Well I certainly dont recommend Diabetes UK Diabetes Cookbook

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I think that was just following standard NHS advice, based on the research that was available at the time.

When I started frequenting diabetes forums around 2010 it was still quite common for healthcare professionals and diabetes nurses (along with the DUK website) to advise people with T2 to “base all their meals on starchy carbohydrates” and people were often actively advised against low carb because not enough was known about it’s effects long term.

But the situation has changed as more and better quality clinical research has shown that it can be an effective strategy for some people, so it is now offered as an option far more widely.

It is not the only route, and hasn’t proved to be superior to low calorie in like-for-like weight loss trials, but advocates such as Dr Unwin and The Freshwell project, along with DUK, have made it much more of a mainstream approach these days.
 
In the late 90s my T2 mother-in-law clung firmly to the belief that low fat was all that mattered, served me turkey rashers (because “we can eat these”), piled her carvery plate high with roasties and Yorkshires, and expressed astonishment when I assumed she’d want slimline in her G & T.
 
Sadly there are still some HCPs who are not getting the message about low carb. I was actively discouraged by the specialist diabetic dietician (and DAFNE educator) just 4 years ago.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
It is not the only route, and hasn’t proved to be superior to low calorie in like-for-like weight loss trials, but advocates such as Dr Unwin and The Freshwell project, along with DUK, have made it much more of a mainstream approach these days.
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Do those same trials include any other factor than weight though? Like longer term glucose management, medication reduction or elimination, complication occurances, other metabolic syndrome markers like BP, waist measurements, triglycerides etc etc. Low carb is showing great results with those too. Though high quality research is lacking still, that doesn’t mean the evidence isn’t there to be found and gradually seems to be doing so. One issue with the comparison trials done so far is they often have a very limited view of what constitutes ”low” carb (Some are still fairly generous).

I’m not saying your statements are wrong or that low calorie doesn’t work for some people - just that there’s a lot of nuances that are very important to consider rather than just the headlines.

Sadly it’s that very advice to base meals on starchy carbs (why was that ever the advice?) that got a lot us in this boat in the first place, or got us there faster at least.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I think that was just following standard NHS advice, based on the research that was available at the time.

When I started frequenting diabetes forums around 2010 it was still quite common for healthcare professionals and diabetes nurses (along with the DUK website) to advise people with T2 to “base all their meals on starchy carbohydrates” and people were often actively advised against low carb because not enough was known about it’s effects long term.

But the situation has changed as more and better quality clinical research has shown that it can be an effective strategy for some people, so it is now offered as an option far more widely.

It is not the only route, and hasn’t proved to be superior to low calorie in like-for-like weight loss trials, but advocates such as Dr Unwin and The Freshwell project, along with DUK, have made it much more of a mainstream approach these days.
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Low carb, or even reduced carb might be becoming more familiar to HCPs, but still few are recommending it to their patients it seems. Perhaps based on their own misgivings around whether they themselves could do it?

Anyway, that last sentence is a digression.

Moving on, the current website recipe finder has a potentially useful filter for types of diets, citing gluten free, freezer safe, dairy free and the pretty chocolate teapot of "Low Sugar". Selecting the low sugar option, as many newly diagnosed T2s would do, returns recipes for all sorts, including potatoes, pasta and so on.

This is one line of the recipes returned (obviously some are better, some worse):

1692527140169.png

Whilst someone looking to reduce their daily carb content to 150gr or whatever, for many living with T2 they're just a bit carb heavy.

Could consideration be given to either re-categorising Low Sugar to Low Carb, or adding a further Low Carb filter, perhaps with a brief explanation that Low Carb recipes will be recipes of less than X carbs per portion?

1692527490660.png
I know, and agree that those living with T1 don't always need to curb the carbs, but surely an explanation, such as the foregoing, might help those fortunate enough to be able to be carb-relaxed to understand what they are being offered, and revert to Low Sugar of, for some reason, they want to limit that, but not overall carbs?

I'm unsure of what currently exists is all that helpful to those needing to bring down their blood sugars.

Just my thoughts.

(It's OK, my flak jacket is just over there>>>>>> )
 
Leadinglights said:
But was that because you are Type 1?
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Yes, I am sure that influenced her although I believe I had an appointment with her before my Type 1 confirmation, but certainly after my amended diagnosis she was very anti low carb and convinced I would get DKA and actively discouraged me and told me I would land up in hospital.
Don't get me wrong, she was a lovely lady and really wanted to help me and even gave me her mobile number to ring her if I needed help but she was totally entrenched in the NHS guidance for diabetes and that wholegrain carbs were essential and fat was bad. She was very well qualified but sadly brain washed by a lifetime of NHS education and guidelines and probably not able to advise against that even if she was open to other ideas, which I think is part of the problem. And then imagine spending a career as a health care professional advising people to do something that was actually detrimental to their health and then having to contemplate reversing that advice. You would surely be resistant without very clear evidence and sadly the research is slow to get off the ground and difficult to collate the info or agree on a level of low carb as mentioned above. As we all know, it is quite individual, both in terms of what our diabetes needs and we can manage taste/menu/lifestyle wise.
 
AndBreathe said:
or adding a further Low Carb filter, perhaps with a brief explanation that Low Carb recipes will be recipes of less than X carbs per portion?
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Interesting thoughts @AndBreathe - I will feed these back to Diabetes UK and the content team 🙂
 
Similarly, shortly after diagnosis I was advised by the NHS dietition to base 60% of every meal on starchy carbs. I subsequently put on 3 stone, which it has taken the best part of 20 years to get rid of. On the other hand, to give her her due, I was on mixed insulin at the time and was eating to feed the insulin, Got rid of that regime as soon as I could.
 
When I was diagnosed (a couple of years after the book was published), as is common for Type 1, I had lost weight.
I went to see a dietitian where the only ”guidance” I got was a lecture about the risks associated with being overweight despite having a bmi of around 20.
There was very little about carbs - mostly about cutting down animal fat in my (vegetarian) diet.
In a number of ways, I don’t meet traditional stereotypes. This was another example where I wish the HCP had looked beyond their standard advice and looked at the person in front of them. Don’t get me started on the physio advice when I had a hysterectomy which only mentioned how to do housework even though i am a very active engineer (with a cleaner).
 
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rebrascora said:
Sadly there are still some HCPs who are not getting the message about low carb. I was actively discouraged by the specialist diabetic dietician (and DAFNE educator) just 4 years ago.
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my GP didn't have a clue: 'well you could lose a few kg, adn here's some metformin' bye then. I had to read up on here and get on the Prof Roy Taylor pathway to health. Love that man.
 
Mrs Mimoo said:
may be a pointer to Low Carb and some proper recipes? or just hire Prof Roy T.
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There’s a low carb meal plan already offered (along with Mediterranean, and various other options)

Low-carb diet and meal plan

Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day. But low-carb eating shouldn’t be no-carb eating. Some carbohydrate foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which form an important part of a healthy diet.
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

So low carb options are certainly on offer from DUK 🙂
 
William Banting's Letter on Corpulence published in 1863, 63,000 sold by the 3rd printing, price 6d I believe and studiously ignored ever since
Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution published 1972, 12 million copies sold and labelled a fad diet.....
The health benefits associated with a low carb diet were well publicised by many who actually experienced and benefitted from them - obviously all delusional or illusory.

Sigh.
 
Mrs Mimoo said:
may be a pointer to Low Carb and some proper recipes? or just hire Prof Roy T.
Click to expand...

Whilst I think Professor Taylor has done some priceless work in progressing knowledge relating to T2, I don't think his approach is right for everyone, and to be honest, could, for several reasons, be an absolute turn off for some at diagnosis.

I think we all need to have choices and options.
 
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