The FastDay Forum

[carorees]

You're very welcome! Glad I could help.

One of the key elements in the distance learning pack I wrote for GPs was creating a partnership with the patient and encouraging patient education which in turn improves adherence to the treatment (whether drugs or lifestyle) and so results in better outcomes. It looks like your doc does not appreciate this important point!

I have a friend who is a diabetic taking insulin..He says he can't go on a fasting diet because his administered insulin is determined by his food intake.Is he right? One hears if weight loss potentially curing Type 2 diabetes.

Hi phoenixgirl,
You didn't specify if your friend has type 1 or 2 diabetes. Weight loss will not cure type 1. In type 2, it will in most cases improve blood sugars and reduce the need for medication.

I am grateful that my GP is much more encouraging about the potential for improvement through weight loss - I have improved my HBA 1c from 89% in July to 48% in December - my gliclazide dose was halved in December. My BP was checked this week and it was 134/64 and we discussed dropping one of my BP meds - going to leave it until my proper review in June, unless I start to feel that I really don't need it. My cholesterol was okay when I was diagnosed with diabetes, but I was put on a statin anyway, but it gave me vicious cramps, and I stopped taking it years ago. Was put on Metformin despite having borderline ibs issues, and I tried to live with it, but it really didn't suit me, even in the slow release form and I eventually refused to take it anymore due to quality of life issues.

I really believe that the real benefits of fasting kick in from 16 hours plus. I have no problems with doing a 24 hour fast but I need to take medications with food twice a day. Metformin for diabetes and Lisinopril am for blood pressure and statins pm. My GP is completely against fasting and won't even discuss give me reasons why I am convinced a 2 day a week fast will do me nothing but good. Any thoughts/advice please?

http://www.saga.co.uk/health/medicines/ ... ainst.aspx

One of several opinions that statins are irrelevant for women. Missing 2 a week of something debatable may not be an issue. http://www.drbriffa.com/category/choles ... d-statins/ is another detractor and he also comments on fasting http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/08/31/how- ... -we-eat-2/

Thanks PhilT, another good article you have found for us.
I have long been convinced about the cholesterol myth.
I have successfully taken steps to reduce all factors associated with metabolic syndrome, and my results, as I posted under 'bloods' show this. My home monitoring of glucose, B/P , weight and waist measurements are all 'normal' as defined in every scientific paper/ book I can lay my hands on--- but getting my GP to acknowledge this is proving impossible to get across. So, any tips to help us ( as I see from others posting, that their GPs are just as blinkered), to penetrate the brick wall, would be most welcome.

I asked a GP why something didn't work for me and he replied "you don't need to know". That was a few years ago and was when I lived at home but it does make you nervous about voicing things.

Then the was the GP who told me I must eat poorly as I wouldn't be fat if I was in a concentration camp...sent me to a dietitian who advised I get a dog.

I wonder if they treat men like Phil better than women, assuming they know stuff?

BBT053 has voiced the very same things I have heard, including the insulting concentration camp one that a GP quoted me 42 years ago. The dietician's response of getting a dog, presumably to discourage slothfulness, shows such a lack of understanding as to the way our bodies respond to food intake and fat storage. Such ignorance is compounding the epidemic of obesity and associated health problems, so it is just as well we have the internet to enlighten us. But I return to my initial question, just how do we get our medical practitioners to come into the 21st century, and get up to date with the growing evidence that is re-emerging from obscurity, having been hidden for 50 odd years?

Unless you're locked into a single GP because of location you could consider changing doctor for a more enlightened specimen. I'm fortunate in having a multi-GP practice and an online booking system that means I can choose who I talk to about a particular issue.

You're always entitled to a second opinion and ultimately there is no compulsion to take a medication - we have to consent to surgery and similar procedures after all.

I think if a GP insists you take anti-hypertensives when you are persistently normotensive, for example, you deserve a verbal if not a written explanation. If one isn't forthcoming, then a second opinion should be sought. In the end you can make a written complaint.

A lot of the science is contradictory and we all get into "custom and practice" thinking. I am anaemic, with microcytic (small) red blood cells. It was suggested that I take extra iron, which I did for a period, but as my iron levels were already good and didn't change we agreed to stop that. I'm happy to take anything or undergo any procedure that is warranted by symptoms and evidence, but I declined a colonoscopy as the faeces blood test was negative.

No GP is going to go against current thinking in case it ends badly. We may have to relieve them of some of the responsibility from time to time. Most men do this by simply staying away !

I've been diabetic for about 30 years. When I was first diagnosed, I read a book, Reversing Diabetes, that explained the disease in detail and suggested a way of life that would make medication unnecessary. It explained how the medications that are prescribed by traditional American doctors will soon "burn out" a persons body in various ways. I started on the recommended regimens of exercise and food selection. Withing a few months, I'd lost 25 pounds, seemingly most of it belly fat. For the next 10 years, I was a "good girl", but then read that diabetics could have sugar if they cut down on other carbs. It was as if a sugar monster woke up in me and I began eating ice cream, cookies, etc. That was a bad move and it took almost another 10 years for me to tame that monster. Now I eat some "healthy" foods with moderate amounts of sugar (never ice cream, darnit).
I've never monitored my blood sugar, but get live blood work done every 3 months or so and can see for myself on the monitor that my blood is fine. When I was indulging in too much sugar, I knew there was damage being done, because scratches wouldn't heal fast, I was inordinately thirsty and needed to urinate too often. That's how I monitor my condition.
I don't recommend this way to anyone, but for anyone who wants to try to handle the disease on their own, I recommend the book,Reversing Diabetes, highly. It mentions places where one can go and stay to learn how to live a lifestyle that keeps diabetes under control and even tells of people who have actually overcome the disease.
Another thing, it is possible to get the pancreas to grow new cells (Alpha Lipoic Acid helps), so that is something to consider and research.

I saw this article about the reversal of type 2 diabestes almost 2 years ago Crash course diet reverses Type 2 diabetes in a week

I was interested to see the skeptics criticism Can a 600-calorie diet cure Type 2 diabetes? So don't get your hopes up.

Calorie reduction may rest the pancreus enough to help with some kind of reversal.

I am all for giving the pancreas and liver a rest, even if it is just about 18 hours twice a week on the Fast Diet. It has worked wonders for my blood profile on every level, and I am only about 3 lbs short of my target weight. So this week (week 9 on 5:2), I am incorporating the concept of eating my meals during a 9 hour window on my 5 normal days, so that works out at 4.5 hours between the 3 meals. This rests the digestive tract nicely, and somehow completely removes any cravings. I have no need for the inevitable 'snacks' pushed by so many other diet systems, supposedly to 'keep glucose levels even". My liver looks after that very nicely, thankyou, by providing a supply of glucose other than from ingested food, in other words, by doing the job it was designed to do before we all got swept along by the sugar bandwagon, and wreeked havoc on our organs.

Hi All,

I have type 2 diabetes and am about to start my 2nd fast day tomorrow. I felt fine after Mondays fast day, to be honest I felt really well, so much so that I didn't want to over eat or gorge on bad foods today which I thought I would, Infact I dont think I have actually eaten enough today - I am sure this is a novelty and will ware off. I would love to hear from anyone else who has type 2 diabetes. I currently take 2 x 500mg metformin(for diabetes) and 16mg candestatin (for high blood pressure) daily, I have around 6 stones I would like to loose and just wondered if anyone in similar position.

Ta

Mich x

[janeg]

Hello Michk and welcome. Glad the fasts are going well for you. Fairly sure there are other members who are type 2 and are doing well. A wee search should bring up the names of other users. Good luck

Hi Michk

Welcome and I will deffinately be following how you are doing and what your challenges might be over time, if any!
I think it is great that you took the risk of taking the first step.