The CarbSmart Podcast

Remember the old nursery rhyme about how Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean? While the historical roots of that rhyme are misty, it does suggest that people are metabolically different, something that apparently has been recognized for a long time. So let's talk about it. The dumbest weight loss advice I have ever heard was just find a thin person and eat what they're eating....

Welcome to the CarbSmart Podcast, where your decision to embrace low-carb nutrition becomes a fun and delicious lifestyle! I’m your host, Dana Carpender, here to guide you through the ins and outs of everything low carb – or talk to the people who do! My sister Kim is asthmatic. Between not getting enough oxygen and having taken prednisone way too often, she has had an even harder time with her we...

This show, we have something a little different. This show. Features something I did not write myself that has not happened before. But let's start with this. How old is a low-carb diet? If you look at the traditional diets of various peoples, including the seal, fish, and Blubber diet of the Inuit, several North American native peoples who flourished on pemmican. And the African Messiah herding p...

You may be confused regarding net carbs versus total carbs. So let’s demystify it. Shall we. Keep listening. I see it online all the time. Total carbs or net carbs. I also see are you strict keto, lazy keto, dirty keto? What’s your daily carb limit? What are your macros? But particularly Total carbs or net carbs. I am all for anything that works for the individual, but I fear that this kind of foc...

Eat It Again! How Repetition Rewires Your Taste If you’ve just recently gone low-carb, say as a New Year’s resolution, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer difference from your old diet. Faux-tatoes instead of mashed potatoes. Lunches that don’t include sandwiches, heavy cream and flavored stevia in your coffee instead of creamer. I am here to cheer you on and give you good reason to stick it out....

If your nutritional program is so good, why do you still take drugs? There’s no question that good nutrition improves our health. Heck, many type 2 diabetics do away with all need for medication by eating low-carb. But can proper nutrition prevent all illness and do away with all need for drugs? Let’s talk about it. I got this question years ago, back when I was blogging. The fellow who posed it c...

Isn't it important to eat a balanced diet? How many times have you been told it's important to eat a balanced diet? Doctors, mom, health class, magazine articles, everywhere. Remember to eat a balanced diet. It's been repeated so often that it's accepted without a thought. Except, of course, by me, you, and our low-carb ilk. Let's talk about it.  Like, subscribe, and hit that notification bel...

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Low-Carb – CarbSmart Podcast Episode 24 Carb restriction is, of course, a great way to achieve weight loss & health. So, let's talk about it. Links and Show Notes Welcome to the CarbSmart Podcast, where your decision to embrace low-carb nutrition becomes a fun and delicious lifestyle. I’m your host, Dana Carpender, here to guide you through the ins and outs of...

Refusing Holiday Food and Staying Low-Carb CarbSmart Podcast Episode 23 Dealing with the holiday food pushers Welcome to the Encore Edition of Refusing Holiday Food and Staying Low-Carb! We’re revisiting some of our earliest and most popular episodes to celebrate our journey and your incredible support. These fan favorites are packed with timeless insights, expert advice, and practical tips to hel...

Staying Well While You're Getting Well Low-Carb Tips for Cold & Flu Relief Links and Show Notes Ah, yes. Autumn. The cool, crisp air. The brilliant leaves. The cozy sweaters. And the advent of cold and flu season. Achoo! What does this have to do with our low-carb diets? More than you might think at first glance. Between cough syrup and cough drops, multi-symptom cold relievers like NyQuil. An...

How to Have a Fun & Healthy Low-Carb Halloween Links and Show Notes Let’s talk about the scariest thing about Halloween. All that sugar. Several years back on a website I frequented, there was a discussion of Halloween plans. It was there that I first encountered the concept of trunk or treat, a Halloween event that is apparently gaining popularity across the country. Other than trunk or treat...

3 Question Interview with Fred Hahn Links and Show Notes Welcome to another 3 question interview from CarbSmart. I’m your host, Dana Carpender, your trusted guide to everything low-carb. Today, I’m interviewing Fred Hahn, owner of  Slow Burn Fitness , author of  The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution , and  Strong Kids, Healthy Kids , not to mention my friend and strength training gu...

Why I’m Not a Low-Carb Purist Links and Show Notes Are you a food purist? Do you insist that everything be natural and organic? I’m not, and I don’t. So let me explain why. I have been accused of not being a low-carb purist. I have, over the past many years in general, taken some heat for not being a low-carb purist. Not pure enough, or restrictive enough, or something enough about the diet I eat...

Are You NOT Getting Enough Sodium on Your Low-Carb Diet? Links and Show Notes Sodium Deficiency – hyponatremia I got to the piece in the beginning of The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living about the symptoms of sodium deficiency, also known as hyponatremia. And guess what? It sounded very familiar. I looked up hyponatremia online and found this: Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea and...

Can Low-Carb Slow The Aging Process? Links and Show Notes We all know that carb restriction causes weight loss, controls blood sugar, and can help treat all of the ugly effects of metabolic syndrome. But what if carb restriction could make you younger? It should be noted that this is, to some degree, a reworking of an article I wrote in November of 2010. But the information is still fascinating an...

Serenity Prayer for a Dedicated Low Carber Links and Show Notes Years ago, a reader told me that they admired me because I had stuck with my low-carb diet even though it had not given me the body of my dreams. Surely you’re familiar with the Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity Prayer – “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom...

Calories In/Calories Out vs Carbohydrate Restriction - What Works Best?? Links and Show Notes There is a long-established truism that weight loss is all about “calories in, calories out,” and along with it the apparently unshakeable assumption that all calories are created equal. It’s all bunk. Sheer bunk. But it’s bunk with so much weight of belief behind it that it’s very hard to shake people’s...

What About Cheat Days on Your Low-Carb Lifestyle? Links and Show Notes “How often should I have a cheat day?” There seems to be an assumption that cheat days are a good idea, something that should be built into a low-carb diet to keep people from feeling deprived. I beg to differ. Indeed, I’m not sure where the idea of a cheat day even comes from. Obviously, it’s meant to appeal to people who cann...

Let’s Go to the Fair! How to Stay Low-Carb at Your County Fair Links and Show Notes Summer is here! And for many of us, especially those of us who live in rural-ish areas, that means a trip to the county fair. Ah, yes, the county fair, home of deep-fried Snickers bars, corn dogs, elephant ears, and so, so much more. Too many folks simply assume that “It wouldn’t be the fair without !” and giv...

Dana Carpender’s 3 Question Interview with Christine Moore, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Links and Show Notes Welcome to another three-question interview from CarbSmart. I’m Dana Carpenter, your trusted guide to everything low-carb. In these interviews, I ask a professional whose job, in some way, involves carbohydrate restriction, three-questions, and of course, listen to their ans...

Why Do We Equate Junk Food with Fun? CarbSmart Podcast Episode 11 28 years ago, I had a friend / massage client, my first career was as a massage therapist, whose husband ran a business as a jobber, buying out overstock and stuff from businesses that were closing down, and then selling it to places like Big Lots and Dollar Tree. I was at their house one day, giving Anna a massage, when her husband...

Dana Carpender Interviews Dr William Davis, Author of Wheat Belly & Super Gut CarbSmart Podcast Episode 10 CarbSmart’s Dana Carpender interviewed William Davis, MD for her “3 Questions with” series. Dr William Davis is a prolific writer and expert healthcare professional. He is the New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Wheat Belly series including his latest book, <a href="https://www...

Let’s Go On A Low-Carb Memorial Day Cookout with Dana Carpender CarbSmart Podcast Episode 9 Hey gang, you know what’s coming up? A holiday that doesn’t torpedo our diets! Boy, you gotta love Memorial Day weekend. Not only is it the official beginning of summer, not only do most of us have a long weekend off, not only will Miss Manners grant you permission to wear white shoes after this weekend, bu...

What Is A Keto Diet? Keto Basics with Dana Carpender CarbSmart Podcast Episode 8 Welcome to today's episode of the CarbSmart Podcast, where your decision to embrace low-carb nutrition becomes a fun and delicious lifestyle. I’m your host, Dana Carpenter, here to guide you through the ins and outs of everything low carb. Today, we’re going back to basics. There’s been a lot of controversy about keto...

CarbSmart Podcast Episode 7 How Did I Get Here? Dana Carpender’s Journey of 29 Years on Low-Carb You read her articles, you buy her cookbooks, you make her recipes, now you can listen to her CarbSmart Podcast! In the episode, Dana Carpender describes her Journey of 29 Years on her healthy Low-Carb lifestyle. Explore her ups and downs to becoming a Low-Carb author & guru. Want to know how a gir...