There are simple lifestyle-based approaches that will improve and even remit Type 2 diabetes: Intermittent fasting, minimal processed food and light exercise leading to weight loss all play a part in that – so what is the answer, why not ‘prescribe’ it? What follows are own opinions (based on research natch!) are in the slider below. Let me know what you think in the comments section…
Measure around your body midway between those two points
We use BMI as one input to your Type 2 risk score, but it’s only part of the picture
BMI is a simplistic way of relating your weight to your height to give an arbitary measure/estimate of your BMI status. It’s calculated as:
weight ÷ height².
The chart above shows the
typical ranges used to denote ⚖️ under-weight ⚖️ healthy-weight ⚖️ over-weight ⚖️ Obese (3 levels I to III).
Your BMI score is compared against the number ranges... so a score of 32 falls in the 30-35 range which in turn, means class I obesity and so on....
Why it’s not the full story:
It can’t tell the difference between muscle and fat
Very muscular people may have a “high” BMI but low body fat
More weight around the waist has a greater risk even at the same BMI
Age, sex and ethnicity also affect risk at a given BMI
⏱️ Intermittent Fasting sounds technical but is really simple – it’s an eating
pattern that alternates between set periods of eating and not eating
⏱️ Why fasting? When you fast, the body switches from using glucose from food
to using stored fat for energy. Over time this can improve insulin sensitivity and
metabolic efficiency
⏱️ Novice or a fasting guru? If you select novice, it will include longer eating periods at the start, reducing them over time. A fasting guru does not need these longer periods to adjust to fasting, they are experienced enough not to need it. Not new to fasting simply means it's balanced somewhere between novice and guru
Autophagy sounds complicated but it simply means your body is doing a
spring-clean at the cell level. Old or damaged bits are broken down
and recycled so new, healthier parts can be built. Autophagy is boosted by more than fasting — exercise, good sleep, lower insulin, and reducing constant snacking all support fasting to help your cells switch into clean-up and repair mode
However helpful and indeed important the other factors are, fasting is generally considered the strongest and most reliable natural trigger for autophagy. It helps clean up stressed or overloaded cells in the liver, pancreas, muscles and fat tissue — the same cells involved in insulin resistance — giving your body a chance to reset and work more efficiently
Autophagy typically begins to rise after around 12–16 hours of fasting, becoming more meaningful after 18–24 hours, and more pronounced beyond 24 hours — depending on insulin levels, liver glycogen and metabolic health
Periods of fasting give your body a break from dealing with
constant food and can encourage more of this “clean-up” work in the
background
🗑️♻️ Think of it as your cells taking out the rubbish and tidying up
🤸💪 It’s part of how your body stays healthy and resilient over time
This explanation is for general education only and isn’t a medical
recommendation. Always check with a healthcare professional if
you’re unsure whether fasting is right for you
🔍 Analysing data, preparing your Type 2 Assessment. Stand by…
⏳ Still working – OCR and CGM data crunching can take a couple of minutes.
Please keep this tab open.
🏁 Final stretch – compiling your personalised report now…
Use a flexible tape measure (Doh!)
Feel for your bottom rib with your fingers
Feel for the top of your hip bone
