Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

From a TedX at Purdue University.

A diabetes doctor explains why she advises all her patients to not eat carbohydrates at all. This information is not just useful to those with diabetes though, I think it is important for all of us.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/da1vvigy5tQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1vvigy5tQ

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

All I'll say is you can't reverse diabetes, the technology doesn't exist. You can control it to the point where you no longer have symptoms but the underlying issue is still there.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

yes, I agree with you. But I think she means that it will reverse you to the point of not needing medication.

I think I am one of those insulin resistant people - as a dental professional my diet has been good but my blood sugar levels a year ago were only just within normal parameters (93). I've been eating almost no carbs for a month now and lost some weight but I am most interested in what my blood glucose will be in a couple of weeks when I am getting my annual check over.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

She spent 18 minutes declaiming in the style of a late night infomercial just to recommend a "low carb" (not "no carb") diet which is hardly news.

She says "no, this doesn't cure diabetes" but you will "no longer have diabetes" (by which I assume that she meant "will no longer have sufficiently elevated blood glucose levels to meet the diagnostic criteria").

There is nothing new here.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

Only if your pancreas is not too far gone (as is my case)

From the video the claim that if you are on diabetes meds then you need to eat carbs seems a crock to me. If my doctor told me that I would be off to see someone else pronto. I would love to control via diet and exercise alone but it just isn't going to happen.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

not for you perhaps. But take a look around you and see how many obese people there are, I assume they don't know this. Or perhaps it hasn't been explained to them so clearly in a manner they understand? Late night infomercials can be effective.......

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

If they are having annual medicals then they will know the blood sugar is too high. I cannot believe a doctor would condone a medication and diet as she described in the video where the carbs are required to manage the mediation.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

I shared this on FB too and a friend with type2 diabetes has commented "I think the ADA advises 45 carbs per meal but a lot of the discussion writers will have a lot meals under 30 carbs and definitely breakfast which they recommend less than 15. "

Low carb would be less than 50g total per day I believe. No carb less than 20g per day.

This is all pre-AP biology which my son has learned this last year. Yet so many are still overweight....

How long is it since people are being diagnosed as "pre-diabetic"? Not that long. My own doctor last year gave me a clean bill of health despite me saying that I was surprised that my blood glucose was high for my diet . For me, the light bulb moment came when my cousin told me that not only my dad but all of his siblings(my aunts and uncles) and most of my cousins from that side of the family had type 2 diabetes. The cousin telling me this lives in Belgium and his doctor had told him how to get his pre-diabetes under control. Genetically speaking, I have a loaded gun to my head......I am not fat, with good health, "good " diet and since I have spent most of my working life talking to people about diet, I think I am well informed.

I am sorry that rbackhouse's condition is so advanced. Maybe this info getting out will help others before they reach that point.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

It's true that I don't know what most other people "know" about diabetes.

Since I have a family history of diabetes (my father was diabetic) I have had at least a basic awareness of it for my entire life.

After being in the pre-diabetes range for a few years (and not paying much attention to it) I was finally diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 8 months ago.

Since then I have been able to get myself back down towards the low end of the "pre-diabetes" range with fasting blood glucose levels of around 100 with a "moderate" carbohydrate diet that includes about 180g of carbohydrates per day and no medication.

I didn't find this particularly surprising. My diet for most of the year immediately prior to diagnosis had been quite bad, I switched to something which, while definitely not "low carb" is quite probably 3 or 4 times lower than what I had been eating previously and, for now, it is working.

As always, your mileage may vary,

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

Probably better to get an A1C. It's America, you can ask for it. ;) That way you have an idea of your glucose over the past three months

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

Yes, an A1C test is a much better indicator of what your average blood glucose level really is.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

It really isn't. In fact, it really can't tell you what your average blood sugar is because it doesn't measure blood sugar. It can also be affected by a number of factors completely unrelated to diabetes. It's a useful test but is just one bit of the picture. As for low carb diets and diabetes, it's been advised by many for years. The ADA is pretty pathetic with advice but recent studies might mean they change their tune.

Generally people want the easy option and don't take responsibility for their own health. Low carb is not the easy option for most.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

I said that it was a "better indicator" of average blood glucose level than a single fasting blood glucose measurement - and I believe that it is although, as you correctly state, it isn't actually measuring blood glucose levels and it is only one piece of the picture.

I also agree that the ADA "guidelines" don't really address the hard issues.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

Some years ago, I got a blood sugar monitor and started doing my own body hacking à la Tim Ferriss (I'm not diabetic, but was just curious). It was most interesting to take measurements over the days and weeks, and see the effects of different meals. My 'resting rate' is in the low 80s, which is fine, but I can spike it to nearly 200 with a meal consisting of pizza and beer :lol:

You may want to do the same, if you're interested/ concerned. A monitor and pack of test strips is quite cheap from any pharmacy. It's ben very interesting, matching the blood sugar level with how I'm feeling. I now know that there's a rock solid physiological reason why eating just pancakes for breakfast leaves me feeling hollow, jittery and 'hangry' 2 hours later.

Re: Reversing type 2 diabetes.
 

I don't think it will though. I think the best approach is to encourage annual physicals where the big 3 are checked (blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure). Physicals are typically free via most health insurance plans as they are considered preventative. If any of the 3 levels are considered too high the the patient is encourage to work on diet and/or exercise to see if the can control the levels and if not then medication has to be considered.

Sadly I left out doing physicals for too long and now my blood sugar is beyond controlling just by diet and exercise. I was not a typical candidate for type 2 diabetes either. No family history, good exercise and not overweight. My diet was way too carb heavy.