Shine Me Up and I am Almost Presentable!

Diabetic Living Fall 2016

Last November my friend Kate shared my name with one of the editors of Diabetic Living.  Kate was highlighted in their magazine and on-line.  I made contact with the editor at Diabetic Living later in the month and then entered into discussions with them.  All through January I talked with them, initially they were going to have a page that highlighted me and they asked me for recipes (more on that later).  In the end I had a very abbreviated writeup and they didn't even list my blog, which is unfortunate.  Kinda strange to highlight a blogger and not list their blog, but it is what it is.

I think this whole process was interesting, both from my perspective and to the editors of Diabetic Living.  I am not sure they had run into someone like me and I probably threw them for a loop.  In the end what is written is a few "shined up" things about me and it avoids the most controversial things, like my criticism of high carb diets and my story about starting insulin on my own.

Initially I was interviewed over the phone, and then they asked for some recipes.  I sent them a link to four of my recipes on TuDiabetes.  Those recipes included my “Low Carb Cheese Latkes,” “Mediterranean Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad,” “Real Ice Cream” and my “Beef, Cheese and Onion Enchiladas.”  They selected my Mediterranean Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad and sent it off to their "dietician."  Here is the original recipe:

Mediterranean Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad

1 Large English hothouse cucumbers peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 yellow or red onion sliced thinly
1 large tomato cut into ½ inch cubes
1/2 cup assorted olives (or olives du jour, I like Kalamata)
3-4 ounces package feta crumbled or ¼ inch cubes
3 tbs white balsamic vinegar (or cider vinegar)
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs parseley cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 tbs lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Slice cucumber and onion (I use a food processor with the thin blade). Combine all ingredients together and chill in refrigerator for ½ to 1 hour before serving. Salt to taste when placing on the table.
This is a great summer salad but also can be a refreshing side dish for a meal that has a heavy or spicy entree.

Nutrition for four servings is 18.6g fat, 8.4g carb, 2g fiber, and 5.3g protein

The "dietician" cam back recommended reducing the serving size by half, decrease the Tbsp of olive oil, use 3 oz. of reduced fat feta cheese, use less olives and no salt added.

I have to give the editor at Diabetic Living credit, because I kind of lit into her.  Here is what I said:

This is really kind of laughable.  This is really why people with T2 think that dieticians are totally useless and probably why Diabetic Living recipes are not really relevant to many people with T2.  I understand that you have to operate in this environment.  It your dieticians wish to make the dish totally devoid of dietary fat I won't disagree (although the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics disagrees).  What I would ask you is to not put ingredients that I would absolutely never purchase or use on my own in the dish.  In this case, please do not use "nonfat" feta cheese.  That is not a real food and I would ask that you not associate me with such a food.  I would recommend that you delete it from the dish.  Otherwise I understand the situation you have to operate under and would be happy with simply deleting the feta cheese.

Later I cooled off and sent her another note:

I'm sorry I snapped at you, it is just one of my "buttons."  My food philosophy for health and good life is to eat a low carb high fat diet (as recommended by my medical team) personally made from real whole foods.  I pretty much won't buy nonfat, low fat or reduced fat products as I consider them processed foods (perhaps even "frankenfoods").  So if you must modify the use of feta, please either reduce the amount or delete it from the recipe.

 My greatest hope is that dieticians and nutritionists would catch up and stop rejecting low carb and that Diabetic Living could reach the millions of potential readers who are undeserved by not having tasty recipes that reflect healthy low carb high fat meals.

...brian

ps. I also don't restrict salt.
 
ps. A good view of the leading thinking on nutrition is from the AND comments on the DGAC Scientific Report (see http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource/news-center/on-the-pulse-of-public-policy/regulatory-comments/dgac-scientific-report)

My Answers

The editor then sent me a series of questions which I answered.  You can see the questions and my answers to the left.  Those questions were:

• We asked you for an original recipe and discovered that they way you eat and the guidelines we use for recipes in this magazine differ. For example, we use fat-free products, and you believe in full-fat products. Tell us about your initial reaction.
• What’s your diet look like? Why does it work for you?
• How did you discover the high fat, low carb diet?
• Many traditional nutritionists, docs, and diabetes educators wouldn’t condone eating that way (ours included). What can readers do if their prescribed diet isn’t working? (You know, instead of lying to their doctor.)
• Your medical team does approve of your diet. How’d you and your doc come to an agreement?
• In your blog, you try to back up statements with evidence and research. How do you use those principles when making your own health decisions?   

Well, so after that in the end we had a compromise.  They wrote up a very short description of me and my diet.  They surprisingly left in a reference to Bernstein and included none of the controversial stuff.  I do have a prescription to Diabetic Living and generally find the magazing interesting, but if you are a reader you know that while there is an occasional low carb dish the nutrition advisors to the magazine are way out of date (although Manny Hernandez is also an advisor I think they asked him).  Those interested in low carb high fat diets won't find most of the recipes very satisfying. I have never understood why people think those of us with diabetes need low fat desert recipes or mac and cheese recipes "healthified" with broccoli.

In the end, it was a learning experience, hopefully on both sides.