Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Evidence based diet
Tonight on the news ABC they revealed THE TRUTH: low carbohydrate diets work the best. Why? They do not stimulate insulin production, and there is minimal hunger. I can attest to both of these...I have been doing Dr. Bernstein's almost-no-CHO diet for 2 weeks now and have said good-bye to at least 7#, and I have rarely felt any hunger. The protein and fat just satisfy me. Yes, I miss CHOs, but too bad, this works, my BG proves it. Oh yes, stress is bad. Whenever I am doing something stressful, even when I am enjoying it, my BG shoots up. The highest it went this week is 114 after teaching a large class a subject I am NOT fond of teaching, but it was my turn to do it. Most physicians may think 114 is not so bad, and after all, in Novant hospitals, we think a range of 70 - 170 is OK...but I know better now. I should be in the 80's, that is, if I were not overweight, I probably would be. So it has got to go, and this diet is working. PS, did you know that green beans, 1 cup cooked, PLAIN, have over 7 carbs? Yikes.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Preventing Diabetes
Having fought weight gain for the past 16 years, I just about despaired at avoiding Type II diabetes. After all, I take after the Thiessen branch, and diabetes killed Grandma. Being a nurse, I have seen close to a thousand patients with complications from diabetes. If Dad had lived longer, by his body shape, he was primed to get it. "If I can avoid a brain tumor, I probably will get diabetes, too", that was my thought...until I read Dr. Bernstein's book "The Diabetes Solution".
Dr. Bernstein was diagnosed with Type I (juvenile) diabetes at age 12, back in 1946. While insulin (pork or beef) was available to keep him alive, no one really knew how to prevent the deadly insidious complications of fluctuating blood sugars. He struggled and developed many complications, until he decided to figure out this disease for himself. By this time he was an engineer, and had accidentally heard of the invention of the first instant blood tester (glucometer). He paid $650 for an early version and began testing his blood, eating his food, documenting his activities, changing timing on his insulin injections, until he became a real expert. What he found out flies in the face of much of the current belief in professional diabetes medicine.
But no one in the medical world would believe him, an engineer. So at age 45 he decided to go to school to become an MD and just treat diabetics. He has made it his life work, and now, well over 70 years of age, he is still very healthy and knows exactly how to treat diabetes. I decided to check my own blood sugars, (glucometers are not very expensive now) and found that indeed I am on the road to diabetes. No wonder the weight just won't go off...I have way too much insulin circulating in my system that my body is resisting...and it is converting every molecule of carbohydrate I eat into FAT.
So, following Dr. Bernstein's schedule, for the past 2 weeks I have been eating less than 30 grams of carbohydrate (CHO) per day, ( 6-12-12), testing my blood glucose (BG) pre and post prandial, and have gone from 100's all the time to 80's most of the time. The only times I go back into the 90's is when I am under stress, like yesterday, teaching a new subject to a room full of nurses for 8 hours. I got up to 100 at the end of the day. Today was an office and meeting day, and I am back to 81 - 84. And I feel great physically and mentally today (not so good yesterday).
Well, a diet with almost no CHOs does cut out a lot of foods! The good news:
1. I really do love the food I am eating: steak, bacon, butter, cream, eggs, sausage, vegetables, Greek yogurt and cheese!
2. I have absolutely NO hunger between meals, and NO urge to snack. Today we had a potluck at work. I ate the chicken (I brought), sauerkraut and sausages, Snow Peas, Celery and ice water. I was nicely full after a moderate amount, and not at all tempted by all the CHOs everyone else was eating. Pot lucks have always been hard for me, but not today. Nothing even appealed to me. I never get an urge to snack.
3. I have lost over 5# already.
The next step is to start Dr. Bernstein's exercise program. Anaerobic! Thank goodness I don't have to walk miles (not good for insulin management or weight loss), but weight lifting (I do like to do that, and have my weight bench right here in the family room)!
I'll keep posting on my successes...and difficulties, if I run into any. So far...none.
Dr. Bernstein was diagnosed with Type I (juvenile) diabetes at age 12, back in 1946. While insulin (pork or beef) was available to keep him alive, no one really knew how to prevent the deadly insidious complications of fluctuating blood sugars. He struggled and developed many complications, until he decided to figure out this disease for himself. By this time he was an engineer, and had accidentally heard of the invention of the first instant blood tester (glucometer). He paid $650 for an early version and began testing his blood, eating his food, documenting his activities, changing timing on his insulin injections, until he became a real expert. What he found out flies in the face of much of the current belief in professional diabetes medicine.
But no one in the medical world would believe him, an engineer. So at age 45 he decided to go to school to become an MD and just treat diabetics. He has made it his life work, and now, well over 70 years of age, he is still very healthy and knows exactly how to treat diabetes. I decided to check my own blood sugars, (glucometers are not very expensive now) and found that indeed I am on the road to diabetes. No wonder the weight just won't go off...I have way too much insulin circulating in my system that my body is resisting...and it is converting every molecule of carbohydrate I eat into FAT.
So, following Dr. Bernstein's schedule, for the past 2 weeks I have been eating less than 30 grams of carbohydrate (CHO) per day, ( 6-12-12), testing my blood glucose (BG) pre and post prandial, and have gone from 100's all the time to 80's most of the time. The only times I go back into the 90's is when I am under stress, like yesterday, teaching a new subject to a room full of nurses for 8 hours. I got up to 100 at the end of the day. Today was an office and meeting day, and I am back to 81 - 84. And I feel great physically and mentally today (not so good yesterday).
Well, a diet with almost no CHOs does cut out a lot of foods! The good news:
1. I really do love the food I am eating: steak, bacon, butter, cream, eggs, sausage, vegetables, Greek yogurt and cheese!
2. I have absolutely NO hunger between meals, and NO urge to snack. Today we had a potluck at work. I ate the chicken (I brought), sauerkraut and sausages, Snow Peas, Celery and ice water. I was nicely full after a moderate amount, and not at all tempted by all the CHOs everyone else was eating. Pot lucks have always been hard for me, but not today. Nothing even appealed to me. I never get an urge to snack.
3. I have lost over 5# already.
The next step is to start Dr. Bernstein's exercise program. Anaerobic! Thank goodness I don't have to walk miles (not good for insulin management or weight loss), but weight lifting (I do like to do that, and have my weight bench right here in the family room)!
I'll keep posting on my successes...and difficulties, if I run into any. So far...none.
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