Learning More About Diabetes, part 1

Reversing Diabetes, by Dr. Juian Whitaker, MD

Adding just 5 to 10 grams of fiber to your daily diet can result in a five-point drop in cholesterol--which translates into a 10% reduction in risk of heart disease.

Fiber is an excellent therapy for people who already have diabetes.  It helps maintain glucose control.  It delays gastric emptying.  This allows a slower rate of absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.  This reduces the ups and downs of blood sugar levels.

Fiber improves the body's sensitivity to insulin, combating insulin resistance and helping insulin do its job of ushering glucose into the cells.  (pgs 115-6)

Whole Plant foods are Nutrient-Rich.

Beans and legumes- Maganesium, zinc, B-complex vitamins.

Whole grains- Magnesium, chromium, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins.

Leafy greens- Magnesium, calcium, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, carotenoids.

Orange/yellow fruits & veggies- vitamins C & A, beta carotene

Citrus fruits- vitamin C

Peppers- vitamins C & A

Broccoli & other cruciferous veggies- vitamins C & A

Raw nuts & seeds- calcium, magnesium, zinc, B-complex vitamins, vitamin E

Simple Carbohydrates are one or two molecule sugars that are quickly broken down into glucose, enter the bloodstream rapidly, and cause a fast rise in blood glucose, accompanied by a rise in insulin.  Foods in this group include sugars of every kind and also grain based products that have been processed and stripped of their fiber, such as white flour, white rice, and many cereals.

Complex carbohydrates, which include whole grains, beans and legumes, vegetables, and fruits, are made up of many sugar molecules bonded or chained together.  Their sugars are released more slowly into the bloodstream, a process made slower still by the fiber int hese foods, and they cause a gradual, more sustained rise in blood sugar.

The Glycemic Index of Common Foods:

Low: Green Veggies, Tomatoes, Beans & Peas, Pasta, Apples, Berries, Citrus Fruit, Oatmeal, 100% Bran cereal, Sprouted Grain Bread.

Moderate: Stone-ground whole wheat bread, Rye crackers, Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Grapes, New Potatoes, Whole Wheat Tortillas, Kiwi

High: Bagels, White Bread, Rice Cakes, Pretzels, Most cold cereals, White Rice, White Potatoes, Pineapple, Dates, Ripe Bananas

Consuming large quantities of readily absorbed carbohydrates such as sugar allso stresses your body's blood sugar control mechanisms, causing sharp rises in glucose and insulin, followed by precipitous drops. (pg 123)

Common names of added sweeteners include sucrose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, high-fructose corn syrup; corn, rice, and barley malt syrups; maple syrup or solids; fruit juice concentrates; and mannitol and sorbitol.

Replacing white sugar with honey, molasses, and other "healthy" sweeteners are not the way to go.  Just like refined white sugar, almost all natural sweeteners have a high glycemic index and provoke a sharp glucose release.  The one "natural" sweetener that is low on the glycemic index is fructose.  Fructose problems of its own, it is a primary culprit in glycosylation, the chemical binding of sugars to proteins.

Fructose is a highly reactive molecule that readily attaches to proteins, changing their structure and interfering with their normal activities. 

Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, are broken down into the body into harmful components, including formaldehyde (toxin and carcinogen), formic acid (the poison in ant stings), and methanol (a nervous system toxin AKA  free methyl alcohol or wood alcohol).

Two amino acids that comprise aspartame, phenylanine and aspartic acid, can bypass the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain, upsetting the balance of neurotransmitters and brain chemistry.  High intake of aspartame has been linked with a number of adverse effects, including headache, vision loss, seizures, mood disorders, and other nervous system problems. (pages 124-5)

Skip sweeteners and go with Stevia and Xylitol.
Stevia is extracted from an herb native to South America.  Xylitol is a unique sweetener obtained from birch trees that essentially looks and tastes like white granulated sugar.  Unlike Stevia, Xylitol is not calorie free, but is very slowly metabolized.  Therefore it causes none of the abrupt rises and falls you get with other sweeteners.

Where do Protein and Fat Fit In?

When we eat too much carbohydrate or fat, the body stores this extra energy as fat.  The body cannot store extra protein. It must be broken down, and its waste products processed by the kidneys.

To be continued.