Heresy...

[Spiral]

Given that low carb is a bit heretical*, how do you interact with the NHS as a low carb heretic*?

I have seen some posters on here suggest that it could stay as "our little secret", given that some health professionals are so very wedded to the high carb/low fat doctrine, and some have had very poor responses. Others say that they (NHS) need to know and won't collude with that belief and will be very open about low carbing.

I read one report today on this very board of a member who said they low carbed on a DSMOND curse and got an "if it works for you" response. Others have doom and gloom of the inevitability of decline from poor nutrituion and a high fat diet.

I'm sure I'm about to be referred to various diabetic education programmes after the flurry of referrals my GP made the other day. I'm just considering how I will respond, because I'm not very good at sitting still and keeping my mouth shut.

So what do you do and why?


*Visit wikipaedia for a definition of heresy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresy

 

[sugarless sue]

If you are healthy ,your BG's are stable and your bloods are fine then it is working for you and they can't argue with that.....Well they can but you are in control of your diabetes not them!!!

 

[sixfoot]

Tell them and be damned, If you dont tell them they arnt going to get the message.

Dave P

 

[Doczoc]

Yep I tell 'em too!

 

[ChocFish]

And I tell them as well, in actual fact my GP, Practice Nurse and Practice Dietician all tell their diabetic patients that low carbing is another option for them to try. I gave my GP a copy of Dr Bernsteins book, and recently gave her a copy of Dr Charles Clark book as well, and the staff are actually reading them and said it was an eye opener and prompted them to find out more as there has been an increase of newly diagnosed diabetics.

Reducing carbs would be a wise thing to do for just about anyone, my GP and her husband are doing that just now,although she admits she would never be able to completely cut out potatoes.

All the best

Karen

 

[hanadr]

My DSN
a new one; the "angel" has retired, accepts that I'm severely reducing my carbs and said to me that she doesn't approve of eating too much carb, but has to follow the official line in the advice she gives.
The Angel told me that she has other patients who follow the reduced carb way and we, as a group, are the healthiest of her patients.
My GP has known me over 35 years and realises that if I get an idea into my head, it's not budging without VERY convincing evidence.
I'll even take on the diabetologist at the hospital, who is meant to be looking after my T1 husband. I know he puts the complications down to non-compliance, NOT his useless treatment regime, which basically, over 30 years, has been "increase your insulin and eat enough carbs to prevent hypos".
Now that T1's complications are getting more threatening, I have persuaded him ( T1) to reduce carbs and insulin and he's MUCH better. All complications now stable Kidneys improved enough for him to be discharged from renal unit, to a general clinic at the hospital.Retinas stable. no more laser, despite the slight "mishap" during the surgery. Foot ulcer healing well and almost gone.

 

[cugila]

I tell everybody that I have reduced my carb intake and that it has helped lower ALL my readings Bg included. Why hide the fact ? If they think you are sticking to the 'healthy' diet no one will ever know that there is an alternative way that can work for large numbers of people. (Diabetics)

Sock it to 'em !!

Ken

 

[IanD]

When I mentioned success with reduced carb to a consultant, his comment was that reduced calories [rather than specifically reduced carb] provided the benefit.

Actually, simply reducing calories on the "healthy diet" of high carb/low fat is not practical, as we get hungry. I would simply snack with"healthy" digestive biscuits. Substituting the carbs is the way ahead.

I know low carbers have occasionally been guilty of attacks on a contributing dietitian, but in the interests of all diabetics everywhere, we need to wave the reduced carb flag at every opportunity.

or for Fergus, Katharine & Sue

 

[kegstore]

When I mentioned success with reduced carb to a consultant, his comment was that reduced calories provided the benefit.

I must have missed that particular science lesson at school...

 

[graham64]

When I mentioned success with reduced carb to a consultant, his comment was that reduced calories provided the benefit. Simply reducing calories on the "healthy diet" of high carb/low fat is not practical, as we get hungry. Substituting the carbs is the way ahead.

Hi Ian,
Just wondering what advice your consultant would give to the 20% of skinny T2s, reducing calories is not an option for me, would it be eat the carbs and use meds to counteract the high BG levels. With my intolerance of carbs I would probably end up on insulin, no wonder they say Diabetes is a progressive disease.

I know low carbers have occasionally been guilty of attacks on a contributing dietitian, but in the interests of all diabetics everywhere, we need to wave the reduced carb flag at every opportunity

I was fortunate to be referred to a senior Dietitian at a large teaching hospital, who after seeing my food diary and BG chart openly encouraged reducing carbs and put me on a high fat diet. Also we have on the forum Mrs Pugwash a T2 herself who knows from her own experience High Carb Low Fat diets are not the answer to good control.
There are some enlightened Dietitians out there, hopefully as the word spreads more will join their ranks.

Regards
Graham

 

[fergus]

Seriously pleased there are so many vigilantes out there.
**** right, we need to keep telling our health professionals at every opportunity.
Most of us are well informed, highly motivated and committed people. We're in the minority I'm afraid and there are a helluva lot of people out there being ignored or badly mislead.

fergus

 

[inwales]

I am glad I found Patrick Holford and his talk about low glycemic loads.

Could not understand why my doc talked about having starchy foods.

 

[caitycakes1]

I don't have any problem admitting to low carb with health proffesionals. The numbers speak for themselves. The way I see it, it's my diabetes, therefore mine to control the way I see fit. Must admit to feeling murderous when consultant told me my excellent control was because I am honeymooning. The smug look on his face when he said that when the honeymoon is over I will find it much harder to control. My answer was a very polite "we'll see" but I really wanted to sock him one.
To be honest I feel successful low carbers have a duty to tell the medical profession of our success. We owe it to future diabetics. They shouldn't have to struggle to find the correct information they need. If I hadn't found this forum, I shudder to think of what I would be shovelling down my throat on their say so.

Caitycakes x

 

[scottishkate]

I seem to have been very lucky with my healthcare team - or maybe my arguments are soooo persuasive that they cannot even begin to argue!!

My consultant when I was in London (the man who practically invented the insulin pump no less) said that if low-carb worked then I should stick with it. My consultant in Edinbugh also agrees but likes to throw in the odd potentally negative remark I'm sure just to cover his back ; )

My dietitian and nurse are very interested in my diet and as I've just started on a pump are starting to use me as a mini-project!

I'm a researcher by nature and I think that when you go armed with knowledge and empirical evidence that the approach works then intelligent people will listen - fortunately my diabetic team all seem to be quite intelligent people :lol:

Katie

 

[Spiral]

I will be a reduced carb vigilante, I'm not good at keeping my mouth shut. I'd call myself reduced rather than low carb at the moment.

My problem this week has been friends and colleagues who clearly think I'm trying to poison them :?

I took a low carb chocolate cake (ground almonds, butter, egg and G&B 70%) in to work. After listing what was in it and saying it was low carb, one of them mentioned, with that edge in her voice "and high fat" to which I responded, yes. I saw her lips purse as she bit her tongue :|

I offered to make dinner for another friend on saturday night - Fergus's delicious sounding cauliflower cheese from the other site - as my son does not like cheese sauces or cauliflower. She seemed a little hesitant, but would do it once just to humour me on the understanding that I knew this was a sacrifice as too many saturated fats sent her cholesterol to dangerously high levels.

You just need to look at me to see how much weight I have lost, the improvement in my skin, my higher energy levels, significant reduction in my headaches all on this "poisonous" diet. And then there is the invisible stuff such as the bg results on my meter (last couple of days being a bit of an abberation ) and my last cholesterol results. Hey ho...

It can be bloody hard work :?

 

[lowcarbfan]

Spiral

My partner and I have been lowcarbing for two years. People still think we are crazy and can't understand how we manage without potatoes, pasta, rice and bread. Our diet is quite high in fat but our cholesterol levels remain low as the body burns the fat for energy. There are a number of very good lowcarb cookbooks which have quick and easy recipes. We now eat so little processed food and that can only be a good thing. Keep doing what works for you.

 

[Spiral]

It's not the crazy, lowcarbfan, I'm used to being seen as a bit eccentric. But I will admit to feeling a bit dissapointed that my apparently intellegent and observent friends and colleagues can't see how well I'm doing on it. I certainly don't intend to stop, but I'm not expecting an easy ride when it comes to the diabetic clinic.

 

[Doczoc]

It's not the crazy, lowcarbfan, I'm used to being seen as a bit eccentric. But I will admit to feeling a bit dissapointed that my apparently intellegent and observent friends and colleagues can't see how well I'm doing on it. I certainly don't intend to stop, but I'm not expecting an easy ride when it comes to the diabetic clinic.

It's crazy isn't it? People fall over themselves to congratulate you and ask for your secret, then when you tell them they immediately become sceptical and dismissive.

 

[Bluenosesol]

I have posted similar under another heading, but relevant so here goes....

I genuinely believe that my T2 reached full blown manifestation as a RESULT of my attempts to be healthy.
I made a decision to eat healthy based on popular "knowledge".

I reduced fats to a minimum, banning fish and chips and fry ups. I started to eat lots of pasta, rice and wholemeal bread and roti bread and chapatis. My favourite was chick pea curry with basmati rice and chapatis. Lunch would often be beans on toast or jacket potato and loads of baked beans without the butter. I ate fruit by the bowl full, at least 5 pieces a day, especially bananas, apples, satsumasand grapes. I reduced alcohol consumption significantly. My weight increased over 12 months by over a stone. Although I admit that I did not address my activity levels or lack of, as I expected that weight loss would happen as a direct result of the fat and alcohol reduction.

To my dismay, I had a bout of extreme thirst which had lasted a week, so I got a blood test done and was diagnosed T2.

My trigs were 8 and my HBA1C was 10.3.

Approx 7 weeks ago I commenced a lo-carb regime after reading this forum. My doc had put me on 2 x 500g metformin and advised I should expect to be on insulin in the near future.

I get another HBA1C and trigs and cholesterol test on June 30th and hoping I will justify a posting on "Success Stories".

I am praying for marked improvements, as I have dropped weight from 17 st 5 to 15 st 7 and my "crude" average BG for the last 28 days is 5.3!!.


Steve

 

[fergus]

Steve, I'm not a betting man but with the way you're going I'd be happy to put £20 of someone elses money on you avoiding insulin. A fair each way bet on reducing or stopping the oral meds too.
I'd agree with you that the orthodox 'healthy diet' is virtually designed to push genetically susceptible folks towards hyperinsulinemia and type 2 diabetes.
As you've discovered, there's an antidote.

All the best,

fergus