Hi Dave (and fellow Manxie )

Your post has got me thinking on many levels, and whilst I can see that you're maybe concerned at people's health status for giving the NSD/LSD a throw, I DO think that your going to a specialised unit is maybe giving you the 'halo' effect?

Calin might have done some good work (has he? any offers on that one anyone??) and maybe he has highlighted potential pitfalls of the diet (has he??) well, I dunno (there are lots of documented positives also) but trying to place myself as someone who was (a) newly diagnosed (given or take the 15yrs that may take for some folk, especially if they're female) and/or (b) just been referred to the specialised unit (which would no doubt depend on resources, or lack of them - to the people at the back, this means MONEY) and (c) (I would bloody well hope) was open-minded.....

I really doubt that living through the above, I'd end up thinking this guy had ALL the answers. Sure, it's specialised (do I HAVE to give you one very distinguished doc's version on that??) but WHAT about the quality of the information they are giving out?

Couple of challenges for you:

(1)-If this course is so sh*t hot, why isn't it rolled out in every city, or at least have a local centre - at least several in the country as opposed to ONE?

(2)-what about the other 50 weeks of the year??

Scenario two for you: say I'd just found KickAS and decided to try the diet whilst waiting for referral? Realising how wonderful the diet is, I have to listen to Dr Calin disputing it....and KNOWING how it feels to be virtually drug-free and have my life back - well, hey, I'm not exactly going to sit at the back saying nothing am I?
I would be MAD AS HELL that this hadn't been brought to my attention before and MAD AS HELL that anyone else would want to even get in the way of making what is an entirely personal choice - given all the *&^%$ floating around about low/no carb/starch diets I'm not suprised some people give up before the first hurdle.

In the current climate, it DOES require a leap of faith. But LOOK where it might take you!!!!

Looking forward to the day, hopefully not so far away, when:

(a) Docs have entered medicine on the basis of vocation and not elitism (Go Jeanna!!)

(b) Where said docs will take up research that was previously dropped (as previously no money or kudos to be made from picking up the research of others - even though some docs might be prepared to think beyond the box, and to have their patients benefit in the meantime) - away from the no-probs funding research into new meds, and new gene studies which of course are important, but whilst promising status and reward for the doc doing them, will make little impact on the patients they are actually researching.

(c) Given the already noted effect of diet on RA, mental health (schizophrenia, ADD, anxiety, panic attacks), prisoners (>40% actuality of reoffending if given more veggies!!!), and the effect of too many carbs on causing pancreatic cancer, not to mention diabetes and CHD. Whoops, don't forget acrylamide found in fried carbs - hey, can you imagine a drug which had this potential effect STILL being on the market whilst it was investigated?? Thought not!

So Dave, would you like fries with that??

Take care,

Jan