Nutritionist

[miodo2009]

I'm looking for a nutritionist who can deal with my diabetes and cholesterol problem. Are there any nutritionists in Chiang Mai ?

[Ulysses G.]

Be careful of quacks. I am all in favor of holistic medicine, but there are a number of phonies who do it for extra cash operating in Thailand and diabetes is serious business.

[NancyL]

Miodo, I don't know a nutritionist in CM, but I suggest you start to keep a food log of everything you eat and drink -- description and quantity. A good nutritionist is going to want to see some history.

There are many resources on the internet to help you determine the calories, fat, sugar content, etc. One of my favorites is nutritiondata.com. They have a great feature where you can input a recipe and see a complete analysis of the finished product. It really helps you to realize the importance of ingredient substitutions -- little things like what happens when you use 0% milk in a dish rather than whole milk or if you make a curry with coconut milk vs. without. I've input all my favorite recipes and played "what if" games about ingredient substituions to make them more healthy.

Also, a food scale and measuring cup are essential in knowing what you're really eating.

[elektrified]

Both UG and NancyL are right. In fact I've seen this pop up in TV forums a few times and everyone strikes out. They even serve everyone the same meals in Thai hospitals with no regard for people on low-calorie, low-sugar, low-fat, low-sodium, etc. diets. (Then no one eats them anyways and has their relatives bring even unhealthier food for them!)

I don't think they have the kind of nutritionists here like they do in Western countries. You may be on your own. I too have seen some people advertise like UG mentioned and they are foreigners for the most part who are not licensed professionals. In the USA a licensed Nutritionist or "dietitian" has a Bachelors or Masters Degree and has to intern in the hospital as well as go to continuing education every few years. Diabetes is serious. Don't trust anyone who is not 100% qualified.

[zuzkate]

There is no magic involved here .

Type in diabetic diet for type 2 ..

Google this you do not need to go anywhere unless you can not read or perhaps you feel you want someone to talk to.

The only hard part is to actually have the gumption ,the will to follow the diet prescribed . There are several versions but all about the same .

Always follow up with proper blood test when needed and for this consul a MD at Ram or almost anywhere since Thailand has plenty diabetic people Md's are simi up to par.

Md will have you get blood sugar below 100 (60-70 is ideal.)

Get a blood sugar test kit for home.

chlolesterol - google this too

you could go to the pharmacy -pick up Crestor (rosuvastatin clacium )

You may want to start with 10mg a day see how it works for you ,

You could buy the 20mg Crestor tabs then cut them in 1/2 making them 10mg. this saves money .

blood check -consult MD .

diet will help to a point but some people must use statins regardless.

good luck

Edited June 14, 2010 by zuzkate

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

it would not be necessary to find one locally. Find one on the internet for consultation. You can use Skype for conferencing and scan or email them your blood testing results as you get them.

It's called Telemedicine and growing fast. Go for the best quality and value from anywhere in the world. When it comes to alternative health care Chiang Mai is still relatively primitive and sometimes dodgy.

Does require a good internet connection however. Do some googling with the words consultation, telemedicine, internet etc.

These days a person could receive sorts of advice services like psychological counseling, fitness program training, nutrition and many other non acute emergent conditions.

Telemedicine definitions

Telemedicine is a rapidly developing application of clinical medicine where medical information is transferred through interactive audiovisual media for the purpose of consulting, and sometimes remote medical procedures or examinations.

use of telecommunication technologies to deliver medical information and services to locations at a distance from the care giver or educator.

Use of telecommunications technology for medical diagnosis and patient care when the provider and client are separated by distance. Telemedicine includes pathology, radiology, and patient consultation from the distance.

The application of telecommunications technology within the healthcare industry. In essence, it eliminates distance as a barrier in the delivery of healthcare.

[Hillside4Phil]

There is an Obesity Clinic that operates from Chiang Mai Ram hospital and it is a Saturday moring as when I was at the hospital for a check up, I did ask about a nutrisonists etc and the Doctor laughed and said we jst have the Obesity clinic.

Give the Chiang Mai Ram a call, I did not get any other informaion, as the days did not fit into what i do on the weekends.

If you do find a good dietician please let us know, as I would also be interested in seeing one and my searches have come up empty.

[miodo2009]

Thanks for excellent advice.

[PMNL]

Miodo,

When look up on internet for diabetic diet, look for food/fruits with glycemic index : The lower the better to control diabestes.

Avoid all kind of too-sweat fruits such as yellow mango, pineapple, lychee, longan, mangosteen, grape,durian etc.

Certain fruits such as watermelon,guava,banana, green apple can be consumed at limited amount ( Again check Glycemic index).

Eat more vegetable meals such as Salad with light /low cholesterol salad dressing.,steamed vegetable with gravy, vegatable soup., whole grain meals, whole wheat bread( not too much).

Avoid any kind of fried food,high cholesterol, high saturated fat. When buy any food produc from the store , have a look at the lebel on the products' container, if there are more than 2% of saturated fat , a few grams of cholesterol then that is not a good choice for you. Eggs, seafood, chips,cheese, butter, magarine, bakery products are high cholesterol.

Beetroot,garlic black pepper etc are good for cholesterol.

As I saw you mentioned on the other thread about avoiding medication, you may try on the diet for a few months and get the blood test done again if the fingure drops by 30-40 % then it is good and you may continue with your diet regimen.

However, it is good advise from the mod ( Sheryl) that you might need to get the stress test done too, if the EST turns out positive. It is recommended that you take statin for primary prevention of ACD.

At the end the choice is yours.

Good Luck

Edited June 15, 2010 by PMNL

[harveyBKK]

eating fas never been correlated positively to raising cholesterol. read the published science, it's true despite the hogwash that's been perpetrated for the last 30 years about it. your cholesterol changes most accutely in response to you:

-sugar intake

-sleep (lack of it and quality)

-exercise

-stress/smoking

..pretty much in that order. Stop eating sugar, stop staying up late, stop drinking if you do so more than moderately (1 or 2 a day). Walk more. Get some real exercise if you're healthy enough to do so. Stick to lean meats, legumes, leafy veggies and brown rice. Fish is great. Fat is ok, just don't guzzle it and never mix it with sugar if you can help it. Olive oil, animal fats, avocaods, eggs, these are ok fats. Avoid fried, avoid trans, and some people do better on less dairy. Avoid most noodles, which is hard in Thailand, but glass noodles are ok, they are made out of mung bean flower and have a very low glycemic index. Unless you're Thai or from somewhere that lots of sweet fruit is native year round, lay off the mango, rambuttan, and other sweets. There really are regional differences in physiology for people from different places in regards to insulin response, and health outcomes.

Salt is appearing to be something people eat way too much of and are just waking up to. In Asia, I imagine this is even worse than in the West. Go light on the soy and fish sauce.

Popular anti-cholesterol drugs have just recently been shown to increase cancer rates, so whatever you, don't start them. Also, there's a great deal of clinical evidence that they do little to nothing to actually fix high cholesterol, they just confusingly deflate certain markers we look at, but not the damaging inflammation that actually causes coronary disease.

**I am not a doctor.**

But I am healthy, and struggled with health for a long time growing up, and this advice has allowed me to be medication free and live well. I am prone to high blood sugar and cholesterol by nature.

[mln]

miodo2009,

You could try The Chiang Mai Ayurvedic Center. The head Doctor/Owner (can't remember her name, lectures at CMU also I believe) is very good/knowledgable - I'm she would be able to help you. She provides an initial consultation and go from there if it's something you're after.

The Chiang Mai Ayurvedic Center , C/O Pongphat Clinic

54/9 Singharat Road, Sriphum, Chiang Mai Thailand

Telephone from inside Thailand: 053 416455

Telephone from outside Thailand: +66 53416455

Email: [email protected]

Contact person: Sirikun Chaichana

[CaptHaddock]

chlolesterol - google this too

  you could go to the pharmacy -pick up Crestor (rosuvastatin clacium )

  You may want to start with 10mg  a day see how it works for you ,

You could buy the  20mg Crestor tabs then cut them in 1/2 making them 10mg. this saves money .

blood check -consult MD .

diet will help to a point  but some people must use  statins regardless.

good luck

Statins can have serious side-effects.  So, I definitely would not use them without having regular blood tests and review by a good doctor.  I experienced severe side effects myself after 5 years on a statin and it has taken me years to recover from it.  Now I am able to maintain all lipid measurements in the optimal range by reducing saturated fats in my diet, exercising regularly, and taking niacin daily.    In my case total cholesterol untreated was 300 mg/dl and is now down to 162.  Side effects are possible with niacin also.  So, blood tests every few months are necessary.

The medical industry pushes statins relentlessly, but niacin is more effective, safer, and much cheaper.

[CMX]

chlolesterol - google this too

you could go to the pharmacy -pick up Crestor (rosuvastatin clacium )

You may want to start with 10mg a day see how it works for you ,

You could buy the 20mg Crestor tabs then cut them in 1/2 making them 10mg. this saves money .

blood check -consult MD .

diet will help to a point but some people must use statins regardless.

good luck

Statins can have serious side-effects. So, I definitely would not use them without having regular blood tests and review by a good doctor. I experienced severe side effects myself after 5 years on a statin and it has taken me years to recover from it. Now I am able to maintain all lipid measurements in the optimal range by reducing saturated fats in my diet, exercising regularly, and taking niacin daily. In my case total cholesterol untreated was 300 mg/dl and is now down to 162. Side effects are possible with niacin also. So, blood tests every few months are necessary.

The medical industry pushes statins relentlessly, but niacin is more effective, safer, and much cheaper.

[CMX]

Niacin is however contra-indicated with diabetics.

It is true that statins have been involved with many more secondary effects than had for a long time been reported - some serious and some (such as muscular aches and pains) treatable. The track record of statins regarding reduction of death, heart attacks, and strokes, however, is well established, and those taking them under a physician's care for elevated cholesterol should do so.

Challenges here in Thailand include the prevalence of fried foods and the astonishing degree to which sugars are added.

[butterisbetter]

eating fas never been correlated positively to raising cholesterol. read the published science, it's true despite the hogwash that's been perpetrated for the last 30 years about it. your cholesterol changes most accutely in response to you:

-sugar intake

-sleep (lack of it and quality)

-exercise

-stress/smoking

..pretty much in that order. Stop eating sugar, stop staying up late, stop drinking if you do so more than moderately (1 or 2 a day). Walk more. Get some real exercise if you're healthy enough to do so. Stick to lean meats, legumes, leafy veggies and brown rice. Fish is great. Fat is ok, just don't guzzle it and never mix it with sugar if you can help it. Olive oil, animal fats, avocaods, eggs, these are ok fats. Avoid fried, avoid trans, and some people do better on less dairy. Avoid most noodles, which is hard in Thailand, but glass noodles are ok, they are made out of mung bean flower and have a very low glycemic index. Unless you're Thai or from somewhere that lots of sweet fruit is native year round, lay off the mango, rambuttan, and other sweets. There really are regional differences in physiology for people from different places in regards to insulin response, and health outcomes.

Salt is appearing to be something people eat way too much of and are just waking up to. In Asia, I imagine this is even worse than in the West. Go light on the soy and fish sauce.

Popular anti-cholesterol drugs have just recently been shown to increase cancer rates, so whatever you, don't start them. Also, there's a great deal of clinical evidence that they do little to nothing to actually fix high cholesterol, they just confusingly deflate certain markers we look at, but not the damaging inflammation that actually causes coronary disease.

**I am not a doctor.**

But I am healthy, and struggled with health for a long time growing up, and this advice has allowed me to be medication free and live well. I am prone to high blood sugar and cholesterol by nature.

Just recently a metastudy came out and .while it mostly back the position that cholesterol consumption has no effect on cardiovascular illness there is an exception for people with insulin problems. apparently egg consumption does adversely affect their cholesterol levels Here's a link to the abstract:

Wiley InterScience :: Session Cookies

[kudroz]

I don't have diabetes but I've been exploring raw food recipes and juicing vegetables and fruits. I stumbled upon

who allegedly cured his type 2 diabetes (in 4 days) and colon cancer by drinking green leafy vegetable juice. This Dave guy seems genuine and doesn't make money from affiliate marketing or anything.

There seem to be a handful of people also advocating green leafy vegetable juice and raw food to cure many things. Anyways, I thought I'd drop by to let you know. The book that Dave recommends is "There is a cure for diabetes" by Gabriel Cousens.

[Brian Allen]

Check out Doctor Tawachai at Loi Kroa Clinic.

He is an absolute gem of a man -- and consummately-professional physician -- who referred me to an MD dietician/nutritionist, whose name I have forgotten.

Chock dee - B A :.

[LemanRus]

Learn to treat food and drink with contempt. The problem with diets is they tend to be a justification to eat. Eat little and enjoy the taste what little you eat , exercise a lot, as much as your physician will let you and a bit more. Take your medication faithfully if you have been prescribed. And accept that this is for the rest of your life. There more to life than food so its not too onerous a regime. Give up smoking. Meditation and a Buddhist way of life is a pretty good regimen to follow.

[james24]

Organic virgin coconut oil helps regulate blood sugar levels and does not encourage hunger. Yoga is also good as it helps stimulate blood circulation

Post on the health forum here, there is a great lady there who always has some good advice

[uptheos]

There is no magic involved here .

Type in diabetic diet for type 2 ..

Google this you do not need to go anywhere unless you can not read or perhaps you feel you want someone to talk to.

The only hard part is to actually have the gumption ,the will to follow the diet prescribed . There are several versions but all about the same .

Always follow up with proper blood test when needed and for this consul a MD at Ram or almost anywhere since Thailand has plenty diabetic people Md's are simi up to par.

Md will have you get blood sugar below 100 (60-70 is ideal.)

Get a blood sugar test kit for home.

chlolesterol - google this too

you could go to the pharmacy -pick up Crestor (rosuvastatin clacium )

You may want to start with 10mg a day see how it works for you ,

You could buy the 20mg Crestor tabs then cut them in 1/2 making them 10mg. this saves money .

blood check -consult MD .

diet will help to a point but some people must use statins regardless.

good luck

Do not use statins unless you absolutely have to!.......and this doesn't necessarily mean 'because a doctor said so', prescribing for convenience is common here.

Zuzkate is right, there is no magic involved, diet and excercise + a bit of time and some supplements.

Two years ago I had high cholesterol and borderline type II diabetes. I won't bore you, but my cholesterol is under control -good and less bad, my fasting blood sugar is well below the 120 borderline and B/P averages about 110/70.

It's all out there on the net and some particularly good Diabetic and Cholesterol societies...ignore the quacks.

Good luck, you can control this.

[elektrified]

Some of you people with Type II Diabetes should not only search the net for the latest health tips, meditate, and become Buddhists. You should check your blood sugar 2 or more times a day and if it is too high, then give yourself insulin injections (per your doctor's advice). Diet and exercise are also very important. Uncontrolled diabetes will eventually kill you; one way or another.

[moe666]

How high is your cholestrol as long as it isn't out of sight like above 250 I wouldn't worry about. But by treating your diabetes your cholestrol should go down. I have very low cholestrol naturely and do not kid yourself low cholestrol is a killer as well. The brain is 95 percent cholestrol, too low cholestrol cause memory loss, and a few other mental health problems. When I was reaserching this (hard to find info) there is a Dr. in Mahattan who is compling data on people with low cholestrol and their level of sucide. Cholestrol is also the precursor for all of the steriodial hormones, low testosterone can be a cause of high cholestrol as the body is making more cholestrol trying to produce more testostrone. A complete physical and blood test that also checks hormone levels is called for.

Cut your sugar intake no fruit, bread, rice, potatoe, carrots, if you eat these things in moderation. All of these things convert to glucose in the body. eat green food, protien, eggs and if you need to the other stuff in moderation. Check out a guy called Ray Peet (on the web) he has spent a lot of time studing cholestrol and other diet related conditions. I emailed him with my condition and he said drink lots of orange juice to raise your cholestrol. I tried it for a while but I couldn't handle the elevated sugar.

Good luck you will get a lot of info from alot of people the, diabetes is the most pressing problem and you know how to get that down just donot eat white sugar, flour, rice and alchol and donot drink diet soda or any other diet drink. Also eliminate snack food if you eat it, chips, cookies, all that sort of stuff. If you get your diabetes under control the cholestrol will probly follow. You can just google Ray Peet and get a hit

[endure]

Go to bloodsugar101.com and read it from beginning to end - or preferably buy the book.

Buy yourself a blood glucose meter and use it as suggested in the book to test the range of foods that you normally eat.

Eliminate those foods that cause your BS to rise over the targets suggested in the book.

It's necessary to test because everyone reacts differently to different foods although you will find that high carb foods (bread, rice, noodles, potatoes, some fruit and all the processed crap) will raise your BS by large amounts.

TEST TEST TEST - it's the only way that YOU will know what's good for YOU.

Doing this and nothing else (no meds and not very much exercise) I keep my 1 hour PP sugars > 7.0 (126 for the Yanks). My last HbA1C was 5.6.

Edited August 14, 2011 by endure