ADA Makes Me Angry!!

[aquaryus]

Most people at work know that I am on/off the Atkins wagon. About a year and a half ago, I was on the wagon for a long time. I lost about 70 pounds in 4 months. Went from a women's 32 (very tight) to a women's 26. Along with this weight loss, I experienced low blood sugar. I was on metformin at the time and had to go off of it because my BG level was going into the low 70s.-- this is where I now have beef with the American Diabetes Assoc...

A coworker of mine has a pamphlet from the ADA that says 'Low carb diets have NO impact on blood sugar'. She made a point to highlight it for me and then proceded to say "See, I told you it's not good for you!"

Well, gee. Funny that the only thing keeping this woman from going into a diabetic coma is her medication. She eats carbs like there is no tomorrow.

I told her that a low carb diet may not help a type 1 diabetic, but even a monkey knows that if you are type 2, the only thing that raises your sugar to diabetic levels is what you stuff in your face!

Then I realized that of course the ADA wouldn't want diabetics to have to go off medication.. I'm sure their pockets are nicely padded by the drug companies...

Saddest part is, I work at a pharmacy help desk. If you only saw the amount of people who get test strips, diabetes meds and insulin pumps you'd realize why I'm so mad.

[DuchessOfDork]

That makes me mad, too. It's like my friend who had his gall bladder removed in his TEENS, and now his snack of choice is low fat bread and butter. He says he can't exersize because his asthma makes it impossible. It makes me want to strangle him.

[kate58]

Actually the ADA made a big move in their dietary recommendations this year and finally made at least an acknowledgement of the value of low-carb diets. It's not a full endorsement exactly, but it's a long way from where they were and it's a start.

More here.

[Randiman1]

Originally Posted by aquaryus

I told her that a low carb diet may not help a type 1 diabetic, but even a monkey knows that if you are type 2, the only thing that raises your sugar to diabetic levels is what you stuff in your face!

I am a type one diabetic and carbs effective everyone the same. The difference between types of diabetes is how your body treats the carbs. Type 1s don't produce any insulin, where as most type 2's don't produce enough (or have insulin resistance). Reducing carb intake reduces my amt of insulin that I take. I have to take 1 unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carb I, therefore when on Atkins my insulin doses go way down! Just saying that carbs effective everyone the same.

No offense but your friend sounds like she needs some educating! It seems like there will always be someone out there who thinks they know it all when you really just want to tell them how stupid they sound. You will come to find that there is a huge amount of ignorance surrounding Diabetes...especially type 1, however everybody thinks that they are an expert because all you have to do is "not eat sugar", or you only have the disease b/c you are over weight. Type 1s are usually not over weight (unlike me), but oh I could go on and on about this subject. I have had some really rude and stupid things said to me. I have decided to not tell most people about my disease. Sorry about the tangent, but like I said I could talk for hours about this.

I hope this didn't come across rude, b/c it is not intended that way. I am just trying to help! Hope it did!

[4myself4mykids]

Oh, I'm just back after a long bout of trying to do it the ADA way my drs ordered and am almost back to my starting point with the addition of an insulin pump attached to my side....I finally talked to the diabetes dr and got her to understand that my body can't handle the amount of carbs they wanted me to eat and after keeping a food journal for several months with my skyrocketing blood sugars logged she finally digressed and said she wouldn't recommend it for most of her patients, but that if thats what it took for me to get things under control so was supportive. She also mentioned that some of the medical community in general was becoming more accepting of low carb living.

LOL, NOT going to mention this to my fam dr until I'm well underway as she went so far as to gather up a bunch of "the evils of Atkins" and NO low carb diets for diabetic info and put it into a folder and have her nurse call me to come pick up some info the dr wanted me to read.

She turned over every aspect of my diet/diabetes to the endocrinologist when I was put on the pump, so I'm just not going to address the situation with her.

Anyway, I'm of a mindset that yes, what someone else said on here is true...the more diabetics there are the more $$ the pharmaceutical companies/medical community makes so why would they encourage a natural way to decrease meds and treatment???

Sorry about the rant...lol, probably not a good way to start my first day back on the boards!

[Randiman1]

Maybe your Family doctor is confused about diabetes...trust me I have dealt with my fare share of doctors and hospitals that knew nothing about the disease. I have always heard that Atkins is great for type 2 diabetics, and even praised by most doctors, however Type 1s are strongly urged not to partake in Atkins. The first time I did Atkins and lost a lot my endo ripped into me so bad that it scared me to tell him. I have gone through several Endos since and they all have said the same thing. Something about extreme low carbs is hard on the kidneys and type 1s already have to watch their kidneys, b/c they are prone to kidney problems w/o the added stress.

Maybe you should ask around, or better yet you make up your own folder about Atkins and how well it helps to treat and lower BS. Show your doctor that yes he is a doctor, but there are other methods out there, and just b/c he doesn't agree with, or most likely understand, then that is no reason to hinder you. I have found that older Doctors are very set in their ways and don't want to be "educated" on a new technology, where the younger ones will suggest or at least look into it.

I am sorry for all of the tangents, but I have been through several experiences and several doctors w/ my disease and I have found that just because they went to school to be a doctor doesn't mean they know everything.

Hope you have a great weekend!

[biogeek]

Well said, Randi! Doctors should never be placed on a pedestal and just because they went to school to become physcians, it doesn't mean that they are infallible!

I am fortuanate enough to have an internist that favors Dr. Atkins and South Beach diets, he just doesn't want me to stay on extended induction for long periods of time. That being said, he also wasn't my first doctor...I had to shop around and find one that would LISTEN to my concerns and would take me seriously.

As far as your coworker, no one knows your body better than you. Yes, I believe she was extremely rude, but I think the best thing to do is to show her through your actions and RESULTS that this WOE is right for you. Hang in there!!!

[LCer09]

Originally Posted by Randiman1

I have gone through several Endos since and they all have said the same thing. Something about extreme low carbs is hard on the kidneys and type 1s already have to watch their kidneys, b/c they are prone to kidney problems w/o the added stress.

But this makes no sense, as low-carb is NOT hard on one's kidneys. High protein may be, but that's not what this WOE is about, no? Dr. Bernstein is a T1 diabetic, and his (very excellent, very well-researched) book is all about low carb. He looked at it from an engineer's point of view though, not a 'reciting the garbage that everybody keeps telling them in medical school' point of view. Even though he did have to go to medical school and become a doctor before anybody would listen to him. T1 diabetics cannot produce their own insulin, right? So the lower they keep their carbs, the less they have to inject, the easier it is on their bodies. Makes perfect sense to me, I can't see how the medical community can even attempt to argue that one.

[Randiman1]

Originally Posted by LCer09

But this makes no sense, as low-carb is NOT hard on one's kidneys. High protein may be, but that's not what this WOE is about, no? Dr. Bernstein is a T1 diabetic, and his (very excellent, very well-researched) book is all about low carb. He looked at it from an engineer's point of view though, not a 'reciting the garbage that everybody keeps telling them in medical school' point of view. Even though he did have to go to medical school and become a doctor before anybody would listen to him. T1 diabetics cannot produce their own insulin, right? So the lower they keep their carbs, the less they have to inject, the easier it is on their bodies. Makes perfect sense to me, I can't see how the medical community can even attempt to argue that one.

I never said that I agreed w/ this theory, it has just been something that was told, more like instilled into my head. ADA does support low carb for diabetics, however they do not support high protein, and many see Atkins as a high protein/low carb diet. Not all doctors are up to date on the various diets!

You are correct about eating fewer carbs = less insulin. The less insulin a person takes means the less work that your kidneys must perform. (Kidneys breakdown insulin cells), but type 1 diabetes is a little more compliciated then just not eating carbs and you don't have to take insulin. There are a number of things that affect my BS for absolutely no reason as all. My TOM, if I am upset, depressed, and with me personally I could go all day without eating anything and feel completely happy or normal, and my BS would still sore to over 400 on its own. That is why I must take a long acting insulin which releases little amts of insulin on its own throughout the day to ensure my BS stays at a normal level.

Just an FYI - I am not part of the medical community and I simply was stating the things that I have been told.

[homeseeker]

I reported my excellent blood chemistry on the Group Health (my HMO) forum crediting Atkin and they simply removed my post. My relatives, including a dietitian and an MD, hold me in contempt despite my success. Is there no integrity in the medical establishment? Where are those who seek the truth?