Two things have caused me to stop writing this blog for the last year. First, that the low-carb professional community were reluctant to be active, at least in public. I felt that despite the progress we had made, I was like a mad dog barking at a lamp post. Second, that my own health was still in question. I’d had a first angina attack in July 2022, and a second attack in September 2023, and my own health, while much better than that of most people my age, still pointed to an uncertain future.
I’ve been active in the community of retired people, working for a political party, and helping the dancing community maintain a web site, I’ve been a committee member for two U3A groups in Christchurch. This activity was both a help and a hinderance. If I held a position on a committee, I had to be careful not to abuse my position and advocate too strongly for a Banting diet. So, I quietly, stepped back from taking any official role. Then because a well-known member of one of the U3A groups had a heart attack, and because I had been in that situation too, I thought it was time to ask the committee if I could make a presentation to the group. Their answer was very clear, they didn’t think it was appropriate. I was told my diet wasn’t of interest to anyone.
Action in Australia
Australia is Conducting a Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes.
Dr James Muecke – Advocating for patients with metabolic dysfunction. Australian ophthalmologist.
2020 Australian of the Year,
Dr James Muecke didn’t mince words at a public hearing of the Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes.
“For four years I’ve been advocating for a public campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of type 2 diabetes.
I’ve even produced two commercials that played nationally on free-to-air TV. Both featuring a working-class
Aussie bloke, Neil, who suddenly went blind in both eyes due to his type 2 diabetes. I’d hoped the hard-hitting
story would scare the nearly two million Australians with this disease into having their eyes checked, to prevent
them from going blind. I now realize these interventions don’t work. Although personal stories can be emotive
and powerful, they obscure the government food and beverage policies shaping the behaviour of people such
as Neil. And worse, they erode any desire to change those harmful policies.
The underlying issue is that our government policies have created an unhealthy food and beverage
environment – one that is flooded with sugary drinks and highly processed “foods” that are loaded with sugar
and seed oils.”
In Open Future New Zealand I have tried to give people easier access to the important submissions made to the Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes, that opened in May 2023. There were more than 450 written submissions to that inquiry, and I read more than half of those and printed about 30%. I wrote about that in the Open Future New Zealand website.
I have also tried to use online forums within the political party, to encourage them to take an interest in Type II Diabetes, and insulin resistance. Sadly, there’s very little understanding there either. Most people believe they already know what a healthy diet is, and can’t believe for instance that a vegetarian diet, high in carbohydrates, in the New Zealand environment, might be a cause of obesity and type II diabetes.
There is more good news from Australia, that people all around the world can use for a small annual fee (Aust$ 100). Defeat Diabetes is a public, patient support group, led by Dr. Peter Brukner, and Dr Paul Mason. It started off very quietly about two years ago, but it’s proving successful. Not overwhelming in providing advice and help.
As for myself, the Cardiac Department at the hospital are not interested in me anymore. I’m under the care of my GP. Taking medication for the stents, to make sure they don’t become a problem, and a statin. (I’m not sure there is any advantage in taking the statin at my age, but my GP, tells me that with the statin and my animal-based diet, my blood profile is ideal. The statin isn’t giving me any problems, so I’ve chosen to accept the advice.)
John Veitch at Hagley Park 5km Park Run, February 2024.
In June 2023 responding to a heads-up regarding the health of my heart, I decided to accept an invitation to attend a gym. It’s some years since I have done that. Not that I was inactive, I’ve been using an online app called Fitify and the equipment I have at home for several years. I’ve also tried to maintain the ability to run very short distances, just 80m to 100m running as fast as I can. (Slow really, I don’t have the strength to sprint.)
I’ve found the Gym enjoyable, and it’s easier to quietly add weight to what I’m doing, so I’ve been able to record increases in strength over 8 months. One advantage is that my weak knees are getting stronger, and in the last two months I’ve begun to run a little bit longer. To date I’ve completed 6 Park Runs. In a field of about 700, there are three in my age group (VM80-84), I’m the slowest, but not by too much. There are eight men in the group VM70-79, and the group VM60-69 has twenty-six.
People seem to retain much of their speed into their late 50’s. I stopped running because of knee problems about then.
Some of us are still learning to dance. Carolyn and I have danced together for 34 years. We still go to public ballroom dances at least twice a week, and we still take a lesson once a week. I guess that I know the pattern for close to 100 ballroom, sequence or new vogue dances. Too many, all of them danced in a social manner. We started dancing as adults. Very pleased that this is our main joint activity. But like most things, starting early with a good teacher is the best way to begin.
That brings us up to date. I have new enthusiasm for what we are doing here, so I intend to keep this blog rolling.
I’m preparing a set of ten related pages based on a Letter to the Editor of The Journal of Primary Health Care, written by Dr Marcus Hawkins and Dr Caryn Zinn. This letter expresses plainly that New Zealand has avoided controversy about Type II Diabetes, while in the UK, Canada and Australia the new science is being recognized and changes are coming. It would be best if New Zealand was not left behind.
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