Nutrition for Diabetics
There are two types of diabetics, those with Diabetes 1 and those with Diabetes 2.
I will start with Diabetes 2 because it is now much more commonly found in the Western ‘civilised’ world. Also, the number of Diabetes 2 sufferers has been steadily increasing every year since World War II.
The incidence of Diabetes 2 is closely linked to overweight condition (also increasing rapidly), causing Dr David Heber MD PhD Director of the Centre for Human Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles, to coin the term ‘Diabesity’.
David Heber MD PhD
Diabetes 2 and obesity were very rare in the Western world until:
i) the process of extracting simple sugar from sugar beet was discovered and sugar became a cheap and plentiful commodity,
ii) the processes of refining flour and rice became popular.
Although we are very good at digesting complex sugar foods (low glycaemic index “good carbs”), we have not evolved to deal with simple sugar foods (high glycaemic index “bad carbs”) because they occur in nature rarely, in small amounts or in indigestible form.
Today though, simple sugars are heavily marketed, and in addition, they are surreptitiously added to many food products (even savoury foods!)
Let’s look at what should happen and what usually happens!
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN:
Complex sugars, which we find in natural, untreated foods like wholemeal flour, wholemeal bread and brown rice are digested slowly. Although the digestion process does break them down into simple sugars, these sugars are released into the bloodstream slowly and evenly which gives us a steady supply line of energy. It makes us feel strong, stable and energised for several hours.
The pancreas, a small organ found in the liver ‘fine tunes’ the level of sugar in the blood by secreting insulin which turns any excess sugar into fat, but if you are only eating complex sugars (good carbs) it has very little work to do.
WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS!
Instead of eating the complex sugars that we are evolved to deal with, we eat mostly simple sugars either as common white sugar, or as treated foods like white flour, white bread and white rice, which break down into simple sugars very quickly when digested. A massive dose of simple sugars enters the bloodstream in one hit, causing the blood sugar level to rise alarmingly. In fact, we could easily faint if it weren’t for the pancreas coming to the rescue. By squirting abnormally large amounts of insulin into the bloodstream, it removes this large excess of sugar and stores it as fat!
As a high blood sugar level is quite dangerous, the pancreas usually squirts more than enough insulin to be on the safe side. This then causes the blood sugar level to dip.
We find ourselves on a roller coaster. When the blood sugar level suddenly rises, we feel a sugar ‘rush’ which may make us feel light headed, unstable or even manic. This is quickly followed by feelings of tiredness, grouchiness and hunger as the blood sugar level plummets again. Then, we crave more sugary foods to “give us energy” and soon feel more grouchy and tired than ever.
Soon, we are addicted. The sugar ’high’ feels normal to us now, and we need constant sugar ‘hits’ to deal with the sugar ‘lows’ as happened to Morgan Spurlock in his daring exposé of McDonalds, ‘Supersize Me’.
Meanwhile, the poor pancreas is working overtime and all the excess sugar is being stored as fat. The pancreas gets so used to these hourly crises, it becomes quite ‘trigger happy’, squirting large doses of insulin at every bit of sugar that comes along. You are now addicted, exhausted, fat and developing Diabetes 2.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
I would NOT recommend giving up carbs altogether as in the Atkins diet. You may experience some weight loss, but much of it will be lean tissue loss and in the long term, there will be other metabolic complications as the body is not evolved to live without carbs.
You can reverse the Diabetes 2 condition by removing simple sugars and refined carbohydrates from your diet and replacing them with natural, unrefined carbohydrates, but this can be difficult to achieve because:
1)We are surrounded by bad carbs everywhere we look.
2)There is such a lack of essential nutrients in modern food that we feel permanently hungry which makes this regime difficult to stick to.
I was overweight and showing pre-Diabetes 2 symptoms of tiredness and
a tendency to put weight on around the middle.
I completely reversed this using the Herbalife health and nutrition products.
The products deliver broad range, optimally absorbable nutrition with enhancing botanicals and complex sugars (good carbs). Using them, I lost four and a half inches from my waist (my problem area) and 21 pounds in weight in 8 weeks and found I was sleeping and waking far better and had so much more energy. Since then, I have helped many customers to reverse even quite advanced Diabetes 2 condition using the Herbalife nutrition products and practical, workable dietary recommendations.
If you would like to try, find my details at the bottom of this page.
Diabetes 1 can often develop from Diabetes 2 when the poor pancreas is overworked for so long that it just collapses. Instead of overproducing insulin, it starts under producing. Then, insulin must be injected to stop the blood sugar level rising.
There are other causes of Diabetes 1. The pancreas may have been damaged in an accident, by a virus, or may be functioning inadequately due to genetic causes.
At the present time, Diabetes 1 cannot be cured, but it can be controlled by insulin injection.
The key issue for Diabetes 1 sufferers though, is how well this is controlled, as the more unstable the condition, the more chance there is of encroaching complications such as macular degeneration, organ failure and the loss of body extremities which may necessitate amputation.
I have helped many Diabetes 1 sufferers to stabilise their condition and to slow down and even halt encroaching complications using the Herbalife nutrition products.
By supplying good nutrition, health enhancing botanicals and low glycaemic index, complex sugars, (good carbs) to the body it helps to stabilise the blood sugar level and enables your doctor to prescribe less insulin and to calculate the dose more precisely.
One customer, Pat Rich, who had lost the sight of one eye and several toes was facing kidney failure and amputation to the knee. By adopting the Herbalife products, she was able to stabilise her condition. Organ failure and amputation were averted and her doctor was able to reduce her insulin dose by two thirds.
Dr David Heber & Dr Luigi Gratton of
Herbalife’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Board
Disclaimer: Herbalife products are not drugs or medicines. They are officially registered in over 70 countries as food products.
As they are foods, it is safe to use them alongside any medication.
DO NOT reduce your medication without the agreement of your doctor. When he sees your condition improve, he will be happy to oblige.
If you want help with Diabetes 1 or 2,
Call me, Leslie England.
on 020 8654 4034 if you are in the UK
or:
**44 20 8654 4034 if you are outside the UK
And I will be happy to recommend
The best and most affordable products
For your health needs
Email me: leslie@success-now.co.uk
OR
Know what you want already or just fancy a browse?
Go directly to www.herbal-online-store.co.uk
You might like to read some of my other articles:
Sports Fitness, Health and Nutrition
Seasonal Affected Disorder is SAD
Omega 3, Heart Disease and Arthritis
David Beckham, LA Galaxy and Herbalife
Inter Milan’s Official Nutrition
Valencia CF Official Nutrition
Beauty Secret of Supermodel Filippa
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Herbalife nutritional health products are FOOD, produced to pharmaceutical standards of purity.
They have been accepted by the health regulators of over 70 countries, contain
NO drugs and are NOT medications. The human body works the miracle of health and balance, and the Herbalife products merely facilitate this by supplying the most complete and balanced nutritional support available.
copyright Leslie England & Tim Duce