Diabetes Type 2 - Can It Be Reversed?

Diabetes is a growing problem in this country.  With all the sugary treats and drinks available to our youth that disease has spread like wildfire into our young.  Diabetes was a rare thing in my generation - but to see how it has spread with the addition of so much sugar into our culture concerns me greatly. 

This has concerned doctors for quite some time and there are several studies going on that may influence the way this disease is managed.

Let's start with sugar - we have had several conversations now about sugar.  Do NOT listen to the marketing hype on TV that states that all sugars are the same - THEY ARE NOT.  Every sugar is broken down differently and could even overload different organs.  As I have stated before, refined white sugar is the worst.  Stick with darker sugars if you must go with refined, if not raw sugars, and honey are far better.  The best is honey as it has already been broken down by bees - it is by far the gentlest on your system.

Additional Reading: http://finallyhealing.com/sugars-affect

What organs can be affected by sugar?  Obviously, the pancreas, but also the liver, heart, and the kidneys.  Sugar (that includes fake sugar) is one of the biggest causes of excess weight, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and pancreatic failure.  Sugar is an additiction that must be faught daily to be controlled. 

Additional Reading: http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/sugar-disease-articles/organs-affected-diabetes-646683.html

Obviously, the pancreas is one of the most important organs, initially in this discussion because it is Pancreatic failure / overload that is the trigger for diabetes.  How do we help strengthen and heal our Pancreas once the damage of sugar has been done?  REDUCE your sugar intake.  I know it sounds silly for me to say this - but it is step one and it might take a while for you to get there.  Toss out all the sugar and sugary foods in your pantry and fridge.  I will tell you, this takes time - reducing slowly is typically much easier than going cold turkey.  Step two, is to get rid of most (not all) of your starchy foods (bread / pasta) as these quickly break down into sugar in your body.  And don't forget your alcohol - not saying you need to quit that all together as some wines are quite healthy for your heart when taken in moderation. But alcohol also turns almost immediately into sugar in the body.  Next, you need to start eating more fish (Omega 3), nuts, beans, raw vegetables, and fruit.  Yes, I did say fruit.  As your body adjusts to the lower levels of sugar in your system, your taste buds change too - things that weren't sweet at all - now taste sweet.  For example, when I started removing sugars from my diet I LOVED chocolate (even though I am lactose intollerant) but couldn't stand dark chocolate - it was too bitter.  Now, I can't eat milk chocolate it is WAY too sweet and dark chocolate is PLENTY sweet enough for me.  Another recommendation is to do a detox.  Get rid of tobacco as it also leads to pancreatic overload.  Finally, you will need a good active exercise regimen.  Start slow if you aren't currently working out regularly - you have to walk before you can run! 

LiveStrong has a good list of foods that help promote a healthy pancreas: http://www.livestrong.com/article/36490-foods-heal-pancreas/

Dr Hyman has a great article on how to begin the reversing of diabetes and that if done properly it can be reversed in two weeks.  This means a radical change in your diet.  Now, I will remind you to take every bit of information I provide with a grain of salt - and THINK.  If it doesn't sound right - do your own research and come to your own conclusions. 

Dr Hyman's article: http://drhyman.com/new-research-finds-diabetes-can-be-reversed-6187/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman%20newsletter%20issue%20#27&utm_content=Get+the+story
Here is the site that is doing the diabetes trials / studies.  It provides some good info.  Just remember is is based on allopathy and naturopathy not just naturopathy: http://www.diabetologia-journal.org/

Blessings... E

Food Additives

Over the past 100 years many things have changed in our society.  We no longer grow our own fruits and vegetables - we get most of them from another country.  We no longer butcher our own meat - what preservatives, additives, hormones, steroids have been given to the livestock?  Most of our food is purchased from a store where we get the cheapest price.... what is important to know about the additives that are used not only in our fresh produce but our canned foods, and meats.

Additives have been included in most all of the food you buy to increase shelf life.  Whether it is a preservative or a virus (yes, I did say virus) it allows the grocer a longer amount of time to sell the product before it goes bad.

Here are some additives that you should avoid at all costs.

1. Sodium Nitrite.  This is your virus - bacteria.  It is added to almost all of what we call "cold cuts" - processed deli meat, hot dogs, sandwich meat, bacon, smoked fish, among others.   "This would be at the top of my list of additives to cut from my diet," says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., M.P.H., R.D., L.D.N., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Under certain high-temperature cooking conditions such as grilling, it transforms into a reactive compound that has been shown to promote cancer."

2. BHA and BHT - Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT).  These antioxidants are added to foods to limit or restrict oxidation.  They can be found in gum, oils, cereal, and a variety of other foods.   "The structure of BHA and BHT will change during this process [of preserving food], and may form a compound that reacts in the body," says Gerbstadt. "BHA and BHT are not stable or inert. They're not just hanging out and being excreted by the body."  These antioxidants have also been proven to increase the possibility of ADD / ADHD in children.

Additional reading: http://www.stopkillingmykids.com/bht-bha/

3. Propyl gallate. This chemical is often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT in oils to prevent them from going rancid.  It can be found in chewing gum, soup bases, and any other food with oil as an ingredient.  It has been known to cause asthma like allergic reations, kidney problems, and increases the liklihood that you will be more suseptible to cancer.

Addtional reading: http://www.stopkillingmykids.com/the-dangers-of-propyl-gallate/

4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG).  If you have ever been to an asian restaurant, you probably have seen signs that state that they are or are not MSG free.  There is a reason for that!  MSG has long been used to increase flavors in foods... especially asian food.  Gerbstadt recommends replacing MSG with a small amount of salt when possible. "Why bother using MSG when you can live without it?" she says. "MSG can cause migraine-like headaches and create other adverse affects for certain people. It is a flavor enhancer, but you’d be better off putting in a few grains of salt."  Remember though, MSG can be found in a wide variety of foods - it is not limited to asian foods.

5. Trans fats.  I think we all have heard that trans fats are bad.  But why?  They have been proven to increase heart disease, increase plaque, increase strokes, and increase kidney failure.  Optimally, we should get two grams or less of trans fats daily.  The FDA has now made it mandatory to disclose how many trans fats are in foods - so that makes your decsision process much easier.

6. Aspartame.  Do I need to refresh you here?  Alzheimers-like symptoms, siezures, brain damage, muscle damage, slurred speach, etc... STAY AWAY!!  I can't stress enough.  If you want more info on Aspartame - do a search on my blog - I have a full post on Aspartame with lots of details. 

7. Acesulfame-K.  I had never heard of this one.  It is a relatively new artificial sweetener.. go figure!  Released in 1998 for use in soft drinks, it is now found in baked goods, gum, and other desserts.  The longterm use of this sweetener can cause headaches, kidney failure, liver failure, depression, among others.

Additional reading: http://www.stopkillingmykids.com/acesulfame-k-such-sweet-poison/

8. Food colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; and Yellow 6.  We have discussed food colorings before.  These can be found in your baking, icings, candies, etc... anything that has a bright color is almost assured to have artificial colors.  Artificial colors are known to be a cause of ADD / ADHD, migraines, food allergies, cancer, etc.

9. Olestra. This is a relatively new product on the market, and a dangerous one at that. It can be found in many potato chips and other fried junk food products.  It's marketing is that it inhibits oil from being absorbed into the body... but what it doesn't say in its marketing collateral is that it also inhibits nutrients from being absorbed into the body as well. 

10. Potassium bromate.  This chemical increases the height that flour products rise.  The danger of this product is that even a small amount is known to cause cancer in humans.  The state of California requires cancer warnings to be put on all packaging of products that have potassium bromate in them.

11. White sugar. Need I say more?  Really?  White PROCESSED sugar removes all the benefits of any nutrients and gives you straight sugar.  Brown sugar is better than white sugar, raw cane sugar is better than brown sugar... and THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!  Read up on what additional nutrients are found in what types of sugar... Read up on HOW different sugars are broken down in the body - certain sugars are hard on the liver, and others are hard on the kidneys... of all the sugars out there - Honey is the best.  It has already been broken down in the stomachs of bees - so is the easiest for humans to digest and break down for energy.

12. Sodium chloride. Yes, that is every day table salt.  Now... unlike the other items above, salt is not all bad.  There are differences between salts as there are between sugars.  Sea salt is less pure - and has more nutrients in it.  "Small amounts of salt are needed by the body and are beneficial in preserving food," says Gerbstadt. "Excessive amounts of salt can become dangerous for your health, affecting cardiovascular function, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure."

Additional reading on additives: http://blessedmom.hubpages.com/hub/Most-Dangerous-Food-Additives

More reading: http://library.thinkquest.org/C001722/additiveswhole.html

So, make sure you are reading your labels and questioning everything you purchase.  The fresher the ingredients, the better for you.  Always look for products that are organically grown - not chemically altered - no antibiotics / steroids... not only are they better for you, they also taste better!  Blessings... E