DIABETES NUTRITION GUIDE with 31 Expert Tips for Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Compiled by Dr
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DIABETES NUTRITION GUIDE With 31 Expert Tips for Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Compiled by Dr. Brian Mowll, The Diabetes Coach™ ©2015 by SweetLife Diabetes Health Centers, LLC and Dr. Brian C. Mowll All rights reserved. No portion of this program manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including fax, photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the authors, except as granted under the following conditions: • Each individual user of this guide must download it on their own to ensure that the most updated information is provided within. • Pages of this guide may be photo copied or reprinted for personal use by the individual who downloaded it but not redistributed. • A reviewer may quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper, with written approval from the author prior to publishing. DISCLAIMER This guide is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice and treatment from your personal physician. Readers are advised to consult their own doctors or other qualified health professionals regarding the treatment of medical conditions. The author shall not be held liable or responsible for any misunderstanding or misuse of the information contained in this program manual or for any loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by any treatment, action, or application of any food or food source discussed in this program manual. The statements in this program manual have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. To request permission for reproduction or inquire about private or group diabetes coaching or workshops, contact: Dr. Brian Mowll - [email protected] or online at or www.sweetlifecenters.com. 2 INTRODUCTION What does it mean to “Reverse Diabetes”? People often ask what it means to reverse diabetes. Is there a cure? Diabetes is not a disease, like tuberculosis or the flu. There is no way to expect a magic pill, diet, or physical activity program to wipe out the enemy and make everything better. It doesn’t exist and it never will. Diabetes is a state of dysfunction and this type of condition, much like heart disease, cannot be cured. That might be bad news for some people. But, there is good news also. Diabetes (specifically, type 2 diabetes) can be controlled, and the condition can improve to a degree that will allow you to enjoy life the same as someone without diabetes. Unfortunately, most people with diabetes will get worse year by year, not better. The blood glucose levels will gradually creep up, medications will need to be increased, and many times if not properly controlled, complications will develop. Most people following the standard doctor recommendations will eventually develop eye problems, neuropathy in the feet and toes, kidney issues, and accelerated heart and vascular damage. The condition is considered chronic and degenerative, because that is what typically happens. It doesn’t have to be that way. Reversing diabetes is about stopping that progression and turing it around. Think about cruising down the highway going the wrong direction. That’s the way most people are treating diabetes. You need to gradually slow down the car, stop, and put it in reverse. It doesn’t happen overnight, but with persistence and direction, you’ll eventually get back to your destination, which is the health that you deserve. Complications such as atherosclerosis (blood vessel damage), retinopathy (eye damage), and even neuropathy (nerve damage) and be improved. Reversing diabetes is about getting healthier over time, rather than getting worse. Many people are able to work with their doctor to gradually decrease medica- tions as they improve their diabetes through diet, lifestyle, and functional support. Most importantly, blood glucose levels can be improved and normalized to protect your body and your health into the future. It’s not easy, but diabetes does not have to be a death sentence. It doesn’t have to ruin your life. In fact, it can be the impetus to make a longterm lifestyle change that can drastically improve your health and your life forever. 3 WHAT CAUSES TYPE 2 DIABETES What causes diabetes? First of all, what is diabetes? Diabetes Mellitus means “sweet urine”. It was first described in an Egyptian manuscript from 1500 BCE. The disease is diagnosed today, not by urinary glucose, but by measuring glucose in the blood serum. The current diagnostic criteria uses blood glucose of 126 or greater to indicate diabetes. In addition, the hemoglobin A1c test, which measures the percentage of glycated (sugar-coated) hemoglobin in the red blood cell, is diagnostic of diabetes at 6.5% or greater. So, while diabetes is technically just a subcategory of hyperglycemia (too much sugar in the blood), the condition is much more complex than that. Diabetes is really blood sugar dysregulation. The body has lost it’s ability to regulate and control blood glucose levels. This can occur during a resting state, an active state, fasting, or post-prandial (after eating). It can be affected by sleep quality or disruption, physical activity level and fitness, stress, hormone balance, immune health, organ function such as liver, thyroid, and kidneys, digestive system, and the structural integrity of the cell membrane and mitochondria (energy producing element of each cell). Ultimately, the cause of type 2 diabetes is a loss in the ability of the body to regulate the complex blood sugar system. The reasons this may happen vary greatly from one person to the next. That is why a personalized approach always works best when working to find and correct the cause of diabetes. One of the most common patterns in type 2 diabetes involves the hormone insulin. Each hormone or chemical in the body has a job (usually several jobs). The job of insulin is to cause the storage of macronu- trients into the tissues. In particular, insulin is released in the presence of glucose and amino acids in order to open the door to the cells and allow them to soak up these important nutrients for energy production. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin, so without this hormone, the cells are not able to soak up the glucose from the blood. The cells starve, while sugar accumulates in the blood stream. This is dangerous and can lead to significant damage to the blood vessels and body tissues if not corrected. The only answer is to provide insulin from the outside. Fortunately, in the 1920’s, insulin was isolated and we’ve had the benefit of this tool since then. Type 2 diabetes, however, is completely different. Typically, the pancreas is producing plenty of insulin. In fact, most type 2 diabetics are hyperinsulinemic, which means they have too much insulin in the blood. So, what’s the problem? 4 The problem in type 2 diabetes is called insulin resistance. The cells (liver, muscle, kidney, fat, etc) have become resistant to the effects of insulin. They have become desensitized, almost like your hearing does when you are in a loud room. From years of eating too many carbohydrates, too much sugar, not enough physical activity, the toxic burden from our environment and food supply, and inflammation, the cell receptors for insulin stop working. Think of insulin like a key that opens a lock. With insulin resistance, the lock is “gummed up” or damaged, and the key no longer works as well. The body’s response to insulin resistance is to produce more insulin. If you are at a load party and the person you are speaking to can’t hear you, the most logical thing to do is to talk louder. So, the pancreas continues to produce more and more insulin to overcome the resistant state. This may work for a while and continue to keep the blood glucose levels down. But, at some point, the body will reach it’s breaking point where it just can no longer keep up. Once the blood sugar levels rise above 100 mg/dl, you are said to be in a state of pre- diabetes. In reality, there is no such thing as pre-diabetes. It’s like being a little bit pregnant. Once your blood sugar starts to rise, you are losing control of blood sugar regulation, which is diabetes. At this point, the process has been developing for many years. Diabetes doesn’t develop over night. It typically takes decades to go from normal blood sugar metabolism to insulin resistance to blood sugar dysregulation. The body wants to stay healthy and in control, but it can only take so much abuse. The diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes can and should be a wake up call for many people. It’s not too late, but time is wasting. The longer the disease progresses, the harder it is to correct and the less correc- tion possible. However, knowing that you are losing or have lost the ability to regulate and control your blood sugar levels is that all important first step. In some ways, diabetes can be a blessing in disguise. While it would certainly be better to change before you develop diabetes, if you make to necessary lifestyle changes quickly, it may prevent you from devel- oping heart disease, cancer, alzheimer’s disease, or having a stroke. It can be the impetus for change and that may end up saving your life. 5 THE OPTIMAL EATING STRATEGY What is the perfect diet to prevent and reverse diabetes? Unfortunately, there is no such thing.