In the last two years I have become aware of an amazing fact – that a low carbohydrate approach to diet can reverse up to 50% of type 2 diabetes and 90% of pre-diabetes. Traditionally, type 2 diabetes was thought of as a relentless, progressive disease, requiring more and more medication to control it, and putting the patient at increasing risk of serious complications, such as blindness, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure. This is completely incorrect, and a low carbohydrate approach is a sustainable method to reverse or improve type 2 diabetes.

The low carbohydrate approach has also been very helpful in achieving weight loss in many people who have tried and failed with the traditional “eat less, exercise more” approach. It enables weight loss without hunger or calorie counting, expensive highly-processed foods and is sustainable in the long term.

Since the 1980’s, health authorities have advised that 60% of our food should be from grains, fruit and vegetables. The remaining 40% should come from protein and healthy fats. This is called the “Food Pyramid”. This approach failed to take into account that grains and potatoes are mainly starch and broken down into sugars by digestion. For example, 150g of boiled rice contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. Many breakfast cereals contain up to 20 teaspoons of sugar in a standard serve. Many fruits contain a very high level of sugar. Others, such as berries, are low in sugar. The low carbohydrate approach concentrates on whole fresh foods, avoiding highly-processed foods and seed oils, while emphasising non-starchy vegetables, berries, protein, eggs and full fat dairy products.

I am really enjoying working with people with type 2 diabetes, at high risk of diabetes and those who need a different approach to weight management. I have seen some wonderful results and people become empowered and proud of their achievements.

Please be aware that if you need medication for type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, you must be carefully monitored by a doctor if you undertake a low carbohydrate approach. Some medications need to be ceased while some medications need reduction.

I recommend some excellent resources, such as the website “Defeat Diabetes” and Dr. Peter Bruckner‘s books “A fat lot of good” and “The Diabetes Plan”. There is an excellent free app called called Freshwell, as well as a TED Talk by Dr. Sarah Hallberg, called “Reversing Type 2 Diabetes starts with ignoring the Guidelines”.

I am consulting at Glen Iris Medical Group on most Friday mornings and an appointment can be made by contacting reception on 03 9509 7633.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season,

Dr Sharon Woolf