The Truth About Red Meat And Diabetes

The Truth About Red Meat and Diabetes

Not all red meat is created equal – some isn’t even good enough to even be considered food.
Yet when a news article talks about red meat being bad for you, you can bet the author (or the study behind the news) failed to distinguish between processed meat and unprocessed meat, as well as overcooked meat and properly cooked meat. That’s not even considering grass-fed meat vs. industrial meat, which I’ve blogged about extensively.
“Red-meat-is-bad” articles don’t always deserve a rebuttal because *most* red meat actually is bad for you. However, it’s a major mistake to say all red meat is bad for you. This post serves to confront misleading headlines about red meat and diabetes risk. Let’s ask a few questions, see what the science actually says, and talk about the Bulletproof recommendations.
Processed meats like hot dogs, bologna, deli meats etc. contain high omega-6’s, often have mold toxins called mycotoxins, and nitrates that can combine with bad gut bacteria. All of these can be correlated with an increased risk of diabetes. Instead, insist on eating grass fed, low toxin meat to promote good health and optimize performance.
Research Doesn’t Distinguish Between Processed Red Meat and Unprocessed Red Meat
When articles suggest red meat causes chronic diseases like diabetes, you would expect a high degree of specificity and accuracy. Unfortunately all you get are alarming headlines and half-truths.
When you see blog posts like “Hot Dogs, Bacon and Red Meat Tied to Increased Diabetes Risk,” you should ask yourself how the authors justify lumping hot Continue reading

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Type 2 diabetes caused by buildup of toxic fat, study suggests

An overwhelming number of Americans live with diabetes, and many others with prediabetes. Although obesity is a risk factor for this condition, new research suggests it might only be a certain kind of fat that produces type 2 diabetes.
Over 29 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the United States population, live with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95 percent of all these cases.
In type 1 diabetes, patients do not produce enough of the hormone insulin. In type 2 diabetes, although the body produces insulin, it cannot use it properly.
Insulin is secreted by the pancreas when it detects sugar intake. Insulin enables cells to accept glucose, which is then processed by the cells and turned into energy.
In patients whose insulin is not administered effectively, glucose is not assimilated by the cells but instead builds up in the bloodstream. Diabetes occurs when levels of blood sugar are abnormally high.
Although being overweight or obese is a common risk factor for diabetes, researchers have pointed out that diabetes can still occur in people of a healthy weight.
Previous research has found that 12 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes between 1990-2011 were at normal weight. The same research indicates that once diagnosed, normal-weight participants were more likely to die from diabetes than their heavier counterparts.
Reasons for this were unknown, until now. New research may have shed light on not only why people of a healthy weight are still prone to type 2 diabetes, but also why some people Continue reading

CDC's new 'pre-diabetes' campaign is misguided, Mayo physician says

In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Medical Association, in partnership with the Ad Council, launched a new campaign to increase the public’s awareness of pre-diabetes.
According to the CDC, some 86 million American adults may have pre-diabetes, which the agency says is characterized by “blood glucose (sugar) levels [that] are higher than normal — but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.”
“Pre-diabetes increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke,” says Ann Albright, director of the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, in a video released on MedScape with the campaign. Indeed, Albright says that without treatment — “a structured lifestyle program that provides real-life support for healthful eating, increasing physical activity, and enhancing problem-solving skills” — some 15 to 30 percent of people with pre-diabetes will go on to develop full-fledged diabetes within five years.
The campaign is encouraging people to talk with their physicians about getting tested for pre-diabetes.
Diabetes is certainly a serious disease. It can lead to disabling and sometimes life-threatening health complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. More than 29 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the U.S. population, have the disease — a number that has increased four-fold over the past three decades.
But many experts are not convinced that pre-diabetes, a term coined by the ADA a few years ago and used almost exclus Continue reading

Printable, Savable, Editable Diabetes Logsheets

Free Editable / Printable Diabetes Logbooks, Record Sheets:
We have a variety of printable logsheets / charts that you can either print or also use in microsoft word or mac pages.
Detailed 3-Day Logsheet:
This is the same as the weekly logsheet, but the columns are broken down by hour and it includes more area for notes. 3 days per page.
Insulin Pump User Log sheet:
A record keeping form for pump users. 3 days on a page, broken down by hours. Includes room for blood sugars, grams of carbohydrate, boluses, basal rates, physical activity and notes.
Rotating Pattern Logsheet – Record (for Type 2 diabetes):
This logsheet is ideal for those with Type 2 diabetes. It includes 6 days per page and space for blood sugars, medication, food and activity input. The gray boxes denote alternating test/recording times in order to capture patterns throughout the day and night.
Word Doc: Rotating Pattern Logsheet (for Type 2 Diabletes)
Printable PDF: Type 2 diabetes logbook with rotating pattern
Weekly Blood Sugar Pattern Worksheet:
Use this printable weekly logsheet to track your blood sugar patterns by recording your readings before all meals and snacks.
Word Doc: Weekly Blood Sugar Patterns Logsheet
Printable PDF: Weekly Blood Sugar Patterns Logsheet Continue reading

Stress & Diabetes – How To Handle It

Just having lived through Irma, a category 4 hurricane in Florida, I decided this would be an excellent time to review stress and how it relates to your diabetes. According to Diabetes Care, “Stress is a potential contributor to chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes. This evidence is more consistent with type 2 diabetes.” It is well documented that stress can cause an increase in blood pressure and a rise in adrenaline and cortisol levels, which in turn raise blood sugars and systemic inflammation. Systemic inflammation is the basis for most chronic diseases including diabetes.
First, we all worried about when and where the storm would hit. This is the short-term intense stress in which the body uses the “fight or flight” reaction. Although the storm did major damage to the Caribbean islands and parts of Florida, in time we will rebuild. The problem then became the lack of power, water, cable and making note of all the structural damage. This is the chronic long-term stress, “eating away at you” the minute you wake up until the minute you sleep. This is more damaging to the body. According to a Harvard study, “almost 50% of all people (diabetes or not) report a major stressful event yearly.” We can’t always avoid stress but we can learn to tame how we deal with it. Let’s examine the aspects of stress, whether it be the immediate kind or the chronic long-term variety.
What is Stress?
“Stress is a state of emotional strain or tension that occurs when we feel that we can’t cope with the pressure.” Whether you feel threatened physically or mentally, the bo Continue reading