A day of talks and conversations can be full on but it recharges our batteries as speakers.

One of the best things about meetings such as last weekend’s Brisbane Low Carb Down Under meeting is the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones

I caught up with many people in Brisbane and their stories of how LCHF has changed their lives. I heard about weight loss, control of their cancers, improvement in autoimmune processes, control of diabetes to allow ‘normal’ lives and life expectancy as well as a general buzz in the air.

The general feel was of healthy or healthier people there for more information and to spread the message of LCHF. Real people at the grass roots trying to make a difference.

This was in stark contrast to the food industry sponsored event that I witnessed on the Friday before in Sydney at the ILSI – “Sugar in the diet: Is there a sweet spot?” meeting. I found the day quite disturbing and the presentations aside from Professor Luc Tappy pretty well devoid of science and statistical analysis.

The comments I heard from the speakers about Professor Robert Lustig MD , Chef Pete Evans, Sarah Wilson and Damon Gameau That Sugar Film were derogatory and almost juvenile.

The fact that a whole lecture was effectively allocated to the media presence of cutting back on sugar makes the ‘self-proclaimed’ experts and food industry look worried. The personal character assassinations were pretty low and unsubstantiated. The clapping and occasional cheers from the audience left me with concerns. I have spoken with another person who attended the meeting whom made similar observations.

If this is the ‘opposition’ to the truth behind sugar, then their arguments are pretty thin on the ground.

Brisbane was a contrast. No one was bagging out individuals. No one was making malicious comments about peak bodies. There were still comments about why advisory bodies are still ignoring LCHF but they had a tone of incredulity rather than vindictiveness.

The more I go down this path of LCHF the happier I am and the more I want to distance myself from the food industry. Seems obvious.