Tools to keep type 2 diabetes in remission
Following a low carb lifestyle can help you to lose weight and reduce your blood glucose levels. Indeed, many members of the Low Carb Program have even been able to achieve remission from type 2 diabetes after going low carb.
But once you’ve achieved results, how can you sustain them? In this article we’ll be looking at what it means to be in remission and then we’ll look at some tools you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you sustain your achievements.
What do we mean by remission?
There’s no complete consensus on the exact definition of type 2 diabetes remission. The American Diabetes Association defines complete remission as having both a HbA1c within normal levels (below 42 mmol/mol (6%)) and a fasting blood glucose of less than 5.6 mmol/L (101mg/dL) which has been achieved without diabetes medication [1].
On the other hand, researchers on the UK-based Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) defined remission as having a HbA1c of less than 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) that was sustained after one year [2].
How can I sustain type 2 diabetes remission?
Think of low carb as ‘lifestyle’ rather than a diet
Some people may view the word ‘diet’ as something that’s short-term and implying that you’ll return to your usual way of eating once you’ve achieved remission. However, in order to sustain these results, it’s important to find a way of eating that you can stick to in the long-term. Some tips to achieve this might including making a habit of reading food labels to check the carb content of different foods.
Aim for variety in meals
Experimenting with recipes and trying new foods can help you feel motivated to stick to low carb and less likely to fall back into old eating habits. Making use of carb swaps and finding low carb alternatives to your favourite dishes are just a few examples for helping you to stay on track and maintain results.
Find ways to stay active
Although it’s important to address food choices when controlling your blood glucose levels, incorporating exercise into your low carb lifestyle can help to sustain your achievements. Exercise also has many other health benefits including helping to boost your mood, lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart problems.
Discover more tools to help you achieve remission when you join the Low Carb Program.
References:
[1] McCombie, L., Leslie, W., Taylor, R., Kennon, B., Sattar, N. and Lean, M.E., 2017. Beating type 2 diabetes into remission. Bmj, 358, p.j4030.
[2] Leslie, W.S., Ford, I., Sattar, N., Hollingsworth, K.G., Adamson, A., Sniehotta, F.F., McCombie, L., Brosnahan, N., Ross, H., Mathers, J.C. and Peters, C., 2016. The Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT): protocol for a cluster randomised trial. BMC family practice, 17(1), p.20.
