Although millions of people have used low-carb dieting without documented harm, there are some for whom a low-carb diet must be approached with caution.
If you are taking medication to control your blood sugar or blood pressure, you will need to quickly reduce the dosage and may need to discontinue these meds altogether if you significantly restrict your carbohydrate intake. This is best done under the supervision of a doctor.
For anyone who has serious kidney disease, an increase in dietary protein can be a problem. If you have kidney disease you should consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet.
Anyone who has any other serious illness such as unstable cardiovascular disease, cancer or liver disease need to exercise caution if making dietary changes. You should consult your doctor for guidance.
Hello, Dr. Jay. My name is Victoria, I live in Brownsville, Texas. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in early 2009, just one week before my birthday. It has been a constant struggle ever since. I was put on Metformin 500mg x 2 a day. In early December of the same year, I had a vaginal hemmorage and was admitted into the hospital. I was told there, I was anemic as well. I am not anemic anymore. Once discharged, I was put on Insulin, 30 units in the morning and 28 units in the evening. I did inject for less than a month, but I decided to stop because of the way I felt. I would feel very sleepy and fatigued. All I did was sleep. I changed drs. and was told that dosage was too high, my readings weren’t that out of control for such units. I just take the pills now, same dosage. My readings are not good and my hair is starting to fall out. This is very depressing. I realize I was going into a negative place and was thinking of just giving up and accepting that this illness will take me down. I came across a video last night on You Tube, “How to cure type 2 Diabetes.” I don’t know how I even came across it. It’s a blessing! I am hopeful about my diabetes. I was wondering, if you could please email me a list of things you eat by food group. I was told that I should eat flour less bread, I buy “Ezequiel” brand. Is this ok? And that I should eat whole wheat bread. I had gone to a class at the hospital and was told to stay away from tomatoes, but my dr. said to include them in my meals. This is very confusing. What about milk? I drink reduced fat 2%. I don’t eat rice or pasta anymore, I miss it, but it’s been over two years. I do eat oatmeal, the 1 minute kind, I don’t add any sugar, not even the substitutes. I’d like to try what I saw in the You Tube video. Could you please email me a list? I’d really appreciate it. It would be such a godsend to be able to say “My sugar levels are normal and I am not diabetic anymore.” This would mean a new lease on my life. Thank you for your time.
* My email: CherryMaraschino@att.net
Very Hopeful,
Victoria Cobos.
Dr Jay’s Reply:
I very much sympathize with your story. If you have read other comments on this site, you will know that I recommend following one of the good low-carb diet books to make sure you are doing this kind of diet correctly. I am sure you can find a copy of the most recent Atkins book which was written by my friends Eric Westman, Jeff Volek and Steve Phinney. For somebody with your history, it would be a good idea to stay on the induction phase of the Atkins diet indefinitely. This is what I do. I also recommend a recent book by Volek and Phinney, “The Art and Science of Low-Carbohydrate Living” which is available on Amazon. Either of those will get you on the right path. It is also a good idea to try to find a doctor who is supportive. Not all doctors are and it is difficult to find doctors who are fully versed in this kind of diet but if you have a doctor who is aware of your situation and who can monitor things that is the next best thing. Good luck.