14/01/2019
How to Eat to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes
Discover the best diet for diabetics and how to eat to
prevent diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be reversed — and
even type 1 diabetics can improve their life and health.
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.
and doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke.
1)Non-Starchy Vegetables
Non-green, non-starchy vegetables like mushrooms ,
onions, garlic, eggplant, peppers, etc. are essential
components of a diabetes prevention (or diabetes
reversal) diet.
These foods have almost nonexistent effects on blood
glucose and are packed with fiber and phytochemicals.
2). Beans
Beans, lentils, and other legumes are the ideal
carbohydrate source .
Beans are low in glycemic load due to their moderate
protein and abundant fiber and resistant starch,
carbohydrates that are not broken down in the small
intestine.
This reduces the amount of calories that can be
absorbed from beans; plus, resistant starch is
fermented by bacteria in the colon, forming products
that protect against colon cancer.
Accordingly, bean and legume consumption is
associated with reduced risk of both diabetes and colon
cancer.
3)Nuts and Seeds
Nuts are low in glycemic load, promote weight loss,
and have anti-inflammatory effects that may prevent
the development of insulin resistance.
The Nurses’ Health Study found a 27% reduced risk of
diabetes in nurses who ate five or more servings of
nuts per week .
Among nurses who already had diabetes, this same
quantity reduced the risk of heart disease by 47%.
4)Fresh Fruit
Fruits are rich in fiber and antioxidants, and are a
nutrient-dense choice for satisfying sweet cravings.
Eating three servings of fresh fruit each day is
associated with an 18% decrease in risk of diabetes. 5
For those who are already diabetic, I recommend
sticking to low sugar fruits like berries, kiwi, oranges,
and melon to minimize glycemic effects.
FOOD THAT COULD COURSE INCREASE IN LEVEL OF DIABETES
1)Fried Foods
Potato chips, French fries, doughnuts and other fried
starches start with a high-glycemic food, and then pile
on a huge number of low-nutrient calories in the form
of oil.
Plus, like other cooked starches, fried foods contain
AGEs.
2)Trans Fats (Margarine, Shortening, Fast Food,
Processed Baked Goods)
Diabetes accelerates cardiovascular disease. Because
the vast majority of diabetics ( more than 80%) die
from cardiovascular disease , any food that increases
cardiovascular risk will be especially problematic for
those with diabetes.
Trans fat intake is a strong dietary risk factor for heart
disease; even a small amount of trans fat intake
increases risk.
In addition to their cardiovascular effects, saturated
and trans fats reduce insulin sensitivity, leading to
elevated glucose and insulin levels, and greater risk of
diabetes.
3)Red and Processed Meats
At first glance, it may seem like the dietary effects on
diabetes would be only relevant to carbohydrate-
containing foods. The more low-carbohydrate, high-
protein foods in your diet, the better; those foods don’t
directly raise blood glucose.
However, that is a too simplistic view of the
development of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is not
only driven by elevated glucose levels, but also by
chronic inflammation , oxidative stress , and alterations
in circulating lipids (fats) .
Many diabetics have come to believe that if sugar and
refined grains and other high-glycemic foods raise
blood sugar and triglycerides, they should avoid them
and eat more animal protein to keep their blood
glucose levels in check.
However, several studies have now confirmed that
high intake of meat increases the risk of diabetes .
A meta-analysis of 12 studies concluded that high total
meat intake increased type 2 diabetes risk 17% above
low intake, high red meat intake increased risk 21%,
and high processed meat intake increased risk 41%
4)Whole Eggs
Eating 5 eggs/week or more has been associated with
an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes .
When it comes to heart disease, eggs have been a
controversial topic. However, for those with diabetes,
the research is not controversial; there are clear links
in many observational studies to large increases in
risk.
Large prospective studies such as The Nurses’ Health
Study, Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and
Physicians’ Health Study reported that diabetics who
eat more than one egg/day double their cardiovascular
disease or death risk compared to diabetics that ate
less than one egg per week.
Another study of diabetics reported that those eating
one egg/day or more had a fivefold increase in risk of
death from cardiovascular disease.
The Best Way to Avoid Diabetes and
Enhance Life Expectancy
Learning how to eat to prevent diabetes and how to
eat if you have diabetes or prediabetes can help you
take control of your health.
A diet of vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and fresh fruit
can prevent and even reverse diabetes while promoting
long-term health.
This approach works. In a recent study on type 2
diabetics following this diet, we found that 90% of
participants were able to come off all diabetic
medications, and the mean HbA1c after one year was
5.8, which is in the non-diabetic (normal) range.