As you strive to
control blood sugar levels, it’s important to remember the role antioxidants play in managing diabetes. In order to get a handle on this condition, you’ll need to shore up on these important nutrients.
For starters, there’s Vitamin C. Vitamin C is the most active antioxidant in our water-based tissues. It lowers levels of sorbitol, the sugar that collects in and damages cells of the eyes (retinopathy), kidneys (nephropathy), and nerves (neuropathy).
You’ll also want to take an adequate amount of Vitamin E, your body’s premier fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E improves glucose control and protects blood vessels and nerves from free radical damage, which is accelerated in people living with diabetes. Studies have shown that high doses of supplemental vitamin E may even reverse damage to nerves caused by diabetes and protect against diabetic cataracts and atherosclerosis.
Supplementation with both of these antioxidants is associated with a reduced risk of diabetic retinopathy. If you are living with diabetes, aim for 1,000-2,500 mg of vitamin C and 300-800 IU of vitamin E daily.
For more information on treating diabetes and diabetes risk factors, visit
www.drwhitaker.com.
The key to the treating diabetes is twofold. First, you need to control blood sugar levels. Equally important, you must prevent diabetes complications.
While conventional physicians do attempt to stave off diabetes complications by helping patients maintain blood sugar levels that are in the normal range, they ignore the solid scientific research that supports the aggressive use of specific nutritional supplements for protection against the ravages of diabetes. This is one of the most obvious and inexcusable blind spots of conventional medicine.
Diabetes is a nutritionally wasting disease. Massive amounts of nutrients are lost as the kidneys rid the body of excess glucose by increasing urination, so the first step is replacement of these lost nutrients.
Among the most significant losses are the B-complex vitamins, and many people with diabetes have suboptimal cellular levels of these vital nutrients. Vitamins B6, B12, and biotin improve insulin sensitivity and also help prevent diabetes complications, particularly neuropathy, which is present in almost half of all people with diabetes. Supplementation is imperative, with recommended doses of:
- 75 mg vitamin B6,
- 150 mcg of B12,
- 300 mcg of biotin, and
- an array of other B-complex vitamins.
People with diabetes also tend to have low levels of magnesium, and those with the lowest levels are most likely to have diabetic retinopathy and other eye problems. For this reason, anyone trying to manage diabetes should also take a minimum of 500 mg of magnesium per day, balanced with 1,000 mg of calcium.
For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit
www.drwhitaker.com.
Chromium is a trace mineral that improves the action of insulin and helps move glucose and other nutrients into the cells. Its therapeutic value was first discovered in the 1950s, when researchers isolated a previously unknown substance from pork kidney. When they gave this substance to laboratory rats with glucose intolerance (a pre-diabetic form of insulin resistance), it caused such significant improvements that they named it
glucose tolerance factor.
This unique compound was found to improve the activity of insulin and facilitate the uptake of glucose into the cells. Research intensified, and in 1959, the active ingredient in glucose tolerance factor was identified: chromium.
Chromium doesn’t cause the body to make more insulin—it just helps make insulin work better. At least 15 well-controlled clinical trials examining the effects of supplemental chromium on patients
living with diabetes, insulin resistance, and other blood sugar abnormalities have shown that this mineral improves glucose metabolism.
Chromium has also been demonstrated to facilitate weight loss. As you likely know, diabetes and weight are very closely connected. Maintaining an ideal weight greatly increases your chances of avoiding the disease and beating diabetes.
For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit
www.drwhitaker.com.
While type 2 diabetes can sneak up on you, there are three
type 2 diabetes symptoms you should be aware of:
- Diabetes and weight go hand-in-hand. The vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, with the distribution of weight most commonly in the abdominal area. Excess weight is also a known factor in insulin resistance.
- Most people with type-2 diabetes are inactive. Exercise enhances insulin sensitivity and makes it easier to control blood sugar.
- The average newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patient is middle-aged. Once we hit our forties, our lifestyle indiscretions are no longer protected by the resilience of youth. Years of an unhealthy diet, extra pounds, and lack of exercise begin to take their toll and we succumb to degenerative diseases—not only diabetes but also other diseases of aging, such as heart disease, blood pressure concerns, and arthritis.
For more information on type 2 diabetes symptoms, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit
www.drwhitaker.com.
While several herbs have been proven to lower blood sugar levels, two in particular stand out:
Gymnema sylvestre. This is a plant native to India that, incredible as it may seem, appears to regenerate the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Gymnema has been demonstrated to lower blood sugar levels in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In a study of 22 type 2 diabetics, supplementation with this herb resulted in improved blood sugar control across the board. Furthermore, 16 of the 22 patients were able to reduce their oral medications while five discontinued them altogether.
The recommended dose is 400 mg of Gymnema sylvestre per day. Banaba leaf (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.). Banaba leaf contains colosolic acid, which activates glucose transport into the cells and effectively lowers blood sugar. In a landmark Japanese placebo-controlled clinical trial, 24 diabetics were given a supplement containing banaba leaf or a placebo three times a day for four weeks. Significant blood sugar declines were observed in the individuals taking the herb (average 153.9 to 133.1 mg/dL); there was little change in the placebo group.
Aim for approximately 50 mg of banaba leaf extract daily. Other botanicals that make it easier to control blood sugar, albeit to a lesser degree, include:
- bitter melon (Momordica charantia),
- Siberian ginseng,
- basil,
- cinnamon,
- garlic, and
- onion.
Look for all of these herbs in your health food store and use as directed.
For more information on treating diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit
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If you’re dealing with diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes, the primary thrust of your medical management should be to obtain and maintain blood sugar levels within the normal range.
For most physicians, this means drug therapy. However, in more than 30 years of treating thousands of type 2 diabetics at the Whitaker Wellness Institute, I’ve found that drugs are rarely necessary. Instead, I rely on alternative diabetes treatments, including a comprehensive diet, exercise, and weight loss program, and natural agents that lower blood sugar. Adopting this natural treatment program has allowed the majority of the diabetic patients who come to the clinic to be successfully weaned from their hypoglycemic drugs.
Take the case of Alice, who came to Whitaker Wellness with a seven-year history of type 2 diabetes. Her blood sugar was under pretty good control on Diabeta (a sulfonylurea drug), but she was concerned about side effects—as she should have been. Drugs in this class are associated with weight gain, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and an increased risk of heart disease.
During her week at the Back to Health Program, Alice was weaned off Diabeta and placed on a combination of targeted minerals and herbs. And guess what? Her blood sugar levels remained stable. She continued on this effective, less expensive, and far safer program, and has been able to maintain blood sugar levels in the normal range.
For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit
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Believe it or not, one-third of Americans are obese, and obesity, particularly in the abdominal area, is a well-established diabetes risk factor.
When you exercise, your muscles’ energy requirements increase dramatically—they need ready access to glucose, which fuels the hungry muscle cells. Exercise appears to some degree to actually bypass the normal requirements for insulin. It increases the transport of glucose into the cells, not only while you are exercising but for hours afterwards. Thus, it lowers blood glucose levels and also improves overall insulin sensitivity. So, if you’re living with diabetes, exercise can be your key to
controlling blood sugar.
Researchers at Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley who followed almost 6,000 men for 14 years determined that increased physical activity was especially protective for men with the highest risk of developing diabetes—those who were overweight or had a family history of diabetes.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise four or more days per week. You don’t have to run marathons—just get active. Brisk walking is one of the easiest activities for beginners, but the most important thing is to choose something you enjoy and stick with it.
For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit
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Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.
What you eat has a profound effect on your blood glucose levels and your risk of developing insulin resistance and
type 2 diabetes. So if you or a loved one are at risk for or already dealing with diabetes, read the following information carefully.
Refined carbohydrates and sugars are rapidly broken down into glucose, driving up blood sugar levels and placing an increased burden on normal metabolic processes. Please avoid them whenever possible.
On the other hand, vegetables, legumes, and most fruits, cause a slow, sustained release of glucose into the bloodstream. Couple these slow burners with moderate amounts of lean protein and healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and you’ll find it easier to control blood sugar.
Other great dietary tips to help you manage diabetes include:
- Eat moderate amounts of lean protein with every meal. Good sources are fish, poultry, tofu, egg whites, and legumes.
- Avoid saturated fats and trans fatty acids, found in margarine and other processed fats, and eat only healthy fats, such as those found in raw nuts and seeds, olive oil, and flaxseed.
- Make unprocessed carbohydrates the mainstay of your meals. Concentrate on fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
- Whenever possible stay away from starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, and refined grains.
For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit
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subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.
One of the primary reasons we’re seeing a worldwide glut of insulin-resistant diabetes is because more and more emerging nations are adopting the Western diet that we’ve “enjoyed” for years. Indigenous diets of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are being replaced with processed, refined foods that have been stripped of their natural fiber and nutrients. Meat has become more prominent in the daily diet. And fast-food restaurants are springing up all over the globe. This is horrible news for anyone trying to
manage diabetes.
In the US, we’ve been eating a schizophrenic diet for years. In a futile effort to lose weight, we fill up on fat-free cookies and ice cream, which are nothing more than unhealthy refined carbohydrates. We’ve also become sugar junkies. According to US Department of Agriculture statistics, Americans consume an average of 149 pounds of sweeteners a year—not counting the artificial sweeteners that we consume in more than 7,000 products.
Excess fat is also a culprit, particularly saturated fats from meat and altered trans fatty acids in processed foods. As early as the 1920s, it was demonstrated that a high-saturated-fat diet contributes to type 2 diabetes, as it not only causes weight gain—one of several diabetes risk factors in itself—but also decreases insulin sensitivity and makes it difficult to control blood sugar.
Beating diabetes has a lot more to do with lifestyle choices than with which pill to take next. Stay tuned to this blog for additional diet recommendations and other natural remedies for diabetes.
For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit
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Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.
If you are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you’ll immediately—and unavoidably—be prescribed insulin. If the diagnosis is
type 2 diabetes, you’ll probably be told to make some changes in your diet and to begin exercising. But, you’ll also likely be told to take a drug if your blood glucose doesn’t normalize with lifestyle changes.
Prescribing drugs is what physicians do. Medical school education is largely an exercise in learning which drugs to prescribe for certain conditions. Studies published in the most prestigious medical journals routinely compare the benefits of one drug versus another. Prescription medications are simply the heart and soul of modern medicine.
There are five major classes of drugs usually prescribed to help control blood sugar. Although these medications may be effective in lowering blood sugar, each and every one of them has its price.
Most oral hypoglycemic agents are no more than a Band-Aid approach to diabetes—they lower blood sugar, but do nothing to address the underlying condition. The majority increases insulin production, which, is not what’s needed in the case of type 2 diabetes, where folks are not insulin deficient, but rather insulin resistant.
Other meds affect the way carbohydrates are metabolized in the intestinal tract. And although some drugs do attempt to improve insulin sensitivity, their side effects (including liver failure and death) make them highly suspect.
Drugs are by their very nature foreign agents. As such, they affect your body in unnatural ways. The most common side effects of diabetic drugs are weight gain, gastrointestinal upset, and sometimes serious liver problems.
While I’m not against all prescription drugs, I know from decades of experience treating diabetes that natural remedies for diabetes also work. Better still, I have thousands of patient success stories to back up this natural approach.
For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit
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People living with diabetes have an increased need to urinate, as their kidneys attempt to get rid of excess glucose. Along with excess glucose, however, massive amounts of water-soluble vitamins and minerals also are lost. Yet, incredibly, most white-coated experts specializing in helping patients manage diabetes make no attempt whatsoever to replace these nutrients, leaving patients to suffer the inevitable consequences of massive nutritional deficiencies.
Numerous studies have shown that people with diabetes tend to have low cellular levels of magnesium, zinc, vitamins B6 and C, and other essential water-soluble nutrients. Is it any wonder that they are at increased risk for atherosclerosis, heart disease, and other degenerative conditions that have been definitively linked to nutritional deficiencies?
The combination of these processes puts people trying to
manage diabetes at a dramatically increased risk of premature death and disability. The areas of the body most profoundly affected by diabetic complications include the blood vessels, nerves, eyes, kidneys, and extremities. In fact:
- People with diabetes are two to three times more likely to die from heart disease than those with normal blood sugar levels, and they are five times more likely to have a stroke.
- People with diabetes are subject to vision problems such as glaucoma and cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness.
- Forty percent of all cases of kidney failure are attributed to diabetes.
- Sixty to 70 percent of all diabetics have some form of nerve damage, and a majority of lower extremity amputations are performed on diabetics.
- Erectile dysfunction, impaired digestion, urinary incontinence, excess sweating, gum disease, and increased risk of infection are additional diabetes complications.
For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit
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Diabetes is a silent stalker, and if you’re over 45, overweight, inactive, or suffering with other diabetes risk factors, you’re a prime target. In the United States alone, nearly 24 million people suffer from diabetes, and another 5.7 million are walking around undiagnosed. Worldwide, the number of people with diabetes is expected to skyrocket to 366 million by the year 2030.
Diabetes is a fearsome disorder, yet one we take much too lightly. Few people flirting with borderline elevated blood sugar levels realize the urgency of managing diabetes in its early stages. Most are unaware that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations in this country, or that people with diabetes are more likely to have—and die of—a heart attack or stroke than those with normal blood sugar metabolism. Nor do they recognize that diabetes is a primary contributor to erectile dysfunction (impotence) and dementia.
Furthermore, most people either don’t know or tend to ignore the subtle warning signs of this devastating disease. It’s time we all pull our heads out of the sand and look diabetes in the eye. Diabetes is in large part a disease of lifestyle. In 90 percent of all cases, it is both preventable and treatable—yet statistics clearly show that it is being neither prevented nor treated appropriately.
For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit
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Bill, a patient of the Whitaker Wellness Institute, had diabetic neuropathy and very little sensation in his hands or below his knees. He was constantly dropping things, and his left leg dragged.
His previous doctor told him there was no hope of improvement and predicted that he’d be in a wheelchair within a year. Rather than accepting this dire prognosis, Bill acted on advice he’d read in
Health & Healing, and started taking alpha lipoic acid (ALA).
Bill reported that after taking ALA for about two months, his coordination improved, the pain in his hands and feet resolved, and his gait normalized. His doctor said he’d never seen such a turnaround.
Bill eventually received other treatments at the clinic, but his story is a testament to the therapeutic power of targeted nutritional supplements.
ALA is just one of the many natural treatments for diabetes. Others include nutrients, and supplements for diabetes and simple lifestyle adjustments. Many of these approaches are detailed in this blog. You’ll also find a variety of diabetes success stories that can encourage and motivate you as continue on your quest toward reversing diabetes.
Vitamins D and E are great natural diabetes remedies.
Vitamin D deficiencies are linked with the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as impaired insulin secretion. This vitamin also turns on genes that boost production of antimicrobial peptides called cathelicidins, which destroy viruses, bacteria, and other germs. Since people managing diabetes are more prone to infections due to diabetic ulcers and periodontal disease, optimal levels of this fat-soluble vitamin is important. Have your vitamin D blood level tested, and take enough vitamin D3 to bring it into the 40–60 ng/mL range. I’m reluctant to give an exact dose, but my average patient requires 5,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily.
Vitamin E, the body’s premier fat-soluble antioxidant, improves glucose control and protects blood vessels and nerves from free-radical damage, which is accelerated by the diabetic condition.
Studies have shown that high doses of supplemental vitamin E may even reverse damage to nerves caused by diabetes and protect against diabetic cataracts and atherosclerosis.
Additionally, research suggests that approximately 40 percent of people living with diabetes have a gene variation (haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene) that increases oxidative stress and doubles or triples their risk of cardiovascular disease. Israeli researchers found that when these people took
400 IU of vitamin E daily, their risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and death fell by 50 percent! Vitamin E’s benefits were so profound the study was terminated early so all study participants could benefit.
Oxidative stress also contributes to liver damage that, if untreated, can lead to diabetes complications such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The best-studied antioxidant for NAFLD also happens to be vitamin E, with doses averaging 800 IU per day. Everyone, regardless of health status, should take 400 IU of vitamin E every day.
Note: Take only natural vitamin E. You can tell it’s natural if it’s listed as d-alpha-tocopherol or d-alpha-tocopheryl. Synthetic vitamin E is listed as dl-alphatocopherol or dl-alpha tocopheryl (note the “l”).
To show you how making a commitment to lifestyle changes is one of the best preventive methods for reversing diabetes, I want to share one of my favorite diabetes success stories. It comes from a gentleman named J.D.
J.D. writes: “Dr. Whitaker, four and a half years ago, I was 43 and in the worst shape of my life. At 6’2”, I weighed 310 pounds, and the only exercise I got was mowing my yard. I insisted on going out for a fast food lunch every day because I just ‘had to get out of the office,’ and those meals were usually ‘supersized’ so I could get as much food as possible for my money.
“I already had hypertension and high cholesterol when a routine physical found a fasting blood sugar of 160, and I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Fortunately for me, my doctor gave me an ultimatum: I could either lose weight or I would have to go on medication for the rest of my life. My wife was determined that I would not take any drugs. We checked out your book, Reversing Diabetes, and began utilizing many of the techniques it describes. I started exercising and our whole family changed lifestyles.
“Today, four years later, I have lost over 100 pounds and it has stayed off. I have never taken medication for diabetes, and my cholesterol and blood pressure health are also under control.
I feel better than I have in years.”
J.D. decided that reversing diabetes was within his reach and he did what was necessary to make it happen. You can do the same.
But even easier is to take steps now to prevent the disease. Preventing type 2 diabetes is a lot easier than reversing it. I encourage you to seek natural treatments for diabetes, many of which are presented here in this blog.
As you may know, type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance.
For people living with diabetes, the beta cells in the pancreas make plenty of insulin—the hormone that moves glucose from the blood into the cells—but the cells are unresponsive to insulin’s actions. This leads to a rise in blood sugar. The pancreas responds by churning out more insulin, and the net result is elevated levels of both glucose and insulin.
Obesity throws fuel on the fire. Adipose tissue (fat), especially in the abdominal area, releases fatty acids that impair beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity. It also produces immune cells that lead to chronic, low-grade inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, increases insulin resistance and risk of diabetes.
Fat cells also secrete hormones—so many, in fact, that some experts actually refer to adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. One of these hormones is leptin.
Although leptin is best known for its governing effects on appetite and energy metabolism, researchers from Boston’s Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that it also has direct effects on insulin secretion and beta-cell growth.
At the same time, the high levels of insulin (a common characteristic of type 2 diabetes) promote weight gain. That’s because insulin is the body’s primary fat-storage hormone—it ushers fat as well as glucose into the cells. So the higher your insulin level, the greater your potential to gain weight.
In short, preventing—and reversing—type 2 diabetes for many is as easy as achieving or maintaining your ideal weight.
In a future post, I’ll introduce you to my favorite supplements for diabetes that you can use to help keep this condition under control.
Diabetes, like most chronic illnesses, is often (and rightly) characterized as a disease of lifestyle. Specific lifestyle choices can create and exacerbate type 2 diabetes, but as Dr. Whitaker has proven time and again, the right lifestyle changes can prevent, treat and even reverse type 2 diabetes as well.
But do some people have the cards stacked against them, where developing diabetes is an inevitable component of their very genetic makeup? To read the latest study in Nature Genetics, you might reach that conclusion.
There's no disputing that there is a strong, inheritable correlation present with type 2 diabetes. If your mother, father, sister or brother has it, your risk of developing diabetes goes up considerably. Your identical twin has diabetes? Your risk is even higher.
Now researchers have identified 10 new genetic variants that lead to differences in glucose levels for non-diabetic people. Half of these genetic differences also correlate to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
"Finding these new pathways can help us better understand how glucose is regulated, distinguish between normal and pathological glucose variations and develop potential new therapies for type 2 diabetes," Dr Jose Florez, one of the lead researchers, explained.
What researchers go on to say is that by studying healthy people without type 2 diabetes, their hope is we can better understand how to treat those people who are currently living with diabetes, or those simply trying to manage blood sugar every day.
No dispute here, it's an admirable pursuit. And most experts concede that the future of medicine will be greatly influenced by the study of the human genome. But a danger few people talk about is this science of medicine instead fueling a belief that if you have a genetic predisposition towards a disease, all you're left to do is throw up your hands and live with it.
The fact is, 55 percent of people dealing with type 2 diabetes are struggling with their weight, and regardless of your genes, diabetes and weight are unquestionably connected.
Another lifestyle correlation -- making regular exercise a part of your life -- dramatically impacts your likelihood of facing type 2 diabetes, now or in the future.
By understanding how to manage your risk -- with the proper diet that promotes insulin sensitivity, with supplements for diabetes that make maintaining blood sugar safe and manageable -- you gain control of your genes, not allow your genes to seal your fate.
The fact that you're reading this means you're already taking steps to understand your role in your own health.
Remember, as Dr. Whitaker says, you're in charge. Not your doctor. Not the system. And, as we'll have to keep in mind as more studies like this come out, not your genes.
A recent study in the
Journal of Applied Physiology highlights an important point for those living with diabetes or simply trying to maintain healthy blood sugar -- what you eat
immediately after exercise can have a dramatic impact on your ability to control your blood sugar and maintain insulin sensitivity.
While it's no surprise that exercise can enhance insulin sensitivity, what we're learning is how to best maintain that benefit for a longer period of time, so you get a more lasting impact from your efforts. When study participants were given post-exercise meals containing relatively low levels of carbohydrates, the benefits for insulin sensitivity were greatest.
When you improve your insulin sensitivity, it's easier for your body to absorb the sugar in your blood stream into your tissues, where it can be stored or used as fuel. One of the main signs of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, which is also a significant risk factor for other chronic diseases, like heart disease.
The good news is that efforts to eat modestly after exercise, with low-calorie meals, did not improve insulin sensitivity any more than when study participants ate enough calories to match what they burned off. As anyone who's hopped on a treadmill knows, exercise often increases hunger, and it's good to know you don't have to fight the urge to eat after a workout to still take advantage of the important blood sugar benefits.
Exercise Acts Like A Natural Shot of Insulin
As Dr. Whitaker has pointed out in
Health & Healing, exercise dramatically improves your ability to fight diabetes and insulin resistance. That's because exercise actually acts like insulin in the body — the exercising muscle takes up glucose, even when no insulin is present. And if you exercise regularly, the benefits can be long-lasting.
Given the soaring rate of obesity in this country and the connection between diabetes and weight, exercise is more important than ever to stem the epidemic of type 2 diabetes, and keep those with metabolic syndrome from progressing toward full-blown disease.
As studies have shown, regular exercise (just 30 minutes, five days a week) and a low-fat diet can deliver average sustained weight loss of 10-15 pounds. This alone can help prevent diabetes or reverse the disease if you already have it.
Brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming — it's not what you do but your commitment to actually do it that matters. Shoot for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week. Once you start, and you start reaping the rewards, it's that much easier to stick with it!
To control blood sugar and successfully manage—or even reverse—diabetes, making changes to your diet is absolutely essential. To do that, one of the first things you need to become aware of is how quickly your body converts specific foods into glucose.
One way to evaluate foods is with the glycemic index (GI). Foods with a high GI—such as refined carbohydrates and sugars—are rapidly turned into glucose, driving up blood sugar levels. On the other hand, vegetables, legumes, and most fruits cause a slow, sustained release of glucose into the bloodstream. They’ll keep your insulin from spiking, provide a sustained source of energy, and satisfy your hunger over the long haul.
Another way to determine how a food may affect your blood sugar is by looking at its glycemic load (GL). Glycemic load is based on the same concept as the GI, but it takes into account the quality and quantity of a food. It’s determined by the GI of a food plus the amount of available, or net, carbohydrates in a standard serving.
Which is better?
I give the nod to GL, and here’s why. Some foods with a high GI actually have minimal effects on blood sugar levels when eaten in normal quantities, while others with a low GI are potentially problematic. For example, a large carrot and a cup of spaghetti have similar GIs. Yet that carrot contains only 5 g of available carbs (it’s mostly water), while the spaghetti contains 38 g, giving them GLs of 2 and 16, respectively.
Therefore, they have dramatically different effects on blood sugar. Carrots, watermelon, pineapple, and other fruits with a high GI that were once thought to be inappropriate for people with diabetes turn out to be acceptable, while the GL confirms the need to cut out pasta, bagels, and other starchy, carbohydrate-dense foods.
To quickly lighten your glycemic load, eat lots of salads, green vegetables, beans, and legumes. And another small secret is that eating a modest amount of healthy fats and moderate portions of lean protein with each meal can help to “cancel out” high glycemic foods, even in a single dish! One of my favorite meals is a hearty salad with a nice piece of salmon on top. It’s an easy way to get a tasty serving of healthy fats, plenty of protein, and lots of low GL carbs. What’s yours?
I'll admit, by now it's easy for me to say that preventing and beating diabetes is possible without drugs. I've seen it time and again. It inspires me to see it happen, but by now it doesn't surprise me.
I know that controlling diabetes naturally may not seem possible. Living with this condition -- or even just the threat of pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome -- is difficult. Your doctors may have told you it's too late, permanent, or something worse.
I'm here to tell you, they're wrong. You CAN do it. And all it takes for most people are two things: knowledge and commitment. Ok, if there's a third thing, it's inspiration.
I can give you the knowledge. The power of knowing what's possible is what launched
Health & Healing so many years ago. The commitment comes from you.
And to show you how making a commitment to lifestyle changes is one of the best ways to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes, here's a little inspiration, courtesy of a diabetes success story from Georgia newsletter subscriber J.D.:
“
Four and a half years ago, I was 43 and in the worst shape of my life. At 6’2” I weighed 310 pounds, and the only exercise I got was mowing my yard. I insisted on going out for a fast food lunch every day because I just ‘had to get out of the office,’ and those meals were usually ‘supersized’ so I could get as much food as possible for my money.
“I
already had hypertension and high cholesterol when a routine physical found a fasting blood sugar of 160, and I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Fortunately for me, my doctor gave me an ultimatum: I could either lose weight or I would have to go on medication for the rest of my life. My wife was determined that I would not take any drugs.
We checked out Dr. Whitaker’s book,
Reversing Diabetes,
and began utilizing many of his techniques. I started exercising and our whole family changed lifestyles.
“
Today, four years later, I have lost over 100 pounds and it has stayed off. I have never taken medication for diabetes, and my cholesterol and blood pressure are also under control. I walk four miles, four days a week, and climb Stone Mountain two days a week. I feel better than I have in years.”
J.D. ends his letter with this. “
I think the secret is that you have to decide that this is not just a ‘diet’ but rather a lifestyle change. You also need the support and encouragement of your family and friends.”
J.D. was lucky to have a doctor who told it like it was and a helpful wife. If you don’t have that support, create it. Find a new doctor, join an exercise group, keep reading this blog, enroll in a weight loss program—the possibilities are endless.
Just keep your eye on your goal and remember this: changing your diet or exercising may seem difficult, but it’s easier than dealing with the inevitable complications of diabetes down the line.
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