Success stories of reversing type 2 diabetes following LCHF dietary approach

[Praveen55]

You can follow the link below to read the report as published by the Daily Mail, a UK news paper:

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

[ThreeSmiles]

Hi Praveen

I am afraid I only read the first paragraph ☹️. However that was because I went on an XPert Diabetes course recently where one of the diets proffered was LCHF. I took it on and now 3/4 months on have been told no more Metformin required and that I had the lowest HbA1c reading the doctor’s practice had ever seen from someone with T2 Diabetes. I was somewhat amazed and, dare I say, proud of myself 😁👍

Miles

[Praveen55 Moderator in reply to ThreeSmiles]

CONGRATULATIONS, ThreeSmiles . LCHF is amazing. isn't it? I am in the third year now maintaining normal blood glucose and healthy weight

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Praveen55]

Well done!! That’s commitment- but with rewards 👍

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Fantastic job! What have you been eating for dinner?😀👍

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Activity2004]

Well, my trouble is, I don’t follow the LCHF diet every single meal. Hit my target of less than 130 carbs a day about 7 days out of 10 😁👍

Tonight I did not do well because my wife gets carried away sometimes and forgets - how can you forget? - so she made me a pasta dish. I do love it so try hard not to comment apart from the obligatory - this is yummy 😁. Which it usually is. 👍.

Over here in the UK the new thinking is that you do not HAVE To have three meals a day. Especially missing breakfast is OK . But if you do have breakfast it is OK to have a full English - eggs, sausage, bacon etc because it meets the LCHF criteria. This is so contrary to all the advice we have been given for the last 30 odd years or so! I often miss breakfast because I am not hungry in the morning.

Miles.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to ThreeSmiles]

What are your blood sugars in the morning hours?

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Activity2004]

Well Leah, I haven’t taken my BSL reading for a couple of months now because I was told about two months ago the HbA1c readings were so good I could stop taking my own tests. So I did! Then a month later I was told I could stop Metformin. 👍👍.

I must dig out my kit and let you know when I remember - but will remember at some point soon.😁. Think I told you, did I? - that my short term memory has been affected by HE episodes due to cirrhosis....

Miles

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Yes, you did a while ago.

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Activity2004]

There you go - memory loss again 😁😁.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Don’t worry. Some forgetfulness is normal here and there.

Check your messages, please.😀👍

[sandybrown in reply to ThreeSmiles]

When I started me life style change, I used to write I have control over what I eat for breakfast and lunch as I prepare both myself!

We were discussing dinner, my wife said I have been cooking dinner over the last 45 years, our family is health, "Why change now?" Very valid point therefore I eat what ever has been prepared. Always fresh items.

I have a part time job and I take full English for breakfast. I am not very strict on my diet at 72 I am doing fine without medication. May be soon after my next blood test!!!

I am enjoying one life, I like my evening drinks as well.

Take it easy, relax and enjoy life.

[ThreeSmiles in reply to sandybrown]

That’s a lovely story sandy! Glad you are healthy and have no need for pills! Guess that’s quite rare these days, although I have to say my wife doesn’t take any as well. I take a lot but 50% of the actual number of pills are immunosuppressants following my wonderful liver transplant.

Good luck for continued health!

Miles

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Activity2004]

Oh yes and I was not obese - I was in the healthy band of the dreaded BMI band - albeit at the top end, but am now in the middle of the healthy band. It’s dead easy to control within sensible levels of eating - at least for me it is!

[NRIPESH in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Can anyone with low weight may follow the LCHF diet to reverse Type 2 diabetes?

[ThreeSmiles in reply to NRIPESH]

Hi

That’s a good question. Most people on the Diabetes course I was on were overweight - from what they said. So that issue you have raised wasn’t discussed unfortunately....

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to NRIPESH]

Please consult with your doctor before you change your diet plan. This is to be on the safe side of things and you won’t get sick or worse. 😀👍

[sandybrown in reply to NRIPESH]

Hello,

Please ask yourself the following questions:

1. What is my weight?

2. What is my BMI?

3. What is my height and waist?

4. What medication am I on?

Is it possible for me to follow different diet?

Do I need to consult a medical person?

If you are on insulin your dosage may have been calculated on your existing diet plan!!!!!

Please do be careful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Praveen55 Moderator in reply to NRIPESH]

NRIPESH

It depends on the health of pancreas with regard to insulin secretion. Type 2 Diabetics who are having normal weight or their BMI is towards normal low, there is a possibility that they are deficient in insulin secretion. However, this can be confirmed by blood tests for fasting glucose and insulin at the same time. That can give an idea of insulin deficiency and also insulin resistance. The cause for insulin deficiency can be genetic or late diagnosis of diabetes.

If one is NOT insulin deficient, there is a good possibility of reversing T2D following LCHF dietary approach. If one is insulin deficient, it would be a challenge. In any case, LCHF will reduce the demand for insulin required resulting in reduced dose of medicine/external insulin.

(INSULIN is the hormone that transports glucose from blood stream to various cells in the body).

[namaha Administrator in reply to Praveen55]

👍Totally Agree with Praveen 55!

Further wanted to add that :

Insulin is a double edged Sword!

(1) If your blood insulin circulating level is already high, Insulin could act as a Poison for you and whatever Carbs you eat, it may further spike blood insulin and you keep getting fatter. .developing metabolic syndorme....carry CV risk....

And If you are an Obese T2, there is a high possibility that your blood insulin levels are high ! What you have is a strong Insulin resistance ....

And in such a situation, LCHF and physical exercise could come as a blessing to you. You burn your fat in stead of sugar ... and you shed some weight ....reduce your Insulin resistance .... Enhance insulin sensitivity....

Only keep an eye on other metabolic conditions ...undergo regular check up for all T2/ CV risk parameters as determined by lab .... ensure you don't have inflammation in your body......

(2) If your pancreas is producing too less insulin....as it could happen with a thin type T2 rapidly losing weight...... it may be possible that most of beta cells have become sick/ damaged.. ... still LCHF may help to the extent ...in reducing the insulin demand .... However, in case you are insulin deficient (which can be found out by blood insulin test), then even the Fat and Protein you take as a part of LCHF may not get metabolised/ assimilated properly by body since insulin as a hormone also helps metabolising Fat and protein...

In such a situation, if you don't consult physician and initiate a medical therapy, you may continue to lose weight ....and you carry major complications.... Could be fatal sometimes....

With regards to medical therapy, leave it to your doctor..... If it is oral insulin secretagogue or injectable Insulin......in most cases it should be possible to manage with the latest drugs such as DPP4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 agonist and some Sulfonylurea..

Nowadays, For type 2's -Once a week long acting insulin injections such as GLP-1 agonists (Incretin mimetics) USFDA approved are available as an option which seems one of the safest option .... Please consult your physician...

However, even with the above tretmemt ,the main stay of your treatment is still LCHF.... Carb count ... Which would help minimising drugs and insulin....

[namaha Administrator]

👍 Great sucess Stories !

It appears from the article that LCHF definitely helps

(1) In avoiding Blood sugar spike.

(2) Hba1c control

(3) Reducing weight

(4) Reducing the body demand for insulin and thus reducing blood insulin levels!

And this is also as per fundamental science !

But most of these sucess Stories which appear in articles are on obese or overweight people!

Though I continue practising LCHF as a basic concept though I keep tampering a little here and there with Macro's with some caution,

I have a couple of comments and I am looking forward for a detailed analysis / study on these two issues...

(1) For overweight /obese T2, we are extremely happy if we reduce our weight and bring Hba1c under control. But for long term sustenance, we should not ignore many other metabolic parameters/ conditions associated with T2 as mentioned in my previous post on UKPDS study. Was wondering if there is any organised long term study/ analysis on all these parameters beyond Hba1c, weight reduction on obese T2's with LCHF. ....

(2) A word of caution for the Thin type T2's following LCHF....( Please refer my posts in thin type T2 obese Type-2 ... )

If after practising LCHF, if you keep losing your weight from say ... 58 kg..... 52 kg..... 49 kg... 47kg ...46 kg. ... and BMI from say 22 to -18- 19 , you need to remain alert... This may be due to malnutrition , since your body is not able to assimilate all Macro's and micro's from the food you eat...

It may be possible that you are not able to metabolise Protein and Fat, as your pancreas is not producing sufficient insulin...

While LCHF helps in reducing the demand for insulin and may reduce your blood glucose levels and so LCHF is still a preferred form of diet, you need to consult your physician and perhaps if desired by your physician, you need to undergo tests for C-peptide and blood insulin level tests and other Lab Parameters and based upon the results , initiate a proper medical therapy as desired by your physician along with LCHF diet......

(3) check up by experimentation, which form of fat is suitable for you: whether it SFA , MUFA , PUFA or whether it is animal fat or plant fat...

The body response may vary from person to person..

And request all to post their result so that others can learn !

May God bless you all!

[sandybrown]

How do you explain the sugar content in food labelling when you are looking for LCHF diet ?May be an example?

[Praveen55 Moderator in reply to sandybrown]

Here is an example of equivalent sugar of common food

phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...

[sandybrown in reply to Praveen55]

Thank you.

OK, 150g of rice has 10.1 g of sugar!

Is it actually 10.1 g of sugar in the boiled rice and the body is reacting to the carb or the body reacting to equitant of eating 10.1 g of refined sugar?

I have been looking for an answer to the above question for few years.

Another question, I hope I will soon have an answer, "How is HbA1c of 53 is considered without out any medication under control because one has a label saying you are diabetic?"

[Praveen55 Moderator in reply to sandybrown]

150 gm of rice = 10.1 tea spoon of sugar = 40.4 gm of sugar.

HbA1c : Below 42 mmol/mol NORMAL

Between 42 - 47 PRE-DIABETES

48 and above FULL BLOWN DIABETES

Ideally, people with diabetes should aim for HbA1c of 42 and below. However, it may not be practical in many cases and therefore Doctors usually assess the conditions and set an individual HBA1c target. Many health agencies recommend general HbA1c target of 48.

[sandybrown in reply to Praveen55]

In the copy of the weekend, daily mail, on page 42 there is small paragraph.

"The chart from Dr Unwins shows, how the food you eat changes your blood sugar level once it has been digested.

The end result shown here, as teaspoons sugar for easy reading!

It does not mean that serving of basmati rice for example contains 10.1 teaspoon of sugar-- but that it will affect your blood sugar in the same way as eating 10.1 tsp. of sugar!

Very clear explanation. It mat be difficult to eat 10 tsp. in one go but rice no problem. There are numbers of curries that can also give more sugar.

Fried egg 60 g with 0 sugar. How many eggs can you eat in one go?

[Praveen55 Moderator in reply to sandybrown]

That is why it is refereed as equivalent sugar. Rice as such has negligible sugar and has mostly starch which converts into glucose on digestion.

No one consumes sugar directly but it is easy to consume huge amount of sugar in one go. For example, 500 mL bottle of classic coke contains 54 gm of sugar which is 13.5 tea spoon.

[sandybrown]

In this week's copy of the Daily Mail, there is a write up on "Eat to Beat Diabetes"

Yesterday also there was points in small print!

Today:

1. Note: If you are taking medication or worried about your health, consult your GP before embarking on a change of diet.

2. What to expect when you go low carb.!!

It is imperative that every one take the correct action before looking at diet change?