Unfortunately, it is widely accepted that once you become diabetic (Type 2), you will have it for life. Millions of people around the world take medications (including pills and insulin injections)for type 2 Diabetes to lower the blood sugar levels. These medications cost good amount of money that diabetics have to pay for the rest of their lives. It used to be that people in their 50s or 60s become diabetics. But now people even in their early 20s and 30s are being diagnosed with diabetes or pre diabetes.
Dangers of Diabetes: Diabetes starts off as a benign illness for which a pill is often prescribed. It slowly progresses and soon more pills are added eventually leading up to insulin injections. If not stopped/managed early on, it can potentially lead to serious long term health problems such as kidney failure, amputations, strokes, heart attacks, blindness, nerve damage and erectile dysfunction.
his illness is very close to my heart as my late father suffered and eventually died from complications that all started with diabetes. At that time I was not in the field nutrition and health and thus couldn't help him. Financial costs arising from complications of diabetes can be staggering. Even more higher are the emotional cost / toll on the family.
A long term diabetic is aware that medicines merely manage the symptoms and doesn't cure it. Why can't medicine cure diabetes? It is because the underlying cause behind the so called disease is not addressed. According to Dr. Neal Bernard (an authority n reversing diabetes), one of the main causes behind Type 2 diabetes is high intake of fat in diet. This includes fats coming from animal (Dairy, meat, eggs etc.) sources as well as plant based sources such as vegetable oils.
Does starches and fruits cause type 2 Diabetes? It is quite common to see people who have type 2 diabetes not being allowed many types of fruits and starches such as rice, potatoes, rotis (tortilla) etc. This belief stems from the fact that since fruits have sugar and starches turn into sugar they will either cause or amplify existing diabetic condition by keeping more sugar in the blood.
Contrary to a almost universally held belief, diabetes is not caused by starches like rice or potatoes or even fruits. If that was the case many starch eating countries like China and Japan would have rampant diabetes.
Why is fat a culprit in Diabetes? Under normal circumstances, as the sugar is detected in the blood stream, the pancreas secrete insulin. The job of the insulin is to accompany the sugar to the cells. Cells have insulin receptors or locks that can only be opened by the insulin. The insulin acts as a key that fits into the receptors on the surface of the cell. The insulin opens the cell and the sugar is allowed to go in where it is used by little furnaces called mitochondria to generate energy.
So how does over consumption of Fat disrupts this normal process? Fat by nature is sticky (try washing oil from your hand without soap). Long term consumption of fats from vegetable oils and animal sources clogs the cells from inside. When the insulin tries to open the cell to let the sugar molecules in it is unable to do, hence the sugar remains in the blood stream. When the pancreas detect more sugar in the blood they release even more insulin to remove the excess sugar from the blood. As this cycle continues the body develops something called insulin resistance.
Rather than understanding the actual cause (a high fat diet) behind type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes or insulin resistance, we end up blaming the carbohydrates as a cause. In most cases, it is not the excessive sugar present in the blood stream but the inability of the cells to efficiently intake/absorb the circulating sugar which causes diabetes.
How can we reverse diabetes?
It is clinically proven to manage and even reverse type 2 diabetes with a diet that is extremely low in dietary fats (especially coming from animal sources and vegetable oils). As the inflow of fats go down, the cells burn up the existing intra-cellular fats and thus they no longer act as a deterrent to insulin. The insulin is now able to do its job (i.e. opening the cells) and the sugar is able to go inside the cells where it is properly used to produce energy like it should.
What to eat to reverse diabetes: As part of my "diabetes management with diet" plan, I recommend eating a "Whole Foods Plant Based" diet that includes plenty of seasonal fruits, vegetables, beans/lentils and whole grains.
What NOT to eat:
Avoid fats from both animal and non animal (vegetable oils) sources. Learn to cook food without vegetable oils (yes it is possible) butter and ghee.
Avoid process and packaged foods such as pizzas, ice creams, cream cheese, cookies, cakes etc.
Avoid deep fried foods such as doughnuts, samosas, ghulab jamun etc.
Avoid white sugar, white flour, white bread etc.
Unfortunately, the list to avoid is so long that it cannot be listed here. Simply focus on eating whole plant based foods for a certain amount of time to see the benefits.
Key Takeaway:
If you want to reverse diabetes you must avoid falling into the trap of "eating everything in moderation". If you follow that, instead of 2 years, you will get it in 4. You got to take immediate steps to change your lifestyle and dietary habits for your own sake and for the sake of your family. Foods that are injurious to health MUST be avoided for the recovery to take place, otherwise you are fooling yourself.
If you are pre-diabetic or have diabetes in your family, you need to be very careful with what you choose to eat. It is not wise to play Russian roulette with your life by eating things that are injurious to your body.
Action Plan: For those who are pre-diabetic or have diabetes discuss with your doctor if its ok to eat a whole foods plant based diet (that is very low in fats/oils) for four weeks to see if it helps your blood sugar levels. The blood sugar normalize very fast on a low fat plant base diet and if you are on medication you need to be aware of that. The goal must be to ultimately avoid or get off medications that artificially lowers blood sugar.
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