Clare Bailey - The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book

Disclaimer: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its authors. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is not intended as and should not be relied upon as medical advice. It is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health, or any other kind of personal or professional services in the book. The reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this book or drawing inferences from it. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and applications of any of the contents of this book.

If you have underlying health problems, or have any doubts about the information contained in this book, you should contact a qualified medical, dietary, or other appropriate professional. Caution discuss your diet plans with your doctor if any of the following apply: You have a history of eating disorders You are on insulin or a diabetic medication other than metformin you may need to plan how you reduce your medication to avoid too fast a drop in blood sugar You are on blood pressure tablets you may have to reduce or come off them You have moderate or severe retinopathy you should have an extra screening within six months of reducing or reversing the diabetes You have a significant psychiatric disorder You are taking warfarin You have epilepsy You have a significant medical condition Dont go on the diet if: You are under 18 Your BMI is below 21 You are pregnant or breastfeeding You are recovering from surgery, are unwell or you are generally frail Published in 2016 by Simon & Schuster Australia Suite 19A, Level 1, Building C 450 Miller St Cammeray NSW 2062 www.SimonandSchuster.com.au Copyright Parenting Matters Ltd Photographs copyright Joe Sarah Design by Andrew Smith The right of Clare Bailey to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000. 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. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia. ISBN: 9781925456592(p)/9781925456608(e)

It was a long time ago but I can remember two things he said. Firstly, based on previous experience, he predicted that four of us in the room would marry. He was right: I met my wife that day (more about her later). The other memorable thing he said was that, while we would learn an enormous amount during our medical training, in time much of it would become out of date. Which is why it is so important for doctors (and the rest of us) to try and keep up with the latest science. I was mindful of this when, in 2012, I went to see my GP with a minor complaint, had a routine blood test and discovered that I was a type 2 diabetic.

I was told that I should start on medication. But I wasnt convinced that my only option was to spend a lifetime on drugs. So I started researching alternative approaches. I came across something called intermittent fasting and, the more I dug, the more interesting it looked. I finally decided to make a documentary about intermittent fasting for the BBC science series, Horizon , with myself as the subject. In the course of making the documentary I put myself on what I called a 5:2 diet, whereby you eat normally five days a week and cut your calories down to around 600 calories for two days.

On this diet I lost 9kg in 12 weeks and my blood sugar levels went back to normal. I later co-wrote a book, The Fast Diet , which became an international bestseller. That book was not, however, aimed at diabetics and I wondered at the time why losing the weight had produced such a dramatic impact on my blood sugar levels. Then, in 2015, I met up with Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University, one of Europes leading diabetes experts. Its been known for some time that too much fat around your middle (so-called visceral fat) greatly increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Our rapidly expanding waists have been a major driver behind the huge rise in rates of type 2 diabetes in recent times.

Ideally, your waist (measured round your bellybutton) should be less than half your height. In other words, if you are 1.8m tall, your waist should be less than 90cm. Visceral fat is particularly bad for you because it clogs up your liver and your pancreas (the organ that produces the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels). Once this happens you are on the path to becoming a diabetic. The good news, however, is that this is not inevitable. You can do something to both prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes.

Professor Taylor told me he and his team had shown that, if you can reduce your body weight by 10-15%, this shrinks the visceral fat, unclogs your liver and pancreas and, in the majority of diabetic patients, enables them to come off their medication. Meanwhile, if you are a prediabetic (i.e. you have raised blood sugars but are not yet in the diabetic range) then a 10% reduction in body weight will cut your chance of becoming diabetic by an amazing 90%! Professor Taylor also surprised me by saying that one of the most effective ways to lose weight and keep it off is through a rapid weight-loss diet. Id always believed that its better to lose weight slowly and steadily, but this isnt what the latest science shows. In clinical trials Professor Taylors team have shown that going on a programme of 800 calories a day for 8 weeks produces an average weight loss of 14kg and reversal of type 2 diabetes in the majority of patients. His work formed the basis of my most recent book, The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet , and is a founding principle of this companion recipe book.

Although it sounds challenging, most people who have tried the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet have found it easier than conventional dieting and much more rewarding. Carole, for example, wrote to me to say, Having followed the regime in your book I have lost 16kg and I no longer have diabetes. I have gone from dress size 14/16 to 10/12. My husband has lost over 20kg. It has been life-changing and now that we are eating differently I think my taste buds have changed. I find so much more flavour in food.

As Carole hints, it isnt just about cutting your calories, it is also about changing what you eat. I keep my weight off and my blood sugar levels down by minimising sugary and starchy carbs and instead eating a low-carb, Mediterranean-style diet. This is one which is rich in vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, nuts and olive oil and which allows the occasional glass of wine and chocolate, just not the bread, pasta and potatoes. Its the approach that informs the recipes in this book, which were created by Dr Clare Bailey and Dr Sarah Schenker. Sarah is a registered dietitian and nutritionist. Weve worked together on a number of previous books.

I rate her highly. I am also a big fan of Dr Clare Bailey, a GP who just happens to be my wife. As I mentioned earlier we met at medical school and ever since Ive known her she has been passionate about food. She is one of those annoying people who stays slim, seemingly without effort. Her secret is that she rarely snacks and she has always enjoyed a Mediterranean style of eating. She loves trying different ingredients, different combinations, but she also wanted to produce recipes that are not too complicated or expensive.