Type 2 Diabetes

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Topic author: Terese
Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Posted on: 11 Jun 2002 7:13:23 PM
Message:


(Thread copied from the old mssg board)

Topic: Type 2 Diabetes

ksallust
posted 04-06-2002

Hello Everybody,
I am so excited to be on this message bored. (Hi Kells) My husband has diabetes type2 and his doctors don't recommend he does the Atkins diet. He is taken 4-5 different meds (no insulin, Praise Jesus!). He has lost some weight, but has a lot more to lose. He is eating almost nothing and excersising, but not consistently losing. Can some poeple with Type 2 let me know how it has been working for them and the best way to eat, how often, how much etc.
He is starting to get his sugar levels under control, but his cholesterol is out of wack! Please someone let me know of a personal experience with this. I know their has to be people out there.

He hasn't begun the induction. His doctors tell him not to. I wanted to give him some information on someone that has type 2 and has successfully losen weight and BGL without any health problems.

Thanks so much!

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Praise the Lord!

Kathryn
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dogface
posted 04-06-2002

You need to RUN, not walk, to the nearest bookstore or library, and get the book "The Schwarzbein Principle." It was written by an endocrinologist who specializes in the treatment of obesity and diabetes, and she is unequivocal on the benefits of low-carb (not necessarily Atkins) and especially the need for good fats in the diet. Your husband needs to get his diabetes under control NOW before he DOES become insulin-dependent!

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lynnrath
posted 04-06-2002

Agree with DF. You MUST get The Schwarzbein Principal. The author (a lady doc) is a metabolism specialist and her original position after med school was at a diabetic clinic in Santa Barbara. She KNOWS about diabetes.
Here are a few quotes out of her introduction. Many of her patients were coming to her and told her that they were feeling worse and worse, especially after following the ADA diet. She had them take their blood sugar levels before and after meals and they found out that it was the "diabetic" meals (approved by the ADA) that were making their levels spike. So, she decided to do an experiment. Here are the quotes.

"I decided to see what would happen to my patients' blood-sugar levels if I put them on a "zero" -carbohydrate diet. I asked them to eliminate all obvious carbohydrate foods, such as potatoes, rice, legumes, cereals, breads, fruit, low-fat yogurt, milk and, of course, refined sugar.

"Since foods are often a combination of fats, protein and carbohydrates, if a food caused a rise in their blood sugars we classified it in the carbohydrate category."

"Because I did not want my patients to go hungry, I added some protein and fat back to their diet. At the time, I asked them to use low-fat dairy products, and to eat egg substitutes, mostly fish and chicken and small amounts of red meat."

"One week later, the first group of patients returned for an evaluation. I looked at the blood sugar numbers they had recorded. Their progress was astounding. I said, "This is unbelieveable!""

"Some confessed, "Dr. Schwarzbein, I've been cheating. I love read meat and when you said I could have some, I ate it every night for a week."

"The "cheaters" were eating real mayonnaise, real cheese, real eggs, and steak every day - foods that had been forbidden for so long they could not resist them. Their blood-sugar numbers had fallen dramatically. In fact, the biggest improvements were seen in the patients who "cheated" the most."

"Prior to this, these patients had high blood sugars, abnormal cholesterol panels, high blood pressure, weight gain, fatigue and constant hunger. As they followed the new dietary program their blood sugars normalized, so they were able to get off insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic agents. Their cholesterol levels improved, so I stopped their cholesterol-lowering medication."

Etc, etc., etc.

Please get the book. You'll never quite trust your doctor the same way again and you'll be BETTER FOR IT.

Lynn

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Heeligan2
posted 04-06-2002

Here's a quote from the Atkins Website


quote:
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A related study looked at 157 male and female Type II diabetics who had initially followed the American Dietetic Association's diet for one year. Subjects then switched to a diet comprised of unlimited monounsaturated and saturated fats and severely limited carbohydrates. Results showed a significant decline in weight and body mass index. Total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides plummeted and HDL (“good”) cholesterol increased moderately. These findings provide further evidence that a carbohydrate controlled approach is not only a better eating plan for Type II diabetics, but also provides them with important health benefits.
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They summarize a number of studies relating to diabetes here: http://atkinscenter.com/dev/science/...cdiabetes.html

A highly recommended book is Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars
by Richard K. Bernstein
Format: Hardcover, 1st ed., 390pp.
ISBN: 0316093440
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Pub. Date: March 1997

Barnes and Noble's site has reader reviews of the Bernstein book here: http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/books...sbn=0316093440

Good luck!



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PAmomathome3
posted 04-06-2002

Kathryn,
I just thought I 'd let you know how my dad is doing...he has DM2 but is now insulin dependent...has not had very good glucose control over the years either...he has been on Atkins for about 3-4 weeks now and his highest reading has been 165!!!!!!!!!! Taking almost no insulin!!!!!!!! (and this is a man who frequently had 200-300+ glucose readings before!!) Maybe after getting his weight down where it should be he won't need any meds!!!!!!!!
Now if we can just convince my DM2, insulin-dep. mother to join us on this WOL!!!!!!

That is what finally steered me toward Atkins...I know that I would eventually become diabetic with that family history (and being a gestational diabetic during my pregnancies)if I did not get down to a normal weight. That is why I am committed to this WOL, for life!!

Hope this helps!

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Physician Assistant Mom at home...3 kids!!
230/ 202/ 155 2/13/02
The joy of the Lord is my strength!!!!!! (and boy do I need it!!)



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dj
posted 04-07-2002

Kathryn,
Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution is the first book that i ordered online ($30+ w/S&H) after my doc scared me witless about the Atkins plan. Best money i ever spent in terms of reassuring me about the benefits of lowcarb (although my doc refused to even look at it).

Dr. Bernstein's program is for the insulin dependent (DM1 or IDDM) and therefore is quite restrictive (because of the rigors imposed by insulin therapy); however, i highly recommend reading the book. It is most reassuring in re the lowcarb WOL and DM.

You could check it out at your public library first, and Dr. Schwarzbein's (sp?) book, too.

i believe Dr. Schwarzbien's would probably be more helpful for DM2s like your DH on a day- to-day basis. Her emphasis is on whole foods and restricted carbs.

a quick search at google yielded this source & price for the Bernstein book: just follow the link. (EBay might have a second-hand one at a better price -- if EBay is still out there).

alt.support.diet.low-carb Books and Supplies Ordering
... Low-Carb Books (over 25 best-selling titles!). Order other ... List Price: $3.99 | Our
Price: $3.19 | You Save: $0.80 ... Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution : A Complete ... www.grossweb.com/asdlc/books-quickest.htm - 40k - Cached - Similar pages

(i might not have lost all these years to the end organ damage, and could have burned midnight oil on my real work, & might have been spared the depradations of neuropathy, bleeding eye grounds, and renal complicatons if her book had been published 4-6 years earlier ... ("If only..." are the most useless and destructive words in any language, and are crooked letter words, as a good friend used to say.

Kathryn,
Your DH and you are the ones who have to live with his DM2 -- If the treatment plan fails him, your family and he will suffer; the doctor won't. He'll send a bill, and fly off to Barbados to enjoy the fruit of his labor, and expect you to be grateful for the privilege of paying his way and providing the coupons (from the drug companies) for his perks.

The best thing that you and DH can do for yourselves and your family is to learn everything you can about DM2 and nutrition,and read this board.

At very least, consider switching to the food plan that insulin pumpers use. i believe it suggests around 100g of Tcarb /day. If he limited whole grain foods in favor of high fiber green vegs and low glycemic fruit, the fiber content of his food would increase significantly.

Many doctors who treat DM have their patients consume 50+ grams of fiber /day, about 1:1 ratio; i.e., 25g soluble & 25g insoluble.

When you deduct the fiber, the metacarb total is 50g. i find that my BGs average @ 110 (5.7) and spike 120-130 at 30' & 1' post-meal when my fiber count is between 60-70. Our cave ancestors (and several contemorary cultures as well) daily consumed up to 100g /day of fiber. They ate a lot of greens, nuts, seeds, tubers and berries w/ their rare mammoth liver, roasts, and ptarmigin...

Find a source for grass-fed red meat and poultry and eggs, if you can, and eat a lot of cold water fish, and nuts and seeds.

Best wishes,
dj

dm2: ADA high carb plan 16 mos after Dx proved disastrous for me-- switched to lowcarb in 97 or 98 and haven't looked back.
Off all glucose-related meds; AC-1: 6 range BP now 110/60;
LDL 149; HDL 38 (working on it); VLDL WNL; Triglycerides 108. Bun/Creatinine and albumin now WNL.
down 73 lb and still losing (on the equivalent of Atkins maintenance)



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BrendaC
posted 04-07-2002

Please keep the success stories coming. My best friend of over 20 years, a real sister of the heart, has developed Type II in recent years, is on a statin, (maybe oral insulin, too), as well as one of the new appetite suppressant drugs, and an antidepressant....
I've been trying to inspire her, and well, cajol her, too, into trying one of the LC plans. I know I can only nag so much, but....she too is going by the recommendation of her HMO physician and nutritionist, who have her on a "LC" diet of about 30gr/meal!!!!!! (I'm almost sure I remember that correctly).

I've been trying to walk the fine line of being a friend and a pest, have loaned her a couple of books, mailed her a few web sites (like Dr. Bernsteins). But I think "real" stories from all of you are much more reassuring.

Please keep the good news coming and I'll mail her this thread. She has always been there for me.....

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Brenda
154/108/105
22.6%BF 4/1/02 Goal 21%
LC since 10/99

"If you don't have a juicy, colorful past, remember: It's never too late!" Louise Lague



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ksallust
posted 04-07-2002

Again, I thank you all for the posts, please keep them coming if you have any more info. I am having my husband read these posts, because he is still very skeptical. Thank you very much all.
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Praise the Lord!

Kathryn



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zip2play
posted 04-07-2002

ksallust,

You cannot push your husband onto something he doesn't actively want to pursue.
It is hard enough when we make the choice for ourself ...for someone else to choose for us is a waste of time- ours and theirs.

Choose for yourself...if your husband follows your example, well and good..if not, then we all hope his choice is a good one!



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Howard
posted 04-15-2002

Here is Dr. Bernstein's site. A good part of the book can be read online. http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/
My father is type II diabatic. Since being stricter on being low-carb he has eliminated the need for glucophage.

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Sarah_Wa
posted 05-02-2002

Kathryn

I am a diabetic who is insulin dependant. This is my 2nd time on Atkins (4 days now). I ahve already had to reduce my insulin intake & have lost 3 pounds. When i went on Atkins the first time, I reduced my insulin intake in 1/2 the second week. My dr was sceptical, but when the results of my blood work was in, he told me to go for it. I ahd lost about 30 pounds the first few months. My mistake was going off Atkins during the holidays. It is so hard to get restarted. But, I craved less sugars, etc. I felt really wonderful & had a lot more energy. I will stay on it thsi time & succeed. I am going to be 50 years old in August & in December I adopted a baby who is 22 mo old now. I need the energy! LOL