006: Dr Chris Barclay – Beating Diabetes The Low Carb Way (Part 1)

 was brought up in Ipswich. He qualified as a doctor at Sheffield University in 1978 (the very same year he got married and Ipswich won the FA Cup - a rather good year). He worked for two years in Sierra Leone before before returning to Sheffield to starting speciality training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He swapped over to General Practice in 1989.

Chris Barclay is currently a GP and medical writer. His special interest in diet and health began with a chance encounter; a patient told him how he had lost weight by cutting out carbohydrate foods. Chris has researched the subject ever since. He was principal investigator for the ISAIAH-Project, a diet trial in pre-diabetic patients. His conclusion: processed carbs, starchy foods and sugar are the problem; they are driving our Diabesity epidemic. In his book, Beating Diabetes the low-carb way, Chris presents compelling and persuasive evidence and translated it into a practical and effective plan. Chris has written regularly for medical magazines, most recently The Practitioner magazine. He is the lead writer for MaPPs, a drug information website to help health care organisations (Hospital Trusts mainly) provide reliable, easy to read information on medicines that can be printed off for patients to take away (again, translational work). He worked for many years as  GP in Sheffield before moving back to Suffolk. He has worked most recently as a GP in Aldeburgh,

His new book Beating Diabetes the low-carb way collects the fruits of his research and enquiries in one place.

Beating Diabetes The Low Carb Way - Dr Chris Barclay

https://amzn.to/2SR22Eu

When the food guidelines came in during the 80s Chris just took them on board. He didn’t think about them. Assumed that the people who were overweight, it was because they ate too much and moved too little.

Through a patient he discovered Dine Out and Lose Weight book (https://amzn.to/3jLmsKS) and found out and about the Glycemic Index.

Chris was part of a team running a clinical trial called ISIAH. It was a pilot study to see if the programme could work but they couldn’t getting funding for a proper study because there was no money to be made.

Dr Chris noticed that when the food guidelines came in the increase in obesity and Type 2 Diabetes took a lurch upwards.

He talks about two diets:

Thermogenic diets

Insulin modulating diets

Minnesota Starvation Diet - Ancel Keys

During 1940’s test subjects’ calories were significantly reduced. Subjects’ metabolism slowed, hardly moved, they were cold. Problem with this dieting you have to keep cutting the calories. The body goes into starvation mode.

Dine out and Lose Weight - Michel Montignac 

https://amzn.to/3jLmsKS

The New High Protein Diet - Dr Charles Clark

https://amzn.to/3jKVrY9

"I should tell you about my nutritional training as a doctor and it was nil. We got no nutritional training whatsoever."

Dr Chris Barclay

"Most of the healthcare professionals I have come across are completely unaware of the whole low carb principles and how effective it can be."