A landmark Australian report has highlighted that remissio, not just management, should be the target for type 2 diabetes interventions, and that low carb provides a valuable way to achieve this.
Submitted by the Education and Health Standing Committee of Western Australia’s parliament, the document is calling for a complete shake-up of the official dietary guidance given to those who are newly diagnosed.
At the moment, people who develop type 2 diabetes are told to follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which recommend starchy foods such as bread, rice, and pasta.
However, Dr David Unwin – who helped develop our NHS-approved Low Carb Program app and was the NHS Innovator of the Year in 2006 – is one of the many leading low carb GPs who has demonstrated in a range of studies how high carb foods can damage the body.
The Australian committee recently visited the UK as part of their research and Dr Unwin hosted a presentation about his pioneering approach.
Entitled ‘The Food Fix: The role of diet in type 2 diabetes prevention and management’, the document stated that the Australian Dietary Guidelines “should not be used for people with diabetes”, and they were not suitable for those who require “special dietary advice” because of a medical condition.
The report also says if there is one thing to take away it is that type 2 diabetes can be put into remission and it need not be a lifelong, progressive, chronic illness.
The Chair of the document, Janine Marie, said: “We need to encourage people to focus on what and how much should be eaten to ensure a healthy future, not simply telling them what they cannot consume.
“This is the message from UK low carbohydrate diet advocate, Dr David Unwin: not one of deprivation but one of replacement, rebalancing and flourishing through food choices that ensure blood glucose levels remain stable, putting consumers in control.”
A firm believer in lifestyle prescription, Dr Unwin has saved his surgery a total of £57,000 on prescriptions for people with type 2 diabetes by encouraging people to replace carbs with foods that provide nutrition with a lower glycemic index.