@Tillagirl. Did you have a good meeting with your diabetic nurse.
Catching up, a summary of Professor Taylor's work and
lecture is that we Type 2 diabetics need to deal with the excess fat in our liver and pancreas to get ourselves back to normal (HbA1c < 39). This depends on the capacity of the beta cells in our pancreas to work normally again after the excess fat has gone; the chances of success seem to be 90%-100% for prediabetics and the newly diagnosed, and progressively less according to the duration and severity of the disease.
My background
My GP did not say a 'fatty liver' is the precursor to Type 2 when she phoned say my HbAic was 104. However she was much more concerned about the damage that hemochromatosis (a correctly suspected diagnosis from the high ferritin levels in my blood test) might have done to my liver. She was prescribing the maximum dose of Metformin, arranging an appointment, and requesting an ultrasound scan of my liver thus linking my Type 2 to the state of my liver anyway.
I did not want to suffer any of the side effects of metformin, looked at my wife's copy of Michael Mosley's
The 8-week blood sugar diet and read his description of the
Newcastle Study. This concluded
Professor Taylor was astonished. "Amazingly more definitive than I ever dreamt it would be." Once I had downloaded and read Professor Taylor's Life without Diabetes Type 2 and seen his 'famous' diagram my mind was made up, worth a try as you say:
I could not face the prospect of 8 weeks of shakes and decided to follow a real food version of the Newcastle Diet based on the high quality protein and vegetables listed in the
diet leaflet. At my appointment I told the GP what I intended, and after saying she had never heard of Professor Taylor and reciting the Nice guidance on Metformin, she gave me an AccuCheck to test my blood glucose.
The next day after the scan the radiologist said, in a matter of fact way, '
You have a fatty liver, treat it by diet'. Sage advice for all Predabetics and Type 2 Diabetics, I'd say. It was the confirmation I needed.
What I did (and still do)
My problem was total ignorance of dietary matters and no dietitian.
Cronometer was my salvation. It was consistently rated the best tracking app for nutrients, vitamins and minerals so I downloaded the free version and put up with occasional ad. I enter enter grams eaten of each food and Cronometer does all the calculations. It helps me keep protein, iron [hemochromatosis], carbs, fats and calories in my target ranges as well as making adjustments for vitamins, folate, calcium, potassium etc.
My wife wanted to lose some weight and we decided to have the same evening meal. She shops for fish, meat and vegetables, berries, dairy and nuts as well as keeping chickens for eggs and a stock pot on the hob. I frequent Aldi for cabbages, cauliflowers, onions, peppers, carrot, swede, mushrooms etc plus yogurt and cheese, canned fish, tomatoes, beans, seeds etc.
That provides the ingredients for my lunch, typically a chopped salad and a stir fry (or a microwaved equivalent), and our evening meal - I look after air fried vegetables, omelettes and salads (mainly lettuce).
For convenience and to extend my overnight 'fat burning window' I skip breakfast, effectively 16:8 intermittent fasting. On office days I sometimes skip lunch as well, a sort of 5:2 maintenance diet.
My wife was able to wear the dress she wore for our daughters wedding over 30 years ago. I lost 22 kg over 6 months, got into the trousers I used to wear decades ago, and ran a 5km park run before injuring a knee in a fit of enthusiasm. My HbA1c is around 35.
I found the biggest challenge is weight maintenance but it's basically quite simple. Make sensible adjustments to your diet and keep weighing yourself to stay on track.
I hope this gives you enough guidance to have a go.
A word of warning. I stuck to 800 calories or less for 13 weeks and a bit more for another 13 weeks, too little for too long, too 'tetchy'. I should have heeded Professor Taylor's advice in the
Newcastle Diet leaflet:
It isn’t essential to follow a VLCD to achieve results. Many people havefollowed food-based diets and lost weight gradually over a longer period oftime. The key is taking in fewer calories than you burn. This allows enough weight loss to strip the fat out of the liver and pancreas.
To that end you could look at the following, all helpful:
- Dr Kim Andrews' simple meal planner and diet sheet
Dr David Unwin's diet sheet and Katie Caldesi's cook books:
-
https://phcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/A_5_page_low_carb_diet_leaflet_Unwin_2021-converted.pdf
-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reverse-Your-Diabetes-Cookbook/dp/0857838571/
Zoe Harcombe's
What should we eat at, not least the weight loss section:
-
https://www.zoeharcombe.com/2021/08/what-should-we-eat/
Jonno Proudfoot's
Real Meal Revolution books, great low carb cookbooks and guidance for beginners like me:
-
https://realmealrevolution.com/the-books/
Good luck
