It’s World Diabetes Day today, and here is a piece I wrote in yesterday’s Jersey Evening Post about reversing Type 2. Diabetes (the condition and disordered eating) can be helped with nutritional advice, RTT and coaching – clients’ needs vary, so the treatment mix is always unique.
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes – Jacqui Carrel
World Diabetes Day is tomorrow and it’s appalling that the number of people Type 2 (T2D) is still increasing. Just as bad is that too many people are told T2D is a progressive disease with no hope of remission.
In fact, there are three proven ways to reverse T2D: bariatric surgery, caloric restriction or low carb eating. Surgery should be a last resort and caloric restriction is difficult to maintain. That leaves what we eat, and reversing T2D needs to start with changing official dietary guidelines.
T2D doesn’t happen because people ‘eat too much and exercise too little’; it happens when certain hormones go awry, especially insulin.
We need insulin, but T2D develops when our cells become ‘insulin resistant’ – and that happens when we eat long-term high carb diets.
Virtually everything we eat is made up of varying proportions of digestible sugary and starchy carbohydrates (SSCs), indigestible carbohydrates (fibre), proteins and fats.
When we eat SSCs, our insulin levels spike; when we eat proteins, levels spike a little; when we eat fats, the spike is minimal.
This is important. When we eat meals high in SSCs, we trigger insulin release, fat storage, hunger and cravings. Yet we are told by the NHS to eat carb-heavy meals and to snack.
This leads to a rollercoaster of SSC intake and insulin response… exactly the thing that is causing the problem.
We do not need to eat SSCs. We have essential amino acids and essential fatty acids – nutrients we can’t make for ourselves – but we can make our own glucose from proteins and fats.
Am I saying go totally carb-free?
No, fibrous vegetables and less sweet fruits have many valuable nutrients in them, and add variety to meals. We don’t need sugars or lots of starch*; we do need moderate amounts of protein and plenty of fats from real foods.
T2D can be reversed in many situations, especially if caught early. Why are we not letting people know this? Why are we not giving them practical, proven advice?
Even the USA is starting to recommend low-SSC; now the NHS and Jersey need to adapt their guidelines to fit the facts rather than rely on outdated recommendations which clearly aren’t working.
* You can make low-carb bread using non-grain flours.
NOTE: Dietary change can quickly alter medication requirements; if you are on meds, please do this in conjunction with your doctor.
Please note my pieces in the JEP are restricted to 400 words so, yes, I will have missed some bits out! This is a somewhat abridged version of what I include in my courses and (being written) book. And, of course, you get much more help as one of my clients.