That sweet-talking Jimmy Moore worked his usual interview magic in yet another podcast which just went live on his site. If you have comments or questions feel free to post them in the comment section of this post.
http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/the-llvlc-show-episode-582-jenny-ruhl-gets-real-sharing-the-truth-about-low-carb-diets/14390
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8 comments:
The part about blood sugars being stubbornly high on a LC diet, when they've been high for years, makes me think that's my mom's case. She has T2, eats VLC, takes insulin and another medication, but still has FBG around 120 or 130. (Her records show FBS in the 300s before she started a LC diet.)
Lori,
I just read an interesting article someone sent me that explained that some people with Type 2 who have high fasting blood sugars have glucokinase genes that have lost their ability to product glucokinase (GCK) which is the protein that sets the blood sugar "thermostat" for fasting blood sugars. This may be a result of exposure to years of high blood sugars, though the actual cause is not yet understood.
It's very tough to lower fasting blood sugar when that thermostat is broken. This may be why so many people with diabetes find it difficult to get normal FBGs no matter what they do.
Thanks for the info, Jenny. I passed your comment on to my mom. She's been frustrated with her blood sugars, so this is no doubt a relief for her. That said, just getting them down to the level where they are now has really improved her quality of life. Blood sugars over 170 make her feel nervous and shaky, and she used to go into those "carb comas," so to speak. No more--she has more energy at 82 than she did in her 60s.
Thanks for all you do--I don't often comment here, but I always read your posts with interest.
I've purchased the Kindle edition of "Diet 101" and have begun reading it.
Personally, I have found that the low-carb diet works for me and my impaired glucose metabolism (FBGs of 127 and 123, and an A1c of 6.5, when diagnosed as "prediabetic" nearly 4 1/2 years ago), and I have used it successfully for more than 4 years, now, to control my blood sugar levels. I am aware, however, through my participation on a few diabetes discussion boards, that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to diabetes--that many folks find that other approaches work better for them. Too often, the proponents of one approach or another are quick to discount reports by others to the effect that a favored approach did not work for them; you do not. You listen to those other voices. I appreciate that. I also appreciate the thoughtfulness you have put into the book--from providing hyperlinks to the studies you discuss, to having actually read the studies, and to having followed the evidence where it leads, even when that is not the place you expected to be (and did it all without the level of snark that has become so much a part of these discussions). Thank you.
ShottleBop,
Thanks for your kind words. Food is such a core issue that diets bring out all these irrational emotions in people and take on the trappings of religion. I'm allergic to orthodoxies of any type so it's natural for me to look at opposing viewpoints and other people's experiences to counter fanaticism wherever I find it.
Jenny you may have seen this study already, but i thought would pass it along to you http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/06/23/diabetes-can-make-a-comeback-after-weight-loss-surgery-study
I have had an interesting experience with fasting blood sugar and food-response sugar levels while taking amitriptyline. My blood sugar averaged about 15 to 20 points lower while I was taking the drug, to a food-response under 120 (about 103 to 113) and a fasting level of about 92 which I found surprising given my normal levels of FBG=108 and food response of up to 160. The literature says that amitriptyline can either raise or lower blood sugar levels. I may try the more modern version, nortriptyline, and see if the same effects occur. I have a suspicion that this is a hypothalamically-based effect, just a hunch.
RJ, That study just echoes earlier data I have discussed in this blog. The sugery "reverses" diabetes because it makes it very difficult to eat carbs, but over time people's amputated stomach pouches can stretch out letting them eat more.
The conclusion that people should have the surgery right after diagnosis ignores the fact that if they started cutting carbs right at diagnosis they could have the same result. I hear from hundreds of people who have done just that.
That's interesting about the amitriptyline. It's also possible that it causes a drop in the cortical stress hormones that raise blood sugar.
Interesting stuff, its bizarre that food has such a reaction but I guess thats the life of a diabetic
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