Hi Members,
Given it's food month and I know we have members on the forum who follow a low carb diet, let's discuss it. Do you follow a low carb way of eating? Have you tried it and how did you find it?"
The below link is for Diabetes Australia's position on low carb eating.
https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/low-carb-eating-ps.pdf
As always if posting on this thread please be mindful of the below.
One diet does not fit all: Diabetes Australia urges Australians to discuss individual diets with their healthcare team
Diabetes is serious and complex in all its forms - type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and other variants. The public/media discussion about diabetes should not be dominated by "diets" - this is not helpful. A focus on one particular type of diet is not helpful.
There are 1.7 million Australians with diabetes (all forms) and, for each and every one of them, advice needs to be tailored to their individual needs to help then live well and manage their diabetes. People with diabetes need access to ongoing self-management advice and support from an experienced, multidisciplinary healthcare team. This includes healthy eating, healthy activity and healthy weight and also self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, medication management and much more for optimal management of their diabetes.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines released in 2013 are a very good guide to healthy eating for the entire population. But when it comes to people who are diagnosed with diabetes, or people who may be at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes because they already have impaired glucose tolerance, there is no diet that works for everyone and we should aim to have individualised, tailored advice provided by multidisciplinary, healthcare teams.
The below are some key points from the position statement.
Diabetes Australia – Low Carb Position statement key points
Key points
- 1. For people with type 2 diabetes, there is reliable evidence that lower carb eating can be safe and useful in lowering average blood glucose levels in the short term (up to 6 months). It can also help reduce body weight and help manage heart disease risk factors such as raised cholesterol and raised blood pressure.
- 2. For people with type 1 diabetes, a number of recent studies are reporting benefits of lower carb eating, however these studies are limited in their size and design and do not provide strong evidence of benefit. Diabetes Australia believes high quality, large scale, longer term studies are necessary to further establish the effectiveness and safety of low carb eating for people with type 1 diabetes.
- 3. All people with any type of diabetes who wish to follow a low carb diet should do so in consultation with their diabetes healthcare team.
- 4. People with diabetes who commence low carb eating should monitor their blood glucose levels and, if necessary, talk to their doctor about the need to adjust their diabetes medication to reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose).
- 5. People with diabetes considering low carb eating are encouraged to seek personalised advice from an Accredited Practising Dietitian experienced in diabetes management. There are some practical considerations that need to be taken into account to ensure the eating plan is safe and enjoyable, provides adequate nutrition for general health, is culturally appropriate and fits into the person's lifestyle.
- 6. People with diabetes considering low carb eating should be aware of possible side effects (such as tiredness, headaches and nausea) and seek advice from their health care team if concerned.
- 7. Low carb eating may not be safe and is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people at risk of malnutrition, people with kidney or liver failure, or those with a history of disordered eating or some rare metabolic conditions.
- 8. People with type 1 diabetes may experience sudden drops in blood glucose levels and be at a higher risk of hypoglycaemia when following a low carb eating plan. They should talk with their diabetes healthcare team before starting low carb eating.
- 9.All Australians, including people who choose to follow a low carb eating plan, should be encouraged to eat foods proven to be beneficial to good health. These include whole fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, dairy foods, nuts, legumes, seafood, fresh meat and eggs.
- 10.All Australians should be encouraged to limit their intake of foods that are high in energy, carbohydrate or salt, including processed foods such as sugary drinks, chips, cakes, biscuits, pastries and lollies.
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Live Your Life Community Team
Natasha & Erin
membership@diabetesnsw.com.au------------------------------