DAY 1: 800 CALORIE DIABETES T2 REMISSION DIET USING REAL FOOD

The original research had a menu that did not rely on real food, only 200 calories of non starchy vegetables.  The rest was protein drinks.  I can only imagine how the patients felt after two months of that.

This 800 calorie diet uses real food.  Protein drinks are used as necessary to boost protein.
Use zero-calorie drinks, black coffee, unsweet tea as you will.

NOTE:  NO EXERCISE WITH THIS DIET.  THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH CALORIES.
DRINK A LOT OF WATER - YOU NEED IT TO FLUSH TOXINS RELEASED FROM FAT. AGAIN, WORK WITH YOUR DOCTOR TO REDUCE DIABETIC MEDICATIONS AS NEEDED.  THIS DIET IS TO BE DONE ONLY FOR 8 WEEKS.  IT IS AN INTERVENTION THAT COULD PUT DIABETES INTO REMISSION.


Here are my stats going in:

Weight 169.9  Fat Percent 39 %  FBS 156  Last A1C 7.5


BREAKFAST:  Half a Slim-Fast Shake - protein only in morning for diabetics

LUNCH: Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 1/4 cup Marketside Chicken Salad, romaine, apple

DINNER:  1/2 Slim-fast Protein Drink, 1 cup Alessi Split Pea Soup, salad, 10-carb dessert (1/2 cup sugar-free Jello pudding)

Total calories: 774  Total fat 35 gm, Total Carbs 78 gm, Total Protein 46 gm, Fiber 25 gm
 Net Carbs: 53

You must find Mission Carb Balance 6 gm carbs tortillas to work with this diet...fiber is essential, even on just a few calories.  Other low carb tortillas do not have as much fiber, or as much protein and as few carbs.  These are found at Krogers, Walmart, and many other stores.  You will be using them every day for lunch as a wrap around protein.  They have 7 gm protein on their own, plus 11 gm fiber.

Marketside Chicken Salad is available at Walmart.  Alessi Split Pea Soup is found at grocers.

I was a little hungry in the morning, but not hungry after lunch and dinner.  Adequate protein prevents hunger.

I use Calorieking software for my daily totals.  Any good software for dieting will do.

800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

Carlos Cervantes used to suffer from severe diabetes. His low point was 2011, when he had a heart attack, his kidneys started failing him and he was facing a foot amputation because of a toe-to-ankle ulcer. ‘I had pretty much figured that my time was up,’ he says.

Then he stumbled on a news clip about a study at Newcastle University. In it all 11 subjects had their type-2 diabetes reversed after following a very low-calorie diet — that is, just 600 calories a day for eight weeks. So Cervantes gave the diet a try. His blood sugar dropped to a normal level, his symptoms vanished and he was returned to good health.

The mechanism is simple. Type-2 diabetes is caused by a build-up of fat stopping the pancreas from producing the insulin we need. Restricting calories to a very low level means we can burn off this fat, allowing the pancreas to start working normally again.*

Cervantes’s success story is one of many. Professor Roy Taylor, who led the Newcastle trial, says ‘over 100’ people around the world have contacted him to say they have tried the diet and got rid of their own type-2 diabetes.

THIS DIET TERMINATES AFTER 8 WEEKS.  IT IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM DIET.  IT IS MORE LIKE A MEDICAL INTERVENTION, TARGETED TO T2 DIABETES.

My own story is different.  I lost 125 pounds, and I am still diabetic.  Now I know the reason:  fat in the pancreas and liver creates insulin resistance and high glucose.  So, in the next 56 days, I will go on what is called the Newcastle diet.

I have a good track record.  I lost 125 pounds in a year, at 1200 calories, low fat, and balanced protein and carb.  Now I want to do the same with a 800 calorie diet.  Note, the new limits after the initial study are 800 calories.  The 600 calorie diet was too strenuous for some people, so the research team raised the calories to 800, and got results that were the same.

What I learned on the previous diet is that if you have adequate protein, you are not hungry on reduced calories.  As you can see from the menu plans I will post daily, I am using real food in a balanced 800 calorie diet.

Each day I will post my menu for the day, broken down into calories, fat, protein and carbs, including fiber, which is important.  I will also post my fasting blood glucose for the day, the post-prandial high for the day, my weight and fat percent.  You (and I) will be able to see first hand on a daily basis how all these numbers are improving.

Not everyone will put their diabetes into remission.  If you are still making insulin (get a C-peptide test) it should work for you if you are making insulin in the normal range.  Another way to judge if you are still making insulin is to watch your fasting blood glucose on the diet day-to-day.  It will be falling if you are making insulin.  Needless to say, reduce your diabetic medications with your doctor.

Stay tuned on a daily basis, as I will be presenting the meal plans each day.  This is with ordinary American Food, with the addition of Slim-Fast protein drinks as needed to bring up daily protein to 40 - 50 grams, which will mean you won't get hungry.  Talk with your doctor and use my meal plans to achieve diabetes  T2 remission, and again, this is if you are still making insulin.

DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS DIET IF YOU ARE MORBIDLY OBESE.  PLEASE TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT.

*Very low calorie diet and 6 months of weight stability in Type 2 diabetes: Pathophysiologic changes in responders and non-responders. Sarah Steven, Keiren G Hollingsworth, Ahmad Al-Mrabeh, Leah Avery, Benjamin Aribisala, Muriel Caslake, Roy Taylor.

Diabetes Care. Doi: 10.2337/dc15-9422

CHERRY YOGURT AND PROTEIN CEREAL

This combination is great for a second breakfast, or any time you want a light meal.  I use Yoplait Greek 100 yogurt because of all the yogurts, it has the least sugar.

3/4 cup Special K Protein Cereal
1 container Yoplait Greek 100 Black Cherry Variety

Fat: 1 gm, Carbs 27 gm, Protein 21 gm, Fiber 3 gm, Cal 220

I feel like a kid again eating this, but now I know that because it is balanced protein and carb, it will not devastate my blood sugar as plain cereal would.  Enjoy!

BEEF MARINARA SQUASH WRAP

This was a sudden inspiration that hits my numbers pretty well, low fat and balanced protein and carb.  And it has all the tastes you love about beef, marinara, and spaghetti, just using squash, which makes it a little crunchy.   MMMMMMMMMMMMM.

BEEF MARINARA SQUASH WRAP  makes 8 servings

1 lb diet lean hamburger, cooked
1 jar Ragu Chunky Garden Combination Marinara
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
8 Mission Low Carb Tortilla, soft taco size

Cook squash and remove seeds.  Pull out of skin and set aside.  Cook 1 lb hamburger meat.  Add jar of Ragu and Parmesan cheese.  Add 1/4 c squash per tortilla. Spoon hot mixture into 8 tortillas, or just use a little of the mixture and store for later.

Fat 16 gm, Carbs 40, Fiber 14 gm, Protein 26 gm  Calories 409

STRAWBERRY BANANA WALNUT SMOOTHIE

Hubby came up with this one, so it has a few more calories and carbs than I use, but it is still nicely balanced protein and carb.

STRAWBERRY BANANA WALNUT SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 cup water
1 cup strawberries
1 scoop vanilla MRM whey
1 small ripe banana
1 handful walnuts
1 packet stevia

Put cottage cheese in blender, add water, and stevia if desired.  Add whey protein, strawberries, banana and walnuts.  Blend. 

You may add ice if you wish.

Fat 16gm, carbs 26gm, protein 38gm, Fibers 3gm,  Calories397

HAM AND HOT PEPPER JACK QUESADILLA

At only 7 net carbs, this is a great lunch, and it leaves room for a piece of fruit. 

HAM AND HOT PEPPER JACK QUESADILLA

1 Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, soft taco size
2 oz ham
1 oz hot pepper jack cheese

Heat griddle and spray with pan spray.  Place cheese slice on tortilla, then ham.  Fold tortilla in half.

Cook until crispy brown on both sides.

Fat 14gm, Carbs 19gm, Fiber 11gm, Protein 23gm  Calories 300.

This is also great with split pea soup.

BLUEBERRY QUESADILLAS

This was a momentous discovery - a blintz made with high fiber tortilla.  It has a few more calories than I eat for breakfast, so I save it for Sunday mornings....you gotta stray a little bit sometimes!
It is balanced protein and carb, and delicious!  It is also quick and easy.

Blueberry Quesadillas  SERVES 2

1 cup frozen no sugar blueberries, thawed
1 cup cottage cheese, 2%
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 packets stevia, or to taste
2 Mission Carb Balance Tortillas

Thaw blueberries.  Mix cottage cheese, cream cheese, stevia, and vanilla. Heat pan big enough for folded tortilla on stove top.  Spray with pan spray.

Fill first tortilla with 1/4 the cheese mixture, a smaller amount so the cheese mixture will not run out of the folded tortilla.  Grill both sides on medium heat until crispy brown.  Place on plate, top with 1/4 cheese mixture as before.  Top with 1/2 of the thawed blueberries.

Repeat for 2nd tortilla.

Fat 20 gm, Protein 24 gm, Carbs 32 gm, Fiber 14 gm, Calories 406