How I lost four stone and reversed my Type 2 diabetes

Being told, at the age of just 42, that I was diabetic came as a huge shock. I knew I was overweight, and my lifestyle wasn’t exactly ideal, but Sarah, my wife, and I loved good food and had always been very health-conscious with our meals. No one in my family was diabetic. And I was so young. How did it come to this?

Looking back, it was hardly surprising that, at 128 kilograms – over 20 stone – my weight was causing health issues. But being a trained chef, I considered myself knowledgeable about nutrition. With my father’s regimented diet due to his triple heart by-pass when I was a boy, I was aware of healthy eating from a young age – an awareness that carried through to my work in hotels and restaurants as a younger man. But that awareness wasn’t often reflected in what I ate during my working day. Constantly under pressure, regular meals were impossible, and I would just grab whatever was available on the go – often something unhealthy but easy like a fish finger sandwich. 

There were other factors that led to my weight gain. For one thing I loved my beer. And working in London but living on the south coast meant I had a long train commute each way, so I was getting up at 4am every day. My sleep was also disrupted and sporadic, which wasn’t good for my metabolism. 

With those early starts and long commutes, exercise was out of the question – I would get home, have dinner, then fall asleep straight away. 

Nonetheless, before that visit to the doctor I had no idea my health was seriously at risk. It was at a routine appointment that he announced the results of a blood test showed I was diabetic, and it came as a bolt from the blue. But, thinking back, the tell-tale symptoms of a raging thirst and frequent urination had been there for a while. As he arranged for me to see the diabetes nurse for a follow-up appointment, I was devastated.

Sarah was really concerned – we both were. It was particularly frightening as this diagnosis put me at risk of other serious health conditions like heart disease, kidney damage and strokes. With a family history of coronary disease, I realised this was serious. But the advice on the diet leaflets I was given by the diabetes nurse was basic and even misleading – for example, advice to eat foods labelled ‘low fat’ is hardly healthy, as these tend to be crammed with sugar. Armed with bags of medication, I was sent on my way – a diabetic with no hope of reversing my diagnosis.

Back then in the early Noughties, Type 2 diabetes was considered a progressive condition – once you had it, you would always have it and it would probably get worse. Nonetheless, I was determined to improve my health, soon giving up smoking and cutting back on the beer. Both Sarah and I worked hard to reduce our weight with healthy eating and exercise. Lockdown in particular gave me the chance to get fitter and eat healthier, and I managed to get my weight down to 108 kilograms (17 stones). But I still lived with diabetes for two decades.

Then, three years ago, aged 59, I was medically retired from my last job as a guard manager on the railway because of osteoarthritis in my knee, a condition stemming from a childhood rugby injury, but undoubtedly worsened by the extra weight I was carrying. It was a relief to give up the job as by this point the pressures of work and long days out of the house had become intolerable, and I wanted to focus on my health.

Knowing I was due to have a knee replacement op, I felt spurred on to lose more weight. It was at Sarah’s urging that I started working with Natalie Burrows, a nutritional therapist who specialises in diabetes, and I was so pleased when she said my diabetes could actually be reversed. No doctor had ever told me this. I said I wanted to get healthy and come off my medication, in particular the statins I took for high cholesterol and heart health – statins which, she informed me, sometimes have the potential to increase blood sugar.

Keeping a food diary that I shared with Natalie, I would get her feedback and advice on dietary choices. Wearing a continuous glucose monitor for four weeks meant I could track my blood sugars, enabling her to work out how I was processing food and what modifications needed to be made to my diet. For example, I always had porridge for breakfast, a healthy choice, but it turns out my body wasn’t processing it and I needed to start the day with protein – like an omelette.

As I changed my diet and lifestyle, the weight started coming off. No longer commuting meant I was at last sleeping properly and eating more regularly. Cutting out bread and potatoes made an enormous difference. I became more conscious of hidden sugars in shop-bought foods, as well as the provenance of my food, now getting the best quality meat and fish I could. I ate more pulses for fibre and cut down on red meat. Where I would have had steak and chips before, I now had a chicken dish with leafy green veg and sweet potatoes.

I got an exercise bike and used it every day and I started lifting weights. I’ve now had the knee replacement surgery, and I’m eating and sleeping better, so I feel energised. Although I haven’t stopped working completely – I’m now a case worker for the transport union – I’m mainly working from home, and this gives me control over my diet and health. I realise now how much I’d been adversely affected by my commute, but now I can walk the dogs and do 30 minutes on the bike before I’ve done a stroke of work and I have much better work-life balance. 

After seven months, my blood test showed I was back within the normal blood sugar range ­– I reversed my diabetes. When first diagnosed, my diabetic level was 12.5, which I managed to reduce to 7.5 with a combination of diet and medication. But now, thanks to working with Natalie, I had made that final leap – I got my level down to below 6. Since then, I fluctuate between being pre-diabetic and in remission, so while I still take medication, it’s half the amount I took before.

Best of all, I feel healthier, have more energy, sleep better and pack more into my day – since I was first diagnosed I’ve lost almost 4 stone in total and generally have a better quality of life. Sarah’s so proud of me for taking control of my health and relieved my diabetes is in remission. I would encourage anyone who’s overweight and facing a diabetes diagnosis to take their diet and lifestyle in hand – it’s never too late to turn your health around.

What I ate before

Breakfast

Overnight oats with fruit and nuts.

Lunch

Pret or home-made sandwich or occasionally a Cornish pasty or fish finger wrap.

Dinner

Pasta with garlic bread, or home-made pie with potatoes and veg, or Chinese stir fry with two to three pints of real ale.

What I eat now

Breakfast

Egg-based dish like omelette, shakshuka with black beans & spinach or eggs and ham with watercress.

Lunch

Homemade soup or salad or cheese with apple and peanut butter.

Dinner

Chicken, fish or tofu curry with pulses and vegetables or bean and veg chilli.

How the right nutrition can reverse Type 2 diabetes

“If you have Type 2 diabetes or are pre-diabetic, it’s a good idea to work with a nutritionist to get advice tailored to you. However, the following advice will still make a huge difference,” says Burrows.

Eat whole foods

Avoid processed foods and balance blood sugars with key nutrients from whole foods like nuts, beans and unprocessed meat and fish, so you’re supported by key macronutrients (protein, fats, fibre) and all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in these foods.

Increase protein, fibre and healthy fat

These are slow to digest and keep us fuller for longer, reducing the temptation to snack and not impacting blood sugars. Get protein from chicken, eggs, beef, and authentic Greek yoghurt and healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, avocado and oily fish. Increasing fibre intake can be as easy as including lentils or black beans in your diet.

Support your liver with cabbage and cauliflower

With Type 2 diabetes and blood sugar issues, the liver has to work harder. Cruciferous/brassica vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, rocket, cauliflower) contain isothiocyanate, a precursor to glutathione production which supports the liver and is a key antioxidant. They also help produce sulforaphane which is highly supportive for reducing inflammation and aiding the liver’s job of detoxification.

Protect your heart with berries

People with Type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease and strokes so supporting the vascular system and heart health is key. Vegetables and berries rich in anthocyanins (berries, apples and almonds), punicalagins (pomegranate), and resveratrol (apples, raspberries, grapes and blueberries), and that support nitric oxide production (beetroot and green leafy veg), are beneficial due to their antioxidant status and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Cut out bread and potatoes

Two foods that are easily over-consumed and negatively impact Type 2 diabetics, bread and potatoes are broken down very quickly by the digestive system, causing an elevation of blood sugars.

Lower inflammation with leafy green veg

These are great sources of fibre and phytonutrients, including antioxidants to support lowering inflammation and cholesterol which often accompanies Type 2 diabetes. Go for pulses like lentils, black beans, kidney beans and peas and leafy green veg like kale, spinach, spring greens, collard greens, rocket and watercress.

 As told to Marina Gask