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WEBSITE DESIGNED BY LISAMDESIGN 2020
A fresh approach to diabetes
While type 1 diabetes is not reversible, people living with type 1 and type 1.5 diabetes (also called LADA) will benefit enormously
from this program. The evidence shows it will improve their insulin-sensitivity, which reduces the doses of insulin needed. They will
be able to eat a healthy diet with plenty of complex carbohydrates, which has many health benefits, including reducing their risk of
cardiovascular disease.
High levels of insulin, even with normal blood sugar levels, are very harmful long term, causing cardiovascular disease amongst
other conditions. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, strongly linked to dietary risk factors, including dairy protein
consumption and it will always require insulin therapy. Type 1.5 is similar but onsets in late adulthood and more slowly
*The results achieved require a customised plan based on the health of each participant and will depend entirely on program
compliance and completion.
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No. Keep in mind that vegan or vegetarian foods are not necessarily healthy anyway. There are plenty of highly
processed junk foods that are vegetarian or vegan.
We understand some people have eaten animal foods their whole life and giving them up totally would feel like
deprivation and just seem unrealistic.
The evidence is that the more the diet is based on a variety of minimally processed, plant-based foods, the
faster type 2 diabetes will reverse. If you are happy with steady progress in the right direction and are willing to
slowly change your diet, we can work with that and can include some animal foods in your program.
Just keep in mind, the reversal will be faster and longer lasting the more the food is plant based. You may be
surprised how hard it is to tell some plant based dishes apart from their animal based versions, when our food
coaches show you how.
Firstly, the word diet is not really appropriate. We are using a long term, permanent way of eating that is based on the principles of
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) which is a food-as-medicine concept. The way of eating focuses on nutrient density and is a combination of
the best aspects of a number of ways of eating. The best known include the genuine Mediterranean diet, the Okinawan diet, the DASH diet,
Nordic diet and low carb diet. We can't emphasise enough though that the meal plans are individualised and specifically developed to suit the
client.
The only part of our program that is a diet is when we use the Karbeto diet in the early phase of the program if insulin resistance is a
problem. This low Glycaemic Load (GI) diet prevents blood sugar spikes in the early stages of the program when insulin resistance is still high
and a client is very sensitive to carbohydrates and sugars.
The focus is on eating whole foods that are minimally processed, contain no harmful additives, are high in fibre and are nutrient dense. That
means they are rich in plant based foods, vary in fat, complex carbohydrate content and protein. We don’t believe any one diet is the best for
everyone.
By drawing from these various diets, we can create personalised eating plans that will suit just about anyone's preferences.
Finally, before we suggest any dietary changes, we make sure emotional eating and food cravings are addressed. If there is a pattern of
emotional eating in response to stress and/or food cravings, their root causes must be addressed. No amount of willpower can overcome
these eating challenges long-term and all diet changes will only be temporary while they exist.
Most people instinctively know what foods undermine their best intentions. Typically they include foods like chocolate, sweet carbohydrates,
sugary drinks and bread. Why they have an addictive attraction is different for each person. Finding and addressing the underlying causes of
these eating challenges must be a very high priority to ensure long term success of the LiMe program.
Definitely not. These diets keep being reinvented by marketers. The names change over time. They have been known as the Atkins Diet, the low
carb-high fat (LCHF) diet, some versions of paleo, South beach diet and the latest craze being the ketogenic (keto) diet.
They are the exact opposite of what people living with diabetes should be eating long term. The problem is that in the short term their effects can
be deceptive and they appear to work. People often lose weight, reduce blood glucose levels and may even reduce medications.
Type 2 diabetes is not a condition caused by excess carbohydrates or carbohydrate intolerance, as is claimed by keto diet marketers. The false
logic goes that because carbohydrates break down into sugars in the blood and because diabetes is a condition of high blood sugars, avoiding
carbs, reduces sugars and fixes diabetes. It appears logical at first glance. The only problem is, that although it is not immediately obvious, diabetes
is mainly caused by excess fat, not sugar.
Excess fat harms in 2 ways.
Excess fat accumulates in the muscle and liver cells and causes insulin-resistance, which means the insulin-receptors become de-sensitised to
insulin and when that happens, blood glucose can't get into the cells where it is needed for energy. It stays in the bloodstream, giving high sugar
readings-one of a set of metabolic markers for diabetes.
Excess fat also causes the pancreas' insulin-producing cells to fail over time. As excess fat accrues in the pancreas, it releases inflammatory
chemicals that damage the insulin- producing cells, causing them to fail over time, leading to insufficient insulin-production. This is very briefly why
a high fat diet is the last thing needed to treat type 2 diabetes.
So why does a high fat /keto diet appear to work?
If you drastically reduce carbs and replace them with fat, which does not convert into blood sugars like carbohydrates do, very little insulin is
needed and the diabetes condition seems improved. However, in the background, the high fat diet is worsening insulin-resistance and harming
pancreatic function and eventually diabetes will return and be much more difficult to manage due to the damage done. A glucose tolerance test
(GTT) will soon show that the high fat or keto diet is not working. The HbA1c test alone can be very misleading on its own as it does not show the
high's and low's in levels or show the degree of insulin resistance.
This briefly explains why low carb or keto type diets may seem to work in the short term but are very harmful long term to a diabetic’s health.
Read a more in-depth explanation in our BLOG SECTION
No. The LiMe Program way of eating is sustainable long term and allows ‘ad libitum’
eating, meaning eat what you feel is comfortable, without restriction. The secret is
eating nutrient dense foods that are not calorie dense, provide a feeling of fullness
and stop you feeling hungry. Dieting is all about counting calories, portion control
and restriction. It is not sustainable long term because it requires enormous
willpower and deprivation and is not part of the LiMe Program.
‘Diabetes reversal’ is not a cure, but a change in the direction of the condition, to a point where blood glucose levels drop within the normal
range and you no longer require medication. Our aim is to reverse your diabetes to the point that your blood glucose levels are within normal
ranges as measured by the A1C test, the Glucose tolerance test (GTT) and a fasting blood sugar test, without any diabetes medications.
Sometimes, this is just not possible, as in cases of type 1 and 1.5 diabetes, or in rare type 2 situations where the pancreas’ beta cells are
permanently damaged and secrete insufficient amounts of insulin to control blood glucose levels without some exogenous insulin-therapy.
The goal is to restore insulin-sensitivity and reverse insulin-resistance which is a realistic goal for most people with type 2 diabetes. The evidence
is simply overwhelming that the more the long term way of eating moves towards nutrient dense foods with a substantial part being plant based,
the better the outcomes. However, please remember that this is a permanent lifestyle change to ensure symptoms don’t return.
Sure. Our coaching plans are evidence based. We can provide references to the supporting evidence so your doctor can be fully
informed, reassured and hopefully supportive. We prefer you to work with your own doctor and most doctors will understand the
decision is always yours and be supportive, once they review the evidence. However, if necessary, we can connect you with doctors
who are already aware of the evidence that shows type 2 diabetes is reversible using Lifestyle Medicine.
Many doctors have a medication centred approach to diabetes management and most have minimal nutrition education, but if they
examine the evidence we provide with your coaching plan, it should be obvious which approach works best long term. Keep in mind
too, that most doctors are not reimbursed adequately by insurers or public health systems to deliver lifestyle advice. Unfortunately,
the reimbursement schedules encourage short, 15 minute consultations and financially penalise long consultations.
Some do, including our program partners and a growing number of health practitioners, especially in
the United States. New research knowledge takes around 17 years to become standard practice and the
vast majority of doctors are still not aware of the newer research showing type 2 diabetes is reversible
with lifestyle medicine.
There are 2 other reasons why they don’t:
Firstly, most doctors have no training in or knowledge of Medical Nutrition Therapy. In Australia, for
example, they typically receive just two hours of nutrition education in their six years of medical school.
Even if they are aware of the research, the 2nd challenge that doctors face is that they are poorly
reimbursed by public health systems or insurers for providing Lifestyle Medicine-oriented services.
These services take a substantial amount of time to deliver. Unfortunately, public health systems and
private insurers currently offer very little incentive to time poor doctors to provide their patients with the
support and education that is needed in the early stages of diabetes. We are filling that gap while
working with doctors and other health professionals.
So, don’t be surprised that your doctor is not offering anything other than very general advice on
lifestyle measures and suggests medications.
Firstly, although it's not implemented nearly enough, leading diabetes organisations like the American Diabetes Association (ADA) very
strongly emphasise the critical role of aggressive lifestyle intervention in treating diabetes. The 2019 ADA Standards of Medical Care in
Diabetes includes a large section on lifestyle management and says it forms a fundamental aspect of care. The American Diabetes Association
(ADA) “Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2019” are the ADA’s clinical practice recommendations regarding the components of diabetes
care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Lifestyle management is actually very 'mainstream'
treatment but many doctors are not aware of it.
In the United States, Dr. Dean Ornish, arguably the world leader in lifestyle medicine, has a program with many similarities. His focus is
primarily on reversing heart disease but many participants have type 2 diabetes. It is so effective that US Medicare and many US health funds
now pay for it. Scroll down to the Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes section of that site.
Follow up studies with program participants (34% of whom had type 2 diabetes) showed amazing results for people with diabetes.
Participants’ Haemoglobin A1C dropped below 7.0 and stayed there on a follow-up visit a year later. This was the case even when participants
dramatically reduced their diabetes medications.
Participants continued to see a decrease in weight, medication usage and blood sugar. Many decrease their insulin in a few weeks and many
come off their insulin in a matter of a few months. They even had some dramatic cases of peoples’ insulin needs dropping by 80% in 4 days.
The evidence underpinning our program’s approach is consistent and long-standing. It has all been peer reviewed
and is published in respected journals. We provide links to 10 journal articles in one document.
For just a taste of the evidence, read this recent newsletter article written by Dr Ben Brown MD, Medical Director,
Ornish Lifestyle Medicine. It references credible studies showing dramatic reductions in insulin-requirements,
achieved following a high complex carb diet (yes, the one people living with diabetes are told to avoid).
Our coaching plans are evidence based. Every plan will include references to the supporting evidence, ranging from
peer reviewed journal articles to inspiring case studies of people who have succeeded on this type of program.
The evidence is very strong. If you follow this program and are currently on medications
for diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and/or cardiovascular disease, you should
expect at a minimum to significantly reduce your medication dosage and lose weight in a
matter of weeks. Based on evidence from similar programs in the USA, about 75% clients
with type 2 diabetes will be medication free in a matter of months and be non-diabetic.
Results can vary and are dependent on compliance and persistence in working together to
develop a plan that achieves your goals. We back our methods by offering to refund
coaching fees if you don't experience improvement following the agreed program. Full
details of that performance guarantee are provided with the plan.
Distance is not a problem. Our programs are
delivered using telemedicine. We use video
conferencing, phone and email. We have external
providers, including doctors and dietitians in
Australia, New Zealand and North America.
We always offer a free, 15 minute, no obligation
phone discussion and can offer longer phone
appointments for a fee. In addition, we structure the
program plans in such a way that you are not locked
in and can withdraw at any time.
No. Your wellness coach is your independent advocate and
supports you in choosing medical or other external program
partners you want to work with. Any recommendation of a
particular external program partner is based purely on non-
financial considerations. We do not directly sell anything
other than our professional, fee based coaching services.
The wellness coaching fees are currently not
reimbursed but many fees charged by
external program partners such as doctors
and dietitians are claimable through Medicare
(Australia) public health systems and private
health insurers, as normal.
YES. We understand it is hard to know who to believe when it comes to the best way to deal with diabetes - many health professionals and
diabetes organisations are still clinging to the old beliefs like 'once a diabetic, always a diabetic' or 'type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition
that cannot be cured or reversed'. These outdated beliefs will persist for many years to come, despite the evidence that says otherwise.
To show confidence in our program in a meaningful way, we will put our coaching fees on the line. It is fairly simple - if you follow a program
coaching module that we have both agreed on and verify that, but are not getting results you are satisfied with, we will either refund the fees
for that coaching module or allow you to do that coaching module again at no cost.
To minimise your financial risk, we arrange our coaching proposals into small, short term modules or stages. Typically, they are between 2 - 4
weeks per module. We don't ask you to sign up to or pay for long contracts that lock you in; just short modules with no obligation to continue
onto the next stage if you are not getting the results you want.
Before moving forward to the next stage of coaching, we simply ask you to say whether you were satisfied with the stage just completed before
moving forward.
The full terms and conditions will be included in your coaching agreement. The only items not covered by our fee refund policy are fees you
may pay to third party providers of services, such as pathology labs, a doctor or a dietitian. These are always paid directly by you to those
providers. In most cases, these third party providers are partly or wholly paid for by public health or private insurance schemes, so the financial
risk is quite minimal overall.
No. We are not in the business of trying to lock clients into expensive
or long-term contracts. As explained in the earlier question about
fees being refundable, we arrange our coaching into stages or
modules of typically 2-4 weeks duration. You can exit a program at
any stage and only pay for services provided to that point. Full details
are provided before you enter into any fee arrangement. We can
customise the programs and everything is negotiable. The table on
our home page shows 4 general program options but these are a
guide and will be customised to suit your unique circumstances.
We create individualised coaching plans to suit each client and their unique situation, so costs vary enormously depending on the
level of support required and complexity of your health situation. We are very happy to discuss indicative pricing once we know about
your unique situation and what you are likely to need, and of course, what you can afford. This is why we suggest everyone takes
advantage of our free, no obligation, 15 minute phone call offer before doing anything.
On our home page we have given indicative costs of the 4 packages. These are just a guide and the basis of the indicative pricing is
explained on the home page.
Program cost depends on the level of support needed and program length. For example, if you have been diagnosed recently with pre-
diabetes and don't have any other chronic health problems and don't struggle with emotional eating or have food cravings, our
standard program is most likely going to be suitable and will be lower cost and of shorter duration. At the other end of the spectrum, if
you have a long standing diagnosis of diabetes, are on multiple medications, have other chronic health problems, have diabetes
complications and struggle with food cravings or emotional eating, the intensive support program will probably be required and it is
more expensive and may need to go for a longer period. However, until we know a lot more about you, we can't estimate how long you
may need to remain on our program and just how intensive the support will need to be.
Yes, definitely. The evidence shows that following this type of program
diligently over months is likely to provide weight loss, reduce hypertension
(high blood pressure), improved cardio vascular disease, total cholesterol,
triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol. In addition, you will help reduce the risk of
typical longer-term complications of diabetes such as strokes, heart attack,
erectile dysfunction, renal failure, nerve pain, blindness, foot sores, ulcers
and amputations.
Programs focusing only on dietary change, while ignoring the underlying
psychological issues, can have poor results. Energy Psychology modalities
including EFT are rapidly becoming recognised as a very effective treatments
in overcoming eating disorders. Our program partner, Dr Peta Stapleton, a
clinician at Bond University is a world leader in research on the use of
evidence based EFT with eating disorders. Read more HERE. A summary of
the research that supports the efficacy of Energy Psychology can be read
HERE.
