--- Marilyn Harris <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I wonder if one can have both type 1 and 2 at the
> same time - in other words 
> your islet cells no longer work or have been
> detroyed (so you take insulin 
> injections) and your body cells are resistant to the
> insulin (because of 
> poor blood sugar management practices and diet)?

Not really, because if your islet cells have been
destroyed by high blood sugar levels over time, it is
still considered Type 2 although insulin is now
required. But yes, there  could still be a
considerable amount of insulin resistance requiring
higher levels of injected insulin. And yes, cutting
back on the amount of sugar you put into the system
would reduce the amoung of insulin required.

The high carbohydrate diet recommended for diabetics
is based on the standard anti-fat anti-protein diet
gurus. Diabetics are prone to heart disease, fat
causes heart disease, cut out the fat. Diabetics tend
to get kidney disease, protein causes kidney disease,
limit the protein. All carbohydrates do is raise the
blood glucose, and we have drugs to bring it back
down, so let's throw in plenty of carbs. And beside,
you aren't going to get diabetics (or anyone else) to
give up their bread, pasta, and cake, so we might as
well figure out how to deal with the consequences.

I guess there are two ways to balance the food intake
and the insulin. One, you eat what you eat and adjust
the insulin. Two, you inject a given amount of insulin
and follow a strict diet in terms of carbs at each
meal. So yes, if you follow a low carb diet it is
possible to cut way back on the amount of insulin
required, as as long as you can ignore the prophets of
doom who keep telling you how bad for you protein and
fat are.

Some people with Type 1, where the islets are
destroyed (nowadays most researchers believe this is
an autoimmune process) actually still produce some
insulin, but not enough. In that case, it is possible
that on a low carb diet the insulin would be
sufficient.

Andrea


 
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