Thursday, January 6, 2011

Low Carbing and My Hospital Experience #lowcarb

I mentioned that my doctor tried to keep me on a "heart healthy" diet in the hospital. All those grains and sugars (natural and otherwise) would have made me sick...but let me back up. As they took my history, both this time and when I was admitted for my surgery last month, the nurses always gave me an incredulous look both when I told them that I am not diabetic, and when I told them that I don't have cholesterol issues. I'm a middle-aged fat woman after all, how can this be?

I can tell you how it would NOT be, and that is if I were following a "heart healthy" diet!

The doctor finally consented to give me a regular diet, so I would "have more choices" (read: eat more fats!) And after that I chose real egg dishes (an omelet NOT made with fake eggs), real meats/fish, things with cheese on them, etc. What I ate isn't that important; what is important is that I was in charge of what I ate, and didn't have to choose my foods from the low-fat/high-carb menu.

Anyway, while I was in there, I had every heart and lung and blood test there is, in addition to a test to check the integrity of my wrap (the nissen fundoplication that was done on Dec. 1st) - everything was perfect...beautiful...all clear...words my doctor used.

(On a side note, the nutritional lady from the dietary dept. came up to my room at one point to ask me if I had an explanation for the 20# weight loss over the last month, or did they need to check into a possible cause? Weight loss is a side effect of the nissan fundoplication I had, as I explained to her, along with low carb eating - even though I ate some carby foods during the first couple of weeks after the operation.)

To me, this plus the fact that I AM a middle-aged fat woman without cholesterol or diabetes issues, is all due to the low carb (5-10% of my intake), high fat (75ish%), moderate protein (15-20%) diet that I have lived on for nearly 7 years, and nothing else...especially considering I DID have a "prediabetic" label stuck on me, and high triglycerides and LDL with low HDL, in the months prior to starting my lowcarb way of life.

Once again, for the bazillionth time, the low carb way of life has been vindicated.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

About my "Diet"

Lots of things are going on but I will blog about those in chiachatter - I did discuss my "heart-healthy" diet with the hospitalist this morning though, and he told me that it was best. I told him that I would like him to change me to a regular diet, and without "getting into it" that I have eaten low carb for almost 7 years, and a couple days of sugar and grains wasn't going to do anything except mess up my blood sugar. He told me that he's got to advise his "heart-healthy" (ie, oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, and skim milk for breakfast!) diet and I said I know that's what he believes and I realized I wasn't going to change his mind, but that he won't change mine either, I have lived the results of low carb eating in my own better health, so please don't make a big deal of it, just change my diet to regular so that I can choose the foods that are best for me.

He changed my diet order to regular.

(Of course, I'm still NPO until more tests this afternoon, but I will look forward to meat and cooked green beans - with butter or at least their excuse for same - for supper tonight!)

Monday, January 3, 2011

Back in the Hospital - UGH!!

I just blogged about it at my other blog, now too tired to blog here but please go there to see what's what. Not that they know yet...but it's all there...