Good article (as usual). Is there not a risk however with the way most people approach low carb (i.e. lots of meat & and animal products) in that although weight and other metabolic markers may improve - in themselves very beneficial - they increase their risk for cardiovascular diseases by increased levels of LDL-C / ApoB in many cases?
Not everyone gets a huge rise in their ApoB but many do. Its very individualised. Also you can do a low carb Mediterranean style diet and also a plant based version. Key is to do what works for you and track your markers like ApoB etc.
Pity my doctor cannot do the apob test without going through a consultant. I can myself by going down to Dublin and going to a testing centre without his referral. Pity I need his cooperation over a CAC scan. The HSE system is well….. I am at lost for words. How on earth can you manage t2 diabetes with these systems in place!
I lost 33kg last year via diet and exercise, it was a steady slow process with a lot of sacrifice and workouts. But my dinner portions and food in general even though healthy often resembled big portions and carbs were there in good amounts even though I focused on protein and veg. Then this year in January I got acute pancreatitis caused by a stone blocking pancreatic duct. It was severe and I was fasting for 4 days. After that, afraid that this could reoccur I was eating only small portions and very little carbs. And after a week or 2 of that, I realized I wish I ate like that all my life. I eat 5 times a day small portions and cook dinner with salad. 1 potatoe cut into 2 halves with protein and salad does me enough for a dinner. I feel happy, my pancreas is healing and I am maintaining all the weight I lost last year really well. I thought at first that giving up obvious bad processed food is enough bit now I know that limiting carbs is an important step is general wellbeing.
Very true. In 2008, I lost 80 pounds by lowering the amount of calories I consume. My regimen was lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, along with increased exercise. It took nine months. In the years since, I added back as much as 30 pounds of the 80 I lost, but I re-dedicated myself and lost those 30 pounds again. I’ve held my weight for the last three-plus years at around 175 pounds. In recent years, I’ve gone to more of a plant-based diet, cutting out processed meats and cutting back on red meat (but not completely), and upped my exercise routine. I like fruit and veggie smoothies with skim milk and protein powder, and have 2-3 of them a week. Fat-free Greek yogurt almost daily. Refined sugar is addictive, so I avoid it most (but not all) of the time. I’m 66 now, and find I spend more time and money on body maintenance.
I just wonder with all this, I follow low carb keto with fat/ protein. Am I on the right diet? I do not know. All very well saying change your diet. What criteria does one use? Ultimately seeing if one’s arteries are being clogged with deposits must be a litmus test CAC etc and bloods. But in Ireland this is easier said than done. I can circumvent my doctor with bloods by going to Dublin to companies who specialise in these without a doctors referral. CAC and scans I am stuck with a doctor who reluctantly maybe will refer me to an endocrinologist or consultant of some sort, as this is outside HSE guidelines which states that he is responsible for my care. He has not ability to do some tests nor will he look at the tests I have done at my expense or the CGM monitor results that I have. He always says how are you certain your results are accurate. I floored him with the Dexcom monitor I used which allows me to calibrate the device against fasting glucose via my contour test strips which I checked were accurate with a local friendly pharmacy! But he still will not look at my results only Hb1ac will be considered once every three months. As for my c-peptide etc, forget it.
So I am no closer to working out if my diet is doing me harm or not!
As Dr Paddy explains and I agree as well, there is more than one way to skin a cat so to speak, the nonsense over the carnivore/ plant munchers gets to be irritating. Our dentition is described as being omnivorous, so that must have been of an evolutionary advantage a long time ago but is this relevant today? There must be something really wrong with our lifestyle with obesity, diabetes and chronic diseases rates just soaring out of control. These societies such as the Inuits and Mongolians are also polluted now with sugar based foods, sweets, drinks etc and so they will similarly be faced with all these diseases.
If you look at his site there are interesting pdfs that give a very full overview of Mike keens metabolism being on a very low carb, high fat and protein diet which many do not realise is typical of many cultures in very cold climates around the world. I have been living with a Mongolian family on a high altitude plain eating land, goat sheep sheep, alcoholic fermented horse milk, arag.
Good article (as usual). Is there not a risk however with the way most people approach low carb (i.e. lots of meat & and animal products) in that although weight and other metabolic markers may improve - in themselves very beneficial - they increase their risk for cardiovascular diseases by increased levels of LDL-C / ApoB in many cases?
Not everyone gets a huge rise in their ApoB but many do. Its very individualised. Also you can do a low carb Mediterranean style diet and also a plant based version. Key is to do what works for you and track your markers like ApoB etc.
Pity my doctor cannot do the apob test without going through a consultant. I can myself by going down to Dublin and going to a testing centre without his referral. Pity I need his cooperation over a CAC scan. The HSE system is well….. I am at lost for words. How on earth can you manage t2 diabetes with these systems in place!
I lost 33kg last year via diet and exercise, it was a steady slow process with a lot of sacrifice and workouts. But my dinner portions and food in general even though healthy often resembled big portions and carbs were there in good amounts even though I focused on protein and veg. Then this year in January I got acute pancreatitis caused by a stone blocking pancreatic duct. It was severe and I was fasting for 4 days. After that, afraid that this could reoccur I was eating only small portions and very little carbs. And after a week or 2 of that, I realized I wish I ate like that all my life. I eat 5 times a day small portions and cook dinner with salad. 1 potatoe cut into 2 halves with protein and salad does me enough for a dinner. I feel happy, my pancreas is healing and I am maintaining all the weight I lost last year really well. I thought at first that giving up obvious bad processed food is enough bit now I know that limiting carbs is an important step is general wellbeing.
Key as you say is using what works 'For you'. No best diet for everyone.
Very true. In 2008, I lost 80 pounds by lowering the amount of calories I consume. My regimen was lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, along with increased exercise. It took nine months. In the years since, I added back as much as 30 pounds of the 80 I lost, but I re-dedicated myself and lost those 30 pounds again. I’ve held my weight for the last three-plus years at around 175 pounds. In recent years, I’ve gone to more of a plant-based diet, cutting out processed meats and cutting back on red meat (but not completely), and upped my exercise routine. I like fruit and veggie smoothies with skim milk and protein powder, and have 2-3 of them a week. Fat-free Greek yogurt almost daily. Refined sugar is addictive, so I avoid it most (but not all) of the time. I’m 66 now, and find I spend more time and money on body maintenance.
Great work - Keep it up.
Why are there such conflicts of interest in the field of medicine and nutrition especially!
https://open.substack.com/pub/staycuriousmetabolism/p/carnivore-scare-top-cardio-journal?r=4umro3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
A very pertinent and balanced article by a very brilliant person.
I just wonder with all this, I follow low carb keto with fat/ protein. Am I on the right diet? I do not know. All very well saying change your diet. What criteria does one use? Ultimately seeing if one’s arteries are being clogged with deposits must be a litmus test CAC etc and bloods. But in Ireland this is easier said than done. I can circumvent my doctor with bloods by going to Dublin to companies who specialise in these without a doctors referral. CAC and scans I am stuck with a doctor who reluctantly maybe will refer me to an endocrinologist or consultant of some sort, as this is outside HSE guidelines which states that he is responsible for my care. He has not ability to do some tests nor will he look at the tests I have done at my expense or the CGM monitor results that I have. He always says how are you certain your results are accurate. I floored him with the Dexcom monitor I used which allows me to calibrate the device against fasting glucose via my contour test strips which I checked were accurate with a local friendly pharmacy! But he still will not look at my results only Hb1ac will be considered once every three months. As for my c-peptide etc, forget it.
So I am no closer to working out if my diet is doing me harm or not!
As Dr Paddy explains and I agree as well, there is more than one way to skin a cat so to speak, the nonsense over the carnivore/ plant munchers gets to be irritating. Our dentition is described as being omnivorous, so that must have been of an evolutionary advantage a long time ago but is this relevant today? There must be something really wrong with our lifestyle with obesity, diabetes and chronic diseases rates just soaring out of control. These societies such as the Inuits and Mongolians are also polluted now with sugar based foods, sweets, drinks etc and so they will similarly be faced with all these diseases.
If you look at his site there are interesting pdfs that give a very full overview of Mike keens metabolism being on a very low carb, high fat and protein diet which many do not realise is typical of many cultures in very cold climates around the world. I have been living with a Mongolian family on a high altitude plain eating land, goat sheep sheep, alcoholic fermented horse milk, arag.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/06/dried-halibut-and-whale-jerky-how-a-traditional-inuit-diet-fuelled-an-epic-kayak-adventure
https://eatyourenvironment.com/#home