I had a couple of comments from 'Paul' on my last post which I printed unmoderated, and I feel that the comments warrant an answer. I will give my responses in blue:

In his comments Paul said
"Do not listen to doctors or take their drugs (such as Metformnin) at least until you have read up on what mercola has to say as regards treating T2D with exercise and changes in diet. I have researched extensively on T2D and yes if you have pre diabetes, exercise and diet can delay the full onset. I don't have pre diabetes, I have full blown T2D. My body does not produce enough insulin, and what it does produce my body is resistant to. I am not a medical person and cannot make sense of all the conflicting and contradictory stuff you can find on the internet. I trust my GP and the advice he gives, and also the diabetes specialist that he refers me to.

You write: "I still eat healthy" ... are you sure about that? Have you always? What do you consider healthy. T2D is like smoking. The damage is acquired over years and can only be undone over months and years. I have eaten fresh fruit and vegetables daily for decades. I avoid salt and added sugars and rarely eat fast food or preprepared foods. I have less than one unit of alcohol daily, and have not drunk to excess for about 30 years. I have avoided additives and preservatives as I knew of the damage they caused as long ago as the seventies. I avoid aspartme with a vengence. The research that I have read tells me that D2D once established is not reversible. It is however manageable. In the UK we have a very good health system and my GP is providing excellent care, checking all associated risks such as CVD and CHD.

"I am still relatively sedentary". This says that until now you have been sedentary in your life. don't expect miracles but decent exercise and diet will undo some of the harm you've done yourself through a sedentary lifestyle." As well as Chronic T2D I also have had lower back pain and knee problems since my teens. I have latterly added hip problems to my list. These are also classed as chronic and have been addressed where possible by surgery to sadly a limited success. I cannot run or jog or swim or lift weights etc. I do what I can, use stairs rather than elevators/lifts etc. I am not a blob glued to the couch, but I am not able to enjoy the benefits of a gym. To compensate this I have had an excellent diet for about 35 years now.


Paul, thank you for your comments and thank you for the reference to the Mercola site, I was aware of it and many similar. I am very sorry to hear that your father passed away from D2D CVD complications, losing a loved one is never easy. My own father passed away at too young an age and I know what a distressing time that is, no day goes by where something doesn't remind me of him.

If you read back through my previous blogs you will see that I comment on diabetes and some of the things that I have discovered. I never moderate comments and welcome every one I receive, you will also see how impressed I am with the medical care I have received. On the framingham scale I am actually a lower risk of CVD and CHD than a non diabetic. (also blogged recently).

Diabetes is a sentence for life but I do not treat it as a life sentence but I do treat it with respect.