The post title is the last line of Star-Spangled Banner which is the national anthem of the United States of America. The US may well be the home of the brave, but it sure is not the land of the free. Some time ago we commented on a guy called Steve Cooksey. Steve’s story is very much our story.
“After being diagnosed with diabetes, Steve did research and learned that the high-carb/low-fat diet his doctors recommended to him may not be best for diabetics because carbohydrates raise blood sugar. He adopted a low-carb “Paleolithic” diet that mimics our ancestors: lots of fresh vegetables, meats, and fish, but no sugars, processed foods or agricultural starches.
Steve lost 78 pounds, freed himself of drugs and doctors, normalized his blood sugar, and feels healthier than ever. He believes a low-carb diet is the simplest, cheapest and most effective way to treat diabetes. This goes against the conventional wisdom promoted by licensed dietitians, who advocate a high-carb diet and drugs to lower blood sugar.”
The above quoted text and story can be seen on almost every diabetic forum and blog. Lowcarb has been the salvation of millions of diabetics around the world. The UK has an almost identical stance to the official dietary recommendations that prevail in the US. Our National Health Service and the largest diabetes charity the DUK also promote the diet of slow death. Meals should be based on starchy carbs and where necessary (almost always on this high sugar/starch diet) covered my medication, just how big pharma likes it. Dietitions in the UK roll off a production line with lap top in hand and the hard drive in their heads pre-programmed with a diet for diabetics that has failed totally to bring down the gruesome NHS statistics published every year. Type two diabetes and it’s often linked obesity are run away epidemics in the UK as with the US.
The professionals have got it wrong, very wrong, unfortunately many diabetics are fooled by the titles and the diplomas hanging on the wall, and many pay a terrible price. They pay with their limbs, eye sight and kidneys. When the patient succumbs he is told diabetes is always progressive or he did not comply with his treatment as instructed. It’s beyond a dietition to believe it could have been the recommended diet that caused the diabetic complications, or the medication now banned for killing people such as Actos and Avandia. No, it was down to the patient. How do dietitions go home at night, to a nice home and a loving family, and ponder on how many diabetics they have sent on a journey that day, to a life of pain and misery ?
So, a diabetic that tried the standard death diet and drugs, and failed to lose weight and control his diabetes, tries to help others. Well in the US that can be a big mistake. ‘Land of the free’ no way, how long before bloggers and owners of diabetes help websites and forums in the UK are under the cosh and prosecuted ?
“In December 2011, Steve Cooksey from Stanley, N.C., started a Dear Abby-style advice column on his diet blog to answer readers’ questions. In January 2012, the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition informed Steve that he could not give readers personal advice on diet, whether for free or for compensation, because doing so constituted the unlicensed, and thus criminal, practice of dietetics. The State Board also told Steve that his private emails and telephone calls with friends and readers were illegal. Violating the North Carolina licensing law can lead to fines, court orders to be silent, and even jail.”
More on this story here.
Eddie
17 comments:
Sounds like he's got a great legal team behind him and I hope they take it all the way.
Absolutely absurd - and I fear you're right, I don't think this is a case of "only in America" unfortunately.
Indy
I have received two luke warm threats of legal action. Bring it on I say, I could shred a dietition and the diet of death in court.
Eddie
The US can make 'free speech' not free but they can not ban guns, what a mixed up place it frequently appears to be.
Indy said "I don't think this is a case of "only in America" unfortunately." I am in agreement with you here
Jeff
This is worrying, he is one of the good guys surely?. Can you keep us informed please.
Kate
it's so sad -- the corporations own this country now, NOT "we, the people."
It’s the same here Tess. Big pharma and big food companies own our MPs. The banks are even bigger crooks. Big fines but no one goes to jail.
Eddie
But to be clear, not only was he recommending paleo, he had a business where people paid him for this "advice". However, the fact that this situation is still continuing even after he took all that stuff off his website speaks VOLUMES about the state of things. I, for one, am beginning to make it quite clear to my HMO that in no way am I to be evaluated or fed by any registered dietitian or member of the Academy.
Eddie,
I read the same testimonies on vegan websites.
Vegan works for some diabetics. LC works for others.
It's very much dependent on your personal genetic history, metabolism, etc.
The common thread is that you found something that suits you and which helped you lose weight. Marvelous - but don't make laws for all of humanity, OK?
“but don't make laws for all of humanity, OK?”
I am not trying to make any laws, let alone laws for all humanity. I am promoting a method of blood glucose control for diabetics. Having said that I do feel ‘all of humanity’ can do without high fructose corn syrup and a big reduction in highly processed factory food, would serve many well. I believe this way of life is the way forward for all, diabetic or not. As I have said many times this ain’t rocket science, it’s basic common sense. Eat fresh food that has not come out of a factory. Base meals on non starchy vegetables, add some protein, add some healthy fats, some fruits and some nuts and seeds. Hardly revolutionary is it ?
Regards Eddie
Update: "Steve’s case was dismissed October 5 on the grounds that Steve did not suffer an injury that gives him a basis to challenge the government’s actions. The Institute for Justice plans to appeal and will argue that the government cannot single people out, tell them that their speech is illegal, and then plead in court that it has not chilled their speech."
Cooksey came to the government's attention when he was handing out his cards, but according to them, he couldn't even give out *free* advice:
"In January 2012, the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition informed Steve that he could not give readers personal advice on diet, whether for free or for compensation, because doing so constituted the unlicensed, and thus criminal, practice of dietetics."
The Institute for Justice handles a lot of free speech and occupational licensing cases. The reason so many occupations are licensed isn't for public safety, but so that government can collect fees for tests and licenses and people already in a profession can limit competition. It's called rent seeking, and it's not unique to the US. Just yesterday, IJ won a victory over the Internal Revenue Service, which was trying to regulate (read: collect fees for licensing) tax preparers. There's nothing in our laws that gives the IRS the power to do such a thing.
Eddie,
You say you aren't making laws for all humanity, then you say "I believe this way of life is the way forward for all, diabetic or not...... Base meals on non starchy vegetables."
I agree with you about HFCS, about processed crap, etc. Who doesn't? But when you say base meals on non-starchy vegetables you've lost me, because starchy vegetables have been the dietary basis of many healthy traditional human diets.
Be honest, Eddie:you didn't get fat and diabetic by eating starchy vegetables. You got fat and diabetic by eating empty carb/fat bombs, repeatedly. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I did. I did not get fat eating sweet potatoes and bananas. I got fat bingeing on cakes, cookies, candies, etc. Maybe you got fat on fatty meats with cheeses. But you did not get fat on starchy low-fat vegetables. Sorry, Don't believe it!
I don’t believe I got fat because of any foods. I was never fat until I become a type two diabetic, it runs through four generations of my family. Obesity was never an issue with me until I reached 57 years age. Within a year I was confirmed as a type two and around 50lbs over weight. Fat but not in the morbidly obese range. It seems to me many people who comment on lowcarb or palio sites obesity was a long term issue for many, right back to childhood for some. By going lowcarb and reduced calorie I lost the 50lb within three months. Non diabetic BG numbers and have kept the weight off for almost five years. I am not ashamed I became a diabetic.
When have I stated I got fat by eating starchy vegetables ? Don’t forget I lowcarb to control my BG not my weight, that was a side issue, but beneficial from an insulin resistance stand point. If I had not become a diabetic I probably would have never heard of lowcarbing, I would probably have never become over weight, and if I had I would of just reduced the food intake and put more into physical activity. I semi retired in my forties an played golf most days walking with a heavy bag on my shoulder for around 3-4 miles. Some days two rounds of golf. Like I said weight or diets was something that never entered my head for most of my life.
Eddie
Thanks for your comment Lori.
The same strokes are pulled over here. A 101+ indirect taxes and ways to claw money from people. We even have to pay for a TV licence here.
We are controlled from the cradle to the grave and it's getting worse. CCTV cameras everywhere we go 24/7.
Regards Eddie
Diana said:
{snip}
“you didn't get fat and diabetic by eating starchy vegetables”
Oh great, here we go again, all Type 2 diabetics are fat, lazy slobs who are to blame for their own disease.
Like Eddie, I was never more than 35 lbs heavier than my ideal weight and never in the “obese” BMI category, “overweight” range only.
Though it’s not politically correct to talk about it, I mostly maintained my idea weight by smoking (Gary Taubes talks about the effects of nicotine on body fat in the closing chapters of “Good Calories, Bad Calories”). I had 2 long term quits and both times my weight went up and I ended up with a “prediabetic” diagnosis – took up smoking again and the weight fell off and I returned to non-diabetic (by FBG and OGTT standards) levels. I was never counselled about diet, only about my feet. This third quit, I ended up fully diabetic.
After diagnosis I went on the calorie restricted SAD diet and yes I lost weight. It was only when weight loss stalled and I was forced to get a BG meter by my diabetes educator (the endocrinologist told me just to have A1C tests every 6 months) and started to test 1 hour after meals that I realised just what “healthy whole grains” and starchy carbs were doing to my BG levels. Then I went searching on the net about healthy BG levels and found Jenny Ruhl’s site and the whole “eat to your meter” philosophy.
People with diabetes have metabolic issues – I don’t need dietary advice from people who don’t.
The other wonder for me in cutting out all grains and starchy vegetables was the resolution of years of IBS and GERD. I can actually eat sweet potato and it doesn’t spike my BG – but I have to spend the next 12 hours tracking its progress through my digestive system. Never again!
You accuse Eddie of prescribing a diet for everybody. No, he’s offering an alternative to Type 2 diabetics who are having problems controlling their BG on the badly ill-informed diet prescribed by health care professionals that is killing people by encouraging high BG spikes (and the attendant complications) caused by eating “healthy carbohydrates”.
Indy
Thanks Lori for the update you put on yesterday, and for other comments, it is an interesting read.
Kate
"When have I stated I got fat by eating starchy vegetables ?"
You didn't. Which is why I am puzzled as to why you say, "Base meals on non starchy vegetables" - and you furthermore say "I believe this way of life is the way forward for all, diabetic or not."
This confuses me. Please clarify your statements and maybe I won't be confused.
I mentioned low starch vegetables because I do not believe a diet based on starch is optimum for anyone. As an example check out the nutrients in potato compared to broccoli. Broccoli contains almost 5 times as much vitamin C as potato. Broccoli contains 8 times as much calcium as potato. Broccoli contains almost 2.5 as much dietary fibre as potato.
Eddie
Check out this link.http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/low-carb-diets-what-is-missing.html
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