The Diabetes Diet Controversy

I took an interest in this subject after being diagnosed as a "border case" diabetic when blood tests revealed a higher than normal blood glucose level (blood sugar level). I had nothing more than a vague knowledge about diabetics but I certainly did not want my border case to develop into a real case of diabetes. I was fortunate to have a friend who was in a worse situation than me. Taking the bull by the horns, he has reduced his blood glucose level to normal by adhering to a strict diet and exercise. Following in his path I have now done the same.

It was a challenge and it involved a complete change of diet. It involved reducing the intake of carbohydrates, the most difficult challenge to abandon the traditional western breakfast of cereal, milk, toast, marmalade, orange juice and coffee. After all, is this not the very breakfast we were taught to eat instead of the unhealthy "bacon and egg" issue that supposedly leads to high cholesterol levels and heart disease?

Before addressing the controversy, let's clarify the issues involved. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not make insulin (Type 1 diabetes), or properly use insulin (Type2 diabetes). Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar, starches and other food into energy. It ensures that glucose in our blood enters our cells where it is used as energy. Glucose is a sugar that comes from the foods we eat. In people who have developed diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood resulting in hyperglycemia. When the body cannot use glucose properly, a person may end up feeling chronically tired.

So what is the controversy for a person, like myself, who had a higher than normal blood glucose level, or a person who has developed diabetes?

The main 3 food groups are proteins, fat and carbohydrates and the controversy centers on the amount of carbohydrates we should eat. Up until the 1950s, the standard treatment for all types of diabetes was a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. Then, when studies showed that diets with a high level of saturated fat increased the risk of heart disease, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) started to recommend low-fat diets for diabetes. Secondly, high protein diets were also thought to cause kidney disease. With protein and fat seen as risk factors, the only remaining food group was carbohydrates which is the diet they recommended and still recommend with support from the medical community. The only accommodation made is the size of carbohydrate portions eaten which should be moderate.

My friend sat me down to watch a recent TV debate in which Swedish researches completely refuted the carbohydrate diet for people with abnormal blood glucose levels as flawed, emphasizing that it is carbohydrates that make these levels rise.

The diet regime recommended by Dr. Richard Bernstein seems to hold the answer for returning blood glucose levels to normal. It certainly worked for my friend and I.

Foods to avoid

Foods that contain simple sugars. These include table sugar and most starchy foods such as breads, pasta, grains, breakfast cereals and potatoes.
Snack foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, potato and tortilla chips, popcorn, pretzels, protein bars.
Milk and cottage cheese (except for soy milk).
Fruits and fruit juices.
Vegetables such as beans, carrots, corn, potatoes, tomatoes.
Canned soups and most "health" foods.
Foods and snacks that contain carob, honey, saccharine, corn syrup, lactose, dextrin, fructose, glucose, molasses and other similar substances.

Foods to eat

Fish, meat, poultry, egg, soy meat substitutes.
Cheese, cream, butter, margarine, yogurt, soy milk, low-carbohydrate salad dressings.
Nuts, seaweed, herbs and spices, artificial sweeteners.

As you can see, while this diet, combined with regular exercise, is likely to restore your blood glucose levels to normal, it does pose a challenge - a fairly dramatic alteration of your shopping and kitchen routines.

Please visit my website freelancescribe.net freelancescribe.net to comment. Many medical experts argue a middle position saying that all vegetables should be part of the diet because they contain the best fats and proteins. AMA recommends a 45-65% inclusion of carbohydrates.
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