Two Secrets for Disarming Diabetes Found in Vegan Diabetes Diet
Studies are proving that a vegan diabetes diet can be very effective in the control and reversal of diabetes. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine did a study with Type 2 diabetics in which a vegan diet was compared to the American Diabetic Association (ADA) diet for three months. Group results showed that those on the vegan diabetes diet used less medication and controlled their blood sugar levels better than those on the ADA diet. The vegans also lost twice as much weight and had lower cholesterol levels at the end of the three-month study.
Diabetes is a condition that causes high blood glucose (sugar) levels. When your body breaks down the food you eat, some of it is turned into glucose. The glucose travels through the blood and enters the body cells where it supplies needed energy. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, helps the glucose enter the cells. With Type I (juvenile) diabetes, the body has stopped making insulin, so the glucose builds up in the blood stream, unable to enter the cells. In contrast, most Type II (adult-onset) diabetics, when diagnosed, have plenty of insulin but something blocks it from doing its job properly. About 95% of diabetics in the U.S. are Type II.
So what is the cause of Type II diabetes and how can a vegan diabetes diet help? Studies have demonstrated that the occurrence of Type II diabetes has a strong relationship to fat, both in the diet and on the body. In areas of the world where fat intake is low and obesity rare, diabetes is also rare. The resistance of the cells to insulin appears to relate directly to obesity and excess fat in the diet. By greatly reducing the amount of fat in the diet and increasing fiber, along with adding daily exercise, most Type II diabetics can normalize their blood sugar levels, often within a few weeks.
The two secrets for disarming diabetes, less fat and more fiber, are found in a vegan diabetes diet. By eliminating animal products such as meat and milk, you automatically eliminate the fat that goes with them. And by increasing your intake of plant foods, you automatically increase your fiber intake. Fiber helps regulate the release of glucose into the blood stream and smoothes out the highs and lows in blood sugar levels. Animal products are not only high in fat but also contain no fiber. A vegan diabetes diet reduces fat intake and increases fiber.
A Type II diabetic who lowers fat intake to about 10-15% of total calories and increases fiber intake to 40 grams per day or more can often bring blood sugar levels to normal ranges in less than eight weeks. A safe natural way to get the low-fat, fiber-rich foods needed to normalize and reverse diabetes is through a vegan diabetes diet.
Combine exercise with a vegan diabetes diet and you have a winning combination for defeating diabetes. Physical exercise burns up the excess sugar and fatty acids more rapidly and helps reduce body fat more quickly. Two 30-minute walks a day is ideal to help burn up the extra sugar in your blood.
Work with a doctor experienced in the effects of dietary therapy to monitor and adjust your insulin need.