Does this ever go away

[Jennifer2]

I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. If you are careful with your diet and take regular exercise will it go away or does it just go into a form of remission

 

[Yorksman]

It depends. It won't go away on its own and it depends firstly, on how bad you are at diagnosis and secondly, how motivated you are with diet and exercise.

The problem is that there will be some damage to the insulin producing beta cells and no one ever knows how much damage there is. It used to be thought that these were either dead or alive and, once dead, there would be no recovery. However, it now appears that some are not actually dead but blocked and, if they can be unblocked, they will start working again. But, some are definitely dead and so you will always have to be careful. On the other hand, that's not too bad because if you went back to your earlier diet, you'd be going back to one that gave you the diabetes in the first place.

The advice given by the NHS has been to keep your after meal readings below 8.5 and your early morning readings to about 7.0. However, these are far too high and the Belfast Study showed a few decades ago that, whilst this looks as it the diabetes is well controlled, those high levels will lead to more beta cells dying and the condition getting gradually worse.

The first thing to do is find a diet that works for you and helps you get your blood sugar levels down to below 6.0 in a morning and below 7.8 two hours after a meal. Eating fewer carbs and eating only carbs that are low GI will help greatly in this. The next thing to do is lose weight as this helps unblock your blocked islets. Very roughly, your body needs about 220 g of glucose per day and, if you eat say, 100 g of glucose, it will extract the extra by producing it from stores of things like fatty acids. A lot of these are depositied in your liver and pancreas and, if you lose enough weight, you lose a lot of the fatty stuff there.

Exercise is a big help. Not so much the pumping iron, get your heart fit type things but regular daily exercise. This actually alters the blood chemistry. Hormones are released which trigger the production of certain enzymes which then digest your food in a different way. You are not burning off the pounds but you are altering the way your body deals with the food you eat. You can of course still do more exercise but, walking off a meal and taking a daily constitutional is a big step forward. Another thing about daily exercise is that it improves your insulin sensitivity so you make better use of what insulin you are producing. It becomes more efficient. This, in turn, helps lower your BG levels.

Many people here report getting their blood sugar levels to well within normal ranges. Many of us can get away with eating stuff we shouldn't eat. But we better not do that too often, or it will come back to haunt us.

I enjoy my food but I cook most of it myself. No ready meals or ready made sauces. Everything cooked from fresh ingredients, careful with the carbs and avoid the sugar. White bread is probably the biggest stumbling block for most type 2s. If you eat modern white bread, you may as well be eating sugar. I stick to brown rice, wholewheat pasta, rye bread and things like that. And, I am careful about the quantities. I try to keep things varied so I have two red meat days per week, two poultry days, usually one duck and one chicken, two fish days per week and one vegetarian day.. It is so much better than sticking a frozen pizza in the oven.

 

[AndBreathe]

Fantastic post Yorksman.

But to address the original query: I can't begin to let myself think,this thing will go,away, but i can allow myself to work really hard, in an effort to achieve some sort of remission, or at least long term non-diabetic levels. Having got my bloods into some sort of shape, I feel really well, so I'd like to stay that way.

To date, I don't have any complications, and need to focus on the positive end of the scale, rather than the "safety net" sort of a mindset of preventing complications or progression. If I can keep,this thing in check for the balance of my lifetime, without recourse to medication, I will probably be happy. Who knows if that's realistic, but I'll give it a run for its money.

 

[Yorksman]

Who knows if that's realistic, but I'll give it a run for its money.

I don't know your data etc but I think it is a good possibility if you do the right things. Many people who have had the disease progress have been following NHS advice which often runs contrary to common sense. When I asked my GP about Dr Taylor's work he simply sneered, 'who's going to do that?'. I would have though that he would be interested if for no other reason than professional curiosity. Some HCPs have simply made up their minds and decided that they know best.

Posters on this forum have reported relatives etc who have gone for decades on diet and exercise alone and only resorted to milder medications once they were in their 70s for example. I admit, we all do get fed up with these regimes but your chances of success are significantly increased if you can work it into your daily routine. I have discovered an interest in cooking and I am sure that doing it all from scratch and controlling what I eat in that way has been a great help.

 

[Mazzer]

It depends. It won't go away on its own and it depends firstly, on how bad you are at diagnosis and secondly, how motivated you are with diet and exercise.

The problem is that there will be some damage to the insulin producing beta cells and no one ever knows how much damage there is. It used to be thought that these were either dead or alive and, once dead, there would be no recovery. However, it now appears that some are not actually dead but blocked and, if they can be unblocked, they will start working again. But, some are definitely dead and so you will always have to be careful. On the other hand, that's not too bad because if you went back to your earlier diet, you'd be going back to one that gave you the diabetes in the first place.

The advice given by the NHS has been to keep your after meal readings below 8.5 and your early morning readings to about 7.0. However, these are far too high and the Belfast Study showed a few decades ago that, whilst this looks as it the diabetes is well controlled, those high levels will lead to more beta cells dying and the condition getting gradually worse.

The first thing to do is find a diet that works for you and helps you get your blood sugar levels down to below 6.0 in a morning and below 7.8 two hours after a meal. Eating fewer carbs and eating only carbs that are low GI will help greatly in this. The next thing to do is lose weight as this helps unblock your blocked islets. Very roughly, your body needs about 220 g of glucose per day and, if you eat say, 100 g of glucose, it will extract the extra by producing it from stores of things like fatty acids. A lot of these are depositied in your liver and pancreas and, if you lose enough weight, you lose a lot of the fatty stuff there.

Exercise is a big help. Not so much the pumping iron, get your heart fit type things but regular daily exercise. This actually alters the blood chemistry. Hormones are released which trigger the production of certain enzymes which then digest your food in a different way. You are not burning off the pounds but you are altering the way your body deals with the food you eat. You can of course still do more exercise but, walking off a meal and taking a daily constitutional is a big step forward. Another thing about daily exercise is that it improves your insulin sensitivity so you make better use of what insulin you are producing. It becomes more efficient. This, in turn, helps lower your BG levels.

Many people here report getting their blood sugar levels to well within normal ranges. Many of us can get away with eating stuff we shouldn't eat. But we better not do that too often, or it will come back to haunt us.

I enjoy my food but I cook most of it myself. No ready meals or ready made sauces. Everything cooked from fresh ingredients, careful with the carbs and avoid the sugar. White bread is probably the biggest stumbling block for most type 2s. If you eat modern white bread, you may as well be eating sugar. I stick to brown rice, wholewheat pasta, rye bread and things like that. And, I am careful about the quantities. I try to keep things varied so I have two red meat days per week, two poultry days, usually one duck and one chicken, two fish days per week and one vegetarian day.. It is so much better than sticking a frozen pizza in the oven.

Hi Yorksman,

Having been recently diagnosed myself with T2 your post is really well written and easy to understand. Many thanks this has helped me too.

Marilyn

 

[Mazzer]

I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. If you are careful with your diet and take regular exercise will it go away or does it just go into a form of remission

Hi Jennifer, welcome to the Forum, I am new too, but as you can see you are not alone, there are some lovely people on here that are always willing to give help and support. Have a good look round the website and learn as much as you can.

Good luck

Marilyn

 

[sanguine]

Hi Jennifer and welcome.

I was also just diagnosed T2 on Monday. I'm looking at it as a kick up the backside and just the incentive I needed to do the things I wanted to do anyway like eat less bread, lose weight, feel less tired etc. My GP was rubbish, no attempt to delve into the details or offer real help, just wanted to push statins at me - which I'm not taking. I haven't seen my diabetes nurse yet but I'm already taking on board the low carb message which seems to have benefited so many people on here. Likely I'll start testing myself before the consultation to go pre-armed with what I've been (hopefully) able to achieve by then through diet and exercise.

I've learned so much on here in the last few days, more than I would ever get from my GP practice. Read all you can, keep an open mind, take control and don't take anything the GP or diabetic nurse says at face value.

 

[Opalshards]

Hi Jennifer and welcome.

I was also just diagnosed T2 on Monday. I'm looking at it as a kick up the backside and just the incentive I needed to do the things I wanted to do anyway like eat less bread, lose weight, feel less tired etc. My GP was rubbish, no attempt to delve into the details or offer real help, just wanted to push statins at me - which I'm not taking. I haven't seen my diabetes nurse yet but I'm already taking on board the low carb message which seems to have benefited so many people on here. Likely I'll start testing myself before the consultation to go pre-armed with what I've been (hopefully) able to achieve by then through diet and exercise.

I've learned so much on here in the last few days, more than I would ever get from my GP practice. Read all you can, keep an open mind, take control and don't take anything the GP or diabetic nurse says at face value.

I agree with sanguine being a newbie myself and having been in denial for the last 6years. And frightened at the thought of going on medication.
The forum is. Packed with great information. And thank God people with a sense of humour. You will love it here Jennifer.

 

[hamoody]

I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. If you are careful with your diet and take regular exercise will it go away or does it just go into a form of remission

Super news for you....close to 'yes'.. it can hide as if it's not there if you tightly control it through proper diet and exercise and you can live exactly like other people do...once it is under control, you should not choose diets as much as you get reborn with another way of living, it's all about your lifestyle and not about starvation or dieting ... A doctor once said it is like putting your foot on a snakes head... once you pull your foot away, it attacks... sounds ugly, but it's just a way to know and remember that you should always be alert of the way you are living and eating... I was diagnosed with D2 (sugar level was 400) my cholesterol levels were high and so was my blood pressure. I started by getting the home tester and took Glucophage, with exercise of 30 minutes a day, seven days a week, and made a very deep research into every single food that helps put the blood sugar levels down plus the blood pressure and cholesterol..,. In less than a month, all levels of everything started dropping down. I made another blood test after 3 months and they had all gone down to 'normal' numbers. I stopped the medications including the blood pressure, BUT continued with a healthy lifestyle, monitoring everything on a daily basis (sometimes hourly), and continued exercising. I lost about 25 kilograms in the process and ever since, my diabetes levels have been normal that sometimes I suspect I ever had diabetes.
One thing though, before I was diagnosed with D2, I started losing weight because my appetite was less and I didn't know why.
Anyway, the reason I gave all these details is to encourage all D2 people that it is not a dead end or something to be horrified about... it is treatable with simple things... and the most important point in eating for diabetics is 'portions'.. take a quarter of the portions you used to eat and you'll be fine.
Foods that are excellent for diabetes are: Salmom (6oz per serving) twice a week only... Broccoli and all other fresh greens... walnuts... strawberries, mushrooms, grains in general and all 'berries' most of all blueberries. Be careful of cooked carrots as the sugar increases once cooked. There are many other foods that lower the blood sugar but those are the best. Once levels have gone down, you can start eating whatever you like but, in small portions. Good luck all... stick to your determination and soon no more medication
Having said all that, you must check with your doctor re your own case as each person has their own code and mode...

 

[Yorksman]

A doctor once said it is like putting your foot on a snakes head... once you pull your foot away, it attacks...

LOL, quite an image!

Have read any of Mongoose's posts? The snake doesn't bother him much thesedays

 

[Kat100]

Hi Jennifer and welcome.

I was also just diagnosed T2 on Monday. I'm looking at it as a kick up the backside and just the incentive I needed to do the things I wanted to do anyway like eat less bread, lose weight, feel less tired etc. My GP was rubbish, no attempt to delve into the details or offer real help, just wanted to push statins at me - which I'm not taking. I haven't seen my diabetes nurse yet but I'm already taking on board the low carb message which seems to have benefited so many people on here. Likely I'll start testing myself before the consultation to go pre-armed with what I've been (hopefully) able to achieve by then through diet and exercise.

I've learned so much on here in the last few days, more than I would ever get from my GP practice. Read all you can, keep an open mind, take control and don't take anything the GP or diabetic nurse says at face value.

Don't take anything anyone says at face value, some have good medical support, and a backside kick was not needed, for me I was very unwell and just wanted to know what the cause was.....the t2 symptoms really varied and made me very unwell, I needed to be diagnosed and needed medical help and I will ask for it when required....
If your gp is rubbish it might be an idea to see a different gp if that is possible, you may need some medical help .....good idea to keep an open mind......want to say welcome as well as sharing a bit x