Low carb on a budget.

With the lousy economy and poor job market many of us are having trouble stretching the food dollar and stick with a low carb. Hey, let's face it, carbs are cheap!! You can buy a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter for less than $10 and make, what, 10-12 sandwiches? A couple of boxes of cheap pasta and some jarred sauce can feed a lot of people....again, for less than $10. But these foods are not good for you and you will end up spending more in the long run when you figure in the cost of medications and physician appointments for treating your high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes!

Here are some tips for low carbing on a limited budget.

1. Watch the sales. Almost every food store has weekly specials. Check them out. You may find your self buying meats you've never tried but you may find you link them! Fruits and vegetables go on sale too, so be sure to check them out!

On sale at Food Lion* this week:

• Boston Butt steaks - $1.99/lb
• Chicken breasts, frozen - buy 1 get 1 free
• Fresh Chicken Leg Quarters - 10 Lb. Bag/$.69 Lb.
• Whole fryer chickens - $0.57/lb (Whole, cut up are $0.87/lb)
• New York Strip Steaks:Value Pack, Boneless - $5.99 Lb.

2. Check out the in-store specials! You can often save 10% and more on meats that are marked down...either as an unadvertised special or ones that are reaching their expiration date (but still quite safe to eat!).

3. If possible buy in bulk! If you have the storage space, buy family packs or buy several meals worth of an on-sale meat/fish/fowl.

4. Try to invest in a stand-alone freezer. A brand new upright freezer at Sears goes for $149 (1.3cu ft) to over $1400 (21cu ft), but a quick search of Craig's list (for Raleigh, NC) shows a 13cu ft for $100 and another for just $50! Chest freezers tend to be a bit less expensive and actually save money on electricity. If possible try to get a manual defrost as they use less power and your foods will stay fresher. If money is really tight try to put aside $10 a month and in a few months you might be able to buy a used freezer. You will likely get your money back by being able to bulk shop within 6-12 months (less if you are feeding a large family).

5. Try to invest in a vacuum food sealer. These are not too expensive, but the bags can add up. Look on Craig's list and EBay for good buys. Vacuum sealing foods prevents freezer burn, so you will save money by not having to throw out food due to freezer burn.

6. Check out your local farmer's market. Many of the farmers at the markets have fantastic prices, but not all of them, so be sure to wander around and look for the best prices. You may also be able to "bargain" with the farmer if you are interested in buying large quantities, especially if it's close to the end of the day!

7. Switch to water for cold drinks. If your tap water doesn't taste good, or you're concerned about it's purity, invest in a filter. One that mounts on the faucet can be purchased for about $20 (replacement filters run about $10 each and they last 2-3 months, depending on your use). Water pitchers with the built in filters run about $10-20. If you can't or won't drink plain water, add a few drops of lemon or lime juice (the plastic lemon and lime juices in the produce sections are usually 100% juice, but do check the label!). Food stores also sell their brand of sugar free drink mixes for just a few cents for each serving.

8. Add bulky low carb salads with your meals. A small head of lettuce with a few slices feeds several....add cucumbers, tomatoes, or what you like for usually just a few cents per serving.

9. Don't forget about eggs!! A dozen eggs are inexpensive and can fill you up. Eggs can also be used with ground beef to stretch it a bit. In my opinion, eggs are pretty much the perfect food!! All that nutrition packaged in a tasty, versatile package! Having "breakfast for dinner" is a great choice.

10. Learn to cook! While convenience foods are often very convenient, you can usually save money if you make it yourself! If time is an issue try "batch cooking" on weekends or your days off. With batch cooking all you have to do is thaw and heat.

11. Make friends with a butcher! If you're lucky enough to have a local butcher, go in and ask about special deals you might be able to get. Soup bones add a lot of nutrition and can sometimes be had for low prices. See if you can get some of the fattier cuts of meat for lower prices....the time the butcher saves in trimming the meat might make it worth a few cents a pound!

12.If there is a "warehouse" store near enough, get a membership! These are especially good if you have a stand-alone freezer! Prices are low and the quality is usually excellent.

Low carb on a tight budget can be tough, but it can be done!! Look for sites online that cater to busy moms and check out the recipes. Sometimes you can make substitutions for the high carb ingredients. The main thing about sticking to your budget and your diet is to plan! Check the ads and make a list. Plan out what you need for the week....or the next few days and buy accordingly. If you're lucky enough to have a freezer it is easier, but you still have to plan!

If you're tempted to give in an buy some "filler" carbs (pasta, bread, rice), remember that fat and protein fills you up faster and keeps you full longer! That $100 worth of pasta may fill you up, but it's likely you'll be hungry sooner than if you ate $100 worth of meat or dairy!!

What are you budget savers? Post them in comments so others can benefit!

*In Raleigh NC, the week ending 8/4/2010.

Sign the petition!!

We've got a long way to go to hit the goal!!

Jenny says it best on her blog.

Sign the petition here

Recent Diabetes study in the news

Recent Diabetes study in the news.

I'm sure plenty of you have seen the articles in the news about the study to lower blood sugar was partially stopped due to increased deaths in 1 group.

"Among the study participants who were randomly assigned to get their blood sugar levels to nearly normal, there were 54 more deaths than in the group whose levels were less rigidly controlled. The patients were in the study for an average of four years when investigators called a halt to the intensive blood sugar lowering and put all of them on the less intense regimen." according to the NY Times.

Now, of course the medical industry is explaining, even tho the data hasn't been analyzed, what this means:

“It’s confusing and disturbing that this happened,” said Dr. James Dove, president of the American College of Cardiology. “For 50 years, we’ve talked about getting blood sugar very low. Everything in the literature would suggest this is the right thing to do,” he added.

and:

“It will be similar to what many women felt when they heard the news about estrogen,” Dr. Hirsch said. “Telling these patients to get their blood sugar up will be very difficult.”

At the very end, there is this:

It might be that patients suffered unintended consequences from taking so many drugs, which might interact in unexpected ways, said Dr. Steven E. Nissen, chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

Ya think?!?!?!

Keep in mind, not only was this group subjected to a program designed to "get their blood sugar levels to nearly normal", they were also aggressively treated for high BP and/or elevated cholesterol levels. And how were they treated? With high doses of multiple medications!

As one blogger pointed out, there are so many different drugs used, in so many different combinations, and so many different doses that it will be impossible to come up with any statistical reason for the deaths. And remember too, these people were also treated, often with multiple drugs for 1-2 other conditions....that we know of! How many drugs were these people taking for other conditions? (Not to mention their smoking status, their weight, activity level, gender, age, etc etc etc!)

Please, at least at this point in time, ignore these articles and continue to do what you've been doing!! All recent and past evidence indicates that the tighter the control and the closer to normal, the better the outcomes!

Back in the 70s, when all that was available, besides diet, was insulin and a handful of oral meds (designed only to stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin) we saw fewer complications than we do today. We could predict sometimes which patients would do well, simply by how tightly controlled they were. Those that followed the diet (which was not ketogenic, but much lower carb than today's diet) and took their meds didn't have too many problems. But those that didn't take their meds, or stick with their diet, got all kinds of complications!

I seriously am starting to question the medical profession in the care of diabetics. I just don't understand how they can continue to encourage, no push, a high carb diet and then just keep adding meds! These statements are, in my opinion, criminal!

There are blogs all over the place about this subject and different takes on why we should continue what we're doing and ignore the advice of "experts". Here are links to a couple:
Dave Dixon's take at The Spark Of Reason,
Regina Wilshire's at The Weight of The Evidence, and
Jenny's at Diabetes Update.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

I love eggs!!! I eat a fair amount of them. Poached, fried, hard boiled, deviled, egg salad, and so forth. I usually buy large eggs. When I was a kid we only had medium eggs, but even mom switched to large many years ago. We bought our eggs from the local egg farm. The farm was just at the end of our street, and the old guy that owned it (just him and his wife) would sometimes let us watch the egg sorter in action!! What he sold us as "medium" were comparable to "large" in the food stores. When the egg farm closed (they retired), we started buying eggs at the local food store and I think always got large.

Well, I bought some jumbo eggs a few weeks ago because the "large" were tiny. These jumbos looked like large to me. Well, when those ran out I asked my son to pick up another dozen and he again got the jumbo. Boy were those things big!!! I almost choked when I saw the size of the eggs!! Of course I was thrilled! I have 1 or 2 eggs with 1 slice bread when I eat them for breakfast. More egg, more yummy!

I have never, until this current dozen, seen a double yolk egg. I know they exist, but I have never seen one. Out of the 10 eggs I've cracked so far, 4 of them were double yolk!

The last 3 eggs I've opened out of this dozen

The ones I cracked today I also broke one of the yolks, so those will go to the dogs. I was making poached/dropped eggs, and broken yolks aren't good. The one that's a single was a bit smaller than the others, but not by much!

Dropped eggs cooking

Ready to eat. That's whole grain oatmeal bread by Pepperidge Farm with butter.
A little bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. Yummy!

My sister had her procedure done and is doing well. There was some question as to whether there was plaque or not. They knew she had scar tissue, but we weren't sure whether they suspected plaque or not. Well, after the procedure it was confirmed that it was scar tissue only. They only opened one artery, the one that was partially blocked. The other one was 100% blocked, but had good collateral circulation, and they were afraid they'd do more harm than good in attempting to open the artery.

I guess this supports my theory about good genes along with bad ones. My mom's side of the family has rampant diabetes. As far back as my great grandmother and her siblings, right through to my current generation, of which I am the youngest, almost all were diagnosed with diabetes. I even have a niece, the next generation, that has been diagnosed.

My sister definitely takes after mom's side of the family as far as body build is concerned. My brother takes after my dad's side, but is also diabetic, so has apparently inherited the "weak" pancreas. But, so far none, including my generation, have developed coronary artery disease. NONE.

One aunt had CHF (congestive heart failure) as a result of a viral infection when she was young. This aunt eventually died of CHF. But she'd never had a heart attack or stroke, and was well into her 80's by the time it got her.

What's the one thing they worry about most with diabetics? Yep, heart disease. So, there's no heart disease in my mom's family, despite most being diagnosed with diabetes, and most of those prior to age 50 (some under 40!).

Is it because they are well controlled???? I don't know, but I suspect not. My sister's latest A1c was 6.2 or 6.3. This means her average blood sugar was in excess of 135. That's average. She doesn't take her blood sugar readings very often, on the advice of her doc, but the ones she does record are usually 140-150. The last time we talked she had one that was over 180! (and of course had no idea what may have caused the spike!) She's also on 2 medications. One med she's at max dose, the second one she's very close to max.

Average daily blood sugars
relation to A1c levels

I don't call that well controlled.

My brother is currently 55. He was diagnosed less than 10 yrs ago when they discovered he had severe peripheral neuropathy (PN). He is disabled from the damage. He presented to the doc when he started having trouble walking due to the PN. I have no idea what his numbers are, but he went on insulin immediately and is still taking it. He's thin, but has always eaten a very high carb diet, including frequent large portions of spaghetti.

I don't call that well controlled.

The rest of the family I don't really know about, at least as far as how well controlled they are, but some are overweight and some aren't. One cousin, a few years older than me, has been slim all her life, loves to exercise, and has been diagnosed for a few years. She's in her early 60's.

So....apparently my family has a "bad" gene related to pancreas function. I've long believed that we are each born with a pancreas that has a certain limit. Eventually we will hit that limit and diabetes will develop. If we abuse our bodies with high carbohydrate intake, we will hit that limit sooner. The limit for one person following a reasonably healthy lower carb diet (few or no sweets, portion control, limited processed foods) may be 50 or 60 years. For another it may be 90 or 100 or even higher!!! And for some, it may be as young as 8 or 10.

Whatever your genetic background, limiting carbohydrate intake will help prolong the "life" of your pancreas. If you have "good" genes, you may never develop diabetes, if you have "bad" genes, you may already have diabetes or be on the road to developing it.

I think my family, or at least my mom's side, has "bad" genes as related to pancreas function.

But, apparently we have "good" genes in the heart disease area! Since none of my grandparents, and none of my aunts and uncles, and none of my cousins have developed heart disease, despite a common diagnosis of diabetes, I'd say we inherited some pretty good heart health genes!

My dad's side I don't know as much about, but they too lived mostly into their 80s and 90s, none that I know of having heart disease or diabetes. There is high BP and hemorrhagic stoke on that side, as well as complications of alcohol abuse. Several died of cancer, including at least half of my dad's siblings.

I am 52 and have no evidence of heart disease. I have had several chest scans that showed no calcifications, and have no symptoms of heart disease, artery disease or high blood pressure. I don't have diabetes, but I am insulin resistant and have had symptoms of hypoglycemia.

I know I inherited at least some of the body type from my dad's side. I think a lot as I'm built more like the aunts on that side of the family. I'm actually shorter tho, so I guess I got a smidge of height from mom too. I'm 5'8", most of my aunts were 5'10 and above. My mom was fairly tall at 5'7", but she was the odd one in her family, where most of the men were under 5'8" tall!

I have the build from my dad's side. Larger frame, good size hips and shoulders. I also, I believe, get my bad back from dad's side. My stomach issues, I believe are from mom.

Who knows. Maybe some day we'll be able to have our blood tested and know exactly which disease we are at higher risk for. Until then all we can do is do our best to take care of the bodies we were given. In my case I know that limiting carbs, without eliminating them, is the thing I must do to keep my body healthy.

I'll watch my carbohydrate intake because I don't want to develop diabetes.

I'll watch that my BP doesn't get elevated and also that my cholesterol levels don't get too low because I don't want weakened arteries or high BP that may lead to stroke.

I'll watch my alcohol intake as I seem to be at a higher risk of alcoholism due to family history.



Barbaro has another setback. This is sad. They haven't given up yet, but poor Barbaro isn't doing well. He's had another procedure done in an attempt to save his leg and his life.


A Massachusetts couple think AirTran Airways

A Massachusetts couple think AirTran Airways went overboard by treating their crying 3-year-old daughter in much the same way.

Julie and Gerry Kulesza and daughter Elly were removed from the flight in Fort Myers, Fla., when the girl refused to take her seat before takeoff, airline officials said yesterday. But her parents said they just needed a little more time to calm her down.

The Kuleszas, of Worcester, Mass., planned to fly to Boston on Jan. 14 from Fort Myers, Fla., after a four-day visit with the girl's paternal grandparents. She was removed because "she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat" during boarding, AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.

Of course the parents are outraged! The airline has not only reimbursed the parents, but also given them free flights!!! What about the other people on the plane? Were they compensated too?


Mama dog. This is a great story posted on Gather.com about an amazing dog!

I first met Mama Dog two days before Christmas 2005. She showed up at my friend Brenda's house, cold, starving, badly beaten, and very very pregnant. Brenda immediately went and bought a bale of hay, and made a nice warm place for her in the garage. Brenda is very good with animals, and she was determined to nurse Mama Dog back to health.....

Update on my son. Went to the doc again last week, still no definite answers. It appears that the fracture is still unstable, so the doc has ordered another MRI. Depending on what that shows will be the deciding factor in whether the doc recommends surgery or not.

Weigh in day is tomorrow. I think I'll do well. If I haven't lost, I doubt I've gained. We shall see!!!

As of last week:

Week 3 weigh in

Another pound gone!!! Yippee!!!

I've been following plan all week, didn't have any falls or mis-steps. I am now very comfortable in my size 18 jeans. I'd love to buy a few more pairs, but I refuse to until I get down 1 more size.

Went back to the doctor's with Brian today. It was very busy and we ended up being there for about 3hrs. Once again they took XRays, and once again there's no sign of this stabilizing. He has to have another MRI to see if there's any spinal cord or nerve root damage going on.

Brian has weakness in both hands. One of the tests the doc does is to have him gram his fingers (2 fingers) and squeeze as hard as he can. Without a lot of effort the doc can remove his fingers from Brian's grip. The doc thinks the weakness might be one of the effects of the initial injury, but it's not getting any better. He stated that if anything, Brian should have some shoulder pain, but he doesn't. He's ordered another MRI to compare with the first and see if there is anything new or worse. He also stated that if he had seen the first MRI himself he would have said Brian needed surgery!!!

This is a bit disconcerting, as we were told in the ER that the "attending orthopedic" saw the MRI and declared everything fine....pristine is actually the word they used, "his spinal cord is pristine". Now we find that it was, in fact, the radiologist that read the films.

So....once again we wait. This time to see what, if anything, the MRI shows.

The President is giving his State of the Union speech right now. I'm half listening as I write this. To me it doesn't sound as much like a SOTU speech as it does a campaign speech!!! I'm going to bed soon and will listen to the commentary on MSNBC.

Some interesting news online lately!!!

The company I work for has a web-site for Case Managers. Canopy Central is a page that's available to all, and is where the user's log in browser is redirected to when they sign into our product (Canopy). One of the things we have on that page is news articles related to medicine. I have a bit of an influence here and have been able to get a few of these articles posted there. All I do is send an email to our Marketing Director (who happens to be the woman I car pool with) and she puts the articles I send on our Canopy Central page. (Actually a link with a short description of the article).

Here's some of what's on Canopy Central today:

Carbs may explain ethnic variations in cholesterol. Ethnic differences in levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol, may be due, at least in part, to diet, a new study from Canada suggests. 01/22/2007
This is an excellent article in that it, for once, takes other things into consideration when determining how cholesterol levels are related to heart disease. Surprise surprise, it looks like carbohydrate intake is the important factor!!!

U.S. Cancer Deaths Drop Again. Cancer Deaths Down Second Straight Year, Though Still No. 2 Killer 01/18/2007
The numbers are dropping and the cures are increasing. Always good news.

The Cure for Diabetes. What if the American Heart Association endorsed the trans-fat diet? Problem, right? 01/11/2007
This is a repost of the article about Dr Mary Vernon and how she treats diabetics.

This is another article I've sent to be put on our Canopy Central page:

An Old Cholesterol Remedy Is New Again.
An interesting article about using Niacin to improve blood lipid levels.

Let's see....anything else?

Oh yea!!! My latest order of ChocoPerfection dark arrived today!!


So, I'm going to stick with what I've been doing. Following my plan and taking my supplements and weighing myself once a week.

Dare I hope?

Just got off the phone with my sister. She's 65 yrs old and in pretty good health. But, she's diabetic and has high blood sugars and high BP.

Here are her meds: "Meds are Glyburide, 5 mg each tablet, 2 in the AM, one in the PM and Metformin HCL 500 mg tabletsan, 2 in AM, 2 in PM" I'm not sure what her BP meds are, but last I heard she was taking 2 different ones.

And here is her most recent A1c: "my last Ac1 or A1C (can never remember proper letters.........was 6.2 or 3 lat April, also they did a finer prick the 18th of October when I was there and that was very good"

I have (gently) tried to talk to her in the past about her levels, but today I said the hell with it and told her that I was concerned about her meds.....what's next? Another med? or insulin? She (finally) admitted that this was also worrying to her.

FINALLY she asked me what I would recommend, and without hesitation, I said LOW CARB!!! We talked for almost 2hrs, which is amazing with conversations with my sister....and I really feel she listened to me! (I'm the little sister, and even at 52 I think she often thinks of me as being just 13yrs old! LOL)

My sister is overweight, but not that much. According to BMI calculators, she's "officially" obese, but to me she's just overweight.....but, she carries almost all her weight in her belly!!! And she always has.....even when she was much younger, she always had a big belly!!! Classic sign of insulin resistance and/or diabetes!!! And also a sign of higher risk for heart disease!!

My sister is also trying.....she's trying to follow her diet as recommended by her doc....and she gets her exercise. But over the years her meds continue to increase (she's been diabetic over 15yrs). So far, however, she has no evidence of heart disease, vascular problems (other than high BP), or kidney disease....the usually complications of diabetes. I guess even with the family history of diabetes, we're pretty lucky as so far there is NO heart disease in the diabetics in the family, and most live well into their 80s.

She seems to be very lucky, in that she's not showing any signs of complications of her diabetes, although I think now she may have gastroparesis, as she says she's rarely hungry. My sister has always had a healthy appetite! She's also lost a little weight recently, which concerns me. Unfortunately, I strongly suspect that her recent improvement in her weight and blood sugars is due to her lack of appetite, not better diet choices. (2 summers ago she visited and her blood sugars were running in the 160's, but now they're in the 140's)

Now, let me tell you a little about my sister. She's my "big sister", 13yrs older than me. She was almost a second mother to me growing up. She married fairly young and had her first child with that marriage, a daughter. She then divorced and lived on her own.....struggled on her own....for about 8 years before meeting and marrying her second husband. They have 2 more children, another girl and a boy. All 3 are now adults with kids of their own.

About 15-20 yrs ago my sister started having problems with sore throats and was eventually diagnosed with cancer of the epiglottis. She was treated with radiation and was actually overdosed, but she survived (her voice is quite hoarse sounding even to this day). Several years later she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a hysterectomy as treatment. Since then she's been cancer free....oh! almost, she's had several skin cancers removed and is watched for that.

My sister is no shrinking violet!!! She's a formidable and very intelligent woman!!! She has pretty much raised 3 children on her own (i don't think her hubby wasn't much help there, but I'm sure she'd disagree), and she's worked hard all her life. Currently she's retired, but still works as a union rep. She's a writer, and keeps saying she's going to write more now that she's retired, but so far I haven't seen any evidence that she's done much. My sister can pretty much do what she sets her mind to!!!

I have only 1 sister.....and actually I really only have 1 sibling. My sister and I are 1/2 siblings, but I've never considered her anything other than my big sister! I also have/had 2 brothers. My other 1/2 sibling died at the age of 24 (he was 11 yrs older) from an accident, and left behind 4 young children. I never really knew him. My other brother, a "full" sibling, has divorced himself from the family and won't have anything to do with me or my sister. He's 3yrs older than me, and I really miss him. Last time I went home to visit, I tried to contact him, but according to his wife (who I don't trust or believe), he was away. I haven't seen or talked to him since my mom's death over 12yrs ago. His loss, I know, but I still miss him!!!

I am praying my sister takes my advice and talks to her doc about changing to a low carb diet!!! I was very careful to tell her (repeatedly) to talk to her doc before doing anything on her own, as the diet will likely require her to cut back on her meds and she needs him to help her there....I just hope he doesn't talk her out of it!!!

I've got together a list of websites and bloggers for her to read up on.....I hope it works!!!

I want my sister to live a LONG life!!! She's currently financially comfortable and seems to be enjoying her "retirement". I know in my heart that a low carb diet can help her.....and I just hope she follows my advice and gives it a try.

Diabetes

Diabetes: Why would anyone think it makes sense to eat the very thing that caused your disease???? I know the general consensus in the medical/pharmaceutical industry is that there is no cure for diabetes, I personally believe that excess sugar intake causes diabetes (NOT Type 1 that starts in childhood, but Type 2, which is preceded by insulin resistance).

OK.....so even figuring that sugar/carbohydrates don't cause diabetes (which they do), we all can agree that diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot handle the amount of sugar that is found in the blood. For most diabetics this sugar comes from the food they eat. Right?

The body can't properly metabolize glucose. So we feed the body mainly glucose? OK, yea, that makes sense!?!?!?! Not to me!!

Gluten Intolerance, what do you do to treat this? Avoid gluten.
Seafood or peanut allergy? Don't eat seafood or peanuts!
Intolerance to food additives like soy, MSG and sulfites? Don't eat them!!
Can't metabolize phenylalanine (PKU)? Don't eat high protein foods!!!

But man, if you can't metabolize carbohydrates what do they want you to do? Yep, eat more carbs! Insanity! But that is exactly what they want people to do! Eat more carbs!

I'm not sure if my school was behind or ahead of the times, but I was taught in nursing school that diabetes, then called "adult onset" was caused by high carb intake and that people on diabetic diets should not only count their carbs, but they should restrict them. I remember a "serving" of cake for a diabetic being a mere 1" cube of angel food cake! Forget any other kind, you just don't eat it!

My first 8 yrs of nursing were working in the acute care hospital. (I can remember when you were admitted for GI tests!!!) I worked on both medical and surgical floors, pediatrics, and have over 3 years working in intensive care (ICU/CCU/ER/Recovery/OR).

During that time, the majority of patients I saw that had complications of diabetes were patients that didn't follow their diet and/or take their meds!!!! People didn't have limbs removed the way they do today! And people didn't die of kidney disease as often as they do today....and I remember the days before transplants became routine!

I don't know the numbers, but I have read several articles that indicate that more people get complications of diabetes today at a much higher rate than they did 30, 40 and more years ago! The prevalence wasn't as high back then, no one argues that. But the incidence of complications was much lower than they are today. And the complications seem to be much more severe.

Regina posted a blog about a study that indicated that clocking carbohydrate absorption didn't change the progression of diabetes. What I question is why the heck would you want to feed someone carbs, and then give them a drug that prevents them from being used????? Why not just lower the carb intake????

Unfortunately, the levels that the medical establishment says is appropriate for diabetics are way too high. Again, I say.....stop feeding diabetics sugar and you'll prevent the complications of the disease.

This is funny too....sad funny, not funny funny. The cause of diabetes as far as the medical/pharmaceutical industry is concerned is fat. Not being fat, overweight, and obese....but dietary fat!!!

Now, think of this. Our ancestors ate high fat diets. Yep, lots and lots of fat. Our ancestors evolved on eating fat.....so why did diabetes not show up then? Why has the incidence of diabetes gone up, even though the intake of fat for many has decreased? Maybe it's because fat plays little or no role in developing diabetes????? Now, if you're talking about body fat, especially visceral fat, then yes....fat does likely at least contribute to diabetes. But that fat is a symptom of insulin resistance and diabetes. A symptom that becomes part of a vicious, dangerous circle.

Drugs. Oh this is my favorite!!!! First line of treatment is not diet, not lifestyle change, but drugs. Initially you might get a drug that increases your insulin sensitivity....later it's drugs to push your pancreas into producing ever more insulin....and then finally, when your pancreas is completely (or almost completely) destroyed, you take insulin injections!!!!

If people were put on a low carb diet and a simple exercise program, they would likely be able to prevent medication....or at least slow the progress from one drug to another.

But do they do this? Far too often the answer is no. They tell people to eat carbohydrates, even though those very carbs are what is causing all their problems!

From the CDC:
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a landmark study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, found that people at increased risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight through increased physical activity and a reduced fat and lower calorie diet.

Now, I can't argue with loosing weight or the lower calorie diet. Since it's a good bet that the person is overweight any cutback on intake is only going to be good. And any weight loss will also be good. But where does fat come in?

Is insulin influenced by fat intake? No, not really.
Is blood sugar level influenced by fat? Not by much!

Sooooooo....why are diabetics told to limit fat intake???? Because they are at higher risk of heart disease of course! Does dietary fat have anything to do with heart disease? No (except for trans-fats). So why are people told to cut back on dietary fat? Because everyone KNOWS fat is bad!!! (More about this later)

Does the fact that we require certain fats matter? Nope. Does the fact that we also require certain proteins matter? Again, nope. Does the fact that we have no requirement for carbohydrates matter? Once again.....NO!!!!

This is the way I see it. A diet of 45-55% carbs (some articles I've read have advocated as high as 65% from carbs recently!) provides too many carbs and too few calories from fat and protein. We evolved eating a high protein and high fat diet. Our ancestors not only survived, but thrived on mainly fat and protein. Yes, I'm sure they also ate fruits and veggies that they found wild, but these were mostly seasonal, not a part of their regular diet. In preparation for winter our ancestors preserved extra meet and fat for use at a later date. They probably didn't do much with trying to preserve fruits and vegetables because they didn't have the technology. (I have no doubt they did dry some fruit and maybe veggies, but in small quantities, not large amounts like meat and fat)

Since we haven't been around for very long, I believe that we have not yet evolved to be able to handle a diet that is only 45-55% fat and protein!!!! We need fats and proteins....we don't need carbs. Since we evolved eating mostly fats and proteins doesn't it make sense to understand that we still would do better on a diet rich in fats and proteins?

If, on top of this you have a disease that prevents you from metabolizing those carbs, does it make sense to continue to promote a high carb low fat and low protein diet? The ADA thinks it makes sense....so does the AHA. Even though diabetes and cardiac diseases are at epidemic proportions, and even though there is evidence showing lowering carbs is beneficial for both conditions, and even though people are getting larger and larger and lower carb has been shown to again be beneficial in loosing weight. Yes, even though all these things are true, the ADA, AHA, and other groups continue to recommend low fat, high carb diets for people that have been diagnosed as being overweight (or obese), have diabetes, or heart disease.

Please, if you have diabetes read Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, if you have heart disease read Heart Frauds, and if you have high cholesterol read The Cholesterol Myths. Check out some of the blog links, especially both of the Eades and Regina Wilshire. And talk to your doc. I'm hearing more and more about docs who are turning to low or lower carb diets for their patients, especially diabetics, but many only recommend it if a patient asks.

Insanity!!!

I have been reading Regina Wilshire’s blog on a regular basis, and she has been posting about the ADA and it's stance on low carb diets to control diabetes.

A few posts ago, Regina called the ADA "Irrelevant" and I have to say I agree!!!!

Even though the ADA recognizes that low carb diets are effective in lowering blood sugars and allowing people to better control their blood sugars with low carb, they not only refuse to endorse it, but they specifically call out low carb as being a "fad" diet that should be avoided. Even though the ADA recognizes that low carb helps diabetics control their blood sugar, they don't recommend the diet because” patients find them too restrictive".

Too restrictive? Obviously these people have no idea what low carb really is!!!!

And besides, even if it is "too restrictive", is that a reason to not recommend it????

How about all those people with gluten intolerance.....are we now going to tell them to eat gluten containing foods because otherwise their diet is "too restrictive"??? If someone has a nut allergy, do they tell them to eat them anyway??? no! But for people who can't tolerate carbohydrates, what are they told??? To eat at least 45-55% of their calories from carbs!!!!

The other arguments against low carb diets is that they're high in fat (some are); high in protein (most are, since the "requirements" are so low); limited in vitamins, minerals, and fiber; (not if followed properly).

My all time favorite, though, is”it's not good to cut out a complete food group". There was never a problem with attempting to cut out fat as much as possible.....but we can't cut out carbs?!?!?! (Not to mention the FACT that almost no low carb plans completely cut out carbs!)

Apparently it's ok to attempt to completely remove one macronutrient, but not another?

We have fat, which is actually quite good for us, especially saturated and monosaturated fats....but we can't eat them. Fats are required by the body to sustain life.....but we can't eat them??? Makes no sense to me! Well, actually, yes, I do agree that there are fats we should avoid, namely polyunsaturated and trans-fats. Transfats have no "safe" limit, because the "safe" limit is none. Transfats are incorporated into cell walls, but not correctly, leaving the walls weak and damaged. Many feel that this is at least partially the cause of many degenerative diseases. Polyunsaturated, on the other hand, are believed to cause damage to DNA/RNA strands, which leads to cancer, heart disease, immune system problems and much much more!!!

So we can't eat one of the fats that are good for us, and we're supposed to replace it with two fats that are known to cause illness??

And! On top of that, not only are we "wrong" to restrict our carbohydrate intake, we're supposed to gorge on them, even though there is NO minimum requirement!!!!! Make sure they're "good" carbs....well at least half anyway.....but enjoy!!!!

We have millions that are unable to properly metabolize carbohydrates.....so do we tell them to restrict their intake?? NOOOO We encourage them to eat more!!!!

Here's what they're doing to diabetics:

"Susie" presented to the doctor's office with a fasting blood sugar over 700. By late that afternoon, still fasting, it was almost 900. So, what was she told to eat each meal? AT LEAST 90gms of carbohydrate!!!! That's 360 calories JUST from carbs? For EACH meal? That means at least 1080 calories a day from carbs......so, what else can she eat??? Mind you, this is also a woman who is seriously overweight, possibly even morbidly obese! She's about 45 and has several other medical issues unrelated to diabetes.

"Callie" is on 2 oral meds and still has A1C above 7. Her husband was (or is, not sure) doing low carb, and her nutrition counselor told her she could eat the same food, but in smaller quantities, but to "add a potato or rice or bread" to each meal. Her "normal" breakfast is cold cereal (cheerios) with lowfat milk and blueberries and a banana. At minimum, that's 60g of carbs....along with a small amount of protein (less than 10g) and a tiny bit of fat. And they wonder why, even with 2 meds, her blood sugar is in the 160's or higher?

"Joe" has an insulin pump.....does he restrict his carbs? Nope, he's been instructed to adjust his insulin dose to match his carb intake!!!! He's already had vascular problems, including a heart procedure, but continues to eat carbs and adjust his insulin.

I read a post on a message board where a woman said she had a smoothie "LOADED with fruit", a bagel and some cream cheese. All in one meal!!!! I mentioned that was a lot of carbs for one meal, and the poster's response was that it was a whole grain bagel! A day or so later the board's dietician posted.....and all she did was point out that "All fruits can be eaten on the diabetic (carbohydrate counting) plan. It all depends on the amount of furit that gives you 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving." And then proceeds to list a bunch of fruits and what the serving size is. No mention that more than one fruit, along with a bagel (whole wheat or not), is too much for one meal!!! (although in her defense she did recommend a diabetes class and to find out her carb level for each meal). Later the original poster responded "I'll try eating some fruits with a meal to make it easier to digest... but perhaps I just need to give an extra boost of insulin before eating the fruits so that by the time the sugar of the fruits hits me, it already has insulin to counteract it so I don't feel so icky." Wonder what the dietician will say to that post??? Anyone wanna take bets????

i know of men and women in their 20's and 30's, with Type 2 diabetes, that are being put on statins because their lipid levels are "bad". But if they simply cut their carbs, transfats and polyunsaturated and increased their mono and saturated fats and got good quality protein, their levels would all likely normalize. Blood lipids as well as glucose and insulin leves would normalize.

And finally, I read a post today written by a young person who is in medical school. He states that they are still being taught low fat, high carb.....but he has faith that soon the truth will come out.

Boy I wish I had that kind of faith!