Can you cure type 2 diabetes by fasting? I’ll find out.
Can fasting cure type 2 diabetes? It seems like it is possible and is something I am in a position to find out – as I have it.
A brief history of getting type 2 diabetes
I found out I had type 2 diabetes about four years ago. I knew that losing weight was one of the prime ways of at least controlling the disease. I know I got it from being a bit chubby. Beer and pizza were always going to be my downfall.
I am 6’1 (around 185cm) and at one point weighed 200 pounds (around 90 kilos). I am quite broad, thanks to being forced into swimming and rugby at school, so I wouldn’t say I was fat, but I was certainly hefty. When I got told I had type 2 diabetes, it was a shock, but not really a surprise. Like many, I had totally brought it on myself.
So, I dieted and took up intermittent fasting. I live in Thailand, so can eat healthy and cheaply and there’s a swimming pool on my roof. I now weigh about 165 pounds (74 kilograms) and have a normal BMI. But I still have diabetes.
Finding a possible cure
Recently, I met up with an old friend and asked what he had been up to. He replied, “Fasting.” He wanted to lose a bit of weight and more importantly, live longer. I’d been reading up on longevity and mentioned that in addition to restricting food intake, there is also evidence emerging that metformin – a diabetes medicine – might extend life. I mentioned I was “fortunate” enough to be taking metformin.
He said he had started fasting after reading about the various benefits. He was a big fan of a guy called Dr Jason Fung. He also mentioned that the good doctor was renowned for curing type 2 diabetes. The name sounded familiar and so I searched my kindle and found a book called The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally by Dr Jason Fung. The very same fellow.
I had bought the book a while ago as I had wanted to cure myself and it had the best reviews. It is the number one best seller in diabetes books on Amazon. Not the most gripping of genres, I’ll admit.
It seems there is an absolute ton of evidence that if I fasted more and lost more weight, I can be cured. Which is awesome news.
As I said, I do intermittent fasting already, but my approach has been ridiculously lax. I basically skip breakfast and start eating at midday. Technically, that means I stop eating at 8pm – which I do – but I also still go out and have the odd beer. I am pretty sure a pint of lager violates a fast.
Happily, I don’t drink every day and have still slowly been losing weight. My blood sugar is totally under control.
But I still have diabetes and that is going to change.
A change is coming and I will update here
I started reading The Diabetes Code a couple of days ago and am 49% through. So far, Dr Fung has been explaining how it all works and what all the latest findings have been. It is pretty interesting and something I should have known before. I have had diabetes for about 4 years now after all.
I should finish the book by the end of the weekend. I know that there is going to be a recommendation to fast a lot, as that info has been majorly foreshadowed. Also, Dr Fung is all over YouTube talking about fasting. My mate regularly does 36-hour fasts, but I think I will start out with a 24-hour one as I finish the book – hopefully by Saturday.
I have a doctor’s appointment and blood test on the Saturday three weeks from now. I doubt I will be cured by then, but assuming I start fasting and take the whole thing seriously, there should be a noticeable difference.
If you have type 2 diabetes and are thinking about something similar, or have never heard of all this, stay tuned and I will update how it is all going. Probably in four weeks or so. Wish me luck.
If you are interested in The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally, that was a link where you can buy it. And yes it was an affiliate link. It costs you nothing, but will hopefully help me buy a slimmer wardrobe or something. Your support is always welcome. Thanks.
