carbs and insulin - what are the docs thinking?

[richmanlopez]

I do not understand why every endocrinologist and other doctors insist that I eat whole grain carbs and unrefined ones and agave sweetener and low glycemic foods when my body reacts to all carbs the same way. I pour out too much insulin regardless and gains weight and get hungrier and more depressed. All the net carb products with sugar alcohols still shoot my glucose up. The docs argue with me and say I need these carbs at least 120 per day to have my brain function! What is with that if they know all carbs affect my insulin? How come that does not make sense to them?

[Vilya]

Several factors play into this.

1. Money. Pharmaceutical companies make big bucks selling insulin and other diabetes drugs, and the doctors share in that.

2. For insulin-dependent diabetics, doctors tend to err on the side of caution and keep people a little high, to avoid dangerous lows. So many people are non-compliant or don't really know what they're doing, so doctors tell people to keep their BG at higher levels than what's really good, in order to prevent lows.

3. Legal issues/malpractice. Related to the above. Or the clinic may require certain steps be followed in order to keep a certain rating. My doctor knows that I don't follow any of the ADA's diet advice, but she still has to give me the handouts at my appointments, so she can report that she's done it and therefore in compliance with whatever criteria she's being judged on.

4. Pure misinformation. Just because someone is a doctor does not mean they are up on every bit of current research or even interested in keeping up with it. We diabetics HAVE the disease and have to live with it daily, so of course we have more of a vested interest in learning about it.

You have to be your own advocate with this disease, because the amount of bad info out there is staggering. Sadly.

[Prompter Bob]

When I was in the hospital for high BG they brought me meal which had bread, potatoes, a fruit cup and ice cream. When I asked if this was a mistake they said nope that's your diabetic dinner. I couldn't believe it. Although I was hungry I didn't eat it. Most of our health care providers don't have a clue about living with diabetes.

[Dottie]

I'm not diabetic, but my dog is.
Weird as it seems, they recommend a corn based dog food for diabetic dogs.
The "ignorance" isn't limited to humans.
(btw she eats a grain free food, I argued with her vet but I'm a little hard headed and I was going to do it no matter what he said, so he finally just agreed ).

[dansamy]

Vilya, 20 years ago, your #1 reason was very true. Not so now. Kickbacks to doctors are illegal & so are all the paid medi-spa "conferences" they used to do. However, pharm reps still push the latest, greatest & docs prescribe them because they're fresh on the doc's mind.

[Vilya]

I don't mean they're getting direct kickbacks, but from what I know the "gifts" are still spread around pretty liberally. In any case, the pharms are raking it in from pushing their drugs.

[ravenrose]

yeah, it's pretty stupid. I agree. They don't know that brains can burn ketones just as well as glucose, I guess.

[busymomma]

When I was trying to get pregnant for the first time, it wasn't happening very easy. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian cyst disease. When I asked my OB/GYN what that was and how to fix it, I was told I needed to be taking fertility drugs if I want to get pregnant. So I began taking them. We did this for 6 months and still no baby. Then I started researching what POCD was and discovered, on my own, that it is caused by my body producing too much insulin. And what produces too much insulin? Too much carbs! So the only way I was going to cure this was to stop eating carbs. Which is what I did. I told my doc that I didn't want to take the drugs anymore and I then started my low carb journey. I was 250 lbs. In 6 months I lost 60 lbs. I was 10 lbs from my goal weight when I found out I was pregnant! Being naive, I believed I could eat whatever I wanted since I was eating for 2! So I did. Carbs and all. And thats why I gained 70 lbs with that pregnancy. I stayed lazy after the baby, continuing to tell myself that as a new mom, I just don't have time to do anything but take care of my baby and work! So I never lost more than 20 lbs of that baby weight. I stayed lazy, got pregnant again, only gained 27 lbs with that pregnancy, lost 15 of that, got pregnant again, only gained 18 lbs, lost all of that and was down to 222. Then I had the opportunity to work from home so I could be home with my kids, and this was September 2012. Gained 15 lbs since working from home. I know I can do it, but I am always telling myself I'll do it on Monday, or the 1st of the month, or once the holidays are over. I am tired of how I look and feel so as of Jan 1, 2013, I am back on the low carb WOE. For good. I had tried being vegetarian, vegan, the flat belly diet...nothing works for me but low carb. My body cannot handle carbs. And the medical community won't tell you this works because then there are no meds for you to be on which means no money in their pocket. When I was trying veganism for a while, my own PCP told me it wasn't healthy. Really??? Since when are veggies not healthy????? I didn't mind veganism, but I need protein and beans are too high in carbs for me. The best option for me is little to no carbs.
Sorry for rambling! It's a pretty sad world we live in when the people we trust with our lives, our doctors, don't have our best interests at heart.
Good luck everyone and here's to a happy and healthy new year!

[DiamondDeb]

I honestly think they are trying to lower the population (the nutrition they push kills many - it is not intended to make anyone well) while making food (carb) manufacturers, doctors and pharmaceutical companies even more money.

[lazy girl]

This thread really jumped out at me. My doctor's nutritionist gave me a diet of 225 gm carbs daily and told me to just take more medicine if my blood glucose became to high. I couldn't believe it! My body is extremely insulin resistant and the last thing I need is a diet of grains and potatoes.

I think the movie, "Fat Head" really does a good job of explaining all the politics behind the push for an insane diet full of carbohydrates, but no fats. It's more than just the input by the cereal industry. If you have Netflix streaming, it's available there and is worth the time taken to watch it.

[Mistizoom]

Originally Posted by lazy girl

This thread really jumped out at me. My doctor's nutritionist gave me a diet of 225 gm carbs daily and told me to just take more medicine if my blood glucose became to high. I couldn't believe it! My body is extremely insulin resistant and the last thing I need is a diet of grains and potatoes.

I think the movie, "Fat Head" really does a good job of explaining all the politics behind the push for an insane diet full of carbohydrates, but no fats. It's more than just the input by the cereal industry. If you have Netflix streaming, it's available there and is worth the time taken to watch it.

Thanks for the tip about the movie, I've seen it on Netflix but never knew what it was about. I definitely will watch it.

I have PCOS also and I've never been told by a doctor to lower my carbohydrate consumption, even after being prescribed metformin. They just want me to exercise, I think they gave up on telling me to eat less/lose weight! I am sure my doctor will be surprised at my next visit. Not sure if I will tell her how I lost weight or not. My SIL is type 1.5 diabetic (initially type 2, now insulin-dependent). She eats plenty of carbs, as recommended by her doctor, and injects insulin after each meal. She has also gained quite a bit of weight since her diagnosis. Unfortunately she's not really open to discussing the issue.

[LoriWants2Lose]

I have a friend and an aunt who are both diabetic. The friend told me she was doing low carb but then tried to tell me that eating some whole wheat toast and lots of fruit would be good for my blood sugar. Yah right.

The aunt is convinced she can eat "anything she wants" as long as she eats very small portions at a time. Her blood sugar fluctuates wildly. I think I am going to buy her a copy of Atkins and send to her. She loves to read.

[dansamy]

Probably have better luck getting her to read Dr Bernstein. His story really resonates with me.

[Sueblimely]

A low GI diet is recommended by diabetes educators here in Australia. I do not believe they are recommending that you do eat carbs but just making sure that, if you do, you eat those that do not raise the blood sugar too much.

[Nancypie11]

I think the idea of low carb has just been slow going. My dr is a weight specialist and uses meds as a last resort. I am insulin resistant and he put me on a diet of no more than 20 carbs a day until I am in a heathy weight rNge. Lucky for me I have done low carb for awhile so am at 189 right now, so won't be too long.

[Bamboozled]

I got yelled at awhile back from a diabetic who at one point had tried low carb. Her doctor yelled at her for being on Atkins and fed her all this total crap and now she regurgitates it to me and tries to tell me how terrible low carb is for your kidneys.

I still haven't found a doctor I trust. I'm not sure I ever will.

[lazy girl]

As I'm sitting here reviewing this thread, there is a news segment that touts the advantages of vegetarianism. If vegetarians truly have less heart disease, I don't think it's solely due to the plants. Could the problem be due to the diet fed to cattle? My grandparents lived into their 80's on their little farm and ate their own beef and chicken. They were never fat and had very little medical intervention in their lives. Their meat had no hormone injections and the cattle ate mostly grass and a little hay. No corn, no force feeding. In any case, I turn my back against all the grainy diet advice.

[Kismet311]

When my husband was told he had diabetes the doctor gave him a bunch of diabetic cookbooks. Have you seen those? What a joke!!

[E.W.]

Most diabetics get heart desease I have even seen figures that say if you are overweight and have diabetes your chance of eventialy getting heart desease
before you die is about 98%. And because most doctors still think a high fat diet
is the cause of heart desese and obesity I think they want us to follow a low fat
high carb diet to prevent us from getting heart desease even if it means taking a lot more insulin or oral meds to controle our blood sugar.

Yes some Dr's are waking up to the idea that saturated fat may not be all that bad and
a low carb diet may be good for us but the old mind set will be hard to change for most
of them.

[geoblewis]

When I started on meds, I started feeling pretty horrible, even though my blood sugar levels got really normal. I hated how I felt and had no life. After three months, I quit all the meds and went back to my previous very low carb plan.

I read Dr. Berenstein's work. Very helpful to me. Doing my best with diet and exercise to keep blood sugar levels under 120. I eat an extremely low carb breakfast first thing in the morning, with healthy fats and protein. Then lunch and dinner to total 35 gm net carbs a day from non-starchy vegetable sources. And some high intensity resistance training every afternoon. The moment I vere from this path, thing go bad! Pay attention to your body!

[saltnpepper]

This is a great thread.

My dh just found out he is type 2. Of course we have had all the low fat diet stuff thrown at us.

Just wondering...

LoriWants2Lose I have a friend and an aunt who are both diabetic. The friend told me she was doing low carb but then tried to tell me that eating some whole wheat toast and lots of fruit would be good for my blood sugar. Yah right.

The aunt is convinced she can eat "anything she wants" as long as she eats very small portions at a time. Her blood sugar fluctuates wildly. I think I am going to buy her a copy of Atkins and send to her. She loves to read.
01-04-2013 07:13 PM

Did she read it? My dh does NOT like to read. But he did watch Fat Head, thanks for that infor lazy girl.

DH does NOT need to lose any weight.....so he doesn't think LC would be a good fit. Anyone have any words of wisdom?

TIA
Anna

[Jrw85705]

Originally Posted by saltnpepper

My dh just found out he is type 2. Of course we have had all the low fat diet

DH does NOT need to lose any weight.....so he doesn't think LC would be a good fit. Anyone have any words of wisdom?

TIA
Anna

I recommend Dr. Richard Bernstein's book "The Diabetes Solution" or his other book "The Diabetes Diet". I have type 2, diagnosed in 2005, and by following his advice, for the last two years, I have totally brought my numbers under control and am now off all of my meds.

He explains why this WOE of eating works even if you don't need to lose any weight. I know for me, once I understood the science behind diabetes and diet I was able to follow it. Even if your husband decides against a low carb diet these books will help him in understanding exactly what is going on with his blood sugar.

Good luck

[GME]

Originally Posted by saltnpepper

This is a great thread.

My dh just found out he is type 2. Of course we have had all the low fat diet stuff thrown at us.

Just wondering...



Did she read it? My dh does NOT like to read. But he did watch Fat Head, thanks for that infor lazy girl.

DH does NOT need to lose any weight.....so he doesn't think LC would be a good fit. Anyone have any words of wisdom?

TIA
Anna

Will he watch lectures/interviews on you tube? I don't know about diabetes specific ones, but there are sooooooo many on other LC subjects, there is bound to be something to help him.

[Mistizoom]

Originally Posted by Jrw85705

I recommend Dr. Richard Bernstein's book "The Diabetes Solution" or his other book "The Diabetes Diet". I have type 2, diagnosed in 2005, and by following his advice, for the last two years, I have totally brought my numbers under control and am now off all of my meds.

He explains why this WOE of eating works even if you don't need to lose any weight. I know for me, once I understood the science behind diabetes and diet I was able to follow it. Even if your husband decides against a low carb diet these books will help him in understanding exactly what is going on with his blood sugar.

Good luck

Dr. Bernstein also has a free teleseminar/webcast each month. The next one is Feb 27. You can sign up on his website.

[saltnpepper]

Thank you for all the input!

Mistizoom

Dr. Bernstein also has a free teleseminar/webcast each month. The next one is Feb 27. You can sign up on his website

I signed up for this, thanks.

GME
Will he watch lectures/interviews on you tube? I don't know about diabetes specific ones, but there are sooooooo many on other LC subjects, there is bound to be something to help him

So far he has only watched Fat Head, and he kept nodding off during it. sigh......I will keep trying. Thanks.

Jrw85705 Quote:
I recommend Dr. Richard Bernstein's book "The Diabetes Solution" or his other book "The Diabetes Diet". I have type 2, diagnosed in 2005, and by following his advice, for the last two years, I have totally brought my numbers under control and am now off all of my meds.

He explains why this WOE of eating works even if you don't need to lose any weight. I know for me, once I understood the science behind diabetes and diet I was able to follow it. Even if your husband decides against a low carb diet these books will help him in understanding exactly what is going on with his blood sugar.

Good luck

Thank you. I'm on my way to the library to see what I can find. Hopefully I can look at this book before buying. I have seen others recommend this it must be good.

Thanks again for all the input.

Anna

[saltnpepper]

I also wanted to add, (some of you all had the same problem). His dr gave him a low fat diet to follow. 210 carbs a day! It allowed rice, potatoes, noodles and all fruits.

Makes ya wonder what are they thinking??

[lazy girl]

I think I would have been legless and blind by now if it hadn't be for Dr. Bernstein's book. I had the original and the latest revised edition. They were so helpful that they were worth giving to others. One of those books will give anyone enough to get anyone started on a lifetime of BG normalcy!

[Bamboozled]

I think it's so fantastic that there ARE people out there who are not buying the crap their doctors are feeding them. Kudos to you all!

I made a post a few months back on a discussion forum where people were talking about drinking juice and eating chocolate bars to get their blood sugar back up. I linked a few articles on how Type 2 diabetes can be managed and helped by diet. I got blasted! It was so disappointing to see people who were so misinformed be so aggressive and angry when faced with some truth. In the end it is a lot more tasty and fun to eat a chocolate bar or a big glass of juice then to eat well and eat right for the long run, so why change your diet. I have to stop caring for other peoples health. I just know that low carb works and could save lives. But in this day and age, we still have to keep that info to ourselves.

[dawnyama]

bambooz--I feel the same way. My DD is only 12 and a type 1 diabetic. My older son's good friend is a type 1 diabetic as well, in high school. All I can say is "Thank God my girl got diabetes and not one of my sons". The high schooler (17 years old) is the one who never checks his blood sugar. When he "feels" low he then gorges on some chocolate chip cookies, chocolate candy or asks for juice. We were told that chocolate is not appropriate to bring up a severe low. That it takes too long for it to do what you need it to. That is why they almost always say juice! But my DD gets some Starburst if she is in school--brings it up quick and just 2 does the trick. If he is with us my DH asks him what his blood sugar is, so at least he can check it here. I mean, we are constantly asking our DD to check hers because while you can "feel low" you cannot tell when you are high. Or at least my daughter cannot tell. We are just baffled about him. He guesses what insulin to give himself. I mean we are like this when we see him and yes we cannot butt in. But we do what we can while he is with us.

Just be thankful that you are not talking to young ones with diabetes.....bambooz!!! LOL. That is THE MOST frustrating thing ever.

[Patina]

I battle with my doctor every time I go. She just can't admit that maybe what I'm doing is why my blood sugars are in check. Drives me crazy but it's really hard to find a doctor that supports this way of eating.

I think the reasons are many and have already been mentioned in the posts above but I've just come to accept that in general, doctors don't like patients doing low carb.

I just go and get my A1C test, battle with the doctor and then say "see you in 3 months".