Indigenous Great-grandmother Reverses Type 2 Diabetes And Loses 45kg With Exercise, Healthy Eating

Indigenous great-grandmother reverses type 2 diabetes and loses 45kg with exercise, healthy eating

When Ngarrindjeri great-grandmother Maxine Risk-Sumner was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2008, she began a journey that saw her lose 45 kilograms and turn her life around.
Ms Risk-Sumner told 891 ABC Adelaide's Mornings program she learned she was sick after being hospitalised with a "mystery" illness.
"The doctor soon discovered my blood sugar was high and he said to me, 'did you know you were diabetic?'," she said.
Ms Risk-Sumner was referred to her GP who confirmed she had type 2 diabetes.
When she asked her doctor how she could get rid of it, he replied, "your people find it very hard".
"When somebody categorises me and diagnoses me not as a patient but as an Aboriginal — because I am black — that makes me more determined to override what [was] said," Ms Risk-Sumner said.
Her doctor prescribed medication and referred her to a diabetic educator and nutritionist.
"I thought, 'how can these people help me? All of my family has type 2 diabetes'," she said.
Over the next 12 months, Ms Risk-Sumner learnt how she could change her lifestyle to better her health.
She described the experience as "absolutely amazing".
Ms Risk-Sumner said at the time of her diagnosis she was obese.
"I reckon I wore size 20 clothes," she said.
"Now I wear [size] nine kid's jeans."
With the help of her diabetes educator, Ms Risk-Sumner changed her whole perception of food and what she had been eating.
Aggressive approaches to intensive lifestyle and dietary change, and the right medical care and education, can really make a difference.
"Food is just as addictive as alcohol and drugs," she sai Continue reading

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Drinking with Diabetes: Dangers and Guidelines

As we all know, diabetes involves following a careful diet plan, and that might mean having to cut back on some of your favorite indulgences.
Wine and other alcoholic beverages are just a few of the treats that diabetics should enjoy sparingly – something that is often overlooked during a Q&A with the doctor.
Dangers of Drinking Alcohol with Diabetes
Because the body processes alcohol in the same way it processes fats, drinking can cause your blood sugar to rise. However, excess alcohol can actually have the reverse effect, causing your blood sugar to drop to dangerously low levels. Additionally, some insulin or other medications can be negatively affected by alcohol.
But don’t throw out the bottles just yet; if you are very careful with your alcohol intake, you should be OK having a drink on a special occasion.
Alcohol Consumption Guidelines for Diabetics
Medical professionals encourage diabetics to follow these consumption guidelines:
Do not drink more than two alcoholic beverages within 24 hours. (One alcoholic drink = 5-ounce glass of wine, 1.5-ounce "shot" of liquor or 12-ounce beer).
If you are following a calorie-controlled meal plan, one drink of alcohol should be counted as two fat exchanges.
Drink alcohol only with food.
Drink slowly.
Avoid "sugary" mixed drinks, sweet wines and cordials.
Mix liquor with water or diet soft drinks.
Most of us enjoy a drink every now and then, and your diabetes shouldn’t deprive you – so long as you handle your alcohol intake carefully and responsibly.
Type 2 diabetes is different from type 1 diabetes in many ways. As its al Continue reading

Diabetes Diet: Eight Foods To Put On Your Shopping List

We can get most of our nutrition needs met by eating a varied diet of fresh foods; however, some edibles - such as those listed below - are particularly helpful for managing diabetes.
Consider putting these eight items on your grocery list if you are working on weight maintenance or loss, and better blood sugar control:
Avocado. Avocado, one of those fruits that tastes more like a veggie, is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium that benefits insulin sensitivity and heart health. Eating avocado promotes blood sugar stabilization and weight loss because its load of healthy fat and fiber slows the digestion of carbohydrate, and leaves us feeling full longer.
Avocado makes an excellent mayonnaise substitute on sandwiches, or in egg and chicken salads. It can serve as a butter replacement on breakfast toast.
Walnuts. Another food high in fiber and healthy fat is the walnut. Besides being helpful with weight reduction and glucose management, studies suggest regular walnut consumption strengthens blood vessel walls, and reduces LDL cholesterol levels. Walnuts make a great snack option, salad topping, and are easily combined with other nuts and seeds to create a tasty trail mix.
Cinnamon and Ginger Cinnamon has gained some notoriety for its blood sugar lowering properties. Sprinkle cinnamon on toast, oatmeal, cooked carrots, and sweet potatoes, or use it as a sugar substitute in tea.
Ginger, with its anti-inflammatory effects, may help lower fasting blood sugar in those with diabetes. Enjoy its flavor and health benefits by grating fresh ginger into dressi Continue reading

Our Country Is Waking Up: Eating Vegan Is The New Prescription to Treat Diabetes

The time has arrived; no longer is a vegan, plant-based diet being seen as a trendy, hippie fad. It’s finally seen as an Rx treatment to take on one of the largest killers of our time: diabetes. Diabetes affects 115 million Americans every single day. More cases develop year by year, despite what we’ve done to eliminate soda in some cities, eliminate a large majority of high-fructose corn syrup on the market, and even list calorie content on fast food menus for people to make better choices. Those are a step in the right direction, but aren’t solving the diabetic problem. What is? A fiber-rich, plant-based diet – simple as that.
The Simple Solution to a Really Big Problem
The Center for Disease Control says that 86 millions Americans now have prediabetes. That’s a major problem if they end up joining the already 29 million Americans that already have it. Neal Barnard, M.D., and founder of The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, recently shared his take on the new findings that show a plant-based diet prevents and treats Type 2 diabetes and helps those with Type 1 diabetes manage, and eliminate some symptoms.
Our Country is Getting a Wake-Up Call
We’ve long known how a plant-based diet supports and prevents diabetes, but we’ve yet to see medical organizations and the government wake up to this crazy (yet simple and smart) notion themselves. Many medical professional believe that their patients simply won’t stick to a plant-based diet, and that may very well be true if they don’t have the right knowledge and motivation to do so. Luckily, organi Continue reading

Four Herbs That Help With Diabetes Management

Nature offers us support for health and healing with its abundance of medicinal herbs.
A medicinal herb is a plant, or part of a plant, which is used in its entirety to enhance our physical well being. Each herb contains hundreds, sometimes thousands, of naturally occurring chemicals that work together synergistically to help us heal.
Some herbs have been used for millennia to treat illnesses such as diabetes. If you are struggling to maintain good glucose control, or want to strengthen your resistance to diabetes complications, consider talking to your diabetes care team about adding herbal supplements to your daily regimen.
Your physician or diabetes educator can make sure any herb you take is compatible with your prescription medications, and whether an herb is contraindicated for pregnant women, children, or for those with certain other medical conditions.
Four Helpful Herbs
Here are four diabetes-helpful herbs can be taken alone, or used in combination.
Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridum) is a member of the ginseng family, and is sometimes called armored ginseng, or northwest ginseng (it grows in the Pacific Northwest). Devil’s club helps balance blood sugar levels, is a calming digestive tonic, and is reported to help some people lose weight.
Goat’s Rue (Galega officinalis) contains a compound called galegine that helps the body balance glucose levels and supports the breakdown and absorption of dietary fats and proteins. In Europe, Goat’s rue has been used for centuries to treat diabetes.
Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinalis) is a gentle, effective liver tonic Continue reading