Southport GP on DCUK

Southport GP wrote:Well here is at least one UK doctor that agrees with every word in that presentation !

For someone with type two diabetes sugar is poison and starchy foods like bread pasta and rice are actually concentrated sugar.
The only problem is the permanent giving up of all forms of sugar For many of my patients it's a stark choice -give up carbs or remain diabetic. 
The good news is a low carb high fat diet is tasty as well as healthy.

Like the doctor in the presentation I am on the diet even tho not a diabetic I started over two years ago to check how it would be for my patients and was surprised how well I felt!

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/

Dr Unwin commenting on Sarah Hallberg's TEDx video, pity we don't have more HCPs like him not only does he advocate LowCarb for his Type2 patients he practices what he preaches and follows the diet himself.

On day people like Dr.Unwin will be the norm in the UK and strangely it may well come down to money, not too much but far too little. The NHS will not have the money to promote a diet of slow death to diabetics and an expensive bag full of meds. One day someone will wake up to the fact £billions could be saved by advising the correct diet for diabetics, not to mention all the human misery that could be avoided from diabetic complications.

Wasn't it great to read Southport GP Dr Unwins words about the LCHF lifestyle for both diabetics and non diabetics. Check out Graham's first post here above...  

Well, I think a lot of both Forum Readers and Members will agree Southport Gp Dr Unwin is certainly a great guy. He does talk about and spread the news that is LCHF. He even recommends it for runners! Have you seen this ?

BTW Feel Free To Comment - other readers will also like to read your thoughts !


You may have already read this, or a similar article, about Dr David Unwin, (pictured above). Some readers may know David under the Forum Name 'Southport Doctor'. it is a very interesting read.

"Hello, I am David Unwin, another GP interested in the low-carb approach to helping my patients with type two diabetes.

My work formed the basis of an article published in the March 2014 edition of Practical Diabetes. ‘Low carbohydrate diet to achieve weight loss and improve HbA1c in type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes: experience from one general practice’.

I am not a diabetic, but have been on the diet for about two years now. I started it as a gesture of support for my patients but find I am more alert and need less sleep on it. Surprisingly it seems to help me run faster too! I recently finished a 10 K road run in less than 46 minutes, my best time for years.

Since writing the article in March, my practice has been given a small grant which means we have now helped 37 people with type two diabetes. Interestingly, the results are very similar to our original cohort including improvements to cholesterol, despite a diet higher in fat which makes one wonder…

Abstract

Diabetics have long been exhorted to give up sugar and encouraged to take in complex carbohydrate in the form of the starch found in bread and pasta (especially if ‘wholemeal’). In fact, bread should be seen as concentrated sugar which explains why it has a higher glycaemic index than table sugar itself.

As there are no essential nutrients in starchy foods and diabetics struggle to deal with the glycaemic load they bring, we question why they need form a major part of their diet at all.

The recent increase in screening in general practice along with epidemic of ‘central obesity’ is revealing large numbers of pre-diabetics and diabetics (diabesity). At a time when there are questions about drug safety, which diet is best is of particular importance.

Many patients are already experimenting with the ‘low carb’ approach as it is so widely advocated on the internet. We wanted to see how effective and well tolerated it was.

A series of 19 type 2 diabetics and pre-diabetics volunteered to go on a low carbohydrate diet backed up with ten-minute one to one sessions with a GP or practice nurse, and regular group education.

After seven months only one had dropped out, of the rest all had significant weight loss (average 8.63 Kg) and the average HbA1c was down from 50.68 to 39.9 mmol/mol (6.7% to 5.7%).

Despite the higher fat intake on this diet the cholesterol dropped and liver function improved for nearly all participants.

We conclude this approach is easy to implement, brings rapid weight loss and improvement in HbA1c using a diet that the great majority of patients find easy to live with.

You can find the full article at Practical Diabetes here:

http://www.practicaldiabetes.com/SpringboardWebApp/userfiles/espdi/file/March%202014/PP%20Unwin%20final%20proofs%20revised.pdf

These words and picture taken from 'The Diabetes Diet Blog' here:

http://diabetesdietblog.com/2014/10/22/dr-unwins-winning-formula-for-fitness-and-health/

... Now I'm not a runner but I do enjoy a good walk, and my LCHF lifestyle is just great. I hope yours is too    

All the best Jan

Poor Dr Unwin he does not know what he is letting himself in for , according to the data from sound sources from the LowCarb opponents he is due to succumb to all manner of side effects including scurvy, osteoporosis, chronic constipation, cognitive decline, kidney failure, bone degeneration and leprosy OK I made the last one up but all the others have been cited.

The source of all the claims is non other than a BDA dietitian Christine Cashin aka ally5555 at the DCUK forum.