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The Elephant in the Diabetic's Room

Rejecting official advice

by Eleanor Patrick (Mon Mar 15, 2010)

This Easter, for the first time, I will not be eating chocolate eggs and Simnel cake, just as last Christmas I didn't eat Christmas cake and roast spuds. In between, I have eaten so few carbs you could fit them in a nutshell.

The reason? I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic. What angered me was that the nurse told me to stoke up on starchy carbs every day. Excuse me? Science is supposed to be scientific.

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Eleanor Patrick

Posted Mon Mar 15, 2010 at 1:57 pm Reply Delete

Thanks all for your comments! I suspected it might be controversial, but this was only referring to "type 2 diet only" and the still-current official NHS advice to make our diet one third carbs per day. I guess I take 100 or less at present. But many people continue to eat as before (because that's the recommended diet) and it's this "excess of carbs" that causes the damage, because ultimately the pancreas exhausts itself. Most of us can manage on a few carbs (some on very few as the body can utilise fat just fine in the absence of carbs). Not intended to refer to Type 1s or those on insulin - although fewer carbs does enable less medication even in those cases, and postpones what the NHS terms the "inevitable" escalation of the disease. Interesting to read your responses though! Report Abuse

sadie

Posted Mon Mar 15, 2010 at 1:33 pm Reply Delete

I think your diet for Type 2 is extreme and would say that I can manage quite easily with eating complex carbs in a controlled way. No normal portions, (whatever that is ) anymore but about 150 carbs per day. Doesn't do me any harm. Your advice could be as flawed as the NHS for all Type 2's. Report Abuse