Friday, April 18, 2014

The Low Carb Diabetic

The Low Carb Diabetic

Jimmy Moore's take on a high fat diet !

Posted: 18 Apr 2014 07:07 AM PDT


As a type two diabetic controlling my diabetes with a low carb (50 grams per day) high fat diet for close on six years, I reckon my dietary lifestyle is about right. Going from 300 grams plus carbs at diagnosis to 50 is a big chunk out of my daily food intake. As my protein intake has been about the same all my adult life, the fats had to be increased to maintain the same daily calorie intake. No rocket science needed there. The extra calories from fats came by way of butter, double cream, cheese, nuts, avocado, oily fish, olive oil and seeds etc.

This diet has kept BG numbers non diabetic, helped with BP, a good lipid panel and minimal diabetes medication (2 x 500mg Metformin) it works, it's simple, and I enjoy food as much as I ever did. Checking out the meals, Jan and myself and many diabetic friends eat and have been posted here, and on our website and food blog, most would say the meals do not appear to be overly high in fats.

Sorry for the pre amble, but contrast our meals to a Jimmy Moore breakfast. "Five eggs and a stick of butter" he posted up on Twitter within the last 24 hours. In the UK a standard pack of butter is 250 grams or almost nine ounces. If a stick of US butter is the same, I have to ask is Jimmy spoofing us, is this a wind up ?  We need to be told !

Eddie

Post edit. A message via email from a well known and highly respected medical professional who asked to remain anonymous on this blog. Full name and address supplied.

"I follow Jimmy on Twitter, and yesterday he tweeted that he was eating five eggs cooked in Kerrygold butter with an additional stick of Kerrygold (8 oz, or roughly 240 grams), and that was it for the day. That's less than 40 grams of protein and over 200 grams of fat for the day. Jimmy is quite tall and needs at least twice that amount of protein at a minimum. 

When someone asked him why he didn't include any spinach or other greens with the eggs, he said that occasionally he eats greens but "I'm so carb sensitive that even greens can be problematic." This is nonsense, of course. And he doesn't even have diabetes! 

His latest cholesterol profile is abominable; I know you use different values in the UK, but his LDL-C and LDL-P are extremely elevated and place him at very high risk for a cardiac event.

I'm so conflicted because on the one hand Jimmy has been a great advocate of the low-carb lifestyle and is friends with all of the major researchers in this area. But what he's promoting now is very irresponsible, in my opinion. I'm worried about his health and the perception that the non-low-carb community will have of us, since he's such a visible and vocal proponent of low carb. 

Moderate protein, higher percentage of healthy fats, and lots of healthy vegetables. That is the way to follow low carb if you want to improve your health."

Roast Lamb with a pea and mint pesto sauce

Posted: 18 Apr 2014 03:14 AM PDT


 
Well the Easter weekend is here and I hope, like me, you will be spending some time with family and friends. I wonder what will be on your lunch or dinner menu? There are some great dishes out there; from simple roast meats to something a little more intricate. I happened to spot this recipe the other day and on mentioning it to one of my sons I got the reply, 'Mum, I'm driving over that sounds delicious'….it just so happens his favourite meat is lamb …. and this recipe really is mouth-wateringly, gorgeous!
 
Roast leg of lamb served with a fresh and fragrant mint and pesto sauce.
 
Ingredients
For the lamb (Serves 6)
2kg whole leg lamb joint
3 cloves of garlic, thickly sliced
2-3 sprigs rosemary
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
 
For the pea and mint pesto
200g (7oz) frozen peas
1 small bunch mint, leaves only
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
12 blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
1 small clove garlic, crushed
juice 1/2 small lemon
(37ml) 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
 
Method
 
1) Using the point of a sharp knife make small incisions all over the lamb, then poke a slice of garlic into each hole. Cut the rosemary into smaller sprigs and push them into the incisions too. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
2)Take the lamb out of the fridge 1hr before roasting to allow to come to room temperature. Heat oven to gas 7, or 220 C, fan 200 C. Place the chopped onion and carrot in a large roasting tin, then sit the lamb on top, season well and drizzle over the oil. Roast for 15 mins, then turn down to gas 5, or 190 C, fan 170 C and roast for a further 1hr 20 mins. Remove the lamb, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 30-45 mins.
3)Meanwhile make the pesto sauce. Boil the kettle and pour over the peas, leave to stand for 1-2 mins. Drain the peas then run under cold water. Once cool transfer to the small bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to a smooth paste. Season and transfer to a serving dish.
4)Strain any lamb juices from the roasting tray into a small saucepan. Add any resting juices and heat through. Slice the lamb and serve with the roasting juices and pea and mint sauce.
 
This is such a lovely tasting recipe, and though some would serve with roast potatoes, as we are LCHF we enjoy ours with a little freshly cooked asparagus and roasted celeriac…which does not raise blood sugar numbers like potatoes do.
 
 
Enjoy ……… with a glass of red wine perhaps?
 
All the best Jan

Research sheds new light on impact of diabetes on the brain

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 01:58 PM PDT

Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have discovered diabetic nerve damage causes more harm in the brain than previously thought, shedding new light on the disease.

The new findings published in the Diabetes Care journal reveal the extent of damage patients suffering with the disease can endure in areas of the brain called 'grey matter' – a key component of the central nervous system which is involved in touch and pain sensory perception.

During the study, which involved patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, researchers used recent advances in ground breaking brain imaging and analyses methods to take detailed nerve assessments of the brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.

This revealed that the volume of certain brain regions in people with diabetic neuropathy was significantly lower compared to those without the disease. Previous studies have shown that the impact of the disease on the brain is limited and isolated to outside areas of the brain considered to be peripheral to core functions in the body.

The breakthrough could pave the way for better assessment and monitoring of the disease, which affects around a third of people with diabetes. This, in turn, could lead to better treatments for sufferers in the future.

Diabetes patient Tracey Smythe, 45, of Parson Cross, Sheffield, admits she had little understanding of diabetic neuropathy – which affects up to a third of patients suffering with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes – when she was first diagnosed with the illness five years ago.

Now she finds "living with the disease hard" and crippling pains from the illness stop her from doing the simplest things – including walking her two dogs, going to the supermarket alone and wearing clothes with zips and buttons.

"It affects all aspects of my life. I get shooting pains that take me off my feet. One time the pain lasted four and a half hours. I couldn't get up the stairs without using my arms to pull me up. I was in on my own, and I felt frightened and vulnerable. "

She added: "Even walking my two dogs is impossible as the pain increases when I'm walking. All the time I'm taking risk assessments on what I can and can't do. If I'm making a cup of tea I need to ask myself if I'm going to be alright.

"My hands get swollen and numb and I'm constantly getting pins and needles. My husband has to be there when I'm cooking, and I can't even bake a cake without him helping do the mix. Even the weather affects me, and if it gets too hot or cold I feel worse.

"Imagine you've gone out on a good night and worn the tightest pair of shoes, and the next day your feet are killing you. That's what it's like constantly living with diabetic nerve damage. I just wish there was more doctors could do to help people like me, which is why better understanding of the disease through research is vital."

The pioneering research, which will benefit patients like Tracey, was conducted by Dr Dinesh Selvarajah, a Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Diabetes at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and a team from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Sheffield led by Professor Solomon Tesfaye and Professor Iain Wilkinson.

The research was funded by JDRF, the leading global funder of Type 1 diabetes research.

Read more at: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/

Graham
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