"Like most business owners I was just focused on building my companies, not really giving much thought to what I was eating or my lifestyle, so I was shocked when I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes"
Dan Sodergren, Founder of 'Be Free of Type D
The retreat - Be Free of Type 2D - which works with sufferers to place Type 2 diabetes into remission in 100 days, has now opened for bookings, during Diabetes Awareness Week. Dan hopes it will help save the lives of many of the 100,000 people who are diagnosed with the disease in the UK every year.
Dan, who is a well known figure in the Manchester tech and startup industry, and regularly appears on BBC Breakfast as their tech expert, was shocked to discover he had the disease so young, commenting:
“I have spent years focused on building my business, and not giving much thought as to what I’m eating, as like most business owners I’m always on the go. I strongly believe that 50 to 90 per cent of sufferers could place their Type 2 diabetes into remission through the correct diet and exercise plan, but instead many are reliant on expensive and slow acting medication. Not only does this heavily affect their quality of life and life expectancy, but it costs the NHS £10 - 20 billion per year, too.”
Having appeared on ITV1’s The Fast Fix: Diabetes, on 13 and 14 June, 2018, where Dan was shown undergoing a strict programme that included a restricted calorie intake, exercise and bespoke medical advice from a team of specialists, he wants to help others in the same boat.
While under the 100 day long retreat, attendees will follow a three-step programme based on easy to understand principles:
Eat low carb not no carb and aim for zero sugars
Drink more water and aim to sleep more than you think you need
Exercise little and often, daily.
They will reside at a specialist location for the first 30 days before returning home to continue the programme with the ongoing support of a team of medical professionals.
Dan said: “While the food is heavily regimented, people’s time at the retreat isn’t. We understand how busy people are, particularly if you work for yourself, and have focused this around their needs, so we’ve ensured there is enough time to undertake regular work commitments, too.”
He added: “Removing yourself from the everyday temptations of home life is vital in the first weeks, which is why we take people away. Diet is critical here, so avoiding the kids’ sweet stash or the weekly meal out is a pivotal part of the programme.”
ITV presenter Anita Rani added: “Type 2 diabetes is a national crisis and a massive challenge to the NHS. But this experiment proves that there is real hope of turning the clock back and reversing Type 2, using this revolutionary diet to stop this epidemic in its tracks.”
Dan is also aiming to raise awareness of the risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes, such as being black or asian, aged over 40, overweight in the middle area and if you’ve ever had high blood pressure, so fewer people contract the disease in the first place.
His new book, REVERSING TYPE 2 DIABETES: THE TRUTH, is available for FREE download from the website www.type2diabetesfree.com for a limited period, and will then be available to buy from Amazon later on in the month, and includes a wealth of medical and anecdotal information about how to free yourself from Type 2 diabetes.
