EastEnders and Brush Strokes star's diabetes in remission after huge weight loss
He's been a household name since the 1980s starring in shows such as hit sitcom Brush Strokes and EastEnders, so when Karl Howman mentions “one of the greatest feelings of achievement I’ve ever had” you’d be forgiven for assuming the actor is referring to one of his onscreen hits.
But Karl, now 70, is actually talking about his health, and the fact he has managed to reverse the type 2 diabetes he was diagnosed with 18 months ago. “About 10 years ago I was diagnosed as prediabetic, but I didn’t take it too seriously,” he recalls. “I remember thinking, ‘That’s like telling a woman she’s nearly pregnant’.
“My father had been diabetic and the nurse said, ‘Whatever you do, it’s inevitable you will become a type 2 diabetic’, but I still didn’t grasp how serious it was. So, I didn’t do anything about it other than then go for annual medicals which included a blood test.
“I thought I was feeling alright, but I was often getting tired and irritable, which I now know are symptoms. Then, in 2021, I had some grief in my life,” explains Karl, who lives in East Sussex with wife Clare. They share two daughters and six grandchildren.
“My business partner Ethem, who was only three months older than me, collapsed and died of a heart attack. Then, two weeks later my mum died from blood cancer. Both sent me reeling. I ate and drank more because I was depressed and I took sleeping pills which slowed my digestive system. I’m 5ft 8in but my weight shot up to 15 stone.”
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Karl Howman and actress Jackie Lye in Brush StrokesWhen he went along for his next health check, blood tests revealed all was not well and Karl, who “virtually retired” five years ago to start writing books, was given the bad news that his prediabetes had developed into full-blown type 2 diabetes. “There was no breakdown or crying,” he says of his reaction. “That’s not the way people respond to a diabetes diagnosis now. Most will say ‘Oh, they can control that with tablets these days’ and don’t worry that within a few years they’ll have to inject themselves with insulin.
“Not enough people think that with the correct diet and exercise they can actually put it into remission and then not have to take insulin. I was determined to achieve that so my response was, ‘How can I sort this out?’ Rye Medical Centre has been wonderful, and my doctor has been with me on this journey every step of the way, but you can’t ask your doctor to take control of your life, you need to control it yourself. If I put my mind to something, I do it, and I wanted to get as healthy as possible.”
Karl started by reading as much as he could on type 2 diabetes and used that research to devise his own diet and fitness plan. “When I used to go on theatre tours, I’d do a 30-minute routine invented by Tibetan monks which exercised the body with minimum movement. But because my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were up, I needed to add cardiovascular work, so I started doing Tai Chi and stretching, then I’d get two 5kg weights and do 500 free-standing scoop squats.
The actor as Buster in EastEnders (PA)“Every single morning I did all my exercises barefoot on a tantric mat using acupressure to boost blood flow. I started swimming 20 lengths and walking 10,000 steps with two dogs.” As well as taking a small dose of metformin, a drug which treats type 2 diabetes by helping to restore the body’s response to insulin, Karl began closely monitoring his diet.
“I cut down on processed meat, carbs, wheat and chocolate. I’m a chocoholic so sweets and ice cream were hardest to limit. I reduced my alcohol intake to a glass of red wine with a meal and an occasional beer. I concocted a daily drink comprising turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper, whole lemon and filtered water, and I’d also have cerassie herbal tea.
“I didn’t think I’d like doing all that, but I genuinely love it now – it makes me feel much better.” He also began intermittent fasting, which can help balance blood sugars. “I stopped eating between 9pm and noon the next day, which meant going without breakfast,” he explains.
Six months on, Karl – who had reduced his weight to 12-and-a-half stone – went for another check-up. “The doctor told me I was no longer type 2 diabetic,” he says. “It was the biggest relief, but as far as I was concerned I hadn’t cured it, I’d only put it into remission.
“Since then I’ve done daily finger-prick tests, have stuck to my regime and have an annual review with my GP. I’m motivated to keep the exercises up and if I do have a little relapse and eat or drink something I shouldn’t, I don’t beat myself up about it. My type 2 diabetes will never go completely and I know I have to continue my regime if I want to spend whatever time I have left in good health. It’s not a chore though and I haven’t had a cold since!”
Karl’s books Secret Spitfires (£15.99, History Press) and A Million Ways To Stay On The Run (£9.99, Mirror Books) are out now. Follow Karl’s diabetes journey on X/Twitter @karl1953howman
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