Kristine Bell believes that more research is needed before carbohydrate counting can be recommended as a clinical standard in diabetes care. At the same time it would be a challenge to find a control group with which to compare, as the method is so common.
- This is still the best known way to match insulin to meals, she says.
But as doctors we must emphasize that the foundation for the way we eat is still a healthy choice of foods, and that insulin should be matched to foods, rather than excluding carbohydrate-containing foods in order to take less insulin.
The above is from an interview with a researcher and physician in a Swedish Diabetes Magazine. I don’t know if she’s talking about diabetes type 1 only, in which case the above is just stupid. If it’s also about the most common form, type 2, it’s just crazy.
Equally Stupid Advice
Let’s play with the idea that we’re talking about some other disease than diabetes. Then the advice given would be as follows:
- If you have a peanut allergy, you should continue to eat “healthy” amount of peanuts and take a matching dose of allergy medicine.
- If you’re lactose intolerant, you shouldn’t avoid milk. Instead, you should take extra lactase tablets with your milk to minimize discomfort.
- If you suffer from liver failure due to alcohol consumption, you should continue drinking “healthy” amounts of wine. There’s always the option of a liver transplant, should you need one.
- If you have high blood pressure, you should not eat less sugar, starch or salt. You should eat a “healthy” amount, and take some more blood pressure medication!
- If you’re gluten intolerant, you should continue to eat “healthy” bread and match this with immunosuppressants.
All these ideas are of course silly nonsense, based on erroneous preconceived notions about what constitutes “healthful” foods.
A Smarter Alternative
Diabetics should think the same way as all others that suffer health problems from certain foods: avoid them.
Anyone who isn’t stuck in old ideas that healthy foods should contain a lot of flour/starch will have a new, revolutionary alternative:
Less blood sugar-raising food makes diabetics require less blood sugar lowering-medication. All diabetics may benefit from this.
More
New Study: More Sugar, More Diabetes
Dr Attia at TEDMED: What if We’re Wrong About Diabetes?
Failed Attempt to Cure Diabetes at Subway
