Low Carb High Fat?

Dwaffy

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago, I am not on Metformin, yet, and control my diabetes with diet and exercise, I have been looking at the low carb high fat diet and would like to go down this route if possible, but I am confused, because I am on statins to lower my cholesterol, but on this diet it suggests high fat, so I am unsure whether this is right for me, when I am trying to keep my cholesterol down, could somebody put me right on this issue?
 

CherryAA

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,171
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago, I am not on Metformin, yet, and control my diabetes with diet and exercise, I have been looking at the low carb high fat diet and would like to go down this route if possible, but I am confused, because I am on statins to lower my cholesterol, but on this diet it suggests high fat, so I am unsure whether this is right for me, when I am trying to keep my cholesterol down, could somebody put me right on this issue?

There appears to be a whole pile of rubbish spouted about cholesterol and statins.

The first thing to understand is that if you follow an LCHF diet - using healthy fats ( ie butter, olive oil and NO vegetable oils) your cholesterol WILL improve - (unless you ae rdifferent from the rest of us) over time your HDL will go up, your Trigs will come down, your LDL might wander off in any sort of directions and at present there is little evidence that it matters much either way. what will certainly happen is that your HDL to total cholesterol will improve, your HDL to LDL ratio will improve and your trigs will go down. each of these is a healthy development as concerns cholesterol, so I wouldn't let worries about cholesterol put you off trying the diet if I were you.
 

Robbity

Expert
Messages
6,683
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
High fat in an LCHF diet actually just means a higher pecentage of fats in proportion to the reduced number of carbs you would be eating - you are replacing one source of fuel for your energy with another - it's a sort of balancing act. So normal fat food rather than reduced/low fat (which is high in carbs/sugar) is what you would eat. And is what we ate prior to the scare stories regarding fat.

Dietary fat isn't our main source of cholesterol anyway as our bodies apparently make the majority of it. So unless you have a real need to eat a low fat diet, there's nothing to worry about.

Robbity
 
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Dwaffy

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you CherryAA, I am new to this forum, there is so much confusing data on the internet of do's and dont's, but the LCHF diet seems fairley straight forward, its just the fat and cholesterol side of things I was unsure about as I have always kept to low or no fat everything for years before I was diagnosed, so getting my head around this was difficult, but it's worth a go.
 

Dwaffy

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
High fat in an LCHF diet actually just means a higher pecentage of fats in proportion to the reduced number of carbs you would be eating - you are replacing one source of fuel for your energy with another - it's a sort of balancing act. So normal fat food rather than reduced/low fat (which is high in carbs/sugar) is what you would eat. And is what we ate prior to the scare stories regarding fat.

Dietary fat isn't our main source of cholesterol anyway as our bodies apparently make the majority of it. So unless you have a real need to eat a low fat diet, there's nothing to worry about.

Robbity

Thank you Robbity, I guess we have had low fat to no fat programmed into us for soo long its hard to get the confidence to re-learn a new strategy.
 

JohnEGreen

Master
Messages
13,189
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Tripe and Onions
Thank you CherryAA, I am new to this forum, there is so much confusing data on the internet of do's and dont's, but the LCHF diet seems fairley straight forward, its just the fat and cholesterol side of things I was unsure about as I have always kept to low or no fat everything for years before I was diagnosed, so getting my head around this was difficult, but it's worth a go.
It would seem to me that the advise you had followed for so long that is highish carbs and low fat is precisely what has brought you here. We all for the most part were taken in by that.
 
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Dwaffy

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
It would seem to me that the advise you had followed for so long that is highish carbs and low fat is precisely what has brought you here. We all for the most part were taken in by that.

That is true John, I am learning a lot on this forum already, there are so many conflicting articles out there and I can see from reading other peoples threads why it can be all so confusing, glad I found this.
 
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Bananas 2

Well-Known Member
Messages
61
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
Insulin
Consider a low-carb/low-GI diet. Low-GI doesnt necessarily mean high fat. Check out Dr. Richard K Bernstein's plan (on the web and youtube). He is 83, type-1 since age 9, and apparently still in quite good health. His guidelines are a bit too strict, IMO, but his general concept is correct.

Fat is not the only glycemic buffer -- there's protein and fiber as well. If you are type-2, then you likely need to watch your cals as well. This necessitates prioritizing fiber first and foremost, then protein, then fat to reduce your meal GI as well as cals. This means... avoid starchy/sugary foods, eat plenty of leafy greens and other fiber rich and low-carb foods, some meat (not too much - cals), and minimal healthy fats (again, cals).

Diabetic-friendly fats: Olive oil (of course!) & butter (as CherryAA mentioned)... but also coconut oil, and mustard oil (the "olive oil" of central Asia -- if you like Indian food).

I am currently developing an app like no other, it will be a serious game-changer that will help folks in this area (accurate glycemic meal designing/calculating - not another lame calendar-planner-guesser), only it will provide massively more options than Bernstein's plan, while achieving the same results -- due to the massive amount of research and data collection I have done over several years. It's almost complete -- just need some more data regarding meals and people taking Lispro, (I asked a survey question on another thread in this forum - but no responses to the question yet). It is pretty much ready to go for people using R insulin and type-2. Getting meal info for Lispro users seems like pulling teeth. But I digress...

Oh, and by the way... last A1c was 4.8.. No lows below 50, very few below 60.... no highs over 300 for the past year, and very few (7%) above 200 (associated with cold/flu). 63% of BG checks in the 70-150 range.
 
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lucylocket61

Expert
Messages
6,435
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
That is true John, I am learning a lot on this forum already, there are so many conflicting articles out there and I can see from reading other peoples threads why it can be all so confusing, glad I found this.
I prefer to call it Low Carb Full Fat.

I dont eat a lot of fat, but have full fat products, use butter not spreads or margarine, and olive oil. As an example, if I save about 500 cals a day by reducing my carbs. I add 500 cals of good fats to make up the difference.

As i am also trying to lose weight, for me I only add about 250 cals worth of fats. Mainly in the form of full fat cheese : )
 

Dwaffy

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Consider a low-carb/low-GI diet. Low-GI doesnt necessarily mean high fat. Check out Dr. Richard K Bernstein's plan (on the web and youtube). He is 83, type-1 since age 9, and apparently still in quite good health. His guidelines are a bit too strict, IMO, but his general concept is correct.

Fat is not the only glycemic buffer -- there's protein and fiber as well. If you are type-2, then you likely need to watch your cals as well. This necessitates prioritizing fiber first and foremost, then protein, then fat to reduce your meal GI as well as cals. This means... avoid starchy/sugary foods, eat plenty of leafy greens and other fiber rich and low-carb foods, some meat (not too much - cals), and minimal healthy fats (again, cals).

Diabetic-friendly fats: Olive oil (of course!) & butter (as CherryAA mentioned)... but also coconut oil, and mustard oil (the "olive oil" of central Asia -- if you like Indian food).

I am currently developing an app like no other, it will be a serious game-changer that will help folks in this area (accurate glycemic meal designing/calculating - not another lame calendar-planner-guesser), only it will provide massively more options than Bernstein's plan, while achieving the same results -- due to the massive amount of research and data collection I have done over several years. It's almost complete -- just need some more data regarding meals and people taking Lispro, (I asked a survey question on another thread in this forum - but no responses to the question yet). It is pretty much ready to go for people using R insulin and type-2. Getting meal info for Lispro users seems like pulling teeth. But I digress...

Oh, and by the way... last A1c was 4.8.. No lows below 50, very few below 60.... no highs over 300 for the past year, and very few (7%) above 200 (associated with cold/flu). 63% of BG checks in the 70-150 range.

Thank you for this, it is really helpful
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
When I was diagnosed I had been eating low fat and high carb - it did not reduce my cholesterol.
I changed to low carb, did not bother at all about the fat after diagnosis - my cholesterol went down.
When I began to lose weight it went up again - apparently, as it is involved in the transporting of fat that is what ought to happen.
I do really concentrate on having low blood glucose readings rather than anything else, but the diet is so easy to follow it is not exactly hard work.
 
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ianpspurs

Oracle
Messages
16,420
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
As has been said by others you don't need to go full metal jacket fat. I added a sensible amount of fat initially and waited for a six month test to see effect on cholesterol. As time has gone on I have been more confident and my signature will give a view on how this has gone. You can use common sense and alternate days of higher fat with days of low fat. I tend to use eggs, salmon and tinned mackerel lots. A favourite which seems to be filling and to my mind healthy fat is mackerel in olive oil and avocado mashed on a half a Lidl High Protein roll. Incredibly filling and reviving after a workout or long walk.
Forgot to add I try to include lots of Chia seeds and or Flaxseed. I like to keep fibre content to 30 gms per day seems to help with potential blockages!
 
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Dwaffy

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
As has been said by others you don't need to go full metal jacket fat. I added a sensible amount of fat initially and waited for a six month test to see effect on cholesterol. As time has gone on I have been more confident and my signature will give a view on how this has gone. You can use common sense and alternate days of higher fat with days of low fat. I tend to use eggs, salmon and tinned mackerel lots. A favourite which seems to be filling and to my mind healthy fat is mackerel in olive oil and avocado mashed on a half a Lidl High Protein roll. Incredibly filling and reviving after a workout or long walk.
Forgot to add I try to include lots of Chia seeds and or Flaxseed. I like to keep fibre content to 30 gms per day seems to help with potential blockages!

That’s sounds really good and healthy, I have always worked out but since being diagnosed and cutting down and changing carb intake, I tend to get tired sooner at the gym or on a run, so this diet sounds good to me as I can use the good fats as that extra energy source I’ve been missing.
 

ianpspurs

Oracle
Messages
16,420
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
, I tend to get tired sooner at the gym or on a run, so this diet sounds good to me as I can use the good fats as that extra energy source I’ve been missing.[/QUOTE]
I think it takes time to adjust. I am now often able to go to 1 or 2 meals a day mostly missing breakfast. I have gradually come down to functioning at 20 gms of carbs a day. I would say go steady and test rigorously but not within an hour of high intensity exercise. Good luck and this forum is an excellent place for help and advice.
 

Dwaffy

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
, I tend to get tired sooner at the gym or on a run, so this diet sounds good to me as I can use the good fats as that extra energy source I’ve been missing.
I think it takes time to adjust. I am now often able to go to 1 or 2 meals a day mostly missing breakfast. I have gradually come down to functioning at 20 gms of carbs a day. I would say go steady and test rigorously but not within an hour of high intensity exercise. Good luck and this forum is an excellent place for help and advice.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for this
 

ianpspurs

Oracle
Messages
16,420
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you for this [/QUOTE]

You are very welcome. What you will also find is that some days and some meals will just not "play by the rules" so just look at the trends and "keep the faith" you can't keep chopping and changing.
 
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trotskyite

Well-Known Member
Messages
104
Hi, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago, I am not on Metformin, yet, and control my diabetes with diet and exercise, I have been looking at the low carb high fat diet and would like to go down this route if possible, but I am confused, because I am on statins to lower my cholesterol, but on this diet it suggests high fat, so I am unsure whether this is right for me, when I am trying to keep my cholesterol down, could somebody put me right on this issue?
Please don't rely on medical advice from this forum it is replete with bro-science and wishful thinking. If you are going to go on a high fat diet the consequences for you will be higher ldl and higher hdl cholesterol this is indisputable. To get around this the high fat lobby will usually tell you cholesterol doesn't matter, this is far from true. The European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel says this "
Conclusion
Consistent evidence from numerous and multiple different types of clinical and genetic studies unequivocally establishes that LDL causes (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease )ASCVD."https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/38/32/2459/3745109
High fat diets for diabetes are a way of treating symptoms NOT the underlying cause they will make you confident in your numbers but are unlikely to stop the underlying problems of high blood fats that are causal for cvd that is the most likely death of a type 2 diabetic. diets for diabetes are ranked by experts here every year the best diets are dash, med, mayo, vegan ie high plant foods, not low fat but low in unhealthy fat (butter, coconut oil etc). The very worse diets from 33 onward are where you will find the low carb diets atkins etc https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-diabetes-diets
Remember these diets are ranked by experts not anonymous forum members who use broscience and quote shoddy industry funded studies designed to spread disinformation and sell a product (butter,bacon, eggs).
good luck. btw I will not be acknowledging or replying to the barrage of non science coming my way.This post was for the original poster and any lurkers. Incoming! lol
 

Ian_Laye

Well-Known Member
Messages
296
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Please don't rely on medical advice from this forum it is replete with bro-science and wishful thinking. If you are going to go on a high fat diet the consequences for you will be higher ldl and higher hdl cholesterol this is indisputable. To get around this the high fat lobby will usually tell you cholesterol doesn't matter, this is far from true. The European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel says this "
Conclusion
Consistent evidence from numerous and multiple different types of clinical and genetic studies unequivocally establishes that LDL causes (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease )ASCVD."https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/38/32/2459/3745109
High fat diets for diabetes are a way of treating symptoms NOT the underlying cause they will make you confident in your numbers but are unlikely to stop the underlying problems of high blood fats that are causal for cvd that is the most likely death of a type 2 diabetic. diets for diabetes are ranked by experts here every year the best diets are dash, med, mayo, vegan ie high plant foods, not low fat but low in unhealthy fat (butter, coconut oil etc). The very worse diets from 33 onward are where you will find the low carb diets atkins etc https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-diabetes-diets
Remember these diets are ranked by experts not anonymous forum members who use broscience and quote shoddy industry funded studies designed to spread disinformation and sell a product (butter,bacon, eggs).
good luck. btw I will not be acknowledging or replying to the barrage of non science coming my way.This post was for the original poster and any lurkers. Incoming! lol
I'm on a lchf diet and my cholesterol levels have lowered especially my trigliceride level, if as you say this is "bro-science" how do you explain mine and many other members good results on this diet?
 

Gannet

Well-Known Member
Messages
129
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Showbiz
"Remember these diets are ranked by experts not anonymous forum members who use broscience and quote shoddy industry funded studies designed to spread disinformation and sell a product (butter,bacon, "

But it is just the same kind of shoddy industry funded studies that sell margarines and other industrialised plant oils.
 

ianpspurs

Oracle
Messages
16,420
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
But it is just the same kind of shoddy industry funded studies that sell margarines and other industrialised plant oils.[/QUOTE]

A fair point well made. For most of us the tangled web of whose interests supposedly "clean" scientific advice serves is a nightmare to unravel.
Sure, there are some very prozletizing LCHF advocates out there but on this forum there are some exceptionally well read and well balanced posters. Most back up their advocacy with good stats from their own blood work.
My take is that the scientific data is population based but you and I are individuals so our own results are the most relevant. I have never read any of the most sensible poster on here advocate ignoring the full spectrum of blood work from bg levels through cholesterol breakdown and kidney function. Indeed, they advocate ensuring your GP makes the full panel of results available to you for comparison, analysis and dietary/lifestyle change where needed.
Long story short, I don't think this is broscience but to me it seems like hypothesis (eat and live a certain way) test, analysis.