Hi.
I'm new to all this. I was diagnosed early August. I'd not had symptoms, I'm 49 & slightly overwieght. My GP gave me a diet sheet, and told me, "go home and read up on diabetes on the internet." Went home very disappointed - reason, GP had given me a diet sheet for a heart attack patient!
Started googling as instructed. After a couple of months these are my conclusions - right or wrong:
1. GP's seem to know little about Diabetes, and after diagnoses simply follow a set course of actions without thinking. - (Appologies to all the many GP's who don't).
2. Friends and family with diabetes have all followed GP's instructions, are mis-informed, and get annoyed when you question their understanding and handling of the disease.
3. Carbs are the enemy of Diabetics, more than sugary foods, simply because foods such as bread, pasta and potatoes don't appear to be sweet. I would never have dreamt that pure orange juice would be so lethal to BGL's!
4. Fat doesn't make you fat . ( I've lost weight by cutting carbs, & eating more fat ).
5. The medical profession seem to see diabetes as a disease that just gets worse, with more and more medication being prescribed, and there's nothing else you can do about it.
6. The advice on this forum about reducing carbs works (for me). THANKS EVERYONE!
On another note, how about dieting in general?
The other day I had a large Donner Kebab. Delicious. BGL 2 hours later? 6.3 - Now you would think that this would be the worst kind of food for losing weight - but no, it seems to be a good square meal plus nutritious, having meat, salad, and a small amount of cardbs (1 Pitta). In yesterday's Daily Mail there's a picture of a Donner Kebab, with an article implying it was junk food. On BBC Radio 4 yesterday there was a discussion about national obesity and junk food. Not one mention was made about the dangers of excess carbs. I realise you need some carbs to get energy. Before I got diagnosed I was a carboholic - cereal twice a day, cheese rolls for lunch (3x), bread with evening meal etc. - even with pasta! So I had lots of scope for cutting back, as I suspect most people do. (I have good chlorestrol BTW, so not too worried about more butter etc, in fact lots of butter, in fact more and more butter, don't start me on butter 'cos I'll get carried away, butter is brilliant...!)
Is it really so bad to say cut down the carbs? Why is there no one saying this in the debate about national obesity?
I'm new to all this. I was diagnosed early August. I'd not had symptoms, I'm 49 & slightly overwieght. My GP gave me a diet sheet, and told me, "go home and read up on diabetes on the internet." Went home very disappointed - reason, GP had given me a diet sheet for a heart attack patient!
Started googling as instructed. After a couple of months these are my conclusions - right or wrong:
1. GP's seem to know little about Diabetes, and after diagnoses simply follow a set course of actions without thinking. - (Appologies to all the many GP's who don't).
2. Friends and family with diabetes have all followed GP's instructions, are mis-informed, and get annoyed when you question their understanding and handling of the disease.
3. Carbs are the enemy of Diabetics, more than sugary foods, simply because foods such as bread, pasta and potatoes don't appear to be sweet. I would never have dreamt that pure orange juice would be so lethal to BGL's!
4. Fat doesn't make you fat . ( I've lost weight by cutting carbs, & eating more fat ).
5. The medical profession seem to see diabetes as a disease that just gets worse, with more and more medication being prescribed, and there's nothing else you can do about it.
6. The advice on this forum about reducing carbs works (for me). THANKS EVERYONE!
On another note, how about dieting in general?
The other day I had a large Donner Kebab. Delicious. BGL 2 hours later? 6.3 - Now you would think that this would be the worst kind of food for losing weight - but no, it seems to be a good square meal plus nutritious, having meat, salad, and a small amount of cardbs (1 Pitta). In yesterday's Daily Mail there's a picture of a Donner Kebab, with an article implying it was junk food. On BBC Radio 4 yesterday there was a discussion about national obesity and junk food. Not one mention was made about the dangers of excess carbs. I realise you need some carbs to get energy. Before I got diagnosed I was a carboholic - cereal twice a day, cheese rolls for lunch (3x), bread with evening meal etc. - even with pasta! So I had lots of scope for cutting back, as I suspect most people do. (I have good chlorestrol BTW, so not too worried about more butter etc, in fact lots of butter, in fact more and more butter, don't start me on butter 'cos I'll get carried away, butter is brilliant...!)
Is it really so bad to say cut down the carbs? Why is there no one saying this in the debate about national obesity?