Oh Marie123, I’m really pleased! It does feel weird at first, for sure! And there are some freaky asmr channels out there! I like Debbie though. Another strangely hypnotic one is her Sephora VIB sale April 2017 if you want to branch out from page turning! I stumbled across asmr when my mum was dying and it helped me enormously to cope, just by letting my brain be taken over by something else. Now I use it for sleep and relaxation and it’s just great. So glad you’re trying it!

Hi Inka13

Yes, I can imagine that asmr would be really valuable in helping your brain go elsewhere in those circumstances. I’ll check out the ‘Sephora VIB sale April 2017’ one, too.

Btw, you mentioned looking for something similar to what I listen to on BBC Radio 4 in Australia. Did you see Flick’s post where she was saying she used Richard Fidler, Conversations on Australian broadcaster ABC Radio National. Might be worth a go.

Marie xx

Just posted the link below on the 4 week challenge but thought it might be useful posted on here, also.

For anyone interested in fasting, I was listening to one of Jason Fung’s podcasts last week and he was saying the type of longer fast you do (e.g. using bone broth etc or water only) depends on what benefits you’re looking for. If you’re doing it to lower insulin or for weight loss you can use bone broth, etc; if you’re interested in triggering autophagy you’re probably better with a straight water fast. Here’s the link http://obesitycodepodcast.com/category/podcasts/ It’s episode 12.

There are a quite a few podcast episodes on various topics related to The Obesity Code on there which may be of interest – you just have to ignore the irritating intro music!

Thank you for the link Marie123 to the podcast. I found it very helpful.

I think the idea of focusing on shorter fasting periods while loosing weight and then maybe think about longer fasts in the future as my comfort levels for fasting increases and taste buds change that I took from the podcast makes sense. –

Seeing as there is so much publicity about longer fasts and autophagy I would guess that over the next few years there will be a lot more research and understanding of this state than exists at present. –

Its interesting that meat based protein has an impact on insulin levels more than vegetarian protein. That could be a useful snippet of information for those on the forums who find they are IR.

Hi JGwen
Yes, I think that’s what I’m mostly going to do, too. My blood sugar is under control. I’ll do the 16:8 while I lose the rest of my weight. (Decided I’ll either bring my 9pm cup of tea forward to have before I stop eating at 8pm – or I just don’t worry about it!). Jason Fung has got a new book ‘The Diabetes Code’ which is due to be published the beginning of April (in the UK) so I’m going to see what he has to say in that about reversing diabetes, fasting etc which is applicable for me to take forward into maintenance.
Cheers Marie x

just a brief update on the melatonin tablets I have been taking for sleeping. I had a really good night the first night but since then it has got progressively worse. I am having strange bodily feeling like creepy crawlings, pinpricks etc and restlessness. I am also having nightmares and waking 3 or 4 times a night even though before I had trouble getting to sleep but once asleep I was the proverbial log. Dead to the world. I am going to continue for a couple more nights then to see if there is any correlation, I am going to stop and see how I am without.

Early days, but I wanted to recommend an exercise DVD. I have no commercial interest in it! If, like me, you hate exercise and have co-ordination problems (!), consider the Y Plan Countdown DVD (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plan-Countdown-DVD-Jill-Gaskell/dp/B004CSKCSG). The programme is divided into three levels, starting carefully and gently and then increasing in difficulty, with a maintenance programme (the last is also on Youtube). It requires about 10 minutes a day and has a miraculous toning effect. I have become a fan all over again – for the nth time in around twenty years! Do others have recommendations? Might be useful to share?

Article on the latest research that there isn’t 2 types of diabetes but 5 types.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/diabetes-has-five-types-not-two-877plfq8f

There are a few comments so far on the page about the benefits of counting carbs.

Just listened on catch up radio through the web to the BBC Radio 4 food programme about is a low carb, high fat diet good for you, centering around Tim Noakes and his experience. Should be able to find it at this link –
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09smnhd
About 21 mins MM makes an appearance too.

I dont know why The Times have suddenly decided there are 5 types of diabetes. Surely, that is already well known and, in fact, there are more. T1, T1, LADA, MODY and gestational but the others are double diabetes, T3 and steroid induced diabetes. Obviously some of these are very rare with the first 5 being the commonly recognised.

They are simply reporting on the publication of a recent research project.

JGwen, my point is that they are reporting what Trump would call Fake News. The headline reads There are 5 Types of Diabetes Not Two – that is totally wrong to start with as there has always been at least 3, T1, T2 and Gestational Diabetes and it has been known for many years about LADA and MODY so where is the new research. Newspapers have a habit of picking something topical, which diabetes is, you are always hearing something about it, then they run a story as if it is ‘new’ – it is page filling and the research they are quoting is years old. There is some good news that it leads people away from the blame factor in Type 2 as ‘these new strains can be caused by microbiological factors which upset the immune system;. So maybe reporting it today might have some good effect. I also noticed it ran in the Telegraph and the Observer. Can I also point out that this story was pinched from The Indian Express and, again, they are quoting research in the Lancet many years ago.

I wasn’t aware that it was old research, however I took the number of comments from a range of people on the benefits of low carb diets, and how the advice from the NHS on diet was wrong as a positive.

Treelady, that was an interesting interview with Tim Noakes. Thanks for posting the link.

Sorry to jump in here but not sure how to start a new thread. I’m into week 7 of the bsd .male 68yrs old,starting weight 13st 11lbs for a height of 6 ft. So far lost 1st 3 lbs and bg has been good until week 6 and start of week 7 where they have risen to 10 to 12 and I don’t know why as I’m sticking to the diet. Any help would be appreciated. Stopped taking metformin and insulin glaring and novorapid at the start of diet . Cheers Tom

Hi Grandatom – this is not something I have any personal experience of, but I know that there are others who have reported similar anomalies. Take a look at the thread “Rising Fasting Blood Glucose Levels” – you can use the search box in the top right of the page to find this and also to look for other threads that might offer the answers you are seeking.

Well done on your results to date and hope your bg will settle again soon.

Hi Tom,
My blood sugar levels behaved beautifully up to about 5-6 weeks in but then they started bouncing upwards and all over the place. Like you, I’d strictly followed the BSD throughout. Luckily, I’d read past threads on the forums where other people (like Bill 1954, Captain Lynne) had reported problems with blood sugar readings increasing around this stage. I don’t think it happens to everyone, but it’s definitely not that unusual. Mine stayed higher for a couple of weeks then returned to lower readings again. They are now (7 months in) usually between 4 and 5.5, (although they do go up if I go off track – only happens occasionally and only with cals – I always keep my carbs below 20g).
I’ve never been on medication so can’t comment on the impact of coming off your meds, although if you stopped them 7 weeks ago you’d think any impact of doing so would have been felt much earlier.

Stay positive, Tom, and keep going. You’re doing really well! If you’re sticking to BSD and keeping your carbs low, your blood sugar levels will come down again.
Marie

Hi Grandatom, first of all well done on starting this diet and, you say sticking to it. That is a great start. The first thing I notice and am very concerned about is that you have completely stopped some very important diabetes medications immediately without (I assume) medical intervention. Were you advised to do this or have you jumped in with both feet rather too soon. First can you tell me what your insulin and medication doses were before you stopped and did you check with your doctor first of all. I too am on insulin and have reduced the unit dose very slowly – from 38 units down to 22 at the moment but that has taken me nearly 2 years. It would also depend on how long you have been diabetic as to whether you can ever hope to completely get rid of the meds. Failing an answer I would suggest that you carry on with your medications with perhaps no metformin and see what happens to your BG over the next 2 or 3 days.

Hi Sunshine-girl thanks for your reply. I did consult my doctor before starting the diet but he didn’t seem that interested. Used to take 18 units of glargine each evening and 3 units of novorapid at mealtimes. Now thinking I should retake the glargine at a reduced dose and steadily reduce it as my bg comes down. Thanks for your help and encouragement.

Hi Grandatom. glad you are going to take it slower. Doctors are very sceptical of this diet because it is unproven and very difficult to stick to in the long term (which diabetics need to do – it is for life) so they stick with the well known path. Go back on the insulin and the novo and reduce the insulin bit by bit. However, if the novo is one of the glicazide tablets then watch out for afternoon lows. If this happens then reduce the novo by one tablet daily then continue to reduce the insulin. Remember, little by little does it and if you see your BG going down dont reduce insulin straight away, see it stabilised for several days or a week then reduce by one or 2 units, stabilise again and so on. Good luck and keep us informed.
If you want to start a new thread you go on the ‘Forum’ box at the top of the page. Pick which one you want to post in i.e. Welcome to BSD, or Fast800, or 5:2 etc, pick the one then look at the bottom of the list of topics already on the go. At the bottom you have 2 options, browse all topics in the category or Start and new thread. Obviously, you click on start a new thread, give it a title and type in your comments.

Sorry if I’m behind the curve here –
Two excellent documentaries to watch are
Fat Head and That Sugar Film – both on YouTube.
I confess I sat and watched both of them in one afternoon but totally eye-opening! If you need anyone to demonstrate the superiority of fats (good) over carbs or the nonsense of ‘calories in, calories out’ these are the ones to watch. Fat Head is also very amusing.
SSB

There was coverage on the News last night on a recent research project on maintaining fitness into old age.

There is an article which mentions the research in todays times newspaper https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/science-works-out-secret-to-a-20-year-old-body-in-your-70s-vnv36frzh but it doesn’t have the illustration which they showed on the news that I would love to have shared with the forum.

They showed a scan of a cross section of the leg of one of the elderly cyclists and a young person who was inactive. The inactive person had around an inch of fat encircling the leg under the skin, while the fit cyclists leg was the same size but was full of muscle.

I couldn’t help but start to think about the difference that would have on metabolic rate, and also wonder about plateaus, and weight loss v area of fat lost. – if you consider how likely it is that people on the bsd become more active as they loose weight and that muscle weighs more than fat. Could one of the reasons for the times when the scales don’t change be as fat is reduced and muscle increased?

Another article that may be interesting. There was a study which compared the benefits of traditional drug used to reduce the impact of starch in the diet of diabetics, with 3 different traditional Chinese herbal remedies. The Chinese herbs were twice as effective, and were linked with improvements in gut bacteria.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/high-fibre-diet-helps-friendly-bacteria-curb-diabetes-9k0c0ggvs

I saw this being promoted on the One Show last night by Hugh F-W….. He was saying how he’d lost weight by cutting out the refined carbs, so my ears pricked up! Tonight, 9pm, BBC1. I think it’s later in Scotland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43838655

Hope everyone is having a good day?

Kazeexx

Oh I heard that too Kazz. I’ll be tuned in too. I just wish Tom Kerridge had the b***s to come out in favour of it too as the way he lost weight instead of making a mint out of his low fat/low sugar nonsense TV programmes and book!
Tilly x

Thanks Kazz.

Interesting article comparing 2 different theories on insulins role.
https://optimisingnutrition.com/2018/05/03/ted-naimans-dam-fat-storage-insulinographic-explained/

Very interesting article JGwen. Have bookmarked it to read again as I find it really helpful to understand the science behind what is going on in our bodies.
I also like his recommendations at the end of the article which are practically identical to what we are doing with the BSD. I have become really interested in boosting my nutrient intake – which is why I added spirulina. Than goodness I have found one that actually tastes reasonably OK.

Folks, just watch a really excellent documentary on Netflix called ” THE MAGIC PILL “. It tracks a number of patients with various conditions and shows the impact moving to a low carb high fat diet has made in turning their lives around (T2 diabetes, autism, asthma, cancer, and more). Leading proponenets of LCHF are interveiwed (Fung, Perlmutter, Chattergee, Nina Teicholz, ) and highlights the trial against Dr. Tim Noakes in Cape Town when a compliant was lodged against him for unprofessional conduct by a nutritionist for his recommendation of LCHF when most of the world had bought into the fiction of low fat diets as a deterent to heart disease. He was exonerated.

It makes the point that the diseases of the modern diet can be cured by a diet the focuses on real food, drops the highly processed junk we had all been suckered into eating, and helps our bodies heal with LCHF. Great data supporting it.

It is a very powerful documentary and great motivation if you are finding you need an extra boost to keep on keeping on. Highly recommend it.

LTC

I really enjoy this thread! (no surprise that it’s another begun by Verano 🙂 )

I’ve bookmarked the documentary you cited, LTC. Have you ever read Michael Pollan’s book, “The Omnivore’s
Dilemna” ? It’s not about our way of eating, but it does thoroughly examine our food supply. I read it about 10
year’s ago, and haven’t eaten red meat that is commercially farmed since then. One of the most interesting (small)
studies done emanated from Australia. Aborigines that had migrated to cities and had adopted a western diet
with the inevitable processed and fast foods, all had high chloresterol, obesity, etc. They were returned to their native
hunting and gathering way of life, and within 6 weeks had reversed all of their negative health markers as well as
lost a great deal of weight! I do genuinely believe that sugar is poison, and it sneaks into everything! especially
foods that are labeled “reduced fat”! Salad dressings are a prime example….Esnecca really emphasized the
reading of nutritional labels, and of course she was 100% right. Thank you for highlighting this film!

Just for clarity Luvtocook, Autism isn’t a disease, it is merely a difference in the wiring of the brain. Sometimes the wiring combination works well, sometimes not. There is a wide range of abilities amongst us just as there are in the percentage of the population who are neurotypical.
Sometimes autism is combined with being hyperactive, just as some NTs are hyperactive. The combination of a high sugar diet with a hyperactive child isn’t going to be good however their brain is wired and whatever their intellectual ability.
I realise you are just passing on what you have seen and didn’t mean to cause offence. Its just important to me to explain that talking about ‘curing’ autism is like talking about curing someone sexual preferences, or curing short people. – Its about changing them to fit in with the majority rather than accepting them for who they are. Would you want to cure Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein who were both autistic?
I have not watched the video because I don’t subscribe to Netflix. I thought it might be helpful to you to know he is making a false claim (autism is a disease) in one area. Personally, I find such data helpful because it alerts me to the fact that I have to assess everything that person says for accuracy.

Hi guys.
LTC, thank you for recommending that documentary. I’ve just sat and watched it. It was dynamite! If only it could be aired on regular tv channels so ALL could see it, worldwide! I felt very emotional at the end of it and privileged to be part of this WOL. Albeit slightly modified as I prefer fish and chicken to red meat. I’m also pleased to report that I’ve lost 6 of my 10lb gain since I shocked myself into getting back on the wagon last Saturday, after getting on the scales.
Ok, time to re-visit my food cupboard to check for any beasties that may have krept in! Then more jungle taming!
Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend?
Kazzeexxx

I’ve been reading up on the Tim Noakes case and came across this which some may find interesting…..

http://foodmed.net/2018/04/big-food-big-pharma-killing-profit-yes-european-doctors/

JGwen, I believe the term I used was “condition”. I am very familiar with autism, which is only marginally understood, with a wide spectrum. One of the biggest questions is why it seems to have exploded in the latter half of the 20th century and researches are looking at the role diet is playing in its expression. The video does feature a child whose symptoms/expression greatly diminished with a move away from processed and high sugar foods.

Six lbs. in 9 days, Kazz? That’s about 2/3 of a lb. each day! The plateau has been broken 🙂 Carry On, my
sweet! This is great news!

Allie, more importantly, 15.13 so back where I belong!
JGwen, that documentary that Luv mentioned is on YouTube also.

Thanks Allie. I was unaware of that and glad others can see it.

Kazz that is STELLAR! I have had the same thing happen (thought not quite as spectacularly) when an overdue loss shows up in a whoosh. Patience wins out. Good for you. That is 2/3 of a month’s loss for many of us. Just curious….had your clothes been fitting a little looser in spite on no dip on the scales? Crazy stuff. Enjoy your victory.

LTC

Interesting, the long post I put together to respond to Luvtocook re autism has disappeared into the either. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, – I was wondering if it was a little to passionate and detailed for NT’s.
Autism has always been with us, as Dr Temple Grandin says, where would society be today if there hadn’t been an autistic who preferred to experiment in shaping spears from stone rather than sitting around the camp fire yacking. It was only written up in medical documents as an classification in the 1950’s and acknowledgement of the 50% of the people on the spectrum who have a high IQ only started in the 1980’s. Now teachers are being trained in recognising children on the autism spectrum, and then their parents are getting tested. And so the number of people who slipped under the radar as children themselves and are in the late diagnosis category are swelling the numbers who are diagnosed. Then add in that because girls and women on the spectrum ‘mask’, we observe the way NTs engage in social small talk and copy although its not instinctive to behave like that and the current ratio of 5 males being diagnosed for each female is changing and also rapidly raising numbers.

As there is improvement in technology, so we understand more about the wiring of the brain, so the realisation of how wide the range of variations is.

Perhaps, as there is a genetic element, the increase in professional work relative to the number of manual jobs suits people on the spectrum better, and we are thriving in this world. Think of all the advantages that all the inventors of previous generations have brought to society. Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein were both on the spectrum, but the absent minded professor is a common stereotype – This forum wouldn’t exist without the developments that the autistic ‘computer geeks’ have brought to society.

Maybe you will find this helpful, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWePrOuSeSY

Personally, I wouldn’t change from being Autistic to being a Neuro Typical if you paid me, my life is so much richer this way.

JGwen, you are right that the spectrum of personalities and talents enrich our world, and we are fortunate to have folks who perfer to work quietly alone on detailed tasks as much as more social “people persons”. All are a gift.

The only downside to the autistic spectrum is when it is painful and isolating for the individual. The most severe are troubled by sensory overload from what is mere background noise for others.

The goal of science should be to ensure that all individuals feel good in their own skin, and find a path in life that is satisfying and does not create added stress.

Obviously you have found that. I am a great admirer of Temple Grandin (loved the movie on her life as well).

I certainly meant no offense …simply had found the video offerning a ray of hope to many seeming to suffer very negative side effects from our distorted modern diet….ie, in reduced seizures, more comfort in social interactions, progress in verbal abilities, etc. All beneficial , all good things. Did not imply that autism was simply caused by a modern diet….but it seems that it might be exacerbated by it. Keto diets have also been used since the 1920s to help control seizures in epileptics with substantial success. We learn more each day.

LTC, my clothes are too big anyway so hard to tell but the weird concave around my waist area is more pronounced with rolls above and below,! It’s water weight that I’ve lost from what I gained probably but I’m just relieved to have my resolve stiffened!
Kxx

Kazz I’ve only just joined but following your mention of the European Parliament Panel presentation I had to post a link
https://youtu.be/jcnd3usdNxo
I’ve watched it, it’s long and packed with facts and extremely impressive. For example, evidence says there are no benefits to statins or to daily aspirin; that stents won’t prevent a single death and that money is the driver.

Plenty on corruption in high places and that doctors have no training in nutrition. They endorse IF and consider it good for the gut.
But mainly it’s about reversing diabetes by changing diet. All very eminent scientists adding their weight to the LCHF WOL and through the prism of the European Parliament.
Very much worth watching.
And hello everyone. I started the BSD last week and am finding this forum amazingly helpful, you’ve already answered a lot of my questions!

Hi MaggieBath, welcome to BSD. You are in the right place! How are you finding this way of eating so far? There are plenty of us, at all stages on this journey who will be only too happy to help with any queries or support. 🙂
Thanks so much for posting that link and summarising. It really was good to watch and they urged everyone watching to spread the word. This is what’s needed, a bunch of doctors/scientist/nutritionist getting together and presenting. At least if it’s more than one voice, it’s not so difficult to be ignored.
Kazzeexx

It’s going well thank you Kazz. Rather than hijack this thread I’ll join a challenge thread, but first the dogs need a walk. Thanks for the welcome x

Apparently beta cells store and control insulin. – A 2 week exercise program will increase how efficient they are even in IR or prediabetics.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-018-4627-x

Thanks JGwen. I wonder if a 40 minute brisk daily walk would count as an exercise programme or would it be an hour in the gym, circuit training? Anything is better than nothing though.

Another great piece of info that adds another tool for those who feel they can accomodate meal timing into their schedules:

Researchers found that early time-restricted feeding (eTRF) improved insulin sensitivity, which reflects how quickly cells can take up blood sugar, and it also improved their pancreases’ ability to respond to rising blood sugar levels. The researchers also found that eTRF dramatically lowered blood pressure, as well as oxidative stress levels and appetite levels in the evening.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180510/Early-time-restricted-feeding-improves-blood-sugar-control-and-blood-pressure-study-shows.aspx

The take away from this is that if you can front load most of your calories toward the first half rather than last half of the day it is likely to translate into easier weight loss. It in essence is a return the 19th and early 20th century’w main meal between noon and 2 pm rather than in the evening. Not doable for many, but anything you can do to move as many calories from “5 pm and after” to “3 pm and before” may help. Time restricting to a tighter window helps as well (instead of a normal 12+ hr window of 8 am to 8 pm or worse, limiting eating a span of 8 hrs a day or better yet 6 hrs a day) will also help.

JGwen – thank you for posting this information. Very interesting article that shows just how important exercise is. I am hoping all the dog walking and teaching and doing pilates will count as an exercise programme to help my poor pancreas improve. Maybe it is one of the things that has helped me come off the insulin – even though I have probably had diabetes for so many years. I will definitely KOKO on the exercise front.

OMG Luvtcook – I have been looking at time-restricted feeding to improve my BS and hopefully help my pancreas to heal. All the info says to miss breakfast and start eating around lunchtime and finish at around 8pm. I can’t do this as I teach every evening from around 4.30pm to 9pm.

So was very interested to read about this research. Very interesting that they say that our bodies ability to keep blood sugar under control in the morning is better than in the afternoon and evening.

I have been testing after meal blood sugars and that is exactly what I have found. So I have been eating the carbs earlier in the day and the results have been good. So my gut feeling is that this early time-restricted feeding would really suit my lifestyle and will be another tool to help me keep insulin free for the foreseeable future.

KrysiaD, so glad the info fell on fertile soil….and hope that this will be a help to you. I think skipping breakfast appeals to a lot of IF folks, but really, you can dictate where you want your 10, or 8, or 6 hour eating window to be to suit your life. And this extra bit of info certainly supports eating in the AM if, and a big if, you can live with restricted eating in the PM.

Hope this is the ticket for you and better BGs are ahead for you.

LTC

After looking into some of the resources on the internet published by benjamin bikman I joined a facebook group that he runs where he posts links to different research into the benefits of low carb. – I thought this one on the positive impact on the health of blood vessels of low carb might be of interest to people.

https://www.facebook.com/benjaminbikman/photos/a.366299080466349.1073741828.366036987159225/456910148071908/?type=3&theater