The Mediterranean diet pyramid looks different from other food pyramids. Social eating and physical activity sit at the base, supplying the foundational piece of the regimen. Research has shown that, traditionally, people in Mediterranean countries spend more time preparing, eating and savoring their food, and took their meals in the company of others. Contrast this with the American habit of eating fast food alone or on the run, in a car or at a desk. The traditional Mediterranean style of living was also much less sedentary than that of other cultures, including the United States, involving significant physical labor and activity.


Christian Wolfrum, one of the corresponding authors on the paper said 'Diabetes is one of the biggest health issues we face. Although ketogenic diets are known to be healthy, our findings indicate that there may be an increased risk of insulin resistance with this type of diet that may lead to Type 2 diabetes. The next step is to try to identify the mechanism for this effect and to address whether this is a physiological adaptation. Our hypothesis is that when fatty acids are metabolized, their products might have important signaling roles to play in the brain.'

Also, if you listen to Dr Bernstein talk about his childhood (he is well into his 80’s), the “original” recommended diet was only ketogenic in the sense that it was high-carb and caused keto-acidosis, which he describes as almost killing him as a teenager. He still considers the ADA recommendations as ketogenic for this reason (you only have to listen to him a short time to hear him railing against the ADA).



Sodium reduction is part of the DASH equation, but it’s not the only focus. Eating by DASH  recommendations also increases your intake of potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber—all nutrients that play a role in cardiovascular health, as well as the prevention of other chronic diseases. It’s thought to be the combination of increasing your intake of these nutrients and decreasing your intake of added sugar, salt, sodium and unhealthy fats that leads to lower blood pressure and a laundry list of other long-term health benefits.

The following measurements were made every other week: anthropometric and vital sign measurements; urine testing for ketones; and assessment for hypoglycemic episodes and other symptomatic side effects. Weight was measured on a standardized digital scale while the participant was wearing light clothes and shoes were removed. Skinfold thickness was measured at 4 sites – the average of 2 measurements at each site was entered into an equation to calculate percent body fat [12]. Waist circumference was measured at the midpoint between the inferior rib and the iliac crest using an inelastic tape; 2 measurements were averaged in the analysis. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured after the participant had been seated quietly without talking for 3 minutes. Certified laboratory technicians assessed urine ketones from a fresh specimen using the following semi-quantitative scale: none, trace (up to 0.9 mmol/L [5 mg/dL]), small (0.9–6.9 mmol/L [5–40 mg/dL]), moderate (6.9–13.8 mmol/L [40–80 mg/dL]), large80 (13.8–27.5 mmol/L [80–160 mg/dL]), large160 (>27.5 mmol/L [160 mg/dL]). Hypoglycemic episodes and symptomatic side effects were assessed by direct questioning of the participant and by self-administered questionnaires.

Frederick F. Samaha, M.D., Nayyar Iqbal, M.D., Prakash Seshadri, M.D., Kathryn L. Chicano, C.R.N.P., Denise A. Daily, R.D., Joyce McGrory, C.R.N.P., Terrence Williams, B.S., Monica Williams, B.S., Edward J. Gracely, Ph.D., and Linda Stern, M.D., “A Low-Carbohydrate as Compared with a Low-Fat Diet in Severe Obesity,” N Engl J Med 2003; 348:2074-2081. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022637.

Based on long-overlooked DASH research and developed into a weight loss plan by the foremost DASH dietitian and leading nutrition expert, Marla Heller, MS, RD, this effective and easy weight loss program includes menu plans, recipes, shopping lists, and more. Readers will enjoy a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, lean meats/fish/poultry, nuts/beans/seeds, heart healthy fats, and limited amounts of whole grains. The result: improved metabolism, lower body fat, improved strength and cardiovascular fitness, without counting calories. And, of course the DASH diet can lower cholesterol and blood pressure without medication!
What the diet advocate says: 'The key components of a Mediterranean diet are lots of vegetables, olive oil, oily fish and nuts, with no calorie restrictions. Combine that with cutting down on sugar, which was traditionally a rarity in the region, and you’ve got the base of the Mediterranean diet right. And if you get the base right you can eat a little of whatever else you like,' says Consultant Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra.


The good news here is no! All the evidence points to the fact that a low carbohydrate diet actually does lower blood glucose and A1c levels and does contribute to weight loss. The problem is we do not yet have enough large studies, over enough sustained years to support evidence that people with diabetes can remain on a highly restrictive Ketogenic Diet for the rest of their life and also not have other consequences to their health.
Although you'll be cutting way back on carbohydrates and sugar, some fruits are still okay to eat on the keto diet (though you'll still want to be mindful about quantity in order to remain in ketosis). The fruits that make the cut contain far fewer carbs than their off-limits cousins such as apples, pears, bananas, pineapples, papayas, grapes, and fruit juices in general.


These carbohydrate recommendations are not PER DAY, they are per meal. This is the major difference between Ketogenic diets and a consistent, low carbohydrate diet CDEs advocate for. 30-45 carbs per meal is considered a low carb diet. Eating this in the form of a Mediterranean diet is what I recommend and what my article outlined. In a perfect world, we try to have people steer clear of anything artificial or processed when possible. Just eat fresh foods, like our grandparents did, who never had these types of health problems.
That makes a lot of sense. Keeping up insulin pathways when you aren’t eating carbs would be like keeping the lights on when it’s daytime outside — it’s a waste of energy. You aren’t using insulin on keto, so your body probably downregulates your insulin pathways. As a refresher, insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that tells your cells to absorb glucose to use as fuel. When you eat carbs, insulin production begins. In the absence of carbs, there’s less need for insulin.





The author wrote this out of angst because she failed at the ketogenic diet. It’s not a “hard” diet and you don’t have to give up all forms of desserts. You just have to learn to cook using stevia, almond or coconut flour instead of the white refined flours the author is addicted to. The information presented is false as well. The ketogenic diet has great benefits for the type two diabetic or prediabetic specifically.
You are so biased against Keto, this can be noticed very quickly because almost every positive thing you say about Keto, you immediately follow with a “but…” negative statement. And most of your negatives are simply saying it’s hard to maintain. You completely exaggerate the negatives “If you have one bad day and your body is kicked out of Ketosis, you immediately gain all of your weight back”. That is simply not true; if someone is on a Keto diet for 3 months, they will not gain that weight back in a day. Also, their body will be back into Ketosis the next morning. You say that the ADA doesn’t recommend 60-70 grams per meal, but it does (coincidentally I just left their website before coming here). I don’t claim to be a Diabetes expert; I admit that. But your bias is leaning heavily against Keto. “Moderation” is not your goal if you have diabetes. When you compare HbA1C levels, for example, you compare them with someone in Keto at less than 20 g of Carbs per day as compared to someone at a 70-90 gram of carbs per day diet. You should be fair and compare them with someone on a 200 g of Carbs diet. If you want to get rid of the effects of Diabetes, get on a Keto Diet, period. It MAY get rid of the effects completely, but in the very least it WILL reduce your Insulin needs to very low and you’ll have little-to-no side effects other than a relatively restrictive diet (most diets are WAY more restrictive than Keto). You back up everything with “science” and misleading numbers/arguments without providing any real evidence.