Hello all,
Could anyone plz brief me about what doctor Bernstien’s best advices for diabetes with type 1 Just like me 
I didnt buy this book yet but will do soon.
Regads,
Bebo
I found some of his suggestions useful but in general his crazy low carb amounts were way too restrictive for me. I do well on moderate or occasionally low carbs but didnt feel well at all when keeping the carbs to his recommendations. Hopefully you get more out of it than I did. Honestly I tossed the book in the trash 8 months after I bought it.
Starvation!! No thanks, his approach isnt for me.
I found the book to be extremely informative. You might disagree with him about his low-carb diet but it depends on each person’s views about how seriously they wish to keep good control of their BG levels. I used to follow his diet when I was single but once I got married it became quite difficult because of the excellent food cooked by my wife. I still try, though.
Definitely read his book. His book is not just his diet. If you want, go to his website and read excerpts online and then decide if you want to buy the book.
Don’t listen to comments like “I tossed the book in the trash” because they would discourage you from a truly wonderful resource rich in information helpful to diabetics.
You can read a lot of chapters from his book at www.diabetesincontrol.com. Go to the bottom of their home page & there are links for authors/researchers. Diabetes in Control also sponsors a monthly webcast with Dr. B where people submit questions that he answers.
It’s better to read the book than have someone give you bits & pieces. Basically, Dr. Bernstein advocates for low carb with correspondingly lower insulin doses as the best way to control BG. He aims for normal BG for his patients, not the general attitude of “it’s good for a diabetic.” His plan is 6 carbs for breakfast, 12 carbs lunch & 12 dinner. I follow this & have had much improved numbers. Much fewer lows because dosing is small, so less margin for error.
Jenny’s web site & book are also wonderful http://www.bloodsugar101.com.
Bernstein in a nutshell advocates extremely low carb eating, low insulin intake, and minimal swings in blood sugar to prevent complications. Strict?..yes. Unrealistic?..maybe. Effective?..most definitely.
Bottom line…the ADA guidelines for “a healthy diabetic diet” is actually poisonous to our bodies and Dr. Bernstein is a revolutionary for exposing that. I don’t follow his diet 100%, but I do skew toward the low carb lifestyle because of him and his ideas.
If I didn’t read his book, I guarantee I’d be taking 200% more insulin, I’d weigh 40 lbs more than I do, and I’d be super insulin resistant and sliding down a slippery slope toward complications.
The biggest realization that I got from his book was that I needed to simply stop wanting to eat like a “normal” person. It shouldn’t be our goal as diabetics to take whatever amount of insulin is necessary to eat a giant box of donuts or a whole medium pizza. Our goal is to live a long time with this disorder, and that is very difficult when you are trapped in a vicious cycle of high carb intake, high insulin doses, and increased insulin resistance.
I remember when I was introduced to Humalog, and my endo at the time made it seem like I could eat whatever I want, whenever I want…just count the carbs, and take a shot to cover it and you’ll be just like the normal folks, eating and drinking all the crap you ever wanted too.
Yeah right. After years under this idiotic philosophy, I finally read Dr. Bernstein’s book and realized that the more I try to eat and live like the normals, the worse my diabetes would become.
Any diabetic that throws away that idea might as well throw away years from their life.
can’t take my volcano box from me, right Robyn???
I liked his book and it’s a great reference guide to what’s going on in our diabetic bodies. His diet is restrictive. I tend to eat about 50-75 carbs a day. He wants you to stick to below 30. His premise is that when you eat any carb it turns to glucose immediately thus needing insulin. The fewer carbs the less insulin you need. He feels a lot of complications come from too much insulin. He has been able to keep a normal HbA1c and LDL and other numbers. He also stresses exercise.
i’ve always heard that people on low carb diets lose weight but tend to lack energy. Don’t we need carbs to get some energy?
Hi BEBO I hope you are well and your question is great because if there is any way we can make the big list smaller then by all means do it. The reality is that diabetes is extremly complex and individual for each of us in conjunction with our lifestyle. The reason I love Dr Bernstein is because he is a scientist/doctor/pioneer and this is a huge help so we can all make informed choices about how we deal with our lives. The research is already done, and the choices belong to us.
You can follow as much or as little of his advice as you see fit. All of the above comes down to your own personal balance of time, energy and emotional feelings that will lead to whatever level of success you wish to attain. I watch mine closely, but do not consider myself a fanatic. It is an integral part of who I am, but in no way does it rule me. There are many relationships where either you control it, or it will control you.
A short time ago a diabetes caregiver was asking me how I would respond to a diabetic who told her that diabetes “was not part of his identity”. My response was that as time goes on, he may carry a white cane when he is blind, or even worse something to support him if heaven forbid amputation occurs. This will definitely be a part of his identity.
The bottom line is that we ALL must respect each others levels of control, and love and support those who are hurting. Right now I am doing the best job I can to have reasonable SAFE levels of control, and encourage everyone else to do the same. If the cure comes great and if not, then I will still be O.K. I accept the fact that I am not perfect, and don’t try to be. Your day to day numbers and A1C’s are yours. This is an enormous task and it is time to let people know that because the job is so tough we are going to need some help every now and again. We cannot do this alone, this is what tudiabetes is all about!!!
Love Always
The Anonymous Diabetic
I do need carbs as a half marathoner …about 190 carbs daily …even when I am not going at it too hard …I don’t want to lose weight at 137 , 5 feet 7 inches and almost 69 years of age …hope this is helpfull
Domo,
Can only to speak to my experience, but I haven’t felt any lack of energy following Dr. B’s recommendations. (I’ve been eating about 30 carbs per day for almost a year.) In fact, I feel much better & have more energy since doing this. When eating higher carb, I felt sluggish, foggy, tired & was on the high/low BG roller coaster.
About 57% of the protein we eat turns to glucose, though at a slower rate, so there isn’t a lack of glucose or energy when eating sufficient protein. Protein needs vary depending on age, ideal weight, level of physical activity, & other factors.
Dear Anonymous …you have sooo much to share …time to become unAnomynous ?? Just a thought before I go on doggie evening walk ??
As a researcher I decided to see exactly what Dr. Bernstein’s diet etc would do for me. I used CGM. I lowered my carbs in stages (raising my protein) to the point where my 1 hour post-prandial would never go above 140. For me, he’s close to right on.
His advice to add 2/3 unit (I use Humalog) for 9 gm protein was useful and again, right on. I had thought I had higher resistance after high protein meals. How little I knew! I had to change my diet radically, adding protein whey, etc., and it will always be a work in progress, but his low carb advice needs to be taken seriously and continuing to work with it to the point where no blood sugar is above 140 has great pay-off. Love those DaVinci syrups! Test test test.
Arielle,
Ditto!!
I don’t think Dino meant it literally. It’s a figure of speech. And yes, as diabetics, we do need to minimize and cut out all unnecessary carbs out of our diet if we aim for excellent control. And Dr. Bernstein definitely does not recommend “no carb” either. Eat healthy - and if you’re a diabetic, eating healthy means aiming for the lowest carbs you can while still getting all the nutrition, and enjoyment, you need. You may not see the ill effects of the higher carbs - and resulting BG swings - tomorrow or next year or even 10 years from now. But knowing the cumulative effects of such events on your body, all of it will catch up with you sooner or later. And following Dr. Bernstein’s advice to your best ability will mean that complications will strike you later than sooner.
Oh, Nel, you have inspired me! When I am 69, I would love to weigh 137 and be active and exercising. (I’ve lost 9 pounds and have about 11 more pounds to go!) I am also 5’7".
I have only read through some of these replies, so I’ll just tell you what I have experienced in relation to diet, bloods and energy levels. I am at my fittest, happiest and healthiest when I eat very few carbs and this allows my insulin requirements to stay low. I feel fit and full of energy on a diet which mainly consists of salads, veg and fruits. The only thing which gets me sometimes is my emotional battle with food, but that’s away on nother tangent altogether. I think Doc Bern is right, but it’s not always easy.
The normals aren’t doing a good job of eating well, judging by all the health probs that western society has. I really don’t think we need that much food to survive nowadays, it’s not like we’re out trying to catch our dinner.
Wow, I’ve never heard of this guy, but it sounds like something that I might want to try. For those of you who have used his method/advice, can you tell me how hard it is to follow?