I began my current keto diet in June and posted on my progress in July. This will be my final update on it, so I wanted to encourage any who would like to lose some weight and feel a whole lot better before the coming holidays to start your keto diet now.

I’ve lost the weight I wanted, along with two inches off my waistline, so now I need to ask for new pants for Christmas from my wife. Even better, I have much more energy and mental sharpness. Combined with going back to the gym — even though I have to wear a mask, which I despise — the keto diet has been just the ticket for revitalizing my middle-aged metabolism. If you’ve ever been disappointed with a long-term eating plan for weight loss, lowering your cholesterol, or improving your overall health, please try keto.

I’ve heard Nina Teicholz talk about keto diets in the past, so I rang her up this week and asked her about her experience with keto. As you’d expect, the nation’s top proponent of healthy saturated-fat eating plans is a fan of keto. Nina said, “Keto is more a lifestyle than a diet,” and “it’s one of the few eating plans that works sustainably because you’re not always hungry.” I reported my positive results eating keto to Nina and she said my experience is common.

While I had Nina on the phone, I inquired about the forthcoming USDA 2020 Dietary Guidelines, and she was sad to report that this year’s recommendations are just more of the same — pushing carbs and restricting saturated fats.

Nina has been working overtime this year to ensure that the newest U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (USDAC) use a science-based approach when making their updated national advice for our eating regimen. You can read about Nina’s work at The Nutrition Coalition (TNC) by going to nutritioncoalition.us .

Recently, the Nutrition Coalition released the following update on the USDAC’s forthcoming recommendation:

The Nutrition Coalition (TNC) submitted its public comments to the USDA regarding the final expert report by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, due out at the end of this year, will be based on this report.

TNC expressed concerns about USDA's lack of adherence to a rigorous, verified methodology for its scientific reviews, as recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in two Congressionally-mandated reports in 2017. The NASEM also made recommendations to increase transparency and manage bias in the DGA process, but the USDA did not adopt this advice. TNC noted that these recommendations are standard features of any high-quality scientific paper, and stated that a report upon which the health of the nation depends should also uphold these basic standards of good science, in order to ensure a policy that is trustworthy and reliable. TNC also noted that the 2020 DGAC Report does not comply with the law; for instance, it does not, in many scientific reviews, reflect the “preponderance of scientific and medical knowledge which is current at the time the report is prepared.”

So it seems rather obvious that despite the excellent work of The Nutrition Coalition, Nina Teicholz and many others, we are not going to see a top-down, informed, science-based recommendation for years to come, if ever. We must work from the bottom up and be equipped to counter the entrenched belief that people should limit saturated fats and meat consumption.

Speaking of equipping ourselves, I think all of us in the meat industry should be armed for battle by promoting Nina’s work, “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet.” I know, you’ve likely known about this book for years, but have you bought it, read and underlined it, and encouraged others to read it? I’m amazed by how many folks I run into in our industry that have yet to read this landmark book. We’re missing out.

Have you been eating keto along with me this summer? How are you feeling?

Keto diets, Nina Teicholz and forthcoming 2020 Dietary Guidelines

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