Visit to My GP

[jpscloud]

I was a bit worried that if my cholesterol had gone up I'd be told to cut animal fats. I really think it's important to get health professionals on side with high fat because of the tremendous difference it makes with satiety.

 

[DCUKMod]

When I discuss my diet with anyone, whether HCP or a friend or whomever, I refer to my way of eating as reduced card, with balancing fats. That's what I do. Literally.

I have never once had anyone recoils and have a hissie over the balancing fats

In my view the words we use can be as important as the messages we want to impart. Why give folks something to rail against, when you can give them something that makes sense.

 

[Listlad]

Neither Dr Unwin’s paper, nor the Low Carb Program has emphasis on high fat, although the reduced carb content does mean the proportion of fat is increased. Most HCPs are wary of any eating regime that includes increased fats, due to the established NHS advice on low fat diets. Therefore I would be cautious about mentioning fat.

In your circumstances @Listlad , to make good use of time with nurse and GP, I would :-

• Have my blood results printed out prior to appointment, and make sure I understood them, (ask for advice in forum if you need to). Presumably you will be seeing improvement.
• Tell nurse and GP how you have improved. Give print out of Dr Unwin’s paper, mentioning that he saved money by reduction in prescriptions for diabetes for his patients.
• Mention that HCPs can provide the Low Carb Program to give patients free access, and give the print out for that.

You will be potentially educating them for the better outcome for other patients. Go for it. Good luck.

Okay thanks for that.

 

[Chook]

It would depend on how good your HbA1c result is really - if it's lower than he expected then go for B but if it's higher than you expected then go for C + ignore.

 

[Listlad]

When I discuss my diet with anyone, whether HCP or a friend or whomever, I refer to my way of eating as reduced card, with balancing fats. That's what I do. Literally.

I have never once had anyone recoils and have a hissie over the balancing fats

In my view the words we use can be as important as the messages we want to impart. Why give folks something to rail against, when you can give them something that makes sense.

I think I totally agree.

 

[Listlad]

I was a bit worried that if my cholesterol had gone up I'd be told to cut animal fats. I really think it's important to get health professionals on side with high fat because of the tremendous difference it makes with satiety.

Agreed. I shall look out for the cholesterol figures too.

 

[Chook]

If I'm not sure of how the idea of low carbing will be received I call my way of eating 'reduced carbs with healthy fats' or 'treating carbs with caution plus healthy fats' - anything to get my point across without mentioning high fats or fasting.

 

[Listlad]

Neither Dr Unwin’s paper, nor the Low Carb Program has emphasis on high fat, although the reduced carb content does mean the proportion of fat is increased. Most HCPs are wary of any eating regime that includes increased fats, due to the established NHS advice on low fat diets. Therefore I would be cautious about mentioning fat.

In your circumstances @Listlad , to make good use of time with nurse and GP, I would :-

• Have my blood results printed out prior to appointment, and make sure I understood them, (ask for advice in forum if you need to). Presumably you will be seeing improvement.
• Tell nurse and GP how you have improved. Give print out of Dr Unwin’s paper, mentioning that he saved money by reduction in prescriptions for diabetes for his patients.
• Mention that HCPs can provide the Low Carb Program to give patients free access, and give the print out for that.

You will be potentially educating them for the better outcome for other patients. Go for it. Good luck.

Sorry. @Pipp

What is HCP? Health Care Practice?

 

[JohnEGreen]

I have banged the drum for LCHF with my GP so many times now I'm starting to sound like a broken record if it hasn't sunk in yet it never will so from now on it's C.

 

[Listlad]

I have banged the drum for LCHF with my GP so many times now I'm starting to sound like a broken record if it hasn't sunk in yet it never will so from now on it's C.

Do you come out with a sore head now?

 

[JohnEGreen]

You know what they say about banging your head against a brick wall it's bliss when you stop.

 

[Listlad]

Thanks for all the good responses. First things first, the GP I am seeing seems to be an amiable sort of chap with a sense of humour. My first request from him will be for him to remove the Tottenham Hotspur mug from his desk as otherwise I would not be able to take him seriously.

 

[Rachox]

HCP = Health Care Professional

 

[Pipp]

Sorry. @Pipp

What is HCP? Health Care Practice?

No, I am sorry for not being clear. I meant Health Care Professional. A term to encompass doctors, nurses, health care assistants, dietitians, physiotherapists, oor anyone in medical type jobs.

 

[Dexterdobe]

I have been contemplating tactfully dipping my toe in the water by saying “have you heard about this LCHF malarkey” and see what response I get. Based on the response it might end up as either b or c.

I spent 20 minutes explaining about HFLC diets to my DN after I had got my HBa1C down from 53 to 40 in 4 months and my cholesterol was in the normal range. At the end she said "Well done, we don't get many who achieve what you have. But, please cut down on the fat and you should be on statins for the rest of your life. All diabetics should, even if their BG returns to normal.
I go back for regular HBa1C checks, but I don't spend time talking to the DN or my GP for that matter.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

A) Politely tell him where to go
B) Immediately counter with LCHF strategies and their worth

It isn't a war is it? If my doctor was to tell me to eat more carbs I would ask her if she could guarantee that my BG would stay at the level it is? Come to think of it, would my total cholesterol stay at it's current level. I have never been made to feel that I have to justify my low carb diet, mainly because my GP can see that my strategy has allowed me to stop taking Gliclazide, Januvia and even atorvastatin, because lowering my carb intake lowered my BG and total cholesterol.

 

[Chook]

Not so much now but when i started low carb it did feel like a battle. Before I started LC i had no idea that it was 'a thing' i sort of thought it was something I'd come up with on my own and, as i was on insulin, Met and another diabetes med, I thought i ought to run the idea past my Doctor. He was really quite unpleasant about it and said he couldn't support 'these hippy dippy fad diets' - so, yes, not everyone has had a good reaction from their HCP about this WOE.

 

[Listlad]

It isn't a war is it? If my doctor was to tell me to eat more carbs I would ask her if she could guarantee that my BG would stay at the level it is? Come to think of it, would my total cholesterol stay at it's current level. I have never been made to feel that I have to justify my low carb diet, mainly because my GP can see that my strategy has allowed me to stop taking Gliclazide, Januvia and even atorvastatin, because lowering my carb intake lowered my BG and total cholesterol.

I am not sure what to expect. I will know more after I get my results and had a review. The choices in the opening post were a little tongue in cheek.

The long story is that this will be the first time that I will be talking to my GP and nurse after joining this forum. The last time I spoke to my GP was in early January and I couldn’t really get to the bottom of anything diet wise for what is several lines of reason. Things only became clear after joining this forum and reading many posts and threads.

Prior to that I had a Doctors appointment in December, where I was principally there to deal with a very long-standing cough. Secondarily I touched base with him on my blood pressure. When I also asked him about diet, he ducked and bodyswerved my question.

So this next visit will be completely different.

 

[rmz80]

Don't argue. Turn any lecture into a question.
e.g. So why do you think brown rice is good for me?
People cannot dominate a conversation if you don't give them any fuel to argue.
They then have to justify their statement while you sit back and let them get on with it.
I was taught to do this when dealing with loud mouthed students in a college.

 

[Listlad]

So...I just had the HbA1c sample taken today.

I discovered there isn’t a specialist diabetes nurse at the surgery, just one who is strong on it.

The nurse that took the blood sample was a very nice woman, even if she wasn’t knowledgeable.

I took the opportunity to weigh myself and my weight is still declining along with my blood pressure. Hopefully the HbA1c reading will also be declining.