My Research

Today one of my daughters let me know that she is not impressed by me changing my lifestyle and go LCHF in an attempt to control my diabetes. She thinks (rightly so) that I am going against the advise of health professionals  and (wrongly I believe) will make myself more sick by doing so. So for you Debbie, I have written this particular blog. If you can follow the same route I have, and not come to the same conclusions I would be very, very surprised.

Since discovering that I have diabetes I have read a number of books on the subject of diabetes and diet. The first thing I read was the folder of information supplied by my diabetes nurse which made for scary reading and left me with a number of unanswered questions and a certainty that diabetic was not what I wanted to be. Unfortunately, once you have it, it’s with you for life. So I set about looking for answers and I think I have found some. Only time will tell if I am right or not but what I read makes sense.

Of course, I have doubts. I have been indoctrinated in the ‘low fat high carb’ way of eating for the past 30 years so turning my diet on its head is worrying. However, I have seen changes in just these three months that cannot be attributed to anything other than my change in diet.

Firstly, water retention all gone, then the thing on my leg stopped spreading and started fading although it’s still got a way to go, my mood has improved, I am starting to feel happier and healthier, I have lost somewhere between 11 and 16 lbs in weight (it varies slightly but the general trend is down) and finally I have dropped a dress size. If that is topped off by a good blood glucose result next month then who is to say I am doing the wrong thing.

Don’t take my word for it though folks; I am going against the advise of my diabetes professional and I would not recommend that for anyone else. What I would say is do your own research, draw your own conclusions and be responsible for your own health.

If you are interested in the research I have done so far…

Books I have read are:

Why we get fat and what we can do about it – Gary Taubes

The Diabetes Diet – Richard K Bernstein

Living Low Carb – Jonny Bowden

 

I am currently reading:

The Obesity Epidemic – Zoe Harcombe

Diet 101 – Jenny Ruhl

 

On my bookshelf still to read are:

The diabetes solution – Richard K Bernstein

Blood Sugar 101 – Jenny Ruhl

 

I have also done a lot of surfing the Internet and favourite sites include:

www.dietdoctor.com

www.diabetes.co.uk

www.zoeharcombe.com

 

And of course YouTube:

Big Fat Lies

Enjoy Eating Saturated Fats

The Food Revolution

 

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The Case for Carbohydrate Restriction In Diabetes | Paleo Diabetic

The Case for Carbohydrate Restriction In Diabetes | Paleo Diabetic.

In 1797, Dr. John Rollo (a surgeon in the British Royal Artillery) published a book entitled An Account of Two Cases of the Diabetes Mellitus. He discussed his experience treating a diabetic Army officer, Captain Meredith, with a high-fat, high-meat, low-carbohydrate diet. Mind you, this was an era devoid of effective drug therapies for diabetes.

The soldier apparently had type 2 diabetes rather than type 1.

Read more here

Two Months In

For two months I have been living a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and wanted to catch you up with how I am doing.

Firstly, I am doing this because I do not want the complications that come with uncontrolled blood glucose levels, so my main aim is to keep my blood glucose within “normal” levels or at least as close to normal as I can get with type 2 diabetes. Now, I don’t actually know how I am doing on that front as at present I am trying to  “eat to my meter” when I don’t own one! However, I am due to have a blood test with my diabetes nurse in the next month or so and that will give me an idea of how I have been doing.

My weight is still heading downwards at a crawl. I have lost 10 lbs in two months but I think I probably over indulge in double cream – I do get through rather a lot of it. Having said that, I am finding it quite easy to stay off the carbs. Yes, I do get some days when I could be tempted but I try to have a high fat snack to ward off the temptation and I have been doing pretty well.

I have been doing lots of reading. The first book I read was by Gary Taubes, ‘Why We Get Fat’. Gary also has a website here which I just discovered but which I am sure will have lots of interesting material. Since then I have read The Diabetes Diet by Richard K Bernstein MD a type 1 diabetic himself and have started using some of the recipes in his book. He has another book ‘Diabetes Solution’ which is on my reading list. Another book I am about 75% of the way through is Living Low Carb by Jonny Bowden, an interesting tome but I was put off by the amount of supplements he recommends. I have never been a huge fan of supplements. And finally I have a couple of books by Jenny Ruhl. I have started ‘The Truth bout Low Carb Diets’, and still have ‘What They Don’t Tell You About Diabetes’ on my reading list.

One thing I am really falling down on is exercise! I have never been overly fond of doing any and this awful weather we have been having has not made me want to get out there and do some.

Christmas is just around the corner and that will be a challenge for me as I have my family coming over for Christmas day so will be cooking  dinner. I will need to get some ideas on what to cook. I know one thing, it wont be turkey!