landileigh,
Thank you for your kind words. I will be posting more on the subject.
Whenever I hear someone say, “This must be true because my doctor (or endocrinologist) said it’s true,” I know that person doesn’t really understand the issue at hand.
If a nutritionist said something like, “I know that people will have lower BG levels on a low-carb diet, but I’ve researched this, and I feel that short spikes aren’t as dangerous as lots of fat,” then I’d disagree with the conclusion but respect the opinion.
When a nutritionist simply spouts information that was taught 25 years ago and not updated, then I simply don’t listen. You might want to read the Introduction to the “Schwarzbein Principle,” in which the author, an endocrinologist, describes how she was taught in medical school that low-fat, high-carb diets were the best for people with diabetes and then discovered that her patients were getting worse and worse on such diets.
She was able to admit that what she’d been taught was wrong and liberate herself from this old knowledge. I would suggest that you do some more reading on this topic.
150 carbs a day is not High-Carb. and if you look at the days that she has planned they are sensible meals.
Admittedly there are some people who prefer an extremely Low Carb meal, but for most people THIS IS a low carb meal from what they have been used to. If you ask them to try and do Bernstein, they’ll balk and never go back.
i’ve been averaging around this many carbs per day, and keeping anywhere between a 6.1-6.5 A1c, and now that I’m on the pump, my next A1c looks to be below 6.0. i consider myself very much in control.
I think that everyone needs to remember that with all diabetes YMMV…I am one of those type 1 diabetics who does NOT do well on a super low carb diet. My Drs, dietician, CDE all have worked very hard to come up with the right plan for me–and for ME that plan is 130-200 carbs/day. Sopmedays I have more…not too often, and some days I have less, also not too often. It is what works best for me.
My body doesn’t like breads or artificail sweetner…We are all different and no one-thing-fits-all diet or anything else works for diabetes–we are all different and have to figure ourt what works for us.
If anyone had all the answeres then this set of diseases (yeah-not all diabetes is created equal either) wouldn’t be so bloody agrivating and hard to manage. Everyone should be able to share here what works for them and the people they know/help/encourage. We have enough aggrivation with the disease itself, we surely don’t need to add to it.
I guess my biggest concern with super low carb diets is . . . what are you replacing your carbohydrate with? Fat or Protein - in either case, cardiovascular disease is a huge issue with people with diabetes, not to mention kidney failure - too much fat or protein is not an acceptable alternative in most cases. I just recently attended a conference for endocrinologists and those doctors are so worried about the high incidence of heart disease when you have diabetes. Cardiac incidence in PWD is a real problem. My best advice for type 2 PWD in general is to get your weight down, if that is an issue, that will help your health by leaps and bounds.
I agree that some people do better on higher-carb diets, especially if they’re able to cover the carbs with insulin. But to provide ONLY high-carb menus and say they’re good for all people with diabetes is harmful. I personally think it’s insane to continue to eat fries and fast-food “apple dippers” that are surely filled with high-fructose corn syrup as well as white flour. And if you’re eating hamburgers and fries, even small servings, why bother to drink low-fat milk? For many of us, controlling BG levels (whichever way works for you) is more important than dieting for weight loss.
This was one menu that I made out of a million - I certainly don’t advocate fast foods on a regular basis and if you knew me you would know that every menu I put on paper is healthy. The problem is . . . not all people are going to eat what I advise them to eat… So IMHO, I am finally helping people with real life issues. In other words, I am listening to my patients/clients via email, because heaven knows no one would ever admit they eat fast foods when they are staring a dietitian in the face. This particular meal plan is not for everyone and was not intended to be. I have enjoyed the discussion.
This has been a great discussion. I have to say, maybe I am REALLY BAD, but I eat what I want and I pump for it. That’s not to say that I eat burgers and fries every day or have a piece of cake every day. However, I find that if I don’t deny myself my favorite foods, then I am not as likely to eat the whole cake when I can’t stand it anymore. The bottom line is, everyone has to find what works and is healthy for them. Even eating high amounts of carbs, I still have A1C’s of 6.0-6.5 on a regular basis. I have figured out what works for me and I hope you all figure out what works for you as well.
Holly,
That is the beauty of the pump - flexibility. I’m glad the pump is working well for you. And yes, I agree, this has been a great discussion.
Actually my father controlled his blood glucose on low CHO meals,mainly vegetables cooked in different ways.His blood glucose is normalised.With children it is different story…
Another thing we need to keep in mind is that most people who need to lose weight are type 2. And most people with type 2 are not taking insulin. Hence they can’t eat carbs and cover them with insulin. If they are taking insulin, they most likely need a lot of insulin, so eating a lot of carbs means injecting huge amounts of insulin, which isn’t particularly healthy.
Type 1s are often slim and can often cover carbs with relatively little insulin.