Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Booklist

Technically, in the medical field, it would be called remission, but in the community, it's called reversing Type 2 Diabetes. 

Diabetes is a result insulin resistance/metabolic disorder.  Sugar, in the form of all carbohydrates, can worsen insulin resistance. The following books will do a great job of explaining the process far better than I can.

In short, you want to eat fewer than 30g of total carbs per day (not net carbs!), 70% fat, and the rest protein.  I'm coming up on the start of my third year doing this. It is sustainable. There are people that have been doing this over 10 years with wonderful results.  I use Cronometer Gold to track my macros. (It tracks calories, too.) 

My lipid panel is better than it ever has been in my entire adult life. I had a drastic reduction in my triglycerides, which is extremely beneficial.

Everyone needs to do what works for them.  Make it your own.  This is how I reversed my Type 2 Diabetes.  Easy peasy. 

One caveat: many medical practitioners and nutritionists are grossly misinformed about low carbohydrate diets. Some, such as my former practitioner, did not even know that the American Diabetes Association endorsed the low carbohydrate diet  in 2018 and has continued to do so because it is highly effective in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. Trust the science. There are a plethora of evidence-based journal articles supporting the safety, health benefits, and efficacy of low carbohydrate diets.  Hit up Google Scholar and see for yourself, or read the books in the following booklist.  

I am not giving medical advice, not telling anyone how to eat, or what to do. I am not an expert, I am just sharing the books I've read in my research, and the path that I have chosen to take which is working for me. I have read too many peer-reviewed, evidence-based journal articles to share here.

Booklist

My favorite:

The first book I bought and based my dietary intake on was Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars Hardcover – Illustrated, November 1, 2011 by Richard K. Bernstein MD.  This is my "bible."

My next favorite: 

Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease--and How to Fight It by Benjamin Bikman (a must read!)

Other books I have read or have purchased to read:

The Case Against Sugar – Gary Taubes (ANY book by Gary Taubes is a sure bet!) 

 The Case for Keto by Gary Taubes

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It Paperback by Gary Taubes 

The Carnivore Diet — Sean Baker

The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet by Nina Teicholz

End Your Carb Confusion by Dr. Eric Westman and Amy Berger 

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung

The Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung

Stay Off My Operating Table: A Heart Surgeon’s Metabolic Health Guide to Lose Weight, Prevent Disease, and Feel Your Best Every Day by Dr. Philip Ovadia

Fitness Confidential by Vinnie Tortorich (Vinnie has a very unique sense of humor that not everyone may appreciate)

Ketogenic Diet Therapies for Epilepsy and Other Conditions, Seventh Edition Paperback – December 16, 2020 by Eric Kossoff MD, Zahava Turner RD CSP LDN, Mackenzie C. Cervenka MD, Bobbie J. Barron RD LDN. This is the medical book for ketogenic diets, and it includes weight loss and diabetes information. Only a few pages are dedicated to these two topics. 

Eat Fat and Grow Slim by Dr. Richard Mackarness 

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance by Jeff S. Volek and Stephen D. Phinney 

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable by Stephen D. Phinney and Jeff S. Volek 

Fork in the Road: A Hopeful Guide to Food Freedom by Jen Unwin (Dr. Unwin is a psychologist and specializes in food addiction and low carbohydrate diets. Her husband is Dr. David Unwin, a medical doctor who focuses on low carbohydrate diets for health.) (This was free on Kindle Unlimited when I read it.)

Fatty Liver Protocol: Regain your youthful energy, improve your sleep, and lose stubborn fat while fixing your Fatty Liver with diet and exercise by Dr. J. Matthew Durham (This was free on Kindle Unlimited when I read it)

New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great. Paperback – March 2, 2010 by Dr. Eric C. Westman, Stephen D. Phinney,  and Jeff S. Volek 

Honorable Mention

Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health--and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and Moreby Dr. Christopher Palmer     

Dr. Palmer is a psychiatrist at a Harvard hospital, and while not much in the book refers to the ketogenic diet, if you search his name on YouTube for podcasts, he explains that he has had patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia go into remission by using a ketogenic diet. Much research is being done now on the benefits of this diet approach in the field of mental health.