• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Type 2 Carbs

L

Lizzy Loo

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I need to understand more about carbs. Why are drs and nurses telling people to have carbs at each meal. And what is low carbs about if it can reduce your results
 
Hi Lizzie! Carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the blood during digestion, so the more carbs you eat, the greater the amount of blood glucose your body has to deal with. Most, though not all, doctors and nurses feel they have to stick by the standard NHS/NICE 'Eatwell' advice and this advice lags behind much recent research into diabetic diets. The better informed members of the medical profession tend to understand the impact of carbohydrates and that the NHS advice is promoting an excessive amount of carbohydrates.
The higher carb content foods are the breads, pastas, rices and potatoes. Fruits except most ones from tropical climes are lowish in carbs and meat and fish are next to zero in carbs.
A good book to help you understand carbohydrates and much more about managing diabetes is Reverse Your Diabetes by Dr David Cavan. I bought it when I was diagnosed and it helped me a lot.

This may help :
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet-for-type2-diabetes.html
 
Last edited:
Lizzy Loo said:
I need to understand more about carbs. Why are drs and nurses telling people to have carbs at each meal. And what is low carbs about if it can reduce your results
Click to expand...
Hi @Lizzy Loo ..
I would suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program .. you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. and the following websites ...
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Low Carb 10-week Programme
This should go a long way towards answering your questions about carbs
Hope this helps
 
Lizzy Loo said:
I need to understand more about carbs. Why are drs and nurses telling people to have carbs at each meal. And what is low carbs about if it can reduce your results
Click to expand...

Carbs are one of the three essential nutrients...Carbs, Protein and Fat and a balanced diet should include all three ! Some people here espouse that one, as a diabetic, should eat zero carbs...that is DANGEROUS information and this site should admonish those who state that as a fact (Trump style alternate fact I guess). As a diabetic your goal is to maintain good glucose control. That means setting a goal and working with your care team to achieve that goal. Whether you're newly diagnosed or and old hand those goals are always to have good glucose control. Achieving good control is the best way to avoid complications !! Eating fewer carbs than you did before you were diagnosed will likely help...but for many T2's who tend to be overweight to begin with eating less of everything will help. Going low carb in the beginning of treatment might help reduce your BG (many call this a detox of sorts)...staying ultra low carb is typically unsustainable...ask all those who started Atkins and find out who's maintained that way of eating for more than 6 months. Carbs provide the fast energy that the body uses to breath...keep the heart beating and the muscles working...carbs are not your enemy....ignorance would be !
 
miahara said:
Hi Lizzie! Carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the blood during digestion, so the more carbs you eat, the greater the amount of blood glucose your body has to deal with. Most, though not all, doctors and nurses feel they have to stick by the standard NHS/NICE 'Eatwell' advice and this advice lags behind much recent research into diabetic diets. The better informed members of the medical profession tend to understand the impact of carbohydrates and that the NHS advice is promoting an excessive amount of carbohydrates.
The higher carb content foods are the breads, pastas, rices and potatoes. Fruits except most ones from tropical climes are lowish in carbs and meat and fish are next to zero in carbs.
A good book to help you understand carbohydrates and much more about managing diabetes is Reverse Your Diabetes by Dr David Cavan. I bought it when I was diagnosed and it helped me a lot.

This may help :
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet-for-type2-diabetes.html
Click to expand...

Thank you miahara there is a lot of information here. Will take a while to go in
 
Paddyxx said:
Carbs are one of the three essential nutrients...Carbs, Protein and Fat and a balanced diet should include all three ! Some people here espouse that one, as a diabetic, should eat zero carbs...that is DANGEROUS information and this site should admonish those who state that as a fact (Trump style alternate fact I guess). As a diabetic your goal is to maintain good glucose control. That means setting a goal and working with your care team to achieve that goal. Whether you're newly diagnosed or and old hand those goals are always to have good glucose control. Achieving good control is the best way to avoid complications !! Eating fewer carbs than you did before you were diagnosed will likely help...but for many T2's who tend to be overweight to begin with eating less of everything will help. Going low carb in the beginning of treatment might help reduce your BG (many call this a detox of sorts)...staying ultra low carb is typically unsustainable...ask all those who started Atkins and find out who's maintained that way of eating for more than 6 months. Carbs provide the fast energy that the body uses to breath...keep the heart beating and the muscles working...carbs are not your enemy....ignorance would be !
Click to expand...

Thank you paddy I know you need carbs and it is to do with portion size.
 
Paddyxx said:
Carbs are one of the three essential nutrients...Carbs, Protein and Fat and a balanced diet should include all three ! Some people here espouse that one, as a diabetic, should eat zero carbs...that is DANGEROUS information and this site should admonish those who state that as a fact (Trump style alternate fact I guess). As a diabetic your goal is to maintain good glucose control. That means setting a goal and working with your care team to achieve that goal. Whether you're newly diagnosed or and old hand those goals are always to have good glucose control. Achieving good control is the best way to avoid complications !! Eating fewer carbs than you did before you were diagnosed will likely help...but for many T2's who tend to be overweight to begin with eating less of everything will help. Going low carb in the beginning of treatment might help reduce your BG (many call this a detox of sorts)...staying ultra low carb is typically unsustainable...ask all those who started Atkins and find out who's maintained that way of eating for more than 6 months. Carbs provide the fast energy that the body uses to breath...keep the heart beating and the muscles working...carbs are not your enemy....ignorance would be !
Click to expand...

Your post has a lot of factually incorrect information in it.

There are essential fats and essential proteins that humans need to eat for complete nutrition. There are also various vitamins and minerals and non digestable fibres. However there are no essential starchy or sugary carbohydrates (grains, starchy veg and sweet fruit). There is no deficiency or disease that occurs if we do not eat carbohydrates.

Every single nutrient necessary for human life can be found in foods other than grains, starchy veg and sweet fruit, therefore we do not need to eat them for health. Our hearts beat, our muscles work, and we continue to breathe without carbs. The fact that i am still alive after 30 years of low carbing proves you wrong.

You may find this link an interesting read:
https://sherwoodwellness.tv/carbs-essential/
 
Last edited:
Paddyxx said:
Carbs are one of the three essential nutrients...Carbs, Protein and Fat and a balanced diet should include all three ! Some people here espouse that one, as a diabetic, should eat zero carbs...that is DANGEROUS information and this site should admonish those who state that as a fact (Trump style alternate fact I guess). As a diabetic your goal is to maintain good glucose control. That means setting a goal and working with your care team to achieve that goal. Whether you're newly diagnosed or and old hand those goals are always to have good glucose control. Achieving good control is the best way to avoid complications !! Eating fewer carbs than you did before you were diagnosed will likely help...but for many T2's who tend to be overweight to begin with eating less of everything will help. Going low carb in the beginning of treatment might help reduce your BG (many call this a detox of sorts)...staying ultra low carb is typically unsustainable...ask all those who started Atkins and find out who's maintained that way of eating for more than 6 months. Carbs provide the fast energy that the body uses to breath...keep the heart beating and the muscles working...carbs are not your enemy....ignorance would be !
Click to expand...
No, humans don't need to eat any carbs. And that's a true fact!
 
As an absolute carb scavenging hound to the detriment of anything healthy for most of my life, I can categorically state that LC is perfectly sustainable indefinitely. I have no desire to eat carbs, I don't crave carbs any longer and the only carbs I eat are found in above ground veg and low carb diary and berries.

I'm actually enjoying all the foods I used to hate and finding foods I've never tried. It's actually really enjoyable and I look forward to meat with cauli, broccoli and Fried eggs with a Lidl protein roll and never get bored.

Perhaps it's the berries with double cream afterwards that excites me too....

Certainly beats jaffa cakes and chocolate eclairs.
 
Paddyxx said:
Carbs provide the fast energy that the body uses to breath...keep the heart beating and the muscles working...carbs are not your enemy....ignorance would be !
Click to expand...
I'm curious about where your info is obtained from Paddy. I know from my own experience that reducing carb intake has a direct correlation with my blood sugar levels, and that from what I understand about high blood sugars for diabetics they may lead to complications. If I am ignorant then please enlighten me - I'm genuinely curious.
 
Paddyxx said:
Carbs provide the fast energy that the body uses to breath...keep the heart beating and the muscles working...carbs are not your enemy....ignorance would be !
Click to expand...

In fact what you describe is what makes my blood glucose rise so fast and rollercoast and the 'healthy' high carb diet leads to diabetes for many. Fat and protein is doing an excellent job of keeping my heart beating and my muscles working. I eat very few carbs. I walk 15000 steps a day, climb hills and walk fast for about an hour a day. How is that possible if what you say is right? I'm really interested in why you think carbs essential Paddy.
 
Paddyxx said:
Carbs are one of the three essential nutrients...Carbs, Protein and Fat and a balanced diet should include all three ! Some people here espouse that one, as a diabetic, should eat zero carbs...that is DANGEROUS information and this site should admonish those who state that as a fact (Trump style alternate fact I guess). As a diabetic your goal is to maintain good glucose control. That means setting a goal and working with your care team to achieve that goal. Whether you're newly diagnosed or and old hand those goals are always to have good glucose control. Achieving good control is the best way to avoid complications !! Eating fewer carbs than you did before you were diagnosed will likely help...but for many T2's who tend to be overweight to begin with eating less of everything will help. Going low carb in the beginning of treatment might help reduce your BG (many call this a detox of sorts)...staying ultra low carb is typically unsustainable...ask all those who started Atkins and find out who's maintained that way of eating for more than 6 months. Carbs provide the fast energy that the body uses to breath...keep the heart beating and the muscles working...carbs are not your enemy....ignorance would be !
Click to expand...

Please read this
http://diabetestimes.co.uk/big-interview-dr-trudi-deakin/
 
I've survived perfectly well on 20 g or less of carbs a day for over 25 years ( a form of Atkins induction but healthier choices). In fact it's WHEN I eat carbs that's I feel like rubbish, loss energy, brain fog, cravings, muscle aches etc.
 
Please can we get this thread back on track and help the OP with their query.
 
Lizzy Loo said:
I need to understand more about carbs. Why are drs and nurses telling people to have carbs at each meal. And what is low carbs about if it can reduce your results
Click to expand...
At the beginning of the 1980's low fat diets were recommended largely as the result of flawed research into the correlation of cardio-vascular disease and fat. In order to keep people feeling full on the low fat diets it was recommended to eat plenty of starchy carbohydrates. It is taking a long time for this advice to be revised!
 
I've just got used to eating a proper diet through a dietician and now been toldby my doctor to do a low carb plan I'm feeling a bit out of my depth and confused. Dietician says I should eat wholegrain\ brown carbs. and the doctor tells me I should not eat as many. CONFUSED !
 
stephanielovatt said:
I've just got used to eating a proper diet through a dietician and now been toldby my doctor to do a low carb plan I'm feeling a bit out of my depth and confused. Dietician says I should eat wholegrain\ brown carbs. and the doctor tells me I should not eat as many. CONFUSED !
Click to expand...
I make the doctor right and dietician wrong... Carbs are carbs, white or brown, they all metabolise as glucose in your body.

Bread, pasta, potato and rice often need to be avoided. The only way to know for sure if you can tolerate is to test after eating and adjust or eliminate completely.
 
Back
Top