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Low carb newbie

B

Bluefoxy

Member
Messages
23
Location
London
Having ploughed my way around this forum for a few days I am now tempted to start a low carb regime. A few words about me, I was diagnosed with type 2 some 7/8 years ago. I am currently on 2 grams metformin, 160mg gliclazide together with a twice daily byetta injection (10 mg). My bs control is very erratic and most readings are in double figures. The only diet advice I have ever been given by my GP/Nurse Practitioner is to follow the food plate guidelines as outlined by duk ie to have some starchy food with every meal. Having listened to the Radio 4 interview with Dr Briffa I cannot believe that I have been deliberately advised to follow a diet that may well be making my diabetes worse!

My intention is to exclude potatoes, rice, pasta and all pastry products from my diet in their entirety. Am I being too bold in this and should I cut down on a gradual basis? I would hope to be able, once bs levels have stabilised, to reintroduce certain foods into my diet to see what effect they have.

I am due my 6 month review next Friday with the diabetes nurse practitioner at my health centre and I fear that I will be urged yet again to go onto insulin which I am reluctant to do. Cathy is a lovely girl and I have full confidence in her wish to do the best for me but I know she will toe the party line with regard to diet. Should Should I tell her what I intend to do or should I just do it and follow my instincts.

Ray
 
Hi Ray, I would just be firm and explain that by visiting sites like this one, you would like to try a low carb regime in order to see whether you can get on with it and whether it helps your blood sugar control. Your need for insulin may also be avoided by reducing the amount of carbs that you eat.

I am a Type 1 but now I live quite happily on 30g of carb per day. It does mean lots of salads but I enjoy them and it just becomes part of life. I am not advocating the same for you - that is your decision. However, taking the route suggested by Diabetes UK and taking major quantities of carbs with every meal will definitely mean that you will need to take insulin. My Hba1C has come down from 8.0 to 5.1 - low carbing does work, if you can live with it.

Hope it goes well for you.

Phil
 
Hi.
Lowering your carbs will certainly help to lower your BG. Make sure that you eat plenty of good leafy veg and if you miss things like spuds then mash some cauli with lashings of good butter or make some chips out of celariac. You can make "rice" by grating cauli too. There is definitely no reason to get bored on a low carb diet!
This may help: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
Good luck and enjoy healthy food! :D
 
philc said:
Hi Ray, I would just be firm and explain that by visiting sites like this one, you would like to try a low carb regime in order to see whether you can get on with it and whether it helps your blood sugar control. Your need for insulin may also be avoided by reducing the amount of carbs that you eat.

Hope it goes well for you.

Phil
Click to expand...
Agree with the above. Best to be honest at least to begin with to see if she is receptive and to see if any of your meds need adjusting...

Mac
 
Be honest, but don't be suprised if you're met with a barrage of resistance from the health care professionals at your practice. one of the hardest things i've found about low carbing, even harder than missing the cakes and biccies (which you kind of switch off to after a while) is trying to maintain what you believe in the face of so much resistance from not only health care professionals but ordinary people too.
you have to be very strong to maintain your belief in what you are doing when everyone around you is casting doubt on it. i sometimes just don't bother to say what I am doing and pretend i'm following the standard advice, but it is better if you can be honest. Sometimes though it's just not worth it in my opinion.
 
sweetLea said:
Hi.
Lowering your carbs will certainly help to lower your BG. Make sure that you eat plenty of good leafy veg and if you miss things like spuds then mash some cauli with lashings of good butter or make some chips out of celariac. You can make "rice" by grating cauli too. There is definitely no reason to get bored on a low carb diet!
This may help: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
Good luck and enjoy healthy food! :D
Click to expand...

Thank you Sweetlea for the recommendation. What an amazing site :D I think I would enjoy all of those recipes even if I weren't on a low carb diet!!

Ray
 
I have been reducing my carbs and increasing my exercise since reading Dr Bernstein's book - it's brilliant. I am however doing it gradually. I am on insulin and find I have had more low blood sugars - around 2.9/3.3. I feel I am going in the right direction but has anyone had this experience? What should I do about reducing my insulin?
 
Ray
congratulations on seeing the light!
You are using quite a lot of medication. The Gliclazide can cause hypos and you'll need to be careful if you drop your carbs down. Monitor carefully or you might have trouble. I used to use Gliclazide, but haven't done so since I went low carb some years ago. I don't need it.
You're right to suppose your DSN will want you to go on insulin, they are being encouraged to do that, however insulin has a sting in the tail [hypos and driving license issues]
Most DSNs don't like low carb diets. they are sure that you'll suffer bad consequences like deficiencies and consttipation. You won't if you eat plenty od green leafy vegetables.
You will need test strips to change over from high medication/NHS diet to low carb/low medication. If you succeed, you'll feel great , probably lose weight. and have LOADS of energy. In addition, you'll avoid the hazards of multiple medications doing damage.
Hana
 
Hi Ray

I am in the same boat as you are. I used to take Gliclazide but that was stopped when I started using Byetta. I also have a review with the diabetic nurse at the surgery on Friday and 1) i am sure i ll be getting a well deserved telling off 2) i am sure it will be suggested that i go on insulin 3) i plan to tell the nurse - who really is a nice lady about low carbing

Good luck for your review!!!
Swap stories on Friday :)

Clay
 
purpleya said:
I have been reducing my carbs and increasing my exercise since reading Dr Bernstein's book - it's brilliant. I am however doing it gradually. I am on insulin and find I have had more low blood sugars - around 2.9/3.3. I feel I am going in the right direction but has anyone had this experience? What should I do about reducing my insulin?
Click to expand...

I am also an advocate of Dr Bernstein's book and made the same transition. You must keep tabs on your blood sugars before and after meals to see how things work out for you. There are no hard and fast rules, as we will all react differently. You must test your blood sugar frequently. I am doing 8 - 10 tests per day to make sure all is well and if required, I take half a dextrose tablet to adjust low readings or 1 extra unit of Novorapid if I go too high.

Always make insulin dosage changes on a gradual basis over a few days, rather than by massive jumps. Dr B covers this in the book.

Phil
 
sweetLea said:
Hi.
Lowering your carbs will certainly help to lower your BG. Make sure that you eat plenty of good leafy veg and if you miss things like spuds then mash some cauli with lashings of good butter or make some chips out of celariac. You can make "rice" by grating cauli too. There is definitely no reason to get bored on a low carb diet!
This may help: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
Good luck and enjoy healthy food! :D
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. All new food ideas welcome for this low carber :D
 
claymic said:
Hi Ray

I am in the same boat as you are. I used to take Gliclazide but that was stopped when I started using Byetta. I also have a review with the diabetic nurse at the surgery on Friday and 1) i am sure i ll be getting a well deserved telling off 2) i am sure it will be suggested that i go on insulin 3) i plan to tell the nurse - who really is a nice lady about low carbing

Good luck for your review!!!
Swap stories on Friday :)

Clay
Click to expand...

Well had my review this morning with some impressive bg figures to show the nurse. Only been on the low carb regime for less than a week but my figures have shown a marked drop since I started. Told Cathy about the radio 4 interview with Dr Biffra which prompted me to join this forum and said I had decided to go low carb by omitting pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and pastry from my diet but nothing else. Her reaction? Well good for you she said! As a practice they are re-thinking the advice they give newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics as they have a couple of new young doctors who are also questioning the status quo so maybe there is hope! Still having problems with the fasting reading (usually just in double figures) but said I was reluctant to swap the gliclazide from the morning to the evening as I'm getting readings of 4.5 before bedtime (4.5 for Godsakes!!!) and don't want to get a hypo whilst asleep (I understand they are rather unpleasant) so she advised to take one in the morning and 1 with my evening meal. So I'm on course with my nurse's blessing :D
 
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