Intermittent fasting & Type II Diabetes (my journey)
version 24.3 NEW Info BLACK
Terms you should be aware of for this discussion:
HBA1C - Hemoglobin A1C blood test
RCT - Randomized Controlled Trials
GI - Glycemic Index
RDA - Recommended Daily Allowances
BDNF - Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
IU - International Units
HPA - The Health Products Association of Southern Africa
Summary
"The dose determines the poison"
- Paracelsus (1493)
We want to get from sugar burning to FAT burning! Your body is eating when you are not eating. It is eating your fat! And yes, we all have something called self-discipline.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a simple, flexible, and free approach to eating that alternates between fed and fasted states. During the fed state, the pancreas secretes insulin to move sugar into cells. For individuals with insulin resistance (e.g., Type II diabetes), the pancreas produces excess insulin to compensate, leading to fat storage. In the fasted state, insulin levels drop, allowing the body to access fat stores for energy.
Unlike calorie-reduction diets, fasting lowers both insulin and leptin levels, helping control hunger by managing ghrelin, the "hunger hormone." IF offers numerous benefits: it’s inexpensive, enhances cognitive function, reduces inflammation, boosts attention span, strengthens the immune system, improves mood and memory, and increases human growth hormone levels. It also promotes autophagy, a cellular repair process, and supports pancreas healing while reducing inflammation. These combined effects make intermittent fasting a powerful tool for metabolic health and overall well-being.
Intermittent Fasting Could Replace Insulin for Diabetes
My journey started … when I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. A type I diabetic lacks insulin, whilst a type II diabetic is insulin resistant. I was prescribed the following medicine:
Diaglucide MR 30mg Reg 38/21.2/0223 - take one tablet a day
What became the goal? To get SUGAR burning (glucose) to FAT burning. And that is exactly what Intermittent fasting does. It gets your body to burn fat instead of sugar. And NO. You will not starve when you are not eating. You are eating out of habit. One of the big lies is...yes you've guest it: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day..." Also, every time you eat, your INSULIN goes up!
0.50718474kg loss per week is your target. If you know what to expect, sticking to the plan is MUCH easier.
Are you one of those patients that ask the Doc to rather prescribe you a prescription, rather that change your lifestyle and poor eating habits? Start exercising?
Reality check. Nobody is coming to save you. Not your doctor. Not your spouse. It is up to you. YOU need to take full responsibility for the outcome. Diabetes (366 million patients globally) is a 700$ Billion dollar Industry. Currently, 84 million people in the U.S.A are pre-diabetic. Thirty million are either Type I or II diabetics. Here is a noteworthy fact. There are now more obese people in the world than undernourished people worldwide. There are different opinions about the safety of intermittent fasting and diabetes. We believe it is safe, on two conditions
(consult your GP in the process)
adjust your medicine as your HBA1C levels come down
do it gradually
What are the truths about Intermittent fasting? It is FREE, it is flexible and it is simple. You exist either in a fed or fasted state. When you eat, insulin is secreted by the pancreas to move sugar into the cells. Because you are insulin resistant (Type II), your pancreas now produces MORE insulin (revs up insulin production) to reach the same target. We store the bulk of our sugar in our liver and our skeletal muscle. When we exceed those storage sites, we store it as fat. When we are fasted, insulin levels are low and we can tap into fat stores for energy.
But wait a minute Paul! What is the difference between reducing calorie intake (the DIET) and intermittent fasting? When you stop eating for 24 hours, your insulin levels will drop. But it also plummets your leptin levels. With intermittent fasting, you are going to have as severe a plummet of those leptin levels. And that is how you will beat Ghrelin - the 'hunger hormone'.
What are the benefits from Intermittent fasting? (PRO's vs CONS)
cheap (+easy)
fits into your time schedule
cognitive function improves
increase the release of Serotonin
decrease levels of inflammation
attention span will improve
Immune system benefits
Mood and memory will improve
Spikes human growth hormone
Induces Autophagy
Date tested: 8 June 2023
HBA1C Score: 8,6%
The Six Stages of Intermittent fasting:
8 - 14 hours: blood sugar starts stabilizing; you are starting to use up the sugar in your blood; at the 10th hour your muscles are using about 50% glucose and 50% fat thus going from sugar burning to fat burning
14 - 24 hours: the liver turns your fat into ketones and your cravings are going down and energy levels up; noticing an improvement in your mood and more cognitive function
24 - 36 hours: you will experience a full keto state; you should experience a drop in ghrelin + loss of appetite and a spike in bdnf
36 - 48 hours: you are in some serious autophagy; your body is recycling old proteins and damaged proteins and killing cancer cells and a decrease in oxidative stress
48 - 60 hours: insulin sensitivity is very high and you are normalizing insulin receptors; more autophagy and less inflammation
60 - 72 hours: immune system regeneration; a 72-hour fast leads to a complete rejuvenation of your immune system; spike in immune stem cells
Date tested: 19 January 2024
HBA1C Score: 7,1%
Pre
Date tested: 18 July 2024
HBA1C Score: 5,5%
Diaglucide MR 30mg was removed from my chronic medicine prescribed list. I do not take this any longer.
Date tested: 19 February 2025
HBA1C Score: 6,1%
Recommended dosage and instructions for use:
Benefits of Intermittent fasting
It heals the pancreas
Erases inflammation
Terms you should understand
Enviga NatureSlim
Electrolytes Mixture
Electrolytes Mixture
Adding (outdoor) Exercise to your regiment
Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain. It plays a key role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm) by signaling to the body when it's time to sleep and when it's time to be awake. Melatonin production is influenced by light exposure, with levels increasing in the evening as it gets darker, promoting sleepiness, and decreasing in the morning when there is light, helping to wake the body up.
The sun also gives Vitamin D.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a numerical scale used to measure how quickly carbohydrates in food raise blood sugar (glucose) levels after consumption. It helps to classify foods based on how they affect blood sugar compared to a reference food, typically glucose or white bread (which have a GI value of 100). Foods with a high GI cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, while foods with a low GI lead to a slower, more gradual increase. Noteworthy to mention here is fructose and Maltodextrin. Fructose is NOT glucose. Fructose is a terrible (read POISON) carbohydrate. It's glycation reaction of fructose is seven times faster than that of glucose. Fructose inhibits your mitochondrial function. With Maltodextrin, it is not even declared as a glucose (which it is). Sugar (glucose) GI score is 65, whilst Maltodextrin scores between 85 - 136.
Out of the approximately 600,000 supermarket products available, there are about 56 different names for sugar. Do you know what evaporated cane juice is that you find in yogurt? Sugar, of course.
Healthcare as you and I know it will be bankrupt in the following decade due to chronic metabolic disease.
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Responsible Foods
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Maltodextrin behaves like a sugar, but is not classified as a sugar.