Whenever I hear about someone having “uncontrollable Type II diabetes” I wonder what they have been eating. And I wonder what their physician has told them to eat or their diabetic dietician. I had two brothers who had Type II diabetes and was appalled at the information they received on their diets and the food they were given in the hospital. They, of course, would not listen to me because I was their “little Sister.” What did I know? Well, in fact, I do know a lot about diet and blood sugar simply because I have been educating myself by reading the dieting research. I have also conducted a nationally funded research project on ‘successful dieters.’

Not only have my brothers disregarded my information, so have the women to whom I gave a talk on diet and blood sugar. Their responses to my lecture were variable. Some said, “Interesting, but not what my doctor says.” Others said, “this was boring.” Still others said, I just don’t believe it.” In my lecture to this group of women, I tried to impress upon them the physiology that happens when they eat certain foods. For me, as a nurse, physiology is critically important in the digestive process. Without physiology, how can you understand what happens in your body to the food you eat?

It doesn’t help that the USDA continually recommends a high carbohydrate (primarily manufactured carbohydrates in the form of grains), low fat diet for Americans. The committee that draws up these recommendations make their decisions on interviews rather than well controlled clinical research.

Physicians recommend that their patients use the diet based upon the USDA recommendations. Few actually experiment with the low carbohydrate diet as a method of controlling high blood sugar and Type II Diabetes. This is despite the fact that they know, from their courses on physiology, that the consumption of carbohydrates raises blood sugar. And the more carbohydrates consumed, and the more refined the carbohydrate, the faster the food will convert to increased blood sugar.

So why do physicians and dieticians continue to recommend a high carbohydrate diet for diabetics?

I don’t know. But it upsets me that there are so many people with uncontrolled Type II diabetes. Why not try a low carbohydrate diet instead of drugs to control blood sugar?