I am a Type 2 Diabetic.

I was diagnosed in December 2022.

Since being diagnosed I have made a lot of life style changes

with the goal of being off my diabetes medication.

In November 2023 I achieved that goal.

In April 2025 my doctor recommended I stopped using a

Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor - CGM to monitor

my blood glucose levels.

I have a positive mindset that owns my diagnosis and

response to it.

This is my journey and my relationship with diabetes.

Everyone's response to their diagnosis and condition

will be different.

Diabetes does not go away. Once a diabetic, always

a diabetic.

Respect and learn from your body, learn about your

condition, and your medical care team.

Make no changes without their guidance, support,

and help.

Everyone's response to their diagnosis and condition

will be different.

Diabetes does not go away. Once a diabetic, always

a diabetic.

Respect and learn from your body, learn about your

condition, and your medical care team.

Make no changes without their guidance, support,

and help.

If you enjoy the videos and want to support the channel,

you can buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/markashford

Join my website - www.markaashford.com for

books, podcasts and sign up for my newsletter

Photography: Mark A. Ashford

Artlist Music - Amazonian Grounding - By Master Mind -

Hello and welcome to this book on Ultra-Processed Food and Diabetes.

There is increasing evidence of the impact of Ultra-processed foods on multiple metabolic and neurobiological pathways, including those involved in eating behaviors, both in animals and in humans.[1]

For people on the run, ultra processed food may become their go-to diet, sacrificing nutrition for convenience. While it may be convenient, consuming ultraprocessed foods on a regular basis increases a person’s risk of health complications including cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. But it can be hard to tell when these foods are on your plate.[2]

A diet based on packaged products involves the consumption of small and repeated doses of food additives. At the end of the year, an average French adult ingests up to 10 kg. The calculation is worked out by French researchers in a study published in Scientific Reports[3]. [4]

As we replace whole foods with manufactured processed versions, we’re changing ourselves.

· Watch the BBC video on YouTube – “UK doctor switches to 80% ULTRA-processed food diet for 30 days.” - https://youtu.be/T4PFt4czJw0

This short video documents a UK doctor’s 30-day diet switch to highly processed food. The commentary on his eating habits and the foods he consumes is illuminating. In the 30-day period, he gained weight and his body deteriorated significantly. Before and after MRI scans of his brain were compared revealing new connections in his brain, similar to those of people with addiction.

It’s time to dive into the world of Ultra-processed foods and uncover how they can cause inflammation in our bodies, impacting our health in the short and long term.

Mark Ashford - information@markaashford.com

[1] Agnes Ayton M.D. M.Med.Sc. F.R.C.Psych M.Sc Ali Ibrahim M.B.B.S. M.R.C. Psych James Dugan B.M.B.Ch B.Sc Ph.D. Eimear Galvin B.Sc. Oliver Wroe Wright M.B.B.S. B.Sc. (Hons) M.R.C.S., "Ultra-Processed Foods and Binge Eating: A Retrospective Observational Study," (2021).

[2] MS Sara Berg, "What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Ultraprocessed Foods," (2024).

[3] E. Chazelas, Druesne-Pecollo, N., Esseddik, Y. et al. Exposure to food additive mixtures in 106,000 French adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Sci Rep 11, 19680 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98496-6, "Exposure to Food Additive Mixtures in 106,000 French Adults from the Nutrinet-Santé Cohort," (2021).

[4] Marta Strinati, "Food Additives, We Ingest up to 10 Kg a Year. French Study," (2021).

Hello and welcome to my book How to Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes.

This book has been a learning journey. I’ve met diabetics who, after diagnosis, treat it as a medication-managed condition. I’ve always abhorred medication. The human body is amazing, and we can achieve so much in our short lives if we help and respect it. I was determined to lean about my condition, and the Life Style changes to help me manage it and make me medication-free. Chronic illnesses, which typically appear later in life, significantly impact life expectancy.

· A 55-year-old Canadian male, with no chronic medical conditions, has a projected life expectancy of an additional 23.3 years.

· A 55-year-old Canadian male, Type 2 Diabetic, who does not manage their condition well and makes no Lifestyle changes, may have as little as 13.2 years left to live.

· A 55-year-old Canadian male, Type 2 Diabetic, who manages their condition well and makes the life changes required, has a life expectancy can be 21.1 years.

This book is the 19th in a series of books I have written on Diabetes and specific aspects of the condition. It brings together information found in my other 18 books on Preventing and Reversing Naturally Type 2 Diabetes.

Combining what I have learned revealed something surprising. My Type 2 Diabetes was self-inflicted and preventable. What can reverse it and the need for medications can also prevent it.

Understanding its cause requires a different perspective on life. A recent study from the University of Cambridge[1] reveals habits learned in the young adult years (16-30 years) set the stage for chronic conditions in later years and contributed to my diagnosis.

Preventing chronic health conditions involves changing our life view from early teens and recognizing behaviors that lead to them. Medical screening should focus on tracking indicators of these behaviors. Reversing Type 2 Diabetes requires changing behaviors and habits that cause the diagnosis. Increasing personal health knowledge and making lifestyle changes to reduce medication dependency are essential.

I hope you enjoy and find this book contributes to your understanding of your body, the way it works and how you can influence your long-term health.

Mark Ashford

information@markaashford.com

[1] Ibid.