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My story of Type 2 reversal

wallycorker

Well-Known Member
Messages
613
Location
Rotherham
Hello to all of you,

My name is John and I live in the UK. I've posted on this site for a little while now so this is a little bit of a belated introduction. However, I thought it might be worthwhile summarising my experience and sharing it with others.

I'm a Type 2 who was diagnosed nearly nine years ago in the very early stages of diabetes (at that time with a fasting blood glucose just over 7 and with a HbA1c still in the 5s). I was given the standard UK advice of "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate". I'm a good patient and followed that advice!

However, my situation contiunued to worsen over the next seven years with my HbA1c rising slowly but gradually and the health professionals telling me that things were "satisfactory". However, when my HbA1c reached 9.4% my GP prescribed metformin but still told me to follow the same advice of "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate".

For a while, the metformin seemed to make my levels a little bit better but my HbA1c was soon back to 8.5%. At that stage, my GP doubled the metformin dose but still told me to keep following the "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate" advice.

At that stage, I decided that it was about time that I found out much more about what was happening and started looking for reading matter on Amazon. Motivated by a book that I read about reversing diabetes written by a US doctor called Dr Neil Barnard, I started my improvement programme by changing my diet and at the same time started calorie counting to lose weight. I also decided to disregard my GP's advice and started testing.

Immediately, my blood glucose levels improved remarkably and have continued to do so - my HbA1c readings over the last twelve months dropping from 8.5 > 6.8 > 5.7 > 5.5 and to 5.3% last time. My regular finger prick tests indicate that my present level is even lower today.

I consider that what I have achieved to have been quite simple and am in the process of questioning at every opportunity the advice that Type 2s are given in the UK - and wherever I can campaigning against the quite appalling advice that is being given.

I never consider that anything is forever and I am anxious to interact with others to learn what is achievable in the long term.

My motivation is to keep as far away as I can from the quite horrible diabetic complications that I am so often told about. At present, after nine years, I have no symptoms or complications whatsoever as far as I am aware.

Best wishes to all - John
 
Hi John - sounds good to me. And I agree completely. I'd be interested also in any campaigning you get involved in. Don't forget to keep us up-to-date!

Congrats on your HbA1c results - save me a seat on the 5% sofa! :wink:
 
Patch said:
Hi John - sounds good to me. And I agree completely. I'd be interested also in any campaigning you get involved in. Don't forget to keep us up-to-date!

Congrats on your HbA1c results - save me a seat on the 5% sofa! :wink:
Hi Patch - it's good to meet you.

Have you already added your name to my petition? The petition can be found via the link below:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Diabetes-Advice/

Hope that you and some others will consider supporting my petition.

Best Wishes - John
 
Hey John! I'm new here, your hba1cs look great! I'm interested, do you not spike heavily after a very low-fat meal? I know the Barnard approach is low GI, but I'm scared to adopt it myself as I fear meals that may spike me!

Emma
 
@EMSTAR1892 Emma, the thread you have put your post on is six years old and I think John has long moved on. While a low GI approach can help a little bit in getting peak blood sugars down, you are still eating carbs, which will digest in due course and become sugars. As you suggest, having a fatty, low GI meal may help reduce spikes, but, once again, the carbs are still there and will have an effect much later on, when you've long passed the normal time for testing.
If you want to make sure that your HbA1c's are low, my best advice to you, which I am sure will be backed up by the majority here, is to reduce your total carb intake, irrespective of GI.
Sally
 
@EMSTAR1892 Emma, the thread you have put your post on is six years old and I think John has long moved on. While a low GI approach can help a little bit in getting peak blood sugars down, you are still eating carbs, which will digest in due course and become sugars. As you suggest, having a fatty, low GI meal may help reduce spikes, but, once again, the carbs are still there and will have an effect much later on, when you've long passed the normal time for testing.
If you want to make sure that your HbA1c's are low, my best advice to you, which I am sure will be backed up by the majority here, is to reduce your total carb intake, irrespective of GI.
Sally

Oops! My bad. Thanks very much for responding in that case :) Thank you for the advice also. Just one thing - I'm under the impression that the body makes the metabolizing of carbohydrate a priority over fat, and that only the fat digests later on. Why would this therefore lead to a late rise in glucose unless it's the liver releasing glycogen (from the fat)?
 
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