A retired nurse from Oxford who lost nearly six stone by following the Low Carb Program is sharing her inspirational story in a bid to help others.
Rachel Griffin turned to Diabetes.co.uk after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and is now reducing her medication thanks to the guidance and tips she has picked up from the online program.
At one point, Rachel was 18 stone and now she weighs just over 12 stone.
The 56-year-old also said she was surprised how little she knew about type 2 diabetes and has spoken of the moment she realised how much sugar there is in rice and pasta.
Speaking about her diagnosis, Rachel, who has two children, told Oxford Mail: “It came as a complete shock. I have routine blood tests and I just went along and was not even thinking about diabetes.
“I got a call out of the blue telling me to make an urgent appointment but it was a bank holiday weekend so I had to wait to find out why. Lots of things cross my mind but I hadn’t considered it would be diabetes.”
After being surprised how little she knew about type 2 diabetes upon developing the condition, Rachel says the diagnosis was a “blessing in disguise” because of her recently-acquired dietary and lifestyle knowledge.
Rachel said: “I’d worked with diabetes patients before in my job but I didn’t know much about it. When I started to read up online I was astounded at how little I knew.
“I thought I needed to do something to help myself and cutting out all carbs was the way I felt I needed to go. I was eating way too much rice and pasta and couldn’t believe how much sugar these foods include.”
Rachel says her reduced waistline has led to improvements in other conditions she has as well, including hypertension and osteoarthritis. She also says her joints are less inflamed following the change of diet and her weight loss.
Rachel concluded: “It was invaluable to be able to speak to other diabetics and get their tips and ideas. I’ve had to become a bit more creative but I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything. I still get to enjoy occasional treats, even chocolate, and I don’t miss pasta and rice. My outlook has changed so much.”
The Low Carb Program’s one-year health outcomes have been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Internet Research, with improved blood sugar levels, weight loss and reduced dependency on medication among the program’s main benefits.
The multi-award-winning Low Carb Program is demonstrated to help patients with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and obesity sustainably lose weight, improve blood glucose control and reduce diabetes medications. At 1 year, peer-reviewed research shows 26% of participants who completed the program were in remission.
