Professor Gleeson talks to us as we celebrate publication of his new book ‘Beating Type 2 Diabetes’ – a life-changing and potentially life-saving book for people with this serious condition…
The huge and growing problem of type 2 diabetes already affects 10-20% of the population in many developed countries. Millions more are in the early stage of the disease (a condition called prediabetes) or are at high risk of developing it within five years. My book is designed to be a resource for such people as well as their relatives, friends or carers who want to help them cope with diabetes.
I decided this book was needed while researching the literature on type 2 diabetes, partly for myself because I was diagnosed with the condition 10 years ago and for my healthy lifestyle guidebook ‘Eat, Move, Sleep, Repeat’ published earlier this year by Meyer & Meyer Sport. I decided that many people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes would probably appreciate a single, reliable, evidence-based, high quality resource containing everything that they should know about type 2 diabetes.
In my book I explain what type 2 diabetes is (and how it differs from type 1 diabetes), how the condition is diagnosed, how it is treated (with medication and encouraging changes to lifestyle behaviour), and how the condition is monitored and managed. Then I explain what is known about the causes of type 2 diabetes, what the risk factors are and why it is linked so strongly to being overweight, how someone can determine if (or by how much) they are overweight or overfat, what people with type 2 diabetes can do to reduce their risk of serious health complications and – if they are determined enough – how they can reverse and beat the condition which I successfully achieved myself within only a few months of deciding to do something about it.
“I decided that many people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes would probably appreciate a single, reliable, evidence-based, high quality resource containing everything that they should know about type 2 diabetes.”
To reverse type 2 diabetes you need to lose weight and I describe a novel and effective weight loss plan that is well suited to people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes and uses sensible, varied, non-extreme dieting combined with enjoyable and exhilarating (but not exhausting) exercise that should kick diabetes into remission and improve many other aspects of health in the process. The great thing about the diet part of my weight loss plan is that it does not require sticking with the same boring diet for week after week. I utilize a variety of different, but equally effective diets that can be changed on a weekly basis. And none of the exercises I recommend should leave anyone with aching muscles or feeling sick or tired. I have also devoted a chapter to describing meal ideas and recipes for the dieting part of the weight loss plan.
“The great thing about the diet part of my weight loss plan is that it does not require sticking with the same boring diet for week after week.”
Finally, I would like to emphasise that ‘Beating Type 2 Diabetes’ is based on a sound knowledge of the underpinning science, careful consideration of the consequences for diabetics and novel, but evidence-based guidelines on how type 2 diabetes can be reversed by natural means. My aim is to educate the reader about the basic underpinning science and give clear recommendations and advice about how they can cope with their condition. I also want to empower and motivate people with type 2 diabetes to modify their current lifestyle for the better and explain how they can get rid of it for good, improve their quality of life and actually live longer.
