Josef Brandenburg’s Article is “Retarded”

I had a interview that I did with Gary Taubes published on T-nation yesterday and here are a few of my favorite comments:

“This whole article is retarded… Look into a little something called ASP”

“This sh*t should be pulled from the site. Can’t t-nation/muscle/mag get a decent science editor?”

“Man this is so wrong on so many different levels.

“Anyone who buys into Taubes’ bullsh*t is clearly too feeble minded to grasp any rational argument to the contrary… What Tuabes and the rest of the low-carb community don’t like talking about is a little compound called acylation stimulation protein (ASP) which stores dietary fat in the fat cell with ZERO rise in insulin levels.”

“I agree that this article is completely retarded.”

“People like Josef Brandenburg who make ridiculous statements about eating all you want.”  (I really like this one because he spelled out my first and last name correctly.  You’re not important until you get trashed on an internet forum!)

So a lot of the criticism (a lot more than listed here) was aimed at the fact that ASP was left out of the interview, because the claim is that with ASP you can make fat without insulin and that is the “nail in the coffin” for low-carb.

So, What’s Up With ASP?

ASP (Acylation stimulating protein) definitely does regulate body-fat, if you have more then you’ll store more fat.  But, if you dig just a little deeper you’ll find this:

#1. Insulin increases ASP production 2 fold

http://www.jlr.org/…/reprint/38/1/1

J Lipid Res. 1997 Jan;38(1):1-11

#2. “ASP… secretion is regulated by insulin”

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2001 Jun;21(6):1034-9

http://atvb.ahajournals.org/…/full/21/6/1034

So, ASP seems to be related to insulin.

Josef Brandenburg is Washington, DC’s top personal trainer for busy people. He shows normal people with hectic lives and average genetics how to create the bodies they want in the time they actually have. To find out more about the 7-Day Free Trial click here. You can also pick up a copy of his brand new CD – “Why Eat Less and Exercise More is The Worst Advice Ever” here.

What If Marion Barry Was a Nutritionist? Do What I Say, Not What I Do – But In Reverse

When I lived in LA I hired a nutritionist who worked at The Sports Club LA.  Let’s call her “Pam.”  When I came to Pam I was trying to get just a little bit leaner.  I was in pretty good shape, and had gotten that way by – surprise – eating fewer carbs and more protein, etc.

When she found out that my diet was pretty much devoid of bread and pasta she pretty much flipped and told me that I would never get any leaner with such a low carb intake.  She made a very compelling argument for getting my starch intake in the 6-11 servings per day neighborhood (just like in the food pyramid).  I told her that I thought this would plump me up, but she insisted that I do it her way.

So, I added oatmeal in the morning, whole wheat pasta elsewhere, and brown rice somewhere.  I also cut back on my protein and fat intake because she said they were too high, and that I needed to take in fewer calories.  Results:

#1.  I got fatter
#2.  I got weaker
#3.  My energy went in the toilet
#4.  My eczema came back

My rational mind thought, “this just isn’t working, these carbs are making me fat.”  But my emotional mind thought, “she’s the RD, it your fault that you’re getting fat.”

At some point we were having a conversation and she said, “Oh, I don’t eat carbs” as an offhand remark.

She was in her 40’s and looked fantastic.  I was in my 20’s and looking worse!

Why was she giving me advice that was exactly the opposite of how she lived?

As a dietetics major (to get and RD) I have had similar conversations with many classmates.  On exams, in papers, in class and lab they all espouse high-carb, low-fat diets for everything from weight-loss to diabetes. BUT when it comes to taking care of their own bodies and extra body-fat they mostly blame carbs.

Josef Brandenburg is Washington, DC’s top personal trainer for busy people. He shows normal people with hectic lives and average genetics how to create the bodies they want in the time they actually have. To find out more about the 7-Day Free Trial click here. You can also pick up a copy of his brand new CD – “Why Eat Less and Exercise More is The Worst Advice Ever” here.

How Do You Make A Gladiator Fat on Demand?

According to Archeology magazine (by the Archeological Institute of America), it turns out that Gladiators were actually fat. They were fat on purpose:

“A fat cushion protects you from cut wounds and shields nerves and blood vessels in a fight.” Not only would a lean gladiator have been dead meat, he would have made for a bad show. Surface wounds “look more spectacular,” says Grossschmidt. “If I get wounded but just in the fatty layer, I can fight on,” he adds. “It doesn’t hurt much, and it looks great for the spectators.”

How Did They Get Fat (In spite of being VERY physically active)?

“A vegetarian diet rich in carbohydrates… and very little animal protein… Packing in the carbs also packed on the pounds.”

You can read the whole article right here.

Sumo Wrestlers AND Gladiators Have a Lot In Common

This sounds an awful lot like what the Sumo did when they wanted to get fat on purpose – cut back on the animal protein and pack in the carbs.

It is ironic that this is the same advice that we get from the food pyramid. Is that designed to make people fat too?

Low fat, and therefore high carb nutrition became dogma in the late 70’s, early 80’s, exactly when the obesity epidemic started.  Coincidence?

Josef Brandenburg is Washington, DC’s top personal trainer for busy people. He shows normal people with hectic lives and average genetics how to create the bodies they want in the time they actually have. To find out more about the 7-Day Free Trial click here. You can also pick up a copy of his brand new CD – “Why Eat Less and Exercise More is The Worst Advice Ever” here.

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