diet advice

Matt1212 · Aug 31, 2010

I use this site to get info/advice reference my daughter who is type 1 and don’t really look at
too many of the other posts , however a friend at work was recently diagnosed as type 2 and
having done a bit of research he thinks that maybe a very low carb diet may be his best option.

(he is obese and does no exercise , plus admits to eating a lot of junk food)
(The doctor stated he was a typical type 2 ….)

He has asked me if I think an intake of less than 50g of carbohydrate per day (ketogenic he thinks)
is safe and would I advise him to give it a try.

I don’t have much knowledge in this area so am a little reluctant to give an opinion
Can anyone give their view ? No need for links or explanations (he has searched the web/read the Daily Mail etc)
Just looking for anecdotal evidence from people who have actually given the diet a fair try.
All opinions are very welcome , he just wants some feedback from ordinary people not cut and pastes to complex scientific journals.

Thanks
Matt

kateincornwall · Aug 31, 2010

Hi Matt, sounds like your friend needs help badly as being obese and not exercising is bound to make his diabetes worse . I follow a low carb regime and also walk an awful lot, usually 2/3 miles per day . I dont do gym type exercises because we dont live anywhere near a gym but find that walking works for me, plus gardening . I dont count carbs too strictly but I am very aware of how many are in what foods , its worked for me, I have lost 24 kilos in ten months , feel energised and very well indeed . I wouldnt want to advise anyone else, but as you asked for real experiences , these are mine ! My last HbA1c was in the 5`s and I`m managing to keep off any meds for diabetes, low carbing doesnt suit everyone but it suits me .

cugila · Aug 31, 2010

Aaah ! Cut and paste.....that old chestnut...... :lol:

Sorry but this is the information we dish out to all Diabetic's here as most find that it allows them to get good control of their Diabetes. Your friend should take a read it just might help.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!
If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l........(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals....... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Ken/Sue

As for a low carb diet, yes that could be what your friend needs to do. I started out on a low carb diet, less than 30g per day and quickly found that my Bg levels all started to drop dramatically. I stayed with it for quite some time and lost weight as well. My problem with low carbing was the fat content, I was forever on the loo because of the amount of fats I was consuming.

My Endo wasn't happy with my Cholesterol levels which soared, so I gave that up and turned to a gentler 'reduced' carbs (60 - 80g) regime and cut the fats. That worked amazingly well for me and gave me 98% on target Bg numbers and a 5 1/2 st weight loss. I found the newer diet based on the above and GI/GL easier to stick too as I just eat most things but carefully control portion sizes.

Links offer a wealth of information so you shouldn't be put off by them, you just need to be able to understand a lot of them, the Human Biology and processes are complex.

Hope that helps.

Ken

nesbit · Sep 2, 2010

i have type 2 diabetes 3st overweight due to use of streriods for scopd. my dietition says i have to eat more carbs and i will lose weight. also i have to eat more .

carty · Sep 2, 2010

Nothing is ever straightforward is it I am 1 stone under weight my dietician says eat more carbs and you will put on weight :!:

cugila · Sep 2, 2010

nesbit said:
i have type 2 diabetes 3st overweight due to use of streriods for scopd. my dietition says i have to eat more carbs and i will lose weight. also i have to eat more .

Not quite sure how that is going to work ? If you pack yourself full of carbs then it is more likely to increase your weight........increase your Bg levels. It's certainly not the sort of advice Sue or I would recommend.

I wonder is there any other medical reason you would be given such dietary advice ?

Ken

diet advice

Matt1212

Well-Known Member

kateincornwall

Well-Known Member

cugila

Master

nesbit

Newbie

carty

Well-Known Member

cugila

Master

diet advice

Matt1212

Well-Known Member

kateincornwall

Well-Known Member

cugila

Master

nesbit

Newbie

carty

Well-Known Member

cugila

Master

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