Practical Steps

What now?

On this website I have given a broad introduction to Low Carb diets and why they can be helpful and why they make sense medically.

On the second anniversary of me being Low Carb, I wrote My Low Carb Journey Back to Health, an account which gives my personal narrative and includes more details of medical and practical aspects of Low Carb, plus other sources of information. The pdf document can be downloaded here.

To accompany My Low Carb Journey Back to Health I have compiled an information sheet called Practical Tips for following a Low Carb or Ketogenic Diet. It also includes links to excellent free online sources of Low Carb information. The pdf document can be obtained here.

You might have specific questions or issues, even after reading all the information available on this website and the two pdf documents mentioned above. The Diabetes Community www.diabetes.co.uk isn't restricted to only those with Diabetes or Prediabetes, and is highly recommended, especially their Low-Carb Diet and Ketogenic forums. The forum community is informative, supportive and participation is free. The Low Carb Programme app from diabetes.co.uk, which requires a subscription, has been endorsed by the UK NHS.

Other Sources of Useful Low Carb Info:

Diet Doctor at www.dietdoctor.com has good, clear guidance from qualified physicians on what you should or should not eat with Low Carb or Ketogenic diets and has a good selection of Low Carb/Keto recipes. I found many of their videos are actually available for free on YouTube and The Diet Doctor Podcasts are highly informative.

Already mentioned: For an authoritative account of the underlying physiology which draws on many credible research results, and also background info about Low Carb, I highly recommend the readable and practical 2011 book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Jeff S. Volek PhD RD & Stephen D. Phinney MD PhD. (There is also a brief history about the incorrect anti-fat guidelines and explanation of why some negative Low Carb studies don't pass muster.) At the time of book publication, the suitably qualified authors (RD = Registered Dietician, MD = Medical Doctor) together had five decades of clinical and research experience in the field of nutrition and had published hundreds of research papers.

Dr David Unwin, a senior GP from Southport, and his wife Dr Jen Unwin (a Consultant Clinical Psychologist) had a paper published in early 2014 entitled Low carbohydrate diet to achieve weight loss and improve HbA1c in type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes: experience from one general practice which includes helpful patient advice (see Box 1. Advice sheet for patients) and is available online. (Worth carrying a printout to give to members of the medical profession who are skeptical about Low Carb.)

Dieting needs to be done safely, and therefore under appropriate medical supervision. Although the GP I saw wasn't familiar with the science behind Ketogenic diets nor terribly keen on them, he was still happy to keep tabs on my progress via blood tests: lipids (HDL, LDL and Triglycerides), HbA1c, liver and kidney function etc. These blood tests showed that, apart from losing weight, a Low Carbohydrate diet had enabled me to reduce my cardiovascular risk and reverse Prediabetes.

Finally, I wish you well in your quest to improve your health.