Diet

LCHF. Keto. Newcastle. Intermittent fasting. Confused yet?

Because diet is such a big part of managing type 2, and because it's something I wanted to track and experiment with in detail, it has its own section on this website. This page gives a very quick intro to some current popular diets, which is repeated in the larger section.

What is a diet?

"Diet" has become a dirty word. It makes us think of the corrosive social pressure to be slim, "beach ready", and so on.

But diet simply means what you eat. And managing what you eat is key to managing type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrates

Generally, the more carbohydrate you eat, the higher your blood sugars go. Most type 2s have to reduce their carb intake, but working out exactly how much is down to the individual.

The book Carbs and Cals: Carb & Calorie Counter can be helpful when working out how many carbs are in different foods - especially for things that don't come with nutritional info (like takeaways, fresh fruit and so on).

How do I know which diet to do?

Experiment. Diabetes is not fun, but one great thing about it is we can science our own bodies. Your HbA1C will tell you how you're doing overall, while fingerprick tests allow you to track your sugars on a day by day basis, checking how you respond to different foods.

Every diabetic is different. Start testing, and work out what foods you respond well to, and how many carbs your system can handle.

It can also be helpful to talk with a nutritionist, and read up on nutrition. The Open University offers a free course on the science of nutrition and healthy eating. Many general diabetes resources include sections with diet advice.

Warning

Beware the diet evangelists. Diet evangelists have found a diet that works for them, and now push everyone else to do it, with no regard for individual circumstances. It's great to get advice and different points of view, but you have to test out what works for you, as an individual.

Tip

Be cautious of diet perfectionism. For some people, aiming for amazing glucose numbers every single day may suit their mindset. For others (including me), this perfectionist approach leads to guilt, anxiety, and failure. It is much better to eat well six days out of seven, than to pressure yourself into aiming for a perfect seven, only to eat badly all week because the pressure is too much.

The Newcastle diet

The Newcastle diet draws on research by Professor Roy Taylor at Newcastle University. It's based on a theory of the cause of type 2: exceeding your personal fat threshold, while having beta cells that are sensitive to fat. It proposes rapid weight loss over a fairly short period.

I have written a review of Professor Taylor's books, and attempted the diet myself (see The Newcastle diet for more information, including answers to some frequently asked questions). Although I was unable to complete the very low calorie diet, the three weeks I did fixed my problems with high blood sugars in the mornings - so it was worth it for that alone.

NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme

The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme uses the same basic principles as the Newcastle diet, but with more support (and meal replacement shakes provided by the NHS). Read more: NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme.

The Fast 800

This diet by Michael Mosley has considerable similarity to the Newcastle diet (in fact, they collaborated on one of the studies). However, Michael Mosley encourages people to transition to intermittent fasting after the initial rapid weight loss.

LCHF (low carb high fat) / Keto

This diet involves consuming less than 50g of carb a day, putting your body into ketosis: a state where it burns fat instead of carbs for fuel. This is currently a very popular diet, with lots of books and websites to read up on it. Many people report excellent energy levels, among other benefits.

Keeping carbs low should bring good glucose numbers, but there are some questions over how healthy it is to eat high fat long term.

Paleo

A paleo diet is supposed to be closer to what our ancestors ate. It is high protein, and avoid processed foods. As it tends to be fairly low carb, it may be good for type 2s.