This post would be of interest to anyone with Type 2 Diabetes, pre-diabetes or risk factors for it. It doesn't apply to Type 1 Diabetes. T2D was thought to be a progressive chronic disease with a gradual inevitable march to drugs and some irreversible symptoms such as blindness, organ failures and amputations. T2D sufferers live about 12 to 15 years shorter lifespans. About 10% of people in the UK and 14% of Americans have T2D. Research in the UK has shown good success in reversing the disease using a very low calorie diet (VLCD). It seems that a sudden and substantial decrease in energy (calorie) intake especially early on triggers an improvement in cell beta function and insulin sensitivity. The studies were the result of noting that bariatric surgery patients had an almost immediate reversal of T2D, even before weight loss occurred. Below is some information on the studies and their results. Both trials showed a substantial percentage of study volunteers reversed their T2D if the energy reduction resulted in weight loss of about 33 LBS. Small study showing reversal of T2D by participants following a VLCD. Summary of the DiRECT clinical trial. DiRECT clinical trial full report. Due to the encouraging nature of the results the VLCD will be recommended by the NHS as the first step for newly diagnosed T2D patients. The cost for the program is less than half per patient as the annual cost of treating T2D, so economically it's a winner. I've done this diet after being diagnosed with T2D a few months ago. I checked with my doctor and a dietician before proceeding. The results for me we an almost immediate decrease in fasting blood glucose levels (from 7.6 mmol to consistently below 5.5 mmol). My weight loss the first three weeks was 22 pounds (222 lbs to 200 lbs) and after three months I'm sitting at 175 lbs. I'm 6' tall so my BMI has reduced from 30.1 to 23.7. Anyway good information out there on how to reverse T2D. My advice is to stick to only medical/scientific information backed by proper research trials and talk to your doctor about this. Most physicians familiar with diabetes will be familiar with this as it's been featured prominently in medical journals.
Good for you! And nice post. I have severe metabolic syndrome and have my entire life, which is unusual. In effect, I release too much insulin when my glucose levels rise. This often sent me into a low blood-sugar crisis. The drugs to control it are limited and obnoxious. I couldn't tolerate it. And I wasn't having any luck controlling it with diet. I finally reached a point where I pretty much passed out just from the sugar in a glass of milk. By then my situation was incapacitating. I couldn't eat! I had a reaction every time I did. I heard about ketogenic diets and reasoned that by limiting the carb intake, I might moderate the insulin response. I was desperate and I thought it was worth a try. So I cut carbs and also reduced my caloric intake to about 1300 calories a day. I lost 60 pounds while adding a lot of muscle mass [working out]. For the first time in my life, I have my blood sugar under control. I can now tolerate a reasonable low-carb diet. But to lose the weight I remained ketogenic [25-30 grams of carbs a day] for several months at a time. Then went to about 100 grams of carbs a day for a month or so. Bottom line: It saved my life.
Yeah you're on the right track for sure. The focus has been on fat for a long time but the real problem is certainly carbs which increase the generation of insulin. Carbs' impact on insulin is the real cause of weight gain (along with causing T2D). To maintain my weight I'm following the DASH Diet with an avoidance of refined carbs and snacking. I eat within a window of 8 hours a day to allow blood sugars to reduce overnight. I find my style of eating now is easy to follow, allows for flexibility and great foods, and never leaves me feeling I'm missing out or hungry.
A few additional effects: 1) My chronic, lifelong problem with heartburn ended almost overnight. I had been eating a few to 10 or more Tums or Rolaids a day, ever since I was a kid. Turns out, it was the bread. I've had two pieces of bread in 7 years. When I had two pieces of bread for toast a couple of years ago, the heartburn and reflux returned with a vengeance. 2) My joint pain has all but disappeared. I was always hurting from joint pain in my knees, elbows, and wrists. Now I hardly ever notice any pain. There is evidence suggesting that wheat products are responsible for inflammation that leads to everything from joint pain, to high blood pressure and heart disease. 3) My blood pressure dropped dramatically. I'm not quite sure of the highs but I think it hit 145/95. Within about six months, my bp had dropped to exactly 120/80. Over the next few years, it got as low as 105/70 IIRC. By cutting carbs, you have to stop eating processed foods, which have a high salt content. I didn't realize how much salt I had cut out of my diet until I tried to eat a keto pizza [cauliflower crust]. Between the pepperoni and cheeses, I couldn't eat it! I was like trying to each a salt lick. 4) Because I felt so much better, I REALLY got into shape. I've added A LOT of muscle, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels as well as increasing testosterone levels. Also, fat increases pseudo-estrogen levels [not exactly estrogen but acts the same]. So, in short, fat literally makes you feminine. Muscle helps to maintain your manhood. Reduced testostrone levels is responsible for many thing men associate with age, like loss of libido. 4.1) The elliptical combined with high-intensity interval training, is a sex machine. I reversed my need for Viagra. Erectile Dysfunction is all about blood flow. I could still perform but not like when I was younger. But getting in shape made all the difference. And there is nothing like HIIT on the elliptical. I less than six months I was literally a new man. 5) I got better looking. I looked younger and healthier. My mental health improved dramatically. Now I'm an upbeat and engaging person that people like. And I've been seeing hot women in their twenties, for 7 years now. 6). I met a smoking-hot blonde, 21 at the time, fell madly in love, saw her for three years, and had the three best years of my life. I never imagined what cutting carbs would lead to. People often ask how I can live without bread or milkshakes or whatever their weakness might be. Thanks, I'll take the hot women instead.
