Reversal of diabetes

[Mjs]

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with type 2 at the end of April 2014, which was a relief as I had been feeling unwell for a while.


My HbA1c was 7.4, 6.7 and now 6.3. I am only diet controlled and as I have recently taken early retirement with my husband I am enjoying cooking fresh food from scratch. we are also getting more exercise now we have the time.


I know what I have been doing is working, but I have times when it's all to confusing. I read a book about reversal of diabetics, but different nurses seem to have different ideas. Has anyone managed to reverse their diabetes?

 

[sally and james]

Many people here (my husband, James, is one) have reversed T2 diabetes. By reversed, I mean starting off with a high HbA1c and, due to going on to a low carb diet got down to fully normal levels, which he has now maintained for around 20 months. He has no diabetic medications.
Many medical people will tell you that diabetes can only get worse. That is because too many people follow the very bad advice ("eat carbs with every meal") that has been handed out for many years and, of course they get worse. There is a lot of information on this site about the low carb approach to diet, have a look here, http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/low-carb-diet-forum.18/
Do ask as many questions as you need to.
Sally

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I have through a low carb / high fat diet and a little exercise. I ignored the diabetes dietician and the diabetes nurse and the info given at my newly diabetic training course regarding diet. In fact, I've never been healthier in my life. I saw my diabetes nurse yesterday and she was quite amazed and said it is "very rare" that people can revert from diabetic blood glucose levels to normal (below prediabetic levels) through diet. However, I think that is because the dietary advice given to type 2 diabetics (high carb low fat) does not work for most people.

 

[Yorksman]

I lost 30kg and can now eat a couple of mince pies and a bar of chocolate and I will only be around 6.0 after 2 hours.

But, I better not do it too often! Thank goodness christmas is only one time per year.

My HbA1c has been normal for a long time now and whenever I see my weight drifting upwards, I have to redouble my efforts to get it down again. I still check my BG every morning and it is always below 6. Sometimes, like today, it is much lower, 4.9. You have to put in the effort to begin with and then be vigilant. Don't fall back into bad habits. Having said that, you look as if you are making great progress anyway. Just carry on and then go that little bit further just to make sure.

But, keep an eye on things. Just as a precaution. Don't let things drift and you will be fine.

I have had nurses and GPs who have asked, 'how have you done that?' They have mostly been told that diabetes is progressive and there's nothing you can do about it. But, if you start doing something about it early enough, it looks like you can.

One thing is for sure, if you can control it now, you'll be in a much better position in 20 years time than if you just give up now. Beside, doesn't all that home cooking taste better? My main form of exercise in winter seems to be going around the food markets When my brother visits me, he always remarks that the quality of the meats are so much better. I also buy the cheaper cuts like skirt steak and cook it slowly. Things just start to taste better.

 

[Mjs]

Thanks to you all for your advise and taking the time to reply.

 

[andcol]

I went on a very low calorie diet for a period of time (similar to the newcastle diet) and have lost over 5 stone. HbA1c was normal within 3 months and has just improved. Up to Christmas I was eating a high carb diet with cake, licorice and other luxuries and my HbA1c came out at 33 so I would say I have reversed it.
At the moment I have gone low carb (about 60g/day) to lose the last stone in weight to get down to 11.5 stone in weight and then I will increase my carbs back up - PS I am missing my chips and licorice!

 

[eddie1968]

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with type 2 at the end of April 2014, which was a relief as I had been feeling unwell for a while.


My HbA1c was 7.4, 6.7 and now 6.3. I am only diet controlled and as I have recently taken early retirement with my husband I am enjoying cooking fresh food from scratch. we are also getting more exercise now we have the time.


I know what I have been doing is working, but I have times when it's all to confusing. I read a book about reversal of diabetics, but different nurses seem to have different ideas. Has anyone managed to reverse their diabetes?

Why have you posted this thread in the Type 2 on Insulin thread ? Surely this should be on Diabetes Discussions or Soapbox

 

[sanguine]

Why have you posted this thread in the Type 2 on Insulin thread ? Surely this should be on Diabetes Discussions or Soapbox

It can be easy to hit the wrong button sometimes - I'll report it and ask the mods to move it.

 

[eddie1968]

I was thinking the same as you Sanguine, thanks.

 

[KittyKatty]

I'm not learned on these matters so am only guessing. I've managed to get my hba1c down from 97 to 31. I'm guessing I haven't "reversed" my diabetes at all; my blood sugars are only as low/high as the last meal I ate. Eating some Xmas Pud sent my readings into orbit so my diabetes is not reversed, I'm just keeping it at bay. Long may it continue

 

[andcol]

depends what you mean by into orbit and what you normally eat compared to what you ate that sent you high. It may be that you just shocked your system. Hard to say without more information one way or the other.

 

[graj0]

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with type 2 at the end of April 2014, which was a relief as I had been feeling unwell for a while.


My HbA1c was 7.4, 6.7 and now 6.3. I am only diet controlled and as I have recently taken early retirement with my husband I am enjoying cooking fresh food from scratch. we are also getting more exercise now we have the time.


I know what I have been doing is working, but I have times when it's all to confusing. I read a book about reversal of diabetics, but different nurses seem to have different ideas. Has anyone managed to reverse their diabetes?

Hi MJS,

I think we have to start by defining "reverse". Type IIs can have healthy BG readings, can can have good HbA1c readings, even be told by their doctors that they are no longer diabetic. I'm not so sure that anybody who as ever been diagnosed type II would ever be able to eat the amount of carbs that they used to and I think there will always be an element of insulin resistance. I'm not so sure about avoiding things like peripheral neuropathy and some of the other side effects of diabetes. Without having your BG monitored constantly, you'd not be able to tell if your BG was spiking or behaving like a non diabetic where the insulin is produced by the pancreas almost instantly and used straight away.

Not so much a definitive answer, because there probably isn't one, but several things to think about if you want to say that the condition is truly reversed.

 

[andcol]

I'm not so sure that anybody who as ever been diagnosed type II would ever be able to eat the amount of carbs that they used to and I think there will always be an element of insulin resistance.

A case in point is that I can and regularly do and still have an HbA1c of 33. @Pipp has reported being fed packets of biscuits and the nursing staff questioning whether she was diabetic. So reversal is not only possible. What is unknown yet is how long will it last. May be I will have a slow decline over the next period of my life but at least I am forewarned and forearmed

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I'm not learned on these matters so am only guessing. I've managed to get my hba1c down from 97 to 31. I'm guessing I haven't "reversed" my diabetes at all; my blood sugars are only as low/high as the last meal I ate. Eating some Xmas Pud sent my readings into orbit so my diabetes is not reversed, I'm just keeping it at bay. Long may it continue

Eating massive a massive amount of carbs/sugar at one sitting will cause a blood glucose spike even someone without diabetes, especially if they are on a low carb diet. What's more indicative of diabetes is what happens after it goes up. Does it stay up for hours? That's bad and shows the diabetes has not been reversed. Does it fairly rapidly go down after it peaks? That's a good indication the diabetes has been reversed. No meds, normal A1c, normal fasting blood glucose - that's a good indication that it's been reversed. It would also be helpful to have normal insulin levels, but the government isn't going to pay for that testing.

Here's what happened recently when, as a little scientific experiment, I ate porridge (steel cut oats), a banana, a slice of whole meal toasted bread with margarine (shudder), and a glass of 1% fat milk - an example of a low fat "healthy" breakfast recommended during my diabetes course (carbs: 78g, fat 12g, protein 23g). This is more carbs at one sitting than I generally eat over 3 days.

Interesting graph, isn't it? I woke up at 6 am on this day - you can see my blood glucose rise moderately after that as I prepared my horrific breakfast. Then the massive rise in blood glucose after eating breakfast, followed by a fairly rapid drop to normal levels. My normal breakfast of eggs, bacon, and coffee is about 47 g fat, <2 g carbs, and 28 g protein. It does not do a lot to my blood glucose levels - actually about the same as if I only had a coffee.

Am I cured? Have I reversed my diabetes? I believe so.

If I went back on the low fat high carb diet that caused my diabetes in the first place would I get diabetes again? Most assuredly!! Does this mean my diabetes has not been reversed or cured? Of course not!!

I've also reversed or cured my obesity with a LCHF diet. If I ate the supposedly "healthy" way I used to, I'd get fat again, yet right now nobody would currently attempt to claim that my obesity has not been reversed. I think it's fairly simple logic.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I guess it proves the facts behind the Newcastle diet, it's the weight loss that improves insulin resistance.

It also proves you don't need to go on a starvation diet like the Newcastle diet to reverse your diabetes. I eat around 2700 - 2800 calories a day. I think it's called the "enjoyment method" according to the Diet Doctor.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

There is one difference. After you're done the Newcastle diet, what then? Go back to your old way of eating until you need to do the Newcastle diet again? With the "enjoyment method", you just keep eating delicious, wholesome, nutritious, healthful food until you die at some ripe old age. I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying the Newcastle diet as a penultimate resort (i.e. before bariatric surgery), but people should give the enjoyment method or something similar a go first.

 

[Pipp]

There is one difference. After you're done the Newcastle diet, what then? Go back to your old way of eating until you need to do the Newcastle diet again? With the "enjoyment method", you just keep eating delicious, wholesome, nutritious, healthful food until you die at some ripe old age. I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying the Newcastle diet as a penultimate resort (i.e. before bariatric surgery), but people should give the enjoyment method or something similar a go first.

And you know that the Newcastle diet can't be enjoyed because..?

I enjoyed it. I also have seemingly 'reversed' my diabetes through this method.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

And you know that the Newcastle diet can't be enjoyed because..?

I enjoyed it. I also have seemingly 'reversed' my diabetes through this method.

I stand corrected. What do you eat now?

 

[Pipp]

I stand corrected. What do you eat now?

Anything I like.

 

[Pipp]

I stand corrected. What do you eat now?

The clue is in the signature.