Hi Charli,
I am so glad we have our own resident expert here on the Low Carb forum. I find the iVillage website overwhelming and confusing and very SLOW, I guess due to all the advertising.

My latest confusion is about fish oil vs. flax oil and about psyllium vs. flaxseed. I gathered from various things I read online that ALG's current thinking is that rather than take 2 TBSPs. of flaxoil, we should do 1 or 2 Tbsp. of fish oil instead. Is this the current information we should go by?

And I read someone online in an interview by ALG the following:

The Share Guide: How important is flax seed or psyllium for detox and is it something that people should take long-term?

Ann Louise Gittleman: The reason I include ground up flax seeds and psyllium in The Fat Flush Plan is the importance of fiber. One needs to transport toxins out of the system and absorb many of those toxins, and that's the function of fiber. Ground up flax seeds are also the highest source of lignans, an estrogen modulating substance that is very protective against estrogen dependent cancers-from breast cancer to prostate cancer-so you get a double whammy when you use ground up flax. And it contains 50% soluble fibers and 50% insoluble fibers, so you get the regulating effects of the fiber as well as the effects of blood sugar stabilization, and even cholesterol regulation. So I am the biggest believer in ground up flax. Psyllium, on the other hand, can become gooey; it absorbs lots of water in the system, so people's bowel can become quite dehydrated. Overuse of psyllium can actually strip the bowel of beneficial bacterium.

The Share Guide: So these things are not to be taken long-term?

Ann Louise Gittleman: I don't believe that psyllium alone should be taken long-term, but ground up flax is great. But I am going to caution people here: when the ground up flax is not pre-toasted, it contains a type of alkaloid substance, and taken in excess this can effect iodine absorption or iodine uptake in the thyroid. So it should be toasted for 10-15 minutes, at 250-300 degrees in the oven.

So is ALG no long recommending we use the psyllium husks in the Longlife Cocktail? Should we be using the ground up toasted flaxseeds instead?

And speaking of Cranwater, I didn't hear back from you about whose version of the book is correct, yours or mine, but I assume since ALG mentions a 50% ratio, I should go with the 4 oz to 4 oz when I hit Phase 2? Or are you still looking into this?

Thanks a lot for all your help!

Cathy