By: Balram Cheruparambil
Type 2 diabetes!!! From as long as I remember it’s something I have been betrothed to. My mother had it from her early thirties, most of my aunts and uncles on my mothers side were on insulin and with my father’s side of the family providing a history of cardiac problems I was double blessed.
A sweet tooth and a love for eating big meals sped me on to my destiny until one day, though thankfully at the late age of 48, I arrived. A high fasting blood sugar reading meant I could no longer escape the fact that I was full blown Type 2 Diabetic.
I was stubborn though and swore not to take any medicines, I would find another way.
As a lifelong fitness fanatic my first reaction was intense to insane workouts to beat my nemesis. Long runs and strenuous weight lifting sessions made barely a dent in my sugar levels. Pranayama (a type of yoga) was more promising but did not provide a significant solution. Then I stumbled onto a lecture on Type 2 diabetes reversal on YouTube.
The guy made sense, and when he spoke about reversing diabetes for patients after years on insulin I was all ears. Armed with the information from this lecture I embarked on a journey of trial and error with intermittent fasting, exercise and diet selection as my divining rods. I religiously tested my blood sugar levels after each meal finding out what spiked my blood sugar and what didn’t.
I bought myself a steam cooker and after experimentation settled on meals moderate in carbs and high in vegetables and protein. This got me to a stage where my blood sugar remained stable two hours after a heavy meal and I could even get away with the occasional sweet snack without my sugar levels going crazy.
Have I beaten Type 2 diabetes? No for sure but I now know how to eat meals that I enjoy while not causing any blood sugar spikes and hopefully avoiding a lifetime of ingesting medications that may have side effects.
Is this the way for everyone? Definitely not. Each person is different and needs a unique approach but I’m completely convinced that a broad strategy based around intermittent fasting, diet and exercise can deliver astounding results. It’s certainly done so for me.
“Diabetes is a condition as sweet as sweet can be,
If you beg to differ just gander a look at me,
It’s inspired me to diet and work out hard each day,
Making me truly a better man in every way”
