Managing Type 2 Diabetes Naturally (eventually)

[Diablo T2]

This is my very first post after having first visited about 2 years ago. I wanted to share my story here as this community was a key source of information, especially early on. It helped me as others had faced what I was facing. I've now got to a stable place where I am managing without any medication from a starting point where my HBA1C was seemingly higher than just about all the other newly diagnosed type 2's.

I summarised my journey in a 5000 word (ish) web post so I could simply share a link when people asked about what I did. There is no requirement to sign up or subscribe to read the post and I am not seeking to obtain anyone's emails or anything. Like others who have shared their stories here, I just wanted to make it available in case it could help someone.

I can see that I am not supposed to post a link in the first three posts so have not included the link in this first intro post. If those of you who have more experience of the forum can see an issue with my sharing the link (after three posts) please do shout.

 

[KennyA]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Normally I would suggest putting your piece in a blog on this site, but we are currently having a problem with the blogs. There isn't a problem as such in posting a link once the system allows you to, but the moderator team will check - for example, where the link goes to and its content.

That said, really well done on your progress. What are your numbers looking like currently?

 

[catinahat]

Welcome @Diablo T2
Congratulations on your success and thanks for wanting to share your experience, I look forward to reading it

 

[Diablo T2]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Normally I would suggest putting your piece in a blog on this site, but we are currently having a problem with the blogs. There isn't a problem as such in posting a link once the system allows you to, but the moderator team will check - for example, where the link goes to and its content.

That said, really well done on your progress. What are your numbers looking like currently?

Thanks @KennyA. My HBA1C numbers for the last twelve months have all been in the normal range - all below 40. While I still have a journey ahead, its been enough of a stretch that I feel now is a good juncture to share my experience.

 

[Diablo T2]

Thanks @catinahat

 

[Diablo T2]

Here is a link to my story: https://mydiabetesstory.substack.com/p/mydiabetesstory

 

[Outlier]

A really fascinating journey - thanks for sharing, and congratulations on your progress.

 

[Overwhelmed]

@Diablo T2 , congratulations on your sucess in reducing your numbers to that level .thanks for that post i really enjoyed reading it and i have picked up a few pointers that ill introduce to my regime that may help me in my quest to lower mine further

 

[Diablo T2]

@Outlier , @Overwhelmed - thanks for taking the time to message back - gives me a bit an idea of whether its of interest/use.

 

[chocoholicnomore]

Thank you for sharing your experience in detail. It was interesting to read and proves that it is possible to reduce even very high levels and maintain it without meds. Congratulations and well done!

 

[clauski]

Well done and thank you for sharing to inspire others!

 

[shelley262]

Excellent @Diablo T2 a thought provoking read with lots of really useful information about your success and how achieved it. I'm saddened though that your Dr wasn't interested in how you did it. I had similar lack of interest when I put my diabetes in remission 5 years ago but had hoped things were improving.clearly still a long way to go to get message out there but your story will be an inspiration to many of us thank you. I'm also with you on the stress and sleep message chronic stress and poor sleep are key things to work at improving as well as looking at what you eat. Like you I also find yoga and walking really help keep my bgs low.good luck going onwards and Happy New Year.

 

[Diablo T2]

@chocoholicnomore - thank you. I wish you continued progress towards your targets. Great username
@clauski - thank you and welcome to the forum. I found others' experience invaluable in informing me what I might be able to do
@shelley262 - Excellent right back at ya! Hearing what our experiences have in common gives me cause for optimism that my ongoing journey may follow yours

Happy New Year to you all

 

[DaveHFCooper]

I have and still am at your starting position but 2 years in and trying this year to reverse/maintain t2d. My biggest problem is what to eat as most of the foods like avocado make me sick ! I also love fruit apples, oranges generally all fruit so how did you find the foods to eat given there is so much contradiction ?

 

[catinahat]

find the foods to eat given there is so much contradiction ?

you use a glucose meter to test the meal or particular food you're unsure about. Take a blood sugar reading just before you eat and again around 2hrs later. If your sugar levels are more than 2mmol higher afterwards then for you, there were too many carbs in that meal/food.
If you really want to know how something affects you then testing every 30min after eating, until your level is back close to your pre meal result. will give you a complete picture of how that particular meal impact your blood sugar.
A glucose meter dose not have an agenda, it will not try to convince you to eat in a certain way or push its favorite diet, it has no moral or religious food preferences and it will not try and sell you a book or any snake oil remedies. All it will do is show you which foods you can eat without any problems and the ones that are best avoided.

 

[RayCox]

you use a glucose meter to test the meal or particular food you're unsure about. Take a blood sugar reading just before you eat and again around 2hrs later. If your sugar levels are more than 2mmol higher afterwards then for you, there were too many carbs in that meal/food.
If you really want to know how something affects you then testing every 30min after eating, until your level is back close to your pre meal result. will give you a complete picture of how that particular meal impact your blood sugar.
A glucose meter dose not have an agenda, it will not try to convince you to eat in a certain way or push its favorite diet, it has no moral or religious food preferences and it will not try and sell you a book or any snake oil remedies. All it will do is show you which foods you can eat without any problems and the ones that are best avoided.

Does everybody use a glucose meter . I have not been told or spoken about one , my blood Reading was 51, I am on metaformin.

 

[Resurgam]

Does everybody use a glucose meter . I have not been told or spoken about one , my blood Reading was 51, I am on metaformin.

I suspect that 51 is your Hba1c level.
A blood glucose meter gives the amount of glucose in your blood at any particular moment, and so it is really useful if just starting on gaining control or checking the effects of a meal eaten recently.

 

[MrsA2]

Does everybody use a glucose meter . I have not been told or spoken about one , my blood Reading was 51, I am on metaformin.

Type 2 aren't told about them, because if they were the NHS would have to bear the prescription costs, and as there are millions diagnosed it would be very expensive. Having said that, most of us do realise the benefits and do self fund. A meter is about £10 and 50 strips £10 more. A couple of months is all it takes to learn your own body. Money well spent.

 

[serebor]

Thanks for writing everything in such detail Diablo T2. Copied the link on a home screen.

Some questions:
Salt. Whats your stance on the amount (do low carb diets need extra salt)
Sunflower seeds: raw or roasted?
Eggs: how many per week

 

[Diablo T2]

@serebor - Thanks.

Answers to your qns:

Salt: I have not knowingly adjusted my salt intake further to going low carb. I expect that due to dropping a lot of the processed foods I used to eat that overall my salt may even have gone down. I do add use it in most cooked dishes but not more than previously. Whenever I have a renal profile, the Na is measured and it's always in the normal reference range, so have just continued as used to before going low carb.

Sunflower seeds: I actually use them raw when I add them to Greek yoghurt. They'd be nicer if I roasted though! I'm not aware of any reason not to roast them if that would be your preference.

Eggs: I tend have 2 eggs every other morning when in my normal alternating routine of eggs one morning, then yoghurt next morning. So 7 per week. However, I do not have an upper limit for eggs and do exceed the 7 say when I take hard boiled for days out, or when I choose to go to one meal per day and have a monster 4 egg omelette or make a crustless quiche. My 7 eggs per week compares to probably 2/3 per week before I went low carb.