General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: How often do you eat meat / dairy? [View all]Ms. Toad
(34,117 posts)I use it to control type 2 diabetes. As long as I don't consume more than 21 net carbs in a 2-hour period, I can keep my A1C in the normal (non-diabetic) range without medication.
Used to control weight - and taken to extremes - it is as gimmicky and unhealthy as any fad diet. Used for medical purposes (to control diabetes and seizures, for example) limiting carbs can be healthier than the alternatives. Most diabetes organizations recommend far more carbs than most diabetics can handle without increasingly more powerful medication. My spouse is also diabetic and is on Jardiance because she can't control her eating habits (cognitive issues more than anything else). It is not only extremely expensive, but the side effects scare me. She's had several yeast infections, is now urinating all the time and is becoming incontinent. Those are relatively minor - but there are others which are potentially deadly.
Essentially, my diet swaps carbs for fats. Since I don't eat many meats, I am essentially eating a vegetarian diet with a lot of low-carb veggies, as well as high fiber carbs (beans, for example),and cheese/full fat yogurt. Counterintuitively, this diet also keeps my cholesterol in the normal range.
ETA (after reading your response to another post): I have also effectively used intermittent fasting in combination with limiting carbs as a tool to control blood glucose - especially as a tool to combat dawn phenonenon.