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Dr Rangan ChatterjeeDr Rangan Chatterjee

You May Never Eat Sugar Again! – How To Reverse Diabetes & Prevent Early Death | Dr. David Unwin

This episode is brought to you by: Ketone IQ: Save 30% OFF your subscription order PLUS get a free gift with your second shipment https://ketone.com/livemore. Bon Charge: Save 20% off all Bon Charge products with code LIVEMORE https://boncharge.com/livemore The Way app: Get 30 FREE sessions and begin your journey towards peace, calm and wellbeing. https://thewayapp.com/livemore If you have ever struggled with your weight, low energy, pre-diabetes or even type 2 diabetes, this is a conversation that could change your life. Dr David Unwin is an NHS GP who not only put his own type 2 diabetes into drug free remission, he has also helped over 150 patients do the same in a standard UK general practice – with ordinary people, on ordinary budgets, using food and lifestyle. It’s estimated that around 7/8ths of the adult population are metabolically unhealthy, which means that only a tiny minority of us are truly metabolically well. And this is a serious issue because poor metabolic health is one of the root cause drivers of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s and many forms of cancer. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why I co-founded Do Health https://drchatterjee.com/do-health/ - a personalised health companion, powered by your individual biology and lifestyle - as a way of helping people improve their metabolic health early, well before they get sick in the future. In this week’s episode, we cover: ● The early signs of poor metabolic health, and why symptoms like fatigue, belly fat and brain fog are often overlooked. ● Why many issues we see as ‘normal ageing’ are actually signs of insulin resistance. ● How David himself reversed his own type 2 diabetes and, at the same time, improved his mood, energy and cognition. ● How reducing starchy carbohydrates if you have metabolic dys-regulation can dramatically improve blood sugar control ● Why so many of us struggle with bread, pasta, and ultra processed foods – and how food addiction may be silently driving our behaviour. ● The two women who helped David rethink everything he thought he knew about food, hope and healing ● And why it’s never too late to work on your metabolic health and why doing so can change every aspect of your life. One of the things I love most about David is his passion. He really is someone who genuinely wants to improve the health and lives of his patients and our hope is this conversation empowers you to make small changes that will improve your blood sugar, weight, energy, and ultimately, your future. #feelbetterlivemore Connect with Dr Unwin: Website https://www.dietdoctor.com/authors/dr-david-unwin Twitter https://twitter.com/lowcarbGP Dr Unwin resources: Teaspoon sugar infographics https://phcuk.org/sugar/ #feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast ------- Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK ----- Follow Dr Chatterjee at: Website: https://drchatterjee.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Dr. Rangan Chatterjeehost
Jan 13, 20262h 15mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Low-carb living to reverse type 2 diabetes and restore vitality

  1. Dr. David Unwin describes early, easily missed signs of worsening metabolic health—post-meal fatigue, belly growth, brain fog, low mood, high triglycerides, fatty liver—and how these can be reversible.
  2. He explains his practice’s low-carb approach for type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, using tools like “teaspoons of sugar equivalents” and (sometimes) continuous glucose monitors to reveal which foods spike glucose.
  3. Unwin presents real-world NHS practice data showing substantial remission and improvement rates, improved cardiovascular and kidney markers, and major medication cost savings.
  4. The conversation critiques current medical culture for inadequate informed consent around lifelong prescribing and over-reliance on guidelines instead of curiosity and outcomes.
  5. They broaden prevention beyond clinics, advocating societal changes (UPF taxation, planning restrictions on fast food, subsidizing local whole foods) and earlier detection tools like fasting insulin tests.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Type 2 diabetes is the end-stage of years of metabolic decline.

Unwin frames diabetes as a late diagnosis after prolonged insulin resistance, often preceded by fatigue after meals, central fat gain, brain fog, low mood, fatty liver, and elevated triglycerides.

Belly size can be a practical early screen.

He suggests a simple check: waist circumference should be less than half your height (the “string test”), with central adiposity signaling insulin resistance risk.

For many with type 2 diabetes, starch behaves like sugar.

He teaches that bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, and cereals can drive glucose spikes because they digest into glucose—critical when insulin is impaired.

Make dietary impact tangible using ‘teaspoons of sugar equivalents.’

By translating glycemic load into teaspoons of sugar (e.g., a portion of rice ≈ ~10 tsp; baked potato ≈ ~9 tsp), patients better grasp why “healthy” carbs may still worsen glycemia in insulin resistance.

Low-carb often reduces hunger after an adaptation period.

Patients commonly report less hunger; some experience short-term ‘keto flu’ while shifting enzymes and fuel use from glucose to fat/ketones.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

If your belly is more than half your height, you may have a problem.

— Dr. David Unwin

Bread is starch, and starch is sugar molecules holding hands.

— Dr. David Unwin

I can start on you drugs for the rest of your life without any informed consent.

— Dr. David Unwin

We’re eating in a perpetual autumn for a winter that never comes.

— Dr. David Unwin

A high blood sugar actually is aging you.

— Dr. David Unwin

Early warning signs of insulin resistanceLow-carb/keto and dual-fuel metabolismTeaspoons-of-sugar food equivalence frameworkReal-world NHS outcomes: remission, biomarkers, costsInformed consent and ethics of lifelong prescribingFood addiction and ultra-processed foodsPrevention policy: taxation, subsidies, and environment design

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