Why I Fight For The Lowcarb Cause.

I come from a long line of type two diabetics. My grandmother died from diabetic complications. Two weeks after I was diagnosed I buried my Father. A once proud and very strong ex Royal Marine was reduced to a physical wreck, and his last ten years were ruined by diabetic complications. Two heart attacks, renal failure, deafness and a diabetic foot. If he had not died, amputation could not have been far way. He had followed his healthcare professionals totally. He followed the usual NHS standard diet and based his meals on starchy carbohydrates. His last years were very hard and at the end he was on ten different medications plus injected insulin.

I followed the standard advice for a few months after diagnosis. My BG numbers never got better than 12, with my very limited knowledge, I knew this number was very dangerous. I have been very lucky all my life and luck did not let me down. I heard about low carbing from a man called Fergus Craig. He is a long term type one diabetic and with the onset of complications and very heavily overweight he experimented with a low carb diet. He reduced his weight, he reversed his complications and had an HbA1c in the fours. He was running marathons and competing in 100 mile bike races in his forties, his logic and explanations made perfect sense to me. I started low carbing and my BG numbers dropped into the fours and fives within a week. To this day my only diabetes medication is Metformin. I have never had a HbA1c test out of the fives, other than the close to twelve at diagnosis.

Fergus worked hard and helped countless others to the same results as me. A reduction in weight, non diabetic BG numbers and lipids of a kid. Much to my total astonishment he came under daily attack from various people at d.co.uk. As you would expect, I hung around as did others and defended Ferg at every opportunity. He was my diabetic salvation and the least I could do was to stick around and spread the word.

Many of us lowcarb stalwarts were banned and labelled as trouble makers. To this day I am called a nutter and a trouble maker at d.co.uk. The usual suspects flatter me when they credit me, in saying I am causing a forum that banned me over two years ago for the situation we have seen over the last few days. No straight thinking person would believe that, and no straight thinking person would dismiss lowcarb until they had at least tried it. We have seen the huge improvements in BG numbers, weight control, lipid improvement. We have seen the alternative. A multi med regime is often highly dangerous, as outlined in the ACCORD study. Medication is not the answer for most type two diabetes control, the correct diet and regular exercise leaves meds for dead. Don’t become a victim to big pharma and the deeply flawed NHS and usual dietition advice. One week is all it takes to convince yourself lowcarb is the sensible safe option.

Eddie