RE: bs peaks vs plateau

[Guest guest]

Tom wrote

> Regarding the long term safety of diet alternatives, there are no

long term

> placebo controlled studies for any of them -- including the high

carb, low

> fat diets pushed by much of the medical profession. In fact, it is

> practically impossible to construct such a study.

Hello...I'm back. Sorry I made one provocative response, then

disappeared. I just don't have time in my life right now to engage

in all the back-and-forth e-mails.

Anyway, long term dietary studies can never be placebo-based, because

people know what they're eating. You can't give one person a steak

and another a piece of bread and have them think they're eating the

same thing, of course.

>However, keep in mind

> that anecdotal evidence is real evidence and is really scientific

evidence.

> Scientists do not just ignore observations because they have not

yet devised

> a way to systemically test them.

No, I don't agree that anecdotal evidence is real evidence. For

example, a naive person joining this list might assume that there's a

strong anecdotally-based consensus in favor of low carbing. If you

stay on the list long enough, though, you'll find that non-low

carbers get frustrated with the list and leave the list. Therefore

new-comers do not hear from many old-timers for whom low carbing does

not work.

That is why I continue to lurk on this list most of the time, and

chime in only whenever a relative newcomer is struggling with low

carbing, where the low carbers pile on insisting that low carbing is

the only way. I want to ensure that the other point of view is

available at least minimally.

You may notice that I've never tried to talk a happy low carber out

of low carbing. I only chime in when a new person is struggling. I

don't want them to throw up their arms in frustration and decide that

they are a failure, then go away from the list and be lost.

I, for example, believe strongly in exercise and want to make it a

central point in my life. I cannot possibly exercise without carbs

in my system. Low carb leaves me dizzy, faint, emotionally on edge,

etc. Yes, these are symptoms of hypoglycemia; I guess I'm prone

to " pseudo-hypoglycemia " since the symptoms happen even with normal

blood sugars. On low carb it's even difficult for me to climb a

couple of flights of stairs.

I could low carb but I'd have to become a couch potato and probably

give up my job, which requires mental focus and concentration.

Let's say you could prove that tighter control of peaks would add

five years to my life. I'd rather lose those years...die at 85

instead of 90...lifestyle counts for something.

> One thing that is clear from available evidence, and is becoming

more clear

> as more studies are made, is that high blood sugars are harmful.

Peaks of

> 190, or 4 hour runs of 160, are both harmful. We may not know

which is

> worse, but neither is good. Do we really disagree on this

(regardless of

> how we eat)?

>

> The article referenced below:

>

>

http://diabetes.medscape.com/mosby/AmHeartJ/2001/v141.n03/ahj1413.06.f

ixm/ah j1413.06.fixm-01.html

>

Tom, that study says absolutely nothing about peaks. I find it

totally irrelevant to this discussion.

T

[Guest guest]

Patsy wrote,

> I think that there should be something said about the QUALITY of

ones life. Eating this high protein diet is for the birds..I'm sick

of it and I've only been on it 3 weeks.

> I'm at the point now that I would rather not eat at all if I have

to spend the rest of my life eating like this...It has taken my blood

sugar down..but it goes up and down with drastic elevations , even

when I eat all protein.

> I certainly don't FEEL better..I feel worse..have no energy at all

now.

I'm not a doctor, but IMHO if you are having difficulty with blood

sugar levels even on all protein you probably need to consider

medication changes. Some of us need medication and/or insulin.

That's unfortunate but true.

T

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 01-06-15 01:20:08 EDT, you write:

<<

I agree- I know me and if I don't find some relief from this no carb stuff I

will quit all the way. I am looking for a nmiddle ground.

>>

...we're not saying NO carb; just lowcarb. It really would be unhealthy

to eat a nocarb diet because that would exclude all veggies. The thing is to

eat as lowcarb as possible and as low on the GI index as possible. I think

posted a long list of veggies that she was able to eat without too

much of an impact on her BG. She's found what works for her. And you're

going about it the right way too -- eat and test and make good notes - you're

finding out what works for you. Our bodies are all different in how they

react to foods, smile. Vicki

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom,

I think you are right about the lessons..you actually caught that when I didn't.

I'll remember that.

I was allergic to dairy products when I was a child but I love them so much. One

of the most difficult things to give up is milk. I love it in my coffee..but

someone else told me to use heavy cream and that seems to help.

I didn't check to see what the peanuts did to my bs.

I ordered Dr Bernsteins book today.

Thanks Tom,

Patsy

-- RE: bs peaks vs plateau

Patsy, I'm not Vicky, but I think there are lessons in your post. For

example:

1. You probably shouldn't have cottage cheese for breakfast. It's not

particularly low in carbs and apparently raises you blood sugar level a lot.

Actually, hard cheeses (motzerlla, jack, etc.) have much fewer carbs (check

the lables).

2. The mixed vegies with beef seems to be a good meal for you. Remember

that, and use the information to try similar meals that might work well.

Then test again.

You didn't say what the peanuts did, but true nuts (peanuts are really in

the bean family), like almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. have much fewer

carbs and many find that peanuts can raise their blood sugars.

Looking at the effects of various foods (i.e., testing, testing, testing) is

how we learn what we can eat and what we should avoid. That is how we can

start to stabilize our blood sugars. By the way, do you have the book " Dr.

Bernstein's Diabetes Solution " ? If not, I would highly recommend it. It is

a " must have " for anyone with blood sugar problems.

Tom the Actuary

[Guest guest]

Thanks Ressy,

I'm eating all protein for breakfast now but my bs still goes hight every

morning around 9 or 10 o'clock.

I'm giving up cottage cheese but I bought a container of plain lowfat yogurt but

I can't eat it plain..I need to add something to it to make it taste better so I

bought some frozen fruit, sunflower seeds , 5 g carbs for 1/4 cup and I add some

equel to it. It taste great and I only eat about a cup of it..it doesn't effect

my blood sugar like the cottage cheese does.

Patsy

-- Re: bs peaks vs plateau

Patsy

That is a normal pattern for insulin resistance. According to what I have

learned your bodies ability to process the glucose with the insulin improves

during the day. I have learned to use this to my advantage. I avoid the

carbs in the morning (and cottage cheese is pretty carby due to the sugar in

the milk....try yogurt instead...the bacteria eat most of the sugar) and

plan them for the afternoon or lunch. Dinner I keep lower also but not as

low as breakfast.

Ressy

[Guest guest]

HI ,

I've only been taking Glucaphage a week now 1000mg..I think I'll give it one or

two more weeks, then if that doesn't work I'll get my doctor to increase it. I

don't want to take the insulin shots until I've tried everything else.

Patsy

-- Re: bs peaks vs plateau

Patsy wrote,

> I think that there should be something said about the QUALITY of

ones life. Eating this high protein diet is for the birds..I'm sick

of it and I've only been on it 3 weeks.

> I'm at the point now that I would rather not eat at all if I have

to spend the rest of my life eating like this...It has taken my blood

sugar down..but it goes up and down with drastic elevations , even

when I eat all protein.

> I certainly don't FEEL better..I feel worse..have no energy at all

now.

I'm not a doctor, but IMHO if you are having difficulty with blood

sugar levels even on all protein you probably need to consider

medication changes. Some of us need medication and/or insulin.

That's unfortunate but true.

T

[Guest guest]

Vicky I will be so happy when that happens because I've been tired for so long

and no energy.

I'm trying very hard to do this..

ThanksPatsy

-- Re: bs peaks vs plateau

In a message dated 01-06-14 15:30:11 EDT, you write:

<< Glucaphage taken at night.

I live in a neighborhood that is not very good for walking so I don't

excercise except for the daily chores that I do.I used to love working in my

yard but I just don't have the energy anymore. >>

When your blood sugars get down to a more normal range, your energy will

return and you'll start to feel good again. This is a worthy goal, smile.

Vicki