This is a group for anyone that is using Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution in full or in part (using a very low carb diet of around 30g/day) to manage their diabetes.
Re loss of energy: are you getting enough salt? THis is often lacking on strict low carb and may account for energy lack. New Atkins suggests bouillon drink twice a day to help replace this. Is thyroid function checked and ok? Are you using up all your glycogen on exercise? (Running out of glycogen leaves you exhausted like "hitting the wall" in a marathon run and if you exercise a lot you probably need some glucose to replace this - even Dr B takes glucose when exercising / allows a bit of bread if walking around the mall for an afternoon or decorating etc like one of his pts he describes in the book. [Eventually as muscle gets used to burning other fuels it is aguable whether you need to top up with glucose all the time - plenty of people / lions and tigers / stoneage man managed to run with minimal long term carb intake but in the initial stages/first few years I am guessing that checking there is at least some glycogen in your stores is helpful to avoid loss of energy - but see below about failing to adapt to fat burning if glucose still provided in excess]. If you do take glucose for this reason, only do it during exercise to cover what glycogen is lost from stores at that time. If you take the glucose at other times you will get increased blood sugars or need more insulin hence start to put the wieght you lost back on. It is amazing how little carb exercise burns so don't go mad with this! Check your blood sugar during exercise and after to determine dose of carb needed as Dr B describes in covering exercise).
Re calories: Protein will give more calories but needs more insulin to cover hence will start to increase weight again so fat maybe the best way to get extra calories in .(Snacking on nuts and adding double cream / butter / coconut fat to sauces on your vegetables or drinks/smoothies will provide loads of calories for small extra volume without the need for extra insulin. (If you want to add weight as well as calories then go for protein as Dr B states- as fat won't put on weight if taken with a low carb diet but it sounds like you want to lose weight still so fat would be better). (If you want to avoid saturated fat then use olive oil instead of the butter in sauces etc. but I used all butter, cream and olive oil and, as Dr B said, saw lipid profile massively improve despite this so feel saturated fat probably not as bad as it is portrayed if you are on a very low carb diet alongside it).
When I started this WOE I also massivley lost energy - I think it is natural as any diet that reduces calorie intake (which avoiding the rapid calories from fast carbs probably does) will make the body go into conserve energy mode to try and prevent starving to death! I took extra salt/bovril drinks, tried Mg supplements then tried upping carb intake to 60-70g per day with a bit of white rice/sweet potato with meals. The latter helped a bit but rapidly made me put on weight so i cut back down (I also wonder if doing that makes the body feel it will eventually get more carbs if it hangs out long enough feeling lack of energy so promotes you feeling tired for months waiting for more carbs to come along???). I then/also tried gentle exercise (was too tired to do anything fast!) just having a walk each evening and i think this may have helped as it somehow gets your mitochondria in "produce-energy" mode (don't ask - I totally made that up but it does seem over time, the mild exercise actually helped the loss of energy even tho sense would say it should worsen it by using up more energy). The loss of energy eventually sorted itself out but took a while - the first year at least. I think it would be possible to sort this out much faster by speeding up the ability of cells to learn to use fat instead of carb as the MAIN energy source as follows: (continued in next post)
(continued from previous post): I think it would be possible to sort this out much faster by speeding up the ability of cells to learn to use fat instead of carb as the MAIN energy source as follows: It takes a while to adapt to using fat / ketones as fuel and so cells expect carb as have run on this for so long before you started this way of eating (WOE) and when minimal carb available they feel they are starving and therefore make you feel tired. If you eat too much protein (common on low carb diet as you have to eat something), much of the protein turns to sugar so your cells still have some supplies of sugar so continue to want to run on sugar so fail to adapt long term to burning fat etc, instead just managing on the limited sugar available and making you feel tired. Cutting back on the protein as well (try having 0.5 -0.7mg per kg LEAN body weight which is often about 40-50 g only (depending on your size etc) which correspnds to a pack of playing cards size piece of meat / cheese / protein etc (i.e. 15g )with each meal max and no more. If you are still hungry then add the fat (cream, butter sauces, nuts as above). This approach should get you more adapted to burning fat and then you should find you have plenty of energy as the cells start to use fat / ketones instead. (Even slim people carry enough fat energy to last a month or so on just water but only enough carbs/glycogen to manage a day). See also the Dr Attia blog. He tried to get into ketosis for ages and felt v unwell /weak as his protein intake was too high to allow this yet he was not eating any carbs for energy. Once he cut down the protein things went well as he adapted to burning fat and gained energy from this fuel. I think you can adapt to fat burning in a couple/3 weeks. I am not advocating a ketotic diet per se but trying to adapt your cells to different fuels to see if this helps might be worth trying.
Basically, try reducing protein and adding fat. Consider salt/ Magnesium (tho possibly did not help me much but as BP lowish I still add salt) read plenty here and other blogs and see what happens for you. If it works then great, if not keep experimenting! Good luck. Regards, Ralph
I would second making sure you get enough salt. I didn't feel good when I cut back on salt. The reason is that your metabolism changes when low carbing and your kidneys excrete more salt.
Thanks for your responses on energy loss. This is a much more complex issue than I first imagined. I have been taking a Multivitamin from Dr Hotzee's Wellness Clinic that contains some energy boosts. Dosage is 1 capsule 3 time a day. I have, over the last few days been taking 2 in the morning and one in the early evening. I have noticed an uptick in my energy levels and my exhaustion has not reached such incredible lows as before. Will continue for a while to see if indeed it is not simply a biorythmn thing.
I am accustomed to On The Job Training, but did not realize I would need it to such an extent to help me manage all of this. I sincerely appreciate the input I've gotten since joining this group. I hope I can respond in kind as I become more experienced with all of this.
As you're discovering, almost every aspect of managing D is more complicated than it first seems. Plus, it's a perpetually moving target. Everything varies -- the effects of food, meds, and exercise aren't perfectly precise nor exactly the same each time.
Just the nature of the beast. This is not a disease for people who like simple answers. Not that we have any choice about it . . . :)
So when you say two in the morning you mean at different times, right? The idea is to spread it out through the day as so many water soluble vitamins leave the body if not used. For Bvits it is 80% gone from the blood within 8 hours and notice that there are 3x8 in 24 hours...how convenient. The VitC and all Bvits need to be spread out and those are the majority of vitamins as there are 8 Bvits plus some related nutrients should be also taken and are likely in that MultiVitMin. Does it have a name on the bottle for me to look up for you in a book that rates 1,500 MultiVitMins as I call them (my short form).
Thanks! They are made by Physcian's Preference in Katy, Tx. Dr. Hotze's Energy Formula. Multi-Vitamin & Mineral.
I am looking for the energy in the 8 hour window. I may be wasting some of it but the bmp I get from the 2 at one time is at the present time worth the cost.
I looked in both categories of single and combination pack's alphabetical listings under the manufacturer and the doctor's name but did not find it. If it is a proprietary blend that he has made since 2007, that would explain it. There were even more than 1,500 initially looked at. I even checked the disqualified list of 18 for examples that have too much of something. There are some that were not listed for other reasons not mentioned, such as refusal to provide information to make the assessment. I am still wondering why Dr Mercola's product isn't in the book. The book ONLY covers MultiVitMins and not individual supplements of other types or the book would be HUGE and impossible to compile. The book is Nutrisearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements, Professional Edition. But being 5 years since it was published is likely a major issue. This is the 4th edition, but it is the lastest.
If it works for you, why not also sneak in a 4th in an evenly spaced manner? Bvits for me, that I take by injection, make it necessary to reduce my insulin. I do frequent on and off again experiments. One fellow I helped with neuropathy who was taking a B50 capsules 3x a day evenly speced was able to reduce his insulin in half in 2009. I'm still helping him and he wants to go back on B50 as he was off for over 2 years, just taking useless MultiVitMins that had a 0.5 rating out of 5 in this book which he did agree seemed to make no difference.
Wow, just back to 20 min sprints on a bike (watching Olympics does not help take things gently!) and back to severe leg cramps the following night -last night rolling round the house for 10-20 mins yelling, trying to walk and rub my legs at the same time - so painful! Have had it before when heavy exercising so there is no doubt, in me, doing max exercise on minimal carbs (less than 20 a day at present with q low protein too) leads to severe cramps. I have tried everything - since first attacks a couple of yrs ago I always salt most things I drink (I add Elete electronlyte) and for heavy exercise start Magnesium (citrate) supplements. I read Dr Eades say it was dehydration not electrolytes so I try and drink several pints of salt water after exercise and thru the day. Seems problem worse if you kick off the covers when asleep and your legs get cold then the cramps start and will not release. I finally got rid of them by drinking a whole (1.5L) bottle of (slimline) tonic water. This worked quite fast (but I think my muscles had so spasmed that by the time I staggered to the cupboard, my muscles were going to have to give up anyway!). I don't think it is the quinine that helped (too quick). I wonder if it is the sweet taste??? Certainly someone wrote all low carbers would get rid of their cramps by adding a few spoons of sugar to their diet (but difficult if trying Dr B type control of D!). I am going to stick with salt, Mg and trying to keep my legs warm at night. I dunno if there is much else to add (this has been discussed many times on low carb fora) but thought I would post just to check with the experts here! Many thanks (PS low carb and protein plus exercise making me ketotic (as semi planned). Ketones today (after breakfast with 2 units insulin) were 3mmol. I dunno if this is relevant to cramps as the last time it was a major problem I had not got round to a ketone meter...). Regards, Ralph
Oh, Ralph, I sympathize! I've not had one in a couple of weeks, but I tend to get those cramps while asleep and haven't found anything to make them stop once they start. I've also added some salt to my diet. Haven't tried adding carbs, don't know that I want to.
I used to get them a LOT before my BG was under control, especially after walking a lot during the day. I eventually associated them with high blood sugar, but that doesn't hold water now.
A physical therapist showed me where the long nerve that comes down the leg surfaces just below the outer edge of the knee cap. If you can find the right spot, pressure there actually stops the cramp most times.
They are horrific, I'd also welcome any other ideas.
I get cramps in my lower legs & feet the next night after exercising, too. For me they stop if I remember to do heel stretches during every day, like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COVU-5JIBEs and I heard Dr. B. in his last teleconference recommend this exercise in the section where he was talking about peripheral artery disease. I do a lot of sitting and anyone who sits a lot should do this exercise, IMO.
Ralph,
I have experienced this very, very, very occasionally and sporadically. Wow, how it hurts. This would make an excellent question for one of Dr. B's monthly Q&A sessions, don't you think?
David
Hi Ralph, I sympatize. I've been on low carb diet for 2 weeks, but had cramps in my calfs before; I couldn't figure out what was the reason,salt, Mg, lack of sugar or water, however it hurts more after long walks.
It would be very helpful to know why.
If someone is taking diuretics to lower blood pressure that can make such cramps worse. I have some herbal diuretics that I use if I have eaten some deli salads that do cause me to suddenly retain water because of the additives in the salad. So that is when I will experience such cramps and I know it has been from the effect of the herbal diuretics being too much, such as whether I had taken two instead of one.
put this into google...
potassium cramps leg cramps
After reading in Wikipedia about HHS/nonketotic hyperglycemia and Type2 reaction after excess urination/ or sweating in heat/ or sweating during excercise, it seems that we are getting dehydrated. we should often drink fluids at least every hour. Increase in blood glusose level results in excess or deficiency of potasse.
Potassium, but more electrolytes losses.
fluid replacemnt advice in article about Hypersmolar Hyperglicemic state
www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0501/p1723.html
Janina, I've very occasionally had leg cramps due to lack of potassium - these are different cramps and a LOT worse.
Thanks os, I can add some of that too. These are definitely not low potassium cramps though. My BP was pretty low last time it was checked, my good pcp said a little salt to keep it a little higher or I'll have to start checking at home...salt it is! LOL