REVERSING TYPE II DIABETES & LOW CARB DIET

Did you know that type 2 diabetes is reversible? We know that 280 Australians develop diabetes every day. That’s one person every five minutes. In addition, it is estimated that there are up to half a million Australians with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Now, just because your parents have type 2 diabetes, that does not mean that you have to have it too. It does, however, mean that you are at a higher risk, and precautions need to be taken immediately.

Check your risk here: https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/risk-calculator

Overcoming metabolic disorders is not about excess calories or lack of exercise. It’s not about large food portions or consumption of fat. This sort of advice is obsolete. The general public has been fed with such advice for over 30 years, and this has directly led to an increase in the incidence of obesity, fatty liver disease, metabolic diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Obesity rates have been steadily increasing since the late 1970s up to now, and this may be due to following such ill-advised low-fat diets. By going low-fat we inadvertently went high-carb, and this is the main factor that has led to an increment in the number of type 2 diabetics and obesity.

We consume far too much refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and sugar as part of our regular diets. Many are not aware that these are the very foods that lead to insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and weight gain. These are high-risk factors as far as the development of Type 2 diabetes is concerned. In fact, there are many food types that we perceive as healthy or nutritious, but yet are increasing our risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease.

Type 2 diabetes is usually treated either orally (tablets), subcutaneously (insulin injections), diet (a low caloric diet) or bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery).

Reversing diabetes is a term that is usually used to refer to a significant long-term improvement in insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes. Patients with type 2 diabetes that are able to get their HbA1c level below 6.5% without taking any diabetes medication is considered to have reversed or resolved their diabetes. This is also known as putting diabetes into remission.

The worst thing a person with type 2 diabetes can do is believe that all they need is medication to treat their ailment. Lifestyle modifications play an important role as well

With time and determination, type 2 diabetes can be reversed without the need for medicines, and the results can be very rewarding with better all-round health. Critics worry that low-carb diets are too difficult to sustain. But studies show that 83 percent of patients stayed with low-carb diets. A well-formulated low-carbohydrate diet is the key to preventing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. It also reduces inflammation that leads to ischemic heart disease (see: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/51/15/1111.full.pdf ).

If patients are armed with the right knowledge and level of awareness, they can prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes. It is important to understand that from the offset of insulin resistance, they have several years to overcome it before it develops into type 2 diabetes.

At Perth Metabolic Centre* we want to empower our patients with up-to-date information when it comes to preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes. This is the information that people need to also overcome obesity, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and metabolic disorders. Defeating these conditions need not have to be too complicated nor difficult.

With the right advice, reversing diabetes is possible. If you think you need to come off your diabetes medication, make an appointment to see Dr Sanjeev Balakrishnan at Park Medical Group. Call to make a 30-minute appointment. It could make a huge difference in your life.

*At Park Medical Group, we have established a special unit to address issues of reversing diabetes, metabolic disorders and obesity. These are alarming health issues costing patients good health, life expectancy, life long dependency on expensive medication, and the government a huge budget to look after patients with these problems which become out of control with an ageing population.