While attending the conference yesterday, one of the highlights was that I had the fortuitous opportunity to meet khrussva (Ken) and get to know him F2F. Here's my summary of the conference, which I also posted in Ken's journal as well:
I enjoyed the LowcarbUSA conference yesterday. It was time well spent, and being able to meet others with like-minded interests was probably the most valuable aspect of the conference, whether the conversations were with fellow attendees or expert presenters, all were open, accessible and very interested in sharing ideas. I can't have these detailed conversations with non-LC family and friends, as I want to keep these folks in good standing without driving them crazy.
Dr. Georgia Ede, the keynote speaker, opened my eyes by comparing the value and cautionary elements of plants vs. meat for overall nutritional contributions in a diet. While I'm agreeing with her conclusion that meat has more nutritional value and fewer dangers and downsides than plants, her presentation was extremely compelling going into details about what a vegetarian or vegan must do to experience a complete and healthy nutritional profile required by humans. It requires far more thought and supplements than that required by those who consume healthy meats. One of the questions really made me take notice when an attendee asked about the value of uncured bacon (which I tend to favor over cured bacon). Dr. Ede's response was that uncured bacon is usually treated with celery powder which contains natural nitrosamines, so it's not completely different than the cured variety; although, it's usually more costly.
Also interesting were some of the products on display and being marketed at the conference. Costco was a big sponsor, and I do most of my meat shopping at Costco along with purchasing the Kirkland Organic EVO. One of the presenters who shared her low carb story has been a Costco employee for 30+ years and indicated that Costco is firmly committed to stocking LC foods. There was also an exogenous ketone company that had sales reps throughout. I'm still trying to understand how these supplements would benefit one who is following a ketogenic WOE and has a decent level of blood ketones already. I believe these exogenous ketones are primarily being marketed to athletes and those who don't follow a strict VLC diet. At least that was the message I got from several of these good people when I asked how their products would benefit me.
All in all a fun time, and I'm glad they had the conference so close to my home. From what I was told at the end of the day, there will be another in Winchester VA next year around the same time. If you have an opportunity to attend one of these conferences, I highly recommend considering it.
Edited to add: I spoke with Doug Reynolds, founder and CEO of LowCarbUSA, after the conference and he mentioned that there is a new BG and blood ketone monitor on the market called keto mojo that will offer test strips for $0.99 US. He indicates that it's tested to be very accurate and properly calibrated. Apparently, after checking their website, it's now available for order:
https://keto-mojo.com/