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Lech Wałęsa is currently staying in a sanatorium in Lądek Zdrój. The former president boasted on a social network that thanks to the diet he used, he gave up insulin after 20 years, and yet he had correct test results. Is it possible?
- The miracle diet helped Lech Wałęsa in his fight against diabetes. It is true that he does not like it very much, but he is slowly getting used to it. The former president boasted that he gave up insulin thanks to the change in diet
- Diet in diabetes is as important as pharmacotherapy, argues Dr. Luiza Napiórkowska, MD. Is diet alone enough to “control” diabetes?
- You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page
“After 20 years, I stopped taking insulin”
“Unbelievable. I don’t know what to do after 20 years of taking insulin, I stopped for the third day. My results are normal without insulin. I don’t like this diet so far, but I’m slowly getting used to it. I wonder if it is possible to live like this in the long run, IT WOULD BE GREAT. I DIDN’T BELIEVE BUT. A MIRACLE DIET, I PERSONALLY CONFIRM, LECH WAŁĘSA »- wrote Lech Wałęsa on his profile on the social network (original spelling). The former president has been suffering from diabetes for over 20 years, and the disease was discovered by accident during routine medical examinations. Wałęsa repeated in interviews that the most difficult part was modifying his diet.
In an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza, he said: “And I like to eat fat, I love sweets, cakes, candies, fudge, marshmallow, I could eat all sweets”. And although Wałęsa admits that he does not like the new diet, he calls it a “miracle diet”. However, is discontinuation of insulin after 20 years of taking it healthy practically overnight?
– It is worth noting that the president wrote that he did not take insulin and was on a diet, but did not mention whether he was taking diabetes medications. The statement is not precise. In my opinion, it is unlikely that the president will not take any anti-diabetic medications at all – noted in an interview with Medonet, Dr. Luiza Napiórkowska, internal medicine doctor, specialist in endocrinologist and diabetologist, author of the blog Okiem Doktor Luiza.
The expert adds that the treatment of type 2 diabetes is not based solely on the administration of insulin. Oral medications are available, as well as medications by injection under the skin that can be taken daily or weekly (depending on the form). This drug, called a GLP-1 analogue, is not insulin, but can replace insulin in some cases. It has been on the market for several years, but has gained popularity recently due to the fact that it is reimbursed in some cases. As you can see, the ex-president has quite a few treatment options, but what about the diet? Can we “control” diabetes thanks to it?
- Massages, walks and vegetable dinners. Lech Wałęsa took up the challenge thanks to which Karolina Szostak lost weight
A diabetic diet is as important as appropriate drug therapy
– If someone, after 20 years of taking pills and insulin, loses weight, introduces dietary recommendations that he has not used before, it is possible to stop taking insulin and use only oral preparations. However, if he has had diabetes for 20 years, has been taking high-dose insulin pills and insulin, and a GLP-1 analogue, it is very unlikely that he will be able to stop taking insulin by changing his diet only. I have not encountered such a case in my clinical practice yet, ”explains Dr. Napiórkowska.
The expert also adds that changing the diet while discontinuing insulin and tablets is a very risky procedure. – Remember that a patient who takes insulin therapy is a patient for whom oral antidiabetic drugs were most often insufficient to maintain normal blood glucose (glucose) levels.
It is worth knowing, however, that changing the diet, and actually changing the lifestyle in diabetes, is not only an “addition” to treatment, but is as important as appropriate pharmacotherapy.
– If the patient eats a high-sugar meal with a high glycemic index, in which there will be a lot of glucose, despite the fact that he is taking medication, there will be a glycemic burst. If, on the other hand, he eats a low-sugar meal, containing little glucose, e.g. groats, boiled meat, and green vegetables – these are products that do not give off sugar, there will be no glucose burst. Similarly, if he eats, for example, corn flakes with milk and a bun, it is a high-sugar meal and not even the golden drug will help him – explains the expert.
Taking care of proper nutrition, physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight is as important in the treatment of diabetes as taking pills or insulin.
– If a patient is taking medications, insulin, but will move more, follow dietary recommendations, it is possible that he will have a reduced dose of insulin, and possibly discontinued, assuming that the values of the taken insulin are small. On the other hand, if the patient is obese, takes oral medications, and has a high insulin requirement, it is virtually impossible to discontinue insulin, concludes Dr. Napiórkowska.
Therefore, there is no doubt that the change in lifestyle, even after these 20 years, if it is consistent and, most importantly, carried out under the supervision of a doctor, will benefit the former president’s health.
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