Testing for diabetes

The million dollar question: what to eat!

Many people eventually come to the conclusion that there is something wrong with the socalled "healthy plate" government diet recommendations. If you're like me, you've assumed this high carb low fat diet had been rigorously vetted by top nutritional scientists. Lots of whole grains. Carbs at every meal. Lots of carbs. Some refined sugar is ok. Very little fat. As little saturated fat as possible - highly processed plant based oil is preferred. Read the nutrition labels on the cardboard and plastic packaging to figure out what to eat. Oh, and a few fruit and veg too. I tried to follow that. 100s of millions in the western world tried to follow it. Industry pumped out low fat sugary fake processed foods. A whole industry of low fat dieting was born. 30 years later I had gained and lost weight multiple times until finally I had type 2 diabetes. But all anyone had to do was read a newspaper to see what country had the most obesity, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic disease: the country that came up with the low fat high carb healthy plate diet and had been using it the longest!!! The Good old USA. Why would any other country adopt such a proven failure of an idea? I don't know. Groupthink, laziness, good intentions maybe.

So if the healthy plate diet is bad, what is good? I won't go through all the different candidates - I'll just tell you what I did. But first I'll tell you where I was exactly a year ago: the worst physical shape of my life. 50 pounds above normal BMI, diabetic, nerve damage in my feet so bad I could barely walk some days, sleeping 12 hours a day - I was a mess.

Today I've lost the 50 pounds, reversed the diabetes, I run 30 km a week, lift weights 5 days a week - in short I'm in the best shape of my life at 50 years old.

I did it by doing the near opposite of the healthy plate diet. 70-75% fat, 20-25% protein, 5-10% carbs. No grains, rice or starchy veg. No sugar. No processed veg oil. No processed foods. Just fresh veg, eggs, full fat dairy, butter, olive oil, meat, fish, small amount of 85% chocolate, and coffee.

I believe it's called a primal diet, essentially a paleo diet with dairy.

However, you should do your own research about what to eat. In my opinion the lower the carbs the better for type 2 diabetics.

Hi. It is always worth bearing in mind that aside from T2 a few people who are not overweight are eventually diagnosed a Late onset T1 (LADA). I think you should bear this possibility in mind with your son as 10.1 is quite high unless it was within, say, an hour of eating a very carby meal. I would occasionally test your son 2 hours after a meal and if over 8.5'ish then see the GP. Hopefully your results will indicate your diagnosis but bear in mind that when not overweight T2 is not the only diagnosis. It's the most common but not exclusive.

On being diagnosed, I stopped all obviously sugary things, sweets, chocs, biscuits, fizzy drinks etc but also started to eat simple plain foods, a ham sandwich for example but with little butter and no toppings. It wasn't long, with lots of testing, that even the plain white bread spiked my levels.

Eventually, a moved onto a diet where the carbs I ate were all complex carbs, wholegrain rye, pearl barley, brown rice etc. Portion control too was important. I also cut down on fats, cutting off the excess fat, using a spray oil for frying etc. I also increased my activity because this affects the way your body metabolises fats. As a consequence, I lost 30kg and even a mars bar wouldn't spike me now.

I hasten to add that I don't eat that stuff anymore and a touch of luxury are some wholewheat digestive biscuits. Things like mars bars have become far too sweet for me now.

My biggest danger though is cheese. I love th stuff. It makes a great snack and doesn't spike the BG levels. But, it will pile on the pounds rather quickly.

Cchartr said:

I have gain some weight when I was eating all carb cheese and fat in every meal but I became slightly lactose so I can only eat so much of it now even those I gained 20lbs i been never been over 155 at 5'7" but I've recently lost weight since the symptoms frequent urination and constant thirst that I notice just after Christmas and hasn't gone away. My diet now usually consist of cabs meat and veggies fruit all dairy nothing low fat, fast food. However since the realization of the possibility i switched to whole grain but not much, all dairy regular not low fat meats eat peanut butter beans for protein, basically a high protein low carb diet and I dropped my levels within the week, in the past I've lost weight but eating high fat protein few carbs diet. I don't eat too many sugary items too often pop candy chocolate. I don't drink coffee but I do ice caps which i limited to one a week. I just found without the carbs I don't feel full and im starving within the hour and have to eat so I'm eating constantly. But eating a lot of this food it showing to be way better then the carbs however I may go broke if I continue to eat like this.

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I know what you mean about the extra cost. That's why processed food is full of sugar and flour - it's cheap!

A work colleague who was worried about the cost of LCHF recently started anyway. I'll ask her about how she's doing with cost and let you know what she does. I think she may not be eating enough calories, though, which keeps costs down.

For many type 2s checking their blood glucose levels, including me, whole grain bread and pasta has the same effect as regular bread and pasta and needs to be cut out of the diet as well.

Ya, it sounds like more fat wouldn't hurt you. It might reduce the hunger as well.