Can I prove the Dr's wrong?

[Ian DP]

Am a bit scared to raise the nightly dose for fear of my first hypo. I could test, of course ...

Whilst waiting in the hospital diabetic clinic and browsing the diabetic uk magazine I read an advert for a night time hypo alarm. It cost around £70 and looked like a wrist watch. No idea how good it is, but maybe worth considering.... Hopefully someone here has one already and can advise how hood they are.

 

[Ian DP]

Dental hygienist today said my gums are now excellent, lovely healthy colour, no bleeding..... So much different from a year ago.... Whilst her advise on how to clean has obviously made a difference, I think THE main reason they are healthy is because my blood glucose levels are 'normal'

Another reason to add to my 3! Reasons for low blood sugar levels (which are:-

1). To retain my few remaining insulin making beta cells (high BG kills beta cells)
2). To stop frequent visits to the toilet (if I get up twice during the night I know my morning BG reading will be above 6, if I need not get up at all they will be below 5)
3). Minimise long term associated diabetes complications.
4) stronger head hair growth (I am starting to get a few hairs growing on my bald head patch!!!!)
5) better teeth gum disease control

 

[Ian DP]

...so I planned a finger of dark chocolate kit kat (7g carb) into my morning regime. It worked and I had my lowest HbA1cs during that period, but I doubt Bernstein would have recommended it!

Smidge

I think Bernstein might well approve....He recommends eating a slice of bread or a blueberry muffin (13g? before shopping (walking) the malls for 3 hours..... Indeed I think he would approve anything that works for you, in keeping your BG levels at his advised levels.

 

[Bill1963]

Hi all,
just thought I would share my experience so far.Diagnosed last year. Have been lchf ever since
hb1ac at dx was 6.8. With diet and exercise got it down to 5.3 last check it had crept up to 5.5 so I decided to start on lantus 6u at night. So far all my bs have been below 5.6 1hour after meals and never below 4.7. would just like to add that I'm a builder by trade so very active during the day. I also go to the gym 6 days a week. Was 87kg before dx went down to 74kg when I started the diet (scared the hell out of my family and friends when I went back home they thought I had cancer ) now back up to 81kg would like to get to 85kg.

 

[Ian DP]

would like to get to 85kg.

I am much the same .... Would like to get back to 85kg...... Try bullet proof coffee.... Around 500 calories...30g butter + 30g coconut oil rigorously mixed in with cup filter coffee. Nice taste, little protein and no carbs !!! If you can't mix rigorously then I add some double cream.

 

[Bill1963]

Thanks Ian, I use a coconut cream shake 750 cals 4g carb. I have 4 of these a day so thats 3000 cals per day just in shakes. I reckon I must have 4000 cals a day. Still can't put those last few kg on. Perhaps I'm burning up the cals at work. Trying to get an appointment with a dietitian who specialises in lchf diets for athletes.

 

[Ian DP]

Hi bill,
How do you make a coconut cream shake?
What are the ingredients?
Sounds nice / good calories (for us wanting to put weight on)

 

[Bill1963]

Hi Ian,
I'm in NZ and they have trident coconut cream in a can ( per 100ml , 258cals,1.3g protein,1.6g carbs ) I use 300mls of coconut cream mixed with 200mls of water and a teaspoon of coffee. Liquid sweetner to taste. You can add some protein powder if you want . I sometimes add a chocolate one. So thats nearly 5g of carbs for 774cals which I factor into my daily allowance.

 

[Ian DP]

My cholesterol levels have improved on a year ago. My GP said they were good a year ago, but better now.
A year ago (on diagnosis) my diet was a 'healthy!' low fat probably high carb diet, now it is low carb very high fat!

Pleasantly surprised by this weeks pre breakfast BG levels, my average this week is 4.5, just below Dr bernstein target of 4.6. A few weeks back I was around 5 and showing an upward trend...... Time will tell.

 

[Ian DP]

Could my beta cells be regrowing. This weeks average pre breakfast BG levels are 4.3, which has brought my 4 week average down to 4.6. A definite downward trend. I don't know why they are lower, no dietary or exercise change.

I hope I can keep them this low.... Time will tell....

 

[Bluetit1802]

I can't answer your question Ian, but that is brilliant news. It could be due to reaching a particular weight loss. My morning readings improved significantly all of a sudden, virtually over night in fact. I don't know the reason but guess a combination of reaching a particular weight loss (19% at that time, back in June), or coming off statins.

 

[LucySW]

That's such good news, Ian. Well done for unremitting hard work, and how fortunate you are. It's fantastic. Long may it continue!

Time will tell for all of us, won't it. I've ordered the Libre to see what my system is up to when I'm not looking, or whether I'm deluding myself. Hope I get some answers!

This is quite inspiring you know.

 

[Ian DP]

My weight has been very stable over the last 8 weeks..... So not weight in my case, but could well be in yours.

 

[Ian DP]

Could my beta cells be regrowing. This weeks average pre breakfast BG levels are 4.3

I thought it was too good to be true..... My pre breakfast BG levels are back around the 5.0 levels.
My 4.3 pre breakfast average lasted two weeks, my highest reading during that time was a 4.9 2 hours after dinner.
Two weeks..... It all ended when I opened up a fresh tub of testing strips. One pot of 50 lasts me around two weeks..... Yep, when I count back all tests during that time they were (on average) at least 0.5 lower than at any time over the previous 12 weeks, which had been very constant..... Looking back 13 weeks ago I had another two week 'low' spell, again around 0.5 lower than before and after weeks. Maybe that too was a 'low' batch of test strips.

If I take out these two, 2 week low readings, my BG readings since being on the Bernstein solution have been very consistent / flat. I will be very happy if they stay that way.

Still no insulin or meds. The Bernstein solution is certainly working for me. I had been LCHF before I started the Bernstein solution. The main change I had to make was to cut out all fruit and reduce to just a single small tomatoe in any meal. Net result, a lowering of my BG level readings by around 1.0 (and I have finally got over the fruit craving, not missing it at all now... History, just like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc.).

 

[Ian DP]

Another month and no change in my average BG meter reading and my weight is stable.
Pre breakfast levels are averaging just below 5 and 2hr after eating averaging just over 5.
Now 5 months of very consistently normal BG levels. Dr Bernstein's solution is definitely working for me, for now.
I also feel that I must have my auto immune system under control, in that it would seem that my beta cells are no longer degenerating. Which kind of says, despite what they say, T1 onset can be avoided..... In that had I been LCHF a couple of years ago I am 100% sure I would not be diabetic now.

But I now seem to have a thyroid problem
As I have been on a very low carb very high fat diet I asked my GP to do a blood medical check; Iron, liver, kidney, bone, cholesterol all fine but my my thyroid TSH is 6.89 (normal range 0.25-5.0). My PHO is normal. He wants to do another test in 3 months time, to see if it is improving or worsening.

 

[Cherryred]

Hi Ian..
Well done on your BG levels. Welcome to the thyroid club.

Sandra

 

[Bill1963]

Well done Ian on your bg levels and keeping your weight up.Just had my Hba1c back now on 5.3. On 12 u of lantus a day. Just can't seem to put the last couple of kgs on that I would like.

 

[Brunneria]

Just read this thread from start to finish - awesome achievement @Ian DP
Very inspiring.

 

[LucySW]

Ian, you have a fantastic result and you've done it all yourself. I found your example and enthusiasm inspiring from the beginning. Thank goodness for you - and I bet your family is pleased.

On the thyroid, I don't know anything about that. But one thing at a time, innit.

I still feel outraged that I've followed the same Dr B regime to the letter for four months and my BG just won't shift below 6.0 - but this is the real world I'm in, and there ain't no contracts. There are good and bad procedures, and we can do what we can ...

 

[Brunneria]

Ian, you have a fantastic result and you've done it all yourself. I found your example and enthusiasm inspiring from the beginning. Thank goodness for you - and I bet your family is pleased.

On the thyroid, I don't know anything about that. But one thing at a time, innit.

I still feel outraged that I've followed the same Dr B regime to the letter for four months and my BG just won't shift below 6.0 - but this is the real world I'm in, and there ain't no contracts. There are good and bad procedures, and we can do what we can ...

I'm not LADA, but there are a couple of reasons why I don't think my BG will ever go below 5 (at the moment).
I'm on Cabergoline (non-diabetic medication) which increases insulin resistance
I've got PCOS which increases insulin resistance
I have a magnificent BMI which increases insulin resistance
I'm not as active as, for example, an athlete (cough) which increases insulin resistance

Clearly, there's a common theme.

Any chance something like that may be affecting you?