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British doctor laments the pharmaceuticalised management of diabetes

By on 2 May 2013 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Food and Medical Politics

Des Spence is a UK general practitioner (family physician) who writes a weekly column in the British Medical Journal. Dr Spence does not shy away from pointing out what he feel is wrong with conventional medical practice. He regularly, it seems to me, has the independence of mind and balls to take a swipe at […]

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Vitamin D found to improve insulin functioning

By on 15 February 2013 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Nutrients and Supplements, Sunlight, Weight Loss

In one of my blog posts last week I reported on a study which suggested that obesity is a potential cause of vitamin D deficiency, but that vitamin D deficiency is unlikely to have a big role in driving obesity. However, even if this conclusion is utterly correct, it does not mean that boosting vitamin […]

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Mindful eating found to help diabetics

By on 9 November 2012 in Brain and Behaviour, Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Weight Loss

I believe I eat a generally healthy diet, but I’m no angel. One of my weaknesses is my ‘speed eating’ – a tendency to consume food too quickly and a failure to savour it properly. One of the risks of eating this way is that it can bypass some of the body’s natural cues regarding […]

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Diabetic transforms his health with a low-carb diet, and his doctor urges him to eat more carbs

By on 2 October 2012 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Food and Medical Politics, Low-Carbohydrate, Men's Health

I got an interesting email over the weekend from a 56-year-old type 2 diabetic. He was diagnosed at age 42. He initially managed this as he was advised: with a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. He moved to ‘healthy’ grains that were ‘less refined’ and ate sourdough bread. In his own words: “And despite all […]

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Diabetes UK CEO urges diabetics to manage their cholesterol levels better, but is this advice based on good evidence?

By on 13 September 2012 in Cholesterol and Statins, Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Food and Medical Politics

Baroness Barbara Young is the chief executive of the charity Diabetes UK, the UK’s largest and most prominent diabetes charity, and an organisation which encourages diabetics to eat at every meal foods which are known to be disruptive to blood sugar levels and therefore be bad for diabetics (go figure). You can read more about […]

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Low-carbohydrate diet proven to be very effective in type 1 diabetics (just as you’d expect)

By on 22 June 2012 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Low-Carbohydrate

A fundamental problem with diabetes is the usually-elevated levels of blood sugar (glucose) that go with it. These glucose molecules can react with proteins in the body, damaging them. This process – known as ‘glycation’ – is at the heart of diabetic complications such as cataracts, nerve damage, kidney disease and circulatory problems. There is […]

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US blogger sues dietetic body for ‘attempting to curtail his freedom of speech’

By on 30 May 2012 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Food and Medical Politics

Steve Cooksey is a regular guy. Awhile back, he was taken sick and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He decided to take matters into his own hands by educating himself about how best to help himself, and ended up eating a low-carbohydrate/paleo/primal diet (meat, fish, nuts and veggies, mainly) and taking more exercise. While […]

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Diabetics appear to be very interested in low-carb eating

By on 23 May 2012 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Food and Medical Politics

Back in March I was invited as a guest on the BBC Radio 4 consumer affairs programme You and Yours to discuss diabetes. Up against me was a spokesperson/dietician from Diabetes UK (the UK’s largest diabetes charity). My issue is that Diabetes UK gives diabetics incomplete and misleading information that is likely to make their […]

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Coffee again associated with a reduced risk of diabetes

By on 9 March 2012 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Healthy Eating

While coffee does not enjoy the healthiest of reputations, it has been consistently linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in the scientific literature. Back in February, for instance, a German study was published which found that individuals drinking 4 or more cups of caffeinated coffee each day had a 23 per cent […]

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If UK’s leading diabetes charity wants better care for diabetics, it should start by getting its own house in order

By on 23 February 2012 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Food and Medical Politics, Low-Carbohydrate

Baroness Barbara Young is the chief executive of the UK’s largest diabetes charity – Diabetes UK. She’s been on the warpath recently, calling the UK Government out on a ‘lack of political will’ to do something about substandard testing and care of those with diabetes. Baroness Young has this week performed something of a media […]

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