I happened to be at the same church picnic as a diabetes educator (nurse practitioner/dietitian) from our local hospital. I had helped myself to salad with homemade Italian dressing, 1/4 of a BBQ chicken (no sauce, a rub) a big serving of roasted peppers, onions, zucchini drizzled with olive oil and basil. Unsweeted iced tea with a slice of lemon too. When offered corn bread, garlic bread etc, I said "No thanks, I am limiting wheat." I was tickled with my low carb tasty choices.

No one else blinked an eye, but the diabetes guy felt the need to criticize my plate and the amount of fat on it. Told me it would better if I ate the beans and bread and watermelon than the skin off the chicken.

Beans were baked, loaded with sugar and from a can, bread: white, smothered with butter and cheese, watermelon-- well a little further down the road I may have some watermelon.

He proceeded to tell me how I should have the "recommended low fat diet". With the same breath, he talked about how weight loss surgery "cured" diabetes, and allowed all foods. And I needed 5 servings of grains.

I felt confronted in a fairly negative way, as he went on and on (and on) I finally found my voice.

I just said, my doctor is monitoring this diet (she is) and he backed off. But he is the primary diabetes education resource in our small city. I was embarrassed as this happened in front of others going through the buffet line. Also, if he feels this way so strongly, how is he giving complete advise to those he counsels with blood sugar issues?

I don't have any answers for you, but I am sorry you had to go through that. I think you gave a great response.

Sorry you went through that.



A.

How rude and disrespectful. He's not professional to offer advice when none was asked for. You made fabulous choices!

Last night my husband and I went to a restaurant. I had chicken, cottage cheese and a large salad. He said "here goes our diet" after he loaded up at the buffet....I said, speak for yourself, I am still 100% on plan and on target! lol

Sorry you went through that. That was very unprofessional behavior in my opinion. I also have talked to my Doc about low carbing and he thinks it's great that I am doing it. Just go with what your Dr says and ignore anyone else. I work at a hospital and you wouldn't believe the advice I get

I ended up feeling actually more miffed than embarrassed -after the moment passed, anyway.

I am fairly concerned that he is still preaching what may be either an incomplete or out of date WOE for those of us who need carb restriction. I firmly believe there are different styles of eating that work for different folks. My response to wheat, high sugar items, Shellfish (Anaphylaxis) is abnormal, would anyone criticize my avoidance of shellfish, geesh.

Being pre diabetic with all the symptoms of metabolic syndrome combined with 6 months of steady reading/research, has made me very blunt with doctors. I would have challenged him and hopefully embarrassed him. We are well equipped to make anyone recommending grains look like a knucklehead. Anyone.

My dietition was a beast. I swore she stalked me everywhere I went. Right after I had my baby she called the cafeteria to make sure I wasn't allowed any sugar!!! Talk about rude. (After all the cure to gest diabetes is having a baby) I was ordering my husband food too which they said we could do since he was pretty much living there with me the next 3 weeks. So then he had to suck it up and starve or leave me to eat. Her chat made it so I was only allowed a half sandwich for lunch etc. and well... it sucked. I will be avoiding her like the plague next time around. I would also order two sandwiches for a midnight meal later as I was pumping every 2 hours. I NEEDED the energy and by then the cafeteria was closed.

She had all the rubber models you saw in the first grade 30 years ago and I just knew it wasn't right. She soooo wanted me to eat toast every morning AND milk and something else. Well my glucose readings ONLY allowed for the milk else it would skyrocket. She didn't get it. That and gluten free toast is foul and a huge waste of calories. (They have better bread now and omg the hospital GF bread was too die for)

She kept shaking this stupid rubber piece of white toast at me. > I don't wanna eat white toast plus maybe I would have died with that much glucose. I ended up going into liver failure anyway (pre e) so if I had eaten all that sugar she wanted me to maybe I wouldn't have had my beautiful baby because she already came too early as it was).

I also told her every time I messed up and she was like wow I'm impressed.. people never tell me the truth lol. I might make mistakes but I'm honest :P

diabetes nutritionists seem to be very by the old book and not very flexible. I had to give her a diary and she had to have PROOF of my glucose readings. Felt like I was in catholic school about to get walloped any second with a ruler.

btw, so not cool to call you out in front of so many people.

Thanks for all the support folks- it sure makes things easier. Oh, and JerseyGyrl, I can't wait to be able to do the same thing!!!

He's an idiot and dangerous in his position. He obviously isn't up on the new ADA guidelines, which include low carb as a way to control blood sugar issues. Frankly, I would have told him he didn't know what he was talking about, WITH a bunch of people standing around and cite research/books he can read. He is woefully far behind in his nutrition CEU's.

The CDA guidelines have cut carbs too but the dietitian at my clinic still pushes them. Grrr!

I'm totally NOT sticking up for this guy and his misinformation, but I sorta think you left yourself open for it by even mentioning that you're limiting wheat.

Sadly, saying ANYthing to do with our eating plans, like "Counting my calories", "Watching my fat intake", or "Limiting sugar", etc, etc etc. leaves you WIDE OPEN to hear from people who think they know everything and that you're doing it wrong.