2. Quick start

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  1. How do you start?  Where do you begin?
  2. You need to break the carbohydrate addiction and get into ketosis.  Once you are “fat adapted” you do not feel hunger.  I bought Dr Bernstein’s’  books – the first I read was called “Diabetes Diet” and the second of his books that I read was “Diabetes Solution” .  They are always my most trusted source of information Dr. Bernstein and thousands of his patients over about 60  years have had success. He prescribes 7 total carbs for breakfast, 12 total g carbs each lunch and dinner. (This is total carbs which includes fiber). I started his recommendations in March 2014, and it took about a month before I had measurable ketones.
  3. In 2023 I signed up for Dr. Boz online class.  She prescribes that you eat 20 g total carbs every day which is 10 grams of carbs lower than Dr Bernstein.  I found her help with constipation (Milk of Magnesia) and Epsom salt baths helpful.  She is a big fan of sardines because they are high in Omega 3’s and absorbable Calcium -I learn from all the books but over the last 10 years I have always gone back to the Bernstein diet.
  4. I find Dr Bernstein’s diet:
    • Simple to follow
    • Wide variety of compliant foods
    • Conducive to weight loss
    • Growing body of research showing a low-carb diet can be effective for managing type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and all types of inflammation.
  5. Because the lists of foods that are allowed and not allowed on Dr. Bernstein’s diet are so thorough and specific, following it requires very little guesswork.What’s more, there are at least as many “allowed” foods as there are “forbidden” ones, as well as plenty of variety to prevent boredom and promote well-rounded nutrition.
  6. in 2014, To better understand ketogenic diets and their history, I ordered a book by 4 doctors at Johns Hopkins. “Ketogenic diets – Treatments for Epilepsy and Other disorders ( Dr’s: Kossoff, Freeman, Turner, Rubenstein)-“
  7. I watched the movie called, “First Do No Harm” with Meryl Streep, which shows the impact of ketogenic diets on epilepsy.
  8. In general, I eat breakfast a few days per week and just have coffee the other days.   I eat 2 oz. of meat at lunch and 2 oz meat at dinner and raw green leafy vegetables every night with a good home made olive oil dressing and cooked vegetables with lots of yummy butter & cream sauces.
  • You need to buy ketone pee strips that turn pink if you have ketones in your urine.  Dr Boz suggests using pee strips for the first 6 months.  I bought an inexpensive glucose meter that comes with a lancet and some glucose test strips.  In 2014 I used “Freestyle lite” for glucose and Precision Xtra by Abbot to measured blood ketones.   2023 I have a new glucose and ketone meter by keto-mojo- I can use this one meter to take my glucose and ketones test – but have found I need to wash hands first and use separate drops of blood.
  • I also bought a Ketonix which measures ketones in breath. In the first year in evenings around 9:30 p.m. I would poke my finger (sides of tips of fingers hurt less than right in middle of finger print). and touch the blood to the ketone test strip plugged into the meter. With that same drop of blood I would then touch it to the blood glucose meter test strip –  and write those numbers on my calendar. In 2014, I had 2 separate meters, now I just have one meter plus my continuous glucose monitor
  • The object is to keep your glucose low and steady.   Normal fasting glucose is 84 in a healthy person- and it is best to keep ketones above 1.  In 2014, it took me several weeks to get my glucose down to normal and my ketones high enough to read on the scale.  I have been surprised to see that I had to repeat the whole thing again.  The liver stores glucose as glycogen, so once your blood doesn’t have excess glucose, the liver will put glucose in the blood.  After your blood and your liver have exhausted their glucose, your will start to produce ketones.
  • If your blood glucose is normally 300, just reducing it to 250 will make you feel hungry at first – but gradually (as your insulin goes down) the body gets used to the lower glucose and within 3-6 months you will not feel hungry at normal blood glucose of 84.  In May 2023 my blood glucose was averaging around 108, so the drop in glucose was not as hard for me this time.

If you want to see what effect any food has on your blood, just take a blood glucose test every 15 minutes for 2 hours after you eat something. Or get a continuous glucose monitor – which was not available 11 years ago.  I got a Dexcon 6 May 5th, 2023.  If your blood spikes after you eat something, eliminate that from your diet.

It is hard for a couple of weeks, but if you do not eat carbs, you will break the carbohydrate “addiction” (make sure to have extra salt and potassium bicarbonate at first since you can get an imbalance of electrolytes when adjusting to ketogenic diet. If you have bone broth and add sea salt that will replenish electrolytes). Also take Milk of Magnesia for constipation at first, and eat a lot of fat. I find it easy to follow this diet when I am at home, but eating out is more difficult – especially if I am a guest.  I take macadamia nuts, avocados, small Duke sausages etc. for the times I can’t eat what is available.

Summary of “Diabetic Diet” by Dr. Bernstein:

Background

The Bernstein Diet has an interesting history.  Dr. Bernstein was an engineer-turned-endocrinologist. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1946 at the age of 12 and experienced serious complications of the disease for many years.

In 1969, before his career change, Bernstein purchased a blood glucose monitor, which at the time was used only in hospitals. He began testing his blood sugar throughout the day to try to figure out what factors would cause his levels to rise and fall.

Eventually, he discovered he could manage them with a combination of a low-carb diet, exercise, and smaller doses of insulin than he had been taking. What’s more, many of the complications of his diabetes resolved.

How It Works

The Bernstein Diet limits the number of carbohydrates a person eats to 30 grams per day.

The Bernstein Diet has no rules or guidelines regarding protein, fats, or total calories but I limit protein because of cancer.

Non-compliant Foods

Here is a concise list of foods to avoid listed in Dr. Bernstein’s book, The Diabetes Solution. It’s pretty easy to remember, once you start using it.

Sweets and Sweeteners

  • Powdered sweeteners (other than stevia)
  • Candies, especially so-called sugar-free types
  • Honey and fructose
  • Most “diet” and “sugar-free” foods (except sugar-free Jell-O gelatin when the label doesn’t mention maltodextrin, and diet sodas that do not contain fruit juices or list other carbohydrate on the label)
  • Desserts (except Jell-O gelatin without maltodextrin—no more than ½ cup per serving) and pastries: cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, et cetera
  • Foods containing, as a significant ingredient, products whose names end in -ol or -ose (dextrose, glucose, lactose, maltitol, sorbitol and other sugar alcohols

Sweet or Starchy Vegetables 

  • Beans: chili beans, chickpeas, lima beans, lentils, sweet peas, et cetera (string beans, snow peas, and bell and chili peppers, which are mostly cellulose, are okay, as are limited amounts of many soybean products)
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Corn
  • Onions, except in small amounts
  • Packaged creamed spinach containing flour
  • Parsnips
  • Potatoes
  • Cooked tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and raw tomatoes except in small amounts
  • Winter squash

Fruit and Juices 

  • All fruits (except avocados)
  • All juices (including tomato and vegetable juices)

Certain Dairy Products

  • Milk
  • Sweetened and low-fat yogurts
  • Cottage cheese (except in very small amounts)
  • Powdered milk substitutes and coffee lighteners
  • Canned milk concentrate

Grains and Grain Products

  • Wheat, rye, barley, corn, and lesser-known, “alternative” grains, such as kasha, quinoa, and sorghum
  • White, brown, wild rice, or rice cakes
  • Pasta
  • Breakfast cereal
  • Pancakes and waffles
  • Bread, crackers, and other flour products

Prepared Foods

  • Most commercially prepared soups
  • Most packaged “health foods”
  • Snack foods (virtually anything that comes wrapped in cellophane, including nuts)
  • Balsamic vinegar (compared to wine vinegar, white vinegar, or cider vinegar, balsamic contains considerable sugar)

Living on the Bernstein Diet

Dr. Bernstein is a phenomenal example of the diet’s potential, as he has successfully reversed complications of diabetes and is doing very well at 90 years of age.

Back in 1946, when Dr. Bernstein was diagnosed, the life expectancy for people with diabetes was less than 40 years.

I found this way of eating 1 1/2 years after my bone marrow transplant.  And started it immediately and my complications were reversed- most dramatically my kidneys went from 20%  function to over 50%.

Vegetables: Really good and good for you low carb vegetables:

  • asparagus,
  • avocado
  • bamboo shoots
  • beet greens
  • bell peppers – green and red only – avoid yellow
  • bok choy
  • broccoli,
  • Brussels sprouts,
  • cabbage and sauerkraut,
  • cauliflower
  • celery
  • celery root celeriac
  • collard greens
  • Daikon radish
  • dandelion greens
  • eggplant
  • endive
  • escarole
  • hearts of palms
  • Kohlrabi
  • mushrooms
  • mustard greens
  • Okra
  • pumpkin
  • radicchio
  • rhubarb
  • sauerkraut
  • Scallions instead of onions
  • snow peas
  • spaghetti squash
  •  spinach,
  • sprouts
  • string beans,
  • summer squash
  • turnip greens
  • turnips
  • water chestnuts
  • watercress
  • zucchini
  • zucchini flowers

Note that cooked vegetables tend to raise blood sugar more rapidly than raw vegetables because the heat makes them more digestible and converts some of the cellulose to sugar. A rule of thumb is

  • 2/3 c cooked vegetables = 6 grams
  • 1/4 c mashed vegetables = 6 grams
  • 1 c raw vegetables = 6 g

 

Meat & Organic eggs.  These are usually the main source of calories- read label if you have questions on bacon or sausage etc.

Dairy: Cheese, Butter, Cream

  • Cheese is an excellent source of Calcium.  1 oz is generally = 1 g carb. Gruyere has no carbs
  • Heavy cream has .5 g carb for 1 T. I usually add 1-2 T nut pods almond & coconut creamer
  • Yogurt is allowed, but only plain, unsweetened, full-fat varieties.
  • cottage cheese is generally regarded as non-compliant, some people may be able to eat up to 2 tablespoons without causing a blood sugar spike.

 

Nuts

 Although nuts do contain carbs, they tend to raise blood sugar levels slowly. However, because it can be hard to eat just a few nuts, it’s important to look up the number of carbs in a serving of any type of nuts to avoid going overboard

Peanut butter, even unsweetened, may raise blood sugar levels. For some people, a tablespoon can be too much.

Artificial sweeteners: I only have stevia, monk fruit and allulose, but Dr Bernstein allowed other artificial sweeteners.

Alcoholic beverages

Alcoholic beverages:  Dr Bernstein allows one and a half ounces of distilled spirits or one can of beer occasionally and said they tend to have negligible effects on blood sugar levels.

Recommended Timing

The Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Diet limits the total number of carbohydrates eaten over the course of the day to 30 grams. The recommended breakdown is as follows:

  • Breakfast: 6 grams
  • Lunch: 12 grams
  • Dinner: 12 grams

Because the lists of foods that are allowed and not allowed on Dr. Bernstein’s diet are so thorough and specific, following it requires very little guesswork.

SUPPLEMENTS Dr Bernstein says if you keep your blood sugar low you will not have excessive urination which causes a loss of water soluble vitamins.  Make sure to have a variety of vegetables with  sprouts, spinach & leafy greens in salads and broccoli,  brussels sprouts or cauliflower every day. and red meat at least 2x per week. He does recommend Vit E mixed tocopherols and a multivitamin if you want.

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NOTE:  Dr Thomas Seyfried says that cancer cells use glucose and glutamine for energy.  Glutamine turns into glutamate – (as in MSG – Monosodium Glutamate.  It turns out that free glutamate is in many more products than we realize).

https://chriskresser.com/beyond-msg-could-hidden-sources-of-glutamate-be-harming-your-health/

Cancer cells are dependent on both glucose and glutamine.

I went through kitchen and threw away these sources of free glutamate:

  • whey powder I had used in smoothies
  • nutritional yeast I had used in smoothies
  • packages of hidden valley dressing mix, gravy mix, broth, bouillon etc.
  • I even went through supplements and threw away most soft gels (they contain gelatin – which is one of the forms of free glutamate)
  • I switched to Stevia and Monk Fruit for sweeteners

Here is a list to start with- but I am not perfect about cutting out all of these.  If you reduce these, your body can probably deal with the little bit that slips in. Do not let this overwhelm you – I didn’t cut these out for at least a year after I started ketogenic diet

  • These ALWAYS contain MSG – AVOID:
  • Glutamate,
  • Monosodium glutamate,
  • Monopotassium glutamate,
  • Glutamic acid,
  • Calcium caseinate,
  • Gelatin,
  • Textured protein,
  • Hydrolyzed protein (any protein that is hydrolyzed),
  • Yeast extract,
  • Yeast food, Autolyzed yeast, Yeast nutrient
  • These OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing:
  • Flavor(s) & Flavoring(s), Natural flavor(s) & flavoring(s),
  • Natural pork flavoring, Bouillon,
  • Natural beef flavoring, Stock, Natural chicken flavoring,
  • Soups & Broth – unless home made
  • Malt flavoring, Barley malt, Malt extract, (yup this is beer)
  • Seasonings (the word “seasonings”),
  • Carrageenan
  • Soy sauce, Soy sauce extract, Soy protein, (use Tamari)
  • Soy protein concentrate, Soy protein isolate,
  • Pectin,
  • Maltodextrin
  • Whey protein
  • Whey protein isolate,
  • Whey protein concentrate,
  • anything Protein fortified,
  • Protease, Protease enzymes, anything Enzyme modified, Enzymes,
  • anything Ultra-pasteurized,

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