Cousens is not the only one who professes that diabetes can be cured. Fellow Americans Dr Neal Barnard ‘The Reverse Diabetes Diet’ [not read] (http://www.nealbarnard.org/) and DeWayne McCulley Death to Diabetes [not read] (http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/) also claim that diabetes can be cured. There are variations on the same theme, that processed foods should be reduced and/or eliminated from our diets, more emphasis on fresh greens, no sugar, and eat low Glycemic (GI) foods. Don’t forget to exercise!
It’s all well and good having this information from America but like so much other information, that’s all it is, and it is frustrating! Cousens book There is a Cure for Diabetes is really heavy to read. There are words in it that I haven’t a clue what they mean. You are probably familiar with these types of words. Medical in every sense for example do you know what Glycation means or Glycosylaated Protein? The last one should be familiar to all of us as it is the HGBA1C that tests our red blood when we have our 6 monthly check-up.
Cousens book is interesting in small bites and the case studies are interesting to see but they don’t really share what is the affects of the change in diet. Yes they share that they are now or at least by the end of the program cured but not what the process was like. It would be interesting to see how they have managed away from the centre and if they have retained the lifestyle change.
Closer to home, last month I read about a clinical study conducted by researchers from the Human Nutrition Research Centre that claimed that they had found a cure for type 2 diabetes. The diet consisted of 600 calories for 8 weeks. When I read this I cringed with the thought of only each 600 calories a day, a woman should have 1940 calories a day. Crazy!
NHS Choice has more information on the research if you are interested.
The results: After one week their blood sugar levels were normalised and by week eight they had improved their pancreatic sensitivity to insulin and lost weight. Fat stored in the liver also decreased. None of the participants were on insulin and had only been diagnosed for less than 4 years.
Are they cured?
The quick answer to that is no. Four weeks after the diet had stopped the participants not only gained weight but their fasting blood sugar increased. I am sure that we all could have told them that this would happen. As for being cured? According to Cousen if they had remained on the diet they may have been. For there to be a cure it means a lifestyle change for life!
Our choices are simple.
Die earlier than we would be expected to after years of developing complications, if we stay on the diet that we currently have. This includes people who are good at managing their diabetes with diet. It will by all accounts sooner or later catch up with you. Or decide that we want to live a full life, without all the complications and be alert, have energy to spare and feel good.
I know what I am going to choose, do you?
Till next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment