Official diabetes diet misinformation - any candidates for the Darwin Awards?
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Here's some keto-hostile, ADA-derived, low-fat drivel from Dr. Oz:Dairy: Don’t deprive yourself of dairy. Low-fat or Greek yogurts are delicious ways to get your daily calcium and vitamin B-12. Studies have shown that people who eat yogurt daily are less likely to get diabetes, and it can help promote healthy digestion. Just watch out for added sugars and check out our Greek yogurt cheat sheet to find the best yogurt for you. Reduced-fat cheeses, 1% milk, and cottage cheese are other healthy options for diabetics.
Lean proteins are the best choice. Try to eat fish at least twice a week – especially fatty [I thought you said.....] fish like salmon that will give you heart-protecting omega-3s. Other meats such as chicken and turkey (remove the skins) and lean cuts of beef or pork (pork loin and sirloin tend to be leaner cuts) are also good in moderation. Bake, broil or grill meat to keep it healthier. Other great sources of protein include eggs, tofu, and baked or stewed beans.
Breads and grains: Carbohydrates are the main culprit when it comes to rising blood sugar. But complex carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly than simple carbs, and won’t cause you to spike and crash as fast. Aim for whole-grain or multi-grain breads and cereals, brown rice and oatmeal.
Treats: Just because you’re diabetic doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your snacks. Stick to baked snacks, like baked potato chips, corn chips and puffed rice. Popcorn is also a tasty high-fiber snack – just skip the buttery and sugary toppings. A little bit of reduced-fat mayo and low-fat or citrus-based salad dressings can keep your sandwiches and salads satisfying. If you can’t seem to kick your soda habit, tried flavored sparkling water or unsweetened tea with lemon. Light beer and small amounts of wine are also okay.
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A new candidate, compliments of Diabetes Connect, a rag put out by Alliance Health.
This shameful piece urges T2Ds to get on insulin - in rather patronizing terms, as one comment suggests.For many of us with diabetes, prescription medications are already a fact of life—while some of you may be fighting to stay off them.
What you should know is that physical activity and food choices are pillars of diabetes management, to be sure. But medications provide another powerful tool for lowering your blood glucose.
There are many safe and effective meds available these days to help you keep your A1c in range (around 7.0 percent or less), thereby avoiding long-term complications of diabetes and extending your life span. And who doesn’t want that?
Insulin
The lingering perception for many people is that going on insulin means you have “really bad” diabetes, or that you are about to go into the hospital or even kick the bucket. There’s a reason for this: doctors indeed used to consider insulin for type 2 diabetes to be a “last resort” therapy. Not anymore.
Actually, medical professionals in Europe and more and more in the US are starting to treat type 2 diabetes with insulin sooner because it is simply the best available medicine.
Insulin more aggressively brings your glucose levels down, thus helping you more efficiently avoid the long-term damage diabetes can do. Studies also show that people taking insulin, versus pills or other treatments, actually feel better. In a large-scale study of people with type 2 diabetes in Europe called UKPDS—United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, nearly 70 percent of participants reported an “increase in well-being” following the change to insulin therapy. An average of one percent reduction in A1c levels was also associated with a nearly 30 percent drop in the risk of microvascular complications (small-vessel damage to eyes, nerves, etc.)
Also: You might be surprised to learn that taking insulin may give you more freedom in your diet rather than less, because you can pretty much eat whatever you like (within reason) as long as you count the carbohydrates and dose accurately for the foods you choose.
Plus, the fear of needles is quite unnecessary, I’ve found, since today’s injection pens take tiny 30-gauge wisps that you can barely feel. Even the syringes for the night-time long-acting insulin sport minuscule needles.
So do not be afraid!
(Remember, we’ve already noted that most type 2s eventually need to take insulin, as the oral medications tend to lose the ability to stimulate your insulin absorption after a decade or so.)
For general advice for T2Ds, this is one of the most fetid crocks I've sniffed lately. Phew!
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A new candidate, compliments of Diabetes Connect, a rag put out by Alliance Health.
This shameful piece urges T2Ds to get on insulin - in rather patronizing terms, as one comment suggests.For many of us with diabetes, prescription medications are already a fact of life—while some of you may be fighting to stay off them.
What you should know is that physical activity and food choices are pillars of diabetes management, to be sure. But medications provide another powerful tool for lowering your blood glucose.
There are many safe and effective meds available these days to help you keep your A1c in range (around 7.0 percent or less), thereby avoiding long-term complications of diabetes and extending your life span. And who doesn’t want that?
Insulin
The lingering perception for many people is that going on insulin means you have “really bad” diabetes, or that you are about to go into the hospital or even kick the bucket. There’s a reason for this: doctors indeed used to consider insulin for type 2 diabetes to be a “last resort” therapy. Not anymore.
Actually, medical professionals in Europe and more and more in the US are starting to treat type 2 diabetes with insulin sooner because it is simply the best available medicine.
Insulin more aggressively brings your glucose levels down, thus helping you more efficiently avoid the long-term damage diabetes can do. Studies also show that people taking insulin, versus pills or other treatments, actually feel better. In a large-scale study of people with type 2 diabetes in Europe called UKPDS—United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, nearly 70 percent of participants reported an “increase in well-being” following the change to insulin therapy. An average of one percent reduction in A1c levels was also associated with a nearly 30 percent drop in the risk of microvascular complications (small-vessel damage to eyes, nerves, etc.)
Also: You might be surprised to learn that taking insulin may give you more freedom in your diet rather than less, because you can pretty much eat whatever you like (within reason) as long as you count the carbohydrates and dose accurately for the foods you choose.
Plus, the fear of needles is quite unnecessary, I’ve found, since today’s injection pens take tiny 30-gauge wisps that you can barely feel. Even the syringes for the night-time long-acting insulin sport minuscule needles.
So do not be afraid!
(Remember, we’ve already noted that most type 2s eventually need to take insulin, as the oral medications tend to lose the ability to stimulate your insulin absorption after a decade or so.)
For general advice for T2Ds, this is one of the most fetid crocks I've sniffed lately. Phew!
This isn't necessarily wrong, but completely avoids that most type 2's are overweight. In fact, it enables the behavior that led to becoming overweight and type 2 in the first place. I truly believe that the PC concept of avoiding telling type 2's they need to lose weight is a major part of the continued rise in obesity and the rise in type 2 patients here in the U.S.5 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »This isn't necessarily wrong, but completely avoids that most type 2's are overweight. In fact, it enables the behavior that led to becoming overweight and type 2 in the first place. I truly believe that the PC concept of avoiding telling type 2's they need to lose weight is a major part of the continued rise in obesity and the rise in type 2 patients here in the U.S.
@midwesterner85 - Well, I'll give you that taking insulin is not necessarily wrong for every T2D, but it's certainly not the best general advice for folks who are motivated, intelligent, overweight, and/or relatively new to dealing with T2D. (The author is T1D.)
Also, telling people to get their A1c under 7.0 to be "in range" to avoid complications - but then advising that drops in A1c will reduce the risk of complications - sends a confusing message.
I would have preferred to read one of your posts, but unfortunately, your insights aren't distributed to thousands of diabetes patients!
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midwesterner85 wrote: »This isn't necessarily wrong, but completely avoids that most type 2's are overweight. In fact, it enables the behavior that led to becoming overweight and type 2 in the first place. I truly believe that the PC concept of avoiding telling type 2's they need to lose weight is a major part of the continued rise in obesity and the rise in type 2 patients here in the U.S.
@midwesterner85 - Well, I'll give you that it's taking insulin is not necessarily wrong for every T2D, but it's certainly not the best general advice for folks who are motivated, intelligent, overweight, and/or relatively new to dealing with T2D. (The author is T1D.)
Also, telling people to get their A1c under 7.0 to be "in range" to avoid complications - but then advising that drops in A1c will reduce the risk of complications - sends a confusing message.
I would have preferred to read one of your posts, but unfortunately, your insights aren't distributed to thousands of diabetes patients!
The better advice for most type 2's would be to eliminate the underlying metabolic condition (i.e. lose weight). It bothers me most that 1. This is never mentioned, and 2. It is considered to be inevitable that most type 2's will just end up on insulin someday. Taking insulin should be a temporary solution for an overweight type 2 patient.
The author is suggesting to accept defeat while trying to avoid eye contact with the elephant in the room even though we all know it can't get out without help.3 -
When I was in the hospital, the doctor put me on insulin because it was more "convenient" than pills as a treatment option. When I left hospital, my PCP said to stay on the insulin and added statins to lower cholesterol. After 17 months of this new drug combo, my weight increased by 40 lbs, my BG and cholesterol were HIGHER, and my hips and knees weren't functional enough for me to walk up the 6 steps into my house. So, I started LCHF and stopped both insulin and statins. Now, 5 months later, I have lost 47 lbs. and the hip and knees are recovering. I will have bloodwork done in the next 2 weeks to see what effect these changes have wrought. Still, toeing the party line felt like it was killing me!13
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When I was in the hospital, the doctor put me on insulin because it was more "convenient" than pills as a treatment option. When I left hospital, my PCP said to stay on the insulin and added statins to lower cholesterol. After 17 months of this new drug combo, my weight increased by 40 lbs, my BG and cholesterol were HIGHER, and my hips and knees weren't functional enough for me to walk up the 6 steps into my house. So, I started LCHF and stopped both insulin and statins. Now, 5 months later, I have lost 47 lbs. and the hip and knees are recovering. I will have bloodwork done in the next 2 weeks to see what effect these changes have wrought. Still, toeing the party line felt like it was killing me!
I am so sorry to hear how your health declined. I'm sure all you heard was how you just needed to eat less and move more right?!?
Infuriating!
I can't help but feel like scenarios like yours prove that people are being victimized by big pharmaceutical. And with their trusted health care providers help! All the while having no idea!
It makes me so sad to think about all the people that are suffering unnecessarily in exactly the same situation. Geez! Some of these people suffer like this by choice simply because the mere thought of not eating a cake, candy or bread on a daily basis is a more difficult life to imagine living. This is my sister. She puts on blinders to everything I share with her and simply cannot deny herself her soda and snacks. All while she can barely get around and adds about 10-15 pounds a year.1 -
In the past I often wished I had went to law school instead of getting my OD degree since the arthritis nailed me so. Now I realize with my medical background I have a better chance of making it to 110 walking and talking all of the way.5
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I can't help but feel like scenarios like yours prove that people are being victimized by big pharmaceutical. And with their trusted health care providers help! All the while having no idea!
As if to prove your very point about the interests of Big Pharma, I just got another obnoxious email from those scheming scalliwags at Diabetic Connect (see previous example above).
This email generously offers us poor diabetics a break on Glucerna. It provides a link to the Glucerna sign-up page hosted by the manufacturer, Abbott Labs - which just happens to have Freestyle and Precision blood glucose meters and Tricor, a medication for combating low HDL and high triglycerides, among its many products.
https://glucerna.com/signup
Glucerna products (like Ensure, another Abbott brand) are not exactly low-carb. For example, here's info about Glucerna Advance Shakes:
https://glucerna.com/nutrition-products/glucerna-advance-shakes-chocolate
In an 8 oz. container, there are 200 cal, of which 27g (over half) are from carbs, and 6g of those are from sugar.
Or take Glucerna Snack Shakes - the first 3 ingredients are "Water, Corn Maltodextrin, Fructose."
https://glucerna.com/nutrition-products/glucerna-snack-shakes-rich-chocolate
Fructose is a good carb fit for diabetics? Yep, according to Abbott Labs:The Glucerna portfolio contains blends of carbohydrates which include modified maltodextrin (a portion of the maltodextrin has been modified so the body is not able to digest it), fructose, maltitol, soy fiber and fructooligosaccaharides. This helps minimize the peak in blood glucose. This carbohydrate that is not digested may be fermented in the large intestine. These ingredients, in combination with the other carbohydrates listed above, produces a lower blood glucose response compared to a higher glycemic carbohydrate.
So it's better than straight apple juice spiked with fructose...impressive.
Note also at the sign-up page that Abbott gives you the opportunity to have a "private" Chat With A Dietitian.
https://glucerna.com/contact-glucerna
I may have to give Dietitian Chat a whack when I get stuck in the Throne Room from consuming too much sugar alcohol in those low-glycemic Glucerna products I got at such a bargain.....
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Bwahahaha!
You will have to send transcripts of your 'conversation' to the rest of us interested parties, @RalfLott. I'm sure it will be quite the *kitten* fight, lol. 3 -
Haha. Well, please do feel free to feed me any *kitten* lines you think might be..er.. productive! (Even if only in the sense of coughing up phlegm.)1
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Slightly off-topic, but when the Spousal Unit was hospitalized for a month last year due to severe dehdration and electrolyte depletion due to side effects from chemo, I was told over and over and over that I should be encouraging him to drink Ensure all day long because, "it's full of good proteins and nutrients." I read the ingredients list and almost choked.
These health professionals would actually feed a dying man a concoction that was chock full of chemicals and sugar and not much else. The SU hated them, and even worse, they made him throw up. SInce he hadn't eaten in weeks, this was a disaster.
I kept asking the nurses and doctors if they had actually ever read the ingredient list, but these people get a free supply of Ensure and are not willing to stray from the party line.
Instead they reamed me out for being a trouble maker. I countered by bringing in my own high-protein smoothies made with real fruits and vegetables and whey protein, yogurt and added probiotics. I sometimes added kefir into the mix. He guzzled them down and was soon able to eat solids again.
Ensure. What a crock.10 -
Not at all off-topic. Kudos to you for standing your ground!
Ensure is a disgusting pseudo-food not fit even for healthy youngsters...
My dad tried a few when he was terminally ill with stomach cancer. He found use for 1 canister - to flick his ashes into when he smoked outside. Highest use for those da*n things.2 -
But what really burns me is that it is served with every meal in the hospital - a whole can of it -- and it's everywhere you look; in the ward fridge, in the chemo unit, even in the cafeteria, for gosh sakes, because, you know, the world at large needs to get themselves some Ensure, too. It's as though the whole medical profession has been lulled into a nice, cozy sleep about this horrible stuff.1
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And you see its stablemate, Glucerna, outside of the hospital in places where people should know better (like blood banks....).
Another finky family of crappy carb bombs from Abbott Labs (see above for how Abbott markets Glucerna - boo!).1 -
Here's another piece of garbage (finder's fee to @KetoGirl83).
Here's Dr. Bernstein's chart, for comparison. Note where A1c levels of 6 and 8 fall on the two charts:
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It's not just Ensure either. Most premixes are garbage; even those made by companies who make good protein powders otherwise. You just have to do so much crap to Whey and Casien in order to make them stable in liquid for a period of time that covers shipping, storage, etc. Add to that, the fact that most people who buy premixes are nutritionally retarded, and won't consume a shake that doesn't taste "good", and that explains the sugar content. Honestly, Muscle Milk is the only premixed that's worth a damn, and it's borderline.1
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Here's another piece of garbage (finder's fee to @KetoGirl83).
Here's Dr. Bernstein's chart, for comparison. Note where A1c levels of 6 and 8 fall on the two charts:
Bernstein's chart indicates a bit higher BG for A1C's than most other charts I've seen. There are other factors that affect A1C, so there really isn't a one-chart-fits-all for average BG to A1C anyway. Keep in mind too that about half of your A1C is just for the 7-10 days prior to testing it. From my own experience with a CGM, I would say Bernstein's chart is too high. On the other hand, my experience won't be the same as everyone else.1 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »Bernstein's chart indicates a bit higher BG for A1C's than most other charts I've seen. There are other factors that affect A1C, so there really isn't a one-chart-fits-all for average BG to A1C anyway. Keep in mind too that about half of your A1C is just for the 7-10 days prior to testing it. From my own experience with a CGM, I would say Bernstein's chart is too high. On the other hand, my experience won't be the same as everyone else.
People who use Bernstein's chart seem to prefer his approach, but as you suggest, A1c is not a precise measurement to begin with.2 -
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