What?!
It really gets my blood boiling when I see inaccurate information being spread around like this--especially to the newly diagnosed. For anyone reading this, eggs are NOT a free food and meat DOES affect your blood sugar levels. The high amount of protein in both foods can cause a delayed high blood sugar and I always, ALWAYS have to bolus for both those foods. If I don't, my blood sugar will stay high for hours (especially when it comes to meat). It's really disheartening to think that some people think it's all about sugar or all about carbs. Well, it's NOT. It's about everything in your meal, including protein and fat. This person was also telling people to eliminate certain foods like potatoes and bagels. How sad is that?! I understand avoiding or cutting back, but not totally eliminating something unless you are a) allergic or b) you know it's a source of trouble for you for whatever reason and you want to give it up for a while...that is still YOUR choice.
I created an account just so I could comment on that post, though I think it was from a year ago, so it's probably not even worth it, but I wanted the guy who posted to see that what he was saying is wrong ... also I do not understand how his a1c is so great if he is eating tons of red meat when he thinks it doesn't affect BG levels.
On another note, I watched a really interesting documentary about fast food and why it's not to blame for the rise in obesity. It was called "Fat Head", and it was a follow-up to Super Size Me, and it basically picked it apart and explained its inaccuracies. It explained how the definition of obesity has changed and how some people were considered obese just because of their BMI. It also went into some scientific theories that had been "proven", when really the scientist just threw out any data that didn't agree with what he wanted to find. This data supposedly shows that a high fat diet is what's bad for you and it's what causes cholesterol to build up and put you at risk for heart disease. According to this documentary, that's not completely true. This guy increased his fat and protein and cut down on carbs, and his overall health (including cholesterol) improved. He even went to far as to say that cholesterol levels don't play a part in heart disease. It's high blood sugars that wreak havoc, not high cholesterol. At first I was annoyed and irritated while watching this documentary, but the more I watched and listened, the more it piqued my curiosity and I couldn't help but think...this guy seems to have a point. He also showed that all the money that goes into statins is basically a joke. This wasn't just him stating it--this was research and other medical professional who joined the discussion.
Although I found it interesting, this high protein/fat diet wouldn't really work for me (a type 1), but for the non-D people, it's something to think about or research more...
it's really overwhelming when there's so much information out there isn't it? it's tricky to figure out where the truth lies... and really the only way of figuring it out is to experiment with what works best for you! (although, it would be nice if there was a one-size-fits-alls solution!)
ReplyDeleteI have heard about the lower carb diet and decreasing cholesterol etc...while eating high protein and fat. I believe that "belly fat" is also blamed for BG swings and hence our "obesity epidemic". I usually try to avoid any severe diets...or modes of "thinking" ... As with everything in this life, I think using common sense and "moderation" is key.
ReplyDeleteWith so many sources of information and blogs...etc...it is easy to see how one could get lost in the myths and falsehoods.
Great point, and you are bang on. I agree with Reyna I have tried the extreme but like my lasagna too much. On a serious note, even protein is converted to glucose eventusally and as you said, can delay and really effect sugar levels. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people don't realize how individual things are for people. For instance, I can eat eggs and most meats without bolusing. Does that make you wrong? No. Does that make me wrong? No. For me, most proteins are a free food. But that might not be the same for someone else. Likewise, some people I know can eat bagels, cereals, potatoes, or whatever just fine, but others have a really hard time with it. Sometimes it's just worth cutting it out in order to save the headache of having to deal with it. It shouldn't be a blanket statement on all PWDs, but we should all realize that our bodies sometimes react different... and that's OK. :)
ReplyDeleteAllison--that's true. I actually think I used to be able to eat eggs without bolusing but now find that doesn't work for me. I guess I just feel like most people do need to take fat and protein into account and that guy was completely disregarding it and putting diabetes into a "one size fits all" approach, which was bugged me the most. Thanks for your comment!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to add that I have noticed in our family my husband can eat loads of protein or high fat foods (like cheese) with no issue to his BG however my small itty bitty toddler can not even have a piece of bacon without accounting for it in his bolus. I keep wondering if this has to do with the difference between MDI and pumping, but who knows. Maybe some are more glucose sensitive than others. Once we started using the TAG equation (total available glucose) to bolus my son it's helped a great deal.
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