A 48-year-old woman has said she managed to put her diabetes into remission by changing her eating habits and keeping her cravings under control.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Jane Grant cared for her elderly mother and often ate takeaways, homemade curries, pizzas and burgers as she could not find time to cook for herself.
After the lockdowns, Ms Grant had her blood sugar levels tested and was diagnosed with type two diabetes.
She said she was "devastated" at the diagnosis but she then embarked on a low-calorie, meal replacement diet recommended by her doctor, reports Kent Live.
Through the diet, Ms Grant, from London, managed to lose 2st 7lbs in the three months after her diagnosis - enough to put her type 2 diabetes into remission and transform her health once and for all.
She consumed diet and meal replacement brand Exante's nutritionally-complete shakes for breakfast and lunch, alongside a healthy 400-calorie meal in the evening, for 12 weeks. After this, she upped her calorie intake and went on to lose a total of 3st 5lbs altogether.
The teacher, who went from 14st to 10st 9lbs and is now a comfortable size 12, said: "I felt terrible. I was so lethargic and I couldn't keep up with my daughter (9) at all. I was dipping out of family events and felt very much on the sidelines of life. I thought about food constantly and gave in to cravings on a whim. I was out of control.
"I started Exante because I'd just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I knew I was at risk because I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was being monitored regularly, but that stopped during the pandemic.
"During that time, my eating became very haphazard. I was caring for my elderly mother and doing shopping and cooking for two households. I became a low priority and just grabbed whatever food was convenient, usually carb-heavy and processed foods.
"After the lockdowns, I had my blood sugar levels tested and was told I had type 2 diabetes. I was devastated. My doctor recommended the 'very-low-calorie diet' to aim for remission and so I've never been on diabetes medication."
Type 2 diabetes causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high. It is often linked to being overweight or inactive, or a family history of the condition.
Ms Grant said she was initially sceptical of meal replacement diets but decided to try Exante after hearing about a friend's success story.
She initially stuck to 800 calories a day, which is the recommended amount to benefit from a very low-calorie diet, and this plan must only be followed for 12 weeks maximum.
She said that just after three months she had lost weight, her energy levels had increased and she noticed it was much easier to move around.
At a doctor appointment, she was told she was no longer type 2 diabetic so she would not need medication, and was not pre-diabetic either.
She said: "The relief was amazing and I have a real sense of accomplishment. Suddenly, I was bounding up the stairs with my daughter. I didn't avoid walking up hills in Greenwich Park any more - my life experiences widened as I slimmed down. I'm now enjoying clothes shopping and have no anxiety about what to wear for nights out."
Dr Ishrat Ahmed, who is the Medical Director of The Hut Groups (which owns Exante) said: "The soups and shakes diet to support people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has proven to be clinically effective in significant weight loss, as well as improvements in diabetes markers (HbA1c). It has shown a great potential in the remission of the disease and has reduced the need for medications for type 2 diabetes.
"The lack of calories will inevitably cause weight loss, and nutritionally the soups and shakes are tailored to have a reduced sugar level thus the hormone, insulin, can manage the reduced blood sugar levels in the body better.
"This in turn will help to reduce insulin resistance, which is a cause of type 2 diabetes, and improve blood sugar control. The average weight loss from this type of diet over 12 months was 11kg, and remission from type 2 diabetes has been observed for up to 5 years, which is fantastic
"I believe those who are obese or morbidly obese will mostly benefit from the soup and shake diet. Type 2 diabetes can go into remission if detected early and intervened early with dietary and lifestyle measures. Most evidence suggests that the best way to cause remission is through weight loss, and usually the remission occurs when the weight loss is in the early stages when first diagnosed.
"I advise that weight loss and maintenance of diabetes remission involves staying active through physical exercise in addition to diet."
Anyone embarking on a low-calorie diet plan or who has a medical condition and is looking to change their diet, should seek medical advice from their GP or a healthcare professional first.
