A visit to Low Carb Land

Last week, I had a great time recording an interview with Jimmy Moore for his popular podcast, the Livin La Vida Low-Carb Show. (You can listen to the entire podcast here.)

We talked about all sorts of things, including the fact that no one dietary prescription is right for everyone.  Jimmy's a passionate advocate of the low-carb approach and claims that it literally saved his life. I don't doubt it.  But, as Jimmy is the first to admit, it's not for everyone. (For example, it's not the right diet for me!)  As I've said here on the blog, you've got to find what works for you. 

But whether you have chosen to follow a low-carb diet, a low-fat diet, a Zone-style diet, or the USDA's food pyramid, you still need to be sure that your diet is covering the bases nutritionally.  For example, those on a very low carb diet, like Jimmy, need to be particularly watchful about getting enough fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid. Jimmy is careful to supplement his low carb diet with extra fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients.

Those on a very low fat diet, on the other hand, need to be careful to get the recommended amounts of essential fatty acids. Vegetarians need to watch out for B12 and iron, and so on.  Nutrition Data can help!

To be sure that your diet is nutritionally balanced and complete, use our Total Consumption tool to analyze a typical day's food intake. As most of you know, I'm a strong believer in getting nutrients from foods (rather than supplements) whenever possible. If you find that you're not getting enough of certain nutrients, use our Nutrient Search tool to find foods that meet your dietary requirements (such as low fat or low-carb) but are also high in the missing nutrients.

And if you are following the low carb lifestyle, be sure to check out Jimmy's podcast and blog on a regular basis!