Geoffrey has spent a lifetime looking after his health – from his years as a chef in the Air Force to running his own café in retirement. But in 2024, at 68, the South Australian great-grandfather faced a new challenge: a type 2 diabetes diagnosis and the looming prospect of medication.

“I’ve always been pretty healthy. Regular checks in the Air Force meant I was accountable for my health. I had no medical conditions, my blood pressure was fine, and my daughter, who’s a nurse, would always tell me I was doing well. But I started to notice something wasn’t right. If I had ice cream or a particular beer, my face would go red. My blood tests confirmed my blood sugar levels were too high.

“My HbA1c came back at 8.4%. My GP immediately prescribed metformin, but when it made no difference after two weeks and the dose was doubled, I started asking myself, 'where does this end?'

“I didn’t want to go down the medication path. I wanted to be in control. I found Defeat Diabetes on Facebook, did some research and thought, ‘This guy Peter Brukner has some runs on the board. Being a former Melbournian, I recognised him from his AFL days. I thought, ‘I’m sold.’ The fact you had to pay for the program made sense – you’ve got skin in the game.

“I joined in July 2024 and pretty quickly embraced low carb eating. One of the big motivators for me was using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to understand exactly how food affected me.

“It was an incredible learning tool. I had one weekend in Melbourne for a celebration and couldn’t resist pizza and birthday cake – within minutes, the CGM went through the roof. On the other hand, a particular brand of zero-carb beer didn’t alter my blood sugars at all.

“Within months, my HbA1c had dropped to 5.7% and my waistline from 97 cm to 82 cm. The weight came off quickly – I had to buy new jeans! I feel fresher in the mornings, my cravings are gone, and my general well-being is just so much better. I’m a bit proud of what I’ve done.

“I’m a chef, so I love cooking all our meals. I usually do a cooked breakfast every day and lunch is usually grilled salmon or chicken, warm salads and plenty of olive oil, which I get from a local farm. I’ve also always loved butter, and now I enjoy it without guilt!

“For me, the biggest benefit has been the knowledge I’ve gained. The wealth of information from the program is amazing – far more than I ever got from a clinic or doctor. Knowledge is power. The pride in feeling better without taking medication is worth the investment.

“My advice to anyone facing the same diagnosis I did - jump on board straight away. If you want to get off meds, it’s there for you. The sooner you start, the sooner you can take control.”