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Diabetes, a Modern Disease... Diabetes is now an epidemic, affecting more than 17 million people in the US alone. This alarming rise, particularly children, did not come as a surprise. It is an expected result that directly parallels our choices in food and lifestyle in this fast paced modern world.
The primary cause of diabetes is the SAD diet (Standard American Diet), based on highly processed and refined carbohydrates that cause rapid influx of sugar into the bloodstream; rancid vegetable oils and trans fats that interfere with insulin receptors; difficult-to-digest foods like pasteurized milk and soy to further strain the pancreas; a sedentary lifestyle that interferes with glucose usage; and the tremendous cost of stress on all levels. Since diet is the cause, diet is also the cure. Nutrient-dense traditional foods supply the building blocks for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The diet should include sufficient trace minerals from organic and biodynamic foods, sea salt, bone broths, shellfish, red meat, organ meats, unfiltered olive oil and nutritional yeast. High levels of vitamins A and D are essential, as are raw animal foods to provide vitamin B6. Most importantly, diabetics must strictly limit their carbohydrate intake. Good fats consumed together with carbohydrate food will help lower the glycemic index, putting less stress on the pancreas, the insulin producing organ. Controlling blood sugar naturally is at the forefront of combating many diseases.
Exercise can also improve insulin utilization, helping to control Type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure and the lipid abnormalities that contribute to heart disease.
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| Sweet Poison…
In 1980, an average person consumed 39lbs. of fructose and 84 lbs. of sucrose, totaling 123 lbs. of sugar annually. In 1994, the annual increase in sugar consumption per person totaled 149 lbs., providing 19% of total caloric energy. Today, approximately 25% of our average caloric intake comes from sugars, with the larger fraction as fructose. Significant evidence that high sugar/refined carbohydrate diets may alter intracellular metabolism, which in turn accelerates aging through oxidative damage.
HFCS Until the 1970's, most of our source of sugar came from beet or sugar cane. Then food manufacturers began using sugar from corn (corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, dextrine, and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) because it was much cheaper to produce, and easy to store. Great increase in its use during the past 30+ years, especially in soft drinks, fruit juices and other beverages aimed particularly at children, is a contributing factor to childhood obesity and diabetes. It is now widely used in everything from baby food; to sauces & soups; to bread & pasta; as well as in "health products" such as protein bars; "natural" sodas, and even vitamins. The word fructose is misleading as it infers fruit sugar, which have been touted as natural and healthful. Research suggests just the opposite. Fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose as it must be metabolized in the liver, contributing to fatty infiltration and cirrhosis, similar to problems that develop in alcoholics. It interferes with the heart’s use of key minerals such as copper, magnesium, and chromium; has been implicated in elevated cholesterol levels; and formation of blood clots. Sugar suppresses the immune system, leaving the body defenseless against harmful foreign invaders. Additionally, fructose converts to fat more readily than any other sugar, contributing to the obesity epidemic. Since the introduction of HFCS and the liberal use of sugar, Americans continue to get fatter and sicker than ever.
Diabetes is only 1 of the many complications of high blood sugar. They include cancer; heart disease; osteoporosis; hypoglycemia; neurological disorders; psychological derangement; Alzheimer’s; and many more. The list is endless!
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| Rancid Fats... Trans fatty acids, hydrogenated, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are contributors of insulin resistance. When these man-made fats are incoroporated into the cell membrane, they interfere with the insulin receptors. In fact, all commercial vegetable oils with the exception of some high quality cold-pressed olive oil, are rancid. They are further chemically deodorized and bleached to disguise the characteristic burnt odor and color. Together with highly refined carbohydrate and sugar (the recipe of most packaged snack foods), the combinations are lethal to health and longevity. Read labels carefully! The only fats that are safe to cook with are butter, palm, or coconut oil. |
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