As a holistic nutritionist, it is important for me to
provide my readers and clients with information to improve their health and to
share with others. Much of this information is not readily available, may be
considered controversial, or is dismissed by the main stream as anecdotal or
not supported by science. Yet the truth is that many people have benefited and
there is real science to back it up.
I recently came across the work of Dr. Jason Fung, a Toronto
based specialist in kidney diseases who treats patients with end-stage kidney
disease requiring dialysis. Most of them are obese and diabetic. While some may
consider his work controversial, I have seen the results of his advice first
hand in addition to the success stories he provides.
According to Dr. Fung Type 2 diabetes is fully reversible
and preventable and he does this without using medications or surgery. The key
is to control the insulin resulting from the diet and to do that using
intermittent fasting.
I encourage you to read at least one of his three books or
for those of you who prefer learning through listening and watching, view his
many presentations on YouTube. The books are a progression of his knowledge
sharing. The Obesity Code: Unlocking the
Secrets of Weight Loss was published in 2016. It discusses the current
obesity epidemic – how it has developed and how you avoid becoming obese. There
is a strong link between being obese and developing Type 2 diabetes. In 2018 he
wrote The Diabetes Code: Prevent and
Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally. This book focuses on the diabetes
epidemic, the actual causes of diabetes, how not to treat Type 2 diabetes, and
his proven methods for successfully treating Type 2 diabetes. The third book is
The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your
Body Though Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting. This book
provides more detail on various fasting techniques used to lose weight and
manage and reverse Type 2 diabetes.
Following is a summary of the key points made in the books.
Again, I encourage you to read the books to get the complete story and they
include all the sources for his findings.
There is much deception around calories. The truth is that eating
fewer calories will cause your body to burn fewer calories. This is part of our
adaptive nature to the days of our ancestors when food was not available at
every corner. Our basal metabolic rate slows down to compensate for less fuel.
If it did not our ancestors would have not had the energy to hunt and survive
while they had limited food. While there will be some short-term weight loss with
restricted calories, eventually a plateau is reached, and weight loss
stops. And, as virtually everyone
experiences when resuming how you ate before the “diet” the weight comes back
on quickly and often exceeds where you started.
Obesity is not caused by an excess of calories or by a lack
of exercise, but by a hormonal imbalance in the body. Hormones regulate
appetite, fat storage, and blood sugar levels. Leptin regulates body fat and is
involved in setting the body weight. Ghrelin regulates hunger. Peptide YY and
cholecystokinin regulate feeling full and satisfied. But, only two hormones
cause weight gain – cortisol and insulin. Therefore, to lose weight we must
reduce these hormones. We can reduce cortisol through stress reduction
techniques and we can reduce insulin through dietary techniques of what to eat
and when to eat.
Dr. Fung recommends a moderate fat, moderate protein, low
carbohydrate diet. For most people this means reducing consumption of added
sugars, reducing consumption of refined grains, moderate intake of protein,
increase consumption of natural fats, and increase consumption of fiber and
vinegar. One key new learning for me was the moderation of protein intake. Too
much protein can cause blood sugar levels to rise leading to a subsequent
increase in insulin.
To reduce insulin enough to lose weight and to reverse Type
2 diabetes Dr. Fung recommends a variety of intermittent fasting programs. It
is important to clarify the terms “intermittent” and “fasting.” Intermittent
means there are periods of time when you do not eat any food. During fasting periods,
you can have water, tea, coffee, bone broth, and add fats such as coconut oil
and butter to the coffee or tea. This is critical to understand because a complete
fast with no water or food will lead to dehydration which will impact
metabolism. Another key point is that the basal metabolic rate does not slow
down with intermittent fasting.
Dr. Fung describes a variety of fasting plans. The basic
plan is 16 hours of fasting and an 8-hour window of eating. This can be
accomplished by skipping breakfast (but again you are allowed coffee, tea, or
bone broth with specified limitations) and eating lunch and finishing dinner
between noon and 8 PM. This is a good plan for someone just looking to lose
some weight.
The 24-hour plan consists of skipping breakfast and lunch
3-4 days per week and having three meals the remaining days of the week. There
are also 36-hour plans, 42-hour plans, and 7-14-day plans. Again, the best plan
for an individual depends on their specific objectives and their present
condition.
Again, I encourage you to read the book or view the YouTube
presentations as in this limited space I can only share the highlights.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and
Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create
individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To
learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call
(262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
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