Those not doing low carb

[chalkie 31]

I don't low carb ,bu0t do what my dietician told me to do 13 years ago EAT SMALLER PORTIONS it works for me

 

[birchy66]

I wouldn't say I was a low carber but since being diagnosed in April this year with Type 1 I have reduced my carb intake to around 150g to 180g per day. I have kept off the 2 stone I lost when in hospital with DKA and have a bmi of 25.3.
I exercise more and generally feel healthier than I did before being diagnosed. I am 66 years old.

My first HbA1C back in July was 7.6% (60) and a few days ago had come down to 7% (53), which I am pleased with but would like to get it lower next time. I may try and reduce my carbs below 150g and see how I get on but it might prove harder to do as the older you are the more set in your ways you become.
I am new to this and have lots to learn.

 

[Yorksman]

Some will even go as far as saying it is the only way to control BG but I am interested in other ways to do it and how those who do not low carb control theirs sucessfully.

Some forum members took earlier NHS advice to eat plenty of carbs. They were told that their blood glucose control was good if they kept to around 8.5. When their condition deterioraited, they were told that this was inevitable as the disease was progressive.

The advice was complete nonsense. As Roy Taylor remarked;

"The Belfast diet study provides an example of moderate weight loss leading to reasonably controlled, yet persistent diabetes. This study showed that a mean weight loss of 11 kg decreased fasting blood glucose levels from 10.4 to 7.0 mmol/L but that this abnormal level presaged the all-too-familiar deterioration of control."

The advice given simply reinforced the observation that the disease was progressive. Many people suffered complications because of this and the increasing damage to their beta cell mass made control very difficult. Only when they stopped eating any carbs did they see some sort of relief. It is no wonder that some people see any carbs as a sort of poison for diabetics.

However, different people have different levels of damage to their beta cell mass and, in addition, they have metabolisms which react in different ways to different types of carbohydrate. As a starting point, people should be encouraged to reduce the amount of carbs that they eat and limit them to the complex low GI types. By testing for different types, and amounts, they should be able to work out some sort of diet that suits them, making adjustments as and when necessary. Porridge is a good example of a low GI unrefined carbohydrate that type 2 diabetics can have problems with. Many report that it send their BG levels rocketing. I was them same to begin with. Gradually, it became controlable with limited portion sizes and subsequent exercise.

Personally I aim to keep my early morning readings in the 5s and under 6 2 hours after every meal. If I keep to these limits, with luck, deterioration should be limited. If however, it creeps up over the years, I still have the options of revisting my diet.

 

[chubbyian]

Hi Catherine yes I do remember your other post and did think about the low GI. I do have a book that gives the tables for the GI index so will look at that a bit more

Just a thought, I would go with the GL the L stands for load, how quickly the carbs are turned to glycogen, some things are low GI but very high GL, fructose comes to mind. If I did not have other people here I would look some more up, but I think you get the picture

 

[AnnieC]

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Yes unfortunately that is the impression some people give Brett I thought exactly the same that it was something I had to do that is why I asked if any others did a different diet to get a wider picture of it
I have got respect for whatever people do wether low carb or another diet we all have to do what we think best

 

[AnnieC]

It can never hurt.
I reckon we're the first generation on these type of lifelong diets, of all types, not just short weight loss diets, so it'll be a good few decades coming though.[/quot

I don't low carb ,bu0t do what my dietician told me to do 13 years ago EAT SMALLER PORTIONS it works for me

yes that is what I intend to do especially with starchy carbs eat less of it

 

[douglas99]

Some forum members took earlier NHS advice to eat plenty of carbs. They were told that their blood glucose control was good if they kept to around 8.5. When their condition deterioraited, they were told that this was inevitable as the disease was progressive.

The advice was complete nonsense. As Roy Taylor remarked;

"The Belfast diet study provides an example of moderate weight loss leading to reasonably controlled, yet persistent diabetes. This study showed that a mean weight loss of 11 kg decreased fasting blood glucose levels from 10.4 to 7.0 mmol/L but that this abnormal level presaged the all-too-familiar deterioration of control."

The advice given simply reinforced the observation that the disease was progressive. Many people suffered complications because of this and the increasing damage to their beta cell mass made control very difficult. Only when they stopped eating any carbs did they see some sort of relief. It is no wonder that some people see any carbs as a sort of poison for diabetics.

However, different people have different levels of damage to their beta cell mass and, in addition, they have metabolisms which react in different ways to different types of carbohydrate. As a starting point, people should be encouraged to reduce the amount of carbs that they eat and limit them to the complex low GI types. By testing for different types, and amounts, they should be able to work out some sort of diet that suits them, making adjustments as and when necessary. Porridge is a good example of a low GI unrefined carbohydrate that type 2 diabetics can have problems with. Many report that it send their BG levels rocketing. I was them same to begin with. Gradually, it became controlable with limited portion sizes and subsequent exercise.

Personally I aim to keep my early morning readings in the 5s and under 6 2 hours after every meal. If I keep to these limits, with luck, deterioration should be limited. If however, it creeps up over the years, I still have the options of revisting my diet.

Everything is relative.

An uncontrolled diet with bs up in the double figures would be worse.
So to get the average diabetic to 8.5 is good.

The nhs know a balanced diet is healthy, and always will be, and that weight loss improves figures, and better cholesterol improves your chances as well. So they do the responsible thing, and prescribe the best they can for the overall population they deal with.
All other diets are unproven. I agree, there is the odd few doctors who claim to have figures that show their particular diet is good, I've even seen one from the South African Sugar marketing board showing sugar is safe in moderation in a diet. It doesn't mean I'll start eating it again.
So to avoid another ddt or thalidomide scenario, I thing it's completely sensible they advise a diet that is proven to improve the average patient, and any one else can be free to then take or ignore that advice, from the extremes of a lchf diet, or to carrying on with the high carb donut and chips.

 

[Yorksman]

Everything is relative.

An uncontrolled diet with bs up in the double figures would be worse.
So to get the average diabetic to 8.5 is good.

Double figures would be worse but, since the Belfast Diet study showed that fasting levels of 7.0 were still harmful, why settle on a harmful figure? Why not push for 6.0. OK, not everyone might achieve them but there is precious little to be gained in telling someone who is still in harmful territory that they are doing well. Much better to tell them to try harder.

So they do the responsible thing, and prescribe the best they can for the overall population they deal with.

You have a romantic view of the NHS.

"The NHS spends at least £3.9 billion a year on diabetes services and around 80% of that goes on treating avoidable complications." ... "We have seen no evidence that the Department of Health will ensure that these issues are addressed effectively in the new NHS structure." (Commons Committee of Public Accounts, The management of adult diabetes services in the NHS)

I got to see a dietician who showed me plastic models of a fried egg, a rasher of bacon and a sausage. I think they can do better.

 

[douglas99]

Double figures would be worse but, since the Belfast Diet study showed that fasting levels of 7.0 were still harmful, why settle on a harmful figure? Why not push for 6.0. OK, not everyone might achieve them but there is precious little to be gained in telling someone who is still in harmful territory that they are doing well. Much better to tell them to try harder.



You have a romantic view of the NHS.
"The NHS spends at least £3.9 billion a year on diabetes services and around 80% of that goes on treating avoidable complications." ... "We have seen no evidence that the Department of Health will ensure that these issues are addressed effectively in the new NHS structure." (Commons Committee of Public Accounts, The management of adult diabetes services in the NHS)

I got to see a dietician who showed me plastic models of a fried egg, a rasher of bacon and a sausage. I think they can do better.

I got to see a dietician that turned it around completely.
Low fat, good carbs.

And then again, LCHF, fried egg, rasher of bacon and a sausage? Sounds like the perfect diet. Only thing missing is the coffee with cream in, and the butter to fry the bacon and eggs in.

 

[badcat]

I think whatever diet you follow the most important thing is using blood testing to find out what the effects are on your individual body. No one approach will suit all of us the same way even were we all at exactly the same stage in the disease.
I managed fine on a whole grain, vegetarian I diet for around 15 years with hba1c happily in the 6% for all of that time however as my pancreas began to give up the ghost! My hba1c went into the 8% range and I was faced with the prospect of starting on sitagliptin! which I didn't fancy so chose to explore v low cal and low carb diets to see if they could help
2 years on, I'm on low carb ( around 50g carbs a day) with an hba1c of 41 and still just on gliclazide - I didn't need the LC diet 20 years ago and wouldn't advocate it as a panacea for all diabetics
I would advise all diabetics to buy themselves a meter and test, test, test, to find out what foods work for you. For example when I was first diagnosed I was told the normal stuff about fruit portions but from testing fund that I could drink a pint glass of freshly squeezed orange juice without spiking, but a tiny amount of carton oj would send my sugars through the roof