I was diagnosed with Type 2 back in April 2013. I'm 6'4" and at the time I was 18.5 to 19.0 stone, I'd held at this level for many years. I have always eaten good food but lots of it!
I followed the general advice from my Doctor and Nurse to eat a balanced diet with a good proportion of carbs, I'm not a drinker or smoker but cut out my daily allowance of Coke, the drink not the drug, and thought a bit more about what I ate.
With a few deviations my HbA1c levelled out around low to mid fifties. I have always resisted medication and was aware that at these levels it would be the next step.
I brought this book back in the early part of the year after my latest tests of HbA1c @ 56. It then sat on my desk for several months before I picked it up in May.
It made sense to me having never come across the carbs = sugar argument before. I therefore set about a change to my diet.
My breakfast cereal is now replaced with Greek Yoghurt and berries, the lunchtime petrol station sandwich with crisps is now a petrol station salad with meat, fish or eggs and I've reduced what I call my 'overt' carbs at other times, reduced portions or eliminated altogether from some meals. My weekend cooked breakfast remains as it always has but without the 3 or 4 slice of toast that went with it.
My weight has been steadily falling since diagnosis with a plateau after each dietary change, I am now between 15.5 & 16.0.
At the start of September I set off for my 6 month fasting bloods as I was close to been medicated last time at 56, it came back at 46. This is down to the changes I have made after reading this book!
I will no doubt plateau again on the weight and the HbA1c I'll then look to tweak the diet further.
The book really changed my approach to controlling my Diabetes and I would advise anyone to read it. Dr Cavan talks very sensibly about reducing not necessarily eliminating things from your diet and makes some simple suggestions without making you feel you have to embrace an extreme lifestyle.
I followed the general advice from my Doctor and Nurse to eat a balanced diet with a good proportion of carbs, I'm not a drinker or smoker but cut out my daily allowance of Coke, the drink not the drug, and thought a bit more about what I ate.
With a few deviations my HbA1c levelled out around low to mid fifties. I have always resisted medication and was aware that at these levels it would be the next step.
I brought this book back in the early part of the year after my latest tests of HbA1c @ 56. It then sat on my desk for several months before I picked it up in May.
It made sense to me having never come across the carbs = sugar argument before. I therefore set about a change to my diet.
My breakfast cereal is now replaced with Greek Yoghurt and berries, the lunchtime petrol station sandwich with crisps is now a petrol station salad with meat, fish or eggs and I've reduced what I call my 'overt' carbs at other times, reduced portions or eliminated altogether from some meals. My weekend cooked breakfast remains as it always has but without the 3 or 4 slice of toast that went with it.
My weight has been steadily falling since diagnosis with a plateau after each dietary change, I am now between 15.5 & 16.0.
At the start of September I set off for my 6 month fasting bloods as I was close to been medicated last time at 56, it came back at 46. This is down to the changes I have made after reading this book!
I will no doubt plateau again on the weight and the HbA1c I'll then look to tweak the diet further.
The book really changed my approach to controlling my Diabetes and I would advise anyone to read it. Dr Cavan talks very sensibly about reducing not necessarily eliminating things from your diet and makes some simple suggestions without making you feel you have to embrace an extreme lifestyle.
