The Paleo Diet And Diabetes: Preventing And Healing Type 2 Diabetes
50% of Americans are pre-diabetic. Can getting back to your ancestral roots reduce your risk? We’re in the midst of a diabetes (type 2) epidemic. The global burden of diabetes doubled from 1980 to 2014, and it is rising rapidly in low to middle income families and countries. (1) The World Health Organization predicts that by the year 2030, diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in the world. (2) Today, 50% of Americans are classified as pre-diabetic or diabetic, despite experts being in agreement that the standard American diet (SAD) figures centrally in the pathogenesis of “diseases of civilization,” such as diabetes. (3) Can getting back to your ancestral roots and adopting a Paleo diet reduce your risk or reverse pre-diabetes and diabetes? What is Diabetes? After you eat a meal, your food travels from your gut to your liver, and finally into your bloodstream. In order to get blood sugars from your bloodstream INTO the cells, your pancreas releases insulin, which signals cell receptors to take up glucose. Insulin’s job (amongst many other tasks) is to lower your blood sugar levels and deliver the glucose to your tissues to fuel activity and cellular processes. Suffering from Diabetes or blood sugar imbalance? Grab our FREE Diabetes Guide & 7 Day Meal Plan here! Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the beta cells of the pancreas do not produce insulin. This is where the wonders of modern medicine save the day, providing lifesaving insulin that can be delivered after each meal. This condition requires the use of exogenous (i.e., medication) insulin to survive. Although this article will not address type 1 diabetes, there is still a crossover benefit from making the suggested changes (i.e., you use less insulin after each meal). Type 1 dia Continue reading >>
Warning: American Diabetes Association Diet Plans Threaten The Health Of Diabetics
(NaturalHealth365) As of 2014, 29.1 million people (9.3% of the population) have diabetes in the United States while 86 million people (27.5% of the population) have prediabetes. Of those that have prediabetes, 15 to 30 percent will develop type-2 diabetes within five years. This particular disease cost the country approximately $245 billion in just medical costs and lost work or wages in 2014. And, on top of all this, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that one in three people will be diagnosed with diabetes by 2050. Can we really trust the ADA and its diet programs? The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a trade association based in the United States. For 75 years, they have claimed to lead the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes, as well as fight for those affected by the disease. They do this through funding research to prevent, cure, and manage the disease. They also deliver services to hundreds of communities as well as online. Because the risk of death for diabetics is 50 percent higher than adults without diabetes, prevention of the disease is crucial. The American Diabetes Association provides diet plans, recipes, and other food information for diabetics. After all, diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot metabolize blood sugar properly which leads to an excess sugar buildup in the bloodstream that accelerates the symptoms of cardiovascular disease and damages other bodily systems. Therefore, learning to eat correctly is very important for diabetics. So, here’s the ’$64,000 question’: Do the diet plans of the ADA really help in treating symptoms? According to several studies, the answer is no. In fact, studies have shown that their recommendations actually increase blood sugar levels – levels s Continue reading >>
The Paleo Diet For Diabetes
Can we improve upon the standard Paleo diet for diabetes? Over the past few decades, diabetes has reached epidemic proportions, skyrocketing from 108 million people worldwide in 1980 to over 422 million people today (according to the most recent World Health Organization data)! That includes 29 million people in the United States alone, which is 9.3% of the entire US population (yes, almost one out of ten people in America have diabetes!). And, if we think about all the additional cases of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome out there, those numbers shoot even higher. In fact, pre-diabetes is estimated to affect an additional 87 million Americans. How did we get in this mess? A combination of genetic and modern environmental factors created the perfect storm for type 2 diabetes, as well as autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes (type 2 diabetes happens when the body can’t properly use insulin, whereas type 1 diabetes involves the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin). Scientific Studies of the Paleo Diet for Diabetes Lucky for us, diabetes is one of the many conditions that the Paleo diet can help manage or (in the case of type 2!) reverse. In fact, trials of Paleo-style diets on type 2 diabetics (as well as other people with poor glycemic control) consistently show that Paleo can be a powerful tool for reducing both the risk factors and symptoms of diabetes. Multiple studies have shown that the Paleo diet improves glucose tolerance on oral challenge, fasting blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, HbA1c (a measurement of average blood sugar levels over the last 3 months), C-peptide (a marker of insulin secretion), and HOMA indices (measures of insulin resistance and beta-cell function). In fact, the Paleo diet outperforms the American Diabetes A Continue reading >>
My Diabetes Diet And The Ada Diet 14
In this post, ‘diabetes diet‘ refers to the diet that lead to my diabetes diagnosis, essentially a fast food diet. I will compare my diabetes diet, the ADA Diet and my low carb paleo meal plan. The ADA still promotes a high carb diet to diabetics. I answer the question, “Is the ADA diet really ‘high carb’?” The American Diabetes Association (ADA) promotes a low fat, high carb, grain based diabetes diet, as does the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). Both the ADA and the AADE will deny they promote a high carb diet, this post proves my claims. The picture above is from ADA’s diabetes.org, taken from a ‘diabetes friendly’ cookbook they sell. Grrrrr. I contend the ADA Diet is NO better than the SAD (Standard American Diet) or at best ONLY marginally healthier and therefore harmful to the health of EVERYONE but especially detrimental to DIABETICS. My Diabetes Story I am a formerly obese, formerly drug and insulin dependent diabetic, taking four insulin shots a day … just to survive. Today I am in best fitness condition of my adult life, normal weight and truly normal blood sugars. Oh, and I am drug & insulin FREE! I attribute my success in self managing diabetes to a low carb paleo meal plan and lifestyle. My Diabetes Diet ….or the diet that gave me diabetes. Comments: 1) WOW… look at those carbohydrate numbers, carbs represent almost 60% of my food, in grams. Think the high carbs totals may have contributed to my obesity and diabetes? Not according to ADA, it’s not the 59% of Carbs that caused my obesity, it was the 8% of saturated fats, which like most ADA “findings”, would be humorous if it wasn’t harming people. 2) If Saturated Fats make up a small percentage of EVEN a Standard American Diet, how can it be the root of all Continue reading >>
Paleo Diet Better Than American Diabetes Association Diet For Type 2 Diabetes
A just published study comparing the American diabetes association (ADA) diet with a hunter gatherer (paleolithic or paleo) diet, shows far better blood glucose control and improved insulin sensitivity on the paleo diet. Metabolic and physiologic effects from consuming a hunter-gatherer (Paleolithic)-type diet in type 2 diabetes Twenty-five patients with type 2 diabetes (50-69 years) were randomly assigned to the paleo (n=14) or ADA diet (n=10). They ate a ramp-up diet for 7 days then the test diet for 14 days. The Paleo diet consisted of meat, fish, poultry, eggs, fruit, vegetables, tree nuts, canola oil, mayonnaise and honey. Foods excluded were dairy products, legumes, cereals, grains, potatoes and products containing potassium chloride. Some foods were not typically hunter- gatherer food: mayonnaise, carrot juice and domestic meat, but contained the general nutritional characteristics of pre-agricultural foods. The diets were divided into three meals and three snacks, all prepared by the research centre kitchen staff. The diets contained enough calories so patients lost no more than 3 lbs, if they did calories were increased. The primary outcomes for this study were change in insulin sensitivity and improvements in lipid profiles (total cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol). Blood pressure was also measured. Here is the actual breakdown of diet eaten for the 14 day test period. What is interesting is the the diets were matched for calories and macro-nutrients. Notable is the carbohydrate content for both diets. Not at all low – carbs are around 400 grams per day. Previous studies of paleo diets compared to standard diets were naturally lower in carbohydrates, so this study adjusted for that. There were statistically significant Continue reading >>
What's The Paleo Diet All About?
Diets are a lot like other cultural trends that go in and out of style. Those of us interested in nutrition are likely familiar with many diets conceived by celebrated physicians such as Dr. Robert Atkins, Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Barry Sears. At a certain period of time, these food plans were very popular. And, there are still some proponents of all of these diets and many others. But, today I want to look back further in time. Specifically, let’s time travel to the Paleolithic era. The popular adage, “what’s old is new” is often applied to the current popularity of the so-called Paleo Diet. Today, there are many books and websites devoted to the topic of eating a diet inspired by our distant ancestors. The exact make up of Paleo-inspired diets varies, but it is typically characterized by an absence of dairy, grains and heavily processed foods, including artificial and/or concentrated sweeteners. What can you eat? Most Paleo advocates emphasize eggs, fish, fruit, meat, nuts, seeds and vegetables. It should be noted that there is considerable debate about the best way to implement this lifestyle. From my point of view, opting for grass fed and/or wild sources of fish and meat and limiting highglycemic carbohydrates is a solid foundation. The Paleolithic era hasn’t been around for over 10,000 years. Obviously, a lot has changed since then with respect to the availability and quality of food, the environment and, even, the forward march of evolution. But, just because something is antiquated, doesn’t mean it can’t have a profound utility in the 21st century. In fact, the health effects of adopting a more traditional diet have been the focus of scientific research for the last three decades. The gold standard of medical research involves controlled, head-to-he Continue reading >>
“i Ignored The American Diabetes Association And The Dietitians”
Howard decided to ignore the advice on a high-carb diet to treat his type 2 diabetes. Here’s what happened when he did the opposite instead: The email In Nov 2013, my blood sugar went out of wack with an HbA1C of 16%. A friend steered me to your site. I ignored the American Diabetes Association and the dietitians with their high carb, low fat, reduced calorie intake diets. I went on a no sugar minimal carb intake (no grains, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.). In nine months my HbA1C was down to 5.6% with the side effects of lost 55 pounds (25 kg), triglycerides dropped from 197 to 67 (2.2–0.76 mmol/l), HDL rose from 34 to 76 (0.88–1.96 mmol/l) without meds. My doctor is not a full believer so has put me on one 500 mg Metformin a day. No before, only the after. Congratulations Howard! More How to cure type 2 diabetes “I finally kept my promise to my mom” PS Do you have a success story you want to share on this blog? Send it (photos appreciated) to [email protected]. Let me know if it’s OK to publish your photo and name or if you’d rather remain anonymous. Continue reading >>
Paleo Diet Better Than Ada Diet For Type 2 Diabetes
A recent Study Published in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared two groups of diabetic patients over the span of a few weeks. One group was given a Paleo diet to eat, comprising lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The other group was given the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) which contained low-fat dairy, whole grains and legumes. The results? Paleo won. Both groups had improvements in metabolic measures, but the Paleo diet group had greater benefits on glucose control and lipid profiles. Also, on the Paleo diet, the most insulin-resistant subjects had a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity (r=0.40, P=0.02), but no such effect was seen in the most insulin-resistant subjects on the ADA diet (r=0.39, P=0.3). Even short-term consumption of a Paleolithic-type diet improved glucose control and lipid profiles in people with type 2 diabetes compared with a conventional diet containing moderate salt intake, low-fat dairy, whole grains and legumes. Continue reading >>
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Can The Paleo Diet Help Diabetes?
After 55-year-old Steve Cooksey was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2009, he knew he wanted to approach the disease differently from the way his two diabetic family members had. “I went home and realized that to eat their way required more and more insulin," he says. For some reason, "My blood sugar should have been going down, but it wasn’t.” A few months after he was diagnosed, Cooksey abandoned the traditional diabetes diet in favor of the so-called paleo diet — a high-protein, low-carb food plan, likened to a “caveman diet,” that minimizes processed foods and emphasizes meats and vegetables. Within a month, Cooksey was able to stop taking all his medications, including those for diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. He still checks his blood sugar regularly, and it’s always within normal ranges. “I have normal blood sugars for normal people, not just normal blood sugars for a diabetic,” says Cooksey, whose website, Diabetes Warrior, explains the benefits of a paleo diet for diabetes. The Potential Benefits of a Paleo Diet for Diabetes Cooksey isn’t alone. In recent years, the popularity of the paleo diet has skyrocketed, with many of its proponents touting the approach as an effective way to improve health and lose weight. A study published in August 2015 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (ECJN) suggests that people with type 2 diabetes who followed a "caveman diet" were able to improve their blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol by significant amounts in just two weeks. Other study participants who followed a traditional diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association saw little to no improvement. The participants were given enough food to prevent them from losing weight, eliminating the possibility that Continue reading >>
Paleo For Type 2? Pros And Cons
Thinking about “going Paleo” to help manage your diabetes? You’re not alone. Many in the type 2 diabetes community are adopting the Paleo diet in the hopes that it will help increase insulin sensitivity and stabilize blood sugars. The diet is based on the principle of eating as similar to our Paleolithic ancestors as is modernly possible. Although what is “allowed” and “not allowed” varies depending on which version of the diet you’re considering, the overall idea is that you’re eating foods straight from the earth – fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, eggs, meat and fish – and avoiding foods that were likely not eaten by our primal descendants. So what’s the verdict? Is this just another trendy diet plan that will lose its luster? Or could going Paleo actually work to improve your diabetes management plan? Here are some pros and cons to consider before taking the Paleo plunge: Pro: The focus is on whole, unprocessed foods As a health coach and dietitian, I am typically wary of new diet fads. One reason (among many) is that trendy diets often encourage followers to eat processed foods in the form of shakes, bars, powders or pills – all of which are far from a sustainable (and budget-friendly) approach to healthy eating. This is where I have to hand it to the Paleo diet – it is founded on real food. In fact, the whole premise of the Paleo diet is to eat as nature intended. This means filling up on high-fiber fruits and veggies, high-quality protein sources like grass-fed meats, and heart-healthy fats like avocados and nuts. This style of eating often means less eating out and more cooking at home. When you are cooking, you have more control—control of the ingredients, control of how much you put into your mouth. and control of your blood glucose l Continue reading >>
Is The Paleo Diet Safe For Diabetics?
Close to four million years ago cavemen roamed the planet and, while every aspect of life has evolved since then, scientists say their Paleo diet could be of benefit to diabetics today. The Paleo diet has many names – some refer to it as the caveman diet; others call it stone-age diet or hunter-gatherer diet. Whatever the case, it is assumed the diet includes food available to humans prior to the establishment of agriculture. The Paleolithic period was about 2.5 million years ago; around the time humans first started using stone tools. A caveman did not go hungry. Wild animal, fish, fruits, roots, nuts and eggs were part of the regular diet. Items such as grains, dairy products, salt, sugar and processed oils were not available since humans had not yet begun cultivating plants or domesticating animals. Is the Paleo diet safe for diabetics? Nutritional experts say that eating Paleo can remove foods from your diet that can disrupt your blood glucose the most. It can also help people lose weight. For starters, there are not a lot of carbohydrates involved in this diet. One of the benefits of the Paleo diet is that it provides foods that are satisfying and blood sugar balancing at the same time. This means that people feel full and experience fewer cravings. Type-2 diabetes happens when you eat too many carbohydrates/sugars and your body becomes desensitized to insulin. Since eating Paleo eliminates refined sugars, as well as grains that can spike your sugar, it is very effective for diabetics. Diabetics are often treated with medications. Some increase the release of insulin, others slow down the release of glucose from the liver. There is also medication that suppresses appetite. For many people these remedies come with side effects, yet the Paleo diet does not. Poor di Continue reading >>
All About The Paleo Diet And How It Can Affect Your Diabetes
Thanks to well-known social media sites like Pinterest, different diet trends are becoming more widespread than ever before. Case in point: The paleo diet. Browse any bookshop, cooking store, or recipe website, and you’re almost guaranteed to find information about “going paleo” and how it can help you lose weight, improve digestion, build muscle, and boost energy. New studies even show that adopting a paleolithic diet can help people with diabetes lower their blood sugars and risk of cardiovascular disease. But are the benefits really worth all the hype? And how can eating a paleo diet affect your diabetes? What is the paleo diet? Also called the caveman diet, the paleo diet is made up of foods eaten by some of the world’s earliest humans. Ever hear of the adage, “Eat what your great grandmother ate”? The paleo diet takes that advice to the max. Think: Eat what your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother ate. The goal of the diet is to ditch modern processed, chemically-manufactured foods in exchange for more healthful and natural choices. The paleo diet places an emphasis on fresh produce, lean meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats, while cutting out dairy, grains, legumes, starches, processed sugars, and alcohol. As a result, people are expected to avoid today’s conditions that didn’t plague our early ancestors–ones like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The Pros The paleo diet has been shown to help people with diabetes keep their blood sugars in check, while lowering their blood pressure and cholesterol levels to boot. A 2011 study at the University of California San Francisco saw better blood sugar and blood pressure changes in a group of people who followed a paleo diet, c Continue reading >>
Metabolic And Physiologic Effects From Consuming A Hunter-gatherer (paleolithic)-type Diet In Type 2 Diabetes.
Abstract BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The contemporary American diet figures centrally in the pathogenesis of numerous chronic diseases--'diseases of civilization'--such as obesity and diabetes. We investigated in type 2 diabetes whether a diet similar to that consumed by our pre-agricultural hunter-gatherer ancestors ('Paleolithic' type diet) confers health benefits. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We performed an outpatient, metabolically controlled diet study in type 2 diabetes patients. We compared the findings in 14 participants consuming a Paleo diet comprising lean meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts, and excluding added salt, and non-Paleolithic-type foods comprising cereal grains, dairy or legumes, with 10 participants on a diet based on recommendations by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) containing moderate salt intake, low-fat dairy, whole grains and legumes. There were three ramp-up diets for 7 days, then 14 days of the test diet. Outcomes included the following: mean arterial blood pressure; 24-h urine electrolytes; hemoglobin A1c and fructosamine levels; insulin resistance by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp and lipid levels. RESULTS: Both groups had improvements in metabolic measures, but the Paleo diet group had greater benefits on glucose control and lipid profiles. Also, on the Paleo diet, the most insulin-resistant subjects had a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity (r = 0.40, P = 0.02), but no such effect was seen in the most insulin-resistant subjects on the ADA diet (r = 0.39, P = 0.3). CONCLUSIONS: Even short-term consumption of a Paleolithic-type diet improved glucose control and lipid profiles in people with type 2 diabetes compared with a conventional diet containing moderate salt intake, low-fat dairy, whole grains and legumes. Continue reading >>
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Vegan Diet Endorsed By American Diabetes Association
Senior Editor, LIVEKINDLY | Featured in VegNews, The Huffington Post, MTV, Reality Sandwich, EcoSalon, and Organic Authority. Los Angeles, CA | Contactable via: [email protected] A vegan diet rich in whole foods — mainly fresh fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins including beans, grains, nuts, and seeds, can help to mitigate the onset and effects of type-2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association says in its 2018 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes. The comprehensive report cites 35 studies pointing to the benefits of a plant-based diet, and also notes that doctors and nutritionists should “always” include “education on lifestyle management.” According to the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, “A plant-based diet can prevent, reverse, and manage diabetes.” The group recommends the elimination of animal and high-fat foods, replacing them instead with low-glycemic foods rich in healthy plant-based fiber. Another recent study also found that cutting all carbohydrates from the diet may not be the smartest choice for people wanting to decrease the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Diets such as paleo and ketogenic that tout their weight-loss benefits avoid fiber-rich plant-based foods such as whole grains, lumping them in unfairly with highly processed and nutritionally void refined grains commonly found in baked goods. But whole grains can play an instrumental role in slowing the body’s absorption of sugars because of their high fiber content. Whole grains are also rich in necessary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Type-2 diabetes affects more than 300 million people worldwide, and millions more are suspected of suffering from the disease without an official diagnosis. Continue reading >>
The Benefits Of A Paleo Diet On Lipid And Metabolic Markers
Metabolic syndrome affects 34 percent of all U.S. adults and 50 percent of Americans age 60 or older. (1) Because metabolic syndrome usually precedes type 2 diabetes and heart disease, reversing it is necessary for long-term health. Read on to find out how a Paleo diet can improve lipid markers and help patients with metabolic syndrome. The definition of metabolic syndrome has changed over the years, but today it is generally recognized as a concurrence of at least three of the following five symptoms (2), each of which alone is a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (3, 4, 5): large waist circumference high blood pressure (>130/85 mmHg) elevated fasting glucose (>100 mg/dL) elevated triglycerides (>150 mg/dL) low HDL cholesterol (<40mg/dL for men, <50mg/dL for women) The underlying causes of metabolic syndrome are still debated. However, most medical professionals believe that insulin resistance and inflammation are the foundation of its development. (6, 7) Not so coincidentally, the modern Western diet, full of processed foods and omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils, is a huge contributor to both insulin resistance and inflammation. How, then, would an alternative diet, free of these inflammatory foods, compare with respect to metabolic syndrome markers? Do high-carb-density foods in Western diets alter the gut and induce inflammation? Although the markers of metabolic syndrome are rampant in modern society, traditional and tribal cultures are virtually free from these modern “diseases.” When transitioned to a Western diet, however, these populations quickly develop modern metabolic diseases. (8, 9, 10) By investigating various tribal and traditional diets and comparing them to modern “heart-healthy” diets, we may infer which factors are res Continue reading >>
