Diabetes Type 2, along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, has always been known to be a chronic disease. Once a person contracts it, he is almost guaranteed to be enslaved to a lifetime of medication to keep the condition under control. Failing to do so could lead to even more health conditions.
But local taxi driver 64-year old Mr Song Hee Pheow is a walking testimony that Type 2 diabetes is reversible with the right lifestyle improvements. Mr Song was diagnosed with diabetes a year and half ago. He was frightened of the thought of having to take diabetes medicine everyday, so he made up his mind to change his lifestyle.
New lifestyle habits he adopted:
• Walk five storeys up to his flat every day
• Drink vegetable smoothies every morning
• Reduce consumption of red meat, oily and fried foods, and soft drinks
• Adopt walking as a regular form of exercise
These changes were a drastic improvement from the poor lifestyle habits he initially had, which included sitting for several hours as part of his job as a taxi driver, not exercising at all, and drinking soft drinks every day.
He has successfully brought his blood sugar levels under control and no longer requires medication. On top of that, he has lost weight, brought down his cholesterol levels and falls sick less often.
Researchers at Newcastle University did a study with results implying that Type 2 diabetes can be reversed through dietary changes. They created an extreme diet plan for a small trial involving 30 type-2 diabetes patients. For eight weeks, the patients drank a diet milkshake three times daily and ate some 200 grams of non-starchy vegetables, totaling about 700 calories a day.
The outcome was that for many of them, the diabetes disappeared, and nearly half the participants had no diabetic symptoms for nearly six months after they reverted to a healthy diet.
Those who experienced a reversal of diabetic symptoms had had diabetes for less than four years. They also generally led a healthier lifestyle than those who did not experience a reversal in symptoms.
While there is no proven explanation for the reversal, it is hypothesised that elimination of excess fat from the liver and pancreas helps kick-start insulin production to bring sugar levels to normal. Further research will need to be done to find more conclusive, long-term solutions on reversal of diabetes.
Despite the promising results for Mr Song and participants of the Newcastle extreme diet study, it must be emphasised that it is potentially dangerous to embark on a sudden change in diet and lifestyle as health complications could develop. It is always important to consult your doctor on the type of food and exercise you are suited for.
For long-term sufferers of diabetes, not all is lost. Keep up with good lifestyle habits and you will at least prevent your diabetic symptoms from worsening as well as thwart the onset of other related diseases. With increased awareness on diabetes and greater urgency towards curbing this disease, we may well have a solution in the near future.
References:
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/lifestyle-changes-fitness-regimen-help-cabbie-beat-disease
http://qz.com/669254/its-possible-to-reverse-type-2-diabetes-in-some-people-and-its-not-even-that-difficult/
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