My First Experience of the PPG World

[Rachox]

I attended a PPG Forum day in Oxford City today, it was mainly about Oxford’s plans for coping throughout the winter. However I collared the Community Diabetes team in the lunch time, they were there to promote their two Type 2 education courses, both of which I’ve been on. I asked them why there wasn’t any mention of low carb eating for blood sugar control and weight loss on the courses? One lady was very interested in my views about it and took some paperwork I’d prepared with my success story from DCUK website, my blood test results and Dr Unwin’s paper about recommending low carb to his Type 2 patients and how he’s saved his practice so much money. The other lady said, but we do recommend low carb amongst other diets which made me cross as it definitely wasn’t mentioned on either course when I went and I told her so! I gave them several more copies of my paperwork so I hope the more interested lady will share them with the rest of the team. The lady who was more resistant said there wasn’t enough research to change recommendations. I suggested for starters she looked at the Success Stories and Testimonials section here. We chatted so long I never found out whether the lunch provided today was suitable for me, it was all gone by the time we’d finished talking! Lucky I took some food in the car just in case!

After I’d spoken with them I then approached a lady who had introduced herself earlier in the day as from an Oxford University Health Sciences research organisation who were doing research into Type 2 diabetes amongst other conditions. I approached her with a suggestion that they did a low carb study, she sounded interested but was not a big decision maker, however she will pass my contact details on.

Gradually chipping away! My first PPG meeting at my actual surgery is next week, I promised to take a low carb carrot cake to share

 

[Bluetit1802]

Well done Rachel. Keeping chipping away!

One thing that made a nurse (not my normal one) sit up and take a bit of notice was when I asked why Type 1s need to carb count before eating and inject accordingly. She said something about carbs requiring certain amounts of insulin in order to avoid hypers. I asked why then is it different for T2s according to the Eatwell Plate mantra, reminding her that T2s are insulin resistant and need masses of natural insulin to cope with the carbs, leading to further insulin resistance. She got it!

 

[Guzzler]

You are fast becoming a great Advocate! Who knows, within a short time you may be giving presentations! Good work, keep it up.

 

[Rachox]

You are fast becoming a great Advocate! Who knows, within a short time you may be giving presentations! Good work, keep it up.

I have the added incentive of having seen uncontrolled Type 2s during my nursing career, losing their feet, kidney function and sight, I didn’t know then that there was another way. I still can’t believe that low carbing isn’t a more mainstream! I will keep chipping away

 

[shelley262]

Well done @Rachox a brilliant job you’ve done today raising importance of LCHF as a means of management of diabetes and possible remission in type 2s. You’re doing a great job.

 

[Phoenix55]

Brilliant job @Rachox. The advice to diabetics always was to avoid carb heavy foods, at least from the 1950's onwards. When did it change? Please keep chipping away for the sake of all who will come after us. Your analytical skills from nursing are most appropriate to the current battle. It can feel lonely out in the front line but there are ranks of us behind you backing you up all the way. Keep on keeping on.

 

[Goonergal]

Great stuff @Rachox

 

[Debandez]

Straight in there....no time to stop for lunch when you are on such an important mission! What a fantastic start to your PPG journey. They will have been like 'Wow! Who was that??!!!!' It's given a few of them food for thought. Sewed some seeds. I LOVE IT! Well done. Good job @Rachox. Lots of work to be done but for sure every single thing helps. Chipping away.

 

[DJC3]

Brilliant @Rachox you have become a real advocate for the cause. I do hope they take on board your paperwork, if it just makes one other person in that group think about what you’ve said it might be the start of a sea change.
I’ve often wondered the same thing as @Phoenix55 - why don’t the medical profession think about the advice given to previous generations to reduce starchy foods?

 

[Bluetit1802]

I think the main reason why the previous low carb advice went out of the window was when the "fat will kill you" rubbish started.

 

[Jenniewren1958]

Well done @Rachox

 

[jayney27]

Go you, well done for standing your ground and promoting the good that can come from the changes we have all tried and succeeded with.
As previously mentioned each little chip will eventually become a great big crack, then hopefully the message will emerge and people will take notice and decisions will be made based on our success which is being championed at every opportunity.