Would any of us want to be on drugs if we didn't have to???? If we have a choice, and that choice means that we have control, then what was the question?
We mustn't be fooled (and what I have now twigged and has had the biggest effect on my former 'deprivation' issues) - everyone who eats the 'normal' high-carb 'Western' diet is being damaged by it one way or another, sooner or later. It is packed to the gunwales with junk and rubbish. Whilst not everyone is heading that way, thousands out there are struggling with poor carb metabolism, insulin and blood sugar issues and weight problems. Even if they are not yet Diabetic they are well on the road to developing it.
For those that aren't Pre, post, syndrome X or any other 'related to diabetes', you can bet your bottom dollar that the barrage of other health issues that are flying around are related in some way or another to the huge amount of carbs that people stuff themselves with all day, every day.
I know of and know people who have healed from MS, ME, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, depression, migraines, Fibromyalgia, Sleep Apnoea, Restless Leg Syndrome, Neuropathy, IBS, Insomnia, NAFLD, asthma, eczema, psoriasis, digestive issues like UC, Crohn's and Celiac, and a host of other things, by adopting a low-carb lifestyle.
We tend to put labels on things. Low-carb is a label. Do the people who eat a naturally low-carb diet think of it as low-carb? We only call it low-carb because compared to the every day Western diet which is actually very high-carb, it is low in comparison. But low doesn't have to be NO.
How low is low? I'm not going to be drawn into the 'low'/'non-low' carb debate, but prefer to look at the logical argument. You can't put markers on this. All you can do is apply common sense. Carbs drive blood sugar. Whether you are high, medium, low or no, that is still fact. Whether we choose not to lower carbs or whether we choose to avoid them is personal choice, but we are all affected by them one way or another.
Personally, I just look at what I see. A friend whose brother went blind at the age of 30 and has now lost the ability to walk because his feet have rotted - he has never controlled his carb intake. Another friend who is controlled by his fear of brittle hypos and who struggles to cope - who also has never controlled his carb intake. Another friend who has lost so much weight through keto-acidosis because the Medical Profession can't get her blood sugars low enough - she openly admits she eats at least 8 slices of bread a day! That all tells me exactly what I need to know. I can work out the logics for myself..........
If you think of the typical day of your average 'Joe', they will wake in the morning to tea/coffee, probably with sugar, maybe a few biscuits or a packet or two. Cereal/sugar for breakfast, or toast or some other carb-laden treat. Coke or other soft drinks, carby snacks, biscuits, crisps, etc., mid-morning. Sandwiches, rolls, paninis, bagels, pies, pasties, whatever for lunch, more mid-afternoon carb/sugar hits. Dinner will undoubtedly consist of something with potato, pasta, rice, or pizza, etc. Then it's beer, wine, crisps, snacks, sweets, cake, buns, chocolate and any other munchie that takes their fancy all evening. From bed to bed - carb, carb, carb, carb carb.
Ok, not everyone eats like that, but thousands do, or they certainly eat a good proportion of it. For many, the only vegetable they ever consume is out of a baked-bean tin (have you seen the amount of carb in those?!). Much of what they eat is nutritionally devoid, or even 'dead' and contributes nothing of any real value to their diet or their health (but plenty of undesirable stuff like fat & toxins).
If the Low-carb label means that I consume an all-natural, non-processed, healthy diet that is full of rich nutrition, vital enzymes and nutrients not found in processed food, that helps my body heal and is supportive rather than detrimental, then if that is what people want to label it as, it's fine by me.
If we are that addicted to food that we would rather take more medication than reduce carb intake then that is our prerogative. However, the more insulin we need to take the less likely we are to be able to lose weight and may even gain it. The more insulin we need to keep our sugar levels down the more insulin-resistant the cells become and the more insulin we need to take. The more resistant we become the less able our bodies are to deal with the sugars and the more likely we are to succumb to other related health issues. The more insulin we need to take the harder it becomes to control the blood sugar and hypos can become a daily - and often 'brittle' occurrence. It is all driven by carbs.
There is no deprivation in the low-carb diet. Deprivation is a state of mind. There is plenty of delicious food to eat - just not carb-sodden food. All the very best restaurants make their gorgeous meals out of all-natural un-processed real food. How often do you ever see celebrity chefs open a tin of baked beans or a packet of crisps? They all use REAL food. Where's the deprivation in that?
Would I rather be deprived of chocolate cake or my feet?............ummmm.
PS. On my real food diet I do get to eat, amongst many other lovely things, a treat of chocolate cake once in a while. Home made with ground almonds, butter, eggs, cocoa, a little honey, and topped with slices of pear and still pretty low-carb. Gorgeous. So I get to eat chocolate cake and keep my feet.
PPS. As well as stabilising and keeping my levels low its enabled me to reduce my Metformin and insulin by two-thirds, avoid hypos and dawn phenomenon and dump the blood-pressure tablets too - and recover from a host of other health issues. But that's my choice.