Roy Taylor - Life Without Diabetes

Praise for Life Without Diabetes

Roy Taylor and his team at Newcastle University have not only cracked the mystery of what causes type 2 diabetes, the greatest health problem of our time, but shown the world how to get rid of it. This is a terrific book, which could help a huge number of people.

Dr Michael Mosley, bestselling author of The Fast 800, The Clever Guts Diet and The 8-week Blood Sugar Diet

Professor Taylors remarkable tenacity in researching the concept that some people are able to put their type 2 diabetes into remission is changing how we think about and treat this pervasive condition.

Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research, Diabetes UK

When I met Roy in 2012, I had type 2 diabetes and he showed me another way. Now my blood sugars are normal and my diabetes is a thing of the past.

Dave Myers, Hairy Biker

Fascinating, informative and, in todays world, important. For anyone with type 2 diabetes its a no-brainer; follow Roys roadmap and reverse it. And if you havent got type 2 diabetes yet follow Roys roadmap and avoid it.

Jimmy Nail, actor and musician

The information contained in this book is provided for general purposes only. It is not intended as and should not be relied upon as medical advice. The publisher and authors are not responsible for any specific health needs that may require medical supervision. If you have underlying health problems, or have any questions about the advice contained in this book, you should contact a qualified medical, dietary, or other appropriate professional.

A note on ingredients: some recipes have been adjusted to account for Australian local produce and availability.

LIFE WITHOUT DIABETES

First published in Australia in 2020 by Simon & Schuster (Australia) Pty Limited

Suite 19A, Level 1, Building C, 450 Miller Street, Cammeray, NSW 2062

First published in the UK by Short Books

A CBS Company

Sydney New York London Toronto New Delhi

Visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.au

Roy Taylor 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: Luke Causby

Cover design by: Luke Causby/Blue Cork

Recipe picture section: photography by Steven Joyce; food styling by Sian Henley; props by Lauren Law

The author of Life Without Diabetes will donate 100% of his proceeds from this book to Diabetes UK (a registered charity in England and Wales (no 215199) and Scotland (SC039136)). This is expected to be at least 15,000.

This book is dedicated to my patients and research volunteers, who taught me so much

Senior Research Investigator, Imperial College, London UK; previously President, European Association for the Study of Diabetes and International Diabetes Federation

Type 2 diabetes has reached pandemic proportions worldwide. In 1980 we estimated that there were fewer than 100 million people affected but since then numbers have increased year by year so that we are now heading for 450 million plus as many again at high risk. No populations have been spared but figures are particularly high amongst countries in the Middle East and South Asians. What is the cause? The big increase has been related to the epidemic of obesity, lack of exercise and adoption of modern nutrition against a genetic susceptibility background. But the precise cause has not previously been identified. Indeed when WHO reclassified types of diabetes in 1979, type 2 diabetes was diagnosed by exclusion: it was what was left over after type 1 diabetes and other types with known causes were excluded. It was anticipated that the number of people in the type 2 category would fall as specific causes were found. However, in the intervening 40 years one could cynically suggest that not too much has changed. There has been a massive hunt for responsible genes with only limited success. The association with overweight/obesity has certainly been strengthened although many people with type 2 diabetes are not particularly overweight. Otherwise it has been a slightly gloomy picture particularly for those who have the disorder. There has also been the view that it is in most people an irreversible disorder.

Professor Taylor in this book shows that the situation is more optimistic. With appropriate food habits and weight loss diabetes CAN be reversed in many people. This is encouraging for the many who have tried but failed due to lack of support and appropriate advice. Even more important he has identified the key role that fat deposits in the liver and pancreas are fundamental to the development of type 2 diabetes, explaining its hallmarks of diminished insulin secretion and insulin resistance.

The book has something for everyone and is written in an engaging style. There is an excellent expose of how metabolism works and how glucose is made and used, and how this all goes wrong in type 2 diabetes. He then goes on to show how it can be controlled or indeed reversed by sensible lifestyle and diet choices. It is eminently readable and suitable for anyone with an interest be they people with diabetes, those with diabetes in the family, anyone curious as to what happens to food in their body or health care professionals. The book breaks new ground and is a compelling and instructive read.

It was my great good fortune to meet Professor Roy Taylor when I filmed the series, The Hairy Dieters, back in 2012. It was a meeting that went far beyond a TV show about, two fat cooks who needed to shed some timber, to a union that changed my life. Seven years on I am fitter than I had been for years.

Professor Taylor has the ability to help you understand what goes on in the body and why. Sometimes it is tough love and you need to get a grip on yourself and your bad habits to get healthy. This he conveys with genuine care and an infectious enthusiasm.

It is clear Roy understands people, and as he says, medicine is all about listening to people. He listened to us, as two people that needed help, beyond the cameras. Roy is the expert in this field, and the research centre he has created in Newcastle is amazing. But what is even more striking is the staff. What a great bunch. Their research has turned the understanding of diabetes upside down, and allowed many people to regain their health. This book explains how your body deals with food and why type 2 diabetes may affect you. There are no short cuts possible, just help based on sound science and with expertise at its core.

Roys first piece of advice to me was this: for long-term health, we should be able to fit into the trousers we wore when we were 21. He proved to us that he practised what he preached, when we danced with him, in his old canary-yellow corduroy flairs on Tynemouth beach! I never quite made it back to the 34-inch (86.4cm) waist of my youth but have managed a 36-inch (91.4cm) waist which wasnt bad from a starting point of 49 inches (124.5cm) some three months previously. The biggest benefit for me was not just being able to wear cooler jeans, it was getting my health back.