Starvation can cure type 2 diabetes

June 25 2011 by in Diabetes

A new study shows that starvation (eating 600 kcal/day) can cure type 2-diabetes, just like gastric bypass surgery.

Again, there is no need to explain the effect of the surgery with other speculative theories. The resulting starvation reverses diabetes. And the starvation isn’t even necessary to do that.

Guardian: Low-calorie diet offers hope of cure for type 2 diabetes

Unnecessary starvation

If a type 2 diabetic stops eating (carbs) the symptoms of diabetes starts to go away. But starvation or surgery are unnecessarily painful ways to do it.

Luckily diabetics can eat real food to satiety, as long as they avoid sugar and starch. The food that quickly turns into simple sugars in the gut. Cutting away their stomach or starving themselves is not necessary.

All they need is good food.

Across the river for water: Surgery for diabetes

Everything about diabetes

PS

A Gastric Bypass operation protects from eating too much carbohydrates in two ways. Number one: you can only eat miniature portions of anything. Number two: the smaller amounts of starch you eat is not digestedd as easily as the duodenum with the starch-digesting enzyme amylase is diverted from direct contact with the food.

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81 comments

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Reply to comment #50 by Joe
Apicius
July 2 2016
Bravo, Joe!
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MarieJ
July 3 2016
Yeah no carb diet does not get rid of type 2! I did it faithfully along with no starch, no packaged foods. I ate only lean meat and no carb veggies and drank water. All this for 16 months and it didn't get me off insulin, in fact, it didn't even help my a1c. I did lose over 50 pounds of weight. Which did make it easier to control my numbers and they were predictable except when I was sick. So I completely disagree that this is a solution. While it may help "control" type2 it is not a cure by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact carbs are important to your diet; you need to eat grains and fruit or you'll end up with duodenitis or worst issues as I did. Balanced, small portions is the key to control. You may even be able to completely control your numbers with diet and exercise and never need insulin, great! But that is controlled not cured! If you were to binge on candy, popcorn and treats your numbers would skyrocket again and you would have issues bringing it down. If you get sick, your numbers will rise or you will have control issue so it is what it is.
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justice
July 10 2016
As a recently diagnosed type 2 i have come to realize that we are a huge revenue pool for all things diabetic from the doctors, researchers, pharmaceutical, testing supply's, natural approach methods etc. which make it very difficult to sift through everything to find what works. Having said this following my doctor's advise, diabetes specialist, and a nutritionist's help, and this includes medication and low to no carb and high protein and fat (good fat) diet I have been able to bring my sugar levels as well as my cholesterol down to normal. but keeping it there has been challenging to say the least, a slight deviation from meal plan will upset my sugar levels big time its a very fine line to walk. It seems to me what works for one may not work for another but reading what works for others has helped me figure out what works for me. there is no one way, figure out what works for you. it has taken me many months of trial and error. Its a nonstop effort that's quite trying at times
4 comments removed
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G-Man
September 29 2016
First off nobody will like this but.... this worked for me. I am a type 2 diabetic. I have been exercising regularly for the last 5 years. However my BG has been out of control for the last two years. Nothing worked to fix it. Now, I'm currently back to normal BG levels and a normal A1C all thanks to practically starving myself for two weeks, sticking to a low calorie diet and dropping 30 pounds - 8 months ago! Maybe its not real starvation? I sure felt like I was starving for the first 2 weeks when I made the diet change. I cut my calories back to about 1500 a day or less. Some days a lot less. This was a big change as I've been sticking to the low carb diet, as any doctor would recommend, for a long time. It didn't work! What did work? Eating only low calorie food. Sometimes I even skipped meals to achieve my under 1500 goal. I mean, lets be realistic here. Type 2 diabetes is allegedly caused by high carb foods. However, the low carb diet did NOT work for me. It didn't make sense! I would eat certain foods and my BG was still high. Cutting calories WORKED! I basically reduced each meal to never exceed 500 cals. Nobody wants to say it but type 2's need to hear this if they want to be free! Loosing weight = reducing calories = STARVING. Lets break it down further, type 2 diabetes is CAUSED by FOOD. So fix the problem and decrease food! You obviously need food to survive but what I've found is high calorie foods cause my BG levels to jump. Crappy fast food especially. NOT SUGAR. Cutting the volume of your food intake is really where its at. I still eat candy bars and ice cream. Just don't eat anything else. Count calories and don't eat excessively. Have a snack size candy bar. Have a few scoops of ice cream. Don't eat them at the same time. Don't eat a full meal with it either. Avoid value meals! Those things are like 1000 calories or more! Skip the fries and just get a burger with a diet soda! Eat salad at least 3 times a week. Be careful of foods with hidden calories. A contributing factor to this disease could be improperly labeled foods. Or just not knowing how many calories really are in something. So pay close attention to what you eat. As you cut calories and get used to starving all the time, it becomes a mental game to not crave food. This may not work for everyone but it worked for me. No more more injections, pills or medications that give rats CANCER. This was my turning point. Nothing was working. I exercise all the time, BG was still always high. My doctor prescribed me Farxiga which gives rats cancer. I love the doctors. They told me, oh that was just in rats. LOL! For real!?! I brought the stuff home. I was at my wits end and was about to take it when my wife yelled at me and told me the only way to fix type 2 diabetes is if "I DO IT." I figured it out at that point and realized I had two options. Cancer or starvation. I chose to starve. Farxiga is still sitting in my medicine cabinet as a reminder to me on what to do. I always thought eating something would make me feel better. Wrong. Not eating was the key. Its not easy. It down right sucks. But, if you are plagued by this disease, you exercise regularly and nothing seems to work to get your BG levels down, this worked for me. I hope this helps someone. Honestly, I wish my doctor would have just told me to try starving before prescribing me cancer.

Replies: #63, #85
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Reply to comment #9 by cathy
Sara
October 19 2016
My husband has been on a low carbs diet for a year now. He typically has a serving (4-12 ounces) of beef or chicken, sometimes fish and then as much vegetables as he wants dressed in olive oil and vinegar or cooked in olive oil. Occasionally he will have some shredded cheese on top of his meal. Lately he will have two scrambled eggs with breakfast. Salt is important, so are herbs and spices and acids like lemon juice and vinegar. He is usually hungry every four hours so he will snack on some roasted cashews, celery sticks, beef jerky or Greek olives. You can have vegetable juice, but watch the sugar content. We are going to try vegetable soup next.
1 comment removed
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Kev
October 27 2016
I love this LCHF diet, I have been on it for 4 days now since Sunday. My blood glucose has dropped from 18 to 5.3, last week i was eating processed meals from Tesco and lots of bread, pasta, and rice and had to take most of the week off sick as I felt so tired, nauseus, and I had a headache that felt like aliens would break out at any moment. This week I am following the getting started 2 week LCHF diet from this site and am intermittent fasting, I started at 16 hours and managed 24 hours today without any hunger pangs or desire to eat. I took my BG an hour after dinner and for the first time I saw my BG still falling from the fasting measure I took prior to dinner.

I also feel significantly better than last week or any time prior to me being diagnosed several years ago. I have more energy, am clearer of thought, have no nausea or stomach issues, and i feel happier and considerably less prone to depression. I can work for longer and am starting to enjoy my job again, surprisingly.

I'd like to thank the authors of this site and their contributors, I only hope I can keep this up, I have tried dozens of expensive packaged diets before, without success, either giving up on them, or losing weight only to yo-yo back and regain it all. I feel more comfortable with this diet, its good to cook for myself again and all the recipes so far are delicious. I also enjoy the fasting which fits in better with my work schedule allowing me to work through lunch or go for a walk instead of queuing for expensive sandwiches and feeling sleepy afterwards.
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Nick
November 17 2016
Umm.....we have a problem. I'm Type 2 Diabetic, and I've lost faith in All food. Food always tempts me to eat unhealthy, and the fact that I always desire more after I've had my fair share has bothered me to the point where I can't eat anymore food PERIOD. My doctor recommends not starving myself, but I think I've abused my privilege of eating food and I'm already in big trouble with my doctor already. So as of now, I'm going on a 1,000 year vacation from All food, and I don't care what my doctor will think. I will suffer the consequences of not eating, as long as I can deplete my fat.
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Reply to comment #58 by G-Man
Bill Wightman
November 21 2016
Did you actually get into ketosis and confirm that with blood beta hydroxybutyrate measurement (BHB from .5 to 3.0 mmol/L)? I can see how controlled fasting or CR might have worked if you had not actually been in ketosis. But unless your liver is generating excessive glucose for an unknown reason, you should not have excess glucose in your blood to measure. You had to be ingesting it. The only other case I am aware of where there is high blood glucose within a ketogenic diet are in elite ketogenic athletes who can produce prodigious quantities of both ketones and glucose (from the liver) during an event. Glucose returns to normal after the event.

Replies: #76, #81
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Rick russell
November 25 2016
From earliest mankind has fasted naturaly.
Its a disapline as well.
It cleanses the body with distilled or filtered water.
For some start when riseing. Go as long as possible with water but without food. Then eat smart. I start with organic veg juiceing.
Add a whey or protien powder whatever. Bacon and eggs and good fats fill you full.
Who the H says i cant eat butter or whole milk. But yes i now use cocunut oil and olive oil. Feeling much better.

Reply: #66
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shaun Hunt
December 11 2016
Do you have diabetes or any kinds of sickness and you need help to cure it faster contact Dr. Oomirimiri herbalist center through his email: oomirimiri@gmail.com to get your cure today.
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Reply to comment #64 by Rick russell
Apicius
December 11 2016
Rick,
Not sure I agree with the fruit juicing - it removes and destroys fibre, and the fruit will send a huge bolus of sugar into your body. Just eat fresh whole vegetables. And I don't agree with the protein powder, either. Avoid Frankenstein man made crap. Just eat real food. If your great grand parents wouldn't recognize the food (like the Frankenstein protein powder) don't eat it. Simple rule. It's a pity you go through the effort of fasting and then you re contaminate with fake foods.
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Marlowe
January 27 2017
Nothing cures diabetes. It is worse then cancer. Cancer can b eliminated sometimes. Diabetes can only b controlled w diet some times and exercise sometimes and taking insulin sometimes. And sometimes none of that helps as well. And even if it does help. U eat something and glucose rises. No matter what. If there was a cure u could eat something bad or have an occasional cheat meal once a yr and normal person blood is good. Diabetic person blood will always spike blood Damn I hate dibetes.

Reply: #68
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Reply to comment #67 by Marlowe
Gentiann
January 27 2017
You sound pretty bitter and desperate.......! Have you consider to give a serious try to DietDoctor LCHF plan and see what it is doing to your diabetes after a couple of months?
1 comment removed
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Carmen
March 18 2017
From some of the responses above, i can see that some individuals still insist on lower calories. I am a new member for a little over 2 months now and have lost a total of 30 pounds so far. What a fantastic website. I feel so lucky to have found it!!! I was scared but have been on a 9 day fast so far. I did not think that i could do it, but i said, what the heck i will try it and see! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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Josh
April 21 2017
I think an important point when doing low carb is to remember excess protein is converted to sugar. If I eat a giant steak before bed, my blood sugar will be high the next day. Even if I eat near zero carbs. If I limit carbs and eat hand size protein servings, my blood sugar starts to drop. If your carbs are low and blood sugar still high, I think it means you are consuming more protein than your body currently needs. The silver lining is hunger reliably goes away as long as I eat enough healthy fats.
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Hopeless
May 10 2017
I'm doing no more then 500 calories a day. I'm doing great on my A1C and all but can't lose the weight so let's see if this works. Don't worry drinking a shit tone of water during this.
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Matt
July 10 2017
Low Carb diet halted my type II diabetes almost immediately.
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Darrell
July 21 2017
I watched a documentary called what the health. It prompted me to become vegan since day 1 I stopped taking my meds (metformin and lantis). By Cutting out all meats, eggs and dairy my levels have been normal and I eat 3 meals daily and check my levels everything is where it needs to be I also had high blood pressure and it has vanished also. I have been a vegan now for 15 days and it was the best thing I could have done (so far I've lost 7lbs
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shazi
July 25 2017
hi.is it true that if we dont consume lot of vegetables we can have a fatty liver due to lot of natural fats consumption?dont like veges.bit worried as i am diabetic.do reply.thank
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Reply to comment #63 by Bill Wightman
buddy
August 2 2017
dont forget gluconeogenesis where protein (mediated by high cortisol) is turned into glucose by the body
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Earle
September 14 2017
I'm a recently diagnosed type 2 with 126 fasting, 228 peak and a 6.5 hba1c. Immediately embarked on a low carb 18 hour fasting diet. After 3 days i was producing good blood sugar numbers in the prediabetes range without any medication.

10 days later and 10 pounds lighter (197 to 187), i transitioned from feeling fantastically ketonic to horrible. On wakeup after an 18 hour fast, my blood pressure was unusually high and blood sugar read 140. This was crushing, since i managed to produce bs numbers under 126 and high end readings <200 for more than a week. Had a urinalysis done around noon. Ketones were at 4 (very high but understandable due to low carb diet), ph was at 4.5 (quite acidic), albumins were showing up as well though no glucose was presenting.

As if i wasn't feeling ill already, after a light low carb lunch my blood sugar shot up to 380 and had me ready to rush to the ER. I was fairly certain i would enter into a ketoacidotic state at that point. I immediately took metformin 1000 mg and an hour later bsg was down to 90, and i felt markedly improved through the day. I never felt as scared about how my body felt ever as i did that day.

So the modifications to my diet - <1200 cal a day diet remained, increased fruit intake throughout the day to stay out of ketosis, dropped exercise and met 2000mg a day. Urine is perfect (ph up to 8 and blood sugar between 89-150 the entire time.

Hope my experience helps you. Be careful with fasting diets, and if for some reason one day your body goes haywire pay keen attention to the combination of acidic urine, high ketones and very high bsg. Monitor yourself through the course of that effort.

Now my conundrum is, shall i try to slowly wean myself off medication with my current diet or embark on intermittent fasting again while ON metformin?
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Marilyn
October 27 2017
I went a year of eating green vegetables and meats like pork chops, chicken and fish and my doctor told me I didn't need the Metformin anymore. The upside to it all was losing weight and going down to a size 3 without exercise. I'm on the medication again because I stopped my diet but I'm going to make it a lifestyle choice instead of a diet, can't wait to lose weight again. I had also stopped drinking but had wine occasionally, which me luck!!
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Dawn
December 6 2017
Hello, I'm new to this conversation,my name is Dawn. I had gastric bypass surgery and 2 weeks after I have been insulin free for a year now and I've lost 130 lbs. I'm not going to say that anyone should have surgery,but it was the best thing that I did for me to get off insulin. That caused me to be a size 28 pants and a 5 x top. That's why I said that I really wanted the surgery and I will never regret what I did! I'm going to say that I go to the gym and I'm so healthy and I wish I had the surgery sooner! So, that's my story about why I had a gastric bypass surgery.?
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Dave
December 11 2017
I had a peak weight of 286 pounds, I am now down to 210. It took about 8 months to do it, but it was simple...not easy...simple. I did not go crazy at the gym, in fact, my exercise was primarily walking, and even that was not every day. It was a no starch diet. My doctor diagnosed me with Type 2, and recommended I avoid starches....and beer. So I did. She also prescribed 500mg of metformin, as well as a statin. Eight months later, I feel like a new man. She took me off of the meds, and now my blood sugar is normal. I have been walking almost every day lately, and that is important for many reasons. No starches. That means no items made from flour. No bread, no pasta, no beer, no cookies, no pie, no cake. No packaged foods loaded with preservatives. Basically, my diet is 2 or three eggs in the morning, with turkey sausage links(I know...those are packaged)... I will snack on a banana or apple mid morning. For lunch I will eat a salad...sort of like a chef's salad. Between lunch and dinner, I will snack on mixed nuts or a piece of fruit. Then for dinner it is meat of some kind (not breaded or fried), and a veggie. For beverages, I drink black coffee(lots of it), and water. No soda, not even diet. The calorie intake daily with that diet is roughly 1500 to 1700 calories, but I don't really count calories anymore. High carbs, sugars, and starches are VERY bad...so avoid them, and you will be good to go. At least that is my personal experience, and I realize that "mileage may vary"....
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Reply to comment #63 by Bill Wightman
Lois
February 15
Have to agree with you Dave, I can be fasting and each morning awake with a 15 mmol blood sugar reading, this is with medication. Low cal (low carb less than 10 grams/day) diet helped me lose 8 kilograms but then I began to put weight back on as my digestion became efficient at the new low.
Meanwhile I still woke with a high blood sugar reading.
I would like some research into liver led diabetic problems. I had severe Mononucleosis that took my liver down to 2% function before it improved, just enough energy to breathe and sleep. Took me two years to feel well again. I feel there is a link to infectious liver damage and this type of type 2 diabetes.
Reading all the stories on this site there seems to be several sources of type 2 Diabetes and each may need it's own approach to diet and treatments.
Diet Doctors this is your challenge! Some research to do!
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Daniel Manning
March 1
The answer is not to fasting when your a Diabetes 2, you must follow a strict life plan starting with having the right vegetables and research which ones that are super foods. Also find karlela, chayote,bitter melon, Kara, cucumbers, ginger root,fresh garlic, Cinnamon, termeric, kale, avocado, celery heart, extra virgin olive oil, lemons, herb spices, sea-salt, and other spices to your flavor. Make your salad in 8oz bowl, cut up your vegetables small dice cubes, add 4oz your kale, use 1/2 lemon add 3ozs of olive oil add your spices to taste. Do this twice a day, have small potion of protein with your meal(4-6)oz raw. Lots of vegetables (supper foods) Also remember to walk 4 times a week for 30 minutes per day. Stay away from pop, bread, alcohol, no pasta, no flour except from coconut, and gluten free as well, no sugar at all. Just from natural foods. Make sure that the fruit you eat is very low in sugar. Basically just blueberries, lemons, green apples, limes, grapefruit. Do this for 6-8 months and keep a good record of glucose levels to monitor your daily levels about six times a day. This will help you to know when your have high and lows. You will see that your weight will come off and your glucose will stay where you want them to be and hopefully you will be able to reduce and eliminate your medication all together. Make sure you follow your doctor and get him or her to help you along the way. As well make sure you eat nuts(walnuts, almonds, Brazil) and seeds(pumpkin, sunflower) for snacks. Dairy products - milk just for coffee or tea. Have two eggs every day with sugar free bacon. Like I said follow this and you will win and you will be free from this Decease. I hope this help everyone remember small amount of protein and Lots of vegetables is the answer and lots of water. Just like me
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Brian
March 7
Would be nice if you could just stop eating. Take a supplement pill and not have to think about food or what you are missing out on anymore.

I'd like to never have to go to a restaurant or a grocery store again and see all the things I can't eat or had to eat a tiny itty bitty piece of.

Replies: #88, #96
1 comment removed
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Reply to comment #58 by G-Man
JamesS
June 28
Excellent communication
2 comments removed
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Reply to comment #83 by Brian
LISA
July 20
Amen Brian !!!! I'm with you..I'm sick of it..I've tried everything..given up everything...and NOTHING works !!!!! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WORKS !!!!!!!!!
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Doug Swilain
August 11
I got Dibeetus from Bananas.
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melpa
August 21
i am not sure if this helps, but i ate low carb for 10 years and developed diabetes. so i think this low carb, low sugar caused type 2 for me. i have no idea how i gained 40 lbs in a year eating 1100 calories per day, keeping between 35- 50 grams of carbs and drinking 3 liters of water and 45 minutes of cardio 6 days a week, but i did. i blame all the protein. thats all i ate for a decade and now im fat, miserable, and diabetic. so screw LCHF.
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testimony
August 23
Shall i call my dietitian my god? She advise to strictly stick to 2 simple rules. One is my diet plate is 1/4 starch, 1/4 protein( or less) 1/2 non-starchy veggies and fruit. Another one is regular meal(dont skip). Plus to keep my BMI range21 to 23 It work. in 3 months my Hba1c dropped from 10.6 to 5.3. A year later if dropped further to 4.7. Doctor tapered my Metformin dosage, not drastic though. Miraculously my last lab test showed better results. Well, it may only work for me.
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Shafiq
September 3
I was type2 diabetic. I went on a 50 day water fast. Eat nothing just drank 1.5 liters of water a day. My blood sugar dropped like a brick. I lost 56 lbs. My diet is now eating once every 7 days. On the days I don't eat I drink water.... On the day I eat, it's broccoli, spinach, salad with pure Aryan oil. Fruit water melon, drink carrot juice. The best for your diabetes is navy bean soup. This is my solution for combating this disease. Make sure it's navy white beans, this is all you need.

I exercise 4 times a week, light work outs. I don't listen to doctors because they discourage water fasting because they know they will be out of business them and they drug companies.
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Thomas
September 7
I believe low carb helps all type 2 diabetics. The key in my opinion is journaling everything you eat from carbs to calories to protiens to fat and fruit. You must monitor your blood sugars through a proper regimine of using your blood glucose meter before your meal and within the the 2 to 3 hour window after your meal including snacks. Upon waking before meds and at night before laying down to sleep. Record your readings in your journal religiously. Find what foods are spiking your blood sugars and adjust appropriately. Up you water intake, eat whole foods, monitor and record and input everything in your journal. Make adjustments according to your results. I use diet doctor to get recipies, suggested protien measurements for proper intake levels. I eat 3 meals a day if I want but I usually skip a meal or 2 as I am not hungry. This being said My glucose levels are improving due my monitoring and watching how certain foods effect me not others. I am catering my healthy eating to my own body. Monitoring my blood glucose levels after every meal within a two to three-hour window and journaling everything. This may sound like a lot of work but trust me it pays off only you know your body. This is how I do it for myself I have gone from an 8.8 to a 5.3 in as little as two weeks. I hope after you read this you will see through my hard work and success that I am on my way. It takes dedication not guess work. It takes time to build up that information. I wish you all the best of luck in treating your type 2 diabetes.
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wong
September 13
I'm on a 600 calorie a day eating plan and no meat for the rest of my life.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to live a long life.
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Gary
September 20
I actually am starving, lost 30% body weight, had a bad effect on diabetes control. Been eating something, maybe every two days or so. Aic went from 5.8 to 9's
96
Reply to comment #83 by Brian
Kimberly
September 23
I feel the exact same way. I wish I could just give up eating and drink water or unsweet tea and take a supplment / vitamin pill for my nutrients. I'm so tired of struggling with a decision at each and every meal and it's always the WRONG ONE! It is impossible with a spouse / family. MAYBE if it was just me and I could keep my home stocked with only GOOD choices, I would be able to stick to it but that's not an option. I love my hubby! ;)

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