Welcome to our first class of our Diabetes UNdone series. The most important step we can take to prevent and reverse diabetes is to take a look at how we are eating. 

Today we live in a high tech world. We know more about healthcare than we ever have before. And yet, Americans are sicker than ever. Diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity threaten to undermine, even destroy, our health. Did you know that more than 30 million people across America suffer with type 2 diabetes? Every year more than 1.5 million are being added to that list. This is why the Center for Disease Control is worried that unless we do something soon, we are going to see diabetes skyrocket to 55 million diabetics in the next decade. That means about half of the people in America could develop type 2 diabetes! I sure don’t want that to happen, do you?

Experts are telling us that unless something is done soon, in 30 years, diabetes will be the cause of:

• 35 million heart attacks
• 13 million strokes
• 8 million people going blind
• 6 million with kidney failure
• 2 million amputations
• 62 million deaths from diabetes complications

And then there’s pre-diabetes. 86 million Americans are affected here. That’s one out of 3 Americans. But what does that really mean? The name “pre-diabetes” may not sound too alarming, but don’t let the word fool you. Pre-diabetes is still dangerous. It not only increases your risk for developing type 2 diabetes but it doubles your risk for heart disease whether it progresses to type 2 diabetes or not. And what’s really scary is 9 out of 10 Americans don’t even know they have pre-diabetes! But the good news is–you can EAT-2-BEAT-DIABETES with the New Start lifestyle. So let’s look at some practical ways we can do this.

Step 1: Aim to be a First-Class Foodie

The best medicine we can take to beat diabetes or to be plant strong is to be a First-Class Foodie. What is a First-Class Foodie?  It’s someone who eats more plant foods like:

• More green leafy vegetables
• More colorful fruits and vegetables
• More peas and beans
• More starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and corn
• More fresh and frozen fruit
• More whole grains

Most of the time when people think about having better health, they think about less or reducing–like less saturated fat, less sweets, less salt. Do changes like that help? Absolutely! Those are all good choices for being Plant Strong. But when you’re a First-Class Foodie, you also end up thinking about more–you want more veggies, more beans–more plant foods. Because what are we aiming for? We’re aiming to have more health. To live well naturally.

Step 2: Choose Low-Calorie Dense Foods

Another great goal to shoot for is choose low-calorie dense foods. Is this Nacho Supreme low in calories? I see hamburger in there, several kinds of cheese, probably some deep fried chips. This means quite a bit of fat is going on in this recipe. Which equates to it being “calorie dense.” But most of the foods I find in the produce section of my grocery store are low in calories. They are low-calorie dense foods. So one motto I like to live by is “Eat less from a box and more from the earth.” And that means more plant foods and eating more food as grown, with as little processing as possible. That’s one great way to get maximum nutrition, maximum fiber and maximum antioxidants. And I believe maximum flavor as well. Because don’t forget–healthy tastes good! When we eat Plant Strong, we’re adding value to our lives, not taking it away.

The Real Culprit of Diabetes

Let’s take a look at diabetes. Most people think that sugar is the main culprit when it comes to type 2 diabetes. But is that really true? The real culprit is something known as “insulin resistance.” That’s the real hallmark of diabetes. But what is insulin resistance all about?

Think of the cells in your body as a kitchen. Let’s say you’ve just been to the grocery store and bought many bags of food. Food is full of glucose, the fuel your body needs to give you energy. But if you want all that good glucose to get into the cell, you have to open a door, just like we have to open a door to get into a kitchen.  However, the door to your cells is locked. But that’s okay because you’ve got the key. And that key is called INSULIN. It’s what your body uses to change all that good glucose into fuel for your body–to give you optimum energy. But somewhere along the way, the key has gotten sticky. Now it can’t open the door. Insulin can’t get into the cell. As a result, the cells of your body have become insulin resistant.

What made the key sticky? In 2013, a study of 150,000 Americans showed that those who ate 1/2 a gram of red meat a day had a 48% higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Imagine! Less than 1 gram of meat a day! That’s all it took to make the insulin “key” sticky and prevent the glucose from getting into the cells. Saturated fat is what gums up the key so your cells can’t use the insulin your pancreas normally releases to give your cells all the energy it needs to keep you strong and healthy.

The S.A.D. News

The standard American diet (S.A.D. for short) is sadly set up to create insulin resistance in your body. Not on purpose, of course. But that’s where it can lead to. Because the standard American diet is loaded with deep fried foods like French Fries, America’s favorite vegetable. Then there’s hamburgers and processed meats like bacon and hot dogs. Plus, there’s all that cheese that we love so much! All these foods are high in fat and because of their high fat content, they increase your risk for diabetes in a major way. But a Plant Strong way of eating will turn that around. We can EAT-2-BEAT-DIABETES when we begin with beans.

Beans are a very strong plant food. Look at all the perks they give you!

• They are low in calories and saturated fat
• They are high in fiber
• They are an excellent source of calcium, potassium and magnesium
• They help you lose weight
• They are very low on the glycemic index, making them gentle on your blood sugars

If you eat a cup of beans a day, you will experience significant blood sugar improvement in just a few months. Many diabetics who eat beans find it not only improves their blood sugars for that meal but it also prevents their blood sugars from spiking for the next 3 meals!

Do you like burritos? Why don’t you try it with black or pinto beans like the Mexicans do? Or sprinkle some kidney beans or chickpeas in a salad. I like using beans in pastas and salad because they fill me up so much better than anything I’ve used before. And they don’t pile on the weight. They keep my arteries clear and my blood sugars in the healthy zone.

What About Protein?

Can I actually be strong and healthy when I eat beans and other plant foods? Actually, instead of being afraid to not get enough protein, we need to be asking ourselves a different question–Can I get too much protein? Americans typically get way more than their bodies need. And when there’s an excess of protein there is also a multitude of dangerous complications:

• 5 fold increase in diabetes mortality (or death)
• Higher incidence of cancer and overall mortality
• Decline in kidney function
• Increase in cholesterol
• Weaker bones

Does that last point surprise you? Too much protein can adversely affect your bone health. When I was in college I worked as a secretary for the nursing department at Andrews University, a private college in southwestern Michigan. For several decades, this department conducted a bone density study, examining the effect of protein on the health of our bones. Since I typed up the report, I was able to see the results of the study–not just for the current year but in relation to past studies. And the nursing department discovered that year after year, the people with too much protein had weaker bones. As protein intake went up, bone density went down. Just recently, I saw a report from Harvard Medical School which indicated the same results. Excess protein leads to weaker bones. But when you get your protein from plant foods, you will have stronger bones as well as less disease and healthier kidney function.

Reversing Diabetes

All fruits and vegetables will help your prevent and reverse diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Foundation says that a plant-based diet is the best way to prevent and reverse it. During a recent study conducted at Andrews University, diabetics were put on a plant-based diet for sixteen days. In that short time, the researchers saw amazing improvements. Half of the group did not need to take insulin anymore  and other half were able to cut their medications in half. In just sixteen days! So it doesn’t have to take years for your body to recover from diabetes. Your body has the capacity to recover from this disease. Physicians used to tell their diabetic patients, once you get diabetes you have it for life. There is no way to be diabetes free. But today, we are finding that plant food is good medicine. And when it comes to vegetables, greens are at the top of the list. They have a significant impact on your blood sugars, bringing stronger health and lower blood sugars.

What About Grains?

This food group is often looked upon as the bad guys on the block. But I’ve got good news for you! There is such a thing as healthy carbohydrates. Quinoa, rolled oats, oat groats and brown rice are all good examples of healthy grains–even when it comes to diabetes. These kind of grains are what we call intact grains, grains that have very little processing. Therefore, they are more gentle on your blood sugars and can even become part of the answer to preventing and reversing diabetes. And by eating 2 servings a day of whole grains, you can have 21% less chance of developing diabetes than if you skipped having any whole grains in your meals.

But are all breads and cereals created equal? Whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals like corn flakes are definitely better for you than white bread or Rice Krispies which practically has no fiber at all. But even whole grain flours are more processed than a bowl of oatmeal or granola. They aren’t as gentle on your blood sugars as intact grains. Does that mean you can’t eat anything with flour? No, I’m not saying that. But use it in moderation. Whole grain flour and whole grain products are what we call a Second-Class food. These foods can be healthy food choices but they don’t give you the top protection like first-class foods do. Therefore, eat from them moderately and eat more from the first-class food list.

Can I eat Fruit?

Can eating fruit help you prevent or reverse diabetes? An interesting study by the Harvard School of Public Health looked at this question. Over 184,000 participated in this study where they found that those who frequently ate fruit had a lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes. These people ate fruits like oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, apricots, berries, peaches, pears and plums. The researchers found that eating high amounts of whole fruit is gentle on blood sugars and the best results came from eating northern fruit (as opposed to tropical fruit like oranges and bananas)–such as apples, blueberries and grapes.

Make Room for More Plant Foods

So, if you want to be plant strong and steer clear of many lifestyle diseases, including type 2 diabetes, eat more beans, greens and more intact grains. This will stack the odds in your favor when it comes to preventing and reversing diabetes. And if you’re already struggling with high blood sugar levels, these same foods can lower or stabilize those blood sugars. Aim to be a First-Class foodie and make room on your plate for more plant foods.

Hope Changes Everything

Here in the HealthBites Kitchen, we view prevention as the very best medicine there is. And we want you to know that even though your blood sugars might not be where they could be, there is still hope that you can turn that around. And for many people, it doesn’t take a long time. For some, it can happen in just 2 weeks. It depends on how long your blood sugars have been elevated and how serious you are about making some lifestyle changes. 

Remember, you were created with an amazing body, with the capacity to recover and heal itself. So we want to give you hope. Hope can change everything because, by definition, hope is the feeling that what is desired can actually become possible! And when we believe something is possible, we are much more likely to invest the time and effort to make it happen. 

What does this have to do with diabetes? Actually everything. Because when you’re plant-strong, you have high amounts of hope. A healthy lifestyle is within your reach. You and I can say goodbye to diabetes. So focus on hope, aim to be a food-class foodie, and make room for more plant foods. And you can achieve success. You can be diabetes free and live well naturally.