There are two types of diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes, which affects children and young adults and is also often referred to as Insulin Dependent Diabetes (IDDM).
Type 2 Diabetes, which comes on in later life, especially in the overweight and often runs in families. This is also referred to as Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes
Type 1 is when your pancreas stops making insulin and it has to be injected into the body.
Type 2 is when your pancreas is still producing insulin only that your body no longer utilizes it in the correct way.
Type 2 diabetes :
The pancreas lies at the back of the abdomen and has two main functions:
to produce a juice that flows into the digestive system to help us digest food
to produce the hormone called insulin.
Insulin is the key hormone that controls the flow of glucose (sugar) in and out of the cells of the body.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by:
insufficient production of insulin in the pancreas
a resistance to the action of insulin in the body's cells - especially in muscle, fat and liver cells.
Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with being overweight, but it's less clear what causes it, compared to the Type 1 disease.
In Type 2 diabetes, high levels of insulin circulate in the blood because the pancreas can still produce the hormone.
However, for reasons we don't understand, the effect of the insulin is impaired. This means it doesn't have its normal effect on the cells of the body. This is called insulin resistance.
Now, I was not obese although I could have afforded to loose some weight. Even though I had a sedentary job (computer programmer) and was quite active (did martial arts) I was probably about 14 lbs overweight – to much booze I guess!
The first thing that the doctors did was pronounce me diabetic, thrust a ‘menu’ at me and send me home telling me that the diabetic\specialist was on vacation until about 3 months time! I was furious. I rushed home and phoned the Diabetic Association who told me not to panic and Diabetics could eat the same food as ‘normal healthy’ people. I looked at the menu I had been given and thought it made no sense! I am not exactly a rocket scientist, however I remembered from my schooldays biology lessons that carbohydrate meant sugar and sugar was poison to diabetics! So where did that leave me? Even more furious. So I researched, did more research and then did some more research. My notes were even borrowed by another MD later on, copied and I was told I had saved him months of work.
I tell you all this so you can make your own educated judgments. Most of the advice out there is not only wrong but down right dangerous. There are too many people and companies only concerned with making money out of your misfortune regardless of the cost financially and health wise to you.
The notes attached here are facts I have discovered for myself over the years. I control my diabetes with NO MEDICAL OR CHEMICAL assistance whatsoever – purely by diet. I continue to have regular medical checkups and blood tests that prove my condition is controlled and regular. I live in the United States at present and the last MD to test me asked if I was sure I was diabetic as all the readings were within the ‘normal’ range. In fact, this doctor has taken off the diagnosis of DIABETIC from my list of ailmants! Does this mean I have cured myself? Maybe, maybe not - but I make no claims as such at this time and I will NOT be altering my lifestyle!
My sister was on a diet to loose weight at the time, called “Sugar Busters”. I decided that avoiding sugar was a good thing for a diabetic so joined her with this diet. She didn’t loose as much weight as she wanted to but it sure kick started my healthy eating regime.
The most important thing I have to say about sugar is this. Most of the sugar substitutes on sale now are chemical poisons. Not just for diabetics – for EVERYONE! The best you can do is avoid sugars all together. If, like me however, you have a sweet tooth, then find a reliable substitute. Stevia is a natural product, 200+ times sweeter than sugar with no calorific content. The taste is acquired but research is going on constantly and the taste is improving. I don’t like the taste and I do not use Stevia, I only wish I did! I use Fruisana, a fruit sugar derived from fruit. I have to import it here in America as the only fruit sugar on sale here is made from corn and that is probably genetically modified and has the same calorific content as white poisonous sugar and does as much damage. I say poisonous sugar because that’s what it is. The Table Sugar that you buy has no nutritional value and just builds fat – all the goodness has been processed out of it. I will explain more of the treacherous acts that food producers are performing as we go along.
My guiding light for a diabetic friendly diet has been the G.I. – that’s Glycemic Index. Basically, what they do is feed a spoonful of Glucose to a healthy person, wait a while and then measure their blood sugars. Once the glucose is out of the system, they then take the equivalent of a spoonful of another food and repeat the process. If Glucose is the measure then this is deemed to be 100. Other foods are graded against this – for instance, white table sugar has a GI of 65. Just to confuse you, some people used white bread instead of glucose and use this measure, It differ slightly but not enough to bother about.
Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetics
Foods to avoid at all cost:
Potatoes – I substitute Sweetpotatos which can be found as orange or white. I cook them and use them much the same as ordinary potatoes. The orange ones take less time to boil and are more critical of timing as they tend to turn mushy if overcooked. You have a lot more lee-way with the white sweetpotatos. Under no circumstances eat baked potatoes of any kind! A good substitute for mash potato is a blend of cauliflower and sweetpotato - delicious. Ordinary potatoes are full of starch while sweetpotatos have very little starch – this is why “hash browns” stick together and starch = sugar = poison = weight gain!
Bread, Pasta and Rice – Once you understand what diabetes is and the role of the pancreas, you will also understand the reason why we need to eat “whole grain” products. Where the grains are milled, such as in flours, stone ground is preferable. The whole grain still contains lots of fibre and this takes time to digest. This means that the ‘sugars’ in them are released a lot more slowly and have less or nil effect on blood sugars. Also, white flour producers (bread makers, cakes etc.) have found that a chemical called alloxan makes the flour ‘whiter than white’ and so more appealing to the general public. It is also cheaper than bleach. So when all the nutrients have been extracted from the flour (to sell as a separate product – get paid twice for the same thing – good eh?) they add alloxan to make it even whiter. That wouldn't be so bad except see here what the medical dictionary defines alloxan as:
alloxan
So I personally will never ever even touch products made from white flour ever again – but you do as you feel you want to! I only eat Stoneground Whole meal Bread and only use Stoneground Whole meal flour when using wheat. I also use brown rice flour, soy flour and most gluten free flour.
Cereals: - Be very wary of all cereals. Most of them are packed with sugar. One that I use often and know to be safe is Shredded Wheat. Check the contents, all it should list is wheat – nothing else. Beware of so-called “high fibre” cereals as these usually have higher sugar content than normal.
Vegetables and Fruits. – Most vegetables and fruits are OK for diabetics, however, there are a few exceptions that should be considered:
Peas: once peas grow up and become big peas they also contain a lot of sugar, so restrict yourself to baby peas or “petite poi”.
Corn: The same applies to corn (and corn on the cob). The tins of baby corn sold in most asian markets is acceptable and I know “Bird’s Eye” now do a frozen baby corn but I am unsure of it’s availability.
Pineapple: Way to much sugar content – avoid it.
Watermelons: Same as for pineapples.
Raisins: Check out the GI and you will find that raisins are too high while sultanas are acceptable! I know not why.
Herbs and non-chemicals: I am still researching these and hope to have a personal definition soon. I include them for others to consider. They are:
Banaba
Documented for it's ability to lower blood sugar and act as a glucose transport in the blood stream. Known by some as "botanical insulin".
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Bitter Melon
Noted for it's regulative abilities and to improve glucose tolerance. Recommended by Dept. of Health in the Philipines as one of the best herbal medicines for diabetes management.
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Cinnamon
USDA research indicates that Cinnamon reduces the amount of insulin necessary for glucose metabolism. Furthermore, Cinammon has been shown to stimulate glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis to similar level as insulin.
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Gymnema Sylvestre
A Harvard study indicates the Gymnema can lower blood sugar levels in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. A King's College, London, study states that Gymnema acts by increasing cell permatibility, therefore reducing insulin resistance.
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Huckleberry
Helps to improve circulation in the little capillaries in the hands and feet. Also valuable in balancing the digestion and strengthening the immune system.
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Chromium
Starting in the 1960's reports have shown that Chromium helps cells respond properly to naturally produced insulin. Current estimates show that 90% of Americans are lacking in this essential mineral nutrient.
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Zinc
Zinc contributes many factors in correct insulin function. Zinc is necessary for the pancreas to produce insulin and allows insulin to work effectively, it also helps protect the insulin receptor cells. When zinc levels are low, the pancreas may not secrete enough insulin, so glucose levels remain high, and the insulin that is released cannot work as efficiently as it could. When this happens, glucose cannot enter the cells properly causing high levels in the blood.
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Biotin
Biotin is a B vitamin needed to process glucose. One study showed that Type 1 diabetics given 16mgs of Biotin for one week cut their fasting glucose by 50%. A type 2 study showed similar results. There is also some indication that Biotin helps relieve pain from diabetic nerve damage.
