Recently, I learned that nearly 40 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they have it. Additionally, 1 in 3 people have pre-diabetes—a warning for future development of the disease.1 With a concurrent rise in obesity, the prevalence of diabetes continues to increase.
Research studies show that most cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle changes. But what if you already have the condition? Can it be reversed? The answer is “Yes.”2
Dr. Gerald Shulman, co-director of the Yale Diabetes Research Center, explains that insulin resistance is the driver of type 2 diabetes and “…if you reverse insulin resistance, you reverse type 2 diabetes.”3 Insulin resistance occurs when cells in muscles, fat, and the liver don’t respond effectively to insulin. The pancreas then works overtime to produce more insulin. Eventually, it can’t keep up, ultimately leading to high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.
Reversing insulin resistance requires a commitment to regular exercise, a healthy diet, an optimal weight, and stress reduction. Shulman notes that by modifying our diet to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes, we “also prevent heart disease, fatty liver disease, obesity-associated cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease…that insulin resistance leads to.”4
The Keto diet, which eliminates sugar and carbohydrates, is one way to control weight and improve blood sugar levels. However, the diet has risks due to excessive animal fats and proteins, which can overload the liver and kidneys. The less-restrictive Paleo Diet is a better option, as it allows for non-starchy vegetables and nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as yams, sweet potatoes, and berries.
The American Diabetes Association supports the “diabetes plate’ as a way to manage blood glucose with a healthy balance of low-glycemic vegetables, lean protein, and fiber-rich carbs. Fill ½ of your plate with vegetables like broccoli, green beans, and asparagus; fill ¼ with lean protein; fill the other ¼ with carbs like starchy vegetables and fruits.5
From my reading, I find the plant-based “alkaline diet’ also offers an excellent way to control blood sugar and potentially reverse diabetes. Foods considered alkaline include leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains like quinoa. Acidic foods include meat, cheese, eggs, sugars, and alcohol. Natural fats like olive oil are neutral. The preferred ratio is 70% alkaline foods; 30% acidic foods. The focus on veggies and plant-based proteins offers a nutrient-rich plan for healthy eating in a food environment that is frequently toxic. I plan to find out more.
- cdc.gov/diabetes/communication-resources/diabetes-statistics.html
- x.com/redpilldispensr?s=43
- medicine.yale.edu/news-article/can-type-2-diabetes-be-reversed
- Ibid
- diabetesfoodhub.org/blog/what-diabetes-plate