Advice for going low carb

[Charles Robin]

Good luck Charles and I think you're doing really well and all the right things to get control of your condition!

Thanks guys, I'm certainly enjoying the food! Just finished a meal of chicken wrapped in bacon, with homemade celeriac chips. I wish celeriac had been in my life earlier than today!

I'm moving flat at the end of the week, and am hopefully going to have a housewarming for some close friends in a couple of weeks. My plan is to try and make a low carb meal for them without telling them and see if anyone notices. Pizza made from flax meal, celeriac chips, and champagne jelly for dessert (following a modification of a Delia recipe given here: http://www.lowcarbdiabetic.co.uk/Recipes.htm).

 

[Patch13]

Thanks guys, I'm certainly enjoying the food! Just finished a meal of chicken wrapped in bacon, with homemade celeriac chips. I wish celeriac had been in my life earlier than today!

I'm moving flat at the end of the week, and am hopefully going to have a housewarming for some close friends in a couple of weeks. My plan is to try and make a low carb meal for them without telling them and see if anyone notices. Pizza made from flax meal, celeriac chips, and champagne jelly for dessert (following a modification of a Delia recipe given here: http://www.lowcarbdiabetic.co.uk/Recipes.htm).

Sounds good! Maybe they will be impressed and try a bit of low-carbing too

 

[cratat]

Charles glad to see I'm not the only one that feels like I'm on roundabout haven't gone low cab yet but continuing to look into it has my bloods have increased dramatically since my last Diabetic review and I have gained weight even though I have started 5 days a week at the gym

 

[SamJB]

You're doing the right thing, in my opinion. Any diabetic's objective is to not go high and not go low. If you achieve that by reducing the amount of food that affect your BGs, then good for you. Most DSNs and dieticians are too indoctrinated to see past what they've been taught regarding carb advice. Keep up the good work

 

[robert72]

Thanks guys, I'm certainly enjoying the food! Just finished a meal of chicken wrapped in bacon, with homemade celeriac chips. I wish celeriac had been in my life earlier than today!.

How weird - I had chicken wrapped in bacon yesterday

 

[lizdeluz]

Please could someone explain why some doctors, DSNs and dieticians aren't happy about LCHF? Sorry to ask, but I'm quite new to this after years of looking at my high bs and hypos and doing nothing useful about it! Low carb is definitely working for me right now. I don't know whether my clinic will approve, because I haven't told them.

 

[SamJB]

Please could someone explain why some doctors, DSNs and dieticians aren't happy about LCHF? Sorry to ask, but I'm quite new to this after years of looking at my high bs and hypos and doing nothing useful about it! Low carb is definitely working for me right now. I don't know whether my clinic will approve, because I haven't told them.

There are two reasons: first that there are no large-scale, long-term studies on its safety; and secondly they get scared when you tell them you will be on a high fat diet.

They, and you, can only make an assessment on its safety and efficacy by looking at your regular blood results. If your HbA1c has been reduced and your cholesterol, kidney and blood pressure results are good then it's obviously working for you.

 

[douglas99]

There are two reasons: first that there are no large-scale, long-term studies on its safety; and secondly they get scared when you tell them you will be on a high fat diet.

They, and you, can only make an assessment on its safety and efficacy by looking at your regular blood results. If your HbA1c has been reduced and your cholesterol, kidney and blood pressure results are good then it's obviously working for you.

I wouldn't disagree, but liver function and bone density, as well as the rest of the bloods are also good checks iif you lchf for life.

 

[Patch13]

Please could someone explain why some doctors, DSNs and dieticians aren't happy about LCHF? Sorry to ask, but I'm quite new to this after years of looking at my high bs and hypos and doing nothing useful about it! Low carb is definitely working for me right now. I don't know whether my clinic will approve, because I haven't told them.

I agree with Sam and would also like to add that it goes against the recommendations by the NHS and what they've probably been taught during their training. Thus they don't tend to support it.


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[tonyS54]

I wouldn't disagree, but liver function and bone density, as well as the rest of the bloods are also good checks iif you lchf for life.

If your a diabetic no matter what diet you follow that would apply to all, though I doubt a bone density scan will ever be routinely done. For liver function it's a higher carb and a lower fat diet that could well be a problem.

Metabolic syndrome in patients with NAFLD is associated with a diet containing more carbohydrate and less fat and greater histologic severity. The role of a carbohydrate-restricted diet in decreasing the risk for metabolic syndrome and histologic severity should be assessed in patients with NAFLD.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17032189

 

[douglas99]

If your a diabetic no matter what diet you follow that would apply to all, though I doubt a bone density scan will ever be routinely done. For liver function it's a higher carb and a lower fat diet that could well be a problem.



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17032189

That study shows a risk associated with HCLF, it doesn't show that LCHF must therefore be safe because it's not the diet in the study.
There's also enough studies showing the risk with LCHF.
And I agree, the tests aren't routinely done.

But the op can decide I'm sure.

 

[Charles Robin]

Well it's still early days, but I'm already feeling the effects of low carb. I bumped into a friend the other day who I have not seen since before Christmas. She told me I was looking good, and mentioned I seemed to have a lot more energy. She also said she had got used to seeing dark circles under my eyes, and she was pleased to see they had disappeared. I had not mentioned the low carb diet to her, so the effects must be palpable!

I teach the piano, and walk to most of my pupils. One of them lives over an hour's walk away, with a very large steep hill to negotiate. For over a year I have found that hill a real struggle (Being 26, 5' 11" and 11 stone 6 I should be able to manage it fine). The last couple of lessons I have almost flown up it. The added protein in my diet really seems to be giving me the energy I need to get through the day. Previously I would feel too lethargic to get up at a reasonable time. Now on my day off I have been up since 7, made breakfast for my wife and I (Cheese and bacon omelette, tasty!) sorted my accounts for the last month, and made plans for some low carb dessert attempts.

I have definitely not perfected low carb yet, and am still getting a couple of highs and lows here and there. However, they are much smaller highs, and the lows are much rarer. I will take any medical test results I get into consideration, but while I feel this healthy, I can't think of a reason to go back!

Thanks to everyone for the comments, learning from your experiences is helping me to get on the right track.

 

[xyzzy]

Hi Charles good luck with the low carbing. Keep in touch about how you're getting on.

 

[douglas99]

Well it's still early days, but I'm already feeling the effects of low carb. I bumped into a friend the other day who I have not seen since before Christmas. She told me I was looking good, and mentioned I seemed to have a lot more energy. She also said she had got used to seeing dark circles under my eyes, and she was pleased to see they had disappeared. I had not mentioned the low carb diet to her, so the effects must be palpable!

I teach the piano, and walk to most of my pupils. One of them lives over an hour's walk away, with a very large steep hill to negotiate. For over a year I have found that hill a real struggle (Being 26, 5' 11" and 11 stone 6 I should be able to manage it fine). The last couple of lessons I have almost flown up it. The added protein in my diet really seems to be giving me the energy I need to get through the day. Previously I would feel too lethargic to get up at a reasonable time. Now on my day off I have been up since 7, made breakfast for my wife and I (Cheese and bacon omelette, tasty!) sorted my accounts for the last month, and made plans for some low carb dessert attempts.

I have definitely not perfected low carb yet, and am still getting a couple of highs and lows here and there. However, they are much smaller highs, and the lows are much rarer. I will take any medical test results I get into consideration, but while I feel this healthy, I can't think of a reason to go back!

Thanks to everyone for the comments, learning from your experiences is helping me to get on the right track.

If your wife's eating HF with you, she is low carbing as well?

 

[Dillinger]

There's also enough studies showing the risk with LCHF.

Ok, name one then; if there are so many.

Dillinger

 

[Charles Robin]

If your wife's eating HF with you, she is low carbing as well?

She is indeed! She's not following it quite as strictly as I am, being a non diabetic, but she has cut down massively, and is gradually getting down to my level.

 

[xyzzy]

I wouldn't disagree, but liver function and bone density, as well as the rest of the bloods are also good checks iif you lchf for life.

Can't say a lot about liver function but as part of the series of investigations I had done in the last 6 months my endo ordered a bone density test. The results after 2 years of lchf was "You have the bone density of a 15 year old so no problems there"

 

[douglas99]

Ok, name one then; if there are so many.

Dillinger

No, not again. You don't believe it has any form of risk at all, that's down to you really.
This thread's not about you, the op can read enough arguments about LCHF without another thread bring dragged down.

 

[douglas99]

Can't say a lot about liver function but as part of the series of investigations I had done in the last 6 months my endo ordered a bone density test. The results after 2 years of lchf was "You have the bone density of a 15 year old so no problems there"

That's what I'm talking about.
Regular reviews, and medical supervision and you're doing it the right way!

 

[xyzzy]

That's what I'm talking about.
Regular reviews, and medical supervision and you're doing it the right way!

Yes agreed. The problem is that regardless of whatever way you've chosen to do things persuading your gp to do all the tests and monitoring is problematic for many people especially those who for no fault of their own don't realise they need that regular monitoting in the first place.