Type 2 diabetes is one of the big conditions to watch out for; it can be a gateway disease to killers such as heart disease and, thanks to our lifestyle, it’s a disease to which increasing numbers of Irish people are succumbing.

Years ago, type 2 diabetes was often seen as the “mild” kind of diabetes. Sadly, it’s anything but. If you’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when you’re 45, your life expectancy could be 20 years less than someone who doesn’t have it. Your risk of heart attack and stroke particularly is increased, and your eyesight and kidneys can be severely damaged.

With type 2, lifestyle is the major factor. It’s estimated that lifestyle – largely being overweight or obese – accounts for more than 60 per cent of your chance of getting type 2 diabetes.

Two types

There are two types of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body produces none of the insulin that regulates our blood sugar levels. Very high glucose levels can damage the body’s organs. Patients with type 2 diabetes, however, do produce insulin, just not enough to keep their glucose levels normal.

As a result, blood sugars build up in the body and the cells do not receive the energy they need. Over time type 2 diabetes can lead to damage to the blood vessels, nerves and organs and trigger kidney disease and blindness. It also increases the risk of a heart attack and stroke.

The good news is that although it was once thought to be irreversible, the condition is being increasingly controlled and managed through lifestyle changes, with many patients able to come off medication after an overhaul of their diet and lifestyle.

Lifestyle changes

Diabetes Ireland dietitian Sinead Powell explains that carrying a lot of weight can result in a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and if you are at risk or have developed the disease, then some lifestyle changes can make a difference. “Carrying a lot of weight can result in insulin resistance so losing weight can kick start your beta cells and get your blood glucose levels back into the marginal range.”

Although it’s an extreme diet, Powell says some people are prepared to try an extremely low-calorie diet pioneered by Prof Roy Taylor at Newcastle University. The groundbreaking research at Newcastle found a way to turn back the clock on type 2 diabetes and reverse the condition. Taylor is working through a two-year study on getting type 2 diabetes patients into remission to confirm his results. Patients have to adhere to a very low calorie regime under Taylor’s research, drinking three litres of water a day, three 200-calorie food supplements (soups and shakes) and 200 calories of green vegetables.

Back in 2012, chef Michael Casey followed the diet during Operation Transformation to become the first man in Ireland to reverse type 2 diabetes.

However, dietitian Orla Walsh suggests that patients with type 2 diabetes do not have to resort to extreme diets to see results.

Four-step approach

With type 2 diabetes, Walsh suggests comparing a healthy body to a well-maintained car: it operates at peak performance as long as it’s properly fuelled. She advocates a four-step approach which she believes is not daunting to patients and is sustainable in the long term, making it possible to get yourself into remission from type 2 diabetes.

Firstly, take a look at reducing your carbohydrate intake, Walsh says. “Once you do that, you need to increase your exercise which will burn off the carbs in your blood and will also make your body better able to use the carbohydrate you are storing.” After that, she suggests increasing your muscle mass and then reducing your body fat.

“Excess fat is active tissue which causes inflammation and inflammation in the body is when diseases grow.”

Getting people off medication is trickier, Walsh says, but it can be done. “Often people are on lots of meds – for diabetes, for high blood pressure, cholesterol and erectile dysfunction. And making those four changes vastly increases your chances of being able to reduce or stop taking medication.”

Liver condition

When Ciaran Lawless, 63, first contacted Walsh, he wanted help with a liver condition. He had read research on the subject and wanted help with his health.

‘I wanted to look at what was causing the issue and what could I do to stop it. The diet side of what I worked on with Orla was huge but I really did do an overhaul of my lifestyle and it really did work. I made sustainable changes in steps and I no longer have type 2 diabetes. I would encourage anyone who wants to get off their medication to get help and give it a try.”

Lawless was not keen on a calorie-counting diet and he did not want a prescriptive regime. “It really worked for me because Orla gave me guidelines to work with and I really had to eliminate everything that was doing damage.” It worked for Lawless; his most recent liver test results came back normal and his blood sugar is also normal. “I was going down a road with bad health and medication and, thanks to a lifestyle overhaul, I have changed my health. Who wouldn’t want to do that?”

About diabetes Type 1 diabetes: Occurs when the pancreas (a small gland behind the stomach) doesn't produce insulin – the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels. If the amount of glucose in the blood is too high, it can, over time, damage the body's organs.

An autoimmune disease, just 10 per cent of all diabetes is type 1 but it’s the most common type of childhood diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes: The body doesn't produce enough insulin to function properly or the body's cells don't react to insulin. This means that glucose remains in the bloodstream and isn't used as fuel for energy.

Some 90 per cent of adults with diabetes have type 2, and it tends to develop later in life.

You can find more information on Diabetes Ireland on diabetes.ie and find information on Orla Walsh at orlawalshnutrition.ie