As I have previously mentioned, I am a type II diabetic, as well as a Perfect Health Diet adherent. I have been following the PHD quite rigorously for a while now and wanted to report on the progress.
First, I eat safe starches every day as part of my Paleo diet. Usually a half a cup of rice or a small- to medium-sized baked potato. Lately, I have been eating sweet potatoes (small to medium sized) most every evening, without anything added. And I check my blood sugar regularly. Two hours after eating a dinner of baked salmon with lemon infused olive oil, salad, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a medium sized sweet potato, my blood sugar was 95. My fasting blood sugar was 101 the next morning (my morning readings have always been high; Jenny Ruhl calls this the "dawn phenomenon"). Now these are not "normal" readings, but they are very good for me, especially given my history.
What is interesting is that my blood glucose levels have consistently fallen since adding in safe starches (and following the other aspects of the Perfect Health Diet), especially my fasting blood glucose readings. So I still reject the safe starch exclusion for type II diabetics. If it helps, like it does for me, eat safe starches, even if you are a type II diabetic.
I am not a diabetic. I'm a 71 yr old woman who began to pay attention to Gary Taubes about 8 months ago, after losing about 20 lbs in the previous six months by following "standard" diet advice (portion sizes, etc). Since then I've lost 30 more, and have, like you bought completely into the Jaminets' way of thinking. 20 more lbs will put me in the "not overweight" range according to standard charts (which I don't take all that seriously). Though I guess it's all relative, I already look and feel "thin" and consider myself to be on "maintenance". I truly believe that it's the safe starches that are the game changers. Goodbye forever to "fauxtatoes" and "caulirice". I love cauliflower, but primarily when it's just being ITSELF!
ReplyDeleteHi Sixty-five. Your experience sounds a lot like mine. Introduced by Taubes, then switched over to a more sensible plan. I never went the "fauxtatoes" route, so I guess I don't know what I missed.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree, the safe starches were the game changer.