Can Marijuana Treat Diabetes?

If medical marijuana evokes a picture of folks sitting in circles passing marijuana cigarettes, then you'll likely be surprised to learn how drugmakers like GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH  ) are using the plant to develop next-generation medicine.

GW Pharma has been studying ways to use the chemical compounds found in marijuana since 1998, and the company already markets one marijuana based drug, Sativex, in more 11 countries. That drug combines two key marijuana cannabinoids, THC and CBD, to treat multiple sclerosis.

However, GW Pharma doesn't believe the medical benefit from THC and CBD is limited to MS. It thinks they could play an important role in improving patient treatment for a variety of disease, including diabetes.

Marijuana as a a diabetes therapy?

While the market embrace of Savitex has been tepid at best -- it sold less than $4 million of the drug in 2013 -- GW Pharma thinks it may have a chance for greater success in diabetes. That thinking is certainly backed up by the significant, and growing, need for new diabetes treatment. Roughly 70 million diabetics live in developed countries, and nearly 2 million people in the U.S. alone are diagnosed with the disease each year.

The sheer size of the patient population makes diabetes the most expensive disease in terms of drug spending, according to drug wholesaler Express Scripts. Spending on diabetes medication jumped 14% last year, and is expected to grow by 11% this year, and another 12% next year.

As a result, treating diabetes has spawned a slate of billion-dollar blockbuster treatments, the biggest of which is Sanofi's Lantus. Sanofi's Lantus commands 7% market share among diabetes drugs, and Lantus sales totaled more than $7.5 billion last year.

While Lantus is a long-acting insulin, Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO  ) and Eli Lilly are two of the globe's biggest sellers of short-term insulin. Novo's Novalog has more than 40% market share in rapid-acting insulin, and Lilly's Humalog had sales of $2.6 billion last year.

The commercial success of those drugs is driving significant innovation in diabetes treatment, too. Drugmakers like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) are launching SGLT-2 inhibiting drugs that help the kidney better regulate glucose levels.

Johnson's Invokana was the first SGLT-2 to reach the market, and while J&J doesn't break out sales of Invokana yet, the company's "other" drug sales, which includes Invokana, grew 15% year over year to nearly $300 million in the first quarter.

And Novo's Victoza, a GLP-1 drug that hit the market in 2010, is already selling more than $300 million a quarter -- despite competing against AstraZeneca's Byetta and Bydureon, which combined generated about $1 billion in sales for AstraZeneca last year.

Given the number of top-selling therapies, investors can understand why GW Pharma is eager to tap into that large and growing market. To do that, GW Pharma has already conducted a pre-clinical and an early stage trial of its cannabis-based drug GWP42004.

In the company's pre-clinical animal studies, low doses of THC helped mice gain less weight and boost activity, and when GW Pharma combined THC with CBD, it saw that levels of good cholesterol climbed, while overall cholesterol levels fell. That prompted GW Pharma to conduct a small human trial that showed that GWP42004 may help type 2 diabetics improve fasting glucose levels, lower blood pressure, and improve pancreatic cell function.

Whether those desirable effects will be enough for GW Pharma to eventually capture a part of the diabetes treatment market is a reasonable question. First, GW Pharma will need to prove that those benefits hold up in larger studies. The first of those studies, a phase 2 trial, is expected to begin this year.

Read more http://www.fool.com/

Graham

Broccoli with ricotta, lemon and shaved parmesan

This wonderful mix of good food comes from a lovely recipe idea which I spotted on the ‘tenderstem’ broccoli site here. It serves four as a starter, or side dish, and takes approx 10 minutes preparation and cooking time.

Ingredients:

300g Broccoli
175g fresh ricotta
zest of ½ lemon, removed with a zester* rather than grated
juice 1 lemon
about 8 tbs extra virgin olive oil
50g Parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1) Steam the Broccoli for 3-4 minutes until just tender.
2) While the Broccoli is cooking gently break the ricotta into lumps and shave the parmesan into nice curls.
3) Put the hot Broccoli onto plates and dot ricotta over the top.
4) Sprinkle on the zest and spoon on some lemon juice.
5) Scatter the parmesan over each serving.
6) Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, grind on some black pepper and serve.

* If you are not sure what a zester is, rather than a grater, let me show you and explain courtesy of ‘Wiki’. A zester is a kitchen utensil for obtaining zest from lemons and other citrus fruit. A kitchen zester is approximately four inches long, with a handle and a curved metal end, the top of which is perforated with a row of round holes with sharpened rims. To operate, the zester is pressed with moderate force against the fruit and drawn across its peel. The rims cut the zest from the pith underneath. The zest is cut into ribbons, one drawn through each hole.

  

All the best Jan

The burden of cardiovascular diseases is highest in countries with low animal fat consumption

In 1953, Ancel Keys showed that coronary heart disease mortality was more prevalent in countries with a high fat consumption [1]. Though this correlation was based on an analysis of merely 6 countries, it led to the advice to consume less fat. This was followed by the advice to consume less saturated fat, using data from The Seven Countries Study [2]. Even in 2005, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) included data from The Seven Countries study in the evidence to justify the advice to consume less saturated fat [3].

Study design

I linked per capita (per person) availability of animal fat to the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including data from 170 countries. Data regarding availability of animal fat is provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [4]. Data regarding the burden of CVD is provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) [5].
The burden of CVD is expressed in DALYs. The measure DALY combines:
Years of life lost to premature mortality and
Years of life lost due to time lived in states of less than full health

DALY’s are measured per 100,000. E.g., we see a DALY for cardiovascular diseases of 1,525 in 2004. This means that 1,525 per 100,000 years of life were lost to premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases or from living with cardiovascular diseases in the year 2004. Global data about DALYs is only available for the year 2004.

Results

The result can be seen in figure 1.



Figure 1. Per person availability of animal fats in relation to the burden of cardiovascular diseases for the year 2004

Results seem unexpected. We can clearly see that the highest burden of cardiovascular diseases can be found in countries with the lowest availability of animal fats. The Pearson Correlation was significant (P = 0.01).

The reason for the large discrepancy is not clear to me. Several explanations are possible:
Keys examined saturated fats. I examined animal fats. This seems the most unlikely explanation.
The much larger number of countries, I included.
Keys examined coronary heart diseases. I examined CVD, which includes a larger number of diseases.
Keys examined mortality. I examined the burden of diseases. Which does not only include mortality, but also the amount of years lost due to time lived in a state of less than full health because of CVD.
Keys used disease prevalence data unadjusted for age. This does not take into account the fact that heart disease prevalence in some countries may have been higher just because the population lived longer. The DALY data I included was adjusted for age.
Changes in animal fat/saturated fat intake and/or CVD/heart disease occurring over time.

Keys’ saturated fat hypothesis

This means that Keys’ data is dismissed. The age-adjusted DALY data for CVD including a larger number amount of countries is just much more “reliable”.

Does this mean that animal fats are cardio-protective? No it doesn’t. Ecological comparisons are not able to show any causal effects. The IOM knows this. But because of a lack of studies showing any evidence for an association between saturated fats and cardiovascular diseases, data from the Seven Countries Studies was included in their report anyway. They could always point the finger to that study.

In the future, I will show what the association between animal fat availability and the burden of CVD looks like, if we adjust for strong confounding variables.

Conclusion

Some decades ago, Ancel Keys showed that coronary heart disease mortality was more prevalent in countries with high intakes of saturated fat. This “correlation” was based on data from only 7 countries. I now show that the highest burden of cardiovascular diseases is found in countries with the lowest intake of animal fats. I based my results on data from 170 countries.

http://www.foodanddisease.com/

Robert Hoenselaar is a dietitian and and research journalist.

Graham

Jimmy Moore, Richard Nikoley and Evelyn Kocur what do they have in common apart from being batshit ?

First let me say I like Jimmy, he has helped us in the UK low carb high fat cause, by helping Graham and me dispose of a Stalinist mod who ran DCUK the forum. I believe him to be an honest guy that has done a great deal to promote low carb, and by doing so, has helped countless people. I have no axe to grind against Richard. He runs a very well read blog, with some very interesting information over the years. Why he feels his blog has to contain so many four letter words, is beyond me. OK now and again I have used words that some may find offensive, but RN goes over the top. I know a lot of women read this blog, maybe some kids, OK, you've got the picture. As for Evelyn, I have said much in the past, but for me, she is the biggest hypocrite in the history of low carb and paleo blogging. She has so much to say re others weight and appearance, yet admits to being morbidly obese, the NSA  is an open book compared to the way Evie hides her appearance. In short, her blog offers nothing to anyone of any use, it’s nothing more than 100% hate and ridicule 24/7 in my opinion. Her blogs offers no encouragement to others, she offers not a shred of personal success. So what do these three have in common?

At the moment they are all promoting books. All pushing the boundaries of stupidity to the limit. Anyone that reads this blog, knows we have been saying for years good natural fats promote good health. Butter is a natural fat and has been eaten for thousands of years, it is infinitely a better food than margarine, even Unilever have thrown in the towel against butter, and are looking to dump their margarine business. That being said, eating whole packs of butter in one meal is ridiculous. I am not saying this is a health hazard, but come on, what sort of image does that portray to a new recruit, or someone considering a low carb high fat lifestyle ?  We have also said for years. replace the carbs you have dropped, with healthy fats rather than protein. This is good advice for many reasons that I won’t detail in this post. Richard has pulled some crazy stunts in the past. The ultra high milk diet, the high spuds diet you name it, these days resistant starch is the new way to eternal life and good health. Anyone remember the no soap or deodorant craze he went through? I can understand wanting to eat like a cave man, but smelling like one seemed a bit over the top to me.

So there we have it, if you you want to flog books and make money from your blog, it’s no good tapping people on the shoulder and saying 'I say old chap', no, you have to hit them on the head with a bat and pull all sorts of crazy stunts. Over the years, I have turned down many offers to advertise on our sites, don’t get me wrong, I have a price. If I thought Graham and myself could be cruising around in top of the range Mercs, swilling fine wine and getting rich, I would have said yes to every offer that ever came in. It does not work that way, to earn a lot of money from books, you have to sell an awful lot of books, for these three that ain't gonna happen. So, why these people are selling their arses for next to nothing is beyond me.

Welcome to the crazy world of diabetes, low carb and paleo.

Eddie

Grilled steak with a yogurt marinade

 

Yes, steak can be expensive, and we certainly don't eat it every day of the week...but served with a salad it makes a very tasty meal.

 

As I’ve said before we try and bring a wide variety of recipe ideas. Mostly low carb high fat. We hope you enjoy them but you do need to take account of any allergy or health related issues you may have, and either use/amend/discard the recipe idea accordingly.

 

That said …I hope those who can, do enjoy this recipe.

 

Ingredients
Serves Two
100g (3½oz) plain yogurt

1 clove garlic,

crushed juice from ½ lemon

1tsp salt

1tbsp ground paprika

2tbsp fresh thyme leaves

2 steaks

 

Method

1) Mix the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, paprika and thyme together in small bowl.

2) Place the steaks in a plastic sandwich bag with the marinade, ensuring they are well covered and seal. Allow to marinate at room temperature for about an hour.
3) Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until it’s very hot.

4) Fry the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm plate to rest for about 3 minutes.

 

Like the lovely picture shows I too would serve this with a salad mmmnnn smells so good !

 

Original Recipe Idea Here

 

http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/grilled-steak-with-yogurt-marinade.html

 

Enjoy

 

All the best Jan

 

Low-carb Paleo diet embraced by triathletes for faster recovery and weight loss

Carb-loading is so deeply ingrained in endurance sports it may come as a shock to learn that the gluten-free, low-carb Paleo diet can help endurance athletes achieve peak performance.

Ironman triathlete Nell Stephenson is among the growing number of endurance athletes who are sold on the merits of the Paleo diet, she told Competitor. The Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride and then a 26.2-mile marathon, done in that order without a break.

Stephenson switched to the gluten-free Paleo diet after contracting a parasite during an Ironman triathlon in 2004. After finding no relief with prescription drugs, Nell adopted the Paleo diet, which emphasizes high-quality animal proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, and excludes gluten, sugar, dairy, legumes, starches, alcohol and processed foods.

“I felt better in three days,” said Stephenson, author of Paleoista: Gain Energy, Get Lean, and Feel Fabulous. “My body is functioning optimally."

NBA Superstars and Celebrities Go Paleo

The Paleo diet is already popular among professional athletes. It has been adopted by the Los Angeles Lakers (including superstar Kobe Bryant) and Miami Heat guard Ray Allen.

Similarly, pro cyclist Dave Zabriskie and ultra-marathoner Timothy Olson abandoned their high-carb, low-fat eating plans in favor of the high-fat, lower-carb Paleo diet, and experienced meaningful performance gains.

Nutrition experts say the Paleo diet's emphasis on healthy fats helps the body shift from burning carbs for fuel to burning fat. Research indicates the Paleo diet accelerates weight loss, lowers blood pressure, and prevents cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and even Alzheimer's.

A two-year study recently conducted by scientists at Cambridge University and Umeå University in Sweden showed the Paleo diet is twice as effective for producing weight loss and melting body fat as low-fat diets.

“Clinical trials have shown the Paleo diet is the optimum diet that can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, markers of inflammation, help with weight loss, reduce acne, promote optimum health and athletic performance,” said Professor Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet for Athletes.

Paleo Diet Enhances Weight Loss and Fat Oxidation

The weight-loss and health benefits of the Paleo diet aren't surprising to nutritionist Dr. John Briffa. "As the Paleo diet removes a lot of the foods that tend to cause spikes in insulin levels — particularly sugar and starchy carbohydrates — it aids fat loss," said Dr. Briffa.

Joel Friel, a U.S. Olympic triathlon coach, said the Paleo diet works for triathletes because it helps with recovery. “[Paleo offers] better long-term recovery due to greater micronutrient content [than a standard high-starch, high-sugar diet], allowing the athlete to train with a greater stress load,” said Friel, author of theTriathlete's Training Bible.

Friel said the Paleo menu provides more antioxidants and vitamins than the typical high-carb diet favored by most endurance athletes and boosts fat oxidation and weight loss — a major advantage for endurance athletes, because the less excess weight you carry, the faster you'll be.

http://www.examiner.com/

Graham

Jeff Volek - The Many Facets of Keto-Adaptation: Health, Performance.

Another must watch video, well worth your time. Eddie

A Day in the Life of Two Low-Carbers.

“But don’t you get fed up by the restriction a low carb lifestyle brings?”

This question is often put to anyone who chooses to live the LCHF lifestyle …and both mine and Eddie’s answer is always a resounding NO.

Depending on our plans work wise, leisure etc we do not always have three meals a day. Sometimes it’s brunch , and a lovely low carb evening meal.

We have been living the low carb lifestyle for six years now. Eddie is a Type 2 diabetic. This lifestyle has enabled him to lower and control his blood sugar numbers, and minimize his medication to two metformin a day. I am not a diabetic, nor do I have any underlying health issues, but I choose to live this lifestyle. I have found I feel healthier for it, my energy levels increased and also in the back of my mind …both my dear mum and Gran developed Alzheimer’s in later life…..I think this runs in families. I also believe cutting down on starch and sugars may well help the fight against this disease, so rightly or wrongly, my choice is to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein. Both mine and Eddie’s carbohydrate intake is no more than 50g per day, and often less.

Take one day’s recent menu plan:

 Breakfast: Ham and Egg 

 Lunch: Mackerel with Salad

Dinner: Pork Casserole Rustic Style

My day is always interspersed with cups of tea whereas Eddie prefers coffee.

You may have read one of our favourite leisure pastimes is gongoozling alas we cannot do this every day, so then a walk will suffice.

If you would like to find out more about gongoozling look here.

For many it’s the start of another working week …but whether you have a busy or more leisurely week ahead, I hope it’s a good one for you.

All the best Jan

Statins use is associated with poorer glycaemic control in a cohort of hypertensive patients with diabetes and without diabetes

Abstract (provisional)

Background

The US Federal and Drug Administration (FDA) recently revised statin drug labels to include the information that increases in fasting serum glucose and glycated haemoglobin levels have been reported with the use of statins. Yet in a survey, 87% of the doctors stated that they had never or infrequently observed increases in glucose or HbA1c levels in patients on statin. In this study we would like to determine the association between the use of statins and glycaemic control in a retrospective cohort of patients with hypertension.

Methods

A retrospective review of 1060 medical records of patients with hypertension at a primary care clinic was conducted. These records were selected using systematic random sampling (1:4). Data on patient socio-demographic factors; clinical profile; investigation results and prescribed medications were collected. Independent t-test was used for continuous variables while Pearson's chi2 test was used for categorical variables. Logistic regression was done to adjust for confounders.

Results

810 (76.4%) patients with hypertension were on statins, out of which 792 (97.8%) were taking simvastatin 10 mg or 20 mg daily. Analysis of the whole group regardless of diabetes status showed that the statin user group had higher HbA1c and fasting blood glucose values. The difference in HbA1c levels remained significant (adjusted OR = 1.290, p = 0.044, 95% CI 1.006, 1.654) after adjustment for diabetes, diabetic medication and fasting blood glucose. In the study population who had diabetes, statin users again had significantly higher HbA1c level compared to statin non-users. This difference remained significant (adjusted OR 1.208, p = 0.037, 95% CI 1.012, 1.441) after adjustment for age and diabetic medications.

Conclusions

Statins use is associated with increased HbA1c levels among hypertensive patients and hypertensive patients with diabetes. Clinicians managing hypertensive patients on statins should consider monitoring the HbA1c level and ensure that those with diabetes have their hyperglycaemia kept under control.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production. http://www.dmsjournal.com/ Graham

Perfect Egg Rolls Recipe - Tamagoyaki Japanese Omelette

Saturated Fat Does Not Cause Heart Disease: High-Carb Diet Does !

Saturated Fat Does Not Cause Heart Disease: High-Carb Diet Does

Professor Schofield joins a growing list of health experts to debunk the myth that saturated fat is to blame for obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. A high-carb diet (particularly one high in sugar and refined carbs) is to blame for these illnesses, say these experts.

Schofield is aware that his position is seen as extreme by some people, who have been told for the past 40 years that saturated fat clogs our arteries and makes us fat and sick. "This approach is regarded as lunatic fringe," said Schofield. "Some people think I'm crazy.

"But in nutrition science, as in all other science, we must be prepared to change our mind on the basis of evidence. If we had it right already, then we wouldn't have problems like obesity and diabetes."

In March 2014, Cambridge University scientist Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury and his colleagues concluded that unprocessed saturated fat is healthy after reviewing data from 72 published studies of more than 600,000 people from 18 countries.

“It’s not saturated fat that we should worry about," Dr. Chowdhury wrote in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "It’s the high-carbohydrate or sugary diet that should be the focus of dietary guidelines. If anything is driving your low-density lipoproteins in a more adverse way, it’s carbohydrates.”

Chowdhury is not the only heart doctor who holds this opinion. Cardiologist Dr. William Davis, author of Wheat Belly, said a low-carb, high-fat, wheat-free diet reverses diabetes and prevents heart disease.

And neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, author of Grain Brain, said the LCHF ketogenic diet prevents — and even reverses — Alzheimer's disease and ADHD. "Carbs are devastating for the brain," said Perlmutter. "Even slight elevations in blood sugar have been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s."

War Against Fat Was Fueled By Corporate Greed

In October 2013, cardiologist Aseem Malhotra rocked the nutrition world with his declaration that unprocessed saturated fat is good for you.

In his research, Malhotra found no evidence that a high-fat diet causes heart attacks, obesity or diabetes. If anything, he said consuming healthy fats (like those found in grass-fed meat, coconut oil, butter, olive oil, salmon and avocados) protect against these diseases.

The food industry has profited from the low-fat mantra for decades because foods that are marketed as low-fat are often loaded with sugar. We are now learning that added sugar in food is driving the obesity epidemic and the rise in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

Similarly, obesity expert Dr. Eric Westman underscored that a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet not only produces rapid weight loss, but also combats epilepsy and reverses type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Westman, director of the Duke University Obesity Clinic, is pleased that mainstream media is finally debunking the myth that eating fat makes you fat and sick. To the contrary, he said: Eating fat makes you skinny and healthy.

Link to full article here.

Eddie

Italian Stuffed Chicken

Well here is a recipe idea for some scrumptious Italian Stuffed chicken. You’ll just have to imagine the gondola ride that you would have enjoyed prior to sitting down and enjoying this tasty dish……

 

Ingredients:
Serves 4 (and only 5g carb per serving)

 

2 tbsp chopped olives or sun-dried tomatoes, whatever you've got
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
200g tub full-fat soft cheese
4 plump boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
olive oil, for drizzling

 

Method:

 

1) Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Beat the olives or sundried tomatoes, garlic and almost all the herbs into the cheese then season. Cut a slit along the side of each chicken breast, then use your knife to open it out into a pocket.
2) Stuff each breast with a quarter of the cheese mix, then press to close. Lift onto a greased baking tray. Season the top of the chicken, then overlap tomato slices over the top of each piece of chicken. Season, then scatter with the remaining herbs. Drizzle with olive oil.
3) Roast for 20 minutes until the chicken is golden around the edges and the tomatoes look a little shrivelled. This could be served with a lovely green salad, or if you’d prefer, how about some fine whole green beans ? The choice is yours.

 

Perhaps a nice glass of Italian wine would also compliment this meal ?

 

Link. To BBC recipe.

 

All the best Jan

Noora Noor - Forget what I said

Time to chill out before hitting the sack.
Graham

Bonnie Raitt "Pride And Joy"

Graham

Michel Petrucciani - Round midnight

Check this guy out, despite huge disabilities he became a great musician. One of my favourite Jazz pianists. Eddie From Wiki.

Michel Petrucciani was a French jazz pianist. Afflicted from birth with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature, he became one of the most accomplished jazz pianists of his generation, despite having arms which caused him pain.

Schindler's List Theme - Simina Croitoru - Angelys Symphonic Wind

Some people have it all, the brains, the beauty, the talent.

Emeli Sandé - Clown (Live At the Royal Albert Hall)

One of the new generation of mega talented.

B. B. King - The Thrill Is Gone (Live at Montreux 1993)

Saturday night is music night again. I have been lucky enough to see BB King twice. BB is one of the world best guitarists and blues singers, a true legend and a diabetic for many years. Still working hard at over 80 years of age. Eddie

"When BB King was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in his 60’s he decided to take action. Since he had already had the disease he was beyond pre diabetes symptoms. But as soon as he was diagnosed he did not waste any time and began doing what was necessary to prevent his diabetic condition to worsen.

He began to read about diabetes and learn as much as he could about the disease. He learned that he could test himself for blood sugar and then take his oral medication he and by doing so take control of it. He is now eighty-six years old and still going strong. He is still “King of the Blues” and possibly the most successful blues guitarist of all times.

But you must not cheat and eat foods that are on the no recommend list. He does keep his diabetes monitored. With his rigorous travel schedule it does make it difficult for him to maintain a good well balanced diet. Breakfast might be at noon and then dinner late in the day. He in general avoids carbohydrates and refined sugar. Now he never drinks processed fruit drinks and sodas. He prefers to make his own from fresh fruits.

Even being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and in his 80’s he is still going strong and supporting the diabetes cause." Full article here.

Dr. Jeff Volek obesity expert explains why low-carb ketogenic diet works for weight loss.

Nutrition expert Dr. Jeff Volek said low-carb, high-fat diets like the ketogenic and Atkins diets accelerate weight loss and prevent degenerative diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.

“Restricting carbs allows the body to use stored fat for fuel rather than the limited (fuel) obtained from carb intake," said Dr. Volek, a dietitian and professor at the University of Connecticut.

"When body chemistry changes occur, including the liver releasing fat-burning ketones, a state of 'ketosis' has been reached and fat is burned usually at a higher rate than a person on a high-carb diet."

'Eat Fat to Get Skinny'

Volek, author of The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, is encouraged by the increasing popularity of high-fat diets like the Atkins and ketogenic diets, as new scientific evidence shows that eating fat does not make you fat.

Dr. Volek explained that by drastically reducing carbs in our diet and replacing them with healthy, unprocessed fats, we boost our fat-burning capacity, eliminate nagging carb cravings, experience more stable blood sugar levels, and enjoy better mood.

"Carbohydrate restriction is the proverbial ‘silver bullet’ for managing insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes," Volek recently told me. “The medical profession continues to recommend a high-carb diet, which exacerbates the problem. It boggles the mind."

Ketogenic Diet Starves Cancer: Cancer Is a Metabolic Disease

Low-carb diets also ward off degenerative conditions such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, ADHD and Alzheimer's disease, and has been proven to be more effective than drugs at managing epilepsy.

Cancer researcher Dr. Dominic D'Agostino recently told me the ketogenic diet can prevent and treat cancer because cancer is a metabolic — not a genetic — disease. "Most cancer scientists have historically thought cancer was a genetic disease, but only 5-10% of cancer is hereditary," said Dr. D'Agostino, who has a Ph.D. in physiology and neuroscience.

When we restrict carbs, we force our bodies to burn fat as fuel, which is why a ketogenic diet has proven effective for rapid weight loss, said Dr. Volek, who has a Ph.D. in kinesiology.

Because dietary fat has a negligible impact on insulin, eating it doesn't produce surges in our blood glucose and blood insulin the way ingesting carbs does. More importantly, we don't fuel inflammation in our bodies, which causes aging and leads to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

And because fat is more satiating than carbs — or even protein — you don't feel deprived on a high-fat ketogenic diet the way you do on a low-fat diet. With cravings and hunger quelled, it's easier to reduce calories or even skip a meal or two without feeling jittery or lethargic.

While the idea of consuming more dietary fat may sound shocking given the low-fat diet mantra that has dominated SAD (the Standard American Diet), Dr. Volek says we actually evolved to thrive on a low-carb, high-fat diet.

"For about 98% of human history, we've been eating low-carb," said Volek, co-author of A New Atkins for a New You. "We evolved in a state of nutritional ketosis."

Dr. Volek has followed a ketogenic diet (consisting of 70% fat, 5-10% carbs, and 15-20% protein) for the past 20 years, and credits it for his excellent health. "It was nothing short of an epiphany when I changed to a ketogenic diet," he said. "I felt better, more satiated, and had more consistent energy."

Source of information here.

Eddie (my bold)

Why I believe Lisa is 100% right part 2

2013
Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets

Treatment of diabetes and diabetes complications with a ketogenic diet

Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Two diets with different hemoglobin A1c and antiglycemic medication effects despite similar weight loss in type 2 diabetes

2012
Low carbohydrate diet in type 1 diabetes, long-term improvement and adherence: a clinical audit

Effect of low-calorie vs. low-carbohydate ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes

2011
Reversal of nephropathy by a ketogenic diet

2010
Weight and Metabolic Outcomes After 2 Years on a Low-Carbohydrate Versus Low-Fat Diet: A Randomized Trial

A low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet improves cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes control among overweight patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a one-year prospective randomized intervention study

Revealing the molecular relationship between type 2 diabetes and the metabolic changes induced by a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet

2008
The effect of a low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet vs. a low glycemic index diet on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Carbohydrate restriction has a more favorable impact on the metabolic syndrome than a low fat diet

Dietary carbohydrate restriction in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome: time for a critical appraisal

Low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes: stable improvements of body weight and glycemic control during 44 months follow-up

2007
Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women

Beneficial effects of ketogenic diet in obese diabetic subjects

2005
A low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes

The effects of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet on the polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot study

A low carbohydrate diet in Type 1 diabetes: clinical experience - a brief report

2004
Comparison of energy -restricted very low carbohydrate and low cat diets on weight loss and body composition on overweight men and women

2003 
A low carbohydrate as compared with a low fat diet in severe obesity
A randomized trial comparing a very low carbohydrate diet and a calorie-restricted low fat diet on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy women

List compiled by Franziska Spritzler

Avocado and Prawn Salad with a Tarragon Dressing and a ‘scattering’ of Lemon Crumbs

If you’ve a special family gathering within the next few weeks you may want to consider this recipe, it does make a lovely starter. True, it also has some breadcrumbs included in the recipe, which per serving works out at approx 4g of Carbs.

There are so many lovely recipes available for us to share and exchange ideas. However, the choice is always down to each reader which recipe idea you may want to try depending on your taste, any allergies and other related health issues.

If you do try this one …hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients - Serves 6
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g (2oz) fresh breadcrumbs
1 lemon, zested and juiced
½ tsp Dijon Mustard
¼ bunch tarragon leaves roughly chopped
12 fresh or frozen, cooked tiger prawns (defrosted if frozen) halved lengthways
1 x 80g bag of watercress or lambs lettuce
3 spring onions, sliced thinly
2 x avocados, sliced
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

1) Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring until golden brown.
2) In a separate bowl make the dressing; mix together the mustard, 2 tsp lemon juice, remaining olive oil, tarragon and some seasoning
3) Divide the salad leaves, spring onions and avocado slices between plates, or arrange on a serving platter. Toss the prawns with a little of the dressing and place on top. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and lightly scatter with lemon crumbs.

Original Recipe Idea Can Be Found Here:

Bon Appetit

All the Best Jan

Charles Grashow wins the Golden Turd Award !

A few days ago, Charles Grashow was awarded the Golden Gezza award, Charles was delighted, and commented on this blog.

"I wish to thank you and the awards committee for this prestigious honor. I would also like to thank all of the little people who contributed to my winning. They know who they are so it's not necessary to list them here. Again, many thanks to the awards committee."

My good friend Galina was not impressed. Evidently, a replica, erect, gold plated gentleman's sausage, was not her idea of a joke. Which only goes to prove, I can't win 'em all. I suspect it will ever be thus.

Anyway, without further ado, the reason Charles has picked up another award within the same week. Not only was he been banned from Dr. Eades blog this week, he has unstintingly attacked many of the big names in the low carb and paleo world. From Robb Wolf to Tim Noakes to Jimmy Moore, Charles hardly takes time to draw breath, before venting his angst at someone else. This is good, because Charles and his High Priestess of giggling gibber, the awful and morbidly obese Carbsane, prove with every post, comment and tweet, they are low level pond life, full of jealousy and hate. No straight thinking person, takes either of them seriously, and as such, unwittingly, they have done wonders for the low carb and paleo cause.

Check out Charlie's Twitter account here.

Eddie

Jeff Volek: Low-carb diet wise for several reasons.

Noted diet and health scientist Jeff Volek gave a packed house at the IHMC Evening Lecture Series Thursday a new twist on an old saying.

“Rather than ‘you are what you eat,’ it should be ‘you are what you store from what you eat,’ ” said Volek, a professor and researcher at the University of Connecticut.

Volek presented the talk “The Many Facets of Keto-Adapation: Health, Performance and Beyond” as part of a series hosted by the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition, a technical research center with offices in Ocala and Pensacola, in cooperation with the College of Central Florida and local business sponsors.

The series has been ever-increasing in popularity, with several hundred in attendance Thursday.

“Tonight’s talk sold out within six hours of being posted on our website,” said John Rogacki with IHMC, as he introduced Volek. Mia Gottlieb with IHMC said “the audience for every talk seems to be increasing.”

Volek said he feels the typical American diet, typically rich in carbohydrates like bread and pasta, is a health concern that leads to more storage of fat than fat burning, the latter of which may be accelerated by a designed and balanced intake of more fats.

“Restricting carbs can increase fat burning, in some cases, more than exercise,” Volek said.

Volek cited studies with diabetic patients and world-class athletes on “ketogenic diets high in fats” to bolster his claims of the benefits of restricting carbs.

“Restricting carbs allows (the body) to use stored fat for fuel rather than the limited (fuel) obtained from carb intake. When body chemistry changes occur, including the liver releasing fat-burning ketones, a state of “ketosis” has been reached and fat is burned usually at a higher rate than a person on a high-carb diet.

“We’ve been condemning fats in the diet for decades,” Volek said, adding that sources of fat he may suggest as part of a personalized diet include meats, cheese, eggs and nuts. Urine and blood tests can be used to monitor proper intake, he said.

According to a biography on Volek distributed at the talk, his 15 years of research indicate the “metabolic adaptations” achieved from a properly designed restricted carb diet can have therapeutic effects beyond weight loss, including “reversing Type 2 diabetes.”

“There’s an epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. We now have about 10 percent of the population that has type 2 diabetes and (each patient) spends about $8,000 annually related to the disorder, or about $200 billion overall,” Volek said.

“(The medical profession) continues to recommend a high-carb diet, which exacerbates the problem. It boggles the mind,” Volek said, adding that diabetic patients typically end up taking increased medications.

Volek displayed a video that included tables indicating that the fat burning of long distance runners was significantly higher when the traditional carb-laden diet before an endurance event was changed to one higher in fats.

“We have studied athletes who ran over 100 miles,” Volek said.

Volek, who contributed to the latest Atkins Diet book — “A New Atkins for A New You” — and has written four science- and diet-related books, including “The Art and Science of Low Carb Living,” co-authored with Steve Phinney, espouses a reduction of carbs because “they block metabolism.”

Volek said he knew of “no effective and safe weight-loss medication, but if the pharmaceutical companies could replicate the effects of ketosis, they’d have a blockbuster.”

Following the talk, several attendees discussed the talk and its content.

Local dentist Dr. Keith Phipps said he is intrigued by the concept.

“This was an excellent talk, and it seems to be the cutting edge information on science and diet,” Phipps said.

Jillian Daniel Ramsammy, with the College of Central Florida, and her husband, Trevor, said they may gradually try the dietary change.
-
Ken Ford, IHMC director, said he adheres to a “ketonic” diet.

“It helps eliminate brain fog,” Ford said.

http://www.ocala.com/

Graham

My friend Libby and her family.

Many on the UK diabetes forum scene know Libby, also known as Wiflib. Libby is a healthcare professional and type two diabetic. Libby and myself have a lot in common. We were born on the same day, although Libby is more than ten years younger than me. Both our Fathers died from type two diabetes complications. We both joined the diabetes club within months of each other. We both were deeply influenced by a man called Fergus Craig, a long term type one diabetic, who introduced us to the works of Dr. Richard Bernstein, arguably the worlds leading authority on blood glucose control.

Like me, at diagnosis Libby was heavily over weight, note the word 'was' Libby embraced low carb high fat big time. She reduced her weight by around 100lbs, her HbA1c, blood lipid counts etc. are the same as a non diabetic teenager, on no diabetes medication. She has maintained this weight loss for years. Libby like me, has done her best to see her family has dumped the junk and minimise carbs/starch/sugar. Look at these youngsters, members of Libby's family. I think you will agree, a picture of health and happiness. Like Libby, we spread the word, not all of our six kids low carb, but guess what, they have set up a low carb diet for their kids. OK, not to Libby's 30 carbs a day, or my 50 carbs a day. But these kids are eating whole fresh foods, their diets are not based on sugar and starch. They major on fresh vegetables, fruit, quality proteins and fats, sweets etc. are an occasional treat, not a way of life as we see with so many kids.

Eddie

Please note. Picture taken from face book and published with permission from Libby's family.

Thank you Galina

If I could send you these flowers for real I would. No one has posted more comments on this blog than you. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to make a valuable contribution. Eddie

Why I believe Lisa is 100% right part 1 (see post below this post)

Today a negative comment came in from someone calling themselves 'party pooper' "So absolutely no evidence provided - it is only what Lisa thinks!" Most negative posts come in from anons, and in this case I think the anon has a considerable amount of poo between the ears. Anyway, enough of this jovial banter, let's cut to the chase. This the first post backing up Lisa'a post and what I believe to be sound information. Make up your own minds. Eddie


The gruesome NHS audit figures for HbA1c for England. HbA1c is arguably the most important factor to avoid diabetic complications. Most of the numbers in this audit are way above the level serious organ damage occurs.

Results for England. The National Diabetes Audit 2010-2011

Percentage of registered Type 1 patients in England

HbA1c >= 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) = 92.6%
HbA1c > 7.5% (58 mmol/mol) = 71.3%
HbA1c > 10.0% (86 mmol/mol) = 18.1%

Percentage of registered Type 2 patients in England

HbA1c >= 6.5% (48 mmol/mol = 72.5%
HbA1c > 7.5% (58 mmol/mol) = 32.6%
HbA1c >10.0% (86 mmol/mol) = 6.8%


Similar stats. reported for the previous five years.

http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB06325


Cancer feeds on sugar

Otto Heinrich Warburg won the Nobel prize for discovering.

“Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Heinrich_Warburg

Fat does not cause heart disease and without dietary fat we die.

A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pooled together data from 21 unique studies that included almost 350,000 people, about 11,000 of whom developed cardiovascular disease (CVD), tracked for an average of 14 years, and concluded that there is no relationship between the intake of saturated fat and the incidence of heart disease or stroke.

Conclusions: A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract


The causes of metabolic syndromes, type two diabetes and obesity.

The low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, promulgated vigorously by the National Cholesterol Education Programme, National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association since the Lipid Research Clinics-Primary Prevention Program in 1984, and earlier by the US Department of Agriculture food pyramid, may well have played an unintended role in the current epidemics of obesity, lipid abnormalities, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndromes.

This diet can no longer be defended by appeal to the authority of prestigious medical organisations or by rejecting clinical experience and a growing medical literature suggesting that the much-maligned low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may have a salutary effect on the epidemics in question.

Sylvan Weinberg, former president of the American College of Cardiology

http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1133027

The lower the HbA1c the less the complications.

For every percentage point drop in A1C blood test results (from 8.0 percent to 7.0 percent, for example), the risk of diabetic eye, nerve, and kidney disease is reduced by 40 percent. Lowering blood sugar reduces these microvascular complications in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Intensive blood sugar control in people with type 1 diabetes (average A1C of 7.4%) reduces the risk of any CVD event by 42 percent and the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from CVD by 57 percent.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa052187#t=articleTop

Carbohydrates not essential.

There are three kinds of foods--fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. All of these provide calories. But the carbohydrates provide calories and nothing else. They have none of the essential elements to build up or to repair the tissues of the body. A man, given carbohydrates alone, however liberally, would starve to death on calories. The body must have proteins and animal fats. It has no need for carbohydrates, and, given the two essential foodstuffs, it can get all the calories it needs from them."

Sir Heneage Ogilvie, former vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons, England.

Carbohydrates are a common source of energy in living organisms; however, no carbohydrate is an essential in humans.

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.full