Good advice. Seeing a diabetes educator tomorrow. I want to tell her how I eat very low carb with the goal to stay off meds. I was on statins but had to go off so have to watch how much fat I can add to my diet. I now eat around 60 carbs a day and cut out snacks since I do not go lower than 90 since off meds.

I do but there is a caveat.

At least the Certified Diabetes Educator Nutritionists and Dietitians in Canada follow a set of National Guidelines for Diabetics.

And in Canada at least, the "presumption" is made that ALL Type 2's will use medication. There is zero allowance or guidance for following a low carb diet that would preclude or reduce the need for medication. That is just the way the program is designed.

Plus they are advising for "total health" and not only Diabetes.

That does make sense in many respects. Because while eating a pound of bacon every meal forever would be the ultimate in blood sugar friendly, not even moving your BG by one point you would probably die from heart disease or stroke in fairly short order.

It has only been the last 4 years that the international guidelines for treatment of Type 2 (which is used by all Western Countries) suggested that a Low Carb diet was both viable and beneficial for Type 2's. So if you notice now on most National websites - take the ADA website as an example - they no longer even recommend a diet but simply say "talk to a dietitian". Diabetes UK "preaches" low carb and Diabetes Australia at least acknowledges that there "might be" some value.

So at least until it all filters through the "company line" seems to be "eat healthier" all round but they fail to give guidance as to "eat this to keep your blood sugar down as far as possible/safe" and instead "eat good and medicate".

Personally, I get great value from my Dietitian because I went into to see her with my Plan in place.

I told her I was going to eat a Low Carb/High Fat diet with the goal of maintaining A1C levels that would not require medications to do so. She has provided invaluable assistance in helping me to do that including an annual analysis of my "way of eating" (diet is a term that doesn't apply) to ensure that I'm not ending up deficient in any vitamins, minerals or trace elements since I am eating "carb restricted".

This would not have been the case if I simply said, I have diabetes what do you advise. You need to tell them "your goal" or you get the "blanket plan" - after all, 60% of diabetics are totally uncontrolled so any improvement is a bonus.

But it certainly seems to be "standard practice" if you simply go in and ask "what should I eat" you will NOT get a super blood sugar friendly recommendation because it is "expected" that you will eat healthy and medicate away any of the excess.

@A DiabetesTeam Member If she’s good she’ll encourage and guide you.

If she’s not so great she’ll freak out and tell you that low carb is not the way to go.

Although I’m on very low carb I’m not a big fan of high fat although it doesn’t affect my cholesterol etc. (Our family does not have a cholesterol problem).

I take it your doctor took you off meds or alternately you have good bg readings or both.

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A Diabete...

Great advice @A DiabetesTeam Member. T2 Diabetics must not be passive when dealing with doctors, dieticians etc. They can’t expect those people to read their minds!

I agree that using low carb as a substitute for meds is not the way to go. There is no magic bullet and whilst there will be those few that can come off meds there’ll be many that can’t.

You seem to have a great Diabetes Educator and I envy you! 😊

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A Diabete...