Can You Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

If you are reading this, chances are you or someone you love has been given “the diagnosis.” You were sat down in a clinical-smelling room and told you have Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Worse, you were likely told it is a chronic, progressive disease—a life sentence of finger pricks, mounting medications, and inevitable decline.

This diagnosis has likely left you feeling frustrated, scared, and powerless. You may be diligently following advice, taking your pills, and still seeing your health markers get worse. This leads you to search for answers, for a glimmer of hope, which is why you’re here, asking the one question that challenges everything you : Can you reverse type 2 diabetes in 70 days?

As a medical doctor who has worked in the trenches of the emergency department and now specializes in root-cause medicine, my answer is a definitive “yes.”

Many people believe that Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a lifelong, progressive disease, but this is one of the biggest medical myths of our time. In reality, T2D is a reversible metabolic condition. The 70-day timeframe you mentioned is not a gimmick; it serves as a crucial period for achieving a significant metabolic reset.

In this article, I will dismantle the myth of permanence and provide the evidence-based truth. We will explore the root cause of T2D, what “reversal” truly means, and how the 4-Phase Metabolic Reset Protocol detailed in my book, The Diabetes Reversal Revolution, can produce life-changing results in as little as 70 days.

Before we can build a new framework of healing, we must understand why the old one is broken. The belief that T2D is irreversible stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the disease.

Conventional diabetes care has historically focused on glycemic control through medications. While this approach prevents acute complications, it often doesn’t adequately emphasize the lifestyle interventions that can address the underlying metabolic dysfunction. Fortunately, this is changing—medical organizations are increasingly recognizing lifestyle medicine as first-line therapy.

Your doctor sees “high blood sugar” (hyperglycemia) on a lab report. This high blood sugar is one of the many Diabetes Symptoms you may be experiencing. From the conventional perspective, the problem is the high blood sugar itself.

Therefore, the “solution” is to prescribe medication that artificially lowers blood sugar. This can be metformin, which reduces the liver’s glucose production, or sulfonylureas, which force the pancreas to secrete more insulin.

For a time, this works. Your blood sugar numbers on the report look better. But did the disease get better? No. The underlying cause of the high blood sugar was never addressed.

This is what I call “mopping the floor while the tap is still overflowing.” You’re managing the mess, but you haven’t stopped the source of the problem.

Here is the critical flaw: T2D is not a disease of high blood sugar. That is merely the symptom. Type 2 Diabetes is a disease of high insulin, also known as insulin resistance.

Imagine your body’s cells as locks, and insulin as the key that opens them to let glucose (sugar) in for energy. When you eat a diet high in processed carbohydrates and sugar, your body must release massive amounts of insulin, all day long.

Over time, the locks (your cells) become “worn out” from the key being jammed in them constantly. They stop responding. This is insulin resistance.

Your pancreas, in a panic, shouts louder by producing even more insulin. Now you have a body that is resistant to insulin and has dangerously high levels of it. The glucose, with nowhere to go, builds up in the bloodstream. That’s when you get the T2D diagnosis.

Now, what happens when we “treat” this situation with medications that force the pancreas to make more insulin? We are, in effect, shouting even louder at the deaf cells. This may work for a short time, but it worsens the root problem: the insulin resistance.

Many patients are told diabetes is inevitably progressive. While this is true for some, research shows that early, aggressive lifestyle intervention can halt or reverse progression in many cases. The key is addressing insulin resistance before significant beta cell loss occurs.

While insulin therapy is sometimes necessary for managing acute hyperglycemia, it doesn’t address the underlying insulin resistance. This is why lifestyle interventions that improve insulin sensitivity are so powerful—they target the root cause rather than just managing the symptom.

The good news—the revolutionary truth—is that if T2D is caused by high insulin from a dietary and lifestyle pattern, that we can treat by a new dietary and lifestyle pattern. It’s not a one-way street.

This isn’t a theory; it’s a physiological fact that I have seen in clinical practice time and time again. This is the central premise of my book, The Diabetes Reversal Revolution, and is supported by the groundbreaking research of Dr. Jason Fung (nephrologist and therapeutic fasting expert) and Professor Roy Taylor’s diabetes reversal studies at Newcastle University.

Dr. Jason Fung often uses the analogy of a sugar bowl. Your body, specifically your liver and muscles, can store a certain amount of sugar (as glycogen). When that bowl is full, the excess sugar spills over and is converted to fat, particularly in the liver and pancreas.

T2D is simply a state where your body’s “sugar bowl” is overflowing. The insulin resistance is your body’s protective mechanism, like a bouncer at a club that’s too full, refusing to let any more sugar in.

Therefore, to reverse diabetes, we don’t need a drug to mask the symptoms. We need a strategy to empty the sugar bowl.

The answer is simple, though not always easy: you must allow your body to use its stored sugar. You do this through two primary mechanisms:

1. Stop putting sugar in: This is achieved through a low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat (LCHF) or ketogenic diet, as championed by Dr. Eric Berg.
2. Give your body time to burn the stored sugar: This is achieved through intermittent fasting, the protocol perfected by Dr. Jason Fung.

When you combine these two strategies, you lower insulin levels. When insulin is low, your body is forced to switch from burning sugar (which isn’t coming in) to burning its stored fuel: first the glycogen in the liver, and then your body fat.

This is not a “diet.” This is a metabolic shift. This is how diabetes can be treated.

This brings us back to your specific, hopeful question. The 70-day (10-week) timeframe is not arbitrary. It represents a powerful window of opportunity for profound metabolic change.

The answer is a Yes—but let’s be honest about the timeline. While you’ll see significant improvements within the first 8-12 weeks, complete metabolic reversal typically takes 12-24 months of sustained effort. Here’s what to expect at each stage.

The first 8-12 weeks are critical—this is when you’ll see the most dramatic improvements and feel the difference. But complete metabolic reversal takes time. Your body needs 12-24 months to fully heal the damage accumulated over years of metabolic dysfunction.

Think of it this way: In the ER, I can stabilize a heart attack patient in minutes. But preventing the next heart attack takes months of lifestyle changes. Diabetes reversal is similar—we can create rapid improvements, but true healing requires sustained commitment.

First, let’s be clear about what “reversal” means. From a medical standpoint, reversal (or remission) is typically defined as:

1. Achieving a Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) below 6.5%.
2. Sustaining this level for at least 3 months.
3. …all without the use of any specific medications.

Will every person achieve full, defined remission in precisely 70 days? If you’ve had diabetes for 20 years and are on 100 units of insulin, your journey will be longer than someone diagnosed 6 months ago.

However, in 70 days, every person can achieve a dramatic reversal of their disease state. You can significantly lower your A1c, drastically reduce or eliminate medications, and reverse your Symptoms.

The 70-day window is so effective because it aligns perfectly with Phase 2 of my 4-Phase Metabolic Reset Protocol. This is the “all-in” phase where the most rapid healing occurs.

In my clinical experience, here is what is not just possible, but probable, in 70 days:

• Massive reduction in insulin resistance.
• Significant weight loss (primarily inflammatory fat).
• Drastic reduction or elimination of oral diabetes medications.
• Considerable decrease in insulin dosages (if applicable).
• Normalization of blood pressure and triglycerides.
• A profound increase in energy and mental clarity.

This is not a miracle. This is your body finally getting the chance to heal itself. We are simply removing the obstacles (processed carbs, constant eating) and providing the right conditions.

In The Diabetes Reversal Revolution, I outline a 4-phase protocol. The 70-day “sprint” you’re referring to is embedded in this sustainable, long-term plan. You don’t just reverse the disease; you build a new life.

Phase 1: Foundation and Preparation (Month 1)

We don’t just jump into a complete overhaul. The first 30 days are about building the foundation. This includes educating yourself (as you’re doing now), cleaning out your pantry, learning to read labels, and gradually reducing your intake of refined carbohydrates. We focus on adding healthy fats and proteins to keep you from getting hungry. We also set up baseline lab work.

Phase 2: The Metabolic Reset (Months 2-4)

This is your 70-day window! This is the “Metabolic Reset” phase. Here, we fully implement a low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat nutritional plan. We also introduce intermittent fasting, starting with a simple 16:8 schedule (fasting for 16 hours, eating in an 8-hour window).

This combination is what empties the sugar bowl. Your body, starved of its usual glucose, is forced to turn to its fat stores for fuel. Your insulin levels plummet, and your cells finally get a break. They can “clean house” (a process called autophagy) and begin to “hear” the insulin signal again. This is how you reverse T2D.

Phase 3: Optimization and Personalization (Months 5-8)

After the intensive reset, we have new lab work. We see how your body has responded. Now, we personalize. Can you reintroduce certain whole-food carbohydrates, like berries or sweet potatoes? What does your perfect fasting schedule look like? This phase is about making the protocol fit your life, not the other way around.

Phase 4: Long-Term Maintenance (Month 9+)

You’ve been free from your diabetes. Your A1c is normal, and you’re off your medications. Congratulations. Now, the goal is to keep it that way. This phase is about building a sustainable lifestyle, understanding your new metabolic reality, and having the tools to navigate holidays, vacations, and stress without ever sliding back.

My protocol is not built in a vacuum. It stands on the shoulders of giants and integrates the core principles of the world’s leading health educators, which I’ve synthesized in my Genesis Protocol.

Dr. Jason Fung is the global expert on therapeutic fasting for Type 2 Diabetes. His work irrefutably demonstrates that fasting is the most effective way to lower insulin levels. By incorporating 16:8, 20:4, or even 24-hour fasts, we create the necessary “empty” time for your body to burn stored sugar.

As Dr. Fung’s research at the Virta Clinic and in numerous studies has shown, a fasting-focused, low-carb approach can lead to over 60% of T2D patients achieving reversal. An authoritative 2018 study in BMJ Case Reports documented patients reversing diabetes and stopping insulin through fasting.

Dr. Eric Berg provides the other half of the equation: what to eat. It’s not just about low-carb; it’s about nutrient-dense low-carb. He champions the “Healthy Keto” approach, which emphasizes high-quality vegetables, moderate protein, and healthy fats.

His work on liver health is particularly crucial. A fatty liver is a hallmark of insulin resistance. By healing the liver with cruciferous vegetables and quality nutrition, we supercharge the reversal process. You can’t reverse T2D without healing your liver.

Finally, we integrate Barbara O’Neill’s wisdom. Her “8 Laws of Health” (Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, Trust) are the foundational pillars.

You can have the perfect diet and fasting schedule, but if you’re sleeping 4 hours a night and are chronically stressed, your cortisol (stress hormone) will keep your blood sugar high. Barbara’s principles ensure we are healing the whole person, not just the pancreas. Proper rest and hydration are non-negotiable parts of this protocol.

A lower A1c is excellent, but what you really want to know is if you’ll feel better. The answer is a profound yes. The “side effects” of this protocol are a complete restoration of health.

One of the first things patients report, often within the first week, is the “brain fog” lifting. Your brain has been running on a rollercoaster of high and low blood sugar. When you become “fat-adapted,” your brain runs on a clean, stable fuel source called ketones. The result is sharp, sustained mental clarity.

Nerve pain, or peripheral neuropathy, is one of the most feared Symptoms. Conventional medicine has no cure for it. However, in my practice, I’ve seen remarkable improvement and even reversal.

High insulin and high blood sugar are toxic to nerves. When we remove that toxicity, the nerves can finally begin to heal. This is a slower process, but in that 70-day window, many report a significant reduction in tingling, burning, and numbness.

Polydipsia (constant thirst) and polyuria (frequent urination) are your body’s desperate attempts to flush excess sugar out of your system.

When you stop eating the foods that spike your blood sugar, your kidneys no longer have to work overtime. Within days, patients are shocked to find they can sleep through the night without 3-4 bathroom trips and are no longer chained to their water bottle.

This is a critical question. We “reverse” the disease, but it’s more accurate to say we put it into remission. Type 2 Diabetes is a disease of food and lifestyle. If you reverse T2D and then return to the exact diet and lifestyle that caused it, the disease will return.

This is why Phase 4 (Maintenance) is so important. You are not “cured” in the way you are cured of an infection. You have learned a new metabolic truth about your body, and you now have the tools to manage it for life. The freedom from the disease is your new normal.

This is not only safe; it is far safer than allowing the disease to progress. Uncontrolled diabetes leads to blindness, amputation, kidney failure, heart attacks, and stroke. Reversing it leads to health.

However, there is one critical safety warning: you MUST do this with the supervision of a medical professional. Why? Because as your body heals, you will become dangerously over-medicated.

Your medications (especially insulin) will need to be reduced—a process called deprescribing. Your doctor is your partner in this journey to lower your doses as your blood sugar normalizes safely.

This is a common and disempowering belief. As I explain in The Genesis Protocol, your genes are not your destiny. Genes may load the gun, but it’s your lifestyle and environment that pull the trigger.

You may have a genetic predisposition to insulin resistance, but that means you have to be more diligent. It does not, in any way, mean you are destined to have the disease. You can still reverse T2D by changing the environmental triggers.

Let’s return to the question: can you reverse T2D in 70 days? Yes. You can halt the “progressive” disease in its tracks. You can see your blood markers, energy levels, and medication needs transform over that 10-week window.

This is not a fringe idea. It is the new, evidence-based paradigm of medicine. It’s the truth I wrote about in The Diabetes Reversal Revolution and the truth I live and breathe as The Root Cause Doctor.

You are not broken. Diabetes is not a lifelong disease. You have a reversible metabolic condition, and you hold the power to change it. Your healing journey doesn’t start “one day”—it starts the moment you decide to challenge the myth.

The following 70 days could be just another 70 days. Or they could be the 70 days that change everything. The choice is yours.

If this article gave you hope, the next step is a clear plan.

Download my free guide: “The 7-Day Diabetes Reversal Kickstart Protocol”

Get instant access to a 7-day meal plan, a simple fasting schedule, and the exact supplement guide I give my private patients to start their reversal journey.

The information in this article is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Type 2 Diabetes is a serious medical condition that requires professional supervision. Never stop or change medications without consulting your physician. The protocol described here should only be implemented under the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider who can monitor your progress and adjust medications appropriately. Combining dietary changes with diabetes medications without proper supervision can cause dangerous hypoglycemia.