Lunatic Bulletin

[azurelunatic]

Nutritionists == idiots, in some cases.

Ron stopped by the Breakfast Table of Unstable Doom this morning to talk about cool sugar substitutes, and I shared some of my experiences in babysitting the trio from next door back home in Alaska, the two younger diabetic sisters and their older non-diabetic sister. Ron is evidently diabetic (didn't know that!) and he shared a story from his past encounters with nutritionists.

Did you know that in the past, some clue-negative nutritionists claimed that diabetics should eschew sugar (well, duh, that part we figured) and also avoid protein, and load up on carbohydrate-heavy items like bread? Hooooollleeeee shit. I got the "Holy shit; please allow me to punch someone" expression on my face and fist, and Ron agreed with me. He's unfond of Big Brother Knows Best tactics. He'd figured, by what he'd been reading, the actual medical literature on the subject, that protein was OK and carbs were not -- and now, evidently, nutritionists are finally realizing this.

Good gods.

What idiots some people can be.

Comments

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

Um, duh. If you can't eat sugar, you probably shouldn't load up on carbs, since they are *ahem* sugars? A nutritionist should know that. Basic logic.

[azurelunatic]

Yes.

Ron read the literature, noted this fact to himself, and said, "I should be eating proteins, and avoiding carbohydrates."

"Oh no," said the nutritionist types. "You should avoid protein, and eat lots of carbohydrates. Bread. Potatoes. It's Good For You."

"Riiiiiight," Ron said. "I still think it's bull."

"Oh, now that it's 2002, we've discovered that Carbohydrates Are Bad For Diabetics, and that potatoes are just as bad as the equivalent carbload of candy bar, so you might as well eat sugar," said the nutritionists.

"You morons!" was the upshot of Ron's commentary then, wishing to deliver retroactive smackdowns.

[calligrafiti.livejournal.com]

Not only are high carb diets probably bad for current diabetics, some doctors are suggesting that high-carb diets might lead to adult onset diabetes. Granted, I've mainly seen this theory in high-protein/low-carb diet books such as Protein Power. Clearly the authors thereof have an agenda. But I believe their theory is that a long-term high-carb diet overworks the pancrease and insulin production in some people, leading to insulin resistance and, later, diabetes. Where adult onset diabetes has been seen by many as a potential hazard to being overweight, these doctors are seeing being overweight as a sign that the body can't handle a high-carb diet and a side-effect of the body's development of diabetes. Sort of a chicken/egg thing, I guess.

[azurelunatic]

Ron was discussing that. I've been trying to cut down, therefore, just doing the current bodymath on the topic. I take a gander at the food pyramid and grumble...

red cabbage and more bad doctor stories

[boojum.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure the old-timey response (before there was really any hope of saving diabetics) was to feed them red cabbage while waiting for them to die. I'm not sure what it was about red cabbage that prolonged life for them.

My parents are still pissed that a doctor told me (and not them) to cut back on refined sugar when I was five or so and not eating any refined sugar. And that the doctor in charge of the operation said to them after I had my adenoids out, "Guess she didn't have cystic fibrosis, since the anesthesia didn't kill her." I've also watched my mother correct doctors about available meds. I've been raised to show respect to doctors iff they deserve it, and correct them if necessary, because bodies are important and doctors can be dumb too.

Re: red cabbage and more bad doctor stories

[azurelunatic]

I guess I've mostly had good doctors.

The one doctor incident that made a deep impression on me was when I was getting examined to see if I'd gotten genital warts from Christel via Shawn. The doctor lady, after swabbing vinegar around, told me that if I thought this was undignified, think of Shawn, who would have to basically soak his body part in vinegar... pickled penis, anyone?