I will eat as much fat as I want!!!

[seadragon]

Part of my problem with the whole cholesterol thing is that the basic fact underlying much of what is said, seems to be wrong for a great many people (I won't say all as there are always exceptions). i.e that cholesterol levels are raised by eating fat, especially saturated fat. My cholesterol does not go up with eating saturated fat. My lipid profile improved greatly the more saturated fat (of the healthy kind - not trans fats) I add to my diet. What makes it worse is eating more carbs. When they can't get that right but simply equate eating fat with both getting fat and high cholesterol it implies to me that much of the rest of the science is dubious.
Healthy cholesterol levels used to be thought to be around 5-7mmol and it seems to be those with links to statin manufacturers who are pushing for lower and lower guidelines. My big red flag is when they start suggesting treatments (statins) for perfectly healthy people. Treatments with well known side effects. What happened to the 'First do no harm' of medicine? Some people may not get them but for others they are life changing and destroy a quality of life that was there before. Since the beneficial effects are not proven in an irrefutable way (there is still much argument over benefits) then I would not mess with my body's chemistry when the people wanting to do the messing don't fully understand the process they are affecting and are getting monetary gain from it.
At least a book has no side effects and changing my diet has had nothing but positive effects. Even if my insulin resistance/glucose intolerance was cured overnight I would not go back to eating the standard NHS 'Eatwell' diet with it's emphasis on high carb and low fat. For me that is not a healthy diet while low carb, high good fats is healthy and I feel so much better than before I was diagnosed. The range of high and low can be individual.
It is time the NHS woke up to the fact that people are getting themselves well in different ways and start giving us the options instead of sticking to their one size fits all approach which demonstrably does not work.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Apparently NICE has discontinued the specifications for cholesterol targets for diabetics. I didn't know this.

From our own website http://www.diabetes.co.uk/Diabetes-and-cholesterol.html

Cholesterol targets for people with diabetes
NICE no longer specifies target cholesterol levels for people with diabetes. Your doctors will use a calculator, called QRISK2, to work out your risk of heart disease using a number of factors such as age, BMI, gender, blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels and which type of diabetes you have.

If you want a general guide of how healthy your cholesterol levels are, find out your total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio.

To find this, take your total cholesterol figure and divide it by your HDL figure. A result of less than four is healthy. [283]

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Also, NICE says ALL type 1 and 2 diabetics should be offered 20mg of atorvastatin for primary prevention of CVD regardless of cholesterol levels.

 

[douglas99]

Also, NICE says ALL type 1 and 2 diabetics should be offered 20mg of atorvastatin for primary prevention of CVD regardless of cholesterol levels.

Which guideline does that advice appear in?
(I assume you refer to UK healthcare, not Canadian?)

 

[ArsenalCath]

That's right, I started off eating low carb, low fat as I was worried about eating fat. I did lose weight fast, but it was not a diet I could have sustained over a longer period of time. I just kept losing weight and couldn't stop the weight loss until I added more fat. I started using actual cream in sauces instead of low fat versions, added more nuts, ate the chicken skin after keeping away from it for years. Had creamy Havarti in my salads.. and I'm full after every meal now. The only fat I keep away from is trans fat as it's not natural!


Saturated fat refers to a group of fatty acids, each with its own properties and characteristics. Some of the saturated fatty acids may be healthy, while others less so, and more research needs to be conducted so consumers can make better diet choices. Despite saturated fats potential health benefits, saturated fat has long been associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. While such evidence is controversial, it still doesn't hurt to limit intake of saturated fats. The key word being limit and not eliminate. Don't substitute anything with trans fats, or margarine, as they are now seen as being even worse for health than natural saturated fats.

View attachment 22666
Hi, You really have to make up your own mind about fat. Do you believe what everybody says, like the earth is flat as a pancake, or what science says but hasn't caught on yet with mainstream society, the world is round as a ball?. The only way is to research, google, read books and then decide. Just because everyone tells you something it might not be the truth. I believe that's what happened with cholesterol and fat, but I can't tell you what you should think. Facts show that a low carb diet is good for BG and that you will lose weight. If you don't want to starve that leaves you with fat to eat.

Lipids, also known as fats, play many important roles in your body, from providing energy to producing hormones. You wouldn't be able to digest and absorb food properly without lipids. Of course, eating more fat than you need can lead to weight gain, but in proper amounts lipids are a healthy part of your diet.

I

 

[ArsenalCath]

I have lost 7stone on low carb diet. Cutting the carbs is the only way I have been able to keep blood glucose down. However , on 1st May I had a funny turn which turned out to be a stroke. I'm livid becayse I thought I was doing EVERYTHING by the book, low carbs lost massive amount of weight, so why have I had a bloody stroke. I feel like I've been cheated Has anyone else had a stroke despite thinking they'd been doing everything they could to prevent any diabetes related complications

 

[Osidge]

The stroke may not be diabetes related or perhaps it may be that causative damage was already done before low carbing.

I hope your recovery from the stroke has gone well and that you are on a protective regime if necessary.

 

[Brunneria]

I have lost 7stone on low carb diet. Cutting the carbs is the only way I have been able to keep blood glucose down. However , on 1st May I had a funny turn which turned out to be a stroke. I'm livid becayse I thought I was doing EVERYTHING by the book, low carbs lost massive amount of weight, so why have I had a bloody stroke. I feel like I've been cheated Has anyone else had a stroke despite thinking they'd been doing everything they could to prevent any diabetes related complications

I am so sorry to hear this.
How are you doing now?

I agree with @Osidge . There are different kinds of stroke (I'm sorry but i don't know enough to explain the differences), but you may well find that your stroke was caused by other conditions than diabetes. Or it may be that the low carbing reduced the severity. Although i realise how frustrated you must be feeling. It is a horrible feeling to know that despite your every effort, and your best intentions, life still kicks you in the teeth.

Are you getting the appropriate treatment and therapy to maximise recovery?

 

[Damtov8]

You need to work out your macros to know the correct ratio and quantities of the nutrients. If you low carb for diabetes you need less than 30g carbs a day. Dependant on your weight you need a certain amount of protein and healthy fats.
In order to loose weight you need to know your macro.
At 64 and with some overweight my macros are 30g carbs, 75g protein and 122g fat per day. I have lowered my HbA1c from over 12% to 5.8% in the last 6 months and lost over 10kgs.
See the website Mariamindbody for macros. But remember for diabetes keep carbs below 30g a day.
Excellent foods list on Type 2 Diabetes Rebels group on Facebook.

 

[serenity648]

You need to work out your macros to know the correct ratio and quantities of the nutrients. If you low carb for diabetes you need less than 30g carbs a day. Dependant on your weight you need a certain amount of protein and healthy fats.
In order to loose weight you need to know your macro.
At 64 and with some overweight my macros are 30g carbs, 75g protein and 122g fat per day. I have lowered my HbA1c from over 12% to 5.8% in the last 6 months and lost over 10kgs.
See the website Mariamindbody for macros. But remember for diabetes keep carbs below 30g a day.
Excellent foods list on Type 2 Diabetes Rebels group on Facebook.

Low carbing doesnt have to be as low as 30g or less a day. Low carbing is under 130g of carbs a day.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

 

[Sumai]

Just finished reading "The Food Revolution" by Dr Andreas Eenfeldt MD, aka Diet Doctor. It was really good. I grew up in the 70s and believed from an early age that fat is BAD, Cholesterol is BAD, low fat very good and high cholesterol something to avoid. Now I know there's NO scientific reason behind this. People started getting heavier and sicker the more processed food, flour and carbs they ate. I'm angry too as my mother was a T2, and she struggled with her weight and had diet margarine on her bread, never butter, never losing any weight, BG getting worse, and dying from complications at 61 years of age. In the book it's explained how it's almost impossible to lose weight with high sugar in your blood, causing high insulin, which causes fat cells to grow and making you hungry, the book explains it much better, obviously. I'm still scared of fat and high cholesterol after being brainwashed for years to believe its bad for you, BUT, from today I will eat as much fat as I want, healthy or not, I am not scared of cholesterol anymore. People that got heart-attacks ate fat, yes, but also loads of carbs, and no low fat diet has helped to lower your chances of heart attack. It's a fact! Go LCHF

 

[Sumai]

Just finished reading "The Food Revolution" by Dr Andreas Eenfeldt MD, aka Diet Doctor. It was really good. I grew up in the 70s and believed from an early age that fat is BAD, Cholesterol is BAD, low fat very good and high cholesterol something to avoid. Now I know there's NO scientific reason behind this. People started getting heavier and sicker the more processed food, flour and carbs they ate. I'm angry too as my mother was a T2, and she struggled with her weight and had diet margarine on her bread, never butter, never losing any weight, BG getting worse, and dying from complications at 61 years of age. In the book it's explained how it's almost impossible to lose weight with high sugar in your blood, causing high insulin, which causes fat cells to grow and making you hungry, the book explains it much better, obviously. I'm still scared of fat and high cholesterol after being brainwashed for years to believe its bad for you, BUT, from today I will eat as much fat as I want, healthy or not, I am not scared of cholesterol anymore. People that got heart-attacks ate fat, yes, but also loads of carbs, and no low fat diet has helped to lower your chances of heart attack. It's a fact! Go LCHF

I have wittered on about this for years because of gut feelings from alternative information but always got shot down. My mother had a book, whch has been passed to me called Eat Fat stay Slim. Can't lay my hands on it at moment but published back in 60s. We have all consumed mountains of sugar to compensate for taste.

 

[Osidge]

Not everyone has eaten mountains of sugar to compensate for low fat. Some people never got around to the low fat! In the quote from Kundera, don’t forget that her Mother was not just eating low fat spread but putting it on bread! We know little of the rest of her Mother’s diet or, indeed of her Mother’s genetic makeup, other health problems or what exercise she took.

On cholesterol, the plaques in arteries that cause obstructions are made from cholesterol. http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/cholesterol-and-artery-plaque-buildup

On food generally, calories consumed in excess of our daily need will be converted to fat. How much we eat plays a part as well as what we eat.