By naturopath Margaret Jasinska 

Losing weight is tough for almost everyone. It’s especially hard for type 2 diabetics. Metabolic hormones and hunger hormones are usually out of balance in diabetics. The calories they consume are more likely to get stored as fat rather than burnt for energy. This also means meals are less satiating and hunger and cravings can become unbearable. Diabetics typically put in twice the effort but only experience a quarter of the reward when trying to lose weight. Fortunately there are ways to out smarten your metabolism and successfully lose weight.

Insulin resistance

Type 2 diabetics all experience some degree of insulin resistance. Being insulin resistant means the insulin your pancreas secretes isn’t as effective as it should be. Insulin is supposed to enable your body to burn calories up for energy. Instead, insulin resistant people turn the calories into body fat. The excess insulin that’s produced also inhibits the fat burning enzymes in your body from working properly. Insulin instructs your kidneys to retain sodium and water, therefore you can get bloated and puffy.

Correcting insulin resistance and losing weight is possible with a low carbohydrate diet. Insulin resistant people cannot handle common levels of carbohydrate in their diet. They over secrete insulin in response to eating carbs and they are less likely to feel satisfied after a meal, therefore tend to over eat or want to graze all day.

Carbohydrate needs to be restricted in the diet. It is best to get your carbohydrate from vegetables, along with small amounts of fruit, nuts and seeds. Some diabetics will even need to avoid fruit for a period of time. Fruit is a healthy food for most people, but very insulin resistant people who are not able to lose weight should go without fruit for a while; until they have reduced their blood insulin level. There are no nutrients present in fruit that can’t be obtained from vegetables. There is an easy to follow low carbohydrate eating plan in the book I can’t lose weight and I don’t know why and Diabetes Type 2 – you can reverse it book.

Protein is the most important nutrient for those wanting to lose weight and reduce their blood insulin level. It is critical to eat protein at every meal because it is extremely satiating. It will help to make you feel full and satisfied after a meal, and keep you feeling satisfied for longer. This way sticking to a healthy diet won’t be so much of a struggle.

Examples of protein rich foods include eggs, seafood, poultry and red meat. Dairy products, nuts and seeds contain smaller levels of protein. Protein powders can be extremely helpful for those wanting to lose weight because they provide a quick, tasty and easy meal option for busy days.

People with type 2 diabetes need a higher amount of healthy fats in their diet. Fat is beneficial because it is very satiating. It will help to keep you full for longer, making it easier to avoid sugary snacks. Fat is also the only nutrient that doesn’t raise insulin levels, and elevated insulin is the driver of type 2 diabetes. Examples of healthy fats include avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, grass fed butter, nuts and seeds and fat from grass fed animals such as lard, duck fat and tallow.

Leptin resistance

Leptin is a hormone that your fat cells make. It travels to your brain and tells it you’ve had enough to eat, there is enough fat on your body and you don’t need to eat anymore. If your leptin is working well, you find it easy to maintain your weight. You eat enough to satisfy your appetite and you’re not interested in over-eating.

Unfortunately, leptin resistance is extremely common. If your fat cells have been pumping out high levels of leptin for some time, your brain stops responding to it. That can give you feelings of intense hunger and cravings that are never satisfied. What causes leptin resistance? The biggest factors are consuming excess sugar (particularly fructose) and having high blood triglycerides, eating too often (snacking) and having a disrupted circadian rhythm.

Having a healthy circadian rhythm means doing all or most of your eating before the sun has set plus getting bright light exposure during the day (spending time outdoors) and avoiding bright blue light at night (limiting screen time).

If we improve liver function, it’s much easier to control blood levels of insulin, leptin and glucose (sugar). The role of the liver in overcoming diabetes is often overlooked, which makes it much harder to achieve wellbeing and prevent complications of diabetes. A fatty liver doesn’t store glycogen as well. That means you may be more prone to low blood sugar, feeling weak, shaky, hungry and moody if you don’t eat carbs every few hours. There is helpful information about keeping your liver healthy in the book Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It.

Magnesium is also necessary for healthy insulin action. People who take blood pressure medication or diuretics (fluid tablets) are typically low in magnesium. Magnesium helps to relax your nervous system and makes you feel less stressed. Thus it is fantastic for people who eat when they feel stressed.