Dr Clare Bailey, the wife of the late Michael Mosley, appeared on BBC Morning Live to discuss how diabetes can be put into remission. Regular show expert Dr Ranj also shared his advice for those wanting to do the same.
Fellow guest Mark Lane revealed that he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the end of last year. Reflecting on his diagnosis, Mark shared that he had “mixed emotions.”
He explained “My late father died from complications of diabetes and he had type 1, my brother had type 1 as well. But I also live with my husband Jason and he is type 2 so I am living with that every day.”
Stressing how he wants to lose weight over the course of the next three months and be “proactive”, he says that lifestyle changes like eating well and exercising is “tricky”. He adds that “it’s not that easy to do” but he is willing to do what he can for a better lifestyle.
What is diabetes?
Dr Ranj explained: “diabetes is a condition where your body isn’t able to regulate your blood sugar levels and it’s unable to use that sugar for what it’s meant to be used for.” He adds that in the long term, it can cause a lot of damage to your organs, eye sight and more.
There are two main type he says with type 1 being where your body can’t make insulin and often “has a genetic component” but with type 2. which is more common, it’s “more associated with lifestyle.”
Why do some people have diabetes?
The health guru went on to say that many people develop type two due to lifestyle factors. This means that people who consume high refined foods and foods high in sugars are more likely to have it. In addition to this, type 2 is “strongly associated with being overweight.”
The doctor adds that not getting enough exercise is also a major factor. He stressed that “all of those things combined” is often the reason why so many people have it.
What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes?
Many people who have symptoms of type 2 diabetes will have the following due to high blood sugar levels:
- Feeling thirsty even after drinking fluids
- Passing urine more, especially at night
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision that may come and go
- Unexplained weight loss
- Cuts, ulcers or sores
Can I put my diabetes into remission?
Dr Ranj says that remission means you can “almost stop the condition in its tracks” and you “may not need medication to control it and you can control it using other factors.”
He adds: “When it comes to type 2 diabetes there are factors you’re probably not going to be able to control for instance your age, your ethnicity and your family history. But what you can do is mitigate for those things and you can either reduce your chance of developing type 2 or if you already have it, if you put certain interventions into place, you can stop it in its tracks or you can reduce the need for things like medication.”
So what can you try? Dr Ranj says you can:
- Reduce your calorie intake
- Try a low carbohydrate diet
- Reduce your intake of refined foods and refined sugars
- Exercise more
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Lose weight if you are not at a healthy weight
How did Michael Mosley reverse his diabetes?
Dr Claire Bailey Mosley, the wife of the late Michael Mosley, said: “He lost nine kilos and he didn’t even look overweight so it can be misleading. He lost nine kilos and reversed his diabetes and occasionally he liked his chocolate, I had to hide it”, she laughed.
She explained: “For him it was absolutely transformative and every now and then, sugars creep up and he would just go back on the Fast 800 programme and sort it, and that’s fine as long as you check it and measure your weight intermittently. So for him it really worked incredibly well.”