Official diabetes diet misinformation - any candidates for the Darwin Awards?

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  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    @RalfLott My endocrinologist graduated from Harvard Medical School. I brought up low carb as a way to stabilize blood sugars (my primary concern is type 1 diabetes). He agreed it would help. So while it wasn't his suggestion, he went along with it when I suggested it.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    @RalfLott My endocrinologist graduated from Harvard Medical School. I brought up low carb as a way to stabilize blood sugars (my primary concern is type 1 diabetes). He agreed it would help. So while it wasn't his suggestion, he went along with it when I suggested it.

    Victory!

    (But you're still your own best doctor.)
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Here's a candidate for the summer "Huh?!?" trials:
    http://www.noahhealth.org/five-most-common-food-myths-associated-with-diabetes

    There's something here for almost everybody....

    Five Most Common Food Myths Associated With Diabetes

    Unfortunately the myths surrounding the “strict” diet those with diabetes must adhere to are many, the truth of the matter is actually that a diabetic can eat everything that someone without diabetes can.

    Here are five of the most popular diabetes diet myths:

    1. A diabetic’s diet has to be different than the rest of their family’s diet.


    People with diabetes are able to eat exactly like the rest of their family does. Modern day nutrition guidelines for those with diabetes offer quite a few choices, they are flexible and allow diabetics to fit in special-occasion or favorite foods. A healthy diet consisting of whole grains, vegetable, fruits, heart healthy fats and lean proteins should be kept by everyone regardless of whether or not they are diabetic. If you are diabetic you do not have to have “special” meals, the whole family can eat the same; healthy.

    2. A diabetic should never succumb to cravings.

    At some point or another, everyone has food cravings even diabetics, It is common for most diabetics to completely stop eating sweets or even eat smaller portions in an attempt to lose weight. Your body’s response to these changes many times are cravings. Nine out of ten times the choices of foods during these times will be high in sugar and or fat. Many times it is in fact the combination of both.

    The healthiest way to deal with these cravings is avoiding them by eating healthy and occasionally allowing sweets within your diabetic meal plans. If you do get cravings allow yourself a small bit of what it is you are craving. This allows you to relish in the flavors being craved and prevents overeating at a later time.

    3. Diabetics should avoid starchy foods regardless of whether they have a high fiber content due to the fact that your blood glucose levels can be elevated by starch and you will gain weight.

    Foods such as pasta, cereal, bread and rice are considered starchy foods but they provide carbohydrates which are what give the body energy. Other foods that also contain carbohydrates are milk, desserts, yogurt and fruit, carbohydrates are something that everyone needs a bit off, even diabetics. When you consume more carbohydrates than you burn that is when you will gain weight.

    As a matter of fact overeating any kind of food will cause weight gain. The important thing is to be aware of the amount of each healthy food groups you need to eat in order to maintain safe blood glucose levels and a healthy weight range. Starchy foods that are high in fiber and whole grain are a great choice for general good nutrition.

    4. Eating fat should not be concerning to diabetics being as there is not a real effect on the blood glucose.


    Fats that are found in oils, margarine and salad dressings do not immediately affect the blood glucose levels. That being said eating a fatty meal can slow down the process of digestion making it more difficult for your insulin to work, this could possibly cause elevated glucose levels hours after you have eaten.

    Your blood cholesterol can be raised by some fats which increases the risk of a stroke or heart attack. These unhealthy fats are called trans fat and saturated fat and should be limited. Shortening, butter, milk, cheese and red meat are all sources of saturated fat. Some snack foods, margarine and fast foods contain trans fats. Fat is also very high in calories so if your are trying to lose weight you should avoid it.

    5. A low-sodium diet should always be adhered to by diabetics.

    Just because you are diabetic you do not need to completely cut all sodium and salt from your diet. However, being as a diabetic is more likely than someone who is not diabetic to suffer from high blood pressure which can cause heart disease they should consider cutting back on the amount of sodium they consume.

    Here are few examples of foods that are high in sodium:
    • canned vegetables
    • salad dressings
    • canned soups
    • cold cuts
    • certain cereals
    Oops - forgot to damn olives and pickles. Whew, close call!
    Regardless of whether or not you have high blood pressure it is important to be careful with the amount of sodium you consume. There are individuals who are “salt sensitive” therefore after eating foods with a high salt content they may be experience a spike in their blood pressure levels.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Oh wow. Should I laugh or cry?!
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited June 2016
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Oh wow. Should I laugh or cry?!

    An ages-old dilemma, like the choice of which end to favor during the early phases of dysentery when there's only a toilet in your bathroom and no sink.

    Crying makes you get dehydrated, run out of sodium, and come down with the keto flu and that nasty keto rash we keep hearing about.

    Laughing, on the other hand, builds abdominal strength; stimulates continence, concentration, and reproductive capacity; boosts 92% of the good hormones; and, due to underdeveloped hepatic multitasking evolution, creates the equivalent of a "time-out" for your liver and pineal gland.

    So..... I guess it's a toss-up.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    I keep seeing the title "nutritionist" here. This bothers me. Why?
    Read this: https://theguardian.com/science/2004/sep/30/badscience.research

    TL;DR- The good doctor got his cat certified as a nutritionist.
    Heaven help us - his deceased cat, no less!

    But at least privately -certified "nutritionists" are not bound to follow official guidelines, in contrast to how some here have desccribed the professional responsibilities of registered dietitians in the US.

    The official tabloid of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics generally has nothing better for diabetics than "hire an RD." Perhaps that's no worse than taking the AND's rather skimpy serving of nutritional advice:
    General healthy eating tips to help manage diabetes include:
    • Limit foods that are high in added sugar.
    • Eat smaller portions, spread out over the day.
    • Make your carbs count by choosing whole grains, fruit and vegetables over sugary drinks and refined, processed foods.
    • Eat a variety of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables every day.
    • Eat less saturated fat and focus on healthy fat sources such as avocados, olive and canola oil, and nuts.
    • Limit your consumption of alcohol.
    • Use less salt.
    http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/diseases-and-conditions/diabetes/the-lowdown-on-diabetes

    Is there a War on Salt on?
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    Dietitians Say the Darnedest Things

    Early condemnation of LC from the spokesperson of the American Dietetic Association....
    Limiting the intake of carbohydrates to such a dramatically low level starves the body of needed nutrients and causes an artificial metabolic state.
    "Bread is the staff of life."
    https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YQVBAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YKgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6607,3286289&dq=american+dietetic+association&hl=en (1999)
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Yeah, the nutritionist thing is a bit of title gymnastics to make peoples' opinions sound more important than they are. "Nutritionist" could be anyone from that guy's cat, to everyone's fat, perverted uncle who swears that whiskey doesn't have calories.
    A dietician on the other hand, at least has some amount of studied background that goes a bit beyond reading cereal labels and demonizing any ingredients that they can't pronounce without their wee head hurting (kinda like that retarded lady who makes videos of herself trying to eat yoga mats, because chemistry is hard).
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    Bwaaahaahaaaa! If it quacks like a quack.....
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    :D
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    Combined with the right balance of physical activity and medicine, carb counting can help keep your blood glucose levels in your target range, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
    http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetes-slideshows/566-learning-and-practicing-carb-counting

    Uh... thanks for that.

    ( >unsubscribe< )
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Every time I mention low carb they look at me like I escaped from a psychiatric ward.

    But these days I'm just like: "Ah well, if I die at least I died eating deliciously rich food!" :lol:

    Yikes! Sounds like you actually wormed your way into a booby hatch.... Cooking two meals at a time, small wonder you get funny looks.

    Could you start making the stroke meals (oh, wait, I think I mean the no-stroke meals..?? :s ) with sorbitol, mannitol, and maybe a couple shots of polyethylene glycol?

    Bet they'd adjust to mashed cauliflower with butter & cream sauce real quick if regular mashed potatoes started giving them the trots. You could tell 'em they must have gotten diabetic "carb flu." :wink:

  • Shadowmf023
    Shadowmf023 Posts: 812 Member
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    RalfLott wrote: »
    Every time I mention low carb they look at me like I escaped from a psychiatric ward.

    But these days I'm just like: "Ah well, if I die at least I died eating deliciously rich food!" :lol:

    Yikes! Sounds like you actually wormed your way into a booby hatch.... Cooking two meals at a time, small wonder you get funny looks.

    Could you start making the stroke meals (oh, wait, I think I mean the no-stroke meals..?? :s ) with sorbitol, mannitol, and maybe a couple shots of polyethylene glycol?

    Bet they'd adjust to mashed cauliflower with butter & cream sauce real quick if regular mashed potatoes started giving them the trots. You could tell 'em they must have gotten diabetic "carb flu." :wink:

    I could but I don't know how changing diet to lchf would influence my dad using his insulin? Plus he snacks on carby stuff and won't listen. So I think that combination might actually be a recipe for a stroke!
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    That's sounds like punishment (if it's not downright criminal).

    Fortunately, she's got you for both her lawyer and probation officer.

    PS. Did you by chance catch a look at the non-diabetic menu?