I interviewed Barry about his long struggle to control his weight and diabetes, and it really impressed me, as I could see the difficulty and frustrations he had overcome to be very successful. I thought to myself, not everybody could do this, you need to be passionate about your health. Yes, it’s a challenge but Barry has done it. Barry is a surveyor and is a man who likes to understand the science and rationale behind the things he tries. Barry is now 57 years of age and is a healthy fit man who enjoys his life but for most of his life he was very overweight and suffered with Syndrome X (insulin resistance). As a teenager Barry was overweight and continued to gain more weight into adulthood. He played sports and tried to be healthy but he was always hungry and craved sugar. Barry drank several liters of soda everyday however he was always thirsty, which is a common symptom of diabetes. He became angry easily and suffered with a bad temper, which was probably caused by wild fluctuations in his blood sugar. At the age of 30 he was diagnosed with very high blood pressure and started on anti-hypertensive drugs which brought his blood pressure down. He tried different types of meal replacement shakes but he was always hungry and craved sweets. At the age of 50, Barry weighed 275 pounds (125 kilograms) and for his height of 5 foot 7 inches (1.7 meters) this was way too much and put him into the obese range. He tried to fight his weight problem by exercising more and although he did not need to do the hard physical work that the younger surveyors did, he took every opportunity to bang in the pegs and do other physical chores at work. He tried many types of diets and although he could get down to 198 pounds (90 kilograms) it did not last long, and his weight gain would resume as he had an enormous hunger. Barry loved cars, and at the age of 50 he thought that like a motor car of a certain mileage, he should have a physical overhaul. He told the doctor “I am not a pig and I don’t eat as much as my colleagues at work, so why am I overweight and tired?” The doctor put Barry on a diet of 1200 calories a day and after 3 months of sticking to this, he had only lost around 2 pounds (one kilogram). Not surprising, as although the diet was low in calories, it consisted predominantly of carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and cereals and was low in fat. The doctor was not impressed with Barry’s weight loss and said to Barry “You are meant to write everything you eat in the food diary I have given you!” He offered Barry drugs to reduce the absorption of fat from his meals but warned him that he would get diarrhea and have to wear nappies. Barry snapped – he said “No way – I demand to see a specialist !” He got to see a heart specialist who gave him a clean bill of health. Although this was a great relief, Barry still did not have the answers to his ballooning weight and by the age of 54 he weighed 297 pounds (135 kilograms) and then he became too big for his scales to accurately measure his weight. He then demanded to see another specialist and after a long wait he finally got to see an endocrinologist. The endocrinologist found that Barry had dark brown pigment under his arms and that this was a sign of diabetes. Blood tests revealed elevated levels of blood sugar (glucose was 234 mg/dL) and elevated levels of insulin (fasting insulin was 330). The endocrinologist told Barry he had Syndrome X (insulin resistance), which had caused diabetes type 2 and he was told to register himself as a diabetic. He was put on a low glycaemic diet and thought that this time he was going to beat his weight problem. Unfortunately, after 3 months on the low glycaemic diet, he was no better off. Unbelievable, he thought – something is wrong and it is time to do my own research. Well done, Barry ! Barry started to test different foods by measuring their effect on his blood sugar. He found that carbohydrates such as sugar, grains, cereals, flour and some fruits spiked his blood sugar levels. It did not matter if the grains were processed, refined, wholegrain or whatever; they still caused his blood sugar levels to spike. Conversely, protein foods like meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, seafood, nuts, seeds and vegetables had no or minimal effect on his blood sugar levels and they remained low. Barry felt vindicated – yes he knew he was not a cheat and he was not going crazy and that the conventional advice of the medical profession did not work for him. He could have taken drugs to lower his blood sugar levels but he knew that this would not control his weight problem. So Barry’s research continued and he asked for an ultrasound scan of his liver and was surprised to find he had a very fatty liver. Barry started on the eating plan in my book Fatty Liver You Can Reverse It. Barry began to take the Glicemic Balance capsules to support his insulin function. He also started the Livatone Plus capsules to reverse his fatty liver. I explained to him that it was the high insulin levels that had caused his fatty liver. After 54 years of struggle he was no longer continually hungry. He ate lots of protein and vegetables and one piece of fruit daily. The weight started to come off him easily, even though he was eating plenty of food, but it was a different way of eating for a man who had been addicted to carbohydrates. His cravings had finally gone! Barry continues to control his blood sugar and insulin levels with his diet and supplements and today his average readings for blood glucose are only 72 mg/dL. His fasting insulin remains slightly elevated at a level of 30, however it still controls his blood sugar levels very well. Thus, Barry is no longer diabetic and today feels happy and fit at a normal weight of 193 pounds (88 kilograms). His diet consists of mainly protein in the form of meat, cheese, plain yogurt, seafood, nuts, eggs, tomatoes, coconut, nuts and vegetables. He has 2 pieces of fruit daily. Barry uses stevia as a natural sweetener and also the protein powder known as Synd-X Slimming protein powder. He is free of sugar cravings and his libido is improved. Occasionally when Barry visits friends or attends a special family event he allows himself a sweet treat or two, but this is not a regular thing. Barry has a family history of weight problems, Syndrome X and diabetes and now he has discovered the key to weight control and good health he is sending his sister and his daughters my book on fatty liver. I have no doubt that Barry would have become an insulin dependent diabetic with diabetic complications in his older age. This is because his insulin levels remain too high. By improving the function of your liver and pancreas you will find that your struggle with weight excess and/or diabetes becomes much easier. This is because the power of nutritional medicine is amazing, it is life changing, it is life saving and even the drug companies are disconcerted by its rapid spread and popularity. The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.