Diabetes According to the Tayyibat Diet: A Liver-Centered Metabolic Theory and Case Narrative

A diabetes case treated with the “Tayyibat Diet”

At the beginning of applying the system, Dr. El-Awady stated that the patient constantly craved sweet foods because she used to enjoy sugary foods and juices. With confidence, the doctor allowed her to continue consuming them, and she began to follow his instructions.

After that, she became calmer. The chocolate she used to buy daily became something she only occasionally purchased, and it was no longer a basic part of her diet as it had been before.

 She then began eating in a more balanced way as advised by Dr. El-Awady, and over time her dependence on sugars, which were previously consumed daily, decreased significantly.

The patient also reported that her sleep improved greatly, and she was now sleeping around five hours and waking up feeling energetic.

She had also suffered from persistent bone pain and general body fatigue, but these symptoms gradually disappeared. Numbness and tingling sensations also resolved, and her condition improved overall.

Dr. El-Awady concluded that there is no real underlying disease, and that the problem lies in nutrition alone.

Diabetes (according to the Tayyibat Diet)

Dr. El-Awady states that diabetes is primarily a nutritional disease; however, the widespread misconception lies in attempting to treat it with medications instead of making dietary corrections. For example, diabetic patients are often instructed to avoid sugars and reduce carbohydrates, leading them to stop consuming rice and potatoes and replace them with large amounts of vegetables, yet the expected improvement is not observed.

The increasing number of medications taken by the patient is considered clear evidence that the disease is controlling the patient rather than the opposite.

 Medication is intended to temporarily relieve symptoms and was not designed for lifelong use; therefore, dietary regulation must be the first essential step before starting pharmacological treatment.

The quality of food consumed is considered the main factor, as new dietary inputs are introduced into the body daily, and the biological system must recognize and process them.

While medical advice often recommends low-glycemic or low-calorie foods, this is not considered the ultimate goal.

The aim is to eliminate the disease from its roots, or more precisely, to end the concept of “chronic diseases,” as such conditions should not persist indefinitely. It is not assumed that a disease should accompany a person for life, and it is stated in religious texts that “for every disease there is a cure.”

In this view, current medications do not provide complete healing; diabetes drugs are used to regulate blood sugar levels without addressing the root cause of the disease.

 Although the body may go through periods of stress requiring temporary support to regain balance, the policy of lifelong coexistence with chronic diseases should be reconsidered.

It is also argued that the diseases commonly associated with modern times were not as prevalent in the past, and there is no solid evidence supporting the idea that age forty is a definitive turning point for the onset of conditions such as atherosclerosis , heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes .

Changing the concept of diabetes (according to the Tayyibat Diet)

Dr. El-Awady views diabetes as a condition that has been misunderstood in both its nature and treatment, and that it has followed an incorrect therapeutic path. He also suggests that its complications have been managed in an inadequate way, leading ultimately to unsatisfactory outcomes, including problems in the limbs such as poor blood circulation, which in some cases may progress to amputation.

Diabetes is often considered a major health issue, and this is linked in this view to fatty liver disease, while conventional treatment tends to focus on the pancreas.

This raises the question of the liver: what is its role in this condition? It is observed that with each meal, levels of fat and sugar in the blood increase, and the liver processes and regulates them in what is described as a form of “processing or moderation” after these spikes.

However, in the presence of fatty liver, each sugar-rich meal leads to sharp increases in blood sugar, which in turn causes elevated insulin levels. Over time, this develops into insulin resistance and eventually leads to stress or relative failure of the pancreas in coping with chronic sugar elevation.

Based on this view, treatment is often directed toward compensating for pancreatic dysfunction, while the root problem is considered to lie in fatty liver disease. Treating fatty liver, in this framework, requires correcting unhealthy dietary habits during eating.

This approach is presented as a therapeutic plan, where improvement in fatty liver and blood sugar levels is expected with adherence, potentially leading to reduced medication doses in some patients.

Although diabetes is classified as a chronic disease, it can, according to this perspective, be controlled and dependence on medication reduced over time through regular medical follow-up and dietary and lifestyle modification. An increase in medication with each medical visit does not necessarily indicate improvement, but may reflect continued difficulty in controlling the condition.

 Therefore, blood sugar regulation is not achieved through medication alone, but requires an integrated dietary and behavioral approach .

Mechanism of diabetes according to Dr. El-Awady

The concept begins with the liver, which is considered the main organ responsible for regulating hormonal control and metabolic processes in the body.

The body operates in two fundamental states: the fed state and the fasting state. The liver plays a central role in balancing these two states while maintaining normal physiological function

Once food is consumed, the body enters the fed state, which may last for about eight hours. During this period, nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine, particularly in its first section.

 The intestinal lining contains villi, finger-like structures that absorb essential nutrients such as amino acids, glucose, fatty acids, and fine lipids. After absorption, these substances are transported directly to the liver for processing.

When these nutrients arrive, the liver begins its metabolic activity by converting glucose into glycogen, the stored form of sugar in the body.

If glucose levels exceed the body’s needs, blood glucose rises, stimulating the pancreas specifically the beta cells to secrete insulin.

 At this stage, insulin becomes the dominant hormone, promoting glucose utilization for energy production and facilitating its entry into cells via GLUT4 receptors, particularly in adipose tissue, where excess energy is stored as fat.

Insulin is not limited to glucose regulation; it also supports the use of amino acids for protein synthesis in muscles, while excess amino acids are also converted into fat. Glucose alone can be used to form triglycerides, even without dietary fat intake.

This fed state is not expected to continue for more than eight hours, after which the body transitions into the fasting state. In this phase, the liver utilizes stored energy by breaking down fats, packaging them, and releasing them into the bloodstream, shifting from an energy storage organ to an energy-producing one.

The problem arises when the body is not allowed to enter the fasting state, either due to continuous eating or the use of medications that constantly stimulate insulin secretion.

 In such cases, insulin levels remain chronically elevated, preventing fat breakdown (lipolysis), leading to fat and cholesterol accumulation in the liver, which may result in metabolic disturbances.

When fatty liver develops, each intake of sugar causes a sharp rise in blood glucose, leading to excessive insulin secretion. Over time, insulin resistance develops, where cells become less responsive to insulin, forcing the pancreas to produce even more.

 Eventually, the pancreas may become unable to cope with the continuous demand, resulting in functional decline.

In this scenario, treatment is often directed toward pancreatic dysfunction, while the root cause is considered to be fatty liver. Therefore, true treatment should begin with correcting liver dysfunction and improving how the body processes food, especially during eating periods.

Fatty liver reflects a broader disorder in fat regulation, including cholesterol metabolism as well.

Cholesterol and diabetic foot (according to Dr. El-Awady’s framework)

Cholesterol is described as a waxy chemical substance that is a structural component of the cell membrane.

 Nerve cells are surrounded by a sheath called the myelin sheath, which is composed of approximately 80% cholesterol. This sheath is a lipid-rich layer that wraps around nerves and significantly enhances the speed of nerve signal transmission.

Its role is not limited to this function; it also acts as an insulator, similar to the plastic covering of electrical wires.

 This insulation prevents interference between nerve signals when nerves are in close proximity and increases the efficiency of signal conduction. When this sheath is damaged or lost, peripheral neuropathy may occur, presenting as numbness, tingling, increased cold sensation, or impaired peripheral circulation.

These may represent early manifestations of complications such as diabetic foot .

In many cases, patients take supplements such as vitamin B, but with limited effectiveness, due to the lack of raw materials required for proper internal biological construction.

This is attributed to the body remaining in a continuous fed state, whether due to frequent eating or medications that increase insulin secretion. In this condition, the body remains in a “fed” state (like one who has broken their fast) and is unable to enter a “fasting” state, during which glucagon secretion decreases and metabolic transport and nutrient utilization processes function more efficiently.

When the cell is healthy, with an intact membrane and properly regulated internal signaling, its response is strong and effective, including its ability to resist microbes.

 For example, healthy white blood cells can rapidly attack and engulf pathogens. However, in conditions of elevated blood sugar and weakened cells, this immune capacity decreases due to impaired cell renewal, weakened membranes, and disrupted function, allowing microbes to multiply and exert greater effects.

The importance of fasting periods for the body

Strengthening bodily functions does not depend solely on vitamin intake, but also requires giving the body an opportunity to carry out self-cleansing processes (detoxification).

The body has an integrated system for eliminating toxins, in which the liver plays a central role in processing these substances and expelling them through excretion.

Therefore, it is important to allow the body to perform these functions naturally.

Fasting is considered an important example of this process, as it gives the body a chance to rest, restore balance, and activate the immune system.

One of its benefits is the stimulation of compounds such as “sirtuins,” which contribute to DNA repair and improve cellular efficiency, in addition to increasing the secretion of orexin in the brain, which enhances alertness and concentration .

It can be said that relying continuously on medications without regulating lifestyle may not be the optimal solution. Drug therapy should be a temporary and defined stage, not a permanent way of life. True balance is achieved through regulating food intake and allowing the body to alternate between fed and fasting states, which supports building, regeneration, and natural detoxification. Relying only on increasing medications while the underlying cause remains may lead merely to adaptation to the disease rather than its resolution .

Low blood glucose (according to Dr. El-Awady’s framework)

●      Dr. El-Awady states that it is impossible for a patient to suffer from low glucose levels if they are eating properly. In cases where sugar is not consumed, the body is expected to experience a decrease in glucose availability, and consequently, the body is directed toward fat utilization as an alternative energy source.

●      He further explains that glucose is continuously produced in the body under all conditions, and that its levels are not allowed to drop within the cells, not only in the blood. According to this view, glucose can be synthesized in the body similarly to plants, through biochemical processes involving carbon dioxide and small amounts of ammonia, which are combined to produce an amino acid called glycine.

Glycine is then broken down within the mitochondria, resulting in the extraction of glucose.

●      Ammonia is described as being utilized in two ways: either obtained from inhaled air in small quantities, or derived from amino acids within the body.

●      It is also stated that 18 out of the 21 amino acids that make up the human body can be used in glucose production. Amino acids in the blood are transported to the liver, where some of their components are broken down and converted into glucose.

●      During prolonged fasting states extending to 40 or 50 days, the body begins to utilize circulating albumin in the blood.

This protein is broken down, and certain amino acids are extracted from it. Glucose is then produced from amino acids such as glycine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, and glutamine .