For the last 16-months my goal has been to put my Type 2 Diabetes into remission and to no longer meet the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Towards that end, last year on July 11, 2017 I had complete lab work done, including fasting insulin, cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and planned to redo the same tests at the same time this July to see how much progress I was making.
The day I had been waiting for arrived!
So, how did I do?
Let’s see where I started from in July 2017;
Last year, my fasting insulin was 54 pmol/L which converts to 7.8 μU/ml — well above the ideal insulin sensitive range of 2-6 μU/ml. I was insulin resistant, which was no surprise given I had Type 2 Diabetes for more than 10 years.
What about yesterday – 16 months after starting a low carbohydrate lifestyle?
I went from 54 pmol/L (7.8 μU/ml) to 33 pmol/L (4.8 μU/ml). I no longer have high insulin; in fact, my insulin was now in the ideal range, between 2-6 μU/ml. Very cool!
But then what explains why my fasting blood sugar is still so high?
I mean, it has dropped a lot from 8.0 mmol/L (144 mg/dL) last year to 6.9 mmol/L (124 mg/dl) this year, but this was still a huge disappointment. Yes, many days my fasting blood sugar is in the low 5’s mmol/L (94-95 mg/dl) but not this time. It was at the high end of what it goes to!
Why?
In the last several months, I’ve been losing a lot of fat from my abdomen (2.5 more inches since the beginning of March, on top of the 8 inches I lost in the first year) and the end result of the action of hormone sensitive lipase on fat cells (adipocytes) is the release of free fatty acids and glycerol. The liver cells (hepatocytes) take the glycerol and turn it into glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis (literally “making new glucose”). It is this glucose that is produced by my liver from my broken down fat stores that is raising my fasting blood sugar.
The good part is that my fat cells are emptying out. The bad part is that my liver is making glucose out of it…and what complicates the matter is that I have what’s called “peripheral insulin resistance” from often eating only once a day (time-restricted-eating) and that causes my body to “save” the glucose for necessary processes. As a result, my body cells don’t take in the excess glucose made by my liver and it hangs around in my blood until I get moving. Then it will dissipate (provided I eat some breakfast).
What about my glycated hemoglobin (that is effectively the three month average of my blood sugar)?
A year ago, my HbA1C was 7.5% which is well above the cutoffs of 7% which is set for those with Type 2 Diabetes.
This year it was 6.3% which is below the cutoffs for Type 2 Diabetes of 6.5% and lower than what it was 3 months ago, which was 6.4%. Naturally, it is higher than I would like because it includes all the glucose my liver is making from the fat cells it is breaking down, but sooner or later it is going to run out of that! Soon my waist circumference WILL be half my height and around that point, my fasting blood glucose should be dropping. My goal is to see my HbA1C below 5.5 mmol/L (100 mg/dl) and be in full remission from Type 2 Diabetes, not only partial remission which is what I have now.
But celebrating the victory, I am in partial remission of Type 2 Diabetes!!
So how have my lipids changed this last year, with the butter, coconut oil and coconut milk and full fat cream that I have been eating, as well as much more meat than I used to?
Last year, four months into my following a low-carbohydrate diet, this is what they looked like:
…and this year?
My LDL is down (2.60 to 2.47 mmol/L) , my HDL is up significantly (1.97 to 2.44 mmol/L), my non-HDL cholesterol (chylomicrons and VLDL) is down (2.45 to 2.11 mmol/L) and my already low triglycerides went even LOWER (0.64 to 0.52 mmol/L).
In July 2017 my TG:HDL ratio was 0.35, which is well below 0.87 and this year my TG:HDL ratio was 0.21! This means that of my LDL cholesterol, most are the large fluffy kind (the ‘good’ LDL), and not the small dense kind (the ones that put us at cardiovascular health risk).
I no longer meet the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome which is having 3 or more of the following 5 symptoms:
My waist circumference is significantly <35″
My blood pressure is well below 130/85 (usually around 120/70)
My triglycerides are well below 1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dl) at 0.52 mmol/L
My HDL is well above 1.29 (it’s 2.44 mmol/L!!)
…but yes, my fasting blood glucose is still > 5.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dl).
So, I’m not “done” yet.
While I didn’t get “perfect” blood work, it’s pretty good for someone that 16 months ago was obese, had been Type 2 Diabetic for 10 years, had been diagnosed 3 years earlier with mast cell disease (which elevates blood sugar and insulin), had extremely high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol.
Not bad at all.
…and all this by simply reducing my carbohydrate intake and eating whole, real food, including fruit, dairy, meat, lots of veggies and healthy fats from a variety of sources.
Of course, these are only my results. Everyone is different, but at a year, my results closely mirrored the results Virta Health’s study published at one- year study, with 218 subjects that had been eating the same as I have. So, it is certainly not unusual for people following a well-designed low carbohydrate diet to get these kinds of results.
NOTE: There is no “one-size-fits-all” low carbohydrate diet and what works for me may not be what is best for you. Before undertaking a major change in diet, please discuss your plans with your doctor.
Perhaps you wonder what adopting this type of eating style would look like for you, or have questions about how Distance Consultation services work compared with in-person services, and the cost involved. Please send me a note using the ”Contact Me” form above and I’ll reply shortly.
Copyright ©2018 BetterByDesign Nutrition Ltd.
LEGAL NOTICE: The contents of this blog, including text, images and cited statistics as well as all other material contained here (the ”content”) are for information purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, medical diagnosis and/or treatment and is not suitable for self-administration without the knowledge of your physician and regular monitoring by your physician. Do not disregard medical advice and always consult your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before implementing anything you have read or heard in our content.
References
- Merck Manual – Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X; Insulin Resistance Syndrome), https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/nutritional-disorders/obesity-and-the-metabolic-syndrome/metabolic-syndrome