Dana Carpender summarizes her trip to the Ancestral Health Symposium 2012 at Harvard. Lessons & inspiration for the low carb & paleo communities.

Happy Low Carb-iversary To Me! 17 Years of Low Carb Success and No Health Issues by Dana Carpender.

My low carb lunch at Chipotle was by far the most satisfying fast food experience I have ever had, with food that was both wonderfully tasty and nutritionally superior. I may have missed Chipotle Mexican Grill up until now, but you can bet I'll be going back again.

Gayelord Hauser, one of the first “health food” advocates, is considered by many to be the father of the modern nutrition movement. Hauser counseled movie stars, including Marlene Dietrich, Gloria Swanson, Grace Kelly, and Paulette Goddard.  He convinced Greta Garbo to give up vegetarianism, insisting on quality protein at every meal.  He wrote many books, and lectured extensively.  He introduced yogurt, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, and other health food store staples to a white-bread-Coca-Cola-and-Crisco America.

I got basic blood work done recently, and in the interests of full disclosure I felt I ought to share the results with you. I am 53 years old, and have been eating a low carbohydrate diet for 17 years, or 32% of my life.

I am excited to announce the addition of Susie T. Gibbs, aka Fluffy Chix, as a columnist. She'll be writing about her own life as a low carber and cancer survivor, her trials and triumphs, and also about food, all from a perspective as fresh and sassy as her native Texas.

Carbohydrate restriction is such a dramatically effective intervention that many medications will need to be adjusted immediately. This is particularly true of all blood sugar medications

Are you fond of cucumbers?  I sure am.  I like them sliced, with a little salt or creole seasoning. I like them with dips. I like them in salads. I like them in tzatziki –– that yummy yogurt-cucumber sauce that comes with gyros. I like them pickled. Indeed, I'm hard-pressed to think of a way I don't like cucumbers. Includes Dana's Thai Cucumber Salad recipe.

A Swedish study suggests that perhaps in the context of a high carbohydrate diet, increasing saturated fat intake may raise total cholesterol, but does not tell us if that rise is comprised largely of LDL or HDL. It demonstrates no increase in atherosclerosis as a result. It doesn’t tell us anything about the effects of a low carbohydrate diet, because there’s no mention of anyone in the study actually eating a low carbohydrate diet. And because it is an observational study, it proves nothing. Nothing at all.

I felt fine going in to my workout, but was prepared to discover that I just couldn't lift as well while in deep ketosis.

Meet me, Andrew, and Amy - The CarbSmart writing team at the 2012 Low Carb Meet & Greet Saturday, July 7, 2012!