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Dr Jason Fung

nannoo_bird

Well-Known Member
Messages
215
I was recommended to watch a video by this Canadian doctor which I found fascinating. He suggests that giving insulin to Type 2 diabetics is wrong as many of them make enough insulin, it is just that our cells cannot use it properly. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
 

This is another 50/50 opinion.
I can't remember where it was suggested, or who by, but there was a very good study of 'insulin therapy' where it appeared giving insulin to patients enabled the pancreas to 'recover', so it depended who you read, who you believe, and what is actually causing your T2.
 

Well, my pancreas is apparently fine, so what could be 'causing' my T2?
 

Yes this is an important aspect that is often forgotten, really agressive early insulin therapy is really beneficial in the start.

The results are great for some years, but then you start needing more and more and so forth.

So I think the losing weight route is more effective, both methods are a hassle,but the losing weight route may mean, that you will never need insulin.
 
nannoo_bird said:
Well, my pancreas is apparently fine, so what could be 'causing' my T2?
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You are very lucky, many of us have decreased insulin output, particularly the first stage response.
 
nannoo_bird said:
Thank you, I shall read that in a minute, as I can't sleep due to neuropathy pains!! Tell me, how did you manage to wean yourself off carbs without committing mass murder?
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Once past the first week it just got easier.
I signed up to the Diet Doctor site, endlessly read the articles on there and watched the videos.
I logged in here each day and read posts on the forums.
And I did lots of blood testing as recommended to find which foods made me spike.
All that kept me pretty focussed on what I was trying to achieve and now , a year into Low Carb I no longer think about carbs or sugar. I can happily go out for meals and skip the chips lol. One thing I still do is always have some Babybel cheeses and nuts in my bag, when I meet friends for coffee and they eat cake I have my own mini feast lol.
 
nannoo_bird said:
Thank you, I shall read that in a minute, as I can't sleep due to neuropathy pains!! Tell me, how did you manage to wean yourself off carbs without committing mass murder?
Click to expand...
I just went cold turkey (literally haha) and cut them out altogether. I think the problem is the "wean" part. Depends on what you usually eat. I cut out breakfast completely and just had very low carb lunch and dinner. After two or three days the carb cravings go. Plus I was determined not to take any medication so that was my main driver.
 
nannoo_bird said:
Thank you, I shall read that in a minute, as I can't sleep due to neuropathy pains!! Tell me, how did you manage to wean yourself off carbs without committing mass murder?
Click to expand...

I agree, totally. Weaning is quite the wrong way to go. By eliminating all obvious carbs you will free yourself of the highs and lows of both blood sugars and insulin spikes, and you will get your hunger under control.

The simplest way is to base your diet on protein (probably about the same amount as you have now) fats (make sure they are natural, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lard, etc.) and above ground vegetables with the exception of peas and sweetcorn. In this way you won't have to obsess about weighing and measuring, as everything that you eat will be low carb.

Initially eat as much as makes you satisfied, that amount will reduce naturally with time.

My typical diet is:

Breakfast, 2 egg omelette with meat / fish / veg filling or smoked haddock and poached egg or smoked salmon and scrambed egg or bacon egg mushrooms and tomato (not too much tomato)

Lunch - usually skip it due to diminishing appetite, sometimes green salad with full fat dressing and any meat / fish / egg / cheese

Dinner Any old meat, fish, served with cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc, you can have a creamy sauce / cheese sauce etc to make it all more tasty.

When you have got any cravings etc under control, if you want to try upping carbs a little, by checking blood glucose before and after introducing new foods, you will see what spikes you and what doesn't. So far as I am aware, all of the above foods should keep you on track.

Good luck
 
AtkinsMo 's diet above is almost same as mine except I skip breakfast and have what he/she has for lunch. I fast 9pm to 12 noon.
 
Potteron said:
AtkinsMo 's diet above is almost same as mine except I skip breakfast and have what he/she has for lunch. I fast 9pm to 12 noon.
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I've wondered about fasting 7pm - 12 noon. My FBG is always quite high (7 or 8+) and stats high until lunchtime, even when all other readings through the day are ok. Have you found it helps? I've tried skipping breakfast a few times, usually because I'm running late for work, and then tested mid morning and it still is up, so it doesn't seem to matter if I eat breakfast or not. But I have never done it in a planned, sustained way.

I eat my last meal at 6pm as I go to the gym every evening 7 -9pm so can't eat any later or I would be sick.
 
nannoo_bird said:
Thank you, I shall read that in a minute, as I can't sleep due to neuropathy pains!! Tell me, how did you manage to wean yourself off carbs without committing mass murder?
Click to expand...

It was surprisingly easy for a carb addict...like the others I went cold turkey. Cut out all my favourite bread, rice, noodles and sugary drinks. And within a week or so the blood glucose normalized, just like that. And for snacks I stick to nuts and dark chocolate. There were really no mountains to climb. Just day to day mindfulness of what to eat in a over carb world.

I feel intermittent fasting is actually optional. For me it helped with the Fasting blood glucose. Without fasting it hovers around 108mg (6 mmol). With a day or two of fasting (skipping dinner) it is below 5mmol.

Here is Dr Fung's latest comparison between fasting and low carb.
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/power-comparison-fasting-vs-low-carb-fasting-26/
 
Potteron said:
AtkinsMo 's diet above is almost same as mine except I skip breakfast and have what he/she has for lunch. I fast 9pm to 12 noon.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm getting increasingly convinced by the IF argument and thinking of making those changes - it's just part of my leisurely start to the day, following my 4 cups of weak black tea in bed. Now I couldn't give that up! Is weak tea permitted in the fasting phase? I know I could look it up but easier just to ask.
 
Hmm, my tea habit has always been going japanese style, no sugar, no cream, no milk.

So tea and coffe without anyhting in it, is just like dietsoda, it does not break the fasting. But if you splash in loads of sugar, milk and moutains of cream, it will be a different story.
 
I start my day with tea with unsweetened soya milk..virtually carb free..have 2 * 400ml mugs.
 
I think he could well be right. It would be better to try a cocktail of other drugs first because insulin stores fat, which increases insulin resistance. I think he recommends SGLT2 inhibitors, arcobose and metformin in that order of effectiveness
 

You are allowed a small amount of cream as it has no carbs, I have a cafeteria of coffee each morning and call that my breakfast.

Just checked with what Dr Fung says- small amount of cream (1-2 tsp ) as it contains protein which will stimulate insulin and defeat purpose of fast if you have to much.
 
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My morning BS is 6.5-6.8. I don't worry about that reading and only tend to test my BS when trying out foods. Just found this reply from Dr Fung , he was being asked about high morning readings

"Yes this is a common problem and is to do with the Dawn Phenomenon. Your body has a surge of ‘counter regulatory’ hormones just before waking that pumps sugar into the blood. This is why your fasting sugar is high despite not eating.

This reflects your body’s insulin resistance. In essence, your body is moving too much sugar from storage into the blood. It just means that your body has too much sugar overall.

You could either continue your fasting schedule and give it more time, or you could increase duration of fasting if you want to speed it up."


I read somewhere else a comment by him to the effect - if your body is ridding itself of sugar what's not to like.
 
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