Type 2 Diabetes Gone - One Year Results
Hey readers! It's been over six months since I last updated you on my journey to healthier living. After a recent blood test and consultation with my physician, I wanted to provide some lab results so those who are interested in this form of eating will know what is happening to my body chemistry and physiology.
In review, if you haven't read my health series on reversing my diabetes, I would encourage you to go back and catch up with the story. You can find each of the parts here:
Introduction
PART 1: Middle Age Status
PART 2: Fatty Liver Disease
PART 3: Ironman Is Here
PART 4: Hypertension
PART 5: Bloody Noses and a Tumor
PART 6: Stress and Depression
PART 7: Diagnosis: Diabetes!
PART 8: Get Out and Get Walking!
PART 9: Kicking Sugar to the Curb!
I began the ketogenic lifestyle almost one year ago. If you remember my story, in prior years I had dabbled in a modified Atkins diet and discovered positive results. However, in order to deal with my blood sugar, I decided to go all-in and see if I could maintain some level of ketosis to help me reverse my insulin resistance, burn fat and lower my blood sugars.
That decision drew the skeptics and naysayers out of the woodwork. These are the folks who love to tell me how this lifestyle is unsustainable or unhealthy or preach that their system works better:
- "You can't live off fat!"
- "That diet is going to kill you"
- "All that fat is going to raise your cholesterol! You better get your blood tested."
- "Sure you beat diabetes, but now you have heart disease"
- "You really should eat on the Paleo Diet"
- "I tried to cut carbs but couldn't do it."
- "You need to eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and healthy carbs."
Here's the deal: I found something that worked for me. If it works for you, great. If not, find something that does. Remember, my goal was not to lose weight or build muscle. I wanted to reverse my Type 2 diabetes and eliminate my need for medication. I could go on and on with philosophy, but it will be easier if I just share my results. I have taken blood tests over the past 30 years and I'll let the numbers speak for themselves.
RESULTS
College Years: This is a good baseline to refer back to. You will notice that my glucose was high, but I'm not sure if that was a fasting blood sugar. I could have had a slurpee right before the test.
2005: That was when I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease as you can see in the elevated liver enzymes.
2012: During a regular follow-up of liver enzymes, my functional medicine doctor suggested a test of my ferritin levels (amount of iron in my blood). As you can see, the liver enzymes were high and the Ferritin levels were off the chart. This is when I started monthly blood draws to lower my iron.
2016: Diagnosis Diabetes. This blood test was when I found out I had diabetes. Both my glucose (fasting) and my A1C were sky rocketing. As you can see, through blood draws I was lowering my iron and had better control of my liver enzymes.
Summer 2017 - I started the ketogenic lifestyle in March 2017 and by the summer, I had all but eliminated my type 2 diabetes markers. I had lost nearly 30 pounds and if you look at the rest of the results, my liver enzymes and ferritin level had dropped dramatically.
Winter 2018 - These are my most recent results. As you can see from the spreadsheet above, all the markers of disease from my blood tests have been eliminated. My glucose, A1c, liver enzymes, and ferritin were all at 30-year lows. My favorite part is that after 1 year of a diet that focuses on low carb, low protein, and high fat: my cholesterol panel is also the best it has ever been!
In conjunction with great blood testes, I am also down nearly 40 pounds.
Going Forward
My doctor has removed all prescription medication and for now I will monitor myself with blood tests on a 6-month basis. It's not easy, but I am still maintaining a low-carb/low-protein/high-fat diet. I do miss fruits, but my blood sugars do not miss these genetic monsters we have created in the world of apples, melons and citrus.
As the guys at the 2Keto Dudes pocast say, for now I will: Keep Calm and Keto On!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
