Dr. David Unwin: Things ARE moving in... - Low-Carb High-Fat...

Low-Carb High-Fat (LCHF)

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Dr. David Unwin

MikePollard profile image
13 Replies

Things ARE moving in the right direction:

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MikePollard
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13 Replies

This GP is, in my opinion , the only case for cloning. We need one of him in every GP surgery across the country!

BadHare profile image
BadHare in reply to

Unfortunately, he's not overly knowledgeable about anything else endocrine related.

TheAwfulToad profile image
TheAwfulToadAmbassador in reply to BadHare

I think Unwin is successful because he's uncontentious. He sits very carefully on the exact middle of the fence, prescribing a diet that isn't radically different from the EatWell plate while (unfortunately) not going full-blown LCHF. His diet is probably best described as moderate-carb, moderate-fat, high-protein, which is actually quite unhealthy in general terms ... but that's what you inevitably end up with when you try to combine low-fat advice with low-carb. His meals are very much old-school "what our grandparents ate", with the potatoes and pastry dialled down.

The fascinating thing is that this halfway house does actually work - at least as far as diabetics are concerned. This, to me, demonstrates just how badly you have to abuse your body in order to get it to malfunction.

BadHare profile image
BadHare in reply to TheAwfulToad

It's easily adoptable as there's no huge dietary changes unless people were eating junk to begin with, which is type ii's most common issue in the first place.

You're right about the old school approach. I heard an old dear on the bus about 2 years ago, telling her friend about what he advised.

bigleg profile image
bigleg in reply to TheAwfulToad

TheAwfulToad when Dr Unwin first started on this journey he has mentioned that he was very cautious on the discussing fat because of the attacks it may attract. He cleverly, in my humble opinion, focused on getting the science and evidence in place focusing on the glycaemic response of starchy foods that automatically encouraged low carb. Reducing carbs automatically increases the percentages of fat and protein. He used a cohort of consenting patients to keep records and he had records going back decades. Along with coauthers he published the paper insulinresistance.org/index... - that supported the introduction of low glycaemic advice in the NICE diabetic guidelines in 2015. The following year in 2016 he was awarded the NHS Innovator of the Year Award - the first GP to ever win this award. That enabled those of us working as volunteers on the ground to use the infographics that make it so much easier for us all to understand that the dominance of industrially produced starchy foods in the Eatwell Guidelines no longer meet the NICE diabetic dietary guidelines. That is a major difference and he has always focused on 'Eating Real Food'.

TheAwfulToad profile image
TheAwfulToadAmbassador in reply to bigleg

Don't misunderstand me - that wasn't a criticism. He did what needed to be done. And I agree that a low-GI diet is a dramatic improvement on a high-GI one. It's better to get a 50% success rate with halfway measures than a zero percent success rate by proposing a diet that'll get you fired.

The interview video I posted a few days ago depicts the status quo as a religion, and it is. Nutrition conferences are stacked with people repeating the holy mantras about cholesterol and saturated fat - not because there's any evidence for it, but because to be one of the chosen ones, you must believe it. There's no point talking about science to an audience like that. Unwin found a way in.

This is going to be a long process. Unwin just started the ball rolling. Doctors are now going to feel empowered to speak up (as Fettke mentioned in the interview). 20 years from now, people might be having a sensible conversation about dietary fat.

bigleg profile image
bigleg in reply to TheAwfulToad

I do appreciate that we are on the same page - just wanted to clarify that David is low carb vs moderate carb and has found a brilliant way in. At the Public Health Collaboration (PHC) Conference last year Peter Brukner spoke about the tipping point and how close we are to that tipping point - I believe the last 12 months has seen significant movement forward. Both Dr Fettke and Prof Noakes have made a massive change in the ability to break the stranglehold of the annointed as Tom Naughton calls them! There was not a dry eye in the lecture theatre during the very long standing ovation for Prof Noakes. About 43mins into the Peter's presentation he talks about where we are on the upward trend based on Moloney's 16% rule. He is presenting again this year, I look forward to seeing where he sees us now. youtube.com/watch?v=FRAlbv-...

Robert Lustig is one of the speakers this year. We definately are in interesting and exciting times.

Thank you for passing this on. 😊

Unless I need new glasses, the front page photo shows steak and chips/fries.

How does eating chips help with type 2 diabetes?

SewMore profile image
SewMore in reply to

The chips are roasted root veg eg celeriac... Does that have less carb? Or does it have to be above ground veg?

in reply to SewMore

Don't know but just googled it and celeriac is one of the better under-ground veg 7 grams of net carbs per cup, compared to 20 for sweet potato.

in reply to SewMore

going to give them a go, celeriac chips for me tonight 😋

bigleg profile image
bigleg in reply to

Page 171 of the book covers chips and lists the different carb content of potatoe, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, suede and celeriac in order of carb content - with pots and sweet Pots very high. We occassionally have either suede or celeriac chips fried in butter.

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