RH and low fat diet

[Beechnut]

For years throughout my 20s to my 50s I was on a low fat diet to lose weight and "be heart healthy". I exercised a lot going to the gym most days after work. I hardly ever lost weight and during that time I suffered hypos regularly at least three or four times a week. I had no idea what was going on until a friend mentioned RH to me. I started reading as much as I could about it but couldn't find much. My GP said the symptoms sounded like labrynthitis so put me on anti sickness pills!

I realised after many years that there was a pattern to my hypos, they always occurred when I ate carby meals with little fat ot protein such as a jacket potato no butter with beans, a classic low fat meal that I had always thought was healthy. Later I discovered that oats, even steel cut oats also trigger a hypo plus white bread ( not so much wholemeal).

I've recently been diagnosed as prediabetic with HbA1C at 42 up from 40 last year. GP recommended a low fat Mediterranean diet because I also have high cholesterol (total 6.5) and I can't take statins because they affect my liver.

Knowing that a highish carb diet would trigger my hypos I decided to try a low carb approach and got lots of ideas and help from this forum. So far it's working well, no hypos and blood glucose staying low, I worried it was too low staying at around 4.3ish most of the time but have been reassured on here that it's fine. I'm just anxious because of hypos in the past.

My main worry now is my cholesterol I'm going for another blood test in 6 weeks and the GP will expect it to be down because of my low fat diet (haha).

 

[Resurgam]

When I was diagnosed I tossed aside the low fat high carb diet - used the printouts to light the barbecue, did what was basically the Atkins diet, no more than 50gm of carbs a day, eating meat eggs cheese fish - my blood glucose, my weight, my blood pressure and my cholesterol all went down, my energy levels and activities went up. At the second test, 80 days later I was no longer diabetic, At 6 months my HbA1c was 41.
After decades of being pushed to eat 'healthy' and becoming almost spherical and rather unwell I did not know if I should laugh or cry, so I did both.

 

[Beechnut]

Just seen Lamont's post on the basics of RH. So helpful thank you.

 

[Beechnut]

When I was diagnosed I tossed aside the low fat high carb diet - used the printouts to light the barbecue, did what was basically the Atkins diet, no more than 50gm of carbs a day, eating meat eggs cheese fish - my blood glucose, my weight, my blood pressure and my cholesterol all went down, my energy levels and activities went up. At the second test, 80 days later I was no longer diabetic, At 6 months my HbA1c was 41.
After decades of being pushed to eat 'healthy' and becoming almost spherical and rather unwell I did not know if I should laugh or cry, so I did both.

Yes I really get that Resurgam! I was so convinced of the health messages for most of my life. The weight ups and downs (mostly up), hungry all the time, major carb cravings almost feeling compelled to eat all the food I thought it must be my fault. Never thought it was all that "healthy" food that everyone seemed to be saying was good for me.

 

[Lamont D]

Yes I really get that Resurgam! I was so convinced of the health messages for most of my life. The weight ups and downs (mostly up), hungry all the time, major carb cravings almost feeling compelled to eat all the food I thought it must be my fault. Never thought it was all that "healthy" food that everyone seemed to be saying was good for me.

Yeah, it is a bit of a nightmare discovery of so called healthy foods that are the source of your ill health.
but then again, on most food labels, there in BOLD letters is wheat.
most people think it's there for gluten, but it is also for wheat and grain intolerant.
I do get trying to eat the fridge, cupboards and the freezer.
This is why you need good saturated fats. Not the vegetable variety but good saturated fats. And there are some that are vegetarian etc. Including 100% virgin olive oil. Hence the Mediterranean diet.
But as I mostly advise is to find your own tailored dietary requirements. I don't eat what you eat, your situation is different and we all are individual in our eating habits. But a lot of trial and error is good knowledge.
Keep a food diary.
Do you test your fasting levels?
Have you had any other tests, had a blood panel to diagnose your T2?

In my opinion, I would advise anyone to research Statins and why cholesterol levels are so important.
It depends on your heart health.
Even tho, my familial health has had heart issues, I haven't, and tho, my cholesterol is not perfect by any means.
Doing low carb has improved the balance of good and bad cholesterol. Plus low carb has improved my future health issues.
I can only imagine, if I hadn't done low carb. It worked for me.
I lost a lot of weight and my health going into my seventies is very good.
My energy levels are great and I'm very active.
However, I can't do physical activity that will cause hypoglycaemia. That is just me.
Walking is my go to exercise.

Even if you don't have RH, I can relate and answer any questions you have.

Best wishes.

 

[Antje77]

My main worry now is my cholesterol I'm going for another blood test in 6 weeks and the GP will expect it to be down because of my low fat diet (haha)

Well done on getting a grip on your condition!

You'll only know how your current diet is affecting your lipids until after your blood draw. For what it's worth, my lipids were all out of whack upon diagnosis and back to normal within 5 months or so after normalising my bg (with insulin, I'm a T1) and changing to a mostly LCHF diet.
I hope you'll see the same thing with your next blood draw!

 

[Beechnut]

Yeah, it is a bit of a nightmare discovery of so called healthy foods that are the source of your ill health.
but then again, on most food labels, there in BOLD letters is wheat.
most people think it's there for gluten, but it is also for wheat and grain intolerant.
I do get trying to eat the fridge, cupboards and the freezer.
This is why you need good saturated fats. Not the vegetable variety but good saturated fats. And there are some that are vegetarian etc. Including 100% virgin olive oil. Hence the Mediterranean diet.
But as I mostly advise is to find your own tailored dietary requirements. I don't eat what you eat, your situation is different and we all are individual in our eating habits. But a lot of trial and error is good knowledge.
Keep a food diary.
Do you test your fasting levels?
Have you had any other tests, had a blood panel to diagnose your T2?

In my opinion, I would advise anyone to research Statins and why cholesterol levels are so important.
It depends on your heart health.
Even tho, my familial health has had heart issues, I haven't, and tho, my cholesterol is not perfect by any means.
Doing low carb has improved the balance of good and bad cholesterol. Plus low carb has improved my future health issues.
I can only imagine, if I hadn't done low carb. It worked for me.
I lost a lot of weight and my health going into my seventies is very good.
My energy levels are great and I'm very active.
However, I can't do physical activity that will cause hypoglycaemia. That is just me.
Walking is my go to exercise.

Even if you don't have RH, I can relate and answer any questions you have.

Best wishes.

Thank you Lamont for such valuable advice I really appreciate it. I feel a bit weird not following current medical advice and a bit anxious about it but the information on this forum is helping me understand what's going on in my body.

It's a good idea to keep a food diary I will start doing one to see what foods suit me, I do think I need to increase my fats to fill me up more, I'm still struggling with cravings and feelings of why am I doing this? Particularly when out with friends for coffee and them having what they say is harmless (to them) scones or cakes.

My fasting glucose level is around 4.3 and has always been around that or below. It would go up to 9-12 1 hour after eating a carby meal then it plummeted to 3.3 - 4 two hours after. I also feel a hypo around 5am although I've never got myself up to test that.

Yes I have had full blood panels for the last year, the last one was in January when discovered my liver enzymes were through the roof since I started statins in August 2024 so I immediately had to come off them. GP then advised me to stop taking the statins and start a low fat diet. I've been referred for a liver scan and after that I'm having another blood panel done.

In January my HbA1c was 42 up from 40 in August and 39 in January 2024 hence the prediabetes diagnosis. Type 2 runs in my family - both parents, my brother, most aunts and uncles.

Best wishes to you. You have done so well to sort out ypu own health.

 

[Beechnut]

Well done on getting a grip on your condition!

You'll only know how your current diet is affecting your lipids until after your blood draw. For what it's worth, my lipids were all out of whack upon diagnosis and back to normal within 5 months or so after normalising my bg (with insulin, I'm a T1) and changing to a mostly LCHF diet.
I hope you'll see the same thing with your next blood draw!

Thanks Antje. I can only say I feel better on a low carb diet. If my cholesterol has gone up I might need to rethink but it feels right at the moment.
Best wishes.

 

[Lamont D]

Thank you Lamont for such valuable advice I really appreciate it. I feel a bit weird not following current medical advice and a bit anxious about it but the information on this forum is helping me understand what's going on in my body.

It's a good idea to keep a food diary I will start doing one to see what foods suit me, I do think I need to increase my fats to fill me up more, I'm still struggling with cravings and feelings of why am I doing this? Particularly when out with friends for coffee and them having what they say is harmless (to them) scones or cakes.

My fasting glucose level is around 4.3 and has always been around that or below. It would go up to 9-12 1 hour after eating a carby meal then it plummeted to 3.3 - 4 two hours after. I also feel a hypo around 5am although I've never got myself up to test that.

Yes I have had full blood panels for the last year, the last one was in January when discovered my liver enzymes were through the roof since I started statins in August 2024 so I immediately had to come off them. GP then advised me to stop taking the statins and start a low fat diet. I've been referred for a liver scan and after that I'm having another blood panel done.

In January my HbA1c was 42 up from 40 in August and 39 in January 2024 hence the prediabetes diagnosis. Type 2 runs in my family - both parents, my brother, most aunts and uncles.

Best wishes to you. You have done so well to sort out ypu own health.

Often quite on here, is a little platitude. Carbs need more carbs.....
The other thing that is often quoted in folklore is an example of going for a rice meal, you feel hungry two hours after.
I came to the conclusion that it is probably your brain signalling your body to get more glucose derived from food, as it likes being higher than normal levels. Your metabolism and anything to do with hormonal response, comes from the messaging associated with the prospect and availability of eating.
your brain also likes a surfeit of glucose, as it tends to due to our natural state.
I must add the signalling is widespread through our nervous system and organs and the glands. So many to use.
Your fasting levels are normal and by the examples given, you could have a predisposed issue with your first phase insulin/hormonal response. As the the glucose derived does go high within a short time.
But the cause of this could be any number of reasons including insulin resistance, but that could be guessing.
And going high, the response from your brain to continue at this level. But the response is the levels of insulin produced to the high from your pancreas, is maybe the reason for the lows back into normal.
And when you come down, as in a sugar crash, that is why you feel it similar to a hypo, commonly known as a false hypo.

Always test it you feel a hypo coming on.
It will be interesting to see the outcomes of the next few weeks trial and testing.

Best wishes.