Putting type two diabetes into perspective.

Type two diabetes is a chronic disease, there is no cure. Unfortunately teenagers are now succumbing. That being said, it can be controlled, and a long and active life should be the norm for the well controlled. Today I read a news item that puts type two into perspective. A very young Woman killed in a riding accident. My Wife and I photograph young people in sport, and over the years we have known of  young people dying on the sports field. Fortunately this is very rare, but no less devastating for the families and friends involved. When I read of type two diabetics, moaning and whinging about having to drop certain foods, and change their lifestyle to control a chronic disease, it sickens me. Get real, how many  other chronic diseases can be controlled by dropping certain foods and getting off your butt ? None that I know of.

Eddie

A tragic news item here.

Mad forum mods ! Could statins be the reason ?

If you hang around on diabetes forums, you very often come up against a mod with an agenda you find hard to fathom. For example, they fully accept they have been sold a complete crock re dietary advice from their medics, they fully accept the saturated fat will kill you brigade and bent science, is another great myth. So far so good. Where things often go pear shaped is when a member talks about big pharmas diabolical track record in recent years. Mod comments such as “Again show me some real evidence that this "well known fact" is true please. I really object to things being stated as factually accurate 100% true statements without offering any evidence to back up the claims”

At this stage you have to wonder has the mod spent the last 10 years in solitary confinement in a third world dungeon ? How could anyone not have heard about the $billions in fines for illegal activities that have harmed and killed countless people ? You try again, to be forced to discuss a hypothetical broken leg and antibiotics. What really gets the kettle whistling, is when you mention the dreaded statins. If the Mod is a statin user, all hell can break loose. I have seen Mods put up a defence for statins, that a big pharma sales manager would consider a master class, the question is why ? Could they be suffering from Cognitive impairment ? In layman’s terms are they going batshit. Check this out.

Eddie

"Some researchers have suggested that statins might actually improve brain function in the elderly. This stance is largely theoretical, and studies in which individuals have been given statins have not found that they improve brain function at all. Actually, last year the Food and Drugs Administration in the US issued a warning about the potential for statins to affect brain function, telling us that: “There have been rare post-marketing reports of cognitive impairment (e.g., memory loss, forgetfulness, amnesia, memory impairment, confusion) associated with statin use. These reported symptoms are generally not serious and reversible upon statin discontinuation, with variable times to symptom onset (1 day to years) and symptom resolution (median of 3 weeks).”

More here.

UK families face court fight over GSK diabetes drug Avandia !

LONDON (Reuters) - British families seeking compensation for damage caused by GlaxoSmithKline's now-withdrawn diabetes drug Avandia face a lengthy court battle, despite the company agreeing to settle similar U.S. cases.

Manchester-based law firm Express Solicitors said on Wednesday it had commenced high court proceedings in four cases against GSK over the way it developed and marketed Avandia.

The law firm, which has a further 15 cases on its books, said it believed it was the first to commence proceedings against the drugmaker over Avandia in British courts.

European authorities decided to pull Avandia from the market in September 2010 after it was linked to increased heart risks. It is still approved for a limited number of patients in the United States.

In the wake of the safety scandal, GSK paid hundreds of millions of dollars to settle litigation over Avandia in the United States.

In Britain, however, where the legal system has historically seen smaller compensation payments, it is planning a fight.

Express said GSK had indicated to the court it was ready to spend 600,000 pounds ($945,000) defending one of the cases, despite the fact the actual claim was worth a fraction of this amount.

"Even though a settlement was reached in the U.S. to settle lawsuits, it seems GSK wishes to put up a fight in the UK as indicated in correspondence pre-proceedings," Express lawyer Daniel Slade said.

Avandia was first introduced into Britain in 2000 for people with type 2 diabetes who no longer responded adequately to older diabetes medicines. Express said many thousands of patients took the drug and many families could be eligible for compensation for death or harm caused to a relative.

"We have every sympathy for people with health complications associated with diabetes and those who care for them. Unfortunately, we are unable to comment on individual legal cases," a GSK spokesman said.

"We continue to believe that the company acted appropriately and responsibly in its management of Avandia."

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-families-face-court-fight-over-gsk-diabetes-122656468--finance.html

graham

Spoof Coke advert hits the spot !

'No difference' between beta-blockers for heart failure !

There is no significant difference between classes of beta-blockers in reducing mortality from heart failure, say researchers.

The study

The meta-analysis looked at 21 randomised trials that compared beta-blockers in patients diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and looked at their influence on mortality. A total of 23,122 patients were included in the analysis across the 21 trials analysed.

The findings

Of all the beta-blockers analysed, atenolol and carvedilol had the greatest effect on reducing mortality, when compared with placebo or standard treatment, reducing the risk of death by 47% and 44% respectively. Bisoprolol was the next best, reducing risk by 35% compared to placebo or standard treatment. However, when these three were compared to other beta-blockers for the same outcome, there were no significant differences between them.

What it means for GPs?

The authors concluded that, given the lack of differences in improvement of mortality with individual beta-blockers, they considered it ‘pragmatic’ to infer that three agents – bisoprolol, sustained release metoprolol succinate, and carvedilol - should be used They said these drugs had been tested more extensively and had been shown to be superior to placebo.

Expert comment

Dr Ahmet Fuat, cardiology GPSI in Darlington: ‘The study concurs with current GP practice. The three beta blockers they recommend are the most commonly used, though I would also suggest nebivolol for older patients with erectile dysfunction.’

Information source here.

Antidepressants in heart seizure warning !

The most widely-used antidepressant in Britain increases the risk of potentially fatal heart rhythm problems, doctors warn today.

They have found citalopram, which is prescribed to about a million people, increases the chance of having a heart problem known as Long QT Syndrome

This is when electrical impulses that control the heart take longer to ‘recharge’ between beats.

People with this syndrome are known to be at increased risk of rare heart rhythm problems including Torsade de Pointes, where the heart to stop pumping blood, which can be fatal.

Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, US, said they had found people taking citalopram had a “modest” increase in the time it took their hearts to recharge - called the ‘QT interval’.

In a study tracking the health of more than 38,000 people in New England for over a decade, they also found the closely related antidepressant escitalopram, and another called amitriptyline also had an effect.

The higher the dose of the drugs, the longer the QT interval.

Writing online in the British Medical Journal, they noted: “Nearly one in five patients treated with these antidepressants who underwent electrocardiography had QT intervals which would be considered abnormal.

More here.

Why is this allowed to happen ?

"The first ever guidelines for managing type 2 diabetes in children aged from 10 to 18 years have been issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Type 2 diabetes used to affect only adults - its incidence in children was extremely low. This is no longer the case. The rapid emergence of type 2 diabetes among children poses challenges to many doctors, who find themselves having to treat children with an "adult disease".

Most family doctors are used to dealing with type 1 diabetes in children, not type 2.

The AAP explained that it is now time to help doctors who have to care for pediatric patients who have developed type 2 diabetes. It has issued a Clinical Practice Guideline that provides evidence-based recommendations for their 10 to 18 year old patients who have type 2 diabetes.

The guidelines were written in consultation with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Diabetes Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Pediatric Endocrine Society."

Type two diabetes used to be an old mans disease or at worst middle aged. For some time we have been reading reports of more and more children succumbing to type two diabetes, what a sorry state of affairs. “The guidelines were written in consultation with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Diabetes Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Pediatric Endocrine Society” you have to ask yourself, what chance do these kids have of living a long and active life ? I reckon almost nil ! The official advisers on diet in the US and the UK can’t get it right for adults, I am sure they will not get it right for kids. The very diet that brought about diabetes and obesity in the kids, will be the diet they will be advised to stay with, but hey, cut down on the junk and soda kids. What’s the betting carbs will feature highly in the recommended diets, it’s a 100% certainty. Medication will be dished out like candy and most of the victims (because that’s what they are) will be lucky to see forty years of age.

We watch the news on TV, and almost nightly, we see grim stories of children being killed in wars, children starving to death, children dying from a disease, that would be sorted with a penicillin injection in the west, and we think what a cruel world, why is this allowed to happen. Meanwhile in the richest and best educated countries in the world, we kill our kids off, at an ever increasing rate. Global food outfits target market kids as young as three with junk food, big pharma works on ever more potions looking for the antidote, and we ask ourselves, why is this allowed to happen ? Welcome to the crazy world of diabetes.

Eddie

More here.

The guidelines here.

More on Testosterone: Statins

Statin Therapy Is Associated With Lower Total but Not Bioavailable or Free Testosterone in Men With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

There is a high prevalence of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes. This will lead to an increase in assessments of hypogonadism. Statins could potentially decrease testosterone levels by reducing the availability of cholesterol for androgen synthesis. We compared testosterone levels and hypogonadal symptoms with statin use in a cross-sectional study of 355 men with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Total testosterone, sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG), and estradiol were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bioavailable testosterone was measured by the modified ammonium sulfate precipitation method. Free testosterone was calculated using Vermeulen's formula. Symptoms of hypogonadism were assessed using the Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male questionnaire.

RESULTS

Statins were associated with lower total testosterone (11.9 vs. 13.4 nmol/l, P = 0.006) and a trend toward lower SHBG (29.4 vs. 35.3 nmol/l, P = 0.034) compared with no treatment. Bioavailable testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, and hypogonadal symptoms were not affected. Subanalysis showed that atorvastatin was associated with reduced total testosterone (11.4 vs. 13.4 nmol/l, P = 0.006) and a trend toward reduced SHBG (27.6 vs. 35.3 nmol/l, P = 0.022) compared with no treatment, and there was an apparent dose-response effect with the lowest levels of total testosterone seen in men treated with ≥20 mg atorvastatin (9.6 nmol/l, P = 0.017). Simvastatin use was not associated with significant reductions in testosterone or SHBG levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Assessing androgen status using total testosterone in men with type 2 diabetes treated with statins, particularly atorvastatin, may potentially lead to diagnostic error. Levels of bioavailable testosterone or free testosterone are recommended for the assessment of hypogonadism in this group if total testosterone levels are borderline.

Full article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660443/

Statin-associated gynecomastia: ( Man boobs)

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The aim of this study was to add to the body of evidence on statin-induced gynecomastia based on data retrieved from the Italian spontaneous adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting database.

METHODS:

Spontaneous ADR reports collected in the Italian database up to 31 December 2010 were assessed on a case-by-case basis in a search for evidence of a possible causal association between statins and gynecomastia. Cases of gynecomastia or possible gynecomastia, according to the Medical Dictionary of Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) classification, associated with statin use were retrieved from the database. The findings were compared with the available literature in PubMed.

RESULTS:

The database contained 90,448 ADR reports on 21 December 2010. At least one statin was listed as the suspected drug in 2,862 reports, of which 1,334 concerned a male patient. Among these reports, we identified eight cases with the preferred term “gynecomastia” with a statin as suspected drug: four reports of rosuvastatin and four of atorvastatin. One additional report of an unspecified “breast disorder” in a male patient attributed to fluvastatin was identified and included as a possible case. Four case-reports of statin-induced gynecomastia published between 2006 and 2010 were retrieved from PubMed.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings suggest an association between gynecomastia and statins as a drug class, and the occurrence of this ADR would appear to be more likely with active substances that show an higher potency in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase enzyme. To date, the safety information provided on the labels of different statin-containing medicines is not standardized. Harmonization of this information would be helpful for both healthcare practitioners and patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22286160

Graham

Up to 75 per cent of patients who take statins to treat elevated cholesterol levels may suffer from muscle pain.

Up to 75 per cent of patients who take statins to treat elevated cholesterol levels may suffer from muscle pain. Scientists at the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen have now identified a possible mechanism underlying this unfortunate side effect. The results have just been published in the well-reputed Journal of American College of Cardiology.

"A well-known side effect of statin therapy is muscle pain. Up to 75 per cent of the physically active patients undergoing treatment for high cholesterol experience pain. This may keep people away from either taking their medicine or from taking exercise - both of which are bad choices," says Professor Flemming Dela from the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen. He continues: 

"We have now shown that statin treatment affects the energy production in muscles. We are working on the assumption that this can be the direct cause of muscle weakness and pain in the patients." 

About 40 per cent of the patients being treated with statins in Denmark are in so-called 'mono therapy' and thus are prescribed only this one drug. Presumably these are people who 'only' have high cholesterol and no other risk factors that could influence heart health: 

"The effect of statins is marginal for these patients - in a previous published Cochrane analysis only 0.5% reduction in all-cause mortality was detected, indicating that for every 200 patients taking statins daily for five years, one death would be prevented. This patient group is obviously interesting in light of the side effects of statin therapy," comments Professor Flemming Dela. 

More here.

Soybean Oil: One of the Most Harmful Ingredients in Processed Foods !

Processed food is perhaps the most damaging aspect of most people’s diet, contributing to poor health and chronic disease. One of the primary culprits is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the dangers of which I touch on in virtually every article on diet I write.

The second culprit is partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

These two ingredients, either alone or in combination, can be found in virtually all processed foods and one can make a compelling argument that the reliance on these two foods is a primary contributing factor for most of the degenerative diseases attacking Americans today.

Part of the problem with partially hydrogenated soybean oil is the trans fat it contains. The other part relates to the health hazards of soy itself. And an added hazard factor is the fact that the majority of both corn and soybeans are genetically engineered.

As the negative health effects from trans fats have been identified and recognized, the agricultural- and food industry have scrambled to come up with new alternatives.

Partially hydrogenated soybean oil has been identified as the main culprit, and for good reason. Unfortunately, saturated fats are still mistakenly considered unhealthy by many health “experts,” so rather than embracing truly healthful tropical fats like coconut oil, which is mostly grown outside the US. The food industry has instead turned to domestic US alternatives offered by companies like Monsanto, which has developed modified soybeans that don’t require hydrogenation.

More here.

Can Men Prevent Diabetes With Testosterone Boost?

 Australian researchers have begun a world-first study that aims to help men lose weight and prevent diabetes -- by giving them more testosterone.
The $4.8 million study will look at the potential benefits of treating men with testosterone supplements in conjunction with a dedicated weight-loss program through Weight Watchers.

Up to 1500 Australian men most at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, aged 50-74, are now being recruited to join the study in the States of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.

"We know that as men get older and gain weight -- especially when they become large around the belly -- they often suffer from reduced testosterone levels," says the leader of the study, Professor Gary Wittert from the University of Adelaide's School of Medicine.

"Lower testosterone has many implications for men's health, such as reduced motivation to exercise and lack of sexual function. It is also closely associated with type 2 diabetes, which is an enormous health burden for Australia.

"By giving testosterone supplements to men in that critical pre-diabetes stage, and by putting them on a dedicated weight-loss program, we expect to see sustained reductions in weight and a reduced chance to develop type 2 diabetes."

More here.

The Eat To Your Meter forum it’s a Gulag !

Recently I asked the question, is ETYM a forum or a Gulag. It appears I have the answer, it’s a Gulag. Today a forum member posted a link to a Barry Groves video on UTube, it comprehensively shredded the low GI approach to diabetes control. As we have seen on so many occasions at the forum of flog, the post disappeared, swiftly. It’s easy to see why. ETYM have gone the same way as the flog,and promote a similar diet pushed by the NHS and DUK.

In their newbie corner section they say “On the starchy foods that are left in your regime, try brown basmati rice, and brown or tri-colour pasta, instead of white. A couple of baby new potatoes boiled are far better than old potatoes, be they boiled, mashed or in their jackets. The bread that is most recommended is Burgen soya and linseed bread, but some of us manage ok with wholegrain brown as well.” There has been much talk from some forum owners and mods along the lines of ‘I can eat 150 grams of carb a day and hold good BG numbers‘. What they forget to remind people, is the fact is the best controlled, don’t eat anywhere near these numbers of carbs per day.

On the 24th of this month the forum went down to 44 comments. It seems the more members it gets, the less people comment. When I have a look at the forum, the signed in members are usually out numbered by the guests, often by a factor of 5 to1. Is there a Trojan Horse within the forum ? Is a big pharma moll working to undermine the place ? why have the forum controllers, done a 180 degree u-turn for the very reason that got them banned from the forum of flog, diabetes.co.uk ?, remember most of this bunch were staunch lowcarbers ! Why have they changed their tune ? we need to be told.

Recently a forum owner came over here and said, a free debate can be had on our forum, the question I ask myself is, what drugs is this guy on. I find myself thinking, has the infamous Kenny boy assumed yet another alias ?


Eddie

PS, An update

This thread was deleted, but I can't see why, so I have restored it.

Sorry folks - Jo The Global no less forum mod !

My kind of place.

These days I lead a very simple life. When I am not working, I read, fish, eat and drink. At 63 years of age sex is not the priority it once was, although everything still works, so as a diabetic 5 years in I am grateful. Another reason for men to keep those BG numbers in the safe zone. OK maybe too much information. My idea of a perfect day is to fish at my fishing clubs private lake, while my Wife works the landing net and reads her books. On the way home we stop in at our favourite pub. Check out the link and I think you will agree, it’s a wonderful place. If you are in the area check it out, I don’t think you will be disappointed. The food is excellent and good value for money. I never have a problem getting a good lowcarb meal. BTW if you are up in Grahams neck of the wood, Lancashire, check out Dantes, me and the old boy have had some great meals in this place, again, they cater for lowcarbers and the food is wonderful.


A couple of times a year, we meet up with some of our friends we have met via diabetes forums in Surrey, at another restaurant where a great lowcarb meal can be found, The Loch Fyne seafood restaurant in Guildford. Check it out, it’s a great place. 

Eddie

The Rose and Crown here.

Dantes pub and restaurant here.

Loch Fyne Guildford here.

Beyond the Higgs Boson

Scientists have announced that they may have discovered a previously unknown level of incompetence.

‘We have hypothesized for a long time that a level of proficiency so incredibly small as to be almost undetectable could theoretically occur, but now it appears that we may be close to proving its existence’, said leading researcher Dr Tony Crust. Incompetence research enjoyed its golden age in the 1990’s when the Clueless, the Useless, and the Hopeless elements were all discovered, who together created the US food pyramid, but it was probably the discovery of the Total F**kwit, just a few years ago, which revitalized the entire field and led directly to this newest breakthrough. Scientists have dubbed this latest discovery the Bonkers Particle. ‘The Bonkers Particle, if confirmed, will represent a level of capability several magnitudes below even the Total F**kwit’ Explained Dr Crust. ‘It really is almost impossible to overstate just how small a level of competence we are talking about here’ it was ever thus.

John

Indy 51 lights a fuse at the forum of flog !

Not so long ago on the flog, the subject of low GI diets came up. Indy had made a comment swiftly followed up by Sid Bonkers aka the enforcer aka chemical ally, accusing her of not understanding the principles of low GI. Wrong again Sid. Over at the flog the pro GI members tend to be on a very unusual diet such as Sid’s or on an insulin pump. Lots of medication is usually another common factor. Over the years I have seen many diabetics give the low GI a try, I tried it myself, for most it does not work.

Today Indy posted up a Barry Groves video where he shreds low GI on the flog, standby for fireworks, can someone wake Sid up, he may be a nutter, but he is one hell of an entertainer.

Eddie

How to get kids interested in salads and fresh vegetables.

Recently a man called Raimundo, signed up as a member of our blog. He is married, a father of two beautiful daughters, works as a computer professional and  likes to make salads for fun. As you can see he makes some wonderful salads and turns great food into an art form. I bet his kids love salads, a great start for youngsters.

Check out Raimundo’s  Salad and Art blog and more amazing salads here.

Eddie

Did you inherit your diabetes ?

Pick up a newspaper these days or turn on your TV, and there is a more than a fair chance obesity will feature in a news article, swiftly followed by diabetes getting mentioned. If the article contains pictures or film, a hugely overweight person well into the morbidly obese range is featured. Joe public gets the impression all diabetics stuffed themselves with cakes and junk and got what was coming to them. If the newspaper such as the Daily Mail has a comment section, you don’t have to wait long before a clearly disgruntled type one diabetic comes along saying ‘hey don’t lump me in with those type two fat gits, I am a type one, I was never fat’ or words to that effect. I can see their point of view. As far as I can tell weight or lifestyle has nothing to do with type one diabetes, the experts say the body turns on itself and beta cells are destroyed, no one knows why. It’s a pity the media does not clearly state when they give diabetics and overweight people a mauling, type one diabetes has nothing to do with lifestyle or weight and pretty much by the hand of god or fate, anyone could have become a type one diabetic, maybe, because not enough is known about type one or type two diabetes, and the media appears to know nothing. 

So, what about those cake munching type two’s ? was gluttony and sloth the reason for our downfall ? I don’t think so, well I would say that wouldn’t I. If you look at the facts around 10-20% of type two diabetics have never been over weight. Also, the majority of over weight people never become diabetics. At diagnosis many type two diabetics have three times the plasma insulin levels as a slim non diabetic, so lack of insulin is not the problem. The problem for many is insulin resistance, the $64000 question, why do some become insulin resistant ? I believe genetics play a very big part in this, perhaps the main reason. I found some articles you can see below, as you can see, genetics play a big roll in diabetes.

Eddie

Of 96 pairs of identical twins, 65 were concordant (both diabetic) and 31 discordant (one twin diabetic). When diabetes developed in the index twin before the age of 40 half the pairs were discordant, whereas in twins in whom diabetes developed after the age of 40 almost all pairs were concordant. In 75% of concordant twins the interval between diagnoses was under 3 years. It is suggested that the unaffected twins of the discordant pairs will probably remain non-diabetic, since half the pairs had been discordant for over 10 years, and most had a normal glucose tolerance which had not deteriorated. The concordant diabetics showed the usual tendency to produce heavy babies before they became diabetic, but the unaffected twins did not. A family history of diabetes was common in concordant twins and rare in discordant twins. Diabetes in discordant twins may be mainly environmentally determined, although obesity, diet, parity, or other ætiological factors have not been incriminated, and the unaffected identical twins of diabetics are not "prediabetics"

Information link. 


Out of 100 people with Type 1 diabetes, 80 have no family members with the disease. The remaining 20 people have at least one family member with diabetes. Although most people in the population have a 0.4 percent chance of developing Type 1 diabetes, the risk increases to about two percent if your mother has diabetes and six percent if your father or siblings have Type 1 diabetes. If your sibling with diabetes is a fraternal twin your risk increases to 11 percent and it increases to roughly 50 percent if your identical twin has diabetes.

Information link.

Kidney disease 'biggest threat' for diabetics !

Keeping your kidneys healthy could be one of the best ways to extend your life if you have Type 2 diabetes, researchers have suggested.

The University of Washington study found that having kidney disease meant a much higher risk of early death.

UK experts say that the NHS is still not putting enough effort into detecting and controlling kidney problems caused by diabetes.

Figures from 2012 suggest only seven in 10 patients get vital annual checks.

Approximately 5% of people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes, and careful management of their condition through a combination of medication and lifestyle changes can mean it has relatively little impact on their lives.

However, if the disease has been present for some time prior to diagnosis, or is poorly managed afterwards, the risk of life-changing complications rises.

The research, in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, looked at mortality rates over a 10-year period in more than 15,000 adults, with and without diabetes.

Kidney disease was present in 9.4% of the people without diabetes, and 42.3% of those with diabetes.

They found that 7.7% of those without diabetes or kidney disease died over the course of the decade-long study.

This rose to 11.5% for people with diabetes but no kidney disease, but soared to 31.1% for people with diabetes and kidney disease.

More here.

Lowcarb Coffee and walnut cake with clotted cream.

 

Ingredients
100 grams of ground almonds

100 grams of walnuts

1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon of melted butter
2 tablespoons of double cream
1 tablespoon of instant coffee

100 grams of clotted cream

Method
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
Melt the butter I used a Pyrex jug, add the eggs, cream. Place 1 tablespoon of instant coffee in a cup and pour some boiling water over the coffee, keep water to a minimum, just enough to melt the coffee. Then add the dry ingredients and mix. Microwave in a 700 watt for 5 minutes in a 6" x 3" micro-wave safe glass dish. Allow to cool and cut in half. Spread on clotted cream and add walnut halves. Serves four, around five carbs per portion.

Please note this cake is very low in carbs but very high calorie Eddie

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

The post title is the last line of  Star-Spangled Banner which is the national anthem of the United States of America. The US may well be the home of the brave, but it sure is not the land of the free. Some time ago we commented on a guy called Steve Cooksey. Steve’s story is very much our story.

“After being diagnosed with diabetes, Steve did research and learned that the high-carb/low-fat diet his doctors recommended to him may not be best for diabetics because carbohydrates raise blood sugar.  He adopted a low-carb “Paleolithic” diet that mimics our ancestors: lots of fresh vegetables, meats, and fish, but no sugars, processed foods or agricultural starches. 

Steve lost 78 pounds, freed himself of drugs and doctors, normalized his blood sugar, and feels healthier than ever.   He believes a low-carb diet is the simplest, cheapest and most effective way to treat diabetes.  This goes against the conventional wisdom promoted by licensed dietitians, who advocate a high-carb diet and drugs to lower blood sugar.”

The above quoted text and story can be seen on almost every diabetic forum and blog. Lowcarb has been the salvation of millions of diabetics around the world. The UK has an almost identical stance to the official dietary recommendations that prevail in the US. Our National Health Service and the largest diabetes charity the DUK also promote the diet of slow death. Meals should be based on starchy carbs and where necessary (almost always on this high sugar/starch diet) covered my medication, just how big pharma likes it. Dietitions in the UK roll off a production line with lap top in hand and the hard drive in their heads pre-programmed with a diet for diabetics that has failed totally to bring down the gruesome NHS statistics published every year. Type two diabetes and it’s often linked obesity are run away epidemics in the UK as with the US. 

The professionals have got it wrong, very wrong, unfortunately many diabetics are fooled by the titles and the diplomas hanging on the wall, and many pay a terrible price. They pay with their limbs, eye sight and kidneys. When the patient succumbs he is told diabetes is always progressive or he did not comply with his treatment as instructed. It’s beyond a dietition to believe it could have been the recommended diet that caused the diabetic complications, or the medication now banned for killing people such as Actos and Avandia. No, it was down to the patient. How do dietitions go home at night, to a nice home and a loving family, and ponder on how many diabetics they have sent on a journey that day, to a life of pain and misery ? 

So, a diabetic that tried the standard death diet and drugs, and failed to lose weight and control his diabetes, tries to help others. Well in the US that can be a big mistake. ‘Land of the free’ no way, how long before bloggers and owners of diabetes help websites and forums in the UK are under the cosh and prosecuted ?

“In December 2011, Steve Cooksey from Stanley, N.C., started a Dear Abby-style advice column on his diet blog to answer readers’ questions.  In January 2012, the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition informed Steve that he could not give readers personal advice on diet, whether for free or for compensation, because doing so constituted the unlicensed, and thus criminal, practice of dietetics. The State Board also told Steve that his private emails and telephone calls with friends and readers were illegal. Violating the North Carolina licensing law can lead to fines, court orders to be silent, and even jail.”  

More on this story here.

Eddie

MORE EVIDENCE THAT CHOLESTEROL IS VITAL FOR THE BRAIN AND IMMUNITY !

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 2:45PM

Two recent studies have confirmed the vital importance of cholesterol, in particular, for brain function and the strength of the immune system. 

Scientists at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and Swansea University’s College of Medicine have identified two steroid-type molecules that play an important role in the survival and production of nerve cells in the brain.

These two molecules are cholic acid (a bile acid ) and 24S,25-Epoxycholesterol (a derivative of cholesterol)

24S,25-Epoxycholesterol can be used to turn stem cells into midbrain dopamine-producing neurons, and may help combat Parkinson’s disease.

“...24S,25-Epoxycholesterol, influences the generation of new dopamine-producing nerve cells, which are important in controlling movement.” said Professor William J Griffiths.

"What we have shown now is that cholesterol has several functions, and that it is involved in extremely important decisions for neurons. Derivatives of cholesterol control the production of new neurons in the developing brain. When such a decision has been taken, cholesterol aids in the construction of these new cells, and in their survival. Thus cholesterol is extremely important for the body, and in particular for the development and function of the brain." Ernest Arenas, Professor of Stem Cell Neurobiology at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet.

It is important to note that 24S,25-Epoxycholesterol is produced by the mevalonate biochemical pathway – the pathway that is blocked by cholesterol-lowering statins.

The research was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

The second study was completed by a team of researchers at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Prof. Wolfgang Schamel and colleagues investigated the 'memory' of the immune system. 

When the immune system is first exposed to a new pathogen, it develops the ability to be more sensitive to it when it enters the body the next time. This 'memory' of the immune system is provided by a clustering of T cell receptors. The new study, published in the journals Immunity and Journal of Biological Chemistry, has demonstrated that cholesterol plays a key part in this process.

We already know that one of the most common adverse effects of cholesterol-lowering statins is cognitive decline, and there is a strong correlation between low cholesterol levels and increased infections.

References:

http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/v9/n2/abs/nchembio.1156.html

http://www.swansea.ac.uk/media-centre/latest-research/scientistsshowthepositivesideofsteroids.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121223152435.htm

http://www.jbc.org/content/287/51/42664.abstract?sid=8dee384c-5bda-4f7c-a9b9-f3363ae5cea0 

Source: http://www.statinnation.net/journal/2013/1/23/more-evidence-that-cholesterol-is-vital-for-the-brain-and-im.html

Graham

Carbsane gets a dose of her own bitter medicine !

If you hang out in certain UK diabetes forums and blogs, you may well get the impression, more than a few nutters hang out on them, and you would be right. Trust me when I tell you, until you check out some blogs in the US, you don’t know what lunacy is all about. If you want to see my number one blog when I want a break from the real world, and it’s too cold for fishing, I check out Evelyn Kocur AKA Carbsane. If you don’t know Evelyn first some back ground. She appears to see herself as an avenging scientist and a sort of un-caped crusader, a witch finder general, the next Simon Wiesenthal. Hardly a day goes by when she is not unearthing another Neo Nazi.  When she is not exposing Nazi’s, she is rubbishing others. From Gary Taubes to Zoe Harcombe, the list of people the all knowing Evelyn features in her exposés is long. 

So, the normal form goes something like this. Evelyn dishes the dirt with buttocks clenched, don’t forget, she is a caring person and only trying to protect the public from snake oil salesman and charlatans, It’s got nothing to do with the fact these people are infinitely better at promoting their message than our Evelyn. It’s got nothing to do with the fact, these people earn a living from their books and websites etc, and Evelyn cannot. No, she is just warning us, just offering a service to her readers, protecting them from the witch doctors and flim flam men. So, up goes the latest negative rant, swiftly followed by the faithful lickspittles and sycophants. Gushing praise and thank you’s, the ‘scientist’ laps it up, and agrees with her adoring fans. Stay tuned she says, more great stuff tomorrow. But wait, it’s gone as pear shaped as Evelyn's Rubenesque and oversized butt, people have had enough of rant after jealous rant. The great Queen of the exposé has been exposed, and some have told her in no uncertain terms to give it a rest, which prompted this rant.

“Newsflash!  It's my life, my time and my blog.  The door is up there in the right corner, just click on the X and watch your backside as the door tends to slam a bit ;-) I am appalled by those comments critical of me for merely posting this information, and/or expressing my opinion that a NYT best selling author should offer up a full explanation for his actions.”

You have to laugh when the likes of CarbSane, the ‘scientist’ the arch Queen of the self righteous, get’s it in the neck, and the buttocks start clenching ever tighter. I’m no scientist Evelyn, but here’s a bit of advice. Reduce the starchy carbs and sugar, reduce the calories, spend as much time exercising as you do running others down, and you will be as slim as a whip, instead of an obese and bitter whinger.

The rant can be read here.

Eddie 

Bonkers !

Honestly folks, this is not another post about Sid Bonkers, the well known nutter at the forum of flog diabetes.co.uk, it's about this story "DH to investigate ‘bonkers’ rationing of diabetes testing strips !"

"Ministers have ordered an investigation into why PCTs are advising GPs to ration glucose testing strips for patients with type 1 diabetes.

Health minister  Anna Soubry told the House of Commons last week that she was concerned to hear claims from Diabetes UK that people with type 1 diabetes were being given only limited numbers of glucose testing strips by their GPs.

She said: ‘Frankly, this is bonkers; people with diabetes who use strips need to use them and often need to use many in a day.

‘I am not happy if there is any form of rationing of those strips. I have already met officers in the Department and inquiries are being made of primary care trusts, and beyond,’ she said.

The minister said rationing of glucose strips was ‘unacceptable’ and she had told departmental officials to make further inquiries.

In reply to a question by Labour MP Diane Abbott about what patients should do if their GP was attempting to ration testing strips, the minister said  the answer lay with CCGs, because they would give power to doctors and other health professionals to commission services, and also give more power to patients to influence local services.

‘There is an opportunity, through the reforms, to ensure that we now deliver locally as we should,’  she told MPs.

Dr Mo Roshan, GP clinical lead for diabetes in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland CCGs, there should be no question of restricting or rationing the use of glucose testing strips for patients with type 1 diabetes, but it was defensible in some cases of type 2 diabetes."

Eddie

More in the Pulse magazine here.

Report Faults Food Group’s Sponsor Ties

A new report by a public health advocate criticizes the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a trade group presenting some 74,000 dietitians, for allowing corporate sponsorships of its organization.

The report, by Michele Simon, a lawyer who specializes in legal issues involving the food industry, raises questions about the role big food companies play in the continuing education of the nation’s nutrition experts and the ability of the group to challenge the industry on matters of health and nutrition.

Among her findings were that the number of food companies and trade groups that are paid sponsors of the academy more than tripled between 2001 and 2011 — to 38, from 10 — and that roughly 23 percent of about 300 speakers at its annual meeting had undisclosed financial ties to the food industry.

Ryan O’Malley, a spokesman for the academy, said the organization could not comment without seeing the report, which was to be published on Ms. Simon’s Web site late Tuesday.

ConAgra, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Aramark, Mars and the National Dairy Council are among the organization’s major sponsors.

Some sponsors become an “Academy Partner,” which entitles them to educate nutrition professionals about the health benefits of their products, co-sponsor events and conduct educational sessions at meetings. They also can use the academy’s logo in marketing campaigns.

Ms. Simon, author of “Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back,” said she decided to study the relationship between the food industry and the academy after hearing complaints from dietitians.

Questions about corporate influence have bedeviled the organization for years. In 2007, it revamped its corporate sponsorship program to address concerns among its members.

In its 2011 annual report, the latest available, the academy said corporate sponsorships accounted for $1.85 million, or about 5 percent of its roughly $34 million in revenue, down from 9 percent in each of the previous two years. Whether that figure accounts for all of its corporate and trade group support is unclear.

Margo Wootan, an academy member who is director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said leadership and other changes the organization had made had helped curb the influence of companies. “Ten years ago, the academy was really very closely tied to the food and beverage industry,” Ms. Wootan said. “But they really have cleaned up their act.”

The academy is conducting a survey among some members to gauge their opinions about corporate sponsorship. In a survey of 2,968 members two years ago published in the Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, 80 percent of the respondents said that the group was endorsing its corporate sponsors by allowing the sponsorships.

Aaron Flores, a dietitian in Los Angeles, dropped his membership because of the organization’s ties to industry. “By taking money from companies like Coke and Pepsi and Hershey, I think it makes us seem like a partner in their message,” Mr. Flores said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/business/report-questions-nutrition-groups-use-of-corporate-sponsors.html?_r=0

Graham

I am trying hard to be a primitive.

We come into this world with nothing, and we leave with the same. No one more than me fell for the dream. The large detached house, the his and hers Mercs on the drive, and the matching Rolex watches. Country club memberships and antique Georgian furniture. That cost me close on forty years of my working life. A few years ago, while lying on an operating table, in a catheterization laboratory, about to undergo heart stents, I had a moment of clarity. Who gives a shit ! I had said goodbye to my wife, the odds of checking out were slim, but a possibility, but it focused my attention. If I got through this in one piece, a drastic change in lifestyle was going to take place. I am a very fortunate man, my Wife would follow me into hell without a question. We dumped it all, and decided to get as close as possible to the life of a primitive.

OK we have a roof over our heads (a small flat/apartment) the cars have gone and have been replaced with Vauxhall (GM) and Honda,  but we live comparatively free. We work around three months of the year, in work we love (we are photographers) I gave up my beloved golf due to a chronic hand condition, I learned a long time ago, as one door closes, another opens. I took up fishing, and I love it. On warm or dry days I catch fish on a beautiful lake, with my ever loyal Wife on the landing net.

Some time ago I read a great book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A Price. This is another book that can be read free of charge at the link. As an appetiser some words below from this great book. A long read, but well worth the effort. This  book chronicles our journey into the abyss we find ourselves today.

"The culture and civilisation of the White man are essentially material; his measure of success is, "How much property have I acquired for myself?" The culture of the Red man is fundamentally spiritual; his measure of success is, "How much service have I rendered to my people?"  Ernest Thompson Seton

The faith of the primitive in the all-pervading power of which he is a part includes a belief in immortality. He lives in communion with the great unseen Spirit, of which he is a part, always in humility and reverence.

Elizabeth Odell in the following lines seems to express the spirit of the primitives.

Flat outstretched upon a mound
Of earth I lie; I press my ear
Against its surface and I hear
Far off and deep, the measured sound
Of heart that beats within the ground.
And with it pounds in harmony
The swift, familiar heart in me.
They pulse as one, together swell,
Together fall; I cannot tell
My sound from earth's, for I am part
Of rhythmic, universal heart.

OK I am out of here for a few days, hope to do some fishing on the South Coast, warm, it ain’t.

Eddie

The book can be read free of charge  here.

Diabetes control before big pharma took over.

Diabetes is now a run away train. It’s out of control, around the world hundreds of millions of people have joined the club, no one wants to join. The epidemics of type two diabetes and it’s often linked obesity are going to get far worse the experts tell us. Big pharma knows this, big pharma can hear the big cash register ringing. My opinion on big pharma and many of it’s drugs is well known. Many have proved to be useless and others banned for killing people. There was a time when no drugs were available for the control of diabetes, and many type two diabetics lived long and active lives. Many feel Dr. Atkins was the start of the lowcarb diet, but lowcarbing for improved health goes back to the days of William Banting.


The link below will take you to a free of charge read on line digitalized book, on the best diet for diabetics before big pharma loaded the dice, and diet and exercise kept people healthy and in control of their diabetes. I urge you to take a look. I have left the book open at pages 12 and 13, foods of great value and foods to avoid. Many will not be surprised to see, nothing has changed in almost a hundred years, in the best way to control diabetes. Diet and exercise and nil/minimal medication.

Check this link out, a fantastic read and well worth your time.

Diabetic Cookery Recipes And Menus by Rebecca W Oppenheimer printed 1917


Link to the book here.

Eddie

Lowcarb is difficult to stick to, Don’t make me laugh !

Recently an article appeared in The Guardian Newspaper from GP Tom Smith. Now Tom is an educated man, but as I have come to learn, one must never confuse education with intelligence. Our Tom says “I would never go on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet like Atkins, Dukan or Cambridge. Why? Because although you will probably lose weight, they may kill you. He rambled on finishing with “Eating is for enjoyment; these diets turn food into medication, and it's patently the wrong medicine – it is often lethal.”

Well,  say what you like about Tom, but he doesn’t beat about the bush, a lowcarb diet “is often lethal” So many times when you see this sort of bilge, the diet criticised is not lowcarb, the study he referred to was not a lowcarb diet, in fact the carbohydrate component was 40%. Now, if Tom believes a 40% carb diet is lowcarb, what does he consider a high carb diet to be ? 60% carb maybe 80% carb. Could Tom be the sort of Doctor that advises diabetics to base their meals on starchy carbohydrates, and the often accompanying large bag of meds ? The sort of diabetes advice that leads to the disastrous statistics we see from the NHS. Try harder Tom, in my opinion you’re the kind of Doctor that “is often lethal” to so many diabetics.

OK that’s a medical professionals point of view, what a about the layman, the diabetic who thinks a lowcarb diet, is a swift one way trip to the knackers yard. Well, they can go on all day telling us what’s wrong with lowcarb. Many admit to never trying lowcarb, many tell us it might be OK in the short term, but people cannot stick to it, and so many fall off the wagon. Many feel lowcarb is some sort of fad, dreamed up by a person that wants to flog some books. I have been told so many times, you have strong will power you can stick to, many can’t. So, let’s take a look at the sort of food I eat based on around 50 carbs per day. Do you know what I see, exactly the sort of food my grand parents and great grand parents ate. The sort of food that people ate, before giant international food companies, turned food into a product more akin to a petro-chem concoction, than a healthy plate of food. 

If you think the foods featured below takes iron will to consume, and could prove to be lethal, then you are more barmy than Tom. If you feel sticking with those carbs and covering them with a bag full of meds is the way forward, I respectfully suggest you seek urgent psychiatric counselling.

Eddie

The Guardian article here.

Food descriptions and recipes here.