Hi Debra,
I was diagnosed with T2D with a HBA1c of 8.2. over 5 and a half years ago, and within six months, I achieved T2D Remission, and I've kept my Hba1c in the low fives consistently ever since, with very little effort.
In the old days, when I was first diagnosed, the prognosis for T2D was very grim.
Even this Diabetes Australia website, at the time, declared that T2D was a "Progressive" disease, requiring increasing levels of oral medications, eventually needing increasing injection quantities of insulin, and then ultimately, a premature death from a myriad of painful complications that were likely to develop and take you to an early grave.
Indeed, my own family history includes my grandmother, both parents, and all six of my siblings, were diagnosed with T2D.
Four of my older siblings have passed away from severe diabetes complications, including amputations, blindness, kidney issues and heart attack.
In just the last five years, this very grim outlook for the newly diagnosed Diabetic, has changed enormously, for the better.
These days, we now know from scientific evidence, and real-world personal cases, that T2D can be placed into Remission with no requirement for any medications whatsoever (this is my personal opinion), and effectively and primarily, controlled by personal Diet and exercise routines.
When I was first diagnosed, my Diabetic Educator issued me with a Blood Glucose Meter.
However she did not show me how to use it properly.
When I was diagnosed, I immediately sought as much information about my illness as possible from the internet, YouTube videos and Facebook groups.
I very quickly found that T2D could be managed very effectively without the need for medications, as my then doctor was recommending.
I initially discovered through a YouTube channel called Beat Diabetes, and also from Dr Eric Berg, who began his medical career as a Chiropractor (Dr Berg (American) maintains a YouTube Channel that currently has over 12 million Subscribers - A clear testimony to his professionalism), that I needed to eliminate the glucose spikes that I was experiencing after eating certain foods.
Because we are all a little different with how foods affect us, I needed to identify those foods that caused me to experience harmful post-meal BGL spikes, and to immediately stop consuming them, and to find alternative meal types that did not spike my blood glucose levels, up to 2 hours after consuming them.
My journey to Remission began with testing myself after every meal type consumed to see which foods spiked my BGLs, and if they did, to then stop eating them.
I simply needed to find the foods causing me harm, and to find foods that did not cause me harm.
In summary, I effectively followed a Keto style, very low Carbohydrate way of eating.
For me, this required me to, as identified from my pre and post meal Blood Glucose meter tests, to eliminate all wheat flour products, all breads, white brown and seeded brindle, all Rice and Pasta, all potatoes and starchy vegetables, most sugary fruits and all fruit juices, all cereals, and Beer.
I was then able to seek replacement foods that were nutritious, tasty, and which did not spike my BGL levels.
The Key to finding foods that don't harm you, and there are many, is to settle on foods that you enjoy, can eat copious amounts of, and that don't leave you hungry, but very satisfied.
When you have done that, your new way of eating is not a Diet of any description, because it is tailored to you, specifically.
From that point on, you don't need to concern yourself with the latest Fad Diets, recommended by anyone, for people living with Diabetes.
The rest is history.
This has worked for me personally, for the past five years so far.
And, my overall health and fitness has improved incredibly.
These days, I don't visit my health professionals as much as I used to, maybe six monthly, I take no Diabetes medications, my blood pressure, heart, cholesterol and arthritis issues have all been resolved, I lost 30 kg five years ago and have kept it off to date, and I walk an average of over three km every day.
I understand that Diabetes Australia has recently entered into a partnership with Defeat Diabetes Australia, which is a tremendous event for the health and wellbeing of all people living with T2D.
This Defeat Diabetes Australia organisation did not exist when I was first diagnosed, and well after I achieved T2D Remission, but I support them entirely, and recommend everyone to rad up on their information about T2D, and to follow their low carbohydrate dietary guidelines.
Their member health results have been outstanding!!
Imagine if our Federal Government were to provide free membership to Defeat Diabetes Australia, for every person living with Pre-Diabetes or T2D.
There was a major news report earlier, about two people who died from a mosquito born disease. This is very sad and disturbing.
But there was no mention of the 12,000 plus Australians that lost their lives to T2D related illnesses in the past year!
Cheers,
Greg
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Greg
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