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Diet confusion - low carb or low fat?

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Snowy9

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi, I've been working on a low carb diet with moderate results but I've been introduced to the 'mastering diabetes' book which seems to take a different approach but claims good results.

Basically it seems to be eatr as much fruit and veg as you like but avoid eggs, dairy, meat.

Has anyone tried it? how did it go?
Their explanation seems legit (although they are also trying to sell the diet and 'support').
is it that they key thing is actually weight loss and how you manage that doesnt matter?
 
@Snowy9
Diabetes is an inability to deal with dietary carbohydrate, so I can't see how eating a low fat diet is going to be much help in controlling it.
I live on protein and the natural fats, with carbs for texture colour and flavour - limited to under 40 gm a day and seem to have type 2 beaten. I have lost weight, but I think that was mostly due to giving up on the high carb low fat diet sheet printout from my GP.
Eating low carb seems simple, easy and effective, requires little support and no outlay on paid for advice. Eating lots of fruit and veges seems a sure and certain recipe for high blood glucose levels.
 
Drummer said:
@Snowy9
Diabetes is an inability to deal with dietary carbohydrate, so I can't see how eating a low fat diet is going to be much help in controlling it.
I live on protein and the natural fats, with carbs for texture colour and flavour - limited to under 40 gm a day and seem to have type 2 beaten. I have lost weight, but I think that was mostly due to giving up on the high carb low fat diet sheet printout from my GP.
Eating low carb seems simple, easy and effective, requires little support and no outlay on paid for advice. Eating lots of fruit and veges seems a sure and certain recipe for high blood glucose levels.
Click to expand...
The argument is that the cause of the body not being able to deal with glucose is a build up of fatty acids which is what blocks the insulin. That matches what my diabetes nurse told me - build up of fats in the liver cause insulin resistance.
 
Snowy9 said:
The argument is that the cause of the body not being able to deal with glucose is a build up of fatty acids which is what blocks the insulin. That matches what my diabetes nurse told me - build up of fats in the liver cause insulin resistance.
Click to expand...

I went low calorie.
Lost weight and reversed the diabetes.
Others prefer diet control, it may be simpler, but its for life, that didn't suit me.
 
Snowy9 said:
The argument is that the cause of the body not being able to deal with glucose is a build up of fatty acids which is what blocks the insulin. That matches what my diabetes nurse told me - build up of fats in the liver cause insulin resistance.
Click to expand...
Certainly when I was diagnosed I had a rock hard 'bay window' over where my liver is situated.
By eating a low carb diet my waist measurement reduced down by 12inches and I lost the pregnant outline. My waist is now soft and compressible without pain.
The fat in the liver is not from storing dietary fats, from what I understand, but is primarily due to carbohydrate intake. The fatty livers in ducks used for pate is induced by feeding carbohydrate, not fat, so your diabetes nurse is perhaps giving you poor advice.
Insulin resistance is down to all cells being unable to absorb glucose, so how that is connected to fat in the liver I could not fathom.
 
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Low carb works for me..
I was a member of a major slimming groups that advocates eating pasta, rice and potatoes, when I was diagnosed as T2...
Unless you are vegan, giving up major food groups is asking a lot..
 
Drummer said:
Certainly when I was diagnosed I had a rock hard 'bay window' over where my liver is situated.
By eating a low carb diet my waist measurement reduced down by 12inches and I lost the pregnant outline. My waist is not soft and compressible without pain.
The fat in the liver is not from storing dietary fats, from what I understand, but is primarily due to carbohydrate intake. The fatty livers in ducks used for pate is induced by feeding carbohydrate, not fat, so your diabetes nurse is perhaps giving you poor advice.
Insulin resistance is down to all cells being unable to absorb glucose, so how that is connected to fat in the liver I could not fathom.
Click to expand...

No, I suspect you are confusing different things here.
Look up "The Newcastle Diet"
It refers to both pancreas and liver.
Important difference.
 
Lilsis said:
Low carb works for me..
I was a member of a major slimming groups that advocates eating pasta, rice and potatoes, when I was diagnosed as T2...
Unless you are vegan, giving up major food groups is asking a lot..
Click to expand...

Carbs are one of the three major food groups?
 
travellor said:
Carbs are one of the three major food groups?
Click to expand...
Yes, but I still eat carbs, I just limit them... I was referring to cutting out meat, dairy and eggs, which I'm sure are the same food group but as a dyslexic, I don't always use the correct words ‍♀️
 
Snowy9 said:
Hi, I've been working on a low carb diet with moderate results but I've been introduced to the 'mastering diabetes' book which seems to take a different approach but claims good results.

Basically it seems to be eatr as much fruit and veg as you like but avoid eggs, dairy, meat.

Has anyone tried it? how did it go?
Their explanation seems legit (although they are also trying to sell the diet and 'support').
is it that they key thing is actually weight loss and how you manage that doesnt matter?
Click to expand...

Yes, a low fat plant-based diet can improve insulin resistance dramatically. Here’s some information and reference to one of a number of studies:

https://nutrition.org/plant-based-diets-and-diabetes/

“a plant-based eating pattern is associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes and is highly effective in its treatment.”

The author of the book you refer to is Type 1 and has done amazing things to his insulin sensitivity - extremely impressive. He eats a lot of carbs per day but takes a tiny fraction of the insulin that the average Type 1 would need to take to eat that many carbs. It’s incredible.

So, yes, the diet can work. There are also other proponents of a similar way of eating and you can see personal stories of Type 2s who’ve lost huge amounts of weight and eliminated or greatly reduced their insulin resistance, eg on the Forks over Knives website.

It’s up to you which diet you choose. There are various diets followed by members here 🙂
 
Lilsis said:
Yes, but I still eat carbs, I just limit them... I was referring to cutting out meat, dairy and eggs, which I'm sure are the same food group but as a dyslexic, I don't always use the correct words ‍♀️
Click to expand...

Saturated fats?
 
Snowy9 said:
The argument is that the cause of the body not being able to deal with glucose is a build up of fatty acids which is what blocks the insulin. That matches what my diabetes nurse told me - build up of fats in the liver cause insulin resistance.
Click to expand...

T2 diabetes is, in most cases, a mix of insulin resistance (The cause of which is actually still not fully understood, but it seems to be linked to being overweight and having high triglycerides/LDL and low HDL.) and dysfunctional beta cells - meaning there's not enough insulin to overcome the resistance so blood sugar rises. (Some interesting research I read recently does show that there are some that only have IR, and some that have no IR but the majority have both)

travellor said:
I went low calorie.
Lost weight and reversed the diabetes.
Others prefer diet control, it may be simpler, but its for life, that didn't suit me.
Click to expand...

This doesn't work for everyone, though, so some of us have to use diet control as insulin secretion hasn't returned to normal levels even after losing weight. It's not a case of 'preferring' diet control, it's just using whatever works.
 
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harbottle said:
This doesn't work for everyone, though, so some of us have to use diet control as insulin secretion hasn't returned to normal levels even after losing weight. It's not a case of 'preferring' diet control, it's just using whatever works.
Click to expand...
I would say some prefer it as a diet of choice, I personally wouldn't, but if I do ever lose the ability to produce insulin, it would indeed be useful then, I agree, so I would certainly balance the diet with insulin use myself.
 
travellor said:
Probably worth mentioning you have gained 16kg and have cholesterol nearly in double figures though to clarify your opinion, to be fair to others reading it?
Click to expand...
Why?
What's it to do with anything.. my weight is still 35 kg down from my highest.. plus my cholesterol is way off "double figures".
I'll update when I get the results of the blood that were taken this morning

Also of course whilst you are hyper critical of me I note you never share any of your details.. we have no idea what your HbA1c numbers, weight or cholesterol figures are do we..?
You are so keen to criticise others but never share your own results.. I have to wonder why that might be?
 
travellor said:
I would say some prefer it as a diet of choice, I personally wouldn't, but if I do ever lose the ability to produce insulin, it would indeed be useful then, I agree, so I would certainly balance the diet with insulin use myself.
Click to expand...

I only do low carb to stop BG from going up. If that wasn't an issue, I'd still eat pizza and noodles.
 
These days I only stick to low carb almost religiously because I can eat steak and mushrooms, pork chop and stirfry, sausages and mashed swede, bubble and squeak with bacon using the rest of the mash, cauliflower cheese, sugar free jelly with berries and real custard or cream or full fat yoghurt, and drink coffee with cream. In the summer I have salads with salmon or eggs and cheese followed by real icecream with a little fruit puree.
In the first few months of low carbing I realised that I was experiencing the restoration of more normal insulin responses as I was losing weight and experiencing false hypos as my blood glucose levels fell faster then had become normal. The false hypos stopped as my insulin response became less hysterical. No checks on my internal fat or insulin response were ever done, but from the results they improved significantly.
 
Steve Jobs would put me off eating too much fruit. 😳

For me low carb is the only way. I get ill on bread and I pile on the weight with simple carbs, three pancakes and a carb day and I put four pounds on overnight and an inch around the middle. Got to get it off again now as my diabetic review is coming up dang and blast it. I don't want to be embarrassed. :rofl:
 
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