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Newcastle University Diet

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smithgareth

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Just wondered whether anyone here has tried this diet.
I'm planning to have a try, starting Sunday 8th January and using Optislim
 
Hi Smithgareth. Welcome 🙂

Have you consulted your GP on this ?

The consensus at the time of the trial was that it was only safe under lab conditions and with individual supervision. It's very much a subsistence diet and involved measured exercise, which would require monitoring equipment.

It's also shown that it doesn't reverse symptoms for all people nor for how long.

Nobody can recommend it to you, but I would urge you to see your GP and take their advice if you haven't already done so.

Are you on meds at the moment ?
 
Hi Robster,

yes I'm on Metformin and Sitagliptin at the moment, had a very very long converstation with my GP and diabetic nurse and they were majorly sceptical. I printed out all the information from the study and after a lot of conversations they've agreed to let me try. The clincher was that they have had a number of patients who have had gastric bypasses and bands who no longer need their medication.

I have to be honest when I first read about it I was very sceptical, but having read and read and read I want to try it. Not saying it's the answer to all our prayers, but if I don't try (and it's only 8 weeks of my life) I'll never know
 
As long as you keep them in the loop, that would be the responsible approach.

I'm still very sceptical but I guess I'm not in your position so can afford to be ! :D

How long have you been diagnosed ?

Rob
 
Diagnosed in 2001, and my control has steadily worsened, was put onto Sitagliptin in addition to Metformin 6 months ago and warned that I was on the slow progression to Insulin.
I'm very aware that this is going to be a difficult path, but it doesn't appear to need in depth medical supervision to try. My GP looked into it and has basically adopted a keep in touch approach. I have to take my fasting glucose and weight reads and e-mail them daily. My GP has said (as per Newcastle Uni) to stop taking the Metformin and Sitagliptin and I won't suffer from hypo's, and as I have no retinopathy apparent there are no major risks for me to try this diet.
So I'm gonna give it a go hope this may help, even if it only puts off insulin for another few years it's gotta be worth a try.
Sorry should say I'm 41 years old, 6 feet 1" tall and 14 stone 6 pounds.
 
Well you aren't partic overweight, are you?

And what's Plan B if your BG's don't play ball and stay down? - come off it early?
 
I think you need to understand whether the Newcastle diet has any other effect than just helping improve insulin resistance (I assume that you don't have that problem because your weight seems fine to me .... maybe one stone could be shaved off if you're carrying fat rather than muscle though).

It'd be interesting to see what happens, but you do need to work with your GP on this one as already has been said.

Let us know what happens and good luck.

Andy 🙂
 
Hi smithgareth and welcome to the forums 🙂

Good luck with the diet! it's not an approach I would personally take. But everyone is individual.

The problem with that diet is that it is a starvation approach and therefore not maintainable. Whilst on the diet your numbers may improve, what is to stop them going back up when you come off the diet?

But as you say, it's only 8 weeks and if you don't try it you will never know.

It will be interesting to see how you get on!
 
We did discuss this diet briefly when it first appeared in the press.


http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=23247&highlight=newcastle+study
I hope you manage to keep going for the eight weeks.

Might well be worth reading this as well.
http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=24216

I seem to remember that the Newcastle Study participants had been diagnosed for four years or less. I do not know why this was or why people diagnosed longer where not included in the study?

You do not have a lot of weight to lose and I wonder if your eating plan to manage your diabetes needs tweaking to bring your numbers down.

I wish you well and please keep us informed of your progress.
 
It was a v small group of patients, and there was absoutely nothing to say how long the effect lasted or what their so-called 'normal' diet before or after might have consisted of. I'm not sure whether we know how old they were or whether their D was caused by ... what? - purely genetic? purely brought on by obesity? how much C-pep were they still producing? blah blah blah. So no other diabetic will know whether they match the sample ....

I mean if any diabetic T1 or T2 lived in lab conditions for X weeks with every morsel and step controlled to the Nth degree, all of em would see improvements no doubt. But real life doesn't consist of those conditions!

Still - do it and see. But please don't hold your breath or be disappointed if it doesn't work. If it does though, I'll be amongst the first saying how pleased I am for you!
 
Hi All,

Many thanks for all your messages, Plan B is back to tablets and probably within the next couple of years onto insulin.
I'm not carrying a lot of weight, but the problem is the fact I carry it all around my abdomen.
The Newcastle study is very intensive and i've copied a link here for reading.

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

Even Professor Taylor who carried out the trial is positive in one paragraph and negative in the next, so the truth is no-one knows.

I've talked to other diabetics and a friend who has had gastric surgery and is now off his medication, and I may be putting myself through 8 weeks of misery for nothing, but who know's!

So I start the diet on Sunday 8th January and I'll post my weight loss and fasting bloods daily from then. Hope you'll all keep track.
 
have you considered a less intensive diet with more intense exercise ?

I would imagine the net calorie loss is what's important and the fitness would improve your overall health.

I'm just concerned that 600 calories is going to drain your body of resources, slow your metabolism and rebound it all once you stop.

Rob
 
One week gone,
opening fasting glucose 10.1, weight 14 stone 4
today fasting glucose 6.4, weight 13 stone 8.
Not been a bad first week, slightly muzzy headaches a couple of days and suffering with the cold a bit, but the Optislim shakes are quite nice, plenty of varieties and some warm soup (made from the suggested recipies) have kept me going,
Only 7 weeks to go!!
 
smithgareth said:
One week gone,
opening fasting glucose 10.1, weight 14 stone 4
today fasting glucose 6.4, weight 13 stone 8.
Not been a bad first week, slightly muzzy headaches a couple of days and suffering with the cold a bit, but the Optislim shakes are quite nice, plenty of varieties and some warm soup (made from the suggested recipies) have kept me going,
Only 7 weeks to go!!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update Gareth, wishing you the best of luck - let us know how things go! 🙂
 
I think i would give it ago smithgareth. The poeple at ncle uni no what there on about. Good luck 🙂
 
well another interesting week, never thought 150g of Cauliflower
curry would taste so good and make me feel full!!

I had a terrible day on Tuesday, blood sugar 2 and a half
hours after my breakfast shake was 9.4 and I felt awful, couldn't get
warm and had a really muzzy head. Nearly broke and ran for the kitchen,
but I held off came home had a nice hot bath and curled up on the sofa.
Woke up Wednesday feeling fantastic and I haven't had a blood read
higher than 7.9 since. All my fasting reads have been under 6 with the
lowest 4.9, reads during the day have tended to be between 4.2 and 5.0
pre shake and 6.4 to 7.9 two hours post shake.I've now lost just over a
stone!
 
Do you think you can manage another 6 weeks Gareth? Well done on the weight loss 🙂
 
Well that's jolly good so far, Gareth !

I reckon, the key to this for the future is to include that 150g of cauli curry (and other low carb meals that satisfy you equally well) as a fixture in your future diet after the 'experiment' is over. It would have to be balanced out with proteins etc etc at other meals of course, once the shakes are no longer in the plan.

Onwards and downwards, eh?
 
Good news ! Keep at it & well done for giving it ago more power to you !!😎😎
 
Well another week down and only five to go!! I weighed in at just
under 13 stone this morning that's the first time I've been this light
since 1987!

Fasting blood glucose remains good, highest this week was 5.4, and I've
not had a two hour read higher than 7.4.

Even bought my wife a chinese this week and wasn't tempted at all!
 
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