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Another case for listen then ignore?

B

Beej@76

Member
Messages
7
Had a callback from a GP at my practice earlier, following the advice from the week two lesson, check with your doctor etc. His response, I wouldn't do that. He didn't give me chance to say I wanted his professional opinion if I should not if he would. Then onto obtaining a meter on prescription, he said I didn't need one, when I said surely it's an integral tool in management, still no I didn't need one, so I then began to say that NICE recommends etc. He almost put the phone down, he couldn't get away quick enough. I will add though that I have already bought my own but was at least hoping to get strips on prescription as a pensioner on restricted income!
And yes think I will continue with reducing the carbs to as my average for week one of testing comes out at 6.7 and that includes a spike following a food which the DN and I quote "Crumpets are good" my levels after that particular breakfast went from 5.7 to 12.4.

Also why did the DN recommend this site if they don't agree with LCHF.
Rant over
 
I don't think they do recommend this site - I think they recommend 'the other one'.

Yes, I made the same mistake when I first came here - it seemed obvious to fill in the web address as .co.uk rather than .org - but I'm glad I did make that 'mistake' as I've got my BG under control using methods other people here have successfully used and 'met' lots of lovely people who are all supporting each other and sharing experiences and tips. I have since visited 'the other one' and find that they tend to recommend that carb rich eatwell plate diet as recommended by the majority (but not all) of health care providers.

My GP also doesn't like low carbing - when I mentioned I wanted to attempt it (hoping for support) he called it 'hippy dippy' and that he thought I'd regret it. Wrong!
 
No @Chook the DN definitely recommended this site, she had it on her screen and read out the address for me to write down, but hey ho!!!!!
 
Exactly
 
@Beej@76 , it could be that your nurse and doctor aren't in accord. It wouldn't be the first time to have happened.

To be clear, this site recommends eating to our meters, but for many T2s that turns out to be a reduced carb diet. Of course, when we are eating to our meters, the feedback is pretty much immediate, and very much, literally, in front of our faces.

Good luck on your journey. There's plenty to learn.
 
I was really very lucky. When I was diagnosed with T2 the GP who was a trainee doing a placement pointed me to this site as a useful source of information and I'm eternally grateful to her. I do look at "the other site," but have not been impressed by the way it tends to promote NICE advice and doesn't publicise research that runs contrary to NICE. Also some of the 'meals' ideas they put up are horribly heavy in carbs.
My present GP who is fairly young seems pretty clued up about diabetes and diet as well as cholesterol and was really interested when I showed her the graph I kept of my BG when following the NICE diet and later a LCHF diet. She'd no problems with LCHF and said that she'd probably be able to say I was in remission if my BG trend continued.
 
Beej@76 said:
Then onto obtaining a meter on prescription, he said I didn't need one, when I said surely it's an integral tool in management, still no I didn't need one, so I then began to say that NICE recommends etc.
Click to expand...

One of the problems with presenting a doctor with information is that they will clam up and become very defensive. However, if you ask how you're meant to monitor your "life style changes" without having to wait 6 months to a year for an HbA1c their position is different.

Beej@76 said:
I will add though that I have already bought my own but was at least hoping to get strips on prescription as a pensioner on restricted income!
Click to expand...

Sadly, that's not the way it works. Hopefully the machine you now have has some of the cheaper consumables (test strips). It could be that as you identify what's good for your BG and what's not so good, your testing requirements could change.

Beej@76 said:
And yes think I will continue with reducing the carbs to as my average for week one of testing comes out at 6.7
Click to expand...

Pretty good result, keep up the good work. I threw away Gliclazide, Januvia and statins because my BG and total cholesterol dropped so much just by cutting out bread/potato/rice/pasta.

Beej@76 said:
agree with LCHF.
Click to expand...

Watch the HF bit, it's not suitable for everyone, we all have different experiences with that.

One of the really great things about using low carb to help control BG is the feeling one gets at review time when you can mention that it wasn't achieved by following the doctor's advice (no meter) or the nurses advice (crumpets are good ???? LOL).

All the best
 
Hi @Beej@76 . I know what you feel. I recommend you test your glucose levels regularly. 12.4 is not a good reading, you should avoid these levels as much as possible. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. Keep a diary of your bgl' s and food intake. Keep your fluid intake up and keep active. This is your life - take charge of it.
 
Although its expensive for regular use I have found using a continuous plasma monitor for 2 weeks about four times per year answers all the questions I have about lifestyle and T2D. Using it, I went from 63 mmol/mol to 48 in just 6 months! I found all the best LCHF tactics and was also able to identify 'stress' factors in raising blood sugar to 12mmol/l over a half day! (i.e Excessive Check-up Appointments!)
 
I think the way generally that people refer to "fruit and vegetables" makes them forget they have a carbohydrate value. There seem to be 5 macronutrients in their world, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables. I think it is because we are taught that f&v contain vitamins, minerals, water, cellulose " to keep you regular" it is forgotten that this is a carbohydrate too, albeit a very small amount in most veg certainly. As Zoe Harcombe calls it, it is the Eatbadly guide that the other side and NICE use. They also seem to equate not eating starchy stuff as being no carb and I think that is their problem. Ultimately NICE is a guideline, which I think is the minimum amount. It can always be improved upon by the application of a bit of science. We are not no carb. We are still eating carbs, but just from an unprocessed source and not worrying about the fat content of stuff or the calorie count. This gives LIBERTY AND FREEDOM to get on with living our new lifestyle.
 
I have decided to eat
  • lots of eggs
  • fish that looks like fish (oily fish is liked by all GPs as its good fat)
  • meat that looks like meat (cut fat from bacon, and not too much pork belly etc, white meat rather then red most of the time)
  • low carb veg that looks like veg (aim for at least 5 different colors each day.)
  • lots of salad
  • no refined sugar
  • no bread or other items made with floor (reconsider wholemeal once my BG is under control)
  • no sources that contains corn floor
  • no pasta
  • limited brown rice (say once a week)
  • limited potatoes (say once a week)
  • some cheese
  • apples before driving etc if I need to control for risk of low BG
  • no fruit juice
And no processed food as everyone agrees they are bad with hidden transfats and highly processed carbs.

Mostly based on https://www.drchatterjee.com/blog/low-fat-eating.cfm and https://www.facebook.com/DrChatterjee/posts/1280327492095299

So control my curbs and avoid as many simple quick acting curbs as I can.

Go for a walk after any meal with curbs, and also do a 40 minutes fast walk most days.

Only time will tell how well this is working, as due to drugs the GP put me on taking time to work, I don't yet have a stable baseline BG to experiment with.

The nurse does not approve of "low curb high fat" but was happy with what I was eating that day.
  • Egg+semi skin milk omelette with smoked mackerel
  • Greak salad with tuna and fata
  • Roast Chicken with green veg etc
I did not tell her what I was not having with the chicken…..
 
Thank you for posting the above. I got almost the same response as you except I was told to take more exercise and drink more water. I too have my own metre and no I cant have strips as I am not on insulin. I dont want the be on insulin so like you I want to be on top of my readings.
 
Beej@76 said:
No @Chook the DN definitely recommended this site, she had it on her screen and read out the address for me to write down, but hey ho!!!!!
Click to expand...

My doctor actually wrote the URL of this site down for me. When I turned up much improved and told her what I had done (she did ask!) she wrinkled her nose a bit but did not actually criticise what I was doing. The proof of the (lack of) pudding was sat there in front of her.
 
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