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• September 13, 2009 8:35 a.m.

  In July my A1C was 7.8, fasting bg 169. Now my fasting bg usually hovers around 100-110. I gradually changed my diet to rule out white carbs, increased protein, substituted 50% whole wheat/25% coconut/25% almond for flour & use stevia instead of sugar. My hope is as I lose more weight and increase my exercise the #s will improve further. I read the report as pointing to fat as the culprit. The protein in my diet is a lot of low fat dairy and salmon or other fish with 'good' fat.

  - Chris O

• August 18, 2009 10:15 a.m.

  Sorry for this second post, but I made a mistake in the next to last line. It should read "...unsophisticated or those in denial (or children) know when something ISN'T working."

  - Kitty

• August 18, 2009 10:12 a.m.

  When first diagnosed with Type 2, a low carb diet was recommended. I gained a ton over the past 8 years. This May, I started the Rice Diet. It's pretty much 80% lower glycemic carbs. I've lost 40 lbs since May. I'm convinced that a diabetic person has to find the plan that's right for them on their own. In my opinion, only the most unsophisticated or those in denial (or children) know when something is working. I just reread what I wrote and it sounds a bit terse, but that's not my intention.

  - Kitty

• June 11, 2009 8:05 p.m.

  This article form 'so-called experts' is so far from reality its a joke. Carbs are killers to diabetics, NOT fat. Ive been a diabetic for ten years, when from one med to another- eat little , most carbs and no meat and gained 70 lbs. Follow the diet of Dr B and Mary Vernon since Jan 2009 (High Protein High Fat, very low carbs) and lost 60 lbs and use NO meds. My blood pressure is low and all my numbers are rock solid. Stay away from carbs, the ADA diet and this article. Read Taubes, Atkins and Mary Vernon.

  - pjnloir

• April 11, 2009 4:32 p.m.

  Please read Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution by Richard K. Bernstein, M.D. and Protein Power by Michael R. Eades, M.D. and Mary Dan Eades, M.D. Bernstein's book is the best book ever written about the control and treatment of diabetes. He speaks from experience: he developed diabetes at the age of twelve. He ate the recommended ADA diet, injected insulin, and got progressively worse. His "industrial dose" insulin regimen, necessitated by his relatively high-carb-low-fat ADA diet, also produced frequent episodes of low blood sugars. Eventually, through diligent effort and experimentation, he devised a low insulin and very low carbohydrate diet which produced normal blood sugars. Although his methods were clearly successful, and even though he was an engineer, the medical profession was not convinced. So he went to medical school, became a doctor, and established his specialty in diabetes treatment. I can vouch that his methods work: I have been a type-1 diabetic for 46 years, and after following Dr. Bernstein's advice, now enjoy a 5.8 A1c (the high range of "normal") and no problems with hypoglycemia. Only a very low carb diet, plus "adequate protein", as the Drs. Eades put it, can achieve normal blood sugars. If a higher carb diet is chosen, as Bernstein points out, then "industrial doses" of insulin are required and blood sugars become uncontrollable, leading to all the horrible problems of diabetes.

  - Dan White

• March 16, 2009 2:22 p.m.

  And my third point, when insulin dependent diabetics eat higher amount of fats, they would have to make adjustments in their insulin timing, as the fat will slow down the digestion of the carbs. Nowadays this is accomplished by an “extended bolus” of insulin, through today’s advanced insulin pumps. This was NOT AVAILABLE at the time the DCCT was done. If those adjustments are not done, that could disrupt glycemic control, hence the higher A1C’s. Rabbi Hirsch Meisels Jewish Friends With Diabetes International www.FriendsWithDiabetes.org

  - Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

• March 16, 2009 2:20 p.m.

  If you happen to believe such a bogus report (despite the fact that it’s basing clinical advice on a questionnaire done 3 years apart, which I would say is worthless, but for arguments sake, if you do quote such a report), why did you discriminate to leave out the other half of the report? The other half said, that “More strenuous exercise or activity level at work was associated with worse glycemia. This may seem counterintuitive, because exercise lowers blood glucose.” Hmmm, imagine a Mayo Clinic article titled “Exercise spells trouble for people with diabetes” or “For those with diabetes — there's more to it than exercise”!!! It seems like you are cherry picking only those statements that fit your bias!!! You also forgot to mention what the authors of the report stressed over and over again, that when the baseline A1C was taken into account, then the so called adverse effect of low carb/high fat simply vanished. In other words, if you take into account the common sense argument that the people who started out with a higher A1C had a predisposition to end the study with a higher A1C, then the diet didn’t matter AT ALL. Only if you omit that commons sense fact, does the diet play role… Third point to follow in next comment.

  - Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

• February 25, 2009 6:17 p.m.

  Does anyone know how many much sugar,carbs,fat,etc is allowed for each meal ? I have type 2 diabetes and trying to loose weight. Thank you for your help.

  - Lynn

• February 13, 2009 5:22 p.m.

  "Indeed the January 2008 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" analysis of diets from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial presents striking findings that challenge some long-held assumptions." Challenge some long-held assumptions? How were any assumptions challenged with such high carb levels? What a gloss over reality!

  - Katy

• February 12, 2009 10:45 a.m.

  A more accurate report of their findings, but their findings, at 45% carb, are not in line with the findings, anecdotaly and clinically, associated with actual low carb diets. The authors' focus on this one study (and the one about egg yolks, highly flawed in methodology)speak to dogmatism. We hope for much better from our health information providers. I for one will not be reading here any more.

  - Ml Harris

• February 10, 2009 12:37 p.m.

  It's no wonder that diabetes is out of control in this country. I had some high blood glucose tests some three years ago, and tried to follow the ADA diet to control it. My numbers got worse and worse until I had a glucose tolerance of 198. At that point I stopped believing the ADA and did my own research. I since stopped eating all grains, and just eat high quality meat, fish and poultry, with copious amounts of vegetables. I also ditched the soda's, including the diet ones. I lost 30 lbs in four months, and I was not even what is considered overweight at 6' 185 lbs. I'm now at 155, having lost30lbs of fat from around my gut. Four months later my glucose tolerance fell to 100, with normal being anything below 140. When will the medical establishment get that people have got to minimize grain based carbs of all types, whole, processed or otherwise? Diabetes type 2 is reversible!

  - Dave, RN

• February 10, 2009 3:14 a.m.

  "why do we make this so complicated:STOP EATING ANIMAL PROTEIN for 30 days and it is a 70% chance that you will throw away the medication. For Nancy Wang: go to Dr. John McDougal's website:" - vaughn jones That's ridiculous. Don't go to McDougal's website. Just adopt a low-carb diet not an unhealthy vegetarian or vegan diet. Its the sugar you should be concerned with - including grains and starchy veg not meat. Go low-carb and there is probably a 99.9% chance you can throw away the meds if type 2.

  - No name given

• February 8, 2009 5:25 p.m.

  I have had tremendous success with a very low carb diet. I get so tired of "experts" with their sample studies denying real results from real people, not a chosen few that they use to skew their statistics to prove their point. I suggest you take a look at those diabetics who have gone low carb, lost the weight and improved their cholesterol & triglyceride levels.

  - Karen

• February 8, 2009 4:54 p.m.

  There is a tonne of research showing the benefits of low-carb you two just have to read it and leave your bias behind.

  - Sue

• February 5, 2009 4:55 p.m.

  I have Type 2 diabetes. I have two rules that I think are very important in managing this disease or avoiding it: 1. Never eat when you are not hungry, graze during the day if possible; and 2.Never ever eat simple carbs (the white stuff, enriched bread, potatoes, candy....without preceding it with some high fiber food, like a dark green leafy salad or broccoli or green pepper...you get the picture. Insulin spikes should be avoided.

  - Nancy

• February 5, 2009 1:00 p.m.

  I am T2. This is one of those situations I suspect that is probably the same as for weight loss--"one size does not fit all." Whatever works best for an individual to control either weight or diabetes may not necessarily work for another person. I try to avoid simple carbohydrates but still thoroughly enjoy complex carbohydrates along with plenty of fruits and vegetables and try to minimize the amount of fat in my diet and try to make what fat I do consume more monounsaturated. I do not eat as much animal protein as I used to partially just a matter of economics. That said, I have lost over 120 pounds and been able to come off diabetes medication all together for the time being. We each as individuals have different tastes, likes and dislikes and that influences our liking one particular diet regimen over another. What is important is tolerance for that choice.

  - Renee

• February 4, 2009 3:33 p.m.

  To Ms. Kolk, I am also a type 2 (25 years) who used to have a 11% A1C that I was able to bring down to 5.9 in the most recent test. I decided to follow a low fat high carbohydrate diet moderate protein diet after reading numerous studies that implicate higher intakes of fat with diabetes, even more so than weight reduction alone. See (Low-Fat Diet Alone Reversed Type 2 Diabetes In Mice) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/09/980911074157.htm I also read a number of books (including The China study by C. Campbell) that implicate having too much protein (and fat) in the diet with many chronic diseases. My total cholesterol went also down to 109, as I eat a minimal amount of animal protein/fat in the new diet. The highest was 190. I also lost 40 lbs in the process. Mike

  - Mike

• February 4, 2009 8:41 a.m.

  I'm a T2 and low carb has worked wonders for me. A1C went almost immediately from 6.5 to 5.5 and I rarely if ever test over 130. I eat lots of fish, take lots of fish oil, lots of vitamin D and am generally paleo (nuts, fish, veggies, some fruit.) I can't recommend it enough. Total Chol is 155 and triglycerides fell from 200 to 82. For this T2, low carb works...it isn't a debate.

  - Ryan Lanham

• February 4, 2009 8:05 a.m.

  I follow a low glycemic index diet, eat my own baked all wheat bread fuits, vegetables, very little meat (all fat trimmed off) heavy exercise (weights, climbing stairs, push ups, seat ups). The doctor lowered my thyroid med and now I gained weightm glucoise climbed back to 104 etc. Impossible combination diet for me and probably many other patients.

  - Pre- Diabetic and Gout

• February 4, 2009 2:41 a.m.

  T1 is hypoinsulemia while T2 is hyperinsulemia. To paraphrase somebody from the Clinton era: It's about insulin not sugar, stupid! With insulin resistance T2 high levels of insulin are driven by carb intake. With T1 it is easier to control (injected) insulin levels with carbs than with fats and proteins due to more direct pathway into blood. I wholehaerthedly agree with Mary Kolk's comment and have similar experince myself. Altopo

  - altopo

• February 3, 2009 7:21 p.m.

  I am a T2 and was on insulin. I tried Weight Watchers and every other diet out there. Five years ago I started on the Atkins Diet and was off insulin in a WEEK. I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off. My cholesterol is 130 (I eat 14 eggs a week); A1C is 5. My doctor has lowered most of the other medication I was on. There is a knee-jerk reaction to disparage the Atkins Diet just because of the fat issue. I don't eat as much bacon as I did when I first started and don't eat beef just because it doesn't appeal to me. But when I was eating those things, the weight came off--and stayed off.

  - Judy B.

• February 3, 2009 4:56 p.m.

  why do we make this so complicated:STOP EATING ANIMAL PROTEIN for 30 days and it is a 70% chance that you will throw away the medication. For Nancy Wang: go to Dr. John McDougal's website:

  - vaughn jones

• February 3, 2009 10:39 a.m.

  As another comment... T2's who succeed with low-carb but high-protein and/or high-fat diets may well be taking metformin, which is known to suppress gluconeogenesis (the process by which glucose from proteins and fats). I'm a T1, not T2, but I look at the success that many T2's have had with low carb diets plus Metformin and am beginning see how the Metformin suppresses the rise in bg 2, 4, 6 hours after a meal.

  - Tim

• February 3, 2009 10:34 a.m.

  I myself tried low-carb (say, less than 50 carbs a day) dieting as a T1 and found that it was very hard to maintain good bg control. Substituting proteins and fats in place of the carbs required me to take insulin not at mealtime, but 2, 4, and 6 hours after a meal to keep my bg in check. I think that it may have been possible that with enough effort that I could adapt my insulin dosing to high-protein low-carb meals, but I just gave up. I'm now back to closer to 100-120 carbs a day (this is "high carb" according to the militant low-carbers, but "low carb" by usual dietary standards) which is what I'm used to.

  - Tim

• February 3, 2009 8:51 a.m.

  You have got to be kidding me! You need to read Dr. Richard Bernstein's book, "Diabetes Solutions Third Edition" It is amazing how the medical community refuses to acknowledge tremendus benefits of eating a low carbohydrate diet. My husband is a type 2 diabetic for over 25 years. He had severe neuropathy in both feet and could not walk over 75 to 100 feet at any one time. He was eventually put on insulin after the doctor felt there was nothing more he could do for him. Beginning at 5 units a night, a year later he was on 43 units a night. His weight ballooned to 280 pounds. He was depressed and I told my kids that in 6 months I would be pushing dad around in a wheelchair. About 7 years ago I read Dr. Bernstein's book. I read that book and realized it was all about my husband. Six years ago, my husband accepted responsibility for the diabetes, went on a program of low carb and exercise this was the result: he lost 80 pounds in 9 months, his HA1c fell to 6.5 from 11, he goes to the gym 3 times a week and walks 2 miles each time. He came off of insulin about 3 months after beginning this program and his doctor takes him OFF of meds each time he sees him. He has not had insulin in 6 years! He feels wonderful, he looks wonderful and he is wonderful. He was literally dying in front of my eyes - seeing his doctor faithfully and following what his doctors told him to do. And he was dying slowly. He is now fully alive and well. His HDL is great and his

  - Mary Kolk