried or lathered with fats or salty causing you to retain water. In their natural form they are not so much. Starchy foods granted can cause bloating but they are not. Fats are fattier than proteins and carbs (ironic huh?)

    • kateu

      Carbs will not make you fat unless eating over your calorie maintenanace. The same with fats.

  • Anon

    Maybe its just me but tht makes no sense. Nuts have carbs. Lots of carbs & fats…ummmm….
    If she cut carbs shed hav to stick to eggs, cheese, meat and veggies ONLY.
    I hate wen celebs lie abt moderation wen its rly a restrictive diet.

    • KittyCat

      No actually nuts are very low in carb.

    • kateu

      Most nuts are virtually carb free. They are mostly fats and some protein.

  • Mia

    I just want to know what happened to eating sensibly and exercising? Why the need for these intense, deprived dietary routines? Is Jennifer Hudson’s life quality greatly improved because she lost 10 rather than 7 pounds in preparation for the Oscars? If anything, she is more likley to gain back to the weight she lost on her no carb diet, than if she had just followed a sensible eating/exercise regime. If some women are willing to put that much effort into losing weight, why not invest that energy into achieving more worthwhile goals?

  • I deleted the carbs and fat before and lost 20 pounds in less than a month …. and then, I tried to re-introduce them in my diet, little by little… but I gained almost everything back in 1 year and half… The thing is, you can do extreme diets for a short time, like 2 weeks, to start a diet, but at the end of the day you’ll have to eat properly and exercice anyway, or you’ll gain everything back, so, there’s no shortcut…

    • Eve

      Thank you, mimi. I hope other no-no carb addicted people will listen to you. No carbs=water loss. How many times it has to be repeated?! If you overeat you will gain, but, if you indulge on carbs they keep water, 1g keeps 4 ml of water, as I remember. When you indulge on fat and protein it may seem next morining on your scales that nothing gained, but more calories than needed = weight gain. Gosh, so simple math…:-)

  • christina

    low carb diets make me weep

  • It’s funny : In France, carbs are not incriminate in gaining weight. For us, the problem is lipids (fat).

    In fact, eating a bit of all is better (except dairies, eggs and meat according to my own opinion concerning ethical and health matters).

    Our brain need 120g of glucids per day to rule correctly so… (we learn it in neuropsychology lessons at university, if someone need my sources I have an article in french on it)

    • Strychnine

      38.5% of men and 26% of women in France are considered overweight, with 16% childhood obesity – and the numbers are rising. The U.S. is definitely the fattest – but your own obesity rate is soaring.

      • Really?? Most of the statistics say that 1 adult out of 6 is obese in France, so that’s more around 15%, and I believe it more than the rates you wrote.. I live in France and I don’t see much obese people around me, of all the people I know I think I’m the biggest haha

    • emily

      Lorelei, are you a vegan?

    • Katrina

      Lorelei… I’m not sure about obesity levels in France but I completely agree with eating a balanced diet. Could you send a link to the article? I’m a neuroscience student and all these comments have got me interested

  • fidigum

    low carb diets are the best. I feel great all day and the weight loss is consistent. I love JHud for being honest with this. Moderation is the key to weightloss, yes, but before a big event like your wedding or her oscars and you want to make sure you look your best low Carb is the way to go. For me, at least.

  • If in the end I looked like her from eating any carbs then I say go ahead. She looks amazing and seems to feel great too!

  • Cristina

    I think she meant refined carbs considering she said she still eats nuts… There’s so much ignorance going on here. Carbs are good for you, refined carbs are not.

    • kateu

      Nuts aren’t exactly a high source of carbs, if any. They provide mostly fats and some protein.

      • MiuMiu

        I think nuts make you fat if you eat them too much or so much that they make you full, so it would be better to eat a piece of bread from wholeweat.

    • Evelina

      Exactly, I was going to say refined, processed carbs. So much ignorance indeed.

  • Kiki

    I have to say, I liked her more when she was a little heavier. Now i think her head looks a little too big and weird.

  • 93lbs, around 250gr carbs per day. whole grains mainly
    eating healthy and exercise : that’s the only long lasting solution to be thin, healthy, happy.

  • kateu

    Highly doubt she consumes ZERO carbs. There is a difference between LOW carb and NO carb diet. She must get some fruit and vegetables even if she has cut out starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice, etc.

  • Victoria

    Her breast looks weird.

  • ihuefiwh8h4r

    Eating no carbs kills your mood! And makes you pee buckets. It’s pointless because calories in vs out is all that matters.

  • Britt

    Cutting out carbs is probably one of the worst things you can do. You need carbs – not from fruit or veggies – but real carbs. They give you energy and keep your sugar from getting too low. Cutting them out makes you have very little energy, and you’re much more likely to binge later on.

    • shwolibop

      What are ‘real’ carbs?

      • Britt

        Breads, pastas, rice, etc. When someone says ‘I don’t eat carbs’, they aren’t talking about fruit and veggies.
        When you cut out main sources of carbs you probably aren’t getting the 200-400g your body needs.

  • Pistola

    Nuts have carbs.

  • CurvyMom

    I think Jennifer looks awesome! She obviously ate some carbs because nuts do have carbs, not tons, but some. She probably meant no flour/sugar.

    My family struggles with weight issues, but my aunt lost 150 lbs and my mom 60 lbs on low carb diets and kept it off for the rest of their lives – about 20 years. Believe me, that wasn’t just water weight 🙂

    For a painstakingly researached account of how the three biggies (carbs, fats,protiens) affect weight gain/loss I’d recommend Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. It’s not light reading, but worth it for a well researched account of this ongoing debate.

  • JB

    i think what she meant by her statement is that she gave them up for the Oscars…so she would look more amazing. cutting way back on carbs 3 days or so before an event will decrease bloat like you would not believe.

  • Jen

    Versus- if u could could you post the holly Madison life and style non retouched photos? She claims to be 115lbs and 5’7 and I’d love see peoples comments on the photos- thanks!

  • jkm

    yup. this works very well. i never ever eat bread..pasta..anything processed or packaged. i only get carbs from veggies and small amount of dried fruit. plus i workout 7 days a week so all of that..”u need breads..” is total BS.

  • giving up meat and dairies works better…

  • carbs help in the fat losing process and it’s not a good idea to cut them out completely.

  • a

    I could never ever ever delete carbs from my diet.

  • ali

    when I cut out carbs for a year a few years ago I got very thin – didn’t have much of an appetite because I wasn’t eating any carbs.

    BUT I also got insomnia (a side effect of low weight and poor diet), and was utterly miserable – I cannot emphasize how sad that period of my life was.

    Now, having researched nutrition, I recognize that certain carbs are essential for mood, well-being, energy and body function. I incorporate them into every meal and I feel MUCH healthier and am at a healthy weight. So, for me, no carbs = misery!

  • Casey

    Browsing through the comments, there are a lot of people who seem to believe in the real existence of “bad carbs” vs “good carbs,” because these are terms used by the diet industry.

    There is no such thing. Carbs are carbs. Processing wheat to make flour to make bread doesn’t’ change the “good” carb chemical into a “bad” carb chemical. If you did that, the chemical would cease to be a carbohydrate. Carbs are specifically called carbs because of the action they perform in the body, so carbs are carbs.

    The difference becomes in the fact that, (and these are abstract numbers), you can eat 10 apples and get 5 grams of carbs, whereas you can only eat 1 slice of bread and get 5 grams of carbs. Processed carb sources usually contain the same carbs as their unprocessed counterparts…but in greater concentrations.

    Rather than worry about this good carb vs bad carb, set a carb limit for yourself and fill your daily diet with items that will not go over that limit, whether they are processed or not. Keep in mind though, you can eat more items if they are unprocessed. But you do NOT have to cut out processed food to lose weight. That is a misconception and pseudoscience.

    • Zeka

      Thank you. This is seriously the most intelligent comment on the thread.
      Chopping out a food cannot be healthy in any way, shape or form. Everyone has something to blame for why people are unhealthy. The diet industry blames carbs and fast food. Vegetarians/vegans blame meat (unless it’s from a purely ethical standpoint).
      Just because something is processed doesn’t mean it’s going to kill you. If you don’t eat fast food every meal, processed food isn’t going to suddenly make you obese.
      Whatever weight Jennifer did lose, it was not done healthily and will gain back soon enough.

    • Lisa

      I still make it a point to stay away from white flours, though. Couldn’t make myself eat it if I tried. I just don’t feel good eating really processed foods or fast food.

      But I agree, cutting out entire groups is ridiculous. If you’re allergic or if it’s an ethical choice, that’s different.As soon as someone tells me they’ve cut all carbs and dairy out of their diet because they want to lose weight, I just shake my head. They’re setting themselves up for disaster. I often wonder how many people actually give themselves allergies to those foods because they avoid it for so long and develop a sensitivity while away from it.

    • Kimberly

      Hmmm…I was taught that “good carbs” is a term for carbs that provide nutritional value and “bad carbs” provide little to no nutritional value. In that sense, yes there is a difference. A slice of wheat bread and a slice of white bread are not created equal.

    • Dr. Truth

      So let me get this straight- you are trying to say that white bread is the same as whole wheat or sprouted grain? That eating cake is a good idea? That White rice is the same as brown rice? You are missing the entire point of nutrition. By sticking to “whole foods” or foods that are less processed, we give our bodies more nutrients. White flour, for example, is stripped of the most nutritious part of all – the bran and the germ. This is why white flour products don’t have as much fiber (which we all need) as whole grain products.

      If you are talking about weight loss, then I suppose you could still eat crap and just limit your amount. But why not focus on actually getting nutrients from your food? That is where the term “good and bad carbs” came from and I’m sorry but you’re wrong if you don’t think there is a difference between the two.

      • Casey

        “So let me get this straight- you are trying to say that white bread is the same as whole wheat or sprouted grain?”

        No. I am trying to say that a carbohydrate chemical is a carbohydrate chemical. Carbs found in white bread are the same as those found in whole grain bread, there is no difference or inherent evil in one over the other.

        I also specifically stated that less processed foods do give you more nutritional value than processed foods and you will most likely be able to consume more of the unprocessed food to get the same amount of carbs than processed food, so I don’t understand why you are lecturing me on nutrition.

        Eating cake as a main source of your carbs is not a good idea, obviously. Most of our carbs should come from nuts and fruits/veggies. Cutting cake completely out of your diet is equally unnecessary…small amounts of cake obviously will not harm your health, nutrition. If anything, it will add pleasure to your life.

        Also, people act like daily nutrition is something that is hard to achieve. You don’t need to eat 40 fruit/vegetables a day to have proper nutrition. You need 5. Obviously, if you properly plan ahead, you can include a piece of cake in your diet per day without going over your carb limit, without going over your calorie limit, and without sacrificing nutrition. THAT is the point I was trying to make. That people treat carbs as inherent evils, when the only evil is the misuse that people consume them with.

  • amanda

    you all made fun of her when she was heavier and now you’re making fun of her for her eating habits as a slimmer women. she looks fabulous and has come a long way. she worked hard for her new body. hollywood is a tough place. your job is to look good(not to sing or act or model…). that’s what she is doing. why don’t you ask victoria what she had for dinner last night i’m sure there were no carbs. or better yet ask natalie about how she lost the weight for black swan.

    • Casey

      Amanda, I agree with you that often times it’s hard to please people no matter what you do as a celebrity. But I think what we’re witnessing is two extremes….highly restrictive dieting vs. not eating healthy. There is an in between.

      I’m sure Victoria is even on a stricter diet, but people criticize her as well. Natalie lost the weight temporary so she gets reprieve.

      The thing is, there are so many ways to lose weight, and some of them are good and some are bad. I think it’s kind of unfair for you to ask people to not express their opinion when they feel someone is doing something bad. If Hudson lost the weight on a cocaine diet, wouldn’t you feel that, that was bad and she shouldn’t do that? She’s not doing something that bad, but cutting out carbs is kind of extreme. I commend her on losing weight, but after hearing this, I kind of think, “at what cost?” Perhaps she should find moderation, both in her weight and her diet habits.

  • IHeartCurvyWomn

    Totally agree with u Amanda; ppl need to stop analyzing wat she eats, this is the reason y Hollywood is so messed up in the brain because ppl like us downgrade a person for their heavy weight but then downgrade them even more wen they lose weight the “wrong” way.

    If all y’all had a chance to go to the Oscars, how many of us would starve ourselves to fit into that Chanel dress eh? O.o

    • Black Essence

      Some people on this site like to go out of their way to feel better about themselves, more superior/knowledgable/in shape. If she was her old size, they would complain. Now she lost weight and they still complain.

      I agree with you.

  • Black Essence

    If she says that she snacked on nuts, that means she didn’t totally eliminate carbs.

    So what’s all the arguing about. Geez.

  • KMJustice

    Everything in moderation is the way to go. I must be honest about two things: 1. She’s looks freaking incredible. 2. I would give up carbs for a few weeks to look smoking hot in a dress for a major event.

  • alex de

    I went on a low carb diet once and I had no energy and got really depressed. I hated it. I love simple carbs. I lose weight if I eat smaller portions of whatever I want.

  • Hohoho

    Ugh, I think she was generalizing…but to eat NO carbs is pretty much impossible unless you’re doing all meat and dairy & nothing else. I take it she meant no grains. She should of been more specific because people look up to her and take her advice seriously (not me but others) for weight loss. Sad because she can’t even give the proper advice..

    • KMJustice

      I would be willing to bet my savings that she was referencing bread and pasta. Not carbs from veggies and whatnot.

    • Lisa

      That’s what I mean! It’s kind of irresponsible for celebs to say they cut carbs entirely. Obviously you shouldn’t be taking their word over a nutritionist’s, but with some people, common sense isn’t so common, ya know what I mean?

  • If u eat lots of pasta and white bread, then cutting that will probably make u lose weight (mainly cos there’s quite a lot of calories in this). But carbs isn’t just chips and pasta for god’s sake! Carbs are really good, if u eat the right kind – like several have said here: it’s found in fruits and vegetables. They don’t have to be processed or man-made.

    I get most of my carbs from rye bread, which is really healthy. If i make buns i use wholegrain flour (instead of the white), carrots, seeds, and stuff. You get a lot of fibre, which is really healthy.
    Carbs don’t have to be the enemy, but of course chips, cake and pasta everyday won’t make you healthy/lose weight. I’m no expert, this is simply what i’ve always been told.

    • Reading Casey’s comment further up, i can see i’ve phrased it wrong, like she said: carbs are carbs! I simply meant there are good, low-calorie foods that have carbs (like rye bread and fruit) and high calorie foods that contain carbs (like pasta and white bread) Which is what i meant by the right carbs 🙂 like i said i’m no expert.

  • Susan

    I love carbs, and eat them with every meal I could not imagine ever cutting them out. To stay skinny I just burn 450-500 calories a day and then can mostly what I want, of course including healthy foods.

  • Ana

    That’s just idiotic. That just clearly shows that she still has no clue to what she’s putting in her mouth. Cutting out a whole food group is in no way smart or healthy. Our body needs energy. Carbohydrates are the main source for fast energy. One whole grain or rye piece of toast is in no way worse for you than a handful of nuts. In fact, nuts are higher in cals and fats, just an FYI. Just don’t stuff your face with half a loaf of white bread! MODERATION people!

  • Strychnine

    Following “all things in moderation” is what keeps a lot of people fat. The only thin folk I’ve witnessed touting that term are celebrities trying to keep things ambiguous. After all, isn’t it so much more impressive to everyone who looks up to you to claim you “just do whatever” to keep that size zero?

    A lot of you sound very confused about carbohydrates. When someone says, “I’m a low-carber!” they are referring to the avoidance of starches and sugars. Choosing nuts, seeds, or flax over a refined food, or berries over a raisins or pineapple is hardly unhealthy. On the contrary: this type of eating is what keeps one’s blood sugar and insulin in check – not to mention their cholesterol. Oh, and there’s the physique factor. Fitness enthusiasts who avoid sugar & refined foods tend to have the best ones. 😉

    • Lisa

      That’s what bothers me the most about celeb statements like that. They never differentiate between the two. It comes down to personal preference *or tummy preference, if you’re allergic!*, but cutting out things like sweet potatoes and whole grains seems excessive. I like to have those every now and then. 🙂

  • darkbeauty

    I’m not a hater or anything I just think that losing the amount of weiight and the time period in which she has lost the weight in a way (and I’m not sure, I’m just sayin!)has really destroyed her pretty face. As a matter of fact I think while she is way smaller than she ever was, the amount of fat loss in her face has really aged her a bit too much cause for a young woman, her face now looks pretty old. Sorta the way star Jones looked once she lossed all of her weight.

  • Rebecca Dias

    I feel sorry for her because this is not a maintainable diet. I’ve lost 20kg (44lbs) and before that i had tried all types of diets and failed because at some point you will snap and the weight comes back on.
    Is not about having a ‘cheat’ day. It is about allowing yourself to eat what you want sometimes, having smaller portions and knowing when to stop.
    When i was on a low carb diet it was awful. I was pale and weak. And it is SO hard to stay on it.
    I really hope that Jennifer won’t but she is most likely to put weight back on and become a yo-yo dieter. There are exceptions but in most cases something so extreme is not maintainable…

  • snoops

    Wow I started to read some of the replies to this post and I see its another one that has spiraled out of control!

    Relax people, firstly this quote has maybe been taken out of context I think she cut out carbs before the oscars to look her “best” in her dress, but even if she cut out carbs the whole time she was dieting I am SURE she is not talking about vegetables and fruits but more like bread and pasta in which case SO WHAT?! Not everyone is a big fan of these foods and some are even allergic to them (I have people in my family who can not tolerate cereals, breads, pasta and yes I mean the brown breads and pastas) it’s not a big deal! We dont need bread and pasta to survive guys, we really dont! I like to eat pizza sometimes and I like sandwiches and toast etc but can we not accept that not everyone is the same? Seriously if we want to read about science we won’t come to skinnyvscurvy all the debate is over the top.

    About Jennifer – she does look great! She looks beautiful she has lost so much weight, slowly, and she looks fantastic IMO and people saying “oh her body is nothing special” please remember what she looked like before she has come a very long way and when she talks about it I believe she did it to be healthy, not to be “hot”, but because she wanted a healthier lifestdyle and kudos to her for that she is such a strong woman everything she has endured. I am a fan.

    • ay0_x

      Best comment so far! I was shaking my head this whole time

      The problem with grain carbs- INCLUDING WHOLEWHEAT PASTA, BREAD, WHITE POTATOES AND RICE .. is they contain very little nutrients for the amount of calories they have. An apple is healthier than a slice of bread, even if the calorie and carb contents are the same.

      You should be filling your daily calorie intake with as much nutrients as possible, and it’s easier to do that if you don’t have nutrient-empty grainy carbs. Why do you think bread companies “fortify” their foods and add vitamins and minerals? Because the bread lacks those! But no food group will make you fat (too much calories will). There’s just better ways to use up your daily cal limit 😉

      As for white bread… What do you get when you mix white flour and water? Glue. Is glue really that healthy a thing to be digesting? 😉 think about it

      • Bec

        Thank you! I agree.

  • nope

    I’d be willing to bet she can kiss her weight watchers deal good bye if this comment gets heard too widely. Followers of the diet that has been touting everything in moderation for, like, 30 years aren’t going to feel too kindly towards a spokesperson who “goes the extra mile” by eliminating an entire macronutrient. That’s pretty much the opposite of everything weight watchers teaches. Nice job, Ms. Hudson, way to represent your company.

  • I personally think she would looks better with a couple of extra lbs, sure her weight loss is amazing but for some reason she doesn’t look right to me being that skinny.

  • I think maybe it’s because her bust is a lot smaller and it looks weird, idk. She’s pretty either way….

  • amanda

    well. she lost her weight through weight watchers which is a great program that promotes “everything in moderation” she most likely stopped eating carbs like bread or pasta for the oscars. I don’t think she lost her major weight because she cut out carbs. I think it was just for the event and will go right back to “everything in moderation” right after. sorry being repetitive.

  • MegaMiss

    Gosh, all you people saying that carbs are an essential food group are completely wrong, Yes, that’s what we learned in school, but now most of us should be able to educate our selves by now, and realize not everything we are taught was true. The human body does not need carbs.

  • Kimberly

    Judging by the comments, a lot of people lack proper nutrition education. It’s kind of sad…

  • mel

    Haven’t read the comments, but I can’t imagine living without carbs. For me, life without pasta would be depressing!

  • Pingback: Funny CW moments | Mark's Daily Apple Health and Fitness Forum()

  • The Other Leah

    I hate to be a hater, but this is the fastest way to gain back the weight. When you go on a diet that is that restrictive, you tend to start gaining once you introduce those restricted foods back into your diet. I wonder when she’ll crack, and gain back the weight?

    I hope she can find a way to have everything in moderation, and still stay healthy. I think that she’ll probably settle at a higher weight. I really don’t see her maintaining a 4-6 figure.

  • Rebecca

    I am a fan of low carb diets. There is a lot of great research–even more prominent Dr’s, like Oz are coming around. People follow antiquated information out of habit.

  • jbcbg

    without reading all the comments (and therefore not knowing whether or not i’m repeating what someone else has already said), i’m assuming she means unhealthy and refined carbs like potato chips, pasta and bread.

    if she literally eliminated ALL carbs, including the ones from fruits and vegetables, i guess she’s been surviving on meat, fish, and cheese, which is obviously supremely unhealthy.

    for the record, i myself lost 15 pounds on atkins. i went from 144 pounds to 130ish (i’m 5’8″) in a couple of months. but it’s a stupid diet, because as soon as you get off, you gain the weight right back even if you think you won’t. also, it goes without saying that it’s not a healthy diet. for example, i could only eat less than 15g of carbs a day (just for comparison: one apple has about 20g of carbs), so i basically consumed nothing but eggs, red meat, broth, and cheese for a couple of months. it’s so gross to look back on.

    in terms of jhuds, i think she’s uglier now that she’s lost weight. yes, her body is more aligned with what society typically considers attractive, but facially, she used to be prettier (though never pretty, per se). i liked her a lot more before, but if she’s happy now, obviously it’s her decision

  • Jo

    I don’t think she’s being excessive or anything; she didn’t say she cut carbs forever, she probably cut carbs from her diet for the last few days so that she wouldn’t get bloated in her tight dress. When I was in a beauty pageant, one of the tips given to us was to try not to eat too much starchy carbs the day before the show as it will make the body retain water and become bloated. It’s not meant to be a long-term thing, just a quick fix for the big day. I think it’s excellent for Jennifer to stick to a healthy diet and to become fit; there’s nothing ugly in that.

  • I found a pretty good website, easy to read even for those who don’t have knowloedge in nutrition.

  • Ashlee

    hahaha geez she lost the weight. Good on her. Why be so negative? Her goal now is to maintain her weight and i wish her the best of luck!

  • If she would just work out a little more she would not even think about the karbs

  • Rah

    She’ll probably gain all that weight back..

  • Mary

    There is a lot of bad science and politics behind the development of the current USDA nutritional guidelines. Gary Taubes did a very complete survey of the science and politics behind them. Unfortunately, like evolution and like global warming, the understanding of science is so poor in the general population that we have trouble (myself included) making decisions where that science touches our lives.

    Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories is very technical and excellent if you can wade through it. If you don’t want to do the book thing, you can understand more what a low carb diet is about and the science behind it by reading his NYT articles.

    Over the course of human history, there is a lot we know “is true” that later we found out was simply not so. So, when confronted with these ideas, I always ask myself is the world really as flat as it looks? And then I open my mind…and investigate.


text:
• 14:10 Injured Jockeys Fund 50th Anniversary Novice Stakes5f 16y

  • Winner £6,469 2nd £1,925 3rd £962 4th £481
  • Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
  • Surface: Turf

  • Weighed In

  • Winning time: 1m 5.63s
  • Off time: 14:11:04
14:10 Chester Racecards
No Draw Dist
1st Showing Character 3/1

No Form Silk Horse A Wgt Trainer Jockey SP
1 (5) 861 DARK GREEN, RED cap, DARK GREEN diamond Indescribable (IRE) 17
Distance Winner
2 9-7 M Johnston F Norton 10/34.33
2 (2) 1 Grey, beige star, grey sleeves, beige stars and stars on cap Steve Prescott 7
Distance Winner
2 9-7 R A Fahey D Nolan 4/51.80
4 (1) Black, light green diamond, black and white hooped sleeves, light green and pink hooped cap Showing Character
2 9-0 Tom Dascombe R Kingscote 3/14.00
5 (3) 869 Red, emerald green stripe, halved sleeves, yellow cap Featsdontfailmenow 14
2 8-9 Mrs L Williamson B A Curtis (5) 40/141.00
Non runners
3 (4)71Pillar Box (IRE)29-4W J HaggasLiam Jones

The very speedily-bred STEVE PRESCOTT was well supported on his debut at Haydock last Saturday and duly obliged with the minimum of fuss. He's a tall, rangy individual with bags of scope and will take some beating. Pillar Box showed good pace on his introduction on soft ground over Beverley's stiff 5f and showed the benefit with an impressive success on fast going at Bath. He should continue to improve as should Indescribable, who raced on quick going at Yarmouth for the first time and made all for a convincing victory despite hanging left, which won't be a problem here. Tom Dascombe's newcomer Showing Character is a half-brother to the smart two-year-old Van Der Neer so is one to keep an eye on.