The 8 week blood sugar diet: Have just ordered... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

137,156 members160,846 posts

The 8 week blood sugar diet

beanyjeany profile image
30 Replies

Have just ordered this book from Amazon. Has anyone tried this diet, and if so, did it work? Thanks 

Written by
beanyjeany profile image
beanyjeany
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
30 Replies
Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase

Yes it did for me but I knew I had T2 diabetes. It was steroid induced and at the time I was found to have T2 I was taking part in a pre diabetes study at a local hospital so I was already in the pre diabetes category.

I didn't start with the 8 Week book but it is very very similar to the book I started out using an excellent and inspirational book called Reverse Your T2 Diabetes by Dr David Cavan. 

Because I knew I was diabetic I bought a blood glucose meter and tested before every meal and two hours afterwards and have been 'eating to the test'.

I also gave up snacks completely, I eat some sort of omelette for breakfast with half a grapefruit, a light snack at lunch time often nuts ( not salted or chocolate covered ones) and a proper meat / fish and vegetables meal at night usually with berries and a spoonful of cream and although I eat a decent meal I never eat so much that  I feel 'stuffed'.

I don't ever eat sweets, cakes, biscuits or anything with grains - I find that even 'good grains' spike my blood ( the sugars are then stored as fat) I've also found I have to be very careful with potatoes, I can manage three or four baby new potatoes but my former favourite standby of a jacket potato is an absolute 'no, no' as is mashed potato which is a bit annoying. I eat masses of vegetables - I bought a spiraliser to get a bit more excitement into my vegetable eating - and I try to eat veg of every colour - it's supposed to be good to do that. 

I also have a brisk walk every day - at least half an hour but I've got a Fitbit so I'm always trying for 10000 steps a day which can be a challenge at times.

I've also cut out diet drinks and stick with water, decaf coffee and decaf tea. I have to say I'm very strict with myself but I've got used to not eating scones and biscuits with my cup of coffee.

On the plus side I started of at 11st 13lbs in December last year and I'm now - April 2016 -  9st 4lbs so my efforts have paid off and I've never felt hungry or weak.  I have to say losing weight wasn't why I did it, I was given three months of 'diet and exercise' to see if I could get my blood sugar normalised - if I didn't I was being put on the diabetes register with all that entailed and I really didn't want that, losing weight was a bonus for me although as the extra sugar I was taking was no longer being stored as fat I suppose it was logical that I would lose weight, I was just so focused on keeping my blood sugars as low as I could. I just wasn't 'on a diet' - I was just on a new and lifelong healthy eating plan

Best of all is that I'm no longer considered to be diabetic - after my most recent HbA1c my blood glucose is down to 5.6% ( 38mmol). That reading is lower than it was when I started the pre diabetes study. I'm pretty sure that if I go back to my former style of eating then I know I'll probably become T2 diabetic again so this is my regime for the rest of my life.

So yes, the 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet worked for me although I didn't eat his recommended meals - basically I worked out my own based on the type of things he talked about and my own readings - I don't know though how it would work if your blood sugar wasn't high. I imagine it would at least to begin with. It's all about healthy eating and making good choices so I can't think it would do any harm. Good luck with it.

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49 in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Great post Fruit and Nutcase but I have a question, are you able to tell when yr blood sugar spikes in any way without testing yr blood? I have a real phobia of things breaking the skin so although I've managed to control it far enough so I can have blood tests without falling apart I would seriously struggle to the point of impossibility to prick myself.  

A recent blood glucose test was 6.1 so I'm being retested in about 6 weeks plus the Hba1c test (but nervous as that'll include Easter when I had lots choccie!) Before my TT it was 4.4 but to be fair I have spent the first year struggling between bed and sofa and using sugar as a pick me up when I had to do something I couldn't get out of (work, hols etc)

I started to improve energy wise end last year and joined gym but gone backwards  last couple months trying to shake off a chest/throat infection and got no energy again.

Since the recent test I've cut out any added sugar and also looking at labels more. I already have to be gluten free so a lot of my diet is fruit,nuts,protein. I rarely eat potatoes as the nightshade family foods give me an itchy rash.

Sorry for long post, do you have any advice? I'm scared of going down that diabetic path and am only 51 

Treepie profile image
Treepie in reply to mrsm49

I thought the measures had changed ,in late 2014 at 40 and not diabetic,last December 58 diabetic.Bought book but unopened.

Cut out all cakes and scones ,mid pm snacks,reduced honey , added Black Seed Oil to porridge now 41.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to mrsm49

It was the thought of ending up on pills which I think eventually lead to having to inject insulin that made me so determined to do something. I'm really phobic about injections although I do have injections at the dentist now. I never used to but I've decided I'm just too old for pain these days.

I dont know for sure but I don't think you can tell how high your blood glucose is without testing. I know mine varies even though I've eliminated a lot of the culprits in my diet. The meter I use has a lancet device attached to it and I just position it on a finger - I've discovered I actually grit my teeth as I press - then press it. You feel the prick but it doesn't really hurt, I've  been doing it since December so some of my most regularly used fingers - some seem to part with blood more easily than others - get a bit sore.

4.4 is really good, I'd love my HbA1c to be that low. I would wait and see what happens next time you have it done. I'm like you I'm on a gluten free diet. Stick to home cooked food, avoid processed foods, eat lots of vegetables - ones grown above the ground tend to be lower carb than those grown underground, fruits whose names end  in -erry tend to be ok. 

This site is really good,diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_car... - this page tells you about levels but there is a lot of other information on there and links to other tips and loads of recipes etc. I found the link from the David Cavan Reverse your T2 book. Dr Chattergee from the 'Doctor in the House' programme is also linked to it too. 

Good luck with future testing.

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49 in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Thank you for your reply fruitandnutcase. I will do my best to bring my levels down for next test. Ultimately it may be inevitible at some point as my mum was diagnosed with diabetes last year at age 72,she controlled/reversed for a year with diet but recently and very reluctantly had to go on metformin . She was eating so little last year as everything seemed to make sugar levels worse that she's now a bag of bones making us very worried. Least she can eat bit more and her bloods more stable now! 

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to mrsm49

Oh your poor mum. She couldn't go on like that, I remember when my mum was ill - she was 87 - I was really shocked to read on her chart that she was classed as underweight - she certainly wasn't I would say she was a size 12,  After seeing that I thought they seemed to like older people to be of a decent weight. Hope she does well on the metformin. It will be easier than struggling on and worrying.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to mrsm49

Sorry mrsm49 I can't predict other than I know it's likely to be high if I eat certain things - jacket potatoes, or something like an oatcake or an apple. The more I walk the lower it tends to be.

I've always had a problem with what they call 'the dawn phenomenon ' where I often have a high reading in the morning.

Since I started I've always kept a note of everything I eat - I know! I made a little spreadsheet with before and after readings plus what I had for each meal, just a short note, not quantities and that let me see the things that will cause a spike so I avoid them. I couldn't have done it without pricking my finger.

I use the AccuChek Mobile blood sugar meter (I bought it myself) and the lancet is hidden in what looks like a little pen on the side of it, the unit itself Wasn't all that expensive - the refills aren't cheap but it was the unit I liked best.

accu-chek.co.uk/microsites/...

You just press the pen thing down on a finger - honestly, sometimes I'm not even sure it has made a hole but it has. You can adjust the depth etc and you never see the needle either. It's absolutely not like the lancets they use at the doctor's surgery

To be honest I absolutely hate needles - I'm phobic about injections but I can give blood and have blood tests and it was the thought of having to inject insulin at some point (because if you are T2 I gather that at some point even if you start in pills, you will eventually have to inject) that kept me going in my quest to get rid of my T2.

Good luck.

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49 in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Hi FruitandNutCase, About a month after these posts my mum was rushed to hospital. Turned out she was in diabetic ketoacidosis and she nearly died. She had been misdiagnosed as diabetes type 2 when she was in fact a rare form of late onset type one diabetes (LADA) They tested antibodies for this (GAD) in hospital and she was over a thousand above their range! Her GP should have known she had LADA as she had continued to get ill despite metformin and lost so much weight became a skeleton. Her consultant just kept saying she was overmedicated with Levo and didnt test her any further! She has improved tremendously now on insulin although has to inject 5 times a day with countless blood sugar fingerprick tests. Good news is she survived, bad news for me is that is can be hereditary and there's nothing i can do to prevent it as its autoimmune hey ho.

Thanks for your kind replies x

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to mrsm49

Goodness me, your poor poor mum, thank goodness she survived her medical 'care'! That is so bad isn't it.

I know someone who is a psychiatrist and also T1, who suggested when I was first diagnosed that I make sure that I wasn't LADA as with my thyroid problems it was a distinct possibility.

I mentioned it to my Diabetes specialist nurse who stared at me blankly so I gave up. I'm pretty sure it was T2 that I had.

You could always try going totally gluten free to keep your autoimmune antibodies in check. I did that a year ago and my thyroid antibodies have come down a massive amount. Not sure what is happening to the antibodies I must have got my other autoimmune conditions but I'm hoping they are disappearing too.

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49 in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Well that's really interesting about gluten. I gave gluten up about 6/7 years ago, I was diagnosed with "unexplained bone weakness" after breaking both wrists and 2 vertebrae just falling over, gluten also explained my stomach probs (sadly wasn't tested for coeliac & there's no way I could eat gluten now for test) Re thyroid issues I've always thought I may have had hashimotos as I've had periods of being poorly then ok but the antibody test was clear. Maybe it's because I'd been gluten free for years?? I've also been tested many times for RA but thats always ok too despite joint pain and sore lumpy knuckles since my thirties.

Post thyroidectomy, I've managed but worry about future as no energy to exercise and have read that some endos say for people with no thyroid it's only a matter of time before they become diabetic. I seriously hope not esp type one. I'm dreading having to stand up for myself but I really should argue my case for t3 trial.

It's so good to hear yr antibodies hve been reduced by a gluten free diet, thanks for the info. Hope GF continues to help you x

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to mrsm49

Have you had a DEXA scan for osteoporosis if you have broken bones? My Pilates teacher is a qualified physiotherapist and she says I should have one done because of my thyroid problems. I haven't plucked up courage to go and ask for one yet so I know how you feel about having to argue your case for T3.

I had a dexa scan done many years ago because I have a family history of osteoporosis. The scan was OK and I've fallen off my bike several times since then and not damaged myself so I think (hope?) I've maybe missed out on that gene, although I did slip while taking photos on a rocky beach a few years ago. I put one arm up in the air to save my camera and managed to sit on the other wrist and break it. Think that was a bit freaky though.

I was offered a coeliac test by the rheumatologist I saw a couple of weeks ago but there is no point because like you there is no way on earth I'm going to eat gluten again just to be tested.

What are your thyroid levels like at the moment? You could make a new post and put them on here and see what others think about T3. Also have you been checked out for vitamins D and B12 and ferritin and folate? You want them all to be at the top of their ranges to help your thyroid.

It might be worth getting your thyroid really sorted out so that you're in tip top condition, if you have no energy it sounds like there is room for improvement.

I haven't heard about people without a thyroid developing diabetes ( but that doesn't mean anything) so if you could get your thyroid in tip top condition it might help stave off diabetes, again I'd post and ask if any / many other hypothyroid sufferers have gone on to develop diabetes.

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49 in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Thanks F&NC, yes ive had 2 dexa scans, last one about 2 yrs ago the first one just after i broke the bones. Second one was fine but i had been on a five year course of strontium renalate (Protelos) and am still on calcium/d3.

Recent consultant letter has suggested that the gp try me on vit d or t3. At the moment i have to look for new gp as have moved to different area. Im dreading it as better the devil you know. Been in new house 3 months so really should sort it out, have been putting it off as find it stressful.

Personally i think vit d might help (am taking some with the calcium tablets im on but assume i need a higher dose) as ive deff gone downhill from oct, same as last year. In the summer i was so much better. I have heard this from others, infact in my other group ive recently read that in Romania GPs prescribe t3 to take alongside levo during the winter months!

Thanks for your thoughts, take care

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to mrsm49

My Pilates teacher who is also a physiotherapist says it's vitamin d3 not calcium us ladies need (all ladies in our class) for strong bones, think you need to take vitamin k as well but you'd need to check that out.

Good luck with finding a new doctor, it's horrible when you have to do that. We've lived here for thirty years and our favourite doctors have all retired in that time, fortunately their replacements all seem to be ok and I think staying in the same surgery with different doctors is less traumatic than moving house as well as having to find a new doctor.

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49 in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Thanks I'm going to look into vit d(3) more and I've heard about k but not looked into whether a multivitamin Inc K is good enough.

Since my thyroidectomy I deff need calcium, I got v tired since moving and I kept forgetting to take my second calcium tablet. I won't do that again, I developed foot cramps which over a few weeks developed into shin/thigh/hand cramps, painful muscle spasms and all over tingling! Lucky I realised what it was and took 3/4 tabs for while and symptoms hve gone thank goodness. Who'd have thought I'd be so sensitive, I eat a lot of cheese/nuts too.

When I'm brave enough to sort gp out I'll see if I can get my parathyroids chkd, seems like they're not working well after op!

Yes moving is not really a great idea after being in one place for a long time, my hubby had lived in last house for 26yrs and found it v hard to move. For me it's easier as I've moved nearer to my sister and parents and mums not been well so I'm happy to be on hand.

Thanks again for your kind words, I hope yr looking forward to a lovely Christmas x

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Your diet is very interesting Fruitandnutcase, thank you for posting.   Do you eat any dairy, and ever drink alcohol?

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to Margo

My treat is two teaspoons of cream on blueberries or raspberries. I don't 'not eat' dairy but I haven't drunk milk for years - my husband uses oat / soya / rice milk so we have to buy milk specially if we are entertaining - and I'm not keen on yoghurt. Fortunately my Pilates teacher who is also a physiotherapist tells us we ladies need vitamin D and K and exercise for strong bones so I no longer feel guilty about it. 

I  don't drink much alcohol, I used to like Prosecco and some of the Old Mout or Aspall's ciders but when I became T2 I discovered how much sugar is in them so I don't have them any more. I very occasionally have a tiny amount of red wine - it's not easy to have as little as I want to drink if I'm in a restaurant so I stick with sparkling water.

Sadly (well not really) I no longer look in 'fruit and nut' as two of my five a day. I eat loads at meal times and my diet is very varied these days - just minus the cakes, chocolate, biscuits and all the things I ought not to have been eating anyway. :)

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Thank you for inspiring me Fruitandnutcase.

Have a lovely weekend!

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to Margo

Glad you're inspired. I found once I stopped the carbs and sugar that  I was eating so much of and got into protein and low carb food (nuts and seeds were so handy)  I just didn't seem to need so much food.

I had got to the stage that I was buying two bars of fruit and nut in the shop round the corner and would open one and eat it as I drove home - if I had to stop at the traffic lights beside the shop then I was able to eat more, then I'd finish that bar in the car on the drive and eat the other one with a cup of coffee. I was so desperate for sweetness back then. I'm constantly amazed that I don't need to eat all that junk.

You have a lovely weekend too, hope you are somewhere warmer and drier than I am ☀️

Margo profile image
Margo in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Reading about your chocolate addiction, reminded me of myself.   I haven't had any chocolate yet, but feeling fed up I have a glass of red in my hand (after deciding this weekend was wine free due to my Billy Bunter belly and I am sure the choc will follow).  Will start again in earnest on Monday.   

I live in the south-east by the sea-side, bit chilly tonight but no rain.

Thanks again X

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49 in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Uh oh, I had a bottle of cider last night, hadn't thought of the sugar in alcohol  (denial?!?!!) I love prosecco too! Lucky I don't drink much these days I suppose, usually just special occasions and holidays. :-)

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to mrsm49

That's what I figured - I dont really drink but I had discovered that pubs and restaurants now sell prosecco by the glass so I had started to have an odd glass with a meal instead of Diet Coke or diet tonic and lime - I'll have to keep the prosecco for a *very* special occasion. Although now I know that it is full of sugar it does kind of put me off. 

Arab profile image
Arab

Yes! I'm doing it now, and it's working a treat! 

I must say, it took a little getting used to - not answering the urge to nibble - but after a couple of weeks, it became plain sailing, and the weight loss is what has driven me on to stick at it. 

Best eating plan I've tried for successful weight loss. Good luck! 

Arab. 🙂👍

sulamaye profile image
sulamaye

Going paleo grain free has cut my three month blood sugar from 41 on the edge of type two diabetes to 34. Plus my triglycerides and liver functioning levels have all dropped too. High fat, low carb.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to sulamaye

That's really good, I can believe that going grain free has helped you  - grains definitely affect me. Any sort that I eat seem to have a bad effect, 

beanyjeany profile image
beanyjeany

Well thanks everyone for your positive experiences! I am waiting with bated breath for the postman to deliver the book :D x

I am just preparing to go on Whole30 diet from next week. I have insulin resistance (I am pre-diabetic). I have terrible water retention for years and am constantly on diuretics. Lately it turned to almost every other day. I was taking Metformin for a while which hasn't made any improvement in my case and few days ago I stopped with it because I just got new result on lactic acid which is pretty high. Yesterday I had some awful baked beans and this morning I have 8.4 lbs more OVER NIGHT! I am so swollen I hardy keep my eyes open.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to

Gosh poor you. Have you tried cutting out anything processed and preparing everything yourself? That and do you drink enough water throughout the day? Ive read that your body can try to conserve fluid if it thinks it needs more. Sounds weird but  I like to drink enough that my pee is always a pale straw /hay colour.

I find unsalted nuts are really handy as a lunch. Easy to buy when you are on the move too. The other thing that I can always grab to eat is a chicken breast or leg or even individual portions of cheese  - although they are probable a bit salty. Nuts are my favourite though and pumpkin and sunflower seeds - I never ate seeds until this started - in fact my husband used to make tweeting noises when he saw me buying them first, good luck. 

in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Thank you. I always drink plenty of water and other liquids (no alcohol) but it seems like regulation of water in my body is altered, my organism acts like I am always dehydrated and I am not. It acts like this even when I am completely bloated with water. I am trying to find the answer for this for years but so fat with no luck. I usually don't eat processed on canned food but yesterday I wanted to prepare some dish from the beans for which I though that are just cooked and it water. However it turned that it was some junk imported from Norway that contained sugar inside! And not a little but a LOT. After that only thing I was able to prepare with it was baked beans and I don't even like baked beans. It would be better that I threw everything away when I noticed that I bought "sugary boiled beans". But even without this "meal disaster", even when I eat for example baked or grilled fish it can happen. I can still swell like a balloon. Maybe not as much as today but I can gain 2 or 3 lbs over night more often than not.        

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to

It must drive you mad to gain like that without even knowing what is causing it.Yes, why do they put all that junk into foods - well I know it's to preserve it but it annoys me if I am searching for canned fruit and it is all packed in sugar syrup and that's not even starting on the other places they can put sugar.

When you think of the sauces that are now going to be labelled that you should only eat them once a week because they contain so much sugar (think it's sugar)

Good luck, hopefully you will find the answer to your problem. Who knows  low carbs could even turn out to be a help.

in reply to Fruitandnutcase

Thank you. Yes, it's so hard not knowing why is this happening... and worst of all it's like this for years. I think I would be the happiest person on earth if this diet with which I am preparing to start finally points me at least in some direction.

You may also like...

Bloods after approx. 8 weeks of T3

benefiting from the high FT3 levels I have circulating. I am just hoping that in a few weeks,...

Low blood sugar symptoms

2days. This has been for the last 4 weeks. However the last 3 days I feel I have been having...

Blood sugar in the morning - HELP!

complicate things I am not a huge meat eater. Does anyone have any tips or advice to help get...

thyroxine and blood sugar

THYROXINE RAISES BLOOD SUGAR. I AM FURIOUS. FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I CANNOT DO ANYTHING...

Blood sugars and thyroid

Hi All, Just wondering if anyone has had experience of trying low GI diet for...