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For anyone who might be interested, I just noticed that Dr. Greger is having two live Q&As today. It would be a good opportunity to have questions addressed.
Dr Michael Greger, MD discusses diabetes and the dangers of low carb diets (8:36 minutes)
This sounds like the BS in the documentary "What the Health" which by the way, has been debunked by many. Saturated fat may indeed cause insulin resistance but not the fat that we consume, the fat that is in our bodies. That saturated fat is caused by excess consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates and a sedentary lifestyle. If you exercise and burn off the sugar/carbs that does not happen. This is a scientifically proven fact. Who cares if he gives away his money, that proves nothing. Fat doesn't make you fat, carbohydrates do. Combine them and it's even worse.
This sounds like the BS in the documentary "What the Health" which by the way, has been debunked by many. Saturated fat may indeed cause insulin resistance but not the fat that we consume, the fat that is in our bodies. That saturated fat is caused by excess consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates and a sedentary lifestyle. If you exercise and burn off the sugar/carbs that does not happen. This is a scientifically proven fact. Who cares if he gives away his money, that proves nothing. Fat doesn't make you fat, carbohydrates do. Combine them and it's even worse.
I fall asleep if I eat a couple of corn tortillas, or even if I have a tablespoon of cooked corn kernels. Corn is very sweet, and causes a strong insulin response. I can't imagine how this diet is supposed to restore insulin sensitivity, but I'm glad it's working for you. I'd get ill if I tried it.
Your body needs plant-based oils, btw. How does this diet account for that?
It's a very low-calorie diet, is how. By cutting all fats to 3g or less per serving, you are getting many, many fewer calories than you would otherwise. And the diet stresses low-GI vegetables until your insulin resistance lets up. Once your insulin resistance starts dropping you can eat anything plant-based without getting ill, including corn, which has a nice low glycemic index as grains go (only 55 -- a spoonful of white sugar has a GI of 100). This book is about permanently changing your eating habits so you are no longer swimming upstream against all that insulin resistance.
OP, my suggestion for the lingering cholesterol issue is a regular dose of garlic tablets. Just buy the cheapest ones you can find -- whole garlic, not an extract -- and take 2 or 3 with every meal. I keep getting told that at my age I should be on statins, period, but my blood fats are so low due to regular garlic intake and a plant-based diet that I don't need the prescription.
Many believe that consumption of fat makes us fat and they would be correct however that fat is rarely consumed without carbohydrates. It's the context that counts. Think Ice Cream, Pizza, Fried Chicken, Desserts etc. Some of the worst food you can eat. Don't get me wrong, I love pizza but it is not healthy to eat on a regular basis. The combination is worse than the carbs by themselves. The fat by itself is metabolized differently.
It's a very low-calorie diet, is how. By cutting all fats to 3g or less per serving, you are getting many, many fewer calories than you would otherwise. And the diet stresses low-GI vegetables until your insulin resistance lets up. Once your insulin resistance starts dropping you can eat anything plant-based without getting ill, including corn, which has a nice low glycemic index as grains go (only 55 -- a spoonful of white sugar has a GI of 100). This book is about permanently changing your eating habits so you are no longer swimming upstream against all that insulin resistance.
OP, my suggestion for the lingering cholesterol issue is a regular dose of garlic tablets. Just buy the cheapest ones you can find -- whole garlic, not an extract -- and take 2 or 3 with every meal. I keep getting told that at my age I should be on statins, period, but my blood fats are so low due to regular garlic intake and a plant-based diet that I don't need the prescription.
Thank you, Cliffie. Good explanation! That's really the missing puzzle piece in the whole thing.
OP, my suggestion for the lingering cholesterol issue is a regular dose of garlic tablets. Just buy the cheapest ones you can find -- whole garlic, not an extract -- and take 2 or 3 with every meal. I keep getting told that at my age I should be on statins, period, but my blood fats are so low due to regular garlic intake and a plant-based diet that I don't need the prescription.
Thank you. Well, it's not exactly a lingering cholesterol problem yet, anyway, since I just started this diet on August 13th (and stopped taking all meds, including statins, except fish oil on this date), but then didn't stop ingesting oils (including the fish oil supplement) until August 29th. And got the blood tests done just the first week of September.
I can't remember if I already mentioned that my blood pressure came down significantly already. And as of today, I've lost 10 pounds.
So, we'll just have to see how the next blood test comes out. I figure I'll give it a few months before getting another one.
Losing weight is key as far as lowering the blood sugar levels, from the continuing research I'm doing. So, as my fasting blood sugar was just 106, which is just above the recommended level of 100, I fully expect that will right itself, too, as I lose more weight.
I'm really excited about this. I was thinking my downhill slide was inevitable at my age of over 60 years old. This has become my new focus. I can't wait for people to notice the weight loss. That will take a while because of my size, but the day will come.
Already, though, my knees have stopped hurting. I was even able to get down on all fours and back up without issue today, collecting a urine specimen from my dog. The good news is, she does not have a urinary tract infection - yay! She's become occasionally incontinent, so we're just eliminating possibilities.
Looks like both the dog and I will be eating ground flax seeds LOL.
Good on you, NoMoreSnow! Too many people just say "well, this is it from now on" and let themselves get worse and worse. You can be an example to others that they can do better.
Good on you, NoMoreSnow! Too many people just say "well, this is it from now on" and let themselves get worse and worse. You can be an example to others that they can do better.
Thanks! I'm actually not having any trouble eating the acceptable foods, though I am having a hard time with consistent weight loss. I'm fluctuating between having lost 7 or 10 pounds since August 13th at this point.
The funny thing is, the problem is about actually having more energy and exercising more. I've doubled the time I spend walking every day. BUT, I come home HUNGRY! LOL. I've always had this problem with exercise. This is how I know that exercising does NOT equal weight loss. You have to exercise so much to burn very few calories. Then, afterwards, you're famished!
But, I am looking forward to my next blood test results. From what I've learned, it may take a while for the cholesterol and triglicerydes to come down, because they will be in the blood stream while I'm losing weight.
I think it will just take time. The McDougall plan (other than the maximum weight loss plan) tells you to eat until you're satiated - but avoid the fattening things like avocados, nuts, etc., which I'm doing.
It's always such a balancing act trying to lose weight for me now that I'm older. Weight just does not fall off me like it used to. I think the changes I've made will definitely lower my cholesterol and triglycerides, but I have to lose weight to affect the high blood sugar. Fortunately, my blood sugar levels aren't serious yet.
But, there really just is no such thing as any real weight loss plan, when you're an older female, where you can stuff yourself and lose weight quickly.
So, I have to say that I'm disappointed in these claims by any of these vegan gurus. It's just not true. And they all like to say that I must be doing something against the rules like eating oil or sugar or candy or processed foods. But, I'm not.
And I private messaged with someone on one of the forums on one of these guru websites and she shared with me that she didn't get good cholesterol levels until she'd been on the low fat vegan diet for a year. And she is one of the "examples" on one of these guru websites as basically a miracle. Yes, she is, as far as the results she achieved in a year. But, the website promotes the idea that your numbers will significantly decrease basically immediately - when that's not always true. I really think they hurt themselves by doing this. Because unless you're someone like me and her, who are going to see the forest for the trees, they can really turn off a lot of people who don't get the "promised" results.
Anyway, I feel so much better and am glad I am able to be so much more active and don't hurt nearly as much. Even if the more I exercise, the less I lose, because I'm hungry! LOL.
Thanks! I'm actually not having any trouble eating the acceptable foods, though I am having a hard time with consistent weight loss. I'm fluctuating between having lost 7 or 10 pounds since August 13th at this point.
The funny thing is, the problem is about actually having more energy and exercising more. I've doubled the time I spend walking every day. BUT, I come home HUNGRY! LOL. I've always had this problem with exercise. This is how I know that exercising does NOT equal weight loss. You have to exercise so much to burn very few calories. Then, afterwards, you're famished!
But, I am looking forward to my next blood test results. From what I've learned, it may take a while for the cholesterol and triglicerydes to come down, because they will be in the blood stream while I'm losing weight.
I think it will just take time. The McDougall plan (other than the maximum weight loss plan) tells you to eat until you're satiated - but avoid the fattening things like avocados, nuts, etc., which I'm doing.
It's always such a balancing act trying to lose weight for me now that I'm older. Weight just does not fall off me like it used to. I think the changes I've made will definitely lower my cholesterol and triglycerides, but I have to lose weight to affect the high blood sugar. Fortunately, my blood sugar levels aren't serious yet.
But, there really just is no such thing as any real weight loss plan, when you're an older female, where you can stuff yourself and lose weight quickly.
So, I have to say that I'm disappointed in these claims by any of these vegan gurus. It's just not true. And they all like to say that I must be doing something against the rules like eating oil or sugar or candy or processed foods. But, I'm not.
And I private messaged with someone on one of the forums on one of these guru websites and she shared with me that she didn't get good cholesterol levels until she'd been on the low fat vegan diet for a year. And she is one of the "examples" on one of these guru websites as basically a miracle. Yes, she is, as far as the results she achieved in a year. But, the website promotes the idea that your numbers will significantly decrease basically immediately - when that's not always true. I really think they hurt themselves by doing this. Because unless you're someone like me and her, who are going to see the forest for the trees, they can really turn off a lot of people who don't get the "promised" results.
Anyway, I feel so much better and am glad I am able to be so much more active and don't hurt nearly as much. Even if the more I exercise, the less I lose, because I'm hungry! LOL.
You're definitely making progress, NMSFM. Hang in there. I don't know if you have heard of Chef AJ, she follows the McDougall program? BUT, she tweaks it to accommodate her own needs and eats a lot of non-starch veggies plus starches(75% of her calories). Unless I'm mistaken, I think she said she eats about 10 pounds of food every day, and also said it took her about 27 months to lose 47 pounds. She emphasizes that people do not put weight on over night, and it takes time and patience to take the weight off.
If you're interested, it might be worth watching some of her videos. She seems to work closely with McDougall and Barnard, as well at with doctors at True North in California.
EPISODE 36 - WEIGHT LOSS WEDNESDAY - WHAT I EAT IN A DAY
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