I've gone a bit underground lately because I want to be careful in what I say. In the words of Sir Charles Barkley, "I am not a role model". What I am doing in life and how I decide to pursue my treatment and care for my Type I diabetes is a calculated risk.
I have forgone a lot of the assumed knowledge that is out there and recommended by the FDA, ADA, AHDA - I have said to hell with pretty much every accepted authority that is out there when it comes to how to pursue my treatment.. But I'm not just winging it - I'd done a lot of reading and in the interest of my own life, I'm taking a risk that I myself am willing to accept. I've made mistakes before in life - I'm sure I will continue to make mistakes - I am not perfect, I don't know everything. I am doing this for myself. I do not recommend that anyone else make any decisions based on what they perceive as what I am doing. I am not a doctor, I am not a nutritionist, I am a person living with diabetes who is trying to live a full life as safely as possible.
The above video from David Attia is however a very good representation of why I have chosen to discard conventional wisdom. If you truly are interested in the topic of nutrition I recommend you watch it all the way through. He has lots of material online that is rather easy to find if you are curious. I don't know him, but he has gained my confidence to a point that I'm pretty much risking my life on it. If I turn out to be making a poor choice, I will not hold him responsible. I will not sue him, my family should not sue him etc. I am a grown man and make my own decisions and take full responsibility.
Beyond Peter Attia there are many other voices out there. There are people like Vinnie Tortorich, Stephan Phinney, Ben Greenfield, Keith Runyan, Gary Taubes, Ludwig and Lustig, Sisson, Ferris etc. I'm finding more every day. Each of these people's voices are a whisper compared to the booming voice of conventional wisdom but together they sing louder than Eric Whitacre's virtual choir of 2,000 voices. The internet is a powerful tool for the sharing of knowledge.
And a further word on disclaimers.
I was in the waiting room of the clinic awaiting my last nutritionist appointment and thumbing through the latest issue of Diabetic Living when I saw an ad for a drug called Apidra. It was endorse by newly diagnoses Type II diabetic and Food Network chef Paula Dean. Not only am I amazed that she's been able to cash in on her diagnosis, but of equal amazement was the list of side effects of an injectable drug the company can only say 'may' reduce your high blood sugar, but also might do this....
"The most common side effect of insulin, including Apidra®, is low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which may be serious. Some people may experience symptoms such as shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, and blurred vision. Severe hypoglycemia may be serious and life threatening. It may cause harm to your heart or brain. Other possible side effects may include low blood potassium, injection site reactions, such as changes in fat tissue at the injection site, and allergic reactions, such as itching and rash. Less common, but potentially more serious or life-threatening, is generalized allergy to insulin, including anaphylactic reactions."
I find this irony particularly thick when I'm rather confident in saying that type II diabetes can be controlled without oral or injectable medication with drastic and unthinkable actions such as eating a diet devoid of added sugar and exercising regularly. She knows how to cook after all.
And a side note. I went for a nice 70 mile bike ride today during which I only consumed 5 grams of carbs and my BG remained between 80-96mg/dl. (higher at the end). My breakfast 4 hours before the ride consisted of 2 eggs and an avocado and two coffees with cream and cinnamon. I rode easy with a friend and kept my HR between 90-130 most of the time.
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