I hesitated in sharing this information because I didn't want to be mean. I think it's sad and petty when celebrities gain weight and their personal struggles are all over the news. But this is important because so much of what the “experts” recommend for weight loss just doesn't work, and Bob Greene & Oprah happened to be “out there” enough that we can learn from them.
NOTHING BUT GARBAGE!
Once I checked Bob Greene's website, then I didn't feel bad about sharing this at all. His sample recipes include ingredients like soy milk, egg whites, fat-free cheese, and “Smart Balance Omega Peanut Butter”! No wonder Oprah is having trouble if she's eating such unnatural foods – what a recipe for failure, not to mention a future full of doctor visits!
Before you read the article excerpts below, first you may want to look these over:
- Eggs, especially the YOLKS, are so good for you!
- Healthy milk options
- Does fat make you fat? Part 1: Saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease issues
- Does fat make you fat? Part 2: Specific principles related to fats & dieting
- Posts all about Dieting – including info on the diet that I believe is the most healthy: watching your carbs. Although right now I'm in the middle of a not-so-good day…I've been naughty naughty… (Now you probably want to know what that means for me, ok fine, I'll tell you: leftover Shepherd's Pie for lunch, which includes mashed potatoes & corn, a handful of chocolate chips, and THEN I had popcorn…I was making it for the kid's school snacks and couldn't resist the smell, OK?!)
Read an excerpt from a Natural News article on Bob Greene & Oprah:
I thought it was peculiar that Oprah was introducing Bob Greene as her long time friend and trainer, while allowing him to portray himself as a nutrition expert. Why wasn't she introducing him in a factual way: “I just want to let all of you know that Bob Greene is part of Oprah, Inc. He doubles as my property manager for my 102 acre estate in Hawaii and together we have purchased a total of six other oceanfront properties nearby (one for a Bob Greene house, one for an Oprah guest house, and four to be left vacant). We have made over ten million dollars on the diet book that has resulted in my dieting failure. And Bob has made millions more promoting McDonalds and other junk food companies on my coattails. In fact, I've personally made Bob Greene a multi-millionaire many times over and I just can't tell you how thrilled I am that I've gained back forty pounds while being an expert in, advocate of, and profiting from his advice.”
One more excerpt:
The foods he promotes are laden with metabolically disrupting amounts of soy (which is often genetically modified), highly processed ingredients, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, Splenda, artificial flavors, and various chemicals. There are so many anti-metabolites in the foods he promotes that it is a wonder any person's metabolism wouldn't gag to a halt eating the foods he promotes for profit.
Read the entire article here, and then come back to comment with your thoughts.
Have you ever tried Bob Greene's diet, or other “popular” diets? How do they compare to eating Real Food?We'd love to hear your story! Or even if you've shared your story before, please feel free to share it again so newer readers can benefit. (Karen in Mexico & Shauna, you are two that come to mind!)
Thanks, everyone!
Kelly says
Wow, Lori, that is an amazing testimony, thank you so much for sharing it, and I pray for your continued good health!
Lori says
I have been consuming raw dairy for over three years now in a cow share program. I had arthritis and a bone disease from an injury I sustained from a car accident. I am pain free and I think it is a shame that there is not more education about the health benefits of these foods. I know there are risks, but personally I have never had any problems and I am never sick anymore.
Kelly says
It’s crazy how often I hear stories like yours, yet we don’t hear it from our doctors! Frustrating!
Thanks Alexsandra. 🙂
alexsandra says
I have thought this about the programs Oprah has touted for a long time.
My daughter was having typical thyroid issues for a while and the Dr was about to put her on medication. She went off soy and her levels returned to normal. I read Oprah’s article attributing some of her problems to thyroid issues and now it all makes sense when I read the comments about Bob Greene promoting soy. There really is a link to soy and thyroid disturbance.
Real food is the way to go.
Kelly says
Christine, this makes my blood boil! What an absolute heart breaker. No one is a totally lost cause though, I’m going to pray that when they see that the CRAPPY advice isn’t working, that maybe they’ll turn to you again for the TRUTH…
Sara, what a coo for the soybean industry, though, eh?
Lara, I agree, but I guess we all have our issues. (Chocolate & sweets to name a couple of mine!) How difficult to have your issues so public though.
Lara Gallagher says
That is so sad. I wish she could find some real answers for herself.
sara t. on maui says
Anytime you see something on corporate television, you have to ask yourself “What product is being sold here?”. In the case of soy-lover Bob Greene…have a look here: https://www.doublebrush.com/2009/01/win-a-trip-to-maui-for-four-and-meet-oprahs-trainer.html i don’t think it’s any mistake that he’s a marketing pawn for the company behind Silk products.
Christine Kennedy says
Hi Kelly,
Hope your mom is doing ok. Hopefully you will have some influence over her diet, and she won’t listen to just the hospital. Wishful thinking?
Well, my comment is not directly about Oprah and Bob Greene, though I think a woman of her status should be embarrassed about the diet advice she is promoting. But, I guess she, like most people, don’t really know any better.
A co-worker of mine has a very over-weight 6 year old son who was recently diagnosed with diabetes. This family has very little money and are all very unhealthy. They smoke, do drugs, eat a complete SAD diet, are on financial assistance, and are on many pharmaceuticals. They really are a lost cause, but me being me, thought I would be helpful and give them some nutritional advice. I printed off the WAPF website the diabetic info. offered by Dr. Tom Cowan for her son. I “heard” through another co-worker that she took this print-out to her Dr., and the Dr. told her the info. was wrong and she threw it out. They have been told that he is only allowed to have 15 gms. of carbs at any time. They were not taught about food combining at all. So, she has been reading processed food labels and is now buying the junk that falls under this category. Basically, he can still have Kraft Dinner, only a smaller portion at a time. She won’t give him an apple because it has too many carbs. They are checking his BG’s at all hours of the day and night and they will not stabalize. They have been told to mix regular white sugar with some water and give that drink to him during the night when he is “sleeping”, if his BG’s are too low. I just find that absolutely unbeleivable!!!!
Some families like this will not listen to any nutritional advice unless it is given directly by their Dr. I find this soooo sad. Their situation is not ever going to get any better. But, to each his own I guess. I just *hate* knowing that I can help someone, but they just refuse to take the help.
cheeseslave says
Flaxseed oil is OK — but we only need a tiny bit.
https://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/flaxseed.html
I’m pretty sure it goes rancid pretty easily though — so you need to store it in the fridge.
Kelly says
Hey everyone, I’m up at the hospital with my Mom and am just now reading all your great comments.
Liz, I don’t know if that pb is “bad”, but I’m just not sure about the flaxseed oil – does anyone know? (Seems like I read somewhere that the omega 3’s in flaxseed oil can’t be used by our bodies…maybe I read it in Nina Plack’s book? I could have that messed up, though, I’m very tired and not up for doing a Google search right now!) The palm oil is OK, though, and the molasses is a natural sugar, as long as there’s not a lot in there. We buy Whole Foods (365) pb and looooove it. It’s just peanuts, palm oil I think (I’m not home to check it), and a little bit of sugar. Oh, and maybe salt. It’s sooooooo good, and super creamy, no stirring needed.
Loved reading all your stories, and it was interesting reading your opinions on the Oprah/Bob Greene thing, too! 🙂
Liz says
Thank you Janet W. for the peanut butter brand recommendations! The Smart Balance was one of the first “natural” peanut butters I have liked. If it’s not okay, I guess we’ll start trying new brands again.
TrailGrrl says
REAL FOOD is where it’s at. I’m only 5’0″ tall (well ok maybe more like 4’11”) and my weight fluctuated a lot once I started birth control pills and then diet sodas. In grad school I ran quite a bit and was in a size 4. With transitioning to work, it went to a 6 then an 8. I was able to stay in size 6 with a Body for Life type diet that was high protein, but low fat. Eventually protein shakes and bars lose their appeal. When my mother passed and I had my father to care for, I really ballooned up, and knew it was trouble when I had to by a 14 in dress clothes. I tried running and triathlon but never got more than a bit of the extra weight off. Once I stopped eating processed food (after reading French Women Don’t Get Fat and Real Food, and then finally Nourishing Traditions) and dropped my carbs down and ate a lot of fat (olive oil, butter, coconut oil, lard and fat from animals) I am now proud to say that I am back in SINGLE DIGIT clothing sizes and don’t have to marathon to stay lean. In fact my shape is better because my midsection just sort of changed without all the grains and dairy. I feel that I will be back in 6’s soon. But the main thing is that I am a lot more energetic and I enjoy shopping locally. I’m getting ready to order my first 1/4 cow, and hopefully I’ve got enough freezer space. My skin cleared up and my bloated belly feeing went away for good. The main thing is feeling good and nuturing yourself and others by making good foods. They may not think they are “health” foods, but we know better.
TrailGrrl
Janet W says
Liz,
There is really great peanut butter out there that is simply roasted nuts ground up. Try Arrowhead Mills, MaraNatha, or best of all (to me) Sunland (all available online, major chain stores probably have Arrowhead Mills).
I feel sad that someone as prominent as Oprah is spouting all this diet junk. I fume when I hear my friends who want to loose weight quoting the garbage that passes for nutritional sense today. One friend has had cancer twice, had her large intestine removed and a hysterectomy, and is now prediabetic. She likes chocolate and is now eating (along with the ADA diet her doctor gave her) chocolate with 2gms of sugar. But what kind of chemical gunk is in these bars? While I quit trying to teach people about food (not easy because I am still large myself), when I did there was always this pause and then the conversation would start again as though I hadn’t said anything. I’m sad that people swallow what their doctors say without a thought that maybe something better is out there. Part of the problem is that most diets are based on deprivation — if you tell someone they will have to give up McDonalds to be healthy, they will not want to do it, they don’t know that if you eat *REAL FOOD* you won’t want to eat there.
Sorry, this isn’t really about just Oprah and Bob Greene.
Paula says
Last year we began low-carbing. In the beginning this meant still drinking diet drinks. Then as we slowly lost weight, we realized the diet drinks were not the way to go. Now, we haven’t embraced all of the WAPF way of eating, but we do not eat or drink processed foods anymore. When we go out and eat, we eat at a family run diner that cooks things from scratch every day, etc.
I would have never thought in a million years eating the amount of fat that I consume in a day would have helped me to lose 50lbs. I drink whole cream…every day…every DAY! Cream!! My favorite part of chicken is the crispy skin. My dh and I fight over the crispy fat on a ribeye LOL.
I tell my dh all the time after a wonderfully satisfying meal “I’m so glad we do low-carb. Even if we die of a heart attack tomorrow, at least I’m happy right now”. Can a person eating low-fat say the same thing about their food?
leslie says
i am not a follower of bob greene or oprah, heck we don’t even have cable, LOL. we started the wapf eating habits because we wanted to get back to a traditional diet. one that didn’t have processed foods, full of preservatives and chemicals. my family and i have never felt better. i have happy, bright, children. my husband and i have lost weight by eating delicious homemade food. unfortunately when we tell this to our families (most of whom are over weight) they don’t believe us. they talk of how bad these wonderful foods are. they talk of the time it most take to prepare them (which it does take time but i think if they turned off the tv and got their butts off the couch it is perfectly doable). i have even suggested reading material and they ignore it. but they are all willing to follow the newest diet, low fat craze.
all i know is what i have experienced in my family. we are happy, healthy (we don’t get sick like the rest of the family) and at a weight that is good for us.
Liz says
Hi Kelly… I read this article yesterday. I think it’s importan for people to know Oprah and Bob Greene’s business relationship. It’s pretty common knowledge that they are good friends, but many probably don’t know how financially connected they are. It’s key to what motivates them.
My question for you is on the Smart Balance Peanut Butter. I have this in my cupboard right now! The ingredient label reads: peanuts, natural oil blend (flaxseed and palm fruit oils), molasses, salt. In this Weston Price article https://www.westonaprice.org/brochures/wapfbrochure.html
about half way down under dietary guidelines, it says “Use traditional vegetable oils only–extra virgin olive oil, expeller-expressed sesame oil, small amounts of expeller-expressed flax oil, and the tropical oils–coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.” Is palm fruit oil something else?
Am I just an idiot, or do other people find this confusing too?
Thanks for you help.
Liz
Julie says
Way to go, Kimberly!
Kimberly says
Hi! I can’t speak to Bob Greene and Oprah, but I did want to share something. I just started eating according to WAPF principles two weeks ago. I’ve been eating raw milk and cheese, meat from a farm coop, my own homemade butter and broth, local and/or organic fruits, veggies and nuts, nutritional yeast, raw honey, sprouted grains, CLO, and replaced my sodas with Kombucha. I didn’t do any of this to lose weight. I just did it because it felt right. My instincts were telling me that all of the processed and fast foods I was eating were terrible for me. But a surprising benefit was that I lost five pounds in two weeks … without even trying or exercising (unless you count shoveling snow). To top it off, my skin is looking great, I have more energy, and I’m much less hungry than before. Yay natural foods! 🙂
Shauna says
Exactly. I, like you, don’t think there is anything wrong with the business end of it – it’s just unfortunate that the message being promoted is misguided, and leads to the exact opposite result that they are aiming for.
cheeseslave says
I think the point is not that they are greedy and misleading people on purpose — but that they are misguided. Most people have no idea how bad soy is. I didn’t. I thought soy milk was good! It’s just sad.
Shauna says
Hmmm, well, I wouldn’t call the first excerpt “mean”, but I do think that it was written in a sarcastic tone, to make a point. That point being, that Oprah’s “nutrition doctrine” is doing very little to improve overall health, and is only accomplishing financial gain on her part, and the part of Bob Greene. I’m sure she really feels that what she is promoting is “healthy”, because, she, like so many, are convinced by the “Diet Dictocrats”. She dismisses her obvious failures “on her thyroid” (I’ve heard her talk about this too), and continues to miss the forest for the trees.
I have similar angst when I watch “The Biggest Loser”. I love that show…. I love the people on that show (mostly 😉 ), and I LOVE Jilian Micheals…….but I cringe everytime I see what they are feeding those people! Sure, they’re losing weight – anyone would in a controlled environment that restricted calories and trained you for 8 hours a day! They have amazing weight loss….. but they’re starving their brain and bodies! What if those people were on a WAPF diet and trained to the level they are training….. Wow, I can’t imagine how good they’d feel! I fear that for the long haul, they’re sentencing themselves to a lifetime of processed foods, high sugar intake, SOY, and fat starvation….. which is going to lead to health problems down the road, and make it very hard for them to keep their weight off permanently. I’m also dismayed when I see all the food processing companies who parade “commercials” for processed junk food through all the episodes.
Yes, it’s a very strong tide we’re swimming against….. very strong indeed!
Kelly – you wanted me to say something about my weight loss….. w/o repeating myself, I’ll just tell you some thoughts that went through my head last night after dinner. I fixed “herb roasted Turkey leg quarters” in my crock pot for dinner. When we came in the house in the evening after being gone all day, my house smelled MARVELOUS with welcoming aroma of a homemade meal. I enjoyed a wonderful meal, with rich foods, lots of health-giving/gelatin rich meat juices poured over the turkey, home grown or locally grown vegetables (seasoned with plenty of butter and sea salt) that I had put up last summer, real cornbread made from organic fresh milled corn slathered in butter and drizzled with a bit of locally raised, raw honey; a big glass of raw milk. I had a reasonable portion of everything, and afterwards had that “contented bliss” feeling. For whatever reason, my thoughts drifted to the “low fat” mentality that so many buy into. Here, my meal was probably full of calories, and “forbidden foods” (dark meat WITH skin, generous portions of the meat juices, lots of butter, whole fat dairy, etc) and yet – I am maintaining my slim 130# size 6 self, EASILY and w/o any “sense of starving myself” whatsoever. I’m not embarrased to say what size I am for the sheer fact that I’m amazed myself. I never ever, in my wildest dreams, thought I’d ever see my “size 6 self” again. I had resigned myself that “after having kids”, my body had just “changed” and I needed to be content to be an “average size 12”. Even in the old ways, my best efforts would temporarily allow me to fit into my “small size 10 jeans”. Here I am at a 6! And I’m eating more rich foods, and more real fat/real food than EVER. What I’m not eating is sugar, refined flours and processed foods. That’s it! While I did limit my intake of flour quite severely when I was in the process of losing, I have found that to maintain, I can have moderate amounts of WHOLE grains, freshly milled and preferably properly soaked (I’m not soaking my yeast breads – but I am soaking everything else: muffins, legumes, rice, oatmeal, etc.)
I have never felt better!
Shauna
cheeseslave says
OK, that first excerpt from Natural News is mean and a little uncalled for. So what if Oprah helped Bob Greene get rich? More power to her. That person writing sounds a just the tiniest bit jealous if you ask me.
However I completely AGREE about what you say about Bob Greene. The poor guy is misguided. But what he tells people to do is what all the “diet dictocrats” say.
Not all the things he recommends on his website are bad. Wasa crackers, fruit, ricotta cheese, chicken with pumpkin and herb sauce. I’ll admit — it is all way too low-fat. I worry about what this is doing to Oprah’s gallbladder. I know so many people with gall stones who end up having to have their gallbladders removed — from eating a low-fat diet for years.
I think soy was Oprah’s downfall. She has said publicly that she has a problem with her thyroid.
https://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/soydangers.htm
I bet you anything Bob’s plan worked for her at first — which is why she had the early weight loss. Then, she kept eating all that soy, and she started gaining due to hypothryoidism. It makes perfect sense.
I really like Oprah. I wish I could talk to her and tell her. Sigh…