[deetee]

Originally Posted by graaja

Actually, cholesterol as a measure of health is being debunked of late. Lots of research happening on this. It is not cholesterol that settles down in the arteries that create blocks. Cholesterol is something very essential to the body, and body produces almost 80% of cholesterol on its own for its needs. We consume only 20% of body's cholesterol needs through dietary fat.

Cholesterol as a generic term is misleading. Because, body does need cholesterol but that has to be of type HDL. Certain foods lead to build up of LDL and that is the cause of cardiovascular diseases. A visibly fat person can have high ratio of HDL/LDL and can lead a healthy life (other than issue due to being overweight) where as a slender person with low ratio of HDL/LDL (if major proportion of whatever fat in the body is LDL) can be at higher risk of heart disease.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by deetee

Cholesterol as a generic term is misleading. Because, body does need cholesterol but that has to be of type HDL. Certain foods lead to build up of LDL and that is the cause of cardiovascular diseases. A visibly fat person can have high ratio of HDL/LDL and can lead a healthy life (other than issue due to being overweight) where as a slender person with low ratio of HDL/LDL (if major proportion of whatever fat in the body is LDL) can be at higher risk of heart disease.

Yes. Agree on your point about HDL/LDL ratio. HDL and LDL are actually transporters that carry cholesterol throughout the body.

Sorry I missed that point in your previous post. My comment was on the total cholesterol that people mostly worry on.

[deetee]

Originally Posted by graaja

HDL and LDL are actually transporters that carry cholesterol throughout the body.....My comment was on the total cholesterol that people mostly worry on.

Encouraged by my lipid profile findings, I have increased my intake of 'good fat' foods. Have been taking larger servings of flax seeds, sesame seeds etc. It helped me to keep hunger away for longer periods while giving me a good balance of low carb and good fat rich meal (fiber is added bonus)

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by deetee

Cholesterol as a generic term is misleading. Because, body does need cholesterol but that has to be of type HDL. Certain foods lead to build up of LDL and that is the cause of cardiovascular diseases. A visibly fat person can have high ratio of HDL/LDL and can lead a healthy life (other than issue due to being overweight) where as a slender person with low ratio of HDL/LDL (if major proportion of whatever fat in the body is LDL) can be at higher risk of heart disease.

Yes, being fat is not ALWAYS unhealthy.

The other subset is Apolipoprotein A & B1, the primary protein component of HDL & LDL. Higher APO A & lower APO B indicates a lesser risk of CV diseases. And there is hs-CRP, the marker of inflammation on the arteries of the heart, the higher the value more the inflammation (could be for any reason). The easiest way to play around with these ratios is to reduce triglycerides as much one could by cutting down sugar in any form (including fruits, esp juices) & follow IF. Each body is different & every individual has to find out what works best for them by getting hold of things through experimentation using the concepts.

[LoneRidder]

Dear @graaja. Beautifully written and therapeutic to read!

Honesty, I would have given a miss to this thread if not for you. We had bumped-in couple of times on cycling thread. Thanks for your suggestions then.

I am a regular guy, with no specific weight goals. I hover between 60 to 62 mostly and am 5’10. So I guess I am ok to be there. During my teens was a runner, participating in state level events. Since I was forcibly cutoff from other field games, I did not develop keen interest towards running in my later part of life. However, I was always in touch of running. Sometimes run all the days a week sometimes non. This ensured my weight to be around 60 for most part of my late 20s and 30s or maybe naturally I am a lean person. I always felt I was underweight during my teenage and early 20s when I was stuck between 55 to 58.

I generally did not have any restriction on my diet. But my 1st shocker was when I applied for Term Insurance and got rejected for fatty liver a decade back. It was then when I got into some strict running and continue to do so now. I generally avoid oily food, but love chicken biryanis. On a normal month I clock around 130 to 150 kms per month and when at practice for a race I clock 150 to 200 km. Generally, I plan for around 6 races through the year to keep myself busy and active. Typically, I do 2 mobility and strength training every week. My runs are high intensity running with pace mostly below 5. But again, there is no check on my diet except avoiding packed food, pizzas and fries. I love fruits and enjoy rice items. With all these activities my cholesterol level is still around 200!

Now my questions.
- I guess being heavy may not be an indicator of being unhealthy.
- And being lean and fit also may not be an indicator of being healthy.
- After reading this post, I started my IF just to see what changes I can see in my body. During those peak trainings, I almost end up losing lot of muscles on hands and legs. The waistline fat still lingers around though. Will I end up losing muscles again during IF?
- Though you talked lot on vegetables, how about consuming fruits, what should be avoided?
- And for runners like me, how do I get the required energy source specially for those long runs. I never use gels for marathon.
- From this June I thought of increasing my muscle mass a bit. Started home weights and strength training and also started consuming whey proteins, though there is no substantial increase in mass, I can see some small difference.
- During the past 4 days of IF, this is what I am observing. Twice I have hit 16 hours and once 18 hours of fasting. This leads to me consuming only two meals. My lunch is my breakfast (11am-12 noon). Earlier after my run or workout I used to take my first shake of protein and before bed the second. Now I am not sure if I can break my fast with a protein shake and also close my eating window with a shake. Will it lead to insulin spike? Somehow during the past 4 days I felt before closing time of 7 pm I was under pressure to eat my last meal, have protein shake also. For a while I felt heavy on my stomach but later got settled.
- Will this short window of 6 to 8 hours be overload to have two meals (my quantity is less), two dose of protein shake and additionally fruit based snacks in-between on the stomach and the digestive system oveall?

How should I tweak my intakes, please suggest. Thank!

[graaja]

Originally Posted by LoneRidder

Dear @graaja. Beautifully written and therapeutic to read!
Now my questions.

Thank you for your kind words! In summary, it is very tricky to tweak the nutrition for an athlete who does long distance endurance sport. There is a lot that depends on the individual, his health markers, the heart rate zones he trains in, his diet etc. I will try to answer your questions in general. But you will have to do lots of experiments and arrive at the combination that fits you.

- And being lean and fit also may not be an indicator of being healthy.
- Though you talked lot on vegetables, how about consuming fruits, what should be avoided?

Yours is the rare case of a lean person developing a fatty liver. I am not sure if this is mainly due to diet or some other medical condition. Long distance atheletes can develop fatty liver usually because of the high amounts of sugary gels they consume during races and the highly carb loaded diet they follow. But you have already mentioned you do not consume gels during your runs. What is your diet like? Is it mostly carbs (rice and rotis)? How are your test results for metabolic markers - fasting insulin, fasting sugar, insulin resistance and hba1c? Your diet will have to be designed based on these factors. If you have high insulin resistance, then you will have to first reverse the insulin resistance by following a low carb diet. Diet will play the key role to reverse these conditions, whereas long distance running will not help here.

- After reading this post, I started my IF just to see what changes I can see in my body. During those peak trainings, I almost end up losing lot of muscles on hands and legs. The waistline fat still lingers around though. Will I end up losing muscles again during IF?

During long distance running, your muscles will sustain micro tears. If you do not take enough protein in your diet body will not be able to repair these tears which may also result in muscle loss in the long term. Strength training is the best way to deal with this. You need to incorporate at least 3 sessions of strength training in a week to build lean muscle mass. You have mentioned that you are doing this. Continue doing this and you should be able to slowly build muscle mass and also prevent any muscle loss.

IF will not result in muscle loss, especially these short durations like 16 or 18 or 20 hours, or even OMAD. Only when someone is doing very long fasts like 5 days or more, muscle loss comes into picture.

- And for runners like me, how do I get the required energy source specially for those long runs. I never use gels for marathon.

There is lot of research going on in the subject of using fat as fuel for long distance endurance atheletes. Check out the book "What The Fat? Sports Performance: Leaner, Fitter, Faster on Low-Carb Healthy Fat" by Grant Schofeld.

The concept is to first get metabolically flexible where your body can easily switch between fat and glucose as fuel. When you are performing in your endurance zone, body will use fat and when you are performing at high intensities (during those hill sections, short sprints etc), body will use glucose. With this approach, you need only to take enough carbs to support those high intensity requirements. I have experimented with this and found this to work.

But this also greatly depends on which heart rate zone you run. You mentioned your runs are usually sub 5 minute pace. At sub 5 minute pace, what is your heart rate? Is it in endurance zone or threshold? Ideally, you should be doing long distance running anything above 1 hour in your endurance zone. Doing a 2 hour or 3 hour run in threshold is not healthy in the long term. If you are doing this, then you have to slow down and take a different approach. You need to increase your threshold pace using interval training and then during those races, run at a slower pace. Only then this method of using fat as fuel will work. If you do all your run in threshold pace, then you need to fuel your runs with carbs.

- During the past 4 days of IF, this is what I am observing. Twice I have hit 16 hours and once 18 hours of fasting. This leads to me consuming only two meals. My lunch is my breakfast (11am-12 noon). Earlier after my run or workout I used to take my first shake of protein and before bed the second. Now I am not sure if I can break my fast with a protein shake and also close my eating window with a shake. Will it lead to insulin spike? Somehow during the past 4 days I felt before closing time of 7 pm I was under pressure to eat my last meal, have protein shake also. For a while I felt heavy on my stomach but later got settled.
- Will this short window of 6 to 8 hours be overload to have two meals (my quantity is less), two dose of protein shake and additionally fruit based snacks in-between on the stomach and the digestive system oveall?

Do not pressurize yourself into having a meal on time. Be flexible. If for some reason you are not able to have your dinner at 7pm because you are too full from the protein shake, it is ok. Have it at 8pm. For that day, instead of 16 hours of fasting, let it be 15 hours. On some other day, if you are not feeling hungry and if you are not planning to run the next day, just skip the dinner and do an 18 or 20 hour fast. Vary your routine based on how you feel. That is the key. Over time, you will understand your body better and will be able to get your routine right. Just make sure the protein shake you take does not have any added sugars and has only protein.

I don't think the digestive system will get loaded because of the shorter eating window. 8 hours is a good window to have two meals and also a healthy snack.

Hope this helps.

[PearlJam]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Dont want to enter into an argument here. But the China study is not a scientific study and has been refuted enough. Enough resources towards that is available even online

Irrespective of the China study, which is just incidental here, it is extremely difficult to nail down specific advantages and disadvantages on many of these variations of various diets that could be ambiguous and mant times, at cross purposes. The human body is so dynamic in nature, and each body is so different. And add to that, the foods we grew up eating, the regions we lived in, the medications that we have taken till now (that affects our bodies in ways that we don't know over time), lifestyle, exercise, mental outlook, etc accumulating over the years, make each of us so unique.

Let us not kid ourselves for one moment that we have reached any kind of 'proof' that can be refuted just like that, especially in areas when results are so varying. Otherwise, it would have been so simple if there was such a clear cut formula! There are 'proofs' flying all around on the internet. We all know of people who have terrible lifestyles and diets (that are contrary to the guidelines discussed in this thread as well as the weight loss thread) who have lived long and fulfilling lives, and vice versa too.

Graaja has given an excellent and broad framework, and it is upto each of us to tweak it to suit our own body.

Based on my not so superficial research, I strongly and personally believe (inspite of loving non-veg) that a plant based diet (not vegan) is much more healthier to keep us disease free. Each to his own.

[PrasannaDhana]

Hey BHPians,

It's amazing how much detail Graaja brother has worked on and presented here. It takes a lot of research, implementation, experimentation to do something this clear and vast.

While Graaja has cleared out the entire nutrition part (with some cardio training stuff), I would like to stress on the importance of strength training (lifting weights) if one is looking at body recomposition.

While intermittent fasting/ LCHT / Keto will help in losing fat and making the metabolic switch in burning fat instead of glucose, it is extremely important to have more lean muscle.

More muscle = Better metabolism, = Better hormonal profile, = Better overall fitness & ofcourse better looks.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

While Graaja has cleared out the entire nutrition part (with some cardio training stuff), I would like to stress on the importance of strength training (lifting weights) if one is looking at body recomposition.

Totally agree with your point. Strength training is one of the most important pillars to a long healthy life.

In fact, as I had mentioned in my earlier post, I have been focusing on strength training the past one year. Even when I go back to my Triathlon training, strength training will always be a part of my routine.

When it comes to strength training, I focus more on complex functional workouts that promote strength, mobility and flexibility than just weights as functional fitness is key to living a long healthy life.

I will write in detail about this sometime soon.

[graaja]

Reversing Diabetes with Intermittent Fasting and Low Carb Diet

I have mentioned in my posts about reversing diabetes using intermittent fasting and low carb diet. In this article, I will explain some details on how this can be done.

I know a few close friends who have successfully reversed their diabetic condition and either have greatly reduced their medication or have completely stopped medication.

Important Notes:

• This article is to provide information on how IF and low carb can be used to reverse diabetes and should not be considered as a medical advice. If you are under medication for diabetes, discuss with your doctor and do it under his supervision as the dosage of medicines will have to be adjusted as required.
• This article applies only to Type-2 Diabetes. The concept does not apply to Type-1 Diabetes.

Is Type-2 diabetes reversible?

One of the most common misconceptions is that type-2 diabetes is not curable and that it can only be managed with lifelong medication and some lifestyle and diet changes. This is wrong. If one understands the root cause of Type-2 diabetes and addresses this root cause, Type-2 diabetes is reversible, and one can be cured and stay off medication for life. So, what is this root cause and how can this be addressed? To understand this, let us first understand how Type-2 diabetes develops.

The anatomy of type-2 diabetes

The first step in understanding Type-2 diabetes is to understand the role of Insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by pancreas and is responsible in regulating the glucose levels in blood.

When we eat, the carbohydrates in our food are converted into glucose and enter the blood. When body senses this increase in glucose, it instructs the pancreas to secrete insulin. This insulin tells all the cells in our body to use the available glucose for energy. The cells then take this glucose and convert it to energy. As the glucose in blood gets depleted, the body signals the pancreas to wind down the insulin production and insulin level in the blood also drops.

This is a wonderful feedback mechanism in our body and can be compared to cruise control in automobiles. When you set your car to cruise at a speed, the electronic brain in the car adjusts the fuel to maintain speed. When the car is climbing a slope (glucose level rises), the controller increases the fuel input (pancreas steps up insulin production) to the engine and when the car is on level ground or downward slope (glucose level falls), it reduces or cuts off fuel (pancreas steps down insulin production) to the engine.

Everything works well till we start developing something called Insulin Resistance. In our current lifestyle of carb loaded food (rice, pasta, bread, soft drinks, pastries, cakes…), frequent eating (breakfast, pre-lunch snack, lunch, post lunch snack, dinner), and sedentary lifestyle, our body is constantly exposed to high levels of insulin. As cells are exposed to constant insulin, they start developing a resistance to insulin. Because of this, they do not take in glucose for energy. This results in elevated glucose levels and the body signals the pancreas to generate more insulin. The cells respond to this increase in insulin, but after some time, develop more resistance. This results in a chain reaction and at some point, the pancreas maxes out its capacity and a person are diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Diabetes or pre-diabetes are usually detected through blood test for fasting glucose level or hbA1c. Fasting glucose above 100mg/dL (100 – 125) is considered pre-diabetic and >125 as diabetic. hbA1c above 5.6% (5.7% to 6.4%) is considered pre-diabetic and above 6.5% as diabetic. However, these tests reveal the pre-diabetic or diabetic condition only when the condition occurs. By the time it is termed pre-diabetes or diabetes it is already an advance state of insulin resistance and needs medication to keep it under control.

Diabetes is not a disease that develops overnight, but over a couple of decades. This can be detected only by measuring fasting insulin levels. For example, below is a representation of how fasting insulin level and fasting glucose level vary over a couple of decades in an adult.



In 20’s when insulin resistance is very low, a small amount of insulin is sufficient to keep the glucose levels down. But as we age and develop insulin resistance, the amount of insulin it takes to keep blood glucose regulated keeps increasing. For example, we may need 2x or 3x the insulin in our 30’s compared to our 20’s. By the time we hit 40’s we may develop high enough insulin resistance that the insulin from pancreas is not enough to keep blood glucose under control and fasting glucose shoots up. In the graph above, the blue line becoming flat indicates pancreas not able to keep up with the demand. This is when we are diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Insulin resistance also leads to metabolic syndrome which in turn can lead to obesity, cardiovascular diseases etc.

So, the root cause of type-2 diabetes is insulin resistance which is caused by carb rich food, frequent meals and sedentary lifestyle.

Note: The numbers shown in the graph above are just a visual representation to explain how type-2 diabetes develops over time. The actual numbers and how quickly one develops insulin resistance can vary from person to person based on their genetic code, lifestyle and diet.

Reversing diabetes – addressing the root cause:

The current medical system mostly manages diabetes with insulin or other drugs. These do not address the insulin resistance but increase the insulin level in blood to help regulate glucose. This further increases the insulin resistance. This is a lifelong process where the dosage of drugs or insulin keeps increasing.

The correct approach would be to address the root cause and reverse the insulin resistance. How do we do this? The answer is simple. Keep the body free of insulin most of the time. When body is free of insulin, cells start forgetting about insulin and the insulin resistance starts reducing.

How do we keep the body free of insulin? There are a couple of methods – Intermittent Fasting and Low Carb eating. With low carb diet, we cut carbohydrates in our food which reduces the blood glucose levels and in turn reduces insulin. With intermittent fasting, we increase our fasting window (time when we do not eat anything), which increases the time the body is free of insulin. A combination of both these approaches is guaranteed to reverse insulin resistance and cure type-2 diabetes.

I have written about intermittent fasting and low carb diet in my previous posts - links below

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post4936039 (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post4942481 (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post4942484 (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)

Intermittent Fasting, LCHF and Keto can be used in combination depending on the severity of the symptoms. If someone is pre-diabetic and has not yet started any medication, they may be benefitted by a combination of intermittent fasting and a moderate carb diet. If someone is already diabetic and is under medication, they may need intermittent fasting with low carb or Keto diet to reverse the insulin resistance. Once the insulin resistance is reversed, they can switch over to intermittent fasting and moderate carb diet as a lifestyle to stay healthy for life.

Role of physical activity:

Though diabetes can be reversed mainly by dietary changes, physical activity also helps a lot in this process. When one performs moderate to vigorous physical activities, the cells use more glucose for energy and this can result in insulin levels dropping sooner. This is one of the reasons why physical activity is recommended in the conventional system of diabetes management as well.

So, it is recommended to add 30 minutes to 60 minutes of moderate (brisk walking, jogging, cycling or swimming) to intense physical activity (strength training, HIIT) at least 5 days a week for faster results.

Very Important Note:

If someone is a diabetic and is under medication, they may have to either not take medication during fasting window, or greatly reduce the dosage depending on the fasting glucose levels. If care is not taken, it may result in hypoglycemia (very low blood glucose). Also, as the insulin resistance is reversed, the dosage of medicines will have to be gradually reduced. So, if you are a diabetic under medication, please consult your doctor and take his support. There are many doctors who are now open to the idea of using IF and low carb diet as a treatment approach to diabetes.

Conclusion:

Contrary to the general belief that diabetes is going to last a lifetime and has to be managed with lifelong medication, it is possible to reverse diabetes and stay off medication and lead a healthy life by following intermittent fasting and low/moderate carb diet as a lifestyle. Many doctors are also opening up to the idea of using IF and low carb / Keto as treatment methods to reverse diabetes. I hope this becomes part of standard treatment protocol for diabetes in the coming years.

[AYP]

Hello Graaja, you truly are an inspiration! What I'd give to be 68kgs again. Last I remember, I was 68kgs back in 9th standard.

My weight has fluctuated over the last few years. I was at 75kgs back in 2014 which gradually increased to 85kgs in 2016. I brought it down to around 80 in 2017 and since then it has been on an increasing trend before it settled at 90 for about an year. The pandemic has disturbed this balance and now I weigh 94Kgs.

Your post has explained a lot about IF. I would like to know more about eating patterns during IF. Do we need to follow a specifc eating plan? Or will normal home cooked meal do? I guess I wouldn't be wrong to assume that carbs will have to be cut on. I would really appreciate some pointers regarding this. I am a non-vegeterian and consume meat twice a week on an average.

My mother is into running and her aim to finish a full marathon of 42kms. She has completed half marathon twice. I do understand the dedication it takes to prepare yourself for such demanding physical goals. Best of luck!

[graaja]

Originally Posted by AYP

My weight has fluctuated over the last few years. I was at 75kgs back in 2014 which gradually increased to 85kgs in 2016. I brought it down to around 80 in 2017 and since then it has been on an increasing trend before it settled at 90 for about an year. The pandemic has disturbed this balance and now I weigh 94Kgs.

Your post has explained a lot about IF. I would like to know more about eating patterns during IF. Do we need to follow a specifc eating plan? Or will normal home cooked meal do? I guess I wouldn't be wrong to assume that carbs will have to be cut on. I would really appreciate some pointers regarding this. I am a non-vegeterian and consume meat twice a week on an average.

Following a combination of IF + strict LCHF or Keto gives the best results in terms of weight loss, after which you can switch to IF + moderate carbs as a lifestyle. You can refer my earlier post on LCHF + Keto 101 for details on what to eat and what to avoid in a Keto diet and the supplements to be taken.

But if switching to strict Keto or LCHF is difficult, you can do IF with regular home cooked diet but cut out most of the processed carbs. You could start with these changes.

1. Do 16:8 IF everyday. You can skip either breakfast or dinner per your lifestyle and preferences. If you are skipping breakfast, then you can have your first meal at 12:00 noon and last meal at 8:00PM. Between 8PM and 12 noon the next day, nothing except water, black coffee (without sugar) or green tea. There is no need to do very strict portion control during the eating window. Eat till you feel full. If you are skipping dinner, then you can have your last meal at 4PM and the first meal at 8AM.
2. Cut out sugar completely in all forms - in coffee or tea, sweets, cakes, ice-creams. Zero sugar. If you love sweets allow yourself one small serving of sweet in a week.
3. Reduce the portion of rice or roti and replace with vegetables or dal or meat. It should be like rice is a side dish.

With this lifestyle change, you should start seeing the weight coming down and you will also feel healthy and energetic overall.

But the key thing to remember is that you have to approach this as a lifestyle change, not as a short term diet. Our lifestyle is the reason for our health conditions and whatever diet you follow to reverse these health situations, going back to the same old lifestyle is going to bring back all the problems.

Originally Posted by AYP

My mother is into running and her aim to finish a full marathon of 42kms. She has completed half marathon twice. I do understand the dedication it takes to prepare yourself for such demanding physical goals. Best of luck!

It's great to know your mother is into long distance running and has completed two half marathons. Wishing her all the best for her full marathon.

[laser2707]

Thanks a lot for your detailed posts on IF & LC. I had read a lot of scattered articles which led me to believe that IC is a fad like most diets are.

After reading your post I now understand the scientific basis behind IF. Apart from the discipline of adhering to a lifestyle change, you have wonderfully explained how we should evaluate food & nutrition.

Most of us Indians are used to set meals with Rice / Chapatti, Dal, Vegetables, etc. After reading your post, I look at my meals differently. I am conscious of the carbs I am loading and my protein intake. It's no longer I feel like Biriyani today kind of meals.

I have tentatively started IF with a 14:10 window every day. I finish my dinner at 8 PM & my breakfast is at 10 AM the next day. It's very doable. My next target is 18:6 once every week. Once I do that regularly for a month, I will attempt an OMAD.

A disclaimer. I am not obese. With a 171 cms height, I carry a weight of 72 kgs which is about 10 kgs overweight. My max weight has been 85 kgs, but that was long back. I workout regularly doing a HIIT routine. Yet I could never shed those last 10 kgs.

I also have hypertension - a fallout of high-stress levels at work. Hopefully, with an IF routine, I will finally shed those last 10 kgs & bring my BP under control.

[Rehaan]

Reversing Type 2 diabetes starts with ignoring the guidelines

Please watch this video as well!

It's brilliantly explained, doctor-proven, backed with scientific data, and most importantly; S-I-M-P-L-E to put into action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1vvigy5tQ

[ssenhyd]

Originally Posted by graaja

Reversing Diabetes with Intermittent Fasting and Low Carb Diet

Conclusion:

Contrary to the general belief that diabetes is going to last a lifetime and has to be managed with lifelong medication, it is possible to reverse diabetes and stay off medication and lead a healthy life by following intermittent fasting and low/moderate carb diet as a lifestyle. Many doctors are also opening up to the idea of using IF and low carb / Keto as treatment methods to reverse diabetes. I hope this becomes part of standard treatment protocol for diabetes in the coming years.

Thanks for this very valuable and timely post as diabetes is highly relevant for India as India is fast on track becoming the diabetes capital of the world with a significant % of the population inflicted by this condition.

I can share my personal experience on how Low carb and Ketogenic diet combined with intermittent fasting has reversed diabetes in my case.

I started the ketogenic low carb diet and fasting journey back in 2016 . At that time my diabetes was out of control with HbA1c at 10.5, my fasting sugar level at 220+ and post prandial sugar level at 400+ and I had been an uncontrolled diabetic for most probaly the last 2 decade or so prior to 2016!!

After starting the ketogenic and fasting lifestyle, my diabetes has been completely reversed. My HbA1c lab test results a month ago was 5.1! A value of a non-diabetic person.

I have become a non-diabetic person as far as blood sugar levels are concerned for the last 4 years, and I give credit for this reversal to only ketogenic diet combined with fasting.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Reversing Type 2 diabetes starts with ignoring the guidelines

Please watch this video as well!

This video and Dr Jason Fung's video were the inspiration behind my success in reversing diabetes. I started the journey back in 2016.
I attended Dr. Jason Fung's online consulation when I started ketogenic back in 2016 and that was very helpful.