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The saving Australia diet: Jack & Tony's check-up

Type two diabetes is diagnosed every five minutes in Australia and as the rate increases, more doctors are leaning towards changing lifestyle over medication.

Tasmania's Tony Benneworth, NSW mum Cassandra Floyd and Perth resident Jack Merolla volunteered to trial three separate diets with the guidance of doctors and nutrition experts.

They all suffer from varying degrees of type two diabetes and are all facing shortened life expectancy, high risk of amputations, stroke and heart disease.

Cassandra's Dietitians-Association recommended diet – a healthy carbohydrate, low fat approach — delivered success with 4kg weight loss in four weeks and a reduction in her blood sugar levels.

This week, we caught up with Jack and Tony.

TONY - LCHF DIET
Starting weight 121kg

Tony was diagnosed with type two diabetes eight years ago
Tony was diagnosed with type two diabetes eight years ago

When Tony Benneworth was first diagnosed with type two diabetes almost eight years ago, like a lot of men his age his response was to ignore it.

But at 65, he’s taking action.

With the help of Dr Gary Fettke and Pete Evans, he’s gone on a low carb, healthy fat diet, and four weeks in the results are already incredible.

Tony's diet has resulted in a remarkable 7kg weight loss and 8cm trimmed off his dangerous belly fat in four weeks.

What is even more remarkable is it has allowed his to eliminate one of his diabetes type two medications entirely.

"This is what I love about this way of eating because by about anywhere from week three to week six, your body will stop being a sugar burner and change to being a fat burner," coach Pete Evans said.

Tony has admitted to having several 'cheat days' at the football, resulting in an obvious blood sugar spike, but overall he has improved his health markedly.

For Tony's wife the biggest change has been seeing him in the kitchen preparing meals. The former cricketer even whipped up a healthy stir-fry for MKR judge Pete Evans.

"I'm just I'm actually looking forward to the next 20 years if I could get that far I reckon I'm going to be a lot healthier."

JACK - 800 CALORIE DIET
Starting weight: 91kg

Jack is pre-diabetic and has little time to turn his health around
Jack is pre-diabetic and has little time to turn his health around

When we first met Jack Merolla he was a borderline diabetic and unless he changed his diet faced being medicated for the rest of his life

The former binge eater was assigned the Michael Mosley 800-calorie blood sugar diet, the most extreme of our chosen diets, designed for rapid weight loss to escape the danger zone.

After eating less than a third of the calories he’s used to Jack lost 12.6 kilos in just six weeks.

"The first three weeks of my diet, that, I'll be very honest here, was not easy. Um that was big change and I struggled."

"It's changed my life. I was a couch potato, all I wanted to do was sleep, wasn't interested in doing anything with my wife. Now instead I just want to go out there and live life."

The diet wiped 15cm off his stomach and has given him more energy and a better understanding of how to eat.

Dr Patrick Garratt delivered the amazing results, including a reduction in blood glucose from 8.2 to 6.6.

"You have shown you can reverse your blood sugar. You’ve done the hard work you’ve turned it around that is fantastic".

Dr Moseley has recommended that Jack continue long-term with a 5:2 approach, five days of regular eating and two days per week of the 800 calorie menu, giving him the flexibility to fit it into a normal lifestyle.

More information about the diets can be found in the links below:

Dr Gary Fettke — Orthopaedic surgeon
www.nutritionforlife.healthcare
www.nofructose.com

Pete Evans
www.peteevans.com

Dr Michael Mosley
Medical Broadcaster
www.thebloodsugardiet.com

Dr Patrick Garratt
www.thebloodsugardiet.com.au

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