Dr Sarah Hallberg is an obesity doctor who specializes in the diet we promote here at Diabetes Meal Plans – a low carb diet.
Why?
Because it works.
I love how she first points out in the video that having type 2 diabetes or being overweight is NOT your fault – it’s a disease of the hormones.
So doctors and practitioners, stop blaming it on individual people. A disease is not a measure of character.
Have you had stigma from people? Doctors? Many people have.
Anyway, you’ve gotta watch to this video where Dr Hallberg talks about insulin, insulin resistance, and how she’s using a low carb diet to get AMAZING results!
Type 2 Diabetes CAN be reversed
Dr Hallberg covers how to reverse it at 7:30 minutes.
Here’s a breakdown:
3:27 – Insulin makes us hungry and is our fat storage hormone
4:08 – How macronutrients affect our blood sugar
5:20 – Eat carbs, glucose goes up, insulin goes up, you feel hungry, you store more fat
5:55 – Why are we recommending that diabetics eat exactly what they should be avoiding, exactly what’s making them sick
6:45 – Carbohydrate intake is the single biggest influence on blood sugar and the need for medications – repetitive cycle
7:30 – Type 2 diabetes CAN be reversed
8:42 – What works? Cutting carbs
9:30 – Insulin resistance is the cause of heart disease
10:00 – A great case study of a girl who reversed diabetes in 4 months – eliminating meds, and feeling great
11:12 – Low carb is not NO carb and it’s not high protein – common misconceptions
12:24 – Eat real food, eat when you’re hungry don’t eat when you’re not
12:56 – No grains, no potatoes, no sugar – 3 big foods that make things worse
15:00 – Dr Hallberg’s study and how it showed people could save at least $2000 a year on meds – pointing out that the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want you to get better – it’s called BIG money!
17:00 – There has been zero evidence to show that low fat works and that fat should have been removed from our diet
17:30 – Stop eating medicine to treat foods
The overall message: LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE!
This is a famous quote by Hippocrates way back in 400BC – we knew it then and it’s a simple philosophy we need to remember.
What did you think of the video?
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great talk really amazing..
when you say no potatoes do you also mean sweet potatoes?
Yes, in general that does mean sweet potato as well. Unfortunately, like normal potatoes, it is also a high carb food. However, some people find small amounts work okay occasionally, a maximum 1/2 cup, which is around 13.5 total carbs per serve. But overall, it is not a food recommended in a low carb diet.
I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies. I Weighed in the high 150s when I got Pregnant ( I am about 5’6″) so I was not overweight. Diabetes runs in my family. I controlled my diet and actually lost weight while pregnant because I was eating low carb. However I still needed to take medication to control my fasting blood sugars. It didn’t matter what I ate. I don’t believe that you can just reverse diabetes with a proper diet. Those of us who are predisposed cannot help it.
It’s true not everyone can completely reverse their condition through diet Nanette. There are other factors – genetics – involved. However, diet will go a long way to minimizing risk of complications and keeping your health in check long term. And in many cases, people have not tried a lower carb diet, which has been shown to be beneficial for many people in improving outcomes and even eliminating medications.
I’m not obese and I got diabetes. I exercise, eat low carb and don’t take insulin. It does not run in my family. I seem to have my diabetes under control for the most part. Can it really be reversed? I’m trying really hard to get rid of this, if it’s at all possible. I have never heard of anyone reversing their diabetes.
Hi Craig,
As Jedha mentioned above everyone is different, and while some people are not able to reverse their diabetes through diet, there are certainly individuals that can.
Great video.
It is Marta, love it!
I will be 80 years old in two months and have been recently diagnosed with Type 2. I saw a dietician a couple of days ago and am still confused about what are good meals. Is there somewhere I could get some simple sample meals recipes without having to pay as I am a low income senior. Any recommendations will be appreciated. Thanks.
Shirley
Hi Shirley, sorry to hear you go the news. I’d recommend you go through our top 10 essentials where you’ll find some of the best diet and blood sugar resources. And you can find our free recipes here.
I am a T2 diabetic of 3 and 1/2 years now. When i was diagnosed i started counting carbs and exercising,and i lost 50 pounds. I admit i fell off that path and started eating like i did before. With the Holidays i consumed a lot of carbs and so i have recently started the south Beach diet. I am now waking up with fasting BG reading of 130s to 170s. I really thought that with eating better, I would see positive results. I must say now that I am very discouraged and feel worse now than what I did before eating better. Is this just a transition phase or my body adjusting?
I forgot to mention that before dieting, my fasting BG readings were around 120
How long have you been following the “diet” Nancy – a week? You likely won’t see much change in a week or even 3 in some cases. You need to give any new eating plan time, and yes, if you were eating loads more carbs and then cut them out suddenly, you will probably feel worse for the first few weeks.
Yes I’m in the first week of the new diet. I will give it time. It just concerned me that maybe that specific diet wasn’t for me.
As a stage IV Breast cancer survivor it was surprising to find that you are predisposed to type 2 diabetes. Fighting cancer was a challenge with in itself however the complication from the chemotherapy has been challenging. I am happy for a new diet plan adventure. My greatest concern is that is my immune system weaken with diabetes and am i at a higher risk for my cancer returning?
Sorry to hear of your struggles Carolyn. I’m not an expert on cancer in relation to diabetes but I’d say if you stay well controlled then you are likely at no higher risk than otherwise. On the other hand, if you don’t, and have ongoing high blood glucose and A1C levels, this is when the bodies metabolism and immune system can be compromised on several levels. You should ask your doctor the same question. They will likely say the same. Wishing you the best for 2017 🙂
Have you ever heard of a Type 2 diabetic whos 33 yrs old, 125lbs, 15% body fat, exercoses 6x a week, eats a Gluten free, very clean diet and drinks a ton of water?
Well thats me and thats what my dr is telling me. Had blood work done, everything looked great except my blood sugar was high. Retested and had a1c done and was in the 8s. Waiting to see a specialist. I also have no symptoms!
Yes Lyndsey, it is quite rare but can happen unfortunately. Most people with T2 diabetes have no symptoms until diagnosis. Although diet and lifestyle are huge drivers, other things such as genetics, individual hormonal variations, stress, sleep etc can all influence blood glucose too.
Sorry, I also wanted to mention that I believe the word “reverse” gives a false indication of a cure. I know she addressed this but especially newly diagnosed need to understand that there is no cure for diabetes. This word “reversed” indicates that they will be cured and that is very mis-leading. I believe the word should be “remission”. Just my opinion, but I have spoken to many newly diagnosed who think they can “cure” themselves because of the word reversed.
Reverse back to normal is what we often state when we mention this because you’re right, there is no permanent cure. Though the condition can be reversed and an individual can live their life “as if” they do not have diabetes.
I have T2 for more than 12 years now. I don’t believe that “reverse” and “back to normal” should be used as terms, because it implies, that one could just go back to the former (eating) habits after the blood sugar normalizes. But this, of course, is false, as it would bring back the T2. Every change in lifestyle (eating, workout etc.) which lowers the blood sugar has to be permanent, even with normal blood sugar levels. So, there is no “reverse” or “back to normal”. Also, from my experience, it should be emphasized, that everybody reacts a bit different to food and workout. It is necessary to try out and keep tracks of individual results to develop a working plan. For instance, doing cardio training 5 times a week did almost nothing to my blood sugar. After I switched to only 2 time cardio and 4 times muscle gain, my blood sugar dropped significantly. Other people with T2 experience the exact opposite. There is no “one size fits all”.
Hello Tanja, thank you for your input. I think we can all agree that there is “no one size fits all” approach to diet and exercise, we are simply pointing out what the research shows may be the best options for those struggling to get their diabetes under control.
I have a couple of questions/concerns after watching the video above. For a little background, I have been a diabetic for 22 years, most of which I pretty much ignored because I guess I was in total denial. Now I have severe neuropathy in my feet and half was up my calves.
I recently realized that most of the advice from healthcare providers is incorrect. The ADA is incorrect. I joined a support website (DiabetesTeam.com, this site is run by the ADA) where I have learned more from the members than I had ever learned from providers. I know from personal experience that for my body I can only eat 30 carbs per meal and I do not very often have snacks. If I do, it is like a small apple with peanut butter.
My concern is eating the fats that the doctor recommends. I have read the number one cause of death for diabetics is heart disease. So, if we eat a lot of fats won’t that be bad for the heart?
Another question I have is why there is no mention of drinking white tea? This tea WILL help control BG readings in an amazing way. In example, I test pre meal at 180, I then eat a meal containing 30 carbs AND I drink one cup of white tea with the meal. Two hours post meal my BG was 184. I find that to be amazing. I know that this has worked for many people on the support site as well. But, I have never heard a provider mention it in all the 22 years I have been diagnosed. White tea is the FIRST “medication” in China for all diabetics.
I am impressed with what the doctor had to say. Not sure about all those fats though! I appreciate your encouragement to comment and that you actually answer the concerns. Is it possible to get a copy of her diet plan? I did download the low carb food lists.
Hi Wendy, there is no evidence that eating fat contributes to heart disease. In fact, most new research shows that carbohydrates increase risk of heart disease. It seems that many of us have been fooled. Or at least, research and research tools were incorrect, yet much of the information still disseminated is outdated, which is why we try to stay current here.
When it comes to fats, it is best to eat vegetable sources predominantly – olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts, avocado, olives etc.
Research shows (and so do multiple reports from our customers/ readers/ and other diabetics) that cholesterol and inflammation are reduced with a lower carb/ higher fat. Lower cholesterol and inflammation helps heart disease, not makes it worse. It is hard to get the head around because it’s a totally different way of thinking. We’ve all been indoctrinated to think that fat is bad. But in recent years there has been ample research showing this is not true.
We’ve got a couple of posts coming out on the topic of fats soon, as it is a popular question. And of course, it’s always a good idea to talk to your health care team for advice and direction.
As for white tea, I don’t know why it’s not mentioned it. There are many teas and beverages that do help. Not sure how much actual research there is behind this but we will look into it.
All the info we share here is based on a low carb diet.
Cholesterol and saturated fat DO NOT contribute to heart disease. This is a myth perpetuated by the vegetarian cult started by Ellen White.Two of the healthiest fats in the world are virgin coconut and grass-fed butter. High cholesterol does not cause heart disease, it’s a symptom that you already have disease because cholesterol is there to fix the problem.
I’m another nutritionist, but an undergraduate, and I stay on current scientific breakthrough. Saturated fats are the best fat for the body, but must come from properly raised animals. Cholesterol is good for you, especially from eggs, but has no effect on blood cholesterol levels. You need cholesterol for every hormone in your body and your brain holds 25% of your total cholesterol.
Just wanted to clear a few things up because I enjoy this site but it’s still pushing shame on animal fats, which are extremely healthy. “Vegetable” oils cause disease and should be avoided.
Please stop shaming animal foods, they are the single best source of nutrition for a human being. They contain nutrients you cannot find in plants. Orthorexia Nervosa is a major problem right now because of anti-animal product propaganda led by pseudoscience and ignorance.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Malaena. And you’re right cholesterol and saturated fat don’t cause heart disease. This is something we are frequently correcting with people. The myth was not started by the vegetarian cult but goes back to the research that Ancel Keys did years ago and unfortunately it has become embedded in society. But in time it will slowly change. Heart disease is caused by chronic inflammation, which can be the result of many internal and external stimulus. Scientific literature now clearly shows that inflammation is a key cause in the development of many diseases.
That’s great that you’re studying nutrition, and it’s wonderful to see you’re passionate about it, as we are. Both Elizabeth and I have Masters degrees, I have published research in the area of inflammation and we both stay on current scientific literature, particularly in the area of type 2 diabetes TREATMENT, which is a very specific area of research.
We are not a vegetarian site and we do not shame animal foods. Being that we encourage a low carb diet, meat and animal products are naturally an inclusion. We don’t push “vegetable” oils. We encourage monounsaturated fats, which show the greatest level of evidence for benefit in type 2 diabetes. We provide the latest and best evidence around following a healthy low carb diet and nutrition for type 2 diabetes treatment. The evidence-based information we share works. Our subscribers and members are changing their lives – losing weight, lowering blood sugar, A1C AND cholesterol.
I appreciate the response, I really like your website, truly.
I know the Lipid Hypothesis and subsequent Diet-Heart Hypothesis were started in the 1950’s, but I actually did a recent research paper which links this anti-animal-product insanity to back in the time of Ellen White and her following, as well as John Harvey Kellogg. Before then, no one thought twice about animal foods, and no one thought it was a bad thing. Ancel Keys didn’t even believe it, and refuted it by blowing it open in a letter later in his life. He openly admitted that it caused heart disease in rabbits, an herbivorous species. This is just something we have to fight head-on as responsible nutrition specialists until it can be corrected. Trust me, I know everything you are talking about. I tried to speak to many health specialists and bloggers to have enlightened discussions, to no avail. I am a nobody.
I will be publishing a health book, though, with all the science behind this including the alleviation from diabetes. I will also be writing about this with valid research in my own health blog, and I will be linking your site to mine to help diabetics because it’s such a relief to find one that makes sense, if that is all right with you? I actually run across a lot that encourage “heart healthy grains” and diet beverages…which are linked to increased diabetes risk and heart disease. I love keeping up on current research, and I never stop researching.
With monounsaturates, I push for fatty fishes, pasture-raised raw herbivore dairy and organ meats, and free range eggs. All are shown to be highly nutritious and beneficial.
I formed my own low-carb diet because of near-death experiences. I stopped trusting the food guidelines, and I will never go back to that. I have multiple genetic illnesses that make life miserable, and now they are under more control than they were.
I would enjoy some intellectual conversation. If not, I will continue doing my own thing and help people. I’ll even encourage others to seek this site and change their health for the better.
Interesting, well I’ve never heard if Ellen White, so there you go, always something to learn!
Things are slowly changing. Take the nutrition guidelines as an example, they removed the concern over cholesterol in 2015 because the fact is the research clearly shows no evidence – meaning there has been a HUGE nutrition blunder. Health organizations have been sharing the wrong messages for many years. It will be a slow change but the more great research we have, the more we know that large organizations can’t deny.
In terms of sites that are current, I believe we are one of the best sites around for type 2 diabetics, which is our aim. Most sites I see encourage everything in moderation (with 60g carb meals), diet beverages, artificial sweeteners and a low fat, high carb diet, which clearly does not work. It’s shameful and it’s what inspires us to inform people as best as possible.
It’s great to see you’re passionate about nutrition because we can all do our bit to help others. As you’ve experienced yourself, nutrition IS the most important thing for our health. After all, it feeds all our cells and we are a living thing. It’s all gone down hill the more “food products” have invaded. One of my favorite sayings is by Barry Groves: “Man is the only animal smart enough to make his own food. And the only one dumb enough to eat it.”
I want to tell you that I recently had my first doctor’s appointment since reading your material, and implemented changes you recommend. Since I am also a heart patient, I struggled to comprehend changes from “Fats 101” that sounded most profound from the diet I had originally been given. After about 3 months, my doctor’s report was best ever: A1c was normal for the first time since I was diagnosed diabetic in 2007; My LDL was 60; my total cholesterol was 130. My lab results were improved across the board. Best news: I am taking less diabetic meds, and my weight is within 5 lbs of normal BMI. I am a believer in what you have written, and am grateful to have a site I can trust. I
That’s AWESOME Sheryl, what fantastic news!!
I bet your doctor was equally surprised and wondered how you managed to do it. I’ll be in touch as I’d love to talk to you more about this 🙂
Everyone seems to have their own take on what you need to do to get diabetes under control. I have been told different things by my doctor, diabetic nurses and viewed programs on the net. I got to the point where I felt I wasn’t doing it correctly and just gave up. No one said the same things, had the same guidelines or matched up with the numbers your BS needs to be at to be under control. I wound up in hospital with my BS over 400 and complications from that. So, what is it you think you can do for me…to get this under control and keep it that way? What books, programs and ideas are you selling? I want facts and action game plans…and truth. I can do the rest, if I have a clear and honest path to follow.
thank you
Barbara Hart
Hi Barbara, sorry to hear of your struggles and you’re right, it is difficult with all the conflicting information. There is no one right way to do things because everyone is slightly different. But research shows that a low carb diet helps with lowering glucose and A1C more than other diets and based on research, that’s the dietary style we encourage people to try. And many of our members and subscribers are getting great results.
You will find lots of facts and truths on this site. So browse about, join our email list for weekly updates and if you choose you can try one of our meal plans.
I need tips on type 2 diabetes
Well you’re in the right place Suresh, there’s lots of info and help to be found here.