Type 2 Diabetic On Insulin And A Low Fat Raw Vegan Diet

by Ben Thompson
(UK)

Ben's Question: Can this diet really cure me of type 2 diabetes?

I have lost a lot of weight on a low carb diet but my cholesterol has gone up and my diabetes is out of control.

I want to gain a lot of muscle. Will this diet let me do that?

I am being put on insulin this Monday as I can not get it under control any other way.

I am in despair about what to do.

Do I do what I have always known or do I take a leap of faith and try your raw diet?

Andrew's Answer:

Hi Ben.

I'll start off by answering your last query - what you've always known and done has obviously not gotten you the results you were looking for, else you wouldn't be writing to me. What you've always known and done got you were you are today.

You've now also tried a low carb diet, and seen that it didn't cure your diabetes, and likely made you more unhealthy aside from the weight loss. This is the expected and usual outcome from such a regime, which does not seek to remove the underlying causes of your diabetes.

The medical answer to your disease, that of using insulin and possibly medication to control the symptoms, but never cure the disease or attempt to remove its underlying causes, is apparently not palatable to you.

So that leaves you looking for a different approach, which is what I endorse, and what I've found to be extremely effective in my work with coaching clients.

Type two diabetes is not a particularly hard condition to reverse in most cases, and it's usual for relatively healthy, non-overweight, and physically active individuals to be completely off insulin in a week to a month, if they make the required dietary, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

Getting off insulin can take a bit longer for less healthy, obese, and sedentary individuals, but it is still very doable.

The key is removing the underlying causes of the disease. These are numerous, in many cases, but the most important changes for a diabetic are the adoption of a low fat, high carb raw diet based around whole fruits and vegetables, daily vigorous exercise, to whatever extent the person is physically capable, and lots of rest.

Because high-fat diets cause high blood sugar, the adoption of the right kind of raw diet with the exercise and rest components is very powerful.

And yes, you can certainly gain muscle on a raw vegan diet. I wrote about some of my own success in that area last year.

If this sounds like something that interests you, there are hundreds of free articles, videos, and podcasts on this site which can help you learn more.

If you're ready to get serious, my book, Raw Food Weight Loss And Vitality, is a great place to start.

I also offer coaching if you're looking for one-on-one assistance with adopting the right kind of raw diet.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of health and happiness.

All my best,

Andrew Perlot