Trevor’s Low Carb Success Story from England & Radiant Health

A Low-Carb Success Story from England

Trevor Laplain from South Woodford, London, England is 45. He is married and two sons. Trevor works as a catering manager and food safety consultant at Queen Mary, University of London. He has been overweight all of his life.

Trevor has been following Professor Brian Peskin’s Radiant Health program since August of 2000. It is very similar to the Atkins diet. “My wife, Pat, is also on the program and has dropped two dress sizes. The funny thing is that since losing all our weight, I’ve been wearing the old suits that have been hanging in my wardrobe for the last few years, but Pat has had to have a whole new lot of outfits,” Trevor smiles.

“I’ve tried most diets and plans over many years and became a classic yo-yo dieter,” he continues. “About four years ago I became diabetic. So, in order to control my weight and my diabetes, I needed to find something that worked.”

“I have Type II diabetes. Until starting the program and beginning to low carb, I used Metformin to control the condition. I no longer need the diabetes drugs. I use Radiant Health products and the low carb way of life.”

Trevor’s initial weight loss attempts included stringent calorie control. He first attempted to lose weight on less than 1200 calories a day, and he was disappointed that the weight did not come off fast enough in the six months he stayed with this plan.

Trevor wanted to enlist in the Army. When low-calorie dieting didn’t work for him, he tried starvation out of desperation. He found there were adverse affects on his general well being.

Trevor attempted the Mayo Clinic Diet several times under the advice from a Medical Officer. While he had short term beneficial effects, his weight loss was not sustained. Each attempt had the same results.

Trevor Tried the Cambridge Ultra Low-Calorie Diet

Because it was fashionable at the time, Trevor next tried the Cambridge Ultra Low-Calorie diet and told me, “Underactive service conditions, it made me ill.” He also gave Micro Diet Ultra Low Calorie a try, but found it was no better for his weight loss and general health than his other attempts at low-calorie dieting.

During his service in the Army, Trevor even used amphetamines. “These were illicitly obtained and not under supervision, but had adverse effects on my personality, and I had mood swings, aggressive behaviors and difficulty sleeping.”

Trevor tried Ultimate Nutrition. “This was quite successful!” he says. “I now realize it was high protein and reduced carbs. It relied on mega doses of vitamins and lots of training.” It worked well for Trevor until he injured his knee and had to quit exercising. His excess weight soon reappeared.

He tried vegetarianism on the assumption that reducing fats would in some way help him lose weight. “In the process, I was consuming large doses of carbohydrates,” he told me. “I was relying on brown rice, wholemeal pasta, pulses, and legumes for my protein.” This increased his weight and he believes caused, or “at least exacerbated” his diabetes.

Trevor has always kept fairly fit and active by running, working out at the gym etc. “I would go for long marches with full kit enforced and voluntary,” he noted, but he did not keep up his exercise regime after leaving the Army. “I did come back to it after folding my business, though,” he stated.

After leaving the Army, Trevor’s weight increased. “I’ve been regularly working out at my local gym. I do one hour on the treadmill covering 5.25 miles, then an hour on the resistance equipment. I use a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM). I exercise at between 70%-90% VO2 Max,” he stated.

“Despite all of my best efforts,” Trevor told me, “the exercise did not shift the weight. It was good from a cardiovascular point of view but did not help with my weight loss. With all my previous efforts I tried wholeheartedly. I was quite pedantic and self-disciplined in my approach.”

Trevor shared his feelings about being diagnosed with Type II diabetes with me. “I know when I was first diagnosed I went through a range of emotions. It really scared me, to begin with. I thought I would have to inject myself, I might go blind, and I thought of all the other health challenges associated with diabetes.”

“Now,” he continued, “here I am four years on and it may seem a peculiar thing to say, but developing diabetes has had a positive effect on my life. It forced me to make an effort to improve my health, particularly from the point of view of weight control and nutrition.”

“I must say, however, the dietary advice I got from my doctor was seriously flawed.

They told me I must eat carbohydrates with every meal or I would have a hypo. So the kind of food I was eating was pasta, brown rice, pulses, grains, etc. Then I had to use drugs to control my blood sugar levels. And despite following their advice and working hard in the gym, I was not losing any weight. In fact, I was putting it on! Some days I would work so hard in the gym I would have to eat a Mars Bar because I was having a hypo. Crazy, when you think about it. I wanted to fuel my workout on body fat, not Mars Bars.”

“Then I was introduced to the concept of the low carbohydrate diet. It was the complete antithesis of what the doctors were telling me to do. The medical advice was not working, so I gave it a try. I have had quite remarkable results from both a weight loss and diabetes control point of view.”

Then He Discovered the Low-Carb Lifestyle.

“I was first introduced to the concept of low carbing in July of 2000,” he said. “I was consulting with an alternative health practitioner, and he introduced me to Professor Brian Peskin’s work. At first, my reaction was to say that I could not possibly use such a plan as I am diabetic. It was pointed out that Brian first became involved in his research to find a cure for his wife’s diabetes. I bought the book and read it. I must say, I had a great deal of skepticism to being with.

But what he had to say made perfect sense. I therefore thought I might as well give it a try. I sent for some of the Radiant Health products. Within two weeks I fist started to see a significant weight loss. In just over six months, I have lost over 42 pounds. My blood sugar levels are just perfect! My blood pressure is reduced, and my LDL cholesterol is reduced. Another point is that this year the best winter I have had for years! I usually suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and become quite lethargic and depressed during the winter months, but not this year!”

“There are NO legitimate (or illegitimate) studies which have shown that correctly following a low carbohydrate lifestyle damages the kidneys. None! Zero!” Trevor exclaimed going on to tell me Professor Brian Peskin has carried out research to dispel the myth about this way of life being detrimental to the kidneys.

Learning from Radiant Health

Trevor went on to explain, “In his book, Radiant Health, on page 133, Dr. Peskin states, ‘Many nutritionists will tell you that eating lots of protein with few carbohydrates will cause health problems. We are told that, with higher protein and lower carbohydrates, the body then starts converting muscle tissue to glucose for energy, and it will hurt your kidneys by overloading them with so much protein.’ Dr. Peskin says this is wrong!” said Trevor emphatically.

“He points to research which proves this myth incorrect. Dr. Peskin states that “protein is fine for your kidneys. Glutamine (protein-derived) removes toxic ammonia from your blood so that you don’t die.’ Dr.Peskin also mentions a 1995 study, “Protein Power, Michael Eads, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D., Bantam Books, New York, 1996, page 188.”

Trevor continued by adding, “On page 135 of Radiant Health, Dr. Peskin states, ‘Many people are familiar with the notion that “too much” protein causes harm to the kidneys. This mistake appears to have been based on analyzing diabetic patients and drawing a wrong conclusion. The real cause of their problem was high glucose levels causing proteins to become surrounded by glucose molecules (glycosylation). This causes abnormal protein spillover into the urine. Normally, the blood proteins are repelled by the kidney’s pores and don’t overflow into the urine.’

‘When the same tests were performed on subjects with normal blood glucose levels, there is no change in kidney filtration rates,’ Dr. Peskin concluded.

Trevor has done a lot of reading and research about essential fatty acids (EFA’s).

“I am diabetic,” Trevor said. “Since I have been following the Radiant Health program and replacing the deficient EFA’s, my blood glucose levels have been just perfect. The only risk to my kidneys was from carbohydrates, most certainly not from protein. EFA’s in my system stop me from wanting to eat too much. I am able to listen to my body and only eat when I am hungry. I have broken the eat crave, eat crave cycle by reducing carbohydrates, increasing proteins, and replacing EFA’s.”

“Essential fatty acids are vital to the cells’ outer coating, maintaining its integrity and protecting against disease and environmental toxins. They are also vital to maintain the immune system and protect against heart disease. EFA’s are the building blocks of all the hormones in the body.”

“Having EFA’s in your system helps to prevent food cravings.” Trevor adds “This is, of course, combined with the low carbohydrate way of life. EFA’s will improve the elasticity in the arteries and protect the arterial wall against damage. This is, I believe, what has helped to lower my blood pressure, and along with a low carbohydrate way of eating, has reduced my blood glucose levels to being normal.

“Cosmetically, EFA’s will help eliminate cellulite and improve the elasticity of the skin, reducing the adverse effects of too much sun. Not that I get too much sun in England!” he chuckled.

Getting His Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

“It is not quite correct to say that the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) only come from plant sources. Certainly, the best sources of EFA come from the seeds of borage, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, and such like, but EFA’s can also be obtained from oily fish. The problem with extracting oil from oily fish is they do not have an oil gland. Therefore, the oil is extracted by macerating the whole fish and chemically extracting the oil. This leaves traces of solvents etc., in the fish oil.”

“This seems to one of the main differences between Professor Brian Peskin’s Radiant Health low carbohydrate weight management program and the Atkins plan. With Peskin, a basic principle is to replace EFA’s which have been extracted by the food processing industry. EFA’s satisfy the hunger and make low carbing so much easier. EFA’s form an important part of every cell in the body. One of the problems associated with trans fats from, hydrogenated fats, margarine, and processed foods, is that the trans fats mimic EFA’s and take the place of EFA in the cells. This, in turn, blocks the body’s ability to absorb what little EFA are still in the foods we eat. Margarine is closer to being plastic than it is to being food!”

“Replacing the EFA’s and other nutritional deficiencies, along with the low carbing, has helped me to control my diabetes, reduce my blood pressure and help me to lose weight.”

“The main drawback to this way of life was that the diet was starting to become quite monotonous. But then I found the AtkinsDiet_LoCarb group, and they have so many imaginative recipe ideas. I am confident that I can happily adopt this as a way of life. I’m a chef, although I’m more into management and food safety these days. I never get invited anywhere for my charm and personality, but more for my catering abilities,” Trevor grinned. “I remember a few years back, soon after my brother married, he invited me and my wife to Sunday lunch. His poor wife was having kittens at the prospect of cooking for me, poor girl, but really I’m easy to please. Even easier these days! Just don’t give me carbs or trans fats.”

Since I found out about low carbohydrate dieting & Radiant Health, I haven’t looked back.

“My blood sugar levels are just perfect. It is almost like I am no longer diabetic. I am, of course, because there is no cure for diabetes. But the low carbohydrate way of eating most certainly is a way of controlling diabetes. I haven’t had to use my drugs since I cut out the carbs!”

Trevor concluded by saying, “When diabetes is out of control, it effects every part of the body. All of our organs are working overtime to function. The important thing for us to remember is that diabetes is controllable! Once we have our blood sugar levels under control we start to feel better. And there is no better way of controlling blood sugar levels than with a low carb diet. We must look after ourselves! There is no reason why we shouldn’t lead long, healthy, and normal lives.

Congratulations, Trevor! You’ve taken control and assumed responsibility for your life. You’ve been a success, and you’ve inspired us all.

The AtkinsDiet_LoCarb list can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AtkinsDiet_LoCarb.

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