How Food Can Be Linked to Diabetes Diagnosis

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM)  is Australia’s biggest health challenge, with one person every five minutes developing the condition.  T2DM is ranked in the top 10 leading causes of death in Australia. 

Every day, 280 Australians will develop a form of diabetes, T2DM accounts for 85% of all diabetes cases, and it is increasing. People with T2DM are two and four times more likely to develop heart disease. 

The key to pre-diabetes progression and type 2 diabetes remission is early intervention. In fact, through transforming your diet and integrating intensive lifestyle changes, people with pre-diabetes can reduce the risk of developing the condition by nearly 60% over a three-year period.  

1. Food is the first medicine and emerging evidence supports this. New studies strongly indicate low carbohydrate dietary patterns for diabetes remission as we know this can aid in weight loss and improvements in insulin sensitivity. 

1. A Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) has also been recommended to people with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis as it reduces insulin resistance and assists to stabilise blood sugar levels through inducing a state of mild nutritional ketosis (fat burning state).  

1. A preliminary clinical trial with 10 patients with Type 2 Diabetes on the Be Rapid (VLCD) program by Be Fit Food showed that 90% of blood sugar levels were returned to normal within just 7 days compared to a usual ‘’Diabetic Diet’’. 

My recommendations are to always speak with your doctor or health care professional to understand what the best solution is for you as an individual for managing your Diabetes as everyone is different. Secondly, if after practitioner advice, that you decide to try a low carb or VLCD program, always opt for a program based on REAL food rather than synthetic bars and shakes diets.   

At Be Fit Food we have one goal - to eat ourselves better. All of our meals are made from high quality, wholesome and fresh ingredients. Our meals are all low in carbs, high in protein and contain a minimum of 4-12 different vegetables plus they also contain less than 500mg sodium per serve. All Be Fit Food products contains no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or artificial colours/flavours. 

How prominent is type two diabetes within Australia, and why do you believe it is so important that we focus on preventing and managing the condition?

• Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia. One in twenty Australians had diabetes in 2020-21 (5.3% or 1.3 million people) with type 2 diabetes being the most prevalent type of diabetes (4.5%) and this number has increased from previous years (1).  

• Almost one in five (19.2%) people over 75 years had diabetes (1) 

• Managing diabetes through controlling blood glucose levels is important to prevent diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputations and heart disease [2] 

• Evidence shows that type 2 diabetes can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and following a healthy diet. 
  
  How can we induce remission for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, a leading lifestyle disease in Australia?

• According to Diabetes Australia, the most common way to achieve diabetes remission in type 2 diabetes is to achieve weight loss following very intensive dietary changes or through bariatric surgery (2) 

• There is a plethora of evidence to support a low carbohydrate diet for management of type two diabetes (3,4). Studies have found that a decrease in carbohydrate intake normalises blood sugar levels, reduced insulin concentration and allows the body to utilise fat stores and decrease insulin resistance.  

• Current evidence also suggests that VLCDs are effective in the reversal of type 2 diabetes through achieving significant weight loss and enhancing glycaemic control, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity, a reduction in HbA1c to pre-diabetes levels and reduced diabetes related complications (5,6).  

How does a very low calorie diet (VLCD) assist in managing, preventing and reversing type two diabetes?

• Be Fit Food has conducted a study to investigate the influence of the Be Rapid VLCD meal plan on weight and glucose markers in those people with Type 2 diabetes. Results demonstrated that one week on the Be Rapid Meal program had a greater impact on weight loss ranging from 0.1-6.2kg in the first week, than the participants self selected diet. (7) Results also showed lower daily average, daily peak, post-prandial lunch and post prandial dinner blood glucose levels when following the Be Rapid program.  

• The findings of this study are supported in the literature. A recent review examined 5 studies which investigated the benefits of a VLCD on remission of T2DM and found several significant improvements in fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin, HbA1c, weight loss and reliance on medication (5).  

What kind of meals would you recommend for people with type two diabetes?

• Be Fit Food meals are low in carbohydrates and high in protein which has been shown to be beneficial for managing and treating type 2 diabetes through helping to stabilise blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity. We use high quality, fresh ingredients including a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. Each meal contains a healthy source of protein and 4-12 different vegetables for added fibre and prebiotics.  

• Be Fit Food is Australia’s only doctor and dietitian designed, and scientifically formulated home-delivered meal company which specialises in whole-food VLCD’s. Our meals and programs combine a Mediterranean pattern of eating with the science of the CSIRO low carbohydrate diet.   

References: 

1. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/diabetes/latest-release 

1. https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/about-diabetes/diabetes-in-australia/  

1. Esther J van Zuuren, Zbys Fedorowicz, Ton Kuijpers, Hanno Pijl, Effects of low-carbohydrate- compared with low-fat-diet interventions on metabolic control in people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review including GRADE assessments, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 108, Issue 2, August 2018, Pages 300–331, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy096  

1. Ahmed SR, Bellamkonda S, Zilbermint M, et al. Effects of the low carbohydrate, high fat diet on glycemic control and body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes: experience from a community-based cohort. BMJ Open Diab Res Care 2020;8:e000980. doi:10.1136/ bmjdrc-2019-000980  

1. Juray, S., Axen, K. and Trasino, S., 2021. Remission of Type 2 Diabetes with Very Low-Calorie Diets—A Narrative Review. Nutrients, [online] 13(6), p.2086. Available at: <https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/6/2086> [Accessed 23 September 2021].  

1. Román-Pintos, L., Villegas-Rivera, G., Cardona-Muñoz, E. and Rodríguez-Carrizalez, A., 2018. Very Low-Calorie Diets in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Effects on Inflammation, Clinical and Metabolic Parameters. Diabetes and Its Complications, [online] Available at: <https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/57799> [Accessed 25 September 2021].  

1. Save K, Padula M, Murray B, Stephenson M, Costa V, Ballantyne L. The impact of a one week Be-Fit-Food delivered meal program on body composition and blood glucose in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients: Preliminary data. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. 2019;13(3):313.