DH - a 57 year old man with Type II Diabetes came to us looking for help with using a ketogenic diet to address his diabetes. He had read about the amazing reversals and remissions achieved through a low carb, high fat nutrition strategy. As a retired paramedic and first responder, he also realized that diabetics on high doses of insulin should approach intensive therapeutic nutrition with medical supervision. During our assessment, one of the first things that we did was check his C Peptide levels to ascertain was whether his pancreas was still producing insulin. His levels were low, indicating advanced diabetes with pancreatic fatigue, but they were high enough to encourage us that reversal was still possible. After completing our Comprehensive Lifestyle Medicine Assessment, our approach was actually simpler than recommending the ketogenic diet that FJ had originally sought from us. Instead when we reviewed his behaviors, we decided to take a more graduated approach to his nutrition. As I explained, we should start with the elimination of added sugars, refined carbohydrates, bread, pasta and white rice; add an element of time restricted eating (at least 12 hours without calorie consumption) and moderately increase exercise towards 150 minutes per week, and wherever possible increase activity. Even though these changes were not as aggressive as an immediate adoption of the keto diet, I still recommended that FJ reduce his insulin by 40% to avoid low blood sugars.
The changes were immediate - blood sugars that had been reading in the 15+ mmol/L range dropped down to 5-7 mmol/L. The first few weeks transitioning to this way of eating were tough for FJ but he as he commented: "the support from the Wellness Garage team made this easier". After a few weeks, the cravings that had thwarted other previous attempts to change his eating went away. The changes no longer seemed hard, they were now the new normal.
When FJ started his major symptom was chronic pain - "Old injuries in my elbow, lower back, and hip regions would wake me up at nights and bother me throughout the day." After weeks with his new nutritional habits, his pain disappeared. His diabetes, which had been diagnosed over 25 years ago, and had progressed to the place where he was taking over 200 units of insulin per day with a continuous insulin pump, had dramatically improved.
In 4 months his HbA1C has improved from 11.9% to 6.5%, while his insulin dose dropped to 60 units per day, his cholesterol has improved by 19%; triglycerides by 81% and his TG/HDL - a measure of insulin sensitivity (and likely a predictor of ongoing improvements) has improved by a stunning 85%. Even more encouraging, his C-peptide levels returned to normal, indicating recovery of pancreatic beta islet functionality.
...and he has lost 25 lbs (3 pant sizes smaller!)
All this without calorie counting or strict restrictions - just real food, not too much, coupled with increased activity.
In the next few months, FJ plans to work on increasing his exercise gradually, which should be easier now that his chronic pain has resolved and he has lost some weight.
The changes were immediate - blood sugars that had been reading in the 15+ mmol/L range dropped down to 5-7 mmol/L. The first few weeks transitioning to this way of eating were tough for FJ but he as he commented: "the support from the Wellness Garage team made this easier". After a few weeks, the cravings that had thwarted other previous attempts to change his eating went away. The changes no longer seemed hard, they were now the new normal.
When FJ started his major symptom was chronic pain - "Old injuries in my elbow, lower back, and hip regions would wake me up at nights and bother me throughout the day." After weeks with his new nutritional habits, his pain disappeared. His diabetes, which had been diagnosed over 25 years ago, and had progressed to the place where he was taking over 200 units of insulin per day with a continuous insulin pump, had dramatically improved.
In 4 months his HbA1C has improved from 11.9% to 6.5%, while his insulin dose dropped to 60 units per day, his cholesterol has improved by 19%; triglycerides by 81% and his TG/HDL - a measure of insulin sensitivity (and likely a predictor of ongoing improvements) has improved by a stunning 85%. Even more encouraging, his C-peptide levels returned to normal, indicating recovery of pancreatic beta islet functionality.
...and he has lost 25 lbs (3 pant sizes smaller!)
All this without calorie counting or strict restrictions - just real food, not too much, coupled with increased activity.
In the next few months, FJ plans to work on increasing his exercise gradually, which should be easier now that his chronic pain has resolved and he has lost some weight.
