I just started a low carb diet and am really struggling with getting used to it. However, the impact it has made on my bg levels is dramatic. I had my highest fasting level since going on meds the day after Christmas, then ate a no carb breakfast. My levels went DOWN rather than up! I was amazed. I actually have been having low blood sugar in the afternoons, to the point of needing a bit of a snack. This appears to be a good thing, but I am not sure if I can keep it up or not. Input? Is anyone else out there on a low carb diet? Or is this topic taboo? I know that this type of diet is a bit controversial.

Lots of folks on here follow a low carb diet, myself included. I've been doing it for over 4 years now with nothing but positive results. My 70 year old mother with above normal but not yet diabetic range bloodsugar levels has been following it for about 2 years with excellent results also. Bloodsugar levels are now normal and cholesterol levels are excellent. For more info, just use the search feature on here and search for low carb or Atkins.

Low carb diets help to normalize bloodsugar, bloodpressure, and blood lipid levels. They are also great for losing that excess fat that many of us have struggled with over the years.

When using a low carb diet, doesn't this effect the vitamins and minerals a body receives. Also fiber. I guess I get my fiber from beans. My blood sugar for the past several days has been in the 180-200+ range. I take Starlix. It is difficult for me to believe a body could maintain itself on protien alone. Could I receive some feedback on this? - Greg

Originally posted by gle56:
When using a low carb diet, doesn't this effect the vitamins and minerals a body receives. Also fiber. I guess I get my fiber from beans. My blood sugar for the past several days has been in the 180-200+ range. I take Starlix. It is difficult for me to believe a body could maintain itself on protien alone. Could I receive some feedback on this? - Greg

For starters, low carb diets are about more than just protein. The media has misled the public regarding these type of diets. When you see something on the TV or in a magazine article regarding low carb diets (especially Dr. Atkins), they always portray it as a "bacon, eggs, butter, and steak diet". While you can eat those foods, there is much more to the diet than just that. You really need to read one of the books on the subject such as "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution" or "Protein Power" by Dr. Michael Eades (there are others also) to fully understand it.

Every low carb diet that I am aware of recommends at least 2-5 servings of non-starchy vegetables per day. Green leafy vegetables like lettuce (not Iceburg), spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, brocolli, etc. are very high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and low in digestable carbohydrate. Fruit is even acceptable in small quantities if it is of the lower sugar varity (berries, melons, etc.) The main foods that you give up on a low carb diet are sugar in all of its many forms, grain products (bread, cereal, cakes, cookies, pasta, rice, corn, etc.) and root vegetables (potatoes). There are no vitamins or minerals in sugar, grains, or potatoes that you can't get from another food at a much lower carbohydrate cost.

Greg, your bloodsugar levels are very high at 180+ mg/dl and you risk many of the complications associated with diabetes if you don't get them down near normal levels, either by diet, excercise, or medication or a combination of all three. A lower carbohydrate diet would go a long way in helping you get that bloodsugar level down.

Another thing that I recommend is the book "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution". Dr. Bernstein is a 69 year old Type I diabetic and a diabetologist. He knows the disease because he lives it every day as well as treats patients with diabetes. He strongly advocates a low carbohydrate diet.

Alan

I went on the full Atkins diet back in 1975 and lost 50lbs. I didn't die. In fact, I did well and thrived. I didn't stay with it , though, but I did loosely follow it through the years. If I hadn't, I would be 500lbs. by now. Insulin resistance was not known then at least not to me. There wasn't as much knowledge about diabetes as there is now. Your options were not as good. I have followed low carb dieting more closely for the last 13 years. After glucose meters came out, people could see for themselves what carbs did to their blood sugar. In my opinion eating low carb has you eating more real food and not a lot of fillers and junk. You can tailor a diet that fits you. I really don't eat a lot of meat. I have found that after being on low carb that I'm a small eater. Low carb is also a diet recommended for other conditions such as PCOS and childhood epilepsy.

[This message has been edited by hootie (edited 01-22-2003).]

Thank you all for your reply.

Last night I ate just mostly vegetables, a turkey breast patty, some lemon in water, and a few almonds. At bedtime my glucose was 84. I took it this morning when I got up and it was 144.

For breakfast I had two pieces of bacon (95% fatfree), eggbeaters with .5 of a slice of fatfree cheese melted in it, and a 1/4 slice of an orange. That was at 6:00am. I just checked my glucose at 9:40am and it was 183. With the exception of that little bit of orange, should it be that high three hours later?

I also have atrial fibrillation and I take a blood thinner called Coudamin, so this keeps me from eating dark green vegetables. So that is a carb I could not eat.

The book that was mentioned was for someone with Diabites I. Does that make any difference? I am Diabeties II. I really want to thank you all for your imput and support.- gle

Originally posted by gle56:
...Last night I ate just mostly vegetables, a turkey breast patty, some lemon in water, and a few almonds. At bedtime my glucose was 84. I took it this morning when I got up and it was 144.

That early morning bloodsugar rise is fairly common and described in Dr. Bernstein's book. It is called the Dawn Phenomenon. Your bloodsugar may have dipped a bit low during the night/very early morning and the liver responded by slightly overproducing glucose (gluconeogenesis = glucose production from amino acids).

For breakfast I had two pieces of bacon (95% fatfree), eggbeaters with .5 of a slice of fatfree cheese melted in it, and a 1/4 slice of an orange. That was at 6:00am. I just checked my glucose at 9:40am and it was 183. With the exception of that little bit of orange, should it be that high three hours later?

Not knowing what is in that low fat bacon, eggbeaters, or fatfree cheese, it is hard to comment. Rather than these highly processed sources of protien, why not get the real unadulterated thing? Dietary fat is not your enemy if you have diabetes, sugar and starch are. Why not get real bacon or better yet, market made pork sausage without added sugar or preservatives? Real eggs are one of natures best foods in my opinion - I eat 3-5 every day just for good measure. There is probably several grams of carbohydrate in that fatfree cheese, because if they remove the fat, they have to replace it with something - usually sugar or a cheap carbohydrate based filler. Get real cheese, like cheddar or whatever type, even American as long as it is not that individually wrapped stuff that resembles cheese (most real cheddar and American cheese has <1 gram of carb per serving). A medium orange contains about 15-20 grams of carbohydrate, so 1/4 of one is going to contain about 4-5 grams of carbohydrate - not a lot, but significant for the amount of food you are eating. Grapefruit has about half the carbohydrate content (given the same quantity) as an orange and would be a better choice.

The book that was mentioned was for someone with Diabites I. Does that make any difference? I am Diabeties II.

Dr. Bernstein's book is just as good, if not better, for Type II diabetics than Type I because most type IIs can control their bloodsugar levels without medication if they follow his diet. He covers both types in his book. If he was just writing it for Type I diabetics, he would have a rather limited audience since over 90% of diabetics are Type II or Non-Insulin
Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM).

Alan

Yes, Dr. Bernstein's book is great for Type II's as well at Type 1's! As for that breakfast that put you at 183 - check the carbs in what you were eating. There are many hidden carbs in things like that. On the other hand, "just try" some regular bacon and eggs and see what happens! Don't use skim milk as a drink - it has lots of carbs. Drink hot tea or decaf coffee with sugar substitute. I think you would be amazed at the difference in your bg after a meal with fat in it. Fat is not our enemy, as we have been led to believe over the years. It is actually carbs that turn into fat in the blood (triglycerides) and not the dietary fat that we eat. Also, regarding your high fasting number - it could be gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying). This is well covered in Dr. Bernstein's book. Now, I just wish I lived closer to his office so that I could actually use him as my regular doctor!! Please let us know what happens after eating a breakfast with fat in it, OK?

I have my first appointment this afternoon with my an nutritionist and plan on bringing some Atkins info with me. I want to start Atkins tommorrow, and I'm happy to hear other's are on it as well.

Good Luck.

When I went to the diatition I was told that we need to be careful of how many carbs we eat. She figured out what my body needed for each meal and a snack. I was told that I should have 45 carbs (15 carbs = 1 serving = 3 servings) each meal with a bedtime snack of 15 carbs. This information has helped me so much and to feel I can easily follow the guidelines. You might want to check with a diatiton to see what they recomend for you. Or perhaps one of the books will tell you. One thing I was told is that I can't save the carbs from one meal and use them later in the day. Once they are gone they are gone forever! This makes it pretty simple in my book. One more thing is that the carbs you do eat should come from all kinds of foods to balance the diet/nutrition out. I am loosing weight, so far 23 pounds in the last few months, and feeling better than I have in years. Good Luck!

No one responded to my question of what do I do if I can't eat a lot of greens. I have atrial fib and have to use the blood thinner coudamin. I can't eat greens do to the large amount of vit. k which helps promote blood clotting. I would sure like someone to comment on this.- Greg