Power Over Type 2 Diabetes: Thinking Outside the Box
Diabetes is the result of a metabolic disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are above normal. A fasting blood sugar test measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood after you fast for eight hours. Your fasting blood sugar is normal if it's 70 mg/dL to 100 mg/dL.
If your fasting blood sugar is 100 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL, you may have prediabetes.
A fasting blood sugar value by itself doesn't help distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. But a fasting blood glucose of 126 mg/dL or higher is consistent with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes when accompanied by classic symptoms of diabetes.
Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst or hunger, frequent urination, weight loss or blurred vision. Your doctor may repeat this and other tests on a different day to confirm their diagnosis. Complications from diabetes include serious heart complications, loss of limb, kidney failure and blindness.
Type II (adult-onset) older adults, is less severe, not autoimmune in origin, and often can be controlled by maintaining normal weight and eating sensibly or by taking oral medication. The goal of adult-onset diabetics should be to avoid insulin shots and other prescribed medication altogether, keeping the disease in control by adhering to a healthy lifestyle.
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal; in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
Glycemic Index Range
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 - 69
High GI = 70 or more
Glycemic Load Range
Low GL = 10 or less
Medium GL = 11- 19
High GL = 20 or more
Glycemic Load Per Day
Low GL < 80
High GL > 120
Foods with a high GI score contain rapidly digested carbohydrate, which produces a large rapid rise and fall in the level of blood glucose (this is not good). In contrast, foods with a low GI score contain slowly digested carbohydrate, which produces a gradual, relatively low rise in the level of blood glucose (this is good).
Think Outside the Box
The one size fits all approach does not apply to diabetes. Our bodies and the way we process life, (food, stress, and emotions) can all come into play when coping with the highs and lows of blood sugar. Learning to control your levels of insulin will depend on some detective work on your part. Being diagnosed with diabetes can be a scary wake-up call, but by empowering your life and taking back your control, this is the best approach you have to reverse this!
There is no resigning, when it comes to empowering your life. It is up to you to find answers and solutions that will help YOU. I always tell my patients not to take the back seat. Learn what makes you feel good. Discover just how you feel after eating certain foods or drinking certain beverages. Body awareness is very important in managing diabetes. See you doctor regularly. Signs and symptoms can arise that may seem completely unrelated, when in fact they could be. Do not allow your pride or ego to get in the way of your physical health.
Keep a Journal
For the first 30 days of your new empowerment, start writing things down. Not only does this make for a good reference, but allows you to look back on certain aspects of your day, your diet or signs and symptoms that may come up. Date each day of your journal and start with 3 entries, morning, midday and evening. Explain how you felt when you woke up, what you had for breakfast (and at what time), bowel habits, moods you experience and so forth. Rate your sleep from last night. Midday is when you can record your lunch or eating habits (bad and good), if you needed a midday nap or if you felt more energy. When evening comes, sit down with a cup of your favorite tea (see below) and express how your day was for you. Especially note the meal you enjoyed, the emotions you experience throughout the day (and why) and just take this time to express yourself. Did you exercise this day? Write it down and add what you did for exercise. Did you find yourself dealing with high or low energy this day? Do you feel satisfied with what and how you ate?
Record your activities for 30 days. This is your homework. Then after the 30 days, look back. What did you gain from this experiment? How has this helped you? How did it hinder you? Are you willing to journal again for the 15 or 30 more days?
Exploring Foods
Experiment actively with diet, with the frequency and size of meals, and with all aspects of lifestyle to lower the amount of insulin required. This means taking on a lot of responsibility for your own health. A task you can absolutely achieve.
I offer my patients my Full Spectrum Diet. This easy to use system monitors healthy weight by the colors of food on your plate! For those coping with diabetes, my number one suggestion is to: avoid the white food color group. These have more of a tendency to spike blood sugar levels to an unhealthy high, too quickly.
-Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
-Use breads with whole grains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
-Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
-Enjoy all other types of fruit and vegetables
-Use Basmati, Doongara or Japanese koshihikari rice
-Enjoy whole grain pasta, whole grain noodles, quinoa
-Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing
-Incorporate good fats like nuts and olive oil
-It is ok to use low-fat dairy foods, in the morning
- Note: these red-orange foods (Watermelon, Carrots, Cantaloupe) are in the med-high GI range, so one cup will do.
Incorporate these wonderful herbs to enhance the flavor of all your foods: billberry, basil, chives, cinnamon, dill, fenugreek, garlic, ginseng (Panax, Korean, American) oregano, parsley, rosemary, stevia, thyme.
Blood sugar regulators include: alanine, banaba, beta-glucan, bitter melon, chromium piccolate, guggul, gymnema, rehmannia.
A diet combined with both insoluble fiber (fiber that doesn't dissolve in water) will keep most people regular. You get fiber from eating lots of vegetables, wheat bran, whole-grain breads and cereals and fruit.
An apple can regulate blood sugar levels. Apples contain naturally-occurring chemical compounds known as phytochemicals, polyphenols, or flavonoids, some of which have been proven to have antioxidant activity that inhibits, or scavenges, the activity of free radicals in the body. Cell damage from free radicals can be a factor in certain cancers, heart disease, strokes, and other conditions. The major antioxidant components in apples are polyphenols contained mainly in the skin known as quercetin glycoside, phloretin glycoside, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin.
Best fruit choices for diabetics: fruits belong to berry family are good choice for diabetics as these are considered to be diabetic friendly. Blueberries, boysenberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries all help to control insulin levels, improve liver function and maintain blood glucose levels. Including one cup of any of these berries is sufficient to control diabetes each day. By including half cup of grapefruit every day, this can also help to stabilize blood glucose levels. Fruits belong to cherry family are also healthy options for diabetics. At least 10 to 12 cherries are sufficient per day to control glucose levels in the blood. Pears, peaches and grapes aree low in the glycemic index, rich in potassium, fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin A and are also great choices for diabetics.
Extend your nutrient throughout the day with three main meals and three snacks. Small portions or servings as opposed to one or two "gorged meals" not only reduces blood glucose and insulin concentrations, but also guards against the development of hyperglycemia. Consumption of fiber rich foods, barley, carrots, oats, legumes, beans, onions, peas, and lentils, have been associated with improved blood glucose control, and are better for long term use than soluble fiber supplements such as guar, pectin, and locust bean gum.
Research has discovered a whole range of plants with hypoglycemic action. Among them are artichoke, banana, barley, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, nettles, oats, peas, spinach, sweet potato, and turnip.
Herb That Work and Solutions To Get You There
This should go without say, but, if you are currently on medication for diabetes, it is important that you run the following choices by your doctor. Some herbs can enhance or hinder your medications and are contraindicated.
Ampalaya (Momordica charantia), also known as bitter melon is an herb that has long been known in as one of the best anti-hyperglycemic herbs and has proven itself beyond doubt as effective against diabetes. Ampalaya has a potent mix of flavonoids and alkaloids that are believed to make the pancreas either produce more insulin, make the body more sensitive to insulin already produced, and/or generate new beta cell populations at the Islets of Langerhans.
Solution: You can take ampalaya in tablets and tea or prepare this melon by cutting off both ends. Cut in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scape out the seeds and membranes. Cut into thin slices, place the sliced ampalaya in a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss to coat every piece of ampalaya with sea salt. Leave for at least 30 minutes. Squeeze out the juice, rinse and drain.
Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa), is now gaining momentum and widespread acceptance, even in the western medical circles. Medical research and clinical trials performed on this miraculous herb show that Banaba possesses the powerful compound corosolic acid that lends itself to the treatment of diabetes. Medications for diabetes such as anti-diabetes drugs, may interact with Banaba.
Solution: Banaba is used as a medicinal herbal tea for the treatment of diabetes not only in India but also in the Philippines. Steep a teaspoon of leaves per cup of tea. Drink 4 - 6 cups per day.
Billberries are rich in flavonoids, the pigment that gives plants their color and is very beneficial for treating diabetes. Billberries are help retinopathy and micro vascular abnormalities. It strengthens capillaries in the body and protect them from damage. Since complications of long-term diabetes include damage to the small blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, and tips of the toes and fingers, bilberry is often recommended.
Solution: Billberries can be found in tea and capsules. The berry is recommended for people with diabetes. The berries do not lower blood sugar, but their constituents may help improve the strength and integrity of blood vessels and reduce damage to these vessels associated with diabetes and other diseases. Use 1 teaspoon crushed, dried berries to each teaspoon of water. Bilberry is a great tasting tea, and blends well with spices like cinnamon or with other berries.
Fenugreek Seed has been shown to reduce glucose levels in type 2 diabetes and may help do so in type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes. Modern research indicates that fenugreek seeds not only lower blood glucose, but also reduce insulin levels, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, while increasing HDL (the "good" cholesterol). Fenugreek seeds contain 50 percent fiber, which serves to slow down the rate at which food is emptied from the stomach. This delays absorption of glucose by the small intestine, resulting in lower blood sugar.
Solution: Fenugreek seeds are mostly used toasted, which enhances their acrid taste. Due to their powerful flavor, they are used in small amounts. Dry roasted seeds have a slight nutty taste with a light brown color. They are used to create a pleasant flavor sprinkled over vegetable and lentil dishes.
Ginseng (Panax, Korean, American) has been shown to moderate levels of blood sugar (glucose). Ginseng improves the ability of insulin to properly regulate in our system. Because it is an adaptogen, this allows ginseng to help the body cope with all sorts of adverse conditions.
Solution: Ginseng root is typically chewed or boiled in water to make a tea or soup. Measure 1 teaspoon of chopped ginseng root per cup of tea. Add the ginseng to two cups of water and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Cool and drink. Flavor to taste with Stevia (see below). The ginseng root will get soft and may be eaten. Drain from water and serve in salads or as an appetizer spread over a whole grain crackers.
Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) This Ayurvedic remedy is one of the most common herbs used in the treatment of both Types 1 and 2 diabetes. Gymnema appears to stimulate the pancreas, prompting it to produce more insulin. Gymnemic acid, a constituent of the herb, acts directly on the tongue receptors (taste buds), blocking their ability to sense sweetness.
Solution: Gymnema is taken as 500 mg capsules standardized to contain at least 25% gymnemic acid. They should be taken 5 to 10 minutes before a main meal with a large glass of water. Gymnema tea is another way to enjoy this herb. Use loose leaf organic gymnema tea. To make up a cup, simply add a heaped teaspoon to a French press or tea strainer and add hot water. Other tea can also be added, like green tea which has its own beneficial properties for weight loss.
Stevia is a South American shrub whose leaves have been used by native people in Paraguay and Brazil to sweeten their stimulant beverages. Stevioside, the main ingredient in stevia, has no calories but has actions similar to several currently used medications. It stimulates the release of insulin and normalizes the response to glucose, especially in type 2 diabetes.
Solution: Add a few drops of liquid Stevia or a pinch of powdered Stevia to your tea or coffee. You can bake with it, sprinkle it over fruit or use were ever you need a little sweetness. A little goes a long way!
Andrew Pacholyk MS L.Ac
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