What with one thing and another (weather, cold and greed being 3 of them!) I ended up after Christmas with more carbohydrates in my diet than usual - up to 150g per day rather than 50g or below.
As I couldn't seem to discipline myself back into my Atkins-type ways, I decided to use the period between HbA1cs as an experiment. I had one HbA1c immediately pre-Christmas; the next was due at the end of March but ended up (because of an altercation between the car and a snow-drift :roll: ) being delayed until the end of April.
On that amount of carbohydrate I expected two things to happen - my HbA1c to rise, and my cholesterol/lipid profile to be a disaster. I got my results today.
Imagine my surprise to find that my HbA1c had improved - down from 5.7 before Xmas to 5.4 last week! :shock:
This despite the fact that my morning fasting levels were slightly up, though still within the diabetic target range. My afternoon readings were still in the low 5s/high 4s, though. It seems as if two years of very-low-carb have greatly improved my insulin resistance, which seems to have decreased.
As for the cholesterol/lipid profile: my results before Xmas were as follows:
Total: 4.9
Triglycerides: 1.00
HDL: 1.6
LDL: 2.86
Total:HDL ratio: 3.1
These figures are good; some would say the "total" figure should be lower, but the others are all on target and the Total:HDL is very good indeed.
On 4 months of increased carbohydrate:
Total: 5.6
Triglycerides: 1.4
HDL: 1.3
LDL: 3.7
Total:HDL ratio: 4.3
Total has gone up; also triglycerides and LDL (the baddies). HDL (the goody) has dropped, though still on target (above 1.2). The Total:HDL ratio is still on target, though higher than last time (target is below 5). Not quite the disaster I was expecting, but not good.
I managed to maintain my pre-Xmas weight by a dint of cutting back on the red wine. :crazy:
I know that this is in no way scientific, and I expect to be shot down in flames by the scientists among you - but to my mind it demonstrates, to me if no-one else, that carbohydrates are bad for my cholesterol. :eh: :think:
I've already decreased my carb intake as the weather warms up, because I need to lose lots more weight and I know that Atkins works for me (particularly if I don't drink :roll: :wink: ). It will be interesting to see what happens at my next blood tests, at the end of August.
The nurse and I have decided to drop my HbA1c to 3 times a year instead of 4; note that this still lets me get the test in just before Christmas so I can cheat a bit over the holiday. 8) :shock:
Viv 8)
edited for PS: I'm still diabetic; if I go on eating too many carbs for my system, the insulin resistance will undoubtedly creep back.
As I couldn't seem to discipline myself back into my Atkins-type ways, I decided to use the period between HbA1cs as an experiment. I had one HbA1c immediately pre-Christmas; the next was due at the end of March but ended up (because of an altercation between the car and a snow-drift :roll: ) being delayed until the end of April.
On that amount of carbohydrate I expected two things to happen - my HbA1c to rise, and my cholesterol/lipid profile to be a disaster. I got my results today.
Imagine my surprise to find that my HbA1c had improved - down from 5.7 before Xmas to 5.4 last week! :shock:
This despite the fact that my morning fasting levels were slightly up, though still within the diabetic target range. My afternoon readings were still in the low 5s/high 4s, though. It seems as if two years of very-low-carb have greatly improved my insulin resistance, which seems to have decreased.As for the cholesterol/lipid profile: my results before Xmas were as follows:
Total: 4.9
Triglycerides: 1.00
HDL: 1.6
LDL: 2.86
Total:HDL ratio: 3.1
These figures are good; some would say the "total" figure should be lower, but the others are all on target and the Total:HDL is very good indeed.
On 4 months of increased carbohydrate:
Total: 5.6
Triglycerides: 1.4
HDL: 1.3
LDL: 3.7
Total:HDL ratio: 4.3
Total has gone up; also triglycerides and LDL (the baddies). HDL (the goody) has dropped, though still on target (above 1.2). The Total:HDL ratio is still on target, though higher than last time (target is below 5). Not quite the disaster I was expecting, but not good.
I managed to maintain my pre-Xmas weight by a dint of cutting back on the red wine. :crazy:
I know that this is in no way scientific, and I expect to be shot down in flames by the scientists among you - but to my mind it demonstrates, to me if no-one else, that carbohydrates are bad for my cholesterol. :eh: :think:
I've already decreased my carb intake as the weather warms up, because I need to lose lots more weight and I know that Atkins works for me (particularly if I don't drink :roll:
:wink: ). It will be interesting to see what happens at my next blood tests, at the end of August.The nurse and I have decided to drop my HbA1c to 3 times a year instead of 4; note that this still lets me get the test in just before Christmas so I can cheat a bit over the holiday. 8) :shock:
Viv 8)
edited for PS: I'm still diabetic; if I go on eating too many carbs for my system, the insulin resistance will undoubtedly creep back.
