Another view on low carbing.

Catherine,

Well I suppose it is just another view of low-carbing, and sure to cause some debate on the board.

I really don't want to join in any debate about the pro's and con's of a low-carb lifestyle. I think that each person must decide which diet/lifestyle to follow, based on their blood glucose readings, hba1c, and most importantly on their present health status. Six and twelve month testing of all the major risk factors of cholesterol and kidney function etc, will determine which option is best suitable overall. I think that each person is individual, and one size does not fit all !!!

Regards

Nigel

Seems sensible to me.

Have made my first hearty vegetable soup of the season - and it has onions, kale, green pepper, carrots, swedes, parsnips and sweet potato in it. I will sprinkle some grated cheese on it - and non-diabetic husband will have the lions share of the garlicky croutons that I intend to make.

I know there is plenty there that some would find fault with - but to my mind it is nutritious and delicious.

Romola, apart from the parsnips my spoon is at the ready, please ask husband to shift up a seat!
Val

Had a read. Interesting......?

Mind you it was written by a non diabetic bodybuilder, so there isn't anything there from the perspective of a Diabetic. Does mention Insulin in passing. Some things OK, some laughable.
I don't think I will be buying any of his books. :lol:

I feel duty-bound to queue jump here, selflessly offering my services as a taste tester, just to make sure it's OK! (I'll try to leave some left for the rest of you, but won't guarantee it) :lol:

For me Low Carbing is no fad diet, it's a the only way I can keep my BGs under control, and as such if I want to keep free of complications I have no Sensible alternative it's now a way of life me.

Graham

Edited for those that think medication is an alternative :lol:

It's interesting, but a lot of it is just plain WRONG. eg Exercise being the best way of losing weight.
It's been shown many time that exercise alone for weight loss simply doesn't work. and the calories in versus calories out is wrong too.
Those are not necessarily relevant to diabetes control, but I'd follow thw writer's advice and go for INFORMED decisions
Hana

There are several members who seem to have fallen into what he is saying...

He's not saying that low carbing is wrong after all he's earning a living out of low carbing method...

what he's pointing out are the stupidy of some low carbers when they become blinkered by what they are doing...

If you eat 5000 calories and only require 1500 calories to maintain your body, it doesn't matter whether the calories come from carbs, or fat or protien or a combination of these, you will be over-weight.. Remeber it only takes an excess of 500 calories to create a LB of fat!

What he gives is what is called a stupid staement that can be said by a low carber, then gives what would be an intellegent low carb statement...

Graham says he has no choice but low carb... Sounds as though he's not particularly enjoying his diet!

But if we look at his siguture, we find that he doesn't take medication and is on diet a lone, so he does have a choice he could actually choose to start to take medication..

I don't have a choice of taking insulin as I would die with out it, but I do have choice of how I many combine my what I eat and how to effectively use my insulin...

He may not be a diabetic, but there again nor was Atkins.. But he still (did) promote the low carb diet theory...

Tom Venuto is obviously talking out the top of his hat.

Thanks for taking the time to share your common sense and intuitive bodily wisdom with us, Tom!

Graham says he has no choice but low carb... Sounds as though he's not particularly enjoying his diet!

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What a load of tosh I have stated previously on this forum I love my "Low Carb/ High Fat" lifestyle, take a look at the low carb recipes there's a wide variety of different meals to suit every taste. I don't have any intention of changing I enjoy every meal..

But if we look at his siguture, we find that he doesn't take medication and is on diet a lone, so he does have a choice he could actually choose to start to take medication..

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I am considering going on metformin at the moment but only to see if it will make any difference to my fasting numbers, as this is one area I have no control over, but if it has none or minimal impact on morning BG I will stop taking them. No way will I use metformin or any other medications to see if I can add more carbs to my diet..

Love and hugs
Graham xx

catherinecherub said:

Hi Graham,

Your post does say that you have no alternative :?:

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Hello my little Cherub and welcome back :wink: , yes I'm afraid it was rather remiss of me not to have used the words Sensible alternatives. I suppose I should have expected that response from an anti low carber, who else would have thought of medications as an alternative to low carb. :roll:

Even more Love and Hugs
Graham

hanadr said:

It's interesting, but a lot of it is just plain WRONG. eg Exercise being the best way of losing weight.
It's been shown many time that exercise alone for weight loss simply doesn't work. and the calories in versus calories out is wrong too.
Those are not necessarily relevant to diabetes control, but I'd follow thw writer's advice and go for INFORMED decisions
Hana

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If that's true, I'd immediately question why athletic people are thin, despite eating large amounts of calories and carbohydrates.

Pro-swimmers can eat 6000 calories a day, a lot of that being carbs. Yet they burn 6000 calories or more each day they swim. And not many are fat.

If exercise doesn't keep fat off and calorie balance is a myth, that's a heck of a co-incidence, isn't it?

I don't think medication is an alternative, I believe it should be the last resort...

graham64 said:

I suppose I should have expected that response from an anti low carber, who else would have thought of medications as an alternative to low carb.

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It's lke giving up cigarettes by taking up smack... It sure keeps the nicotine monkey off your back. :lol:

There you go Graham almost there

Stupidity- I have no choice

Intelligent – I feel that there isn’t a reasonable alternative choice…

The first statement makes it sound as though the person is either following blindly and/or isn’t happy with what they are doing… Very negative statement indeed…

But the intelligent statement, shows that the person has researched and/or tried out several methods, and the one they’ve chosen to follow they are happy with, granted it may not be the choice they ideally would like, but happy that it’s right out of the choices that have available and there own personal take of the situation in hand…

Is medication an alternative!, it can be but there again it might be an essential requirement what ever diet choice you make...

I have to take insulin no alternative to insulin as of yet…

But Type 2’s may have a choice..

Diet, be it GI or extreme low carb, or even a lower carb diet than they ate before diagnoses may work wonders for there control..

But some even following an extreme low carb diet, will still have to take medication to get the body to handle to glucose correctly..

There will be those that a strict extreme diet isn’t wanted by the individual, by taking medication to handle there carb intake works wonders for them…

As to who is or who isn’t anti-low carb question…

No we are just putting forward what is working for us and how we manage our diabetes…

We DON’T advocate a carb feast, eat all you want approach to diabetes but we DO advocate good monitoring practices, working out what food do what to your BG, so that you know where your limitation lay and can work within these limitations, understanding what can effect your control of your diabetes… Basically tools and knowledge that enables the individual diabetic to not only understand there condition, be pro-active in there management, that enables the individual diabetic to build there own diet regime to match good control and there own personal lifestyles…

After all that is exactly what Bernstein did for himself, worked out what did and didn’t work for him, then flogged his ideas to others… I’ve done exactly the same as Bernstein worked out what works for me… It’s different to his, but there again I’m not Bernstein nor do I have his lifestyle, and he doesn’t have mine so why on the earth should I think what works for him will work for me?

There you go Graham almost there

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You got there a long time ago sweetie... :wink:

Stupidity- I have no choice

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Yes I have no choice having tried every option, this is based on my experience as a diabetic not stupidity...

Intelligent – I feel that there isn’t a reasonable alternative choice…

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I don't feel I know, as a T2 my meter tells me there isn't a sensible alternative choice...

The first statement makes it sound as though the person is either following blindly and/or isn’t happy with what they are doing… Very negative statement indeed…

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My first statement is based is based on personal knowledge of my diabetes, and is therefore a positive statement “indeed”... I am entirely happy with my present regime and the health benefits that have ensued... I don't follow anything blindly I always do my own research and go by results...

But the intelligent statement, shows that the person has researched and/or tried out several methods, and the one they’ve chosen to follow they are happy with, granted it may not be the choice they ideally would like, but happy that it’s right out of the choices that have available and there own personal take of the situation in hand…

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This has been adequately covered in my previous answer...

Is medication an alternative!, it can be but there again it might be an essential requirement what ever diet choice you make...

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Unfortunately for some T2s they may have been diagnosed to late for diet only, or may have other medical problems that make medications inevitable. But a Low Carb diet will enable them keep medications to a minimum...

I have to take insulin no alternative to insulin as of yet…

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I should think this is because you are a T1 :roll: , as such your practical knowledge of T2s is zero...

But Type 2’s may have a choice..

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Maybe not following your advice is possibly the best choice...

Diet, be it GI or extreme low carb, or even a lower carb diet than they ate before diagnoses may work wonders for there control..

Click to expand...

You got the Low Carb right...

But some even following an extreme low carb diet, will still have to take medication to get the body to handle to glucose correctly..

Click to expand...

Again answered previously...

There will be those that a strict extreme diet isn’t wanted by the individual, by taking medication to handle there carb intake works wonders for them…

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Well there we have it a use medications to cover your carb intake :roll: , this is why you should stick to the T1 forum...

As to who is or who isn’t anti-low carb question…

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There's no question you are unequivocally anti Low Carb...

No we are just putting forward what is working for us and how we manage our diabetes…

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What is working for you as a T1 :roll: , so does that make you an expert on T2s...

We DON’T advocate a carb feast, eat all you want approach to diabetes but we DO advocate good monitoring practices, working out what food do what to your BG, so that you know where your limitation lay and can work within these limitations, understanding what can effect your control of your diabetes… Basically tools and knowledge that enables the individual diabetic to not only understand there condition, be pro-active in there management, that enables the individual diabetic to build there own diet regime to match good control and there own personal lifestyles…

Click to expand...

You as a T1 you manage your diabetes by carb counting and adjusting your insulin accordingly, as a T2 I use my meter as a guide to carb intake and know exactly were my limitations lie...
Having seen posts from T1s saying I can eat what I like and just cover it with more insulin, which you must admit is irresponsible to say the least, why DON'T you as a T1 address these posters is it that you agree with them and DO advocate that approach, it seems to me that you are more concerned at trying to tell us T2s how we should control our BG...

After all that is exactly what Bernstein did for himself, worked out what did and didn’t work for him, then flogged his ideas to others… I’ve done exactly the same as Bernstein worked out what works for me… It’s different to his, but there again I’m not Bernstein nor do I have his lifestyle, and he doesn’t have mine so why on the earth should I think what works for him will work for me?

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Then why on earth do you seem to think what works for you will work for a T2... Yes you may think you've done the same as Bernstein but can you match his HbA1c, on your present regime I don't think so...

Give Low Carb a go you never know it could help with your frozen shoulder and eye problems, I hate to see you suffering sweetie...

Loads of Low Carb love and peace...

Graham xxx