Diagnosed Type 2 in 2019... confused with healthy eating

[laura130310]

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic (not on medication) in 2019 with a hba1c at 48. I was a little surprised as I managed to get through 3 pregnancies without gestational diabetes and my fasting glucose is normal.

I am morbidly obese so lost 4 stone last year with the cambridge weight plan (1:1 diet). I have a lot more to lose but would like to do it with healthy eating and exercise ie a lifestyle change. My research suggests a Mediterranean style diet is best using whole fat dairy products, however I am confused...

A recent blood test has shown my cholesterol is high and my GP would like to start me on a statin. I would prefer to lower it through diet but everything says to use low fat products which seems to go against the above??

I am not sure what my current hba1c is as the letter only mentioned the cholesterol (I only had the blood test yesterday)

I'm 34 so not too old yet and would like to get this under control as much as possible without medication (both the diabetes, weight and cholesterol), any advice greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[ianf0ster]

There is much controversy about Cholesterol, Statins, Saturated Fat and possible links to Cardio Vascular disease. People can find quote studies either for or against depending upon their views/interests.
However since you are female then even according to the Statin makers own studies, there is no benefit from statins unless you have already had a heart attack - and it is uncertain even if you've already had a heart attack. Note that some studies show that the all cause mortality figures are better for those with raised LDL. I recall that the benefit for a man of your age would be that approximately 1 in 300 may benefit from 5 yrs on a Statin , though as many as 50% of patients on Statins stop taking them within 2 yrs because of the side effects.

I'm a 69yr old man who has had a 3x Bypass (though only angina, not a heart attack as such) who is controlling his T2 Diabetes through a Low Carb High(er) Fat 'real food' way of eating i.e. no medication. I have stopped taking Atorvastatin because of concerns about brain fog and dementia.

 

[trophywench]

Laura - on this and other diabetes forums what we normally see and though it's only 'anecdotal' evidence there is so much of it, I can't ignore it myself - is that when people curb the amount of carbohydrate they eat (esp the highly refined sorts) not only does their BG reduce - so do their cholesterol figures, especially their LDL.

We all actually need the relevant amount of LDL because without any the myelin sheath of the neurons in our brains would become irreparably damaged so hence we'd become 'brain dead' ! I've had brain fog from statins already thanks so as long as it's continuing to function OK I'll continue to avoid em like the plague, personally.

No woman should EVER be prescribed statins as long as there is even the very very slightest off chance she may get pregnant, since they always cause horrific birth defects should the embryo ever manage to develop to that stage. Unlikely that it could - but personally again when there are far more efficient and simple methods of birth control available to the human race - I could not and would not condone abortion or miscarriage/still birth as one of them.

 

[Drummer]

A few weeks on Atorvastatin and I thought I was going to need a care home - my memory was going. Thankfully I decided to throw away the pills, but it has taken a long time to relearn or recover memories.
The article I found on BMJ Open was taken down as too controversial, but it showed that a higher LDL was not associated with an early death, rather the reverse.
Your higher cholesterol levels are probably from losing weight anyway - cholesterol in the blood carries the fat from storage to be used where needed, so it would be expected in someone losing weight.

 

[Toucan]

Hello Laura, welcome to the forum.
Firstly congratulations on loosing 4 stns that is an amazing achievement.
Many people have good results on the Mediterranean diet, and success with a diet is often related to if you feel this is right for you, so I am sure it will go well.
I understand the issue with Fats, as eating fats goes against what has been promoted for many years. I have now been eating fats for a while combined with cutting down on carbs, and it works well for me. I do tend though to mainly eat the poly-unsaturated fats such as olive oil, nuts and oily fish. I limit the amount of butter, and animal fats - but that's just me. You need to find what works well for you. I would say though, avoid the foods advertised as 'low fat' as they usually balance the taste with sugary carbs.
I can't add anything about the statins debate, there is a lot of contradictory information on this, and I am still trying to decide what to do.
I'm sure though if you carry on with your great weight loss objectives, you will be doing the very best that you can for your health.
I hope you find the forum useful, and please tell us how it goes and keep asking questions.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @laura130310

Members here can only really comment on their own experience, and they have taken personally - but we can’t really offer advice, and with a handful of exceptions no one has any medical qualifications.

There are lots of different approaches to eating chosen by members here based on their individual reactions to foods, their tastes, lifestyles and BG goals... and members of the forum certainly recognise that one size doesn’t fit all. So for eating, it is generally suggested to examine the BG effects of whatever you are currently choosing, and using a ‘test review adjust’ framework to improve BG responses by making some swaps and changes. Members also tend to find that reducing highly processed foods tends to improve things.

As to statins cholesterol and fats, there are wide varieties of opinions. Some members take statins without problems, others had unfortunate side effects on statins and choose not to take them. Those that take them are happy that the majority of evidence suggests this reduces their risk of CVD, while others either consider the reduction in risk to be overstated by the trial data, or are concerned about some other aspect of statin therapy. It should be remembered that statins are the most widely prescribed drug in the world. Millions of people take them without problems. But they are a therapy for risk reduction, not a guarantee of anything.

The scientific evidence is similarly mixed. The majority of evidence still suggests limiting saturated fats is probably a safer option, but there are large meta-analyses that show no association between saturated fats and incidence of heart disease. Part of the problem is the way in which different studies define and identify sources of saturated fats (and what else they might contain)

 

[CathyB]

Hi and welcome, I take Atorvastatin and dont have any problem with it at all, it’s certainly helped bring my cholesterol down and as I have a genetic heart disease that is vital. I also follow a LCHF diet that has my BG back in normal range. We are all different but I would say dont be afraid to try, if the statins cause issues for you then discuss it with your doc, you can come off them or maybe try a different brand?