The onset of Type 2 Diabetes nowadays is at epidemic proportions. It is occurring more frequently and at earlier times in people’s lives. No longer is the onset of Diabetes limited to Adults.
Approximately 10% of the U.S. population is Diabetic. That is a lot of people!
It is happening in just about everybody’s family. My Dad was diabetic! My mother-in-law was Diabetic! 2 friends that I have not heard from in a year just told me they are diabetic!
The sad thought is….you may be next!
Why because you are probably eating the same diet that your friends and family are eating and you can expect the same……..results! Type 2 diabetes is largely a lifestyle related disorder…..avoided by diet….and controllable by diet.
The traditional approach to controlling Diabetes and Blood Sugar is to limit the intake of Carbohydrates and Refined Sugars. There are 2 problems with this approach. 1) Cutting carbs reduces the preferred fuel of your body, glucose. So you might be able to control your blood sugar but…you have no energy, a common problem for Diabetics. 2) If you cut carbs you have to replace that void in your diet with something and that is usually more protein and more fat. Both of which are problematic for the Diabetic.
As I have said many times in this blog, Dietary Fat is the real issue in the Diabetic equation. If you reduce fat intake, you reduce insulin resistance. Reducing carbs in your diet does the opposite effect because people increase protein and fat intake. They are actually doing the exact opposite of what is needed to control blood sugar. Our current approach to Type 2 Diabetes is like us saying “To lower the amount of car accidents everyone should stop driving! Obviously that would lower accidents but it is not practical and it really does not address the cause….bad driving habits.
Is it a coincidence that Black and Hispanic Communities have the highest rates of Diabetes? No coincidence here, just cause and effect. Both eat diets high in animal products (meats, dairy, cheese, eggs), high use of oils and eat diets high in fried foods.
High Fat, High Calorie, High Cholesterol Diets = High incidence of Diabetes and a lot of other health issues!
Dr. Neal Barnard, President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, says “the new approach [to controlling Blood Sugar] focuses more attention on fat. Fat is a problem for people with diabetes. The more fat there is in the diet, the harder time insulin has in getting glucose into the cells.”
A low-fat, vegan diet is ideal for people with diabetes.
In 2006 a study carried out by PCRM was done with 2 groups of people. 1 group ate the American Diabetes Association recommended diet and the other ate a low fat, whole food, Vegan (no animal products) diet in which portions were unlimited.
After 22 weeks here were the results:
- 43% of the Vegan Group was able to reduce their medication as compared to only 26% of the people following the ADA guidelines. Twice the amount benefited from the vegan diet!
- The Vegan Group reduced their A1C levels by 3 times that of the ADA Group.
- The Vegan Group lost more weight than than ADA Group.
- The Vegan Group had more reduction of Total and LDL Cholesterol than the ADA Group.
The study showed that a Vegan Diet can be effective in improving the health of people with Diabetes and that most people found it acceptable, enjoyable and easy to follow. And there is no calorie counting!
So what are the simple steps you can take to help control Blood sugar:
- Start eating a Vegan Diet, eliminating the animal products from your diet
- Avoid Vegetable Oils and other high fat foods.
- Lean towards low glycemic index foods like most fruits and vegetables
- Go Whole Food and High Fiber – Beans, Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables
- Add a consistent dose of exercise!
I encourage you to read Dr, Barnards article on Diet and Diabetes: Recipes for Success and check out the rest of the PCRM.org website. Your body will thank you for it!
Share this information with the people you love!
GO VEGAN!
Simple Powerful Health is dedicated to making better health easy. Our objective is to expose you to a clear path of simple, powerful health principles and practices that can make a significant difference in the health of your family, your community and the planet.
We are a vegetarian/vegan blog that recognizes and respects your individuality and rights as well as that of all other sentient beings on the planet.
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Calen Meza