Body Care Kits

Diabetes may not be for life

Patrick Holford is the founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London and heads the Food of the Brain Foundation, pioneering nutritional approaches to mental health. He has written more than 20 health books, including the worldwide bestseller, the Optimum Nutrition Bible.

World renowned diabetes expert Fedon Lindberg from Norway has reported complete reversal of type 2 diabetes, the most common form, even in those injecting insulin, by this radical non-drug approach. 'A balanced low glycemic load (GL) diet, coupled with a healthy lifestyle, can also achieve non-diabetic sugar levels without the need for medication - therefore 'reversing' the disease,' he says. He has challenged the Norwegian Diabetes Association to change its advice.

Despite 15 controlled studies on chromium, 13 of which show benefit for stabilising blood sugar, most diabetics are still being told 'you get all the nutrients you need in a well-balanced diet'.

This is simply untrue for chromium. A really good, wholefood diet might give you 50mcg a day. You need 500mcg a day if you are diabetic. (It is very safe to take this much as the toxic level is above 10,000mcg.)

Chromium is in unrefined foods. Sugar, white flour and white rice have up to 98 per cent of the chromium removed. It works by improving the sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Insulin insensitivity, called insulin resistance, is the first indication of pre-diabetes, and affects the majority of overweight people.

Cinnamon, the other key natural remedy for blood sugar regulation, contains something called MCHP which mimics the action of insulin. There is a concentrated extract of cinnamon called Cinnulin® which is high in MCHP for those who do not like eating cinnamon every day.

In one study, volunteers with type 2 diabetes were given cinnamon capsules after meals. All responded to the cinnamon within weeks, lowering blood sugar levels by about 20 per cent. Some of the volunteers even achieved normal blood sugar levels. Tellingly, blood sugar levels started creeping up again after the diabetics stopped taking cinnamon.

The principle behind the low GL diet is eating foods which provide a slow release of sugar, together with protein foods. For example, having a few nuts with an apple, or seeds on an oat-based cereal, or fish with a small serving of brown rice. This leads to less hunger, reduced sugar cravings, increased energy and rapid weight loss, as well as stable blood sugar levels. But you have to do it properly - eating a strict 45 GLs a day.

If you have diabetes, I recommend supplementing 400mcg of chromium with breakfast, and 200mcg at lunch (it comes in 200mcg capsules). If you do not, but have low energy, weight gain or any other 'pre-diabetes' indicators, take 200mcg a day, with breakfast.

For cinnamon, you want 1g a day, or 500mg of a cinnamon extract. Half a teaspoon is 1g. If you are taking sulfonylurea medication be aware this might quickly become unnecessary and, in fact, cause too low blood sugar levels (a 'hypo') since the combination of diet plus supplements is so effective. This kind of approach is also great for prevention, and weight loss. Daily exercise is also an important part of the equation.

Labels: diabetes diet ii type, diabetes diet type

# posted by Leo @ 8:33 PM