Carbohydrate - apparently it's evil

[Rick]

OK, I'm confused. Fergusc got me thinking, as he said that he only takes in about 30g carbohydrate a day; given that this is supposed to be about 50% of food intake a day for a healthy diet (35% fat and 15% protein - not exact and not perfect for everyone I appreciate). However, does that mean that only about 22g of fat are eaten along with 9g of protein are eaten in a day?
I was lambasted as 'suicidal' to eat over 100g of carbs per meal. What does everyone else eat and how does fergusc not collapse through lack of energy? I know it's all personal choice I'm just interested; if it works for fergusc then great and I'm really happy but I'm still utterly amazed.

 

Come on....you can eat whatever you want as long as you take enough insulin to cover your food intake. The days of the "no carb diet" are over. I can eat 100g of carbs or none in two different meal and so what...doesn't change anything really. But when i'm gonna have a busy day i definately need the energy so i will eat carbs.
Also i need to feel full sometimes!

erroneous.

 

[Dennis]

Rick,

I apologise if I upset you - I didn't mean to lambast you. I was just concerned that readers would think that eating 300g carbs per day (100g per meal) is what they should be aiming at. The point is (particularly for a type 2 - which 85% of diabetics are) that a very low level of carbohydrate won't do you any physical damage, whereas a very high level certainly will do enormous damage. Like you, I am surprised that Fergus can manage on a 30g intake, but 300g is about double what DUK and the ADA recommend for a diabetic - and most recent independent studies have been saying that even the ADA recommended 160g is way too high.

As Fergus has mentioned several times, and there are many studies to back this argument, the diets recommended by authorities in the western world (the balanced meal plate in UK and the food triangle in US) since the 1980s are now believed to be the major cause of the explosion in both diabetes and obesity. The proportions of 50% carb, 35% fat and 15% protein are way out of date. The new US guidelines published in 2005 recommend a daily intake of 6 oz carbs and 5½ oz proteins, with lower quantities of fruit. veg and fats.

I can only suggest that you (and Erroneous) have a look a Dr Richard Bernstein's book "The Diabetes Solution". You may or may not agree with what he says, but please read it before you make a judgement. And incidentally before anyone dismisses him as a quack - he is recognised as one of the world's leading endocrinologists.

 

[david parkman]

Dennis, followed your mention of dr bernstien and Googled him. He has a blog on a website. took the time to read some of his articles of which there are many. The food science point is one i am slowly getting my head round after following the conventional wisdom when first diagnosed. Like Rick i didnt know enough or wasnt told enough to go against the grain and it does take something a leap of faith to challenge. Having said that the more i read on this site of what others in similar situations are doing and achieving the more i am convinced that the " experts " are far from on the ball.

Rick im in a similar boat to you in understanding but have started the learning curve, wouldnt have done so without info from this site .

 

[bluebird]

Hi

I seem to be having too many carbs but I am confused with what I read on here and what my DN tells me. I have on average 230 to 300grms per day.

I did try and post a breakdown but it came out as garbage when I posted from excel.

Cheers Val

 

[sugarless sue]

Val,if what you are eating keeps your BS below 7 on a daily basis and it is stuff that you enjoy eating then keep it up!If you find a dietary way of keeping the sugars under control then don't stress too much about the carbs.As lots of us have said,what works for one doesn't always work for another and if you force yourself to eat,what to you is unnaturally,then you are more likely to suddenly head for the chocs!!Keep your carb level down to what is comfortable and in control for you and keep up the good work!

Knowledge is the key to control

 

[sugar]

Hi Rick,
Just to compare, I have about 20g for breakfast, 30 g for lunch and anywhere between 20 and 50 for evening meal. It does have be said though....it is a long time since I ran a triatherlon...which I know you do regularly, and I suspect that it is your (impressive!) exercise regime that means you need more carbs than some of us. I also remember that you have great control...so if it ain't broke...... I am considering the low carb thing, once I have had my baby, as although my HbA1C is good, I do fluctuate alot, and thought that I would give it a try and see how it worked for me.
Thats just me though!

 

[fergusc]

Hi Rick,

Sorry if I didn't explain myself fully, but it's sometimes a safer strategy than banging on endlessly.

Yes, I've been down to 30g carbs per day for the past few months, as an experiment to see how many of the food science myths are actually true. What I'm definitely NOT following is a low calorie diet I hasten to add. I get through around 2750 calories per day, because I eat a lot more fat and protein instead of carbohydrate.

One obvious myth is that we need carbs for energy. I had a 60 mile cycle with my road club this morning and we kept an average speed of over 20mph! No carbs at all so far today. The body actually works supremely efficiently on fat and protein as fuel.

Incidentally, I had my 6 month HbA1c check on Tuesday. 4.7%. I don't have all the other numbers back yet, but I'll share them with you when I have them.

All the best,

fergusc

 

[Rick]

Hey, thanks for all the replies. Dennis, I don't take offence to anything posted on here; I just took umbridge at the opinion that 100g was suicidal. Anyway, I'll have a look at Dr. Bernstein out of curiosity, I just find it hard to believe that people can function well on very low carbs. I know that fat stores are becoming utilised more and more by long distance athletes (a lot longer than my training I hasten to add) but I, personally, don't think it's a good long term strategy - though I can't argue about fergusc's hba result that's incredible. Keep up the good work I'm impressed with everyone's results - all got by different methods of control!

 

[anythingwilldo]

Hi.
I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and T2 Diabetes 3 years ago. My diet at the time was massive in carbohydrate and fat although surprisingly, I was not overweight. It took me 2 years of research and practice to get everything under control. Like many others, I am not overly impressed with the GP or the drug solutions. I was told if my cholesterol wasn't reduced my chance of having a heart attack during the next year was 30% higher than normal and was prescribed statins. I took these for a while then stopped and tried 500mg nicotinamide (vit B3) before bed each night. My LDL is now low and my HDL is high (much better than with statins and without the side affects). Regarding my diabetes, I try to maintain a level of carbohydrate intake that produces a blood sugar level of less than 8, two hours after finishing a meal. This meant I could eat about 30gm of carbo per meal, with 15gm mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I then began taking ALA before each main meal and discovered that it resulted in a much more rapid reduction of blood sugar. As others have said, I think you just have to suck it and see what's best for yourself. You will get there

 

[garrycrone]

Dear anythingwilldo. Am interested in your use of ALA. What dosage do you take and are there any good suppliers? The web is littered with diferent dosages and suppliers but I was interested in your experiences. I have used cinnamon powder and tablets for the last year (I am a deteriorating Type 2) with some good effect but have been considering ALA. Your views would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[anythingwilldo]

Hi garrycrone.

I use 250mg ALA per 20gm of expected carbohydrate intake. Typically this means I take 500mg before each main meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have also started taking 500ug of Biotin before each meal which seems to improve the efficiency of the ALA.
I generally have a snack, typically an apple, of no greater than 15gm carbo in between meals. I only take ALA with the snack if is greater than 20gm carbo.
WARNING... I used R ALA for a short while and my blood sugar levels went mad. I don’t know why yet.

I buy my ALA and Biotin from Natures Best at http://www.naturesbest.co.uk.