HAS ANYONE EVER CHALLENGED THE NHS EAT WELL PLATE/GUIDE RE DIABETICS?

Debandez

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4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
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In general terms Zoe Harcombe challenged the Eatwell Guide,

http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2016/03/eatwell-guide-conflicts-of-interest/

but not in terms specific to diabetics where the problem is different.

Malcolm Kendrick said that when he was at medical school he didn't think that they spent more than an hour on nutrition.

The medical profession doesn't/didn't seem to think that diet was important when curing a disease. I suppose hospital food demonstrated this quite well.

My DN offers no clear dietary advice (although I know she would like to) since she is confined to handing out pills for everything.
I think the first question Drs should ask a pt walking through there door is 'so.....what do you eat?'
 
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Debandez

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I am newly diagnosed and got handed the diet sheet on Tuesday. I'd already been self testing for two weeks and engaging with this forum. When I saw the guidelines I was gobsmacked. I felt like I should ask if they had handed me the wrong thing.

Basically, eat bread and rice and other carbs as a big chunk of your diet. No thanks!

I feel so concerned for the people who fully accept what the doctors say and blindly follow the advice of the NHS. Surely it's not right to lead them down a path that will hurt them and cost the NHS more in the long run.
It's very disturbing. I've just had my latest hba1c and now for 2 months I'm going to test certain foods. Yesterday I added beans to my bacon fried eggs and mushrooms and didn't like the result. And it was only a couple of spoons!!! I'm just about to test this morning's slice of low carb bread with cheese!!! Gulp!!!
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,798
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
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I do not have diabetes
Throughout my almost two decades of battling the health industry about why I was getting fatter and my health declining, despite being on some form of diet, changing to the latest fad diet, or being advised that this or that was not helping, the constant factor was the eat well plate!
I was told so many times that T2, was the cause of liver and kidney function, fatty liver, obesity and if I didn't stick to the recommended diet, I would become more obese and my T2, would get worse.

Since diagnosis and of course this forum, my diet has changed to where I am today.
My endocrinologist, who did literally save my life, suggested on our first appointment, a lower carb diet and reading this forum would help.

Since then, the dialogue between my endocrinologist and myself, have changed our ideas on what is healthy for those with particular conditions where diet is so important to that person's condition.

I certainly believe that the generally accepted advice is so wrong, and doesn't deal with the fundamental problem of too many carbs in the modern diet, never mind the industrial sugars that have invaded our food.

I could go on!
 

NicoleC1971

BANNED
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3,451
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
Although most people eat what they like with no regard for government guidelines, that guidance is still influential in terms of any state funded food (hospitals, prisons, schools). I agree that the Eat Badly plate is too biased towards carbohydrates and as such may be unsuitable for at least half the adult population who have a tendency to metabolic syndrome of which diabetes is 1 marker.
We don't have freedom of choice now
When you walk into a Supermarket you are bombarded with 'low fat' (high sugar) options plus 'healthy wholegrains ' and BoGoFs on anything made with cheap grains. Big food manufactuers are failing to reduce sugar fast enough according to PHE and the same is true for restuarant chains where the public can eat lots of sugar and vegetable oil concoctions for a cheap price and are choosing to do so on a frequent basis. So whilst The Sun has taken an editorial line of 'hands off our grub' nanny state, it is just not true that we have true freedom of choice.
Who pays for cheap food?
Just as we are discussing long term funding for the NHS and the prospect of paying an extra £1500 per household to keep standing still, why is nobody mentioning prevention via eating better? e.g. David Unwin saved a uge amount for his CCG by making his practice low carb and all his patients actively chose this route rather than take diabetes medications.
I do fear that we will slip into a situation where people do get health insurance and the NHS provides much more basic care. At this point we will be paying a very high price for our cheap food both personally and financially.
Rant over...
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
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15,798
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
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I do not have diabetes
If you have never seen a hospital menu and been in a diabetic ward, it is something unbelievable.
From orange juice, low fat yoghurt, toast, weetabix, corn flakes, fruit juice, mashed potatoes, and so on.
Do people still bring lucozade to patients?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
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Diet only
Having been classed as overweight all my adult life I have been telling all sorts of people that I can't eat carbs without putting on weight - they usually just say 'nonsense' and hand me a diet sheet - eat 50 percent of calories from carbs is usually the first instruction.
I don't think that I'll ever again be able to lift a drunken folk singer off the floor and onto the back of a motorcycle combination, but, after doing my resistance training for a few weeks I caught a morris dancer and stopped him falling at the folk festival last weekend...
 
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JohnEGreen

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How far had he fallen. Those morris dancers can be a very dissolute lot.
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,798
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Having been classed as overweight all my adult life I have been telling all sorts of people that I can't eat carbs without putting on weight - they usually just say 'nonsense' and hand me a diet sheet - eat 50 percent of calories from carbs is usually the first instruction.
I don't think that I'll ever again be able to lift a drunken folk singer off the floor and onto the back of a motorcycle combination, but, after doing my resistance training for a few weeks I caught a morris dancer and stopped him falling at the folk festival last weekend...
I still get people telling me that calories are all the same wether it be carbs or protein.
And the more calories you have from any source, you have to rid more calories out to be healthy, lose weight and so on.
I can tolerate a lot more calories from protein and non from carbs.
The issue of fibre is another, because I work in sport, the fibre should be got from carbs! This is what the nutritionist has advised me.
So how do I get the much needed fibre to be healthy?
I don't know, but I don't have a problem with my digestion, bowels or get vitamin deficiencies.
Being in ketosis, is what is best and working for me. My body is happier this way, my energy levels are brilliant, never tired.
Sometimes I think, that my body knew what was happening a long time ago and learnt how to cope with these so called healthy normal foods, that were not healthy for me.
How do you get good calcium levels if you are dairy intolerant?
The body is a wonderful thing!
 
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lessci

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,024
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
It's very disturbing. I've just had my latest hba1c and now for 2 months I'm going to test certain foods. Yesterday I added beans to my bacon fried eggs and mushrooms and didn't like the result. And it was only a couple of spoons!!! I'm just about to test this morning's slice of low carb bread with cheese!!! Gulp!!!

Have you tried the reduced sugar ones? I had a meter win with those, one of the small tins + 2 rashers bacon for Saturday lunch, 2 hr post reading only up 1:happy:
 
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Daibell

Master
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12,642
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Hi. This topic has long been discussed on these forums. The main problem is the influence of the global food industry. They fund many of the university 'research' programs which keep the Professors in business. Organisations such as PHE (Public Health England) go to the universities for dietary advice and guess what they receive? Carbs are cheap and very profitable. The recent Eatwell Guide update was signed-off by a committee consisting of a majority of food industry people (the Minutes are lurking on the web if you can find them) so is totally biased. The next level problem is that NHS Choices, NICE, BDA (British Dietetic Association) etc follow PHE advice and GPs and DNs are expected to follow it. Even DUK (the .org one) followed this advice until recently when it has started to trim it back. I've complained many times to the NHS, DUK etc usually with no effect but DUK did recently give me a much more considered reply. What a strange world we live in. I feel sorry for those who take the bad NHS diet advice and don't know about these forums. The harm done is incalculable.
 
P

pollensa

Guest
It is blatently obvious that the NHS guidelines are so wrong for diabetics. And probably for people in general. But specifically for us. As diabetics we are carbohydrate intolerant so we have to keep carbs much lower than people who aren't. There seems to be an under lying reason that we aren't given proper advice and we are offered medication and not adviced to check blood sugars with a meter. Drs get paid more for patients on diabetes meds I believe (and even more when statins are perscribed). Pharma companies are also quids in as are diabetes organisations. Poor dietary advice keeps people sick and results in them needing more meds. Does anyone know whether the eatwell guidelines have ever been challenged. For example via change.org?
I dont know to be honest, perhaps it may prove beneficial and/or worthwhile if someone was brave enough to do so? I totally agree with your excellent post, and applaud you have raised valid points within, especially re business side of Medical Industry Docs payments from the system, many points unfortunately may not be taken into account by many or even know take place or exist. Diabetes it seems now, thankfully, is beginning to be viewed in reality by more and more every day as "big business" one way or the other, people are starting to wake up to the reality.

Enjoyed your informative post. Well said, more should speak out and share as points raised within more often. thank you.
 
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Debandez

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Throughout my almost two decades of battling the health industry about why I was getting fatter and my health declining, despite being on some form of diet, changing to the latest fad diet, or being advised that this or that was not helping, the constant factor was the eat well plate!
I was told so many times that T2, was the cause of liver and kidney function, fatty liver, obesity and if I didn't stick to the recommended diet, I would become more obese and my T2, would get worse.

Since diagnosis and of course this forum, my diet has changed to where I am today.
My endocrinologist, who did literally save my life, suggested on our first appointment, a lower carb diet and reading this forum would help.

Since then, the dialogue between my endocrinologist and myself, have changed our ideas on what is healthy for those with particular conditions where diet is so important to that person's condition.

I certainly believe that the generally accepted advice is so wrong, and doesn't deal with the fundamental problem of too many carbs in the modern diet, never mind the industrial sugars that have invaded our food.

I could go on!
You have been on a white knuckle ride! But glad to see you have stepped off that and are on a more tranquil ride where you can take in the scenery! It's so obvious to all if us. The powers that be cannot all be blind!!! I smell a rat.
 
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Debandez

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Although most people eat what they like with no regard for government guidelines, that guidance is still influential in terms of any state funded food (hospitals, prisons, schools). I agree that the Eat Badly plate is too biased towards carbohydrates and as such may be unsuitable for at least half the adult population who have a tendency to metabolic syndrome of which diabetes is 1 marker.
We don't have freedom of choice now
When you walk into a Supermarket you are bombarded with 'low fat' (high sugar) options plus 'healthy wholegrains ' and BoGoFs on anything made with cheap grains. Big food manufactuers are failing to reduce sugar fast enough according to PHE and the same is true for restuarant chains where the public can eat lots of sugar and vegetable oil concoctions for a cheap price and are choosing to do so on a frequent basis. So whilst The Sun has taken an editorial line of 'hands off our grub' nanny state, it is just not true that we have true freedom of choice.
Who pays for cheap food?
Just as we are discussing long term funding for the NHS and the prospect of paying an extra £1500 per household to keep standing still, why is nobody mentioning prevention via eating better? e.g. David Unwin saved a uge amount for his CCG by making his practice low carb and all his patients actively chose this route rather than take diabetes medications.
I do fear that we will slip into a situation where people do get health insurance and the NHS provides much more basic care. At this point we will be paying a very high price for our cheap food both personally and financially.
Rant over...
I could not agree more.ive had my eyes opened since diagnosis I can tell you. When there isn't one breakfast cereal that is diabetic friendly there is something wrong. Mostly everything is processed rubbish. Loaded with hidden sugars. The low fat foods are high in sugar!!! There is a gap in the market for a diabetic section and i don't mean jams and marmalades! There isn't even a low carb section. I've spent a lot of time reading labels these past 6 months!!! It's bery frustrating to say the least. Well done you for getting a handle on it and steering yourself on the path of good health.
 
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dbr10

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2,237
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Tablets (oral)
I could not agree more.ive had my eyes opened since diagnosis I can tell you. When there isn't one breakfast cereal that is diabetic friendly there is something wrong. Mostly everything is processed rubbish. Loaded with hidden sugars. The low fat foods are high in sugar!!! There is a gap in the market for a diabetic section and i don't mean jams and marmalades! There isn't even a low carb section. I've spent a lot of time reading labels these past 6 months!!! It's bery frustrating to say the least. Well done you for getting a handle on it and steering yourself on the path of good health.
I think we've all done the lable thing until be get used to it
 

Debandez

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
If you have never seen a hospital menu and been in a diabetic ward, it is something unbelievable.
From orange juice, low fat yoghurt, toast, weetabix, corn flakes, fruit juice, mashed potatoes, and so on.
Do people still bring lucozade to patients?
Shocking absolutely shocking!
 

Debandez

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Having been classed as overweight all my adult life I have been telling all sorts of people that I can't eat carbs without putting on weight - they usually just say 'nonsense' and hand me a diet sheet - eat 50 percent of calories from carbs is usually the first instruction.
I don't think that I'll ever again be able to lift a drunken folk singer off the floor and onto the back of a motorcycle combination, but, after doing my resistance training for a few weeks I caught a morris dancer and stopped him falling at the folk festival last weekend...
You are doing you bit to help in the community!!! Yes the diet advice is incredible. How are you doing now?
 

Debandez

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I still get people telling me that calories are all the same wether it be carbs or protein.
And the more calories you have from any source, you have to rid more calories out to be healthy, lose weight and so on.
I can tolerate a lot more calories from protein and non from carbs.
The issue of fibre is another, because I work in sport, the fibre should be got from carbs! This is what the nutritionist has advised me.
So how do I get the much needed fibre to be healthy?
I don't know, but I don't have a problem with my digestion, bowels or get vitamin deficiencies.
Being in ketosis, is what is best and working for me. My body is happier this way, my energy levels are brilliant, never tired.
Sometimes I think, that my body knew what was happening a long time ago and learnt how to cope with these so called healthy normal foods, that were not healthy for me.
How do you get good calcium levels if you are dairy intolerant?
The body is a wonderful thing!
You have done amazingly well and have found what works for you which is keto. Brilliant. Well done.
 
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Debandez

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Have you tried the reduced sugar ones? I had a meter win with those, one of the small tins + 2 rashers bacon for Saturday lunch, 2 hr post reading only up 1:happy:
No but I will thanks. It was breakfast out in the local park and no option other than beans loaded with sugar! It was a meter test. Classed as a fail!