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Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You

Stop Diabetes Before It Stops YouThe Natural solution to managing Diabetes

www.LivingDiabetesFree.com

copyright©2009 LivingDiabetesFree.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 1


Table of Contents

1.) The Onset of Diabetes 3

2,) Why Should We Want Good Health 14

3,) Insulin and the Cause of Diabetes 25

4,) The Standard American Diet 36

5,) Choosing What to Eat With Diabetes 47

6,) Complex Carbohydrates 58

7,) Recipes for Our Plant Based Diet 69

8,) Exercise for Good Health 85

9,) Preparing for Success 94

10,) The Plan to Stop Diabetes 100



Chapter 1 The Onset of Diabetes

America - The Land of Chronic Disease

Many serious consequences occur to our health due to the counterproductive

lifestyle choices that we make. In this chapter, we will discuss how diabetes, obesity,

and several other chronic diseases have occurred because our bodies are trying to adapt

to the evolving society in which we live. We will learn valuable information that we

will use to overcome cultural, physiological, and psychological habits that tend to make

us unhealthy. The knowledge that we will receive will assist us in the journey we are

about to begin and save our lives.

Diabetes and many other chronic disorders have become so common in the

United States today, that they are reaching epidemic proportions. There are currently

more than 21 million people in the United

States with diabetes, which equates to 7

percent of the total population. Even

more have prediabetes, an estimated 41

million, and full-blown diabetes will

likely occur in these cases within five

years. Diabetes has grown into such a

crisis in America, that 1 in 3 children born

in the year 2000 will have diabetes at

some point in their life. Even though this

is a grim outlook on a disease with so many complications, if we eat the right kinds of

foods, become active, and learn to think the right way about our habits, we will be able

to overcome diabetes and use much less medication in the process.

The United States is unfortunately a location where these debilitating disorders

are a common occurrence. These illnesses rapidly emerged after westernization


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You occurred as the culture of abundance began. In the past, diabetes would only occur in

kings, as they were the only ones who could afford lavish lifestyles with high fat and

high calorie foods. Nomadic cultures were prevalent where people would have to hunt

for their food and sometimes they would go for many days without eating. Once

westernization occurred and towns grew around food production areas, everyone began

to consume more calories from meats and processed foods than ever before. Many

diseases began as a direct link to over abundance in westernized cities.

We have seen that in poor nations across the globe, the diseases of which we

suffer from in America are very rare. While the people in these developing countries

may suffer from diseases caused by poverty and the lack of proper nutrition, they have

very few cases of diabetes and heart disease. We have recently found that a society’s

diabetes and cancer rates are directly proportional to their geographical or cultural

proximity to the western world. Even though we are advanced in technology which

allows us to get our food quickly instead of hiking for miles to find something for lunch,

we are not doing ourselves any good as we continue to gain weight and develop chronic

illnesses.

Why Do We Make These Choices?

There are several reasons for the

counterproductive lifestyle choices that we make

everyday. Highly processed foods with many

calories are also unhealthy and very cheap to buy.

Instead of using natural ingredients and making our

own foods, we tend to purchase ready-made meals

with tons of fats and preservatives added. We eat

too little natural foods like vegetables, fruits, and

whole-grains because we eat too much meat, dairy,

sugar, and processed foods instead. Many diseases

that are now common in the United States are essentially mutated versions of diseases


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You prevalent in domesticated animals that we consume. Fast foods have become a huge

trend in our daily meals because it is easy to access, so we overindulge in high calorie,

high animal fat and protein, added sugar, and processed foods with many carbohydrates.

Although we hear about the poor health conditions caused by fast food everyday, we

like it because our bodies think they need to eat extra fat and calories to survive times of

famine that never happen anymore.

Nature or Nurture?

There is always much debate over whether a disease like diabetes develops as a

process of nature or nurture. It turns out that both play a factor in the process, but

nurture can certainly outweigh nature in this instance. Diabetes is our body’s adaptive

response to the environment, and in this case, the disease shows us that our bodies are

working but they can only work extra hard for so long before failure occurs. Even

though there is a genetic factor in whether we are at a higher risk for developing a

disease, the cultural forces that surround us work to sabotage our health. The

advertising that we see to everyday makes it difficult to stop the habits of the western

world.

Stress – Is It Harmful?

When it comes to the development of diabetes, stress does more harm than

good, but constant advertising causes unneeded stress on our bodies. We are usually

unable to avoid advertisements focused on soft drinks, fast food restaurants, candy, and

other processed foods. Studies have shown that stress is capable of causing diabetes as

well as make it worse. When our bodies are under stress, blood sugar levels increase

whether we have diabetes or not. This is an adaptive response from the days of fight or

flight when we needed sugar for energy to fight off the object causing us stress.

Unfortunately, stress that we have now causes us to eat more, decreases our physical

activity, and makes us feel exhausted and depressed. In addition, our bodies release


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You cortisol during times of stress; an excess build up can cause brain damage, increases

abdominal fat, and suppresses our immune systems.

The Real Truth About Diabetes

Many of us are unaware of the actual truths associated with diabetes as we have

been hearing many lies for the past several years. It turns out that lifestyle choices have

a huge effect on how we view a diagnosis of diabetes. We have always felt that diabetes

is a death sentence waiting to happen, but if we change a few of our behaviors right

away, we can essentially live longer than many of those without diabetes. When we

make changes in our lifestyles, we are not only enabling ourselves to live longer, but we

can also reduce or eliminate the awful complications that are always associated with

diabetes.

Even though genetics do play some part in our diabetes diagnoses, our unhealthy

habits substantially increase the chances

that we will ever have the disorder. If our

parents have diabetes and they live the

lifestyle of unhealthy eating and no

physical activity, we will increase our

chances of eventually having diabetes as

well if we follow the same routine.

Because we have finally realized that our

choices control our health, we have an

understanding that diabetes is not an

illness that we catch like the flu.

It is also true that advertisements for medications make it seem like we will need

large doses of medications for the rest of our lives if we have diabetes. This advertising

is usually the reason that medications are over prescribed and often unnecessary as well.

Our doctors tend to prescribe more medication when our blood sugar levels increase;

however, this usually creates more problems that lead to more medications. We often


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You need to lose weight when we have diabetes, but our medications keep us gaining. Then

we feel sluggish, we are less active, we have high cholesterol and high blood pressure

which all lead to more medications. It is not until insulin comes into play that we feel

hopeless because we do not know what we need to do to fix our problems and we have

very little understanding of what is happening. Once we learn to live a healthy lifestyle,

we can reduce or even eliminate the medications prescribed for diabetes as well as all of

the other associated disorders in just a short time.

Many of us have previously placed our doctors in complete charge of our

diabetes management and that does not usually work so

well. We need to work with our doctors to make joint

decisions and eliminate the burden of diabetes. Since

many doctors tend to mismanage diabetes, we need to

become educated patients in order to control the disease

appropriately. Instead of giving setting optimal health

goals for us to achieve, doctors tend to set goals for us that considered normal. These

goals are usually only as high as our doctor’s believe we can attain. Optimal goals

should be set so that we can strive to live as healthy as possible. For these reasons, we

believe that diabetes is uncontrollable and that it is just something we have to put up

with for the rest of our lives. When we change our lifestyles and habits, we can

completely control type-2 diabetes and make type-1 diabetes much easier to live with

every day.

How This Program Began

Several lifestyle physicians developed the recommendations in this program in

order to help millions of people across the United States in their quest for diabetes

control. By examining different lifestyle treatments, including diet and exercise, they

were able to find changes that we can make in our daily lives that would do what

prescription drugs have failed to do. Instead of reversing or eliminating the disease,

most doctors only manage the problems. This is mostly due to the acceptance of using


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You only medication as treatment, which increases to keep up with the progression of the

disease. Most traditional doctors have ignored the idea that there is something that is

more effective than medication in controlling diabetes. Although the program discussed

treats diabetes, it can essentially reverse obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension,

elevated blood lipids. It can relieve arthritis, osteoporosis, constipation, hemorrhoids,

and can prevent the majority of cancers prevalent in the United States.

Can We Call It A Cure?

Before we begin this program which can both heal us and cure us of our

diseases, we need to understand the difference between the two, as they are not

equivalent concepts. When we are talking about a cure, we are essentially the passive

recipient to a physician’s care, which means we must be patient as our doctors attempt

to alleviate our pain. Healing is very different in that we are required to use a physical,

mental, emotional, social, and spiritual process in an attempt to alleviate symptoms of a

disease. Doctors are unable to heal us because it is something that must come from

within each of us. The recommendations in the program are going to use both healing

and curing to reverse the symptoms of diabetes.

Choosing a Helpful Doctor

Upon our decision to start the necessary changes, we must first decide if our

doctors are helping or hindering our well-being. Finding a coach who can work with us

is vital to controlling our diabetes. First, we must consider how well our doctor’s advice

is working. Are things still the same as they were a year ago even though we are

following all of the recommendations given to us? It seems silly to keep doing the same

things that are not working, while expecting things to get better. By asking the

following questions, we will determine if we can work with the doctors we already have

or if we should look for someone else before starting this program.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Is my need for medications increasing or are they decreasing?

Is it getting easier or harder to manage my

blood sugar levels?

Is weight loss or weight gain occurring?

Is my energy level increasing or decreasing?

Is my pain level increasing or decreasing?

Is my health getting better or worse?

Is my disease in charge or am I?

Top Ten Reasons Why This Program Works

The program that we are about to start is completely different from the treatment

we have received in the past. There are many reasons why this program works, but the

following reasons are the most important. The recommendations provided actually

work. This program has worked for thousands of people and hundreds of different

studies show the proof. The program is all-inclusive, made especially for those of us

with diabetes. Most recommendations on diet and exercise usually do not work for

diabetics, as they do not incorporate the issues that are important to the disease. The

recommendations we are about to discuss include accurate information about all aspects

of a healthy lifestyle. We will be able to make significant changes because we will learn

about lifestyle changes that we can make to control our health. In addition, we will

understand the entire truth about our disorder and we will act on the information

provided.

Many of the patients who have previously followed these recommendations have


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You been able to decrease or even eliminate their need for medications, including insulin in

just a few weeks. We will learn that medication is not the primary treatment for

controlling diabetes. We will begin to enjoy a plant-

based diet that is filling, low in fat, high in good-quality

proteins, and high in complex carbohydrates. We will

see that a physically active lifestyle is full of health

benefits. This program uses techniques that work

without causing any pain. We will receive tons of advice

on how to incorporate all of the program foundations

into our daily lives. Within thirty days, we will improve

nearly all aspects of our lives including our diabetes, by significantly reducing our risk

of having any other chronic diseases. At the end of the program, we will be able to

answer the important questions of, “Good health – for what?”

Once we start following the recommendations that we discuss in the coming

chapters, we will increase our quality of life substantially. After 15 days of following

these guidelines, we will see some of the following changes to our health.

• 20% drop in triglyceride levels

• 16% reduction in cholesterol levels

• 22% decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL)

• 17% reduction in fasting glucose level

• 4.6% reduction of total body weight

• 3% decrease in waist circumference

• 8.7% drop in fructosamine levels



• 5% reduction in resting heart rate

• 12% improvement in one mile walk test

• 6% drop in systolic blood pressure

• 4% drop in diastolic blood pressure

• 18% increase in flexibility

Understanding Our Diseases

We must understand several things before we can start to change our lifestyle to

improve our health. First, the diseases that we may have, especially diabetes, do not

determine our fate. Even though we may have felt like we received a death sentence

when we first were aware of our diagnoses, it does not mean that will suffer until we

die. Many changes will occur with these recommendations to make sure that we will

not suffer due to any complications. In order to do this, we will need the help of a good

lifestyle coach, but we need to understand that our doctors are not entirely in charge of

our healthcare. We need to develop a positive attitude and realize that we can change

our ways if we are determined to do so.



The large amount of calories that we consume is a major factor in the onset of

diabetes. We must begin to take charge of what we eat and how much we eat to

decrease the risk. Just because someone may offer us unhealthy foods, does not mean

that we must eat it all. The buffet table does not determine how much food we should

eat. We are going to learn that the simple changes we will make will do much more for

us than the medications that our doctors prescribe. Many of us believe that the newest

wonder drug on the market will solve our problems, but essentially, our behaviors can

be a better solution.

Working To Change Our Habits

Changing a habit that we may have had for several years may be difficult but we

need to make the change. We generally have a fear of changing things so we tell

ourselves that we cannot or will not be able to change our behaviors. We must

understand that this fear is not in control of our behaviors before we can begin. It turns

out that unhealthy habits can change and it will always do more good than harm. We

need to start taking responsibility for our way of thinking, our behaviors, and the

consequences that follow.

Due to our family and friends unknowingly trying to sabotage our strategies, it is

unfortunate that we will be on our own for the entire process of changing our habits. The idea


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You of a plant-based diet is absurd to many and others will not understand how we expect to lose

any weight by the types of exercises that this program recommends. However, it is essential

that we follow every bit of advice laid out in the program in order to achieve our goals. We will

face temptations frequently whether it is at home with our families or when we attend a party or

a buffet with plenty of unhealthy foods available. We may even lapse sometime, but we must

not stop the program entirely just because one time we did not stick to the plan. If we fail to

achieve a goal, we must start over again and keep trying.

There have been several articles and books

published that give us a horrible outlook on the future of

diabetes. We hear that our children will be

overwhelmed with diseases and health care troubles,

with overcrowded hospitals and the public health

system becoming overwhelmed. We hear many horror

stories about complications such as blindness, kidney

failure, amputations, and never damage. Even though

these give us a grim outlook on the future of our nation,

Type-2 diabetes is preventable and reversible. Diabetes

is a disease brought on by our culture and it comes only

after we make several unhealthy choices.

Our health, well being, and attitude are all under our control and we can make

the changes necessary if we are determined to do so. We are in charge of how we think

about things, the way we react to things, and the way we talk to others and ourselves

about things. In order to remain true to ourselves, we must understand cognitive

behavior therapy, practice it, and use it to sharpen our expertise.



Chapter 2 Why Should We Want Good Health

Six Concepts for Healthy Living

Knowledge is vital to our existence and can help keep us alive and well.

However, it is not just knowledge that is important in our desires to change our habits

into those that can keep us healthy. The decision to live a healthy lifestyle as well as

commitment to follow through come from the knowledge we receive about our health

concerns, but also from the concepts we will discuss in this chapter. We must consider

why we want to feel better in order to be successful with making lifestyle changes to

improve our health. The recommendations given will tell us how to make these changes

by providing us information on the correct foods to eat, the correct forms of physical

activities we need, and the right mindset we need to have, but we must answer the

question of why. The main determinant of our success on this program is the search we

make to answer that question. We must consider the following concepts as we start our

new lifestyle.

GoalsSetting goals is the first step to any successful health plan. If we follow the

recommendations exactly as they are given we will receive optimal results, but this may

be too difficult for many of us because there are so many changes to make right away.

Instead of doing everything all at once, we should focus on the main priorities first and

tackle them head on. We must set both long-term and short-term goals in order to

achieve a healthy lifestyle. Before starting the recommendations, we will set realistic

goals that are mostly attainable in the immediate future. Once we achieve these goals,

we will set more and work on those as well. The following guidelines will help us to

create goals that are beneficial to our health and well-being.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You • We should be clear about our goals. If we know where we are going, we will

stay focused on going in the right direction. These goals may include decrease

after breakfast blood sugar, switch from cow’s milk to soymilk, or stop eating

processed foods.

• We need to quantify our goals using the following parameters. Objective

measure is ideal for goals that are easy to identify with a number such as weight,

cholesterol, and blood pressure. Objective acknowledgement is ideal for goals

that involve and activity that we will do or not do such as stop eating sugar or eat

more vegetables. We should list the activities that we are doing and then rate

ourselves on how we are doing. Subjective measure is ideal for goals that are

hard to measure such as boosting our mood or energy level. We should evaluate

ourselves from day to day on how well things are going. Some of these specific

goals may include decrease body weight by 2 pounds per week, lower HbA1C to

6.0%, or lower after lunch blood sugar to 140.

• Setting specific target behaviors that will allow us to achieve our goals is

important so that we know exactly what we need to do in order to succeed.

These behaviors may include taking a stroll after a meal, increasing our fiber

intake, stop eating junk food, or get plenty of physical activity.

• We should set a timetable for our goals so that we are aware of when we should

have a specific goal completed.

• Making the time to reach the goals is vital to the entire program. We must put

ourselves first and put our health at the top of our priorities list.

ChangeMaking changes to our daily habits is essential to achieving our goals. Benefits

come from change, but in our current society, change happens too fast for our bodies to


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You notice the effect. Many times, we stay in our comfort zones and resist changes because

we imagine we will be in distress. Unless we make changes to our lifestyles, there will

never be a positive result with our diabetes control. It is often that change is necessary

usually for health reasons. Once we incorporate the changes in our lives, it only takes

three weeks for the changes to become permanent parts of our daily routines. Changes

that lead to a new routine will lead us to enjoy better healthier lives.

Many of us may not want to change and even though it is necessary to extend

our lives, we are still resistant. In order to break the

unhealthy habits, we must determine what is

causing our resistance. Looking at some common

causes for resistance to change will enable us to find

our own reasons. We may still be distressed from

learning that we have a chronic disease that we are

only able to think about how unfair it is that we are

in the situation. This tells us that we have not yet

accepted our diagnosis. Many times, we are fearful

of our diagnosis and we prevent ourselves from

taking the necessary actions. Once we are ready to

make the changes, we need to get as must

information as possible. We need to understand what changes need to happen and how

we will make the changes to better our health.

CourageThe driving force behind our choices of change is courage. Courage is not only

a character trait that our actions express, but it is also the main reason behind our

success in living a healthy lifestyle due to the changes that we have to make. It is not

our circumstances, our culture, or our heredity that allows us to change, but instead it is

our belief that we are a matter of our own fate. We must use our courage to decide to

become healthy and have control over our disorders.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Hope

We need to veer away from what we think our limitations are that prevent us

from becoming healthy. Hope allows us to do this as well as to find meaning in our

lives and efforts, which helps us to experience fulfillment. By using this program when

we are at our last hope for saving our lives, our hope is highly rewarded. It is essential

that we have hope because it helps to boost our immune systems. Studies have shown

that optimism is associated with decreased mortality rates as pessimistic individuals

have weaker immune systems.

OptimismBecause most of us have had diabetes for so long, we

may find it very difficult to be optimistic, especially if our blood

sugars are uncontrolled and our weight keeps increasing. It is

our ability to choose that separates us from other life forms. The

freedom of choice is our optimism in action. The use of humor

is also showing our optimistic attitude. Studies have shown that

those who appreciate humor are much more likely to live longer than those who do not

and survival is particularly high for patients with cancer.

EnduranceOnce we have created our personal goals and we have found the courage to

change, we also need endurance. When we discover that

we need to find good health, it requires a complete lifestyle

change, not just a change of diet. We are tolerant of diets

only until we achieve a particular short-term goal, but then

we end up going back to what we want to do instead.

Endurance allows us to make changes stick to accomplish long-term goals as well. In

order to have a more fulfilling life, we need to strive to endure until the end. This

requires much discipline over our own believes, our values, and our mission. We should

trust ourselves and think seriously about our health, what matters to us, and what we can


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You sacrifice to achieve our goals.

Ask Why to Define Our Course of Action

Our commitment to follow a health improvement plant will never last long if we

do not see good results from our time and effort. Committing to a new routine is usually

easiest right after we go through a time of crisis, but it is between crises that we allow

ourselves to rationalize

our inaction with excuses.

In order to stick with this

program and drastically

improve our lives, we

need to find our own

personal answers to the

question of why. Why do

we want to live? Why do

we want to have good

health and vigor? Why do we want to be out of pain? We will use the following ideas

in our attempt to find the answers in which we are searching.

HappinessWe must consider what we would do if finding good health brought happiness

and a desire to do things that we are not doing right now. Whether it is playing with our

children, running a marathon, writing a book, or taking a trip to Paris, we need to

discover, through personal exploration, what we would truly like to be doing in our

lives. Consider happiness in the sense of fulfillment, the feeling of joy we have in life,

and our overall satisfaction.

Happiness requires that we understand the difference between the things we can

control and the things we cannot. If we are not where we want to be or headed where

we want to go, we must consciously change our actions and thoughts to match our


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You desires. We need to become self-helping and only rate our acts, our feelings, and our

thoughts instead of our being, our essence, or ourselves. If we need something to

change our counterproductive habits into healthy ones, it is required that we will not be

okay if we do not have what we need.

ServiceWhen our lives are lived to do service for others, we receive more than what

money can pay. In order to discover the meaning of our lives and find happiness and

longevity, we need to find our own way to serve. We can volunteer and serve our

families, our communities, our country, or our religious organizations. Many of us

might think that the process of making ourselves healthier will be selfish, but there is a

balance worth seeking that keeps us from being self-absorbed. Sharing, getting

involved by volunteering creates that balance and this will give us a reason to have good

health.

LegacyMost of us will think about how we would like others to remember us, but it

usually does not happen until we are at the point where it is too late to make any

changes. We should think about this now and start living the way we want our family

and friends to remember us right away. We need to put an end to any unfinished

business and mend emotional fences. This is a great place to start and we should

continue living this way, as we never know how much more time we have. When we

extend our lives by starting a new healthy lifestyle, we will give ourselves more time to

create the legacy we would like to leave behind.

CommitmentWe need to make a commitment to gain control over diabetes and our lives so we

can get back what we put into life by living healthy. By making small promises and

sharing them with someone we trust, we will be able to commit to changing our

lifestyles. We can make commitments to many things, like god or our houses of

worship. Studies have shown that those of us who have religious beliefs will cause us to


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You be physically healthier, lead healthier lives, and require fewer health services. It turns

out that this type of commitment can be as beneficial as quitting smoking as it can add

up to 14 years to our lives.

Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy

It is important to understand

that the way we think controls our

lives. Depression and other

emotional troubles associated with

diabetes need to be a topic of

discussion with our doctors and

treated quickly. Rational Emotional

Behavior Therapy helps us to change our thinking and our behavior to alleviate our

mental concerns. It includes the way we think, the way we feel, the way we act, and the

way we heal ourselves to get better. For this type of therapy to work, we have to make

our most important goal the desire to get over our misery. We should consider the

following thoughts to change the way we think about our conditions and ourselves.

When we believe that we should succeed to win the approval of others, we

include buts and alternative solutions. When we do not fulfill our preferences, we feel

healthily sorry, disappointed, and frustrated instead of feeling unhealthily panicked,

depressed, and self-hating. When we strongly believe that because we want to succeed

and with the approval of others, we absolutely under all conditions must do so, we

create anxiety and severe depression. We need to stop setting ourselves up for failure so

it will be impossible to upset ourselves emotionally about anything.

The Motivational Triad

A lot of our success in living with and controlling diabetes takes place in our

brain. We must learn to deal with the emotional, spiritual, and cognitive aspects of


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You healing ourselves when we have diabetes. We must consider many valuable questions.

We will be able to find answers to these questions even though they may be painful to

ask ourselves.

Why do we do the things we do?

Why do we eat unhealthy foods?

Why do we not get enough physical activity?

Why do we want magical cures to our problems?

Why do ignore our serious health problems?

The answers to these questions can change our lives substantially even though they

are actually simple and practical. By using the motivational triad, we can answer these

questions right now. The motivational triad is the concept behind human behavior and

emotions that can help us live with diabetes. This concept helps us to understand why

we do what we do.

We look for pleasure.

We stay away from pain.

We limit our energy usage.

The motivation for everything we want and do not want comes from these three

factors and it works for every question for anything that we do. When we go to work,

we believe that more money will give us everything we want to have a more pleasurable

life and help us avoid the pain of being poor. When we try to be healthy, we do not want


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You to suffer from chronic illnesses. Instead, we want to feel good and live for many years,

which would bring us pleasure and help us avoid pain. When we get married, we want

to have the pleasure of companionship and avoid the pain of being alone. When we go

on a diet, we want to get more pleasure out of life and avoid the pain of not looking or

feeling well.

This theory makes sense in the natural world because things that feel good

usually bring in good results. Addictive substances, however, do not follow the

motivational triad properly. Things such as caffeine, alcohol, and drugs give us

pleasure, help us avoid pain, and provide benefits with very little effort. We fool our

brains when we obtain pleasure quickly and we tend to seek out more of what caused

the pleasure. Unfortunately, these good feelings disrupt our normal behaviors of

seeking pleasure, which causes things that once made us happy to no longer work.

Because of this, we must not trust our instincts when it comes to things that we want and

things that we think we need.

We will be able to use the motivational triad to achieve long-term success once

we understand the three factors behind our motivation. Looking for immediate

gratification is a hard-wired trait and our desire to use little energy tries to take over all

other motivators. We can also learn to delay gratification to avoid pain in the future. In

order to enjoy the correct form of pleasure, we need to stick with just a few beneficial

behaviors for a time long enough to experience it and soon we will want no other

alternative.



Chapter 3 Insulin and The Cause of Diabetes

When trying to understand our diabetes diagnosis, we must first understand what

happens when our bodies work properly. To keep us alive and healthy, all of the systems

in our bodies typically work together. When one system has a problem, this system

affects all of the other systems in our bodies. If we do not correct the problem as soon as

we can, it will eventually lead to a chronic disease. Both internal and external processes

can harm us. There are processes within our bodies that can harm us, for instance, if an

order secretes too much or too little of a particular hormone. Processes that occur

outside of our body can cause harm as well, for instance, diet and pollution. When we

develop diabetes, both internal and external factors are the cause.

The Normal Functions

Our bodies are made of many cells and each has a job to do that requires energy.

This energy comes from the carbohydrates n the foods we eat after they digest. The

process of how food becomes an energy source is simple. Our brains begin by signaling

our salivary glands to produce saliva. After we eat the food, it goes through our

esophagus, to the stomach where enzymes break the nutrients into smaller components.

Our bodies channel the nutrients into the intestines where they are absorbed into the

bloodstream and used for various purposes such as supplying the cells with energy.

The pancreas is also a key

component in our digestive system. It

has two main functions, to make

digestive enzymes and important

hormones to help our bodies use the

energy. The most widely known

hormone produced by our pancreas is

insulin, which lets our cells know how


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You much energy, is readily available. The surface of each cell contains a specific receptor

where insulin locks into place. When insulin attaches to our cells, it will allow the

transfer of glucose to take place. Our pancreas will only secrete a small amount of

insulin if there is only a little glucose in our blood, but if there is a substantial amount of

energy available, then a lot of insulin released. Cells that are busy and need energy, will

allow the energy transfer so they have enough energy to do their jobs. To let the proper

amount of glucose into our cells, our pancreas will secrete the correct amount of insulin

by monitoring how much glucose is in the bloodstream.

The Onset of Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes

Diabetes occurs when there are fundamental problems with the normal digestive

process. Type-1 and type-2 are the two main types of diabetes. Type-2 occurs in 95

percent of the patients diagnosed with the disease. These two types are a result of

metabolic malfunctions and patients with both have blood sugars that go up and down

frequently. Although these are both considered diabetes, they are actually opposite types

of disease that affect very different people. When our diagnosis is type-1 diabetes, this

means that our pancreas is no longer secreting any insulin. When our diagnosis is type-2

diabetes, this means that our cells are no longer accepting insulin even though our

pancreas is making more than enough.

Insulin Resistance

No organ or system in our bodies controls the amount of energy we consume.

We tend to eat for many reasons besides the need for energy sources. Everything we eat

digests in the same manner and not even our pancreas controls the energy delivery. Each

cell in our bodies decides how much energy it needs and adjusts the transfer accordingly.

Every cell also has both insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance. If our cells are

swimming in excess glucose that is floating in our bloodstream, they will begin to ignore

the insulin our pancreas secretes. Once we increase our physical activity level, lower


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You our weight, and eat the right types of foods, the insulin resistance will begin to lower.

We need to manage our energy metabolism by controlling our intake and processing.

Not Enough Physical Activity for Our Cells

When we are not getting enough physical

activity, we do not decrease our consumption of

calories. In fact, it usually is quite the opposite where

we tend to eat more calories when we are not

physically active. The main cause of type-2 diabetes

and obesity is that we take in too much energy and we

use very little. When we consume food and a lot of

energy is in the bloodstream, there is a lot of insulin

also in bloodstream that is frantically trying to get our

cells to use the energy. However, when we are lazy,

the cells reject both the insulin and the energy. Our

pancreas will keep releasing more insulin to match the

available energy, and when most of our cells do not

want it, the whole body begins to acquire insulin resistance. This resistance causes

many serious

A Lot of Insulin with Very High Blood Sugars

Two components of the type-2 diabetes process are high insulin levels and high

blood sugars. Our pancreas will reach its maximum insulin output after a lot of insulin

accumulates in the bloodstream when the cells do not accept the hormone. If this

process continues for an extended period, the pancreas will start to tire. It turns out that

our pancreas ceases to work by complex chemical processes, but it is easier to look at it

as burning out when overused. When this happens, our average blood sugar levels begin

to rise. Because of this, a lot of sugar in the blood filters out through our kidneys and


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You into our urine. Although many doctors do not realize this, high insulin levels are

actually the first sign of type-2 diabetes.

Several complications are associated with high blood sugar levels and we must

understand these conditions. Small blood vessel disease happens when too much sugar

clogs the blood vessels by different methods. First, the method is when our cells’ energy

management process clogs and creates more free radicals, which are sugars attached to

the proteins, and other damaging compounds. This happens because the lining of the

blood vessels are unable to say no to the glucose that is in the bloodstream. When

damage of the small blood vessels occurs, it can lead to blindness, kidney failure, and

neuropathy. This can also damage the circulation of our extremities.

High insulin levels on the other hand can lead to large blood vessel disease

because insulin is a growth hormone. Strokes and heart attacks are more common due to

excess insulin in our bodies. When there is more insulin available, we are more likely to

gain weight, which causes insulin resistance, inactive cells, and worsening diabetes.

Insulin also inhibits the breakdown of fat, protein, and glycogen, which is responsible

for storing energy and building tissue. The pliability of our blood vessels are also

effected by insulin, which causes high blood pressure, and allows the kidneys to hold on

to excess sodium. This also causes our total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein

levels to increase and our high-density lipoprotein to decrease. Unfortunately, our

doctors tend to make the mistake of ignoring the negative side effects of high insulin

while only focusing on treating our blood sugar levels.

The Diabetes Diagnosis

Most of the time, a diabetes diagnosis is determined using a fasting blood sugar

test. However, when this test result becomes elevated, diabetes is already in full force,

and has already developed five years ago. When this number is higher than 125 mg/dL,

this shows that our pancreas cannot keep up with the energy input even when we do not

consume any food for twelve hours. Instead of using the fasting blood glucose results to

make a diagnosis, physicians should be using high insulin levels present in our bodies to


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You diagnose type-2 diabetes. This test will show diabetes at the earliest stage a doctor can

clinically make the diagnosis. It is unfortunate that our insulin levels are rarely checked

and our doctors usually rely on weight gain, high cholesterol, and blood pressure, but

many doctors do not even make that association. At the point when most of us receive

our diagnosis, we have already begun to experience many complications of the disease.

We can use a few tests of our own to identify the symptoms of diabetes. By

checking our blood sugar at home two hours after the start of a normal sized meal, we

can determine if there is a good chance that we will develop diabetes within the next five

years. Test results that are elevated, show that our pancreas has already maximized the

production of insulin and it still is unable to handle the energy consumption, a sign of

insulin resistance. If the result is over 140 mg/dL, we need to make some lifestyle

changes to reduce our risk. We should also have a fasting serum insulin level checked to

see if there is a higher than normal level in our blood. If this result is greater than 6 μIU/

mL, we may already have diabetes.

The Onset of Type-1 Diabetes

If our diagnosis is type-1 diabetes, this means that the beta cells in our pancreas

have stopped producing insulin. This type of failure usually begins with an autoimmune

response. The immune system in our bodies has attacked the beta cells based on our

body’s natural defense to infection. This can occur when a viral infection, usually the

coxsackievirus, establishes in our pancreas and the beta cells are mistake for the viral

cells due to similar proteins. Other sources of this autoimmune response can be

pancreatic trauma from an accident, tumors, or pancreatitis, as well as some drugs and

chemicals. Another theory is that this auto immune response is the result of antibodies

against the proteins in cow’s milk. Some studies suggest that infants given cow’s milk

too early in life have a 50 percent higher risk for developing type-1 diabetes. This early

introduction to cow’s milk is harmful to our beta cells. A vitamin D deficiency is

another theory on whey type-1 diabetes develops. Another study shows that giving a

high dose of vitamin D to children in the first year of their lives had a lower risk of


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You developing type-1 diabetes by 80 percent. In any case, the development of type-1

diabetes is due to a genetic predisposition that activates by an external factor.

A normal pancreas secretes up to 30 units of insulin per day and if we inject any

more than that, it will lead to insulin resistance. Since there is a lack of natural insulin in

those of us with type-1 diabetes, we have very little fat stores in the cells because they

cannot take in the energy in our bloodstream. For this reason, those of us with type-1

diabetes are usually thin. However, if our diet is not controlled, our blood sugars rise.

We usually control this with more insulin, but that can lead to weight gain and insulin

resistance. It is better that those of us taking insulin maintain our calorie intake of low

glycemic foods so that we can take less insulin and still maintain good blood sugar

control. However, it is often that those in the medical community advise us to eat six

meals a day to prevent hypoglycemia. This will cause us to use more insulin to allow

our cells to use the energy and then we need to eat to stop hypoglycemia. When we start

on this trend, we can seem to have both type-1 and type-2 diabetes at one time.

This process of insulin resistance in type-1 diabetes is important to understand.

In order to treat type-1 diabetes effectively, it is crucial to understand that a little insulin

is adequate to control our blood sugar levels. There are many problems associated with

chronically high insulin levels when taken by those of us with type-1, which we


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You discussed earlier. The level of insulin resistance and sensitivity in our bodies will

determine how well we metabolize the energy we consume.

Four Vital Test Results

There are four tests that our doctors should recommend that would determine if

we have diabetes or are likely to get it in the future. It is important to know that getting

only one test done does not tell the whole story. We should have multiple tests to

determine the statistical average. Many of the number results are a determination done

by medical scientists, changing with time, and are not optimal results. We will discuss

these four tests and their optimal results below.

We need to test our blood sugar level 2 hours after the start of a normal

sized meal. The result of this test should be no higher than 140 mg/dL. If

the result is higher, there is a good chance that we will develop diabetes

in the next 5 years.

We must receive a fasting blood sugar test with the results being no

higher than 125 mg/dL. If the results are higher, we have diabetes now.

If the results are higher than 100 mg/dL and preferably lower than 90 mg/

dL, we have impaired fasting glucose and insulin resistance resulting in a

diagnosis of prediabetes.

We also need a glucose tolerance test. After 2 hours, our glucose level

should be no higher than 200 and optimally a lot lower.

The final test is a fasting serum insulin test that is vital to know in

combination with the fasting plasma glucose test. These two tests can

help calculate how much insulin resistance is present and how well our

beta cells are functioning. This test is the most important because it can


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You tell us if we have prediabetes at its earliest stages.

Blood Sugar Testing

It is crucial that we test our blood sugar levels consistently, several times a day in

order to find patterns of what is happening after we eat, are active, or take medications.

We should strive to test six to eight times a day, as we cannot make our best decisions

without knowing these numbers. This program recommends that we test before each

meal, two hours after the start of each meal, before bed, and upon waking up.

Medication Adjustments

Several medications that each one of us may be taking will need adjusting once

we begin to make our lifestyle changes. If we are already taking medications for

lifestyle related diseases, then we may be taking too much medication when we start the

program. We will list some commonly prescribed medications and discuss some

common adjustments that we need to make. It is important that we understand that we

should only make these changes under direct supervision of our doctor. The given

recommendations may help assist our doctors, but we should rely entirely on our

doctors’ judgment on the issue. We will discuss some medications usually prescribed in

the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Diabetes Pills

• Sulfonylureas – These include Tolinase, Orinase, Glucotrol, Glynase, and

Amaryl. These pills lower our blood sugar levels by stimulating our pancreas to

secrete more insulin. This can help to force more glucose into our cells, but it

does not address the cause of the problem, this being that we consume too much

energy and do little activity to use the energy. It is common that we will need to

stop these pills completely on the first or second day to prevent hypoglycemia.



• Meglitinides – These include Starlix, and

Prandin. These pills stimulate the

pancreas to secrete more insulin. It is

common that we will need to stop this

medication on the first or second day.

We should be able to stop it for good if

we lose weight and increase our activity

level, which will decrease our insulin

resistance. We may need to start the

medication again if we still have high

blood sugar levels after meals, as our

pancreas may not be able to keep up.

• Biguanide – Glucophage or Metformin is the only medication of this type. This

pill increases the insulin sensitivity in the liver and prevents the liver from

releasing blood sugar when our bodies do not need it. This pill does not cause

hypoglycemia because it does not improve insulin sensitivity of the muscle or fat

cells. It is common that we will need to continue the use of this medication until

we lose weight and become more active, causing our insulin resistance to stop.

• Thiazolidinediones – These include Actos and Avandia. These pills increase the

insulin sensitivity of our muscle and fat cells. Because this can cause

hypoglycemia, we can stop the use of these medications on the first day.

• Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors – Januvia is the only medication of this type

available. This pill increases the efficiency of incretins in the intestines, which

increases insulin and decreases glucagon released by the pancreas. The use of

this medication often continues because it does not cause weight gain and low

blood sugar levels. Once we lose weight and increase our physical activity, the


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You use of this medication can stop.

Insulin

By making the lifestyle recommendations we are discussing, most of us with

type-2 diabetes that are not already on insulin,

will never have to start. For those of us who

are already on insulin, our dosage will need to

decrease or discontinue quickly in order to

prevent hypoglycemia. When our doctors

prescribe very high doses of insulin in an

attempt to control our blood sugar levels, it

tends to make matters worse. This is because

the real problem lies not within the

progression of the disease, but from a lack of

proper nutrition and activity. When insulin

doses increase, weight gain, insulin resistance,

high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides all intensify. High blood

sugar levels are also frequent even though we are injecting large amounts of insulin.

Insulin doses need to change right away upon starting this program. It is

common that we will need to reduce our dose down to 50 percent in the first 24 hours.

We will be able to determine if this is still an acceptable dose of insulin by checking our

blood sugar levels frequently. In the next 2 to 3 days, we may be able to reduce our dose

by another 50 percent. By the end of the first week, those of us with type-2 diabetes

may be able to stop taking insulin, although this is only a general guideline.

Those of us with type-1 diabetes and some of us with type-2 may not be able to

stop using insulin. This is because our pancreas may no longer have a sufficient amount

of beta cells left to produce enough insulin to control our blood sugar levels. Even

though we may still need insulin, with the lifestyle changes we are going to make, we

will only be taking the lowest dose of insulin necessary, generally the same amount a


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You normal pancreas would secrete. However, we must fully discuss our insulin

requirements with our doctors before making the necessary changes.

Injected Diabetes Medications

Byetta – Those of us with type-2 diabetes use this medication. When we

inject this medication, it helps control our blood sugar levels by

mimicking the effect of incretins in our bodies. We will usually need to

continue this medication until after we decrease our insulin resistance.

Symlin - Those of us with type-1 diabetes use this medication. When we

inject this medication, it helps stop the secretion of glucagon, which

increases the livers production of glucose, by acting like the pancreatic

hormone, amylin. We will usually need to continue this medication until

we can stop taking insulin or decrease the dose.

High Blood Pressure Medications

Throughout this program, we should frequently monitor our blood pressure.

Once we start to make these lifestyle changes, our blood pressures may start to drop too

low. This will require us to adjust our medication doses to a lower dose starting at about

seven days into making changes. Many of these blood pressure changes will continue to

occur months after beginning the program and we may need to keep making changes. It

is even possible that we will need to stop this medication completely.

Cholesterol Medications

Once we make the necessary changes to our lifestyles, we will need to reduce or

even stop cholesterol-reducing medications. Within the first two weeks after beginning

this program, we will most likely see our triglyceride levels drop 20 percent and our


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You cholesterol levels drop 15 percent. We should have our lipid profiles checked routinely

after we change our diet and activity. It is also possible that we will be able to stop

taking this medication once our cholesterol levels decrease.

Too Many Pills

Many doctors believe that medications are the best way to treat any disease and

are usually the only option they consider. Unfortunately, we often end up with a

prescription instead of recommendations to change our diet and exercise regimen. It

turns out that diet and exercise alone is usually enough to control many diseases,

especially type-2 diabetes.

Doctors often prescribe drugs for problems that are a direct result of having

diabetes. However, many of these drugs also have several side effects such as weight

gain, swelling of the hands and feet, dizziness, muscle soreness, blurred vision, dry

mouth, trouble concentrating, and skin sores. Many of the side effects will also affect

our ability to control our blood sugars. Unfortunately, many of these drugs are supposed

to treat symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes, but they contribute to the cause of diabetes

and often mimic the symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes as well. In addition, if we tell

our doctors about any of these side effects, they will usually prescribe another drug to

relieve the new symptoms, which causes a never-ending cycle.

Although some drugs do work perfectly fine and help the problems for which

doctors prescribe them, they should not be the primary treatment of any disease. These

drugs are usually very expensive. They are usually chasing some sort of test result

number. Doctors often do not prescribe these medications until after our disorder has

grown enough to cause the symptoms. Medications also do not usually address the

cause of the disease. In addition, many of these drugs may actually be worsening the

disease for which we take them.

We should only use the drugs that we may be taking for blood pressure, diabetes,

obesity, and heart disease in addition to proper diet and exercise. As we previously

mentioned, lifestyle changes are the way to good health. Even with medications that we


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You may need to stay alive, such as insulin for those of us with type-1 diabetes, we need to

take them in the lowest dosage possible along with significant lifestyle changes.



Chapter 4 The Standard American Diet

Although there are many causes of death that are not under our control, obesity,

which is completely under our control, is the second leading cause of death in North

America. In the year 2000, it became apparent that there are as many of us overweight

as there are malnourished, for the first time in history. Obesity causes many problems

including increasing our risk to the highest level for type-2 diabetes. Although the


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You power of choice is at play, the standard American diet is the biggest culprit. Our diets

have become overloaded with animal fat, animal protein, calories, sugar, and refined

carbohydrates and it is making us sick. It turns out that diet, along with a lack of

exercise is the main cause of diabetes and many other chronic illnesses.

It is true that we may have a genetic makeup that causes us to be at a higher risk

for developing type-2 diabetes, but our lifestyle choices can ultimately change the

expression of those genes. There is no genetic theory available to date that allows for

such a quick and dramatic genetic change worldwide. Our genetic makeup is not

causing these chronic illnesses to spread so quickly. The main cause of the diabetes

trend is diet. We consume too many calories, too much fat, too many fined

carbohydrates, and too much protein.

Too Many Calories

It is essential that we consume enough calories for our bodies to function

properly. Although calories are our energy source, we eat entirely too many every day.

If we do enough physical activity, it is possible to burn through these excess calories

without a problem. It is when we live a sedentary lifestyle that excess calories cause a

major health crisis. When we consume too many calories in one day, the excess

calories become fat in storage. The only proven method to lose weight and keep it off

is to eat fewer calories and get plenty of exercise.

Our calorie intake is much too large for modern day America. A very active

adult woman should consume no more than 1600 to 2000 calories daily and a very

active adult man should consume no more than 2200 to 2500 calories daily. Those of

us who are overweight should strive for a slightly different caloric intake. Women

looking to lose weight should consume no more than 1300 calories daily and men

should consume no more than 1700 calories daily. Although these calorie

recommendations are the first step, it is also a requirement that we are regularly

physically active. In order to lose one pound, we must eliminate 3500 calories from


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You our diet. We may think it will be difficult to cut our calorie by such a substantial

amount, however when we being to eat high fiber, low fat, low calorie plant based

foods, we will reduce our calories without even knowing.

Too Much Fat

We tend to consume too much fat, which is causing an alarming rate of obesity

in this country. It is essential that we understand the differences between saturated,

unsaturated and trans-fats. All fats come from a mixture of both saturated and

unsaturated fatty acids. There are a maximum number of hydrogen atoms in saturated

fatty acids and a low number of hydrogen atoms in unsaturated fatty acids. Saturated

fats naturally come from animal sources. These fats are detrimental to our health

because they raise triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, and they

increase our risk of a heart attack and several other vascular diseases. Unsaturated fats

are natural in plant-based foods. We should strive to consume more unsaturated fats as

they lower our total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins, and lower our risk of

artery blockages. Trans-fats are fats that manufacturers unnaturally create that tend to

behave like saturated fats. We should avoid these fats as much as possible because

they raise our triglyceride levels, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins, while

lowering our high-density lipoproteins. These fats increase our risk of developing

type-2 diabetes. Because trans-fats are a product of hydrogenation, they allow foods to

resist spoiling and they change their texture. It is vital that we not exceed 2 grams of

trans-fat per day. We should read all food labels as they may refer to trans-fats as

interesterified, fully hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated fats.

There is more than twice the amount of calories in a gram of fat than there is in

a gram of carbohydrates or a gram of protein. When we consume low fat foods, we

improve our sensitivity to insulin, we lose weight, and we lower our risk for diabetes

and heart disease. However, by eating processed foods that are low in fat, we are

essentially eating more sugar and more calories as these become additives when the


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You removal of fat takes place. It is necessary to avoid all saturated fats, which typically

come from animal-based foods. We also need to stay away from both fatty and highly

processed foods in order to begin a healthy routine.

As adults, we should eat no more than 20 to 35 percent of our total

caloric intake from fat. This equates to a maximum of 40 grams of fat on a 2000-

calorie diet and this should come from unsaturated fats in plant-based foods. We must

pay attention to portion sizes or we are bound to consume too much.

Too Much Sugar

We consume too much sugar in our diets, which creates another risk of

developing a chronic disease. A third of our sugar consumption comes from soft

drinks. From soft drinks alone,

we add an extra 150 pounds of

sugar to our diets in a year.

Drinking six specialty drinks a

week ads 52 pounds of sugar in

a year. Even juice is not safe to

drink when it is 100% juice.

There are 80 grams of sugar in a

15 ounce serving of grape juice.

High fructose corn syrup is a major ingredient in most of our diets. This type of

sugar is high glycemic and it is a main cause of central abdominal obesity as well as a

risk factor for insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease. For optimal health, we

should not consume any sugar, as it may be one major cause of type-2 diabetes. Some

of us may be hesitant to stop using sugar completely, so we should use the following

recommendations.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You • Use cognitive behavior therapy to reduce our desire for sugar.

• Use less than 1 teaspoon of sugar per day

• Do not use refined sugars, as they have no nutritional value and drain our

bodies of other nutrients during metabolism.

• Use only low glycemic sweeteners. These include 100 percent floral honey,

pure fructose, barley malt syrup, and agave nectar.

• Avoid all of the following, as they are all alternative names for sugar.

• Beet sugar

• Black-strap

• Brown sugar

• Carob

• Chocolate

• Confectioner’s sugar

• Corn sweetener

• Corn syrup

• Date sugar

• Dextrin

• Dextrose

• Fructose

• Fruit juice concentrate

• Fruit sugar

• Glucose

• Golden syrup

• Malt syrup

• Maltodextrin

• Maltose

• Mannose

• Maple sugar

• Milk sugar

• Molasses

• Powdered sugar

• Raw sugar

• Refiner’s sugar

• Saccharose

• Sorbitol

• Sorghum syrup

• Sucanat

• Sucrose

• Sugar


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You • Grape sugar

• High-fructose corn

syrup

• Honey

• Honey maple syrup

• Invert sugar

• Lactose

• Levulose

• Sugar cane syrup

• Syrup

• Table sugar

• Treacle

• Turbinado

• Xylitol

• Xylose

Many Carbohydrates

It is important that we check for carbohydrates on all food labels. Some

carbohydrates are good for us and some are very bad. The good carbohydrates are

natural and unprocessed, such as those that come from fruits and vegetables. The

carbohydrates that we should avoid are processed and refined, such as those that come

from candy and white bread. Although it may sound like a lot, we should eat a diet

containing 60 percent of our dietary intake in carbohydrates. These should be the good

kind of carbohydrates being natural, unprocessed, and unrefined with a lot of fiber.

Too Many Sugar Free Foods

Often times the products that are marked as sugar free may have no sugar

additives, but they are made of 100 percent carbohydrates. Most often, these

carbohydrates come from processed white flour that will dramatically raise our blood

sugar levels.

The process of refining both flour and sugar is detrimental to our diets. When

food manufacturers refine flour, they remove the whole grain’s germ and bran layers to

make foods softer. They remove most of the fiber from the wheat, the B vitamins, and


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You the crucial nutrients, which creates a food with empty calories. When making sugar

free foods, the manufacturers usually increase the saturated fat and trans-fat content to

extend the products shelf life and improve the texture. It turns out that in foods with

lower amounts of sugar, they usually have higher amounts of fat.

Too Many Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are highly processed and non-nutritive chemicals. They

do not fit into any optimal diet and therefore are not necessary. We need to stop using

sweeteners altogether. Just giving into the craving for something sweet, even if it is a

no-calorie low glycemic sweetener, will make us gain weight. When we use artificial

sweeteners, our appetite is affected and our desire to eat more grows. Our bodies think

that they ate sugar, but when no calories arrive as an energy source, we tend to crave

calories from other foods causing us to overeat. Studies have shown that by drinking

two diet sodas a day over eight years makes us 65 percent more likely to become obese

over regular soda.

Too Much Protein

Although it is a necessary part of our diet, we tend to

consume too much protein in America. Because most of

the protein we consume comes from animal sources, we

tend to have higher cholesterol levels and a higher risk for

hardening of the arteries, cancer, osteoporosis,

Alzheimer’s, and kidney disease. We should start to eat only 15 percent of our daily

caloric intake from plant-based food proteins. Good sources of these proteins include

beans, nuts, tofu, and several fruits and vegetables. All plant-based foods contain some

amount of protein, which is more than adequate. When we eat a variety of plant-based

foods during each meal, we will consume all of the amino acids that our bodies require


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You to make proteins needed for optimal health.

Lies in Advertising

Advertisers tend to tell us lies about more and better when it comes to food.

When we understand these lies, we will be able to overcome our poor lifestyle choices.

The following are the three basic lies advertisers tell us about more and better.

You can have it all! – We cannot have it all because if we spend so much

time trying to get it all, we will not have the time to enjoy the stuff we

already have. The biggest thing we have is our health and we usually

end up putting that last.

You can do it all! – We must learn how to balance where we put our

time, which is actually very limited. It is essential that we put our time

into what we value and this should be our health, although usually it

tends to be other things that we allocate most of our time.

You deserve it all! – We do not deserve anything more than anyone else

does.

Emotional Eating

We tend to confuse the food we eat with our feelings, good or bad. This is

because we allow our brain and our emotions to be our dinner companions. The

standard American diet, full of sugars, fats, and calories, will give us pleasure

immediately, but there no long lasting satisfaction. We end up looking for snacks

between meals and overeating junk foods to keep the cycle continuing. This process is


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You identical to the cravings a drug addicts faces, constantly looking for more to get

another high. Once we begin to change our diet, we will notice that we have a high

level of satisfaction and we are less hungry. This is due to the lack of highs and lows in

our blood sugar control and we will not need to snack between meals. This change

occurs because we are no longer eating refined sugars, starches, and junk food, and

eating a lot of fiber instead.

Too Much Meat and Milk

We seem to develop a higher risk of diabetes, heart diseases, high blood

pressure, osteoporosis, and some forms of

cancer because of our diets that are high in

animal proteins, saturated fats, and

cholesterol. Unfortunately, there is a high

risk of obtaining a disease just from the foods

we eat. These diseases come from food

poisoning. There are 76 million cases of

illness reported each year that are due to the

food we eat. Hundreds of thousands of us

will be in the hospital and 5,000 of us will die

annually because of eating unsafe food.

The bacteria that are causing these

tremendous numbers of illness live in the digestive tract of animals. Bacteria

contaminate the meat during the butchering process and before anyone knows, we

consume the meat. Bacteria also contaminate our milk and egg supplies. Raw food is

especially likely to have bacteria present. Contamination also comes from food

processing plants. At any given time, an estimate of 83 percent of chicken we purchase

nationwide contains food poisoning bacteria.

Although bacteria is more likely to be in animal-based foods, it can occur,


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You The purpose of the recommendations is to improve our health, not for

ethical, political, or social reasons.

We are referring to the evidence behind the benefits of eating a plant-

based diet in fighting diabetes. It is up to us to decide how far we would

like to take the advice.

A New Way of Thinking

As our discussion informs us, the standard American diet that we consume

every day is slowly killing us. We seem to be willing to die for food that looks good,

smells good, and tastes good. All of the major chronic diseases that exist today and

mostly likely those that will exist tomorrow are a direct result of our diet. We must

make changes to what we eat to end our risk of developing a serious illness.



Chapter 5 Choosing What to Eat

Making something to eat is one very frustrating aspect that we have when living

with diabetes. Because eating is a very enjoyable activity, we have an even harder time

choosing something that will keep our blood sugar levels stable. This is especially

difficult if there are unhealthy foods readily available. It is important that we do not

mindlessly eat in order to keep a healthy lifestyle routine. We must consider the

following three goals when planning our diets.

We need to eat to keep our blood sugar levels low and as tightly

controlled as possible. If we continue to have high blood sugar levels

most of the time, this is responsible for many long-term complications

that we may currently have. Chronically high glucose levels are

destructive to our eyes, kidneys, and nerves. When we maintain tight

blood sugar control, we will be able to delay and possibly reverse any

complications. For those us that have type-2 diabetes, if we keep our

HbA1C within an optimal range, we will reduce our risk of a heart attack

by 16 percent, eye damage by 21 percent, and kidney disease by 34

percent. If we keep our blood sugar levels in an optimal target range

with type-1 diabetes, we will reduce our risk of kidney disease by 56

percent, nerve damage by 60 percent and eye damage by 76 percent.

We should keep our overall fat and calorie consumption as low as

possible. Because weight gain and diabetes tend to link together, it is

important that we keep our weight at an optimal level.

We should attempt to eat the same amounts and types of food at each

meal and try to eat each meal at about the same time every day. This is

essential so that we do not eat mindlessly. We should instead be aware of


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You what we are eating and when we are eating so that we do not

inadvertently add excess calories to our diets.

Most of us with type-2 diabetes, after sticking to a plant-based diet, we will be able

to stay completely off any oral diabetes medication and insulin for the long-term. For

those of us with type-1 diabetes, we will be able to reduce our insulin intake

significantly. When we work on the source of our diabetes by adjusting our diet to

combat diabetes and metabolic disorders, our blood sugar levels will be stable.

The Benefits of Eating a Plant-Based Diet

There are six protective health factors that we must consider when switching to a

plant-based diet. It is important to understand that vegetarians are among the healthiest

and longer-lived people in America. We will discuss the six factors below that will

show us how a plant-based diet is a healthier option that an animal-based diet.

A plant-based diet contains a substantial amount of fiber.

A diet that is high in fiber from many whole grain sources helps those of us with

diabetes by stabilizing our blood sugar

levels, which lowers our insulin

requirement. The only foods that have

fiber in them are plant-based foods.

There are two different type of

fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble

fiber dissolves in water and comes from

fruits, vegetables, oats, barley, and

legumes. This type of fiber requires

that we drink plenty of water. The purpose of this type of fiber is to bind to toxic


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You substances in our bodies so that they do not get absorbed into our bloodstream.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve, but instead it absorbs water and expands in volume to

add bulk to our intestines and colon. This type of fiber keeps our waste products

moving out of our digestive system. Most foods with fiber have a combination of both

soluble and insoluble fiber.

. Fiber is essential to everyone, but especially to those of us with diabetes for

the following four reasons.

• Fiber does not cause an increase in blood sugar levels because we cannot digest

it. We do not have the necessary enzymes that are required to free the glucose

molecules so it is not absorbed into our bloodstream.

• Digestion takes longer with a diet high in fiber. Soluble fiber increases the

thickness of the food in our stomach and small intestines. This allows the

remainder of the glucose in the food we eat to absorb slowly into our blood,

which increases insulin sensitivity.

• The total number of carbohydrates in our food is lower when there is a lot of

fiber.

• Fiber is not a digestible substance and does not provide calories in the foods we

eat. We will have a sense of fullness for a longer period when we eat foods high

in fiber.

We should make sure that we are eating at least 35 grams of fiber everyday from

whole-grain sources. These whole grains will reduce our risk for diabetes as well as

reverse the diabetes symptoms that we may already have. We should avoid the

following terms to make sure that we are eating 100 percent whole grains.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You • 100 percent wheat

• Stone-ground

• Multigrain

• Enriched

• Hearty grain

• Bromated flour

• Degermed, milled, or refined

A plant-based diet is low in fat.

A diet that has low total fat, low saturated fat, and generally no trans-fat has

remarkable effects on those of us with diabetes, as it will improve our insulin sensitivity

very quickly. Fat affects blood sugar in ways of which we may not be aware. Fats are

able to access our cells without any hormone to guide the way. This causes our

metabolism to decrease because our cells clog with fat and glucose cannot enter. Our

blood sugar levels become elevated when we are consuming too much fat. When we

are eating foods with high complex carbohydrates, in amounts as high as 75 percent of

our total calories, we are eating less fat.

A plant-based diet has no cholesterol.

It is vital that we do have some cholesterol in our bodies, but we need not

consume any from the foods we eat as our liver manufactures all the cholesterol we

need. The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol should be low because it creates

blockages in our arteries after it deposits on the artery wall. The high-density

lipoprotein should be high because it carries cholesterol out of our bloodstream for the

liver to excrete. We should consider the ratio between our total cholesterol and our

HDL. An athlete normally has a ratio of 3.4, vegetarians have a ratio of 2.8, but those

of us with coronary artery disease have a ratio of 5.5. The plant-based diet will reduce

this ratio by 15 percent in 2 weeks.

A plant-based diet has plenty of protein



It is vital that we consume proteins for growth and repair of most of our body

structures. It is also essential for muscle function, hormone synthesis, and enzyme

production. Some of us may wonder how we will obtain adequate protein from a plant-

based diet. However, nonvegetarians generally consume too much protein from less

healthful animal sources. In this case, the concentrated proteins come with high fat,

cholesterol, trans-fat, high calories, and no fiber.

We only need to consume 26 grams of protein per day at 5 to 6 percent of our

total calories. For most of us, we are generally consuming 70 to 100 grams of protein

daily, which is detrimental to our

health. We should be aware that

too much protein is problematic to

us when we have diabetes as it can

cause kidney damage. Our kidneys

filter out the impurities in our

blood, but when we have diabetes,

the extra sugar in the blood can

damage the small blood vessels

that do the filtering. This type of

kidney malfunction is occurring

when we have protein in our urine.

When the filters get leaky, they

tend to let protein molecules

though which are too large to pass

directly through the filters. By eating a diet that has adequate protein, but not in

excessive quantities, we are protecting our kidneys.

The quality of the proteins we eat is important to discuss. Some proteins have a

greater quantity of the essential amino acids that are necessary for our survival. The


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You quality is greater when we have a high amount of each of the eight essential amino acids

in a 100-gram food source. On a plant-based diet, it is essential that we eat a wide

variety of food sources so we have adequate amino acids. If a food is of lower protein

quality, we should eat more of that food so that we still have the correct amount of

protein. High quality and low quality protein lists are not necessary because only

portion size and variety matters.

Well known diets can be deadly.

Low carbohydrate diets cannot provide us with good health as no long-term

study has ever shown. These types of diets are generally a cause of complications such

as cancer, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and sudden death.

A plant-based diet has substantial levels of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are very powerful because they prevent some chronic diseases

resulting from an imbalance that weakens our bodies. These imbalances make our

bodies susceptible to germs and other environmental factors. Antioxidants come into

play when electrons in our bodies are unpaired. These electrons are highly unstable free

radicals that look to bond and cause other electrons to become unpaired. The chain

reaction of oxidation can damage our bodies unless antioxidants disrupt the process.

Some oxidation in our bodies is normal, but the excess is controllable with foods

containing beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and melatonin. The free radicals

outside of our bodies’ normal process result in over 50 diseases. There are several

antioxidants but the following are most relevant to those of us with diabetes.

Alpha lipoic acid – This antioxidant improves the insulin sensitivity and

glucose disposal in those of us with type-2 diabetes. It helps alleviate the

pain from neuropathy and prevents kidney damage. We process this


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You antioxidant in our bodies but it is also substantial in spinach and broccoli.

Vitamin E – This antioxidant prevents vascular disease, eye damage, and

kidney damage. It also slows the aging of our tissues. The main sources

of vitamin E are wheat germ, nuts, seeds, and dark green leafy

vegetables.

Coenzyme Q10 – This antioxidant is similar to vitamin E. It also

improves heart health, blood sugar control, blood pressure, and

cholesterol levels. The primary source of Coenzyme Q10 is whole

grains.

Beta-Carotene – This antioxidant converts to vitamin A and then

maintains good vision, prevents heart disease, and prevents cancer.

Good sources of beta-carotene are carrots and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C – This antioxidant lowers cholesterol, boosts our immune

system, and prevents vascular damage. Vitamin C comes from citrus

fruits, red and green peppers, strawberries, kiwi, melons and many other

fruits and vegetables.

Zinc – This antioxidant helps in the absorption of other vitamins, and

helps in the production and storage of insulin. Deficiencies are common

to those of us with diabetes. Zinc comes from beans, whole grains,

pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

A plant-based diet contains many phytochemicals.

Phytochemicals are nutrients that are essential to our health in that they prevent


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You diseases of deficiency. They are the substances that are within plants that create the

color, flavor, and aroma as well as protect the plants against environmental diseases.

This nutrient is existent only in plant-based foods such as, whole grains, fruits,

vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts. We should eat phytochemicals in a natural state,

in a large abundance, and in combination with each other.

Flavonoids are a type of phytochemical that is abundant in berries, apples,

onions, green beans, and grapes. They help to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Vitamin D is Essential

Some nutrients, such as vitamin D, are unavailable in a plant-based diet. We can

manufacture vitamin D if we receive adequate sunlight exposure. Vitamin D is

important to those of us with diabetes because we need it for optimal insulin production

and effectiveness.

Those of us with type-2 diabetes have many risk factors for a vitamin D

deficiency because we tend to be obese and

do not get enough outdoor activity. We

should request that our doctors measure our

serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. It

must be this test and not the more commonly

prescribed test of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D.

The minimum result should be 20 ng/mL or

higher for optimal health benefits. This level

of vitamin D will provide us with protection

against infections, cancers, osteoporosis,

rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto’s

thyroiditis, and type-1 diabetes.

We must make sure that we do not exceed the level of 150 ng/mL or vitamin D

will become a toxic substance in our bodies. In areas that do not have adequate


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You sunlight, especially in the winter months, we should take a vitamin D supplement of

1000 IU per day.

Eliminate Caffeine

Caffeine can cause certain types of cancer, miscarriages, low birth weight

babies, depression, anxiety, fatigue, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, heart

disease, bone loss, osteoporosis, and frontal lobe disorders. Caffeine also affects

diabetes control as it raises blood sugar levels, reduces insulin sensitivity, and impairs

our tolerance of glucose. Stress hormone levels also increase after consuming caffeine,

which is a major risk factor for diabetes.

We should gradually wean ourselves off caffeine to prevent unhealthy side

effects, like depression, anxiety, and fatigue. After 2 weeks, we should be able to stop

the use of caffeine completely.

Eliminate Alcohol

Our bodies treat alcohol as toxic substance. When we drink alcohol, our liver

converts it to other less dangerous substances. Part of the alcohol changes to fat then

remains in storage in a local area, such as the abdomen. It is high in calories, which

inhibits our weight loss efforts. Alcohol can seriously affect our blood sugar levels

making us hypoglycemic very quickly and with our judgment impaired, we tend to

ignore that this is happening. We should try to eliminate alcohol or if we choose, use it

in moderation.

Recommendations for a Plant-Based Diet

Several chronic diseases are now developing in association with our lifestyle

factors such as the standard American diet. This type of diet challenges our immune


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You systems as our bodies are constantly trying to fight off threats from our environment

while trying to balance damaging external stimuli with a need for equilibrium. The

diseases that are a direct result of our lifestyle choices and the symptoms that occur are

a sign of our bodies doing maintenance work. A plant-based diet that is high in complex

carbohydrates, high in fiber and low in fat from whole grains is a great place to start our

lifestyle changes

We should use the following recommendations to help control our cholesterol,

triglycerides, blood sugar levels, and weight.

Achieve our ideal body weight.

Get physically active five to six days a week.

Eat a plant-based diet of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and a limited

number of nuts and seeds.

Limit our intake of saturated fats.

Avoid trans-fats by eliminating animal-based foods.

Limit our total fat intake.

Increase our intake of legumes.

Increase our intake of green leafy vegetables.

Increase our intake of fiber.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks.

Avoid consuming processed, refined white flour products.

Avoid eating sweets.

Avoid drinking alcohol.

If we smoke, quit smoking.

Once we make these changes, we should see the following results.

Improvements of blood glucose control up to 27 percent

Delay in glucose absorption

Lowering of insulin requirements by 40 percent

Increase peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity

Decrease serum cholesterol and triglycerides values by 32 percent

Weight control

Lowering of blood pressure levels



Chapter 6 Complex Carbohydrates

Contrary to popular belief, it is essential that most of our calories come from

carbohydrates. These should be plant-based carbohydrates in their natural state and not

refined or processed. We will further discuss the function and process of carbohydrate

breakdown in our bodies, showing that not all carbohydrates are equal in terms of the

digestion process. We should learn how to calculate our carbohydrate intake and be

able to predict how different foods will affect our blood sugar levels by using the

glycemic index. It is important to keep our blood sugars low while still eating the foods

we enjoy, but we do not always know what to eat and what to avoid.

An Easy Meal Plan

Using a meal plan that is easy to understand and easy to follow is the most

important aspect of controlling diabetes. There are three essential parts to the plan.

Carbohydrate Counting

Glycemic Control

Blood Sugar Monitoring

Learning About Carbohydrates

Although we may have felt differently about carbohydrates in the past, it is a fact

that not all carbohydrates are bad. In fact, we need carbohydrates in order to survive.

Our brains use at least 130 grams of carbohydrates per day in order to work properly.

This is twice the amount that the other cells in our bodies use. The glucose in

carbohydrates is the only fuel source our cells use and is a nutrient that is critical to life.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Diets that are low in carbohydrates, such as the Atkins diet, have been a cause of

impaired mental ability.

We consume more carbohydrates in this world than any other substance other

than water. As it is, there are only a few locations in the world where there is a strong

enough economic basis to support the consumption of animal-based foods. The

American culture for instance, contains the bulk of the diet in highly processed

carbohydrates, but we should not eat them this way. It is essential that we learn to eat

the right quantities of carbohydrates and learn how to differentiate between the best and

worst quality carbohydrates.

Types of Carbohydrates in our Diet

The three main types of carbohydrates are sugar, starch, and fiber, which we will

discuss.

Sugar

We usually refer to sugar as a simple carbohydrate because its chemical structure

is very simple compared to starch and fiber. Sugar is a single molecule that we find in

several different forms in nature. The most familiar sugar is glucose, which we also

know as blood sugar. The cells in our bodies use glucose as fuel and we need it for

energy production. Two glucose molecules can link together to form a more complex

sugar, such as sucrose. This type of sugar must be broken down into single glucose

molecules before it absorbs into our bloodstream.

Starch

We usually refer to starch as a complex carbohydrate because it consists of long

chains of glucose molecules. Starches are the storage form of energy that plants use.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Our bodies must break down the bonds between the glucose molecules before the single

molecules absorb into our bloodstream. This type of carbohydrate does not cause a

large spike in our blood sugar levels because it takes longer to digest. The closer a food

is to a simple glucose molecule, the faster it absorbs into our bloodstream, and the faster

it raises our blood sugar levels.

Fiber

We usually refer to fiber as a complex carbohydrate as well. This type of

carbohydrate is one that our bodies cannot digest so it adds no calories to our diet.

When we eat fiber that is extra filling, we tend to eat less junk food. We also do not

need to snack between meals and we do not end up with hypoglycemia.

The Difference Between Fiber and High Fructose Corn Syrup

Most of us Americans tend to consume more carbohydrates that what we may

have in the past. Unfortunately, these carbohydrates are in the form of high fructose

corn syrup, which is a major cause of obesity. If our diets are full of this type of

carbohydrate that is rapidly absorbed into our bloodstream, we are at a much higher risk

for developing type-2 diabetes. In order to prevent this from happening, we should

always choose natural foods that are high in fiber because they raise our blood sugar

levels gradually over time causing them to remain stable at all times. When we make

this change to our dietary guidelines, we will increase our glycemic control and control

our diabetes without medication.

Counting Carbohydrates

It is important that we consider both the amount and type of carbohydrates that

we are eating. We need to learn how to count how many carbohydrates we are eating as


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You well as how to keep it reasonable and consistent from meal to meal every day. The

following are reasons why we need to learn carbohydrate counting.

Counting carbohydrates is practical and simple. Once we learn the basic principles of

what a carbohydrate choice is, there is very little math involved.

Counting carbohydrates is effective. We will soon have optimal blood sugar levels by

using natural methods with no medication. We will also reduce our insulin resistance.

Counting carbohydrates is flexible. We will be able to calculate our carbohydrate

intake from all types of foods.

There are only four concepts that we need to learn to mater the basics of

counting carbohydrates. What foods contain carbohydrates? What is a carbohydrate

choice? How many carbohydrate choices per meal should I be eating? What portion

size equals a carbohydrate choice?

What foods contain carbohydrates?

We find carbohydrates in all plant-based foods, but some foods have more than

others have. Vegetables that we find above ground have fewer carbohydrates than

grains and those vegetables that we find below ground. We can eat more above ground

vegetable will less of a spike in blood sugar level while we need to watch our portion

sizes of below ground vegetables.

The total number of carbohydrates in a food equals the sugar, starch, and fiber

contents. We only need to worry about the net carbohydrates witch includes the

available glucose from sugar and starch during digestion. Fiber is an indigestible

carbohydrate so it does not count in the net carbohydrate content. To determine the total

grams of net carbohydrates in a food, we subtract the fiber total from the total


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You carbohydrates.

What is a carbohydrate choice?

A carbohydrate choice is 15 grams of net carbohydrates.

How many carbohydrate choices per meal should I be eating?

For those of us with type-1 or type-2 diabetes, it is a suggestion that we eat 3 to

5 carbohydrate choices for breakfast, 3 to 5 carbohydrate choices for lunch, and 0 to 3

carbohydrate choices for dinner. When we eat a range of 9 to 13 carbohydrate choices

per day, we will have the best blood sugar control, weight loss, and decease in diabetes

complications. By keeping the

choices low at dinner, we will

stabilize our overnight and

morning blood sugar levels. We

should remember to count our

carbohydrate choices per meal,

rather than per day so we do not

save up all of the choices for one

meal. However, if we are

planning a meal with more

carbohydrate choices, we can eat

a lower number of carbohydrates

for the pervious or following meal. If a food has less than 5 grams of carbohydrates, we

can consider it a free food, but we must watch our portion sizes. The kinds of

carbohydrates are important so we must not use carbohydrate counting as the only tool

available. We should also look at the glycemic index.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You What portion size equals a carbohydrate choice?

There is not shortcut for determining portion sizes. However, the more we count

carbohydrates, the easier it will become. We must take the time to learn what the

portion sizes look like and we will know how much we should eat. We should modify

our behaviors and learn to read labels to determine the correct portion size for the food

we are eating.

Factoring in the Glycemic Index

It is important that we understand that not all carbohydrates are equal. When eat

carbohydrates, they are broken down into

single glucose molecules before they absorb

into our bloodstream. Some foods, those

with a high glycemic index, create a large

amount of sugar to go into our bloodstream

after we eat because the carbohydrates

digest at a fast rate. This causes a large

amount of glucose into our blood quickly.

Foods that are low glycemic digest slowly

which causes a gradual release of sugar into

our bloodstream. Our blood sugar levels

remain steady over a longer period and a

spike does not occur.

We need to look at the physiological process of the digestion of certain foods.

We will then understand how different carbohydrates affect our blood sugar levels also

known as the glycemic index. This is a measure of how high and how quick our blood

sugar levels will increase when we consume a specific food. We should limit our

consumption of high glycemic foods because they can lead to the development of


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You diabetes and metabolic syndrome whereas low glycemic foods will alleviate insulin

resistance and reverse the symptoms of diabetes.

The Glycemic Index

It is essential that we keep our blood sugar levels after meals as low as possible

to prevent complications from diabetes. Because different foods affect our bodies in

different ways, we must consider the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measure

of the quality of carbohydrates in specific foods. It is a comparison of the carbohydrates

effects of certain foods with a standard amount of reference food, pure glucose, which

has a predictable pattern of elevating blood sugar levels fast and high.

In order to calculate the quality of a carbohydrate, we conduct studies by giving

individuals who have been fasting, two different foods of a standard amount. We check

their blood sugar levels at regular intervals and we give the food a number from zero to

100 based on the results. Foods that contain carbohydrates that digest quickly have a

higher glycemic index rating because they spike our blood sugar levels the quickest.

Foods that we consider low glycemic will help with our immediate blood sugar levels

and can reverse any complications that we may have from diabetes long-term.



There are a few stipulations concerning the glycemic index that we need to

discuss.

The glycemic index is by no means the only tool we should use to determine the

healthfulness of our foods. We must also consider saturated fat, trans-fat,

calories, processing, and so on. If there are large amounts of fat and protein in a

food, it will slow the rate at which that food leaves our stomach and will

therefore have a low glycemic index. However, the fat content in the food will

have a negative effect on the health of our heart and the diabetes process. This

of course outweighs the short-term blood sugar effect.

Some healthy foods actually have a high glycemic index.

Some foods that we consider to have a low glycemic index or an intermediate

glycemic index may actually be high glycemic for some of us. We should

experiment with different foods to see how they affect us.

We do not know the glycemic index of every food because they have not all

been tested yet. In order to know how these foods will affect us, we can do an

informal test on the foods we enjoy.

It is essential that we watch portion sizes so that we do not eat too much of the

high glycemic foods.

If we eat many foods with a high glycemic index, we will end up eating more

and can easily gain weight.

Eating a Low Glycemic Index Plant-Based Diet



• We must choose foods that have a low glycemic index, below 55.

• We must only occasionally choose foods that have an intermediate glycemic

index, 56 to 69.

• We must eliminate or greatly reduce foods that have a high glycemic index,

above 70.

• We should replace foods with a high glycemic index for those with a low

glycemic index.

• If we choice to eat a food with a high glycemic index, we should eat a smaller

portion size. We must also add foods with a low glycemic index to the meal to

lower the glycemic load. We can also include an acidic food with the meal to

slow down the rate at which our stomach empties. This will allow a slow rate of

digestion with will slow the rate at which the glucose enters our bloodstream.

• We should use cornstarch instead of refined white flour to thicken foods.

• We must also remember that the glycemic index value is not the only criteria we

should use for identifying healthy foods.

Blood Sugar Testing

We need to test our blood sugar regularly in order to gain optimal control over

our diabetes. It is the ignorance that some of us may have of our blood sugar levels that

can usually mean the difference between having substantial complications and doing

everything we want to do in life. It is essential that we use our blood glucose meters to


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You test our blood sugar levels six to eight times a day. Testing at the following times will

give us the best idea of how our lifestyle changes are working.

Upon waking up in the morning (fasting blood sugar)

Before every meal (pre-prandial)

Two hours after the start of every meal (postprandial)

Right before going to bed

Once in the middle of the night especially when changing diet and exercise

levels to prevent severe hypoglycemia

Routine blood sugar testing along with eating substantial amounts of fiber,

counting carbohydrates, and using the glycemic index are what will make the difference

in our diabetes control. We will feel satisfied while preventing a blood sugar spike after

eating. How we control our diabetes will become much easier and our diabetes will be

better by eating whole grain, high fiber carbohydrates that will increase our sensitivity

to insulin and help us to lose weight.



Chapter 7 Recipes for Our Plant Based Diet

Food Pantry List

The following list will give you all of the ingredients you need to have on hand in orderto make the recipes for a seven-day plant-based menu.

Breads: Ezekiel 4:9 – bread, pita bread, and buns

Beans: Canned:Black BeansCannelliniChick PeasGreat NorthernKidney BeansPinto BeansRe-fried BeansSmall White Beans

Dried:Split PeasSoy BeansGreen LentilsRed LentilsFrench Lentils

Dairy-free Items: Soy Milk – UnsweetenedAlmond Milk - UnsweetenedVegan Parmesan AlternativeTofutti Better Than Cream CheeseNasoya NayonaiseToffuti Better Than Sour Cream


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Fruits and Juices: Fresh:

ApplesPearsBlueberriesRaspberriesDark CherriesPeachesLemonsStrawberries

Dried:Cranberries

Frozen:StrawberriesCherriesBlackberriesBlueberries

Juices:Lemon JuiceFrozen White Grape Raspberry

Whole Grains: Brown RiceBuckwheat GroatsPearled BarleyWild Rice

Oat Bran CerealOld Fashioned OatmealSteal Cut OatsArrowhead Mills 7-Grain Cereal

Margarines: Smart Balance Light

Miscellaneous: Arrowhead Graham Pie CrustBaked Corn ChipsGarden of Eatin Tortilla ChipsMt. Olive Sweet Pickle RelishUnsweetened Coconut

Nuts: Butter:Almond, Peanut, or SoyTahini

Raw:AlmondsPecansWalnuts

Oils: Canola Oil – Liquid and SprayOlive Oil – Cold Pressed Extra Virgin

Pastas: Whole Wheat Macaroni


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Salad Dressings: Annie’s Naturals

Newman’s Own Lighten UpOlde Cape CodSeeds of ChangeSouth Beach Diet ItalianUp Country OrganicsNasoya Vegi Dressing Thousand IslandWishbone Salad Spritzers Italian Vinaigrette365 Organic Whole Foods Brand

Sauces: Tomato SauceTomato PasteLite Soy Sauce

MustardLow Carb Ketchup

Seasonings: Bay LeavesBill’s Best Beef StyleCayenne PepperChili PowderCinnamonCorianderCurry PowderItalian Dressing MixGarlic PowderGranulated OnionLiquid SmokeMaple FlavoringMcCormick’s Garlic andHerbOnion PowderOreganoSaltThymeVanilla

BasilBragg’s Liquid AminosCelery SaltChivesCitric AcidCuminCilantroGarlicGranulated GarlicItalian SeasoningMarjoramMcKay’s Beef and ChickenNutritional Yeast FlakesParsleyPaprikaSeasoned SaltTurmeric Powder

Seeds: Flax Seed

Sugars: Fructose Honey

Thickeners: Cornstarch Thicken UP

Tofu: Water Pack Mori-nu Silken



Vege Meats: Vegan Burger Crumbles Boca Burgers

Vegetables: Canned:Black OlivesFire-Roasted PeppersGreen BeansMild Green ChiliesPimentosTomatoes

Fresh:TomatoesYamsSummer SquashZucchini

Frozen:Green Beans

Fresh:AsparagusAvocadoBaby CarrotsBell PepperBroccoliCauliflowerCeleryCucumberEggplantGreen BeansJalapenoKaleLettuceMushroomsRed PotatoesSpinachSweet Potatoes

Whole Grain Flours: Whole Wheat PastryWhole Wheat

Garbanzo Flour

Recipes

We can use the following recipes for our meal plan. The carbohydrate choice count isavailable and we can substitute any of these recipes for the ones found on the meal planwith the same number carbohydrate choices. We should try to stay within 3 to 5carbohydrate choices for breakfast, 3 to 5 carbohydrate choices for lunch, and 0 to 3carbohydrate choices for dinner.

Boiled Rolled Oats4 cups water 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats¼ tsp salt

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the oats and stir. Coverand reduce heat. Simmer until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Do not over stir


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You while cooking or oats may become gummy.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 cup: Calories: 156, Fat: 3 g, Total Carbohydrates: 27 g,Protein: 6 g, Fiber: 4 g, Net Carbohydrates: 23 g, Number of Carb Choices: 1½

Low-GI White Bean Soup1 cup chopped onion 1 minced garlic clove1 Tbsp olive oil 6 cups water2 cups sliced carrots ¾ cup sliced celery2 cup chopped kale ⅛ tsp garlic powder1 Tbsp seasoned salt ⅛ tsp thyme2 bay leaves ½ tsp rosemary2 cups diced canned tomatoes 2 Tbsp parsley2 cups canned, white beans, drained and rinsedIn the oil, sauté garlic and onion for 3 minutes until tender. Add the water, carrots,celery, kale, and seasonings and cook for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Addthe remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 cup: Calories: 96, Fat: 2 g, Total Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein:5 g, Fiber: 4 g, Net Carbohydrates: 13 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Low-GI Apple Oats1 ½ cup chopped apple 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats5 cups unsweetened soymilk 1 tsp vanilla extract¾ tsp salt 2 Tbsp shredded coconut½ cup chopped walnuts ½ tsp cinnamon

Place the apples in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place oats evenly over apples. Quicklyblend soymilk, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and pour slowly over the apples and oats.Sprinkle with coconut, cinnamon, and walnuts. Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated350° oven.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 serving: Calories: 136, Fat: 5 g, Total Carbohydrates: 18 g,Protein: 6 g, Fiber: 3 g, Net Carbohydrates: 15 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Vegetable KabobsKabob Marinade* 2 large carrots, cut into wedges1 large onion, cut into cubes 1 large green pepper, diced


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You 12 medium button mushrooms 1 large red pepper, diced3 tomatoes, quartered 1 large zucchini sliced1 large yam, peeled and cut into cubes 1 package tofu, cut into cubes16 skewers

Assemble kabobs by adding one piece of each item on a skewer and place in a bakingdish. Pour the marinade over, cover, and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.Place kabobs on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 12 to 15 minutesuntil heated through. Can be grilled instead. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis for 2 kabobs: Calories: 202, Fat, 9 g, Total Carbohydrates: 25 g,Protein: 10 g, Fiber: 6 g, Net Carbohydrates: 19 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Kabob Marinade3 cups chopped onions ½ cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos1 cup lemon juice 1 Tbsp basil¾ cup canola oil 1 tsp salt

Liquefy onion in a blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 Tbsp: Calories: 25, Fat: 2 g, Total Carbohydrates: 1 g,Protein: 1 g, Fiber: 0 g, Net Carbohydrates: 1 g, Total Carb Choices: Free

Spinach Salad with Strawberries15 Roasted Garlic Cloves* ¼ cup Toasted Pecans*⅓ cup Raspberry Dressing* 12½ cups baby leaf spinach, raw½ cup sliced red onion 1½ cup sliced strawberries

Mix all of the ingredients together and serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 cup: Calories: 91, Fat: 7 g, Total Carbohydrates: 8 g, Protein:2 g, Fiber: 3 g, Net Carbohydrates: 5 g, Total Carb Choices: ⅓

Roasted Garlic ClovesGarlic Cloves Cooking SpraySalt

Spray garlic cloves with vegetable cooking spray for 3 seconds and place in an


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You aluminum foil pouch. Bake in a 300° preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

Toasted Pecans1 cup chopped pecans

Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast in a 275° preheated oven for 10 minutes. Storein covered container.

Raspberry Dressing3 packages dry Italian dressing mix ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice2 cups water 6 Tbsp white grape raspberry juiceconcentrate⅓ cup Thicken Up

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Chill in acovered container.

Nutritional Analysis for 2 Tbsp: Calories: 21, Fat: 0 g, Total Carbohydrates: 5 g,Protein: 0 g, Fiber: 0 g, Net Carbohydrates: 5 g, Total Carb Choices: ⅓

Low-Carb Red Pepper Bisque2 ½ cups water 1 tsp McKay’s vegan beef styleseasoning1 tsp McKay’s vegan chicken style seasoning 1 cup peeled and diced red potatoes1 cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped celery2 ½ cup fire-roasted red peppers 2 Tbsp cornstarch2 cups soymilk ¼ tsp marjoram1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce ¾ tsp saltPinch of cayenne pepper

Mix water, beef, and chicken seasonings in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Addpotatoes, onion, and celery and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the red pepper and cookfor 15 minutes. Place mixture and cornstarch in a food processor and pulse untilsmooth. Place mixture back into saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. Simmeruntil soup has thickened. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 cup: Calories: 89, Fat: 1 g, Total Carbohydrates: 17 g,


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Protein: 4 g, Fiber: 3 g, Net Carbohydrates: 14 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Low-GI Oats and Groats2 ½ cups water ½ cup dry buckwheat groats½ cup dry steel-cut oats ¼ tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowimmediately. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the water is absorbed.

Nutritional Analysis for ½ cup: Calories: 113, Fat: 1 g, Total Carbohydrates: 22 g,Protein: 4 g, Fiber: 3 g, Net Carbohydrates: 19 g, Total Carb Choices: 1 Lentil and Tomato Soup1 cup dry red lentils 5 cups water1 crushed garlic clove 1 Tbsp olive oil1 cup diced onion ½ cup sliced celery1 cup sliced carrots 1 ½ cups canned chunky tomatoes1 ½ Tbsp tomato paste 1 bay leaf⅛ tsp chili powder 1 ½ tsp salt½ cup parsley

In a soup pot, add the lentils, water, garlic, oil, onion, celery, and carrots and bring to aboil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf,chili powder, and salt and simmer for a few minutes. Add parsley and remove bay leafbefore serving.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 cup: Calories: 120, Fat: 2 g, Total Carbohydrates: 20 g,Protein: 7 g, Fiber: 7 g, Net Carbohydrates: 13 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Maple-Honey Soybean Waffles1 cup soaked soybeans 1 ⅔ cups water1 Tbsp floral honey 2 tsp canola oil1 tsp maple flavoring ½ tsp salt1 ⅓ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour ¾ cup ofbatter into medium-high preheated waffle iron and bake for 4 to 5 minutes.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Nutritional Analysis for ½ waffle: Calories: 109, Fat: 4 g, Total Carbohydrates: 13 g,Protein: 6 g, Fiber: 3 g, Net Carbohydrates: 10 g, Total Carb Choices: ⅔

Mixed Berry Topping1 cup sliced strawberries ½ cup blueberries½ cup blackberries ½ cup sweet cherries2 tsp floral honey

Blend ½ cup of strawberries in blender until creamy. Pour into a bowl and stir togetherwith remaining ingredients. Serve over waffles.

Nutritional Analysis for ½ cup: Calories: 44, Fat: 0 g, Total Carbohydrates: 11 g,Protein: 1 g, Fiber: 2 g, Net Carbohydrates: 9 g, Total Carb Choices: ½

7 Grain Hot Cereal3 cups water ½ tsp salt1 cup dry Arrowhead Mills 7 Grain Hot Cereal 3 Tbsp whole flaxseed

Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cereal and flaxseed andstir briefly. Cover and reduce heat. Cook until thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Nutritional Analysis for ½ cup: Calories: 91, Fat: 2 g, Total Carbohydrates: 15 g,Protein: 4 g, Fiber: 4 g, Net Carbohydrates: 11 g, Total Carb Choices: ⅔

Low-GI FalafelsVegetable Cooking Spray 4 cups canned drained chickpeas2 cups extra-firm tofu 3 minced garlic cloves½ cup chopped onions 2 Tbsp parsley2 Tbsp cilantro ⅓ cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos2 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander1 slice Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain bread Ezekiel 4:9 Pocket BreadGarlic Tahini Sauce*

Mash chickpeas and transfer to mixing bowl. Mash tofu and add to chickpeas alongwith garlic, onions, parsley, liquid aminos, and seasoning. Mix well. Break the breadinto 4 pieces, blend to make crumbs in a blender. Transfer to small bowl. Form ballsusing 2 Tbsp of chickpea mixture. Roll each ball in breadcrumbs and place on cookiesheet prepared with cooking spray. Bake until gold brown, about 25 minutes. Place 2


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You balls into half of pita pocket and top with Garlic Tahini Sauce.

Nutritional Analysis for 2 balls: Calories: 154, Fat: 5 g, Total Carbohydrates: 20 g,Protein: 11 g, Fiber: 5 g, Net Carbohydrates: 15 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Garlic Tahini Sauce3 minced garlic cloves ½ sesame seed butter¼ cup lemon juice 2 Tbsp light soy sauce

Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated in a covered container.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 Tbsp: Calories: 63, Fat: 5 g, Total Carbohydrates: 3 g,Protein: 2 g, Fiber: 1 g, Net Carbohydrates: 2 g, Total Carb Choices: Free

Low-Carb Lentils and Onions2 cups dry brown lentils 4 cups water1 cup chopped yellow onion ½ tsp salt1 Tbsp McKay’s Vegan Beef Seasoning½ tsp liquid smoke2 cups sliced onions 1 ½ tsp canola oil

In a medium pot, cook lentils in water for 30 minutes until tender. Add chopped onionsand seasonings and continue to cook. Sauté sliced onions in oil for about 8 minutes.Top cooked lentils with caramelized onions.

Nutritional Analysis for ½ cup: Calories: 130, Fat: 1 g, Total Carbohydrates: 23 g,Protein: 9 g, Fiber: 8 g, Net Carbohydrates: 15 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Sautéed Onions, Kale, and Red Pepper8 cups kale 5 cups water1 tsp garlic powder ½ cup sliced onions¼ cup sliced red bell pepper 1 tsp McKay’s Vegan ChickenSeasoning1 ½ tsp yeast flakes ½ tsp olive oil

Cut kale into 1-inch strips. Boil kale in water until it turns a bright green color andshrinks. Sauté garlic, onions, pepper, yeast flakes, and seasonings in olive oil in asaucepan for 4 to 5 minutes until clear. Add kale and sauté another 5 to 10 minutes.



Nutritional Analysis for 1 cup: Calories: 127, Fat: 3 g, Total Carbohydrates: 21 g,Protein: 10 g, Fiber: 7 g, Net Carbohydrates: 14 g, Total Carb Choices: 1

Healthy and Hearty Vegetable Soup6 cups water 2 cups diced red potatoes1 ½ cups sliced zucchini 1 ½ cups sliced yellow squash1 cup chopped tomatoes 1 cup sliced celery2 cups sliced carrots 1 cup chopped onion½ cup green beans ½ cup spinach1 bay leaf ¾ tsp garlic powder1 ½ tsp savory ½ tsp thyme1 Tbsp yeast flakes ½ tsp salt½ cup peas 2 Tbsp parsley

Place all ingredients, except for peas and parsley, in large pot and bring to a boil. Cover,reduce heat, and simmer until vegetable are tender. Add peas and parsley when soup isready. Cook for several more minutes before serving.

Nutritional Analysis for 1 cup: Calories: 55, Fat: 0 g, Total Carbohydrates: 12 g,Protein: 2 g, Fiber: 3 g, Net Carbohydrates: 9 g, Total Carb Choices: ⅔



Chapter 8 Exercise for Good HealthChapter 8Exercise for Good Health

In order to achieve optimal weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and blood sugar

control, it is essential that we start a physical activity program. With a proper exercise

routine and a plant-based diet, those of us with diabetes will be able to maximize our

health. We will discuss the following four aspects of activity in this program.

Strolling

Stretching

Strength Training

Intermittent Training

Strolling after we eat is important to help control our blood sugar levels and

decrease our insulin resistance. We should stretch to increase our flexibility, our

balance, and our range of motion. Intermittent training is important to helps get

aerobically fit and increase our endurance. We will become more physically active at

home, we will have more fun with exercise, and we will be able to sustain our routine.

With just a 5 to 10 percent weight loss, we will have better glycemic control, improved

insulin sensitivity, and lower risk for cardiovascular disease in those of use with type-2

diabetes. For those of us with type-1 diabetes, we will eliminate our insulin resistance,

which will cause us to loose weight and use less insulin.

The Importance of Physical Activity



When we have diabetes, physical activity is the most important thing we can do

to battle our disease. A good exercise routine is just as important as a healthy diet.

Once we start the program, we will see the following benefits.

We will have improvements in blood sugar control by natural methods.

Increasing our activity levels will allows our busy cells that are in need

of energy to use more glucose. This causes a decreased need for insulin

and lowers our blood sugar levels.

Our sensitivity to insulin will improve and we will need less medication

to control our diabetes. With regular activity, the long-term effect is

improving how well our bodies can metabolize sugar in our blood. The

most important part of this process is the storage form of sugar,

glycogen. By increasing our activity levels, we are slowing the rate our

bodies secrete insulin which causes our liver and our muscles to use

glycogen to maintain the balance of glucose in our bloodstream.

Because these the glycogen needs to replenish, which can take 24 to 48

hours, our cells will absorb more glucose.

Our body fat levels will start to decrease when we increase our activity

levels. The most effective way to loose weight is with a moderate caloric

intake with an activity plan. We will also increase our sensitivity to

insulin and reduce our dependence on medication.

We will also decrease our risk for cardiovascular disease by improving

our strength, controlling hypertension, reducing total cholesterol, low-

density lipoprotein, and triglycerides, while raising our high-density

lipoprotein.



Our stress levels will drop substantially. Stress disrupts the diabetes

process by increasing adrenaline, ketones, free fatty acids, and urine

output. Stress also increases our risk of a heart attack, high blood

pressure, obesity, and hardening of our arteries.

Physical activity also helps us to overcome symptoms of depression. It

will also improve our mood, our time management skills, and our

productivity.

There are many more benefits we will see including:

A boost in our immune system

A decrease in osteoporosis symptoms

A reduced risk of bone fracture

A decrease in arthritis pain

A decrease in insomnia

An improvement in oral health

An improvement in memory and prevention or Alzheimer’s Disease

A reduced risk of some forms of cancer

Determining if We Are OverweightWe will need to find our body mass index so that we can determine the rate at which we

are improving our health and overcoming obesity. The body mass index assesses our

weight in relation to our height, how fat we are. A range is between 19 and 25 is

healthy, 25 to 30 is overweight, 30 and above is obese. Health problems generally occur

in those of us with a Body Mass Index above 25. We need to use the following formula

to determine our Body Mass Index.



WEIGHT (lbs) BMI = --------------------- x 703

HEIGHT (in) x HEIGHT (in)

Cautions to Consider When Getting Active

Ask our doctors before starting an exercise program.

Test our blood sugar levels often.

We should not start the program if our blood sugar levels are under 70 or

above 250. We should start on the plant-based diet first.

We should remain patient as it may take some time to see results.

If we are in pain, we are overdoing the activity.



We must drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Keeping track of our efforts will help us see the results.

We should watch where we are giving our rapid acting insulin injections

and be sure not to exercise that area too much to avoid hypoglycemia.

We need to time our activity so that we are exercising only within 1 hour

after taking our medication to avoid hypoglycemia.

Watching out for side effects of our medications is important. Beta-

blockers and alcohol make it difficult to tell when we are hypoglycemic.

We need to make sure we eat an extra 15 grams of carbohydrates prior to

or after exercising for one hour.

Treat any low blood sugar levels quickly.

Keep our identification handy and exercise with a friend.

Understand that we need to see a doctor if we experience any pains in

our chests, heart palpitations, or severe shortness of breath.

Practice good foot care.

Be careful of the sun and avoid sunburn and extreme heat.

We need to concentrate on our health goals instead of our activity goals


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You so that we do not over train.

Strolling

If we take a light stroll after we eat a meal, we can help our digestive system by

speeding up the blood circulation in our bodies. We must make sure that we do not

participate in any strenuous activity after a meal because our bodies must devote energy

to the digestion process, but a light stroll is important. This simple activity will keep

our blood sugar levels down and lower our postprandial glucose level.

Taking a light stroll is also helpful in burning off some of the calories that we

consume prior to the activity. This creates a beneficial cycle, where we will be lowering

our caloric intake, loosing weight, and lessening our symptoms of diabetes, which will

help us lose even more weight.

It is important to walk even if we cannot get outdoors to do so. We can buy a

treadmill or walk through the mall instead. Another good way to stroll is to park as far

away as possible from the entrance of any stores when we go shopping.

Stretching

It is important that we stretch because it nurtures our body and eases our mind.

Regular stretching provides us with the following benefits.

Stretching reduces tension in our muscles, alleviates stress, and helps us

to relax.

Our coordination increases because it enables us to have freer movement.

Our range of motion increases.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You We will have better balance.

We will prevent injuries to our muscles.

Stretching prepares our body for more brisk exercise to follow.

Our flexibility increases and our posture will be better.

Circulation increases, which relieves our pain and neuropathy.

Anxiety and fatigue will decrease.

We will be more aware of our bodies.

Stretching makes it easier to get active.

We will reduce daily stomachs, headaches, nausea, as well as obesity,

diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

We will be able to learn better and be more efficient and productive.

There is no optimal time that we should plan to stretch, as it is beneficial whenever we

are able. We can stretch while doing other activities if we choose such as on the way to

work, at our desks, when we are feeling stiff, in front of the television, or any other time

we have available.

The following are the top ten tips on how to stretch.

Stretch daily for optimal benefits.



Stretch all major muscle groups 6 days a week.

Spend extra time on areas that tend to be less flexible.

Stretch muscles when they are already warm. First, take a brisk walk for

5 minutes and then stretch.

Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.

Stretching should be static, not bouncy.

We should not stretch if it hurts. Overstretching can cause injuries.

Cool down after a workout before stretching.

Breathe deeply while stretching.

Relax and enjoy it.

Strength Training

There are two different types of muscle development that we must consider, strength

training and bulk building. Strength training will give us the most benefits for good

health because it works by the overload principle. By overloading our muscles with

more weight than they usually lift, we increase our muscle fibers size and number. We

will increase the contraction ability of our muscles, as they get bigger and stronger.

Developing muscles strength will improve our stamina and energy level. By starting a

simple strength-training program, we will improve our glycemic control and protect us


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You against metabolic syndrome.

We should start a simple strength-training plan in order to start on a path of good

health. We can use household weights, like soup cans, dumbbells, or resistance tubes in

our simple strength-training plan. The following are recommendations we should use to

begin this type of activity.

We should prepare our muscles for

strength training with a warm-up exercise,

such as a brisk walk for 5 minutes.

We should test the resistance that we can

comfortably lift one time without hurting ourselves. We should then use

50 to 70 percent of the weight for our strength training routine.

A good place to start with each activity is with 10 reps of one set. The

last two reps should be comfortably hard and not agonizing. We will

need to adjust our weight if we cannot get through all 10 reps or if we

feel we can do much more.

We should add sets as we progress through our ability to workout.

It is essential that we lift the weights with a full range of motion.

It is how we lift that is important because faster is not better. We should

isolate the muscle group so that we can receive the full benefit.

Between reps, we should rest our muscles for 30 to 60 seconds.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You We should begin our exercise routine with the largest muscle groups.

Brief and infrequent training times work best for optimal results. We

should strength train 2 to 3 times per week and not exceed 30 minutes

each time.

We must allow our muscles to recuperate after training and strength train

with 48 hours and no more than 96 hours between each routine.

It is better that we plan to strength train every other day.

Focusing our attention on the muscle doing the work will allow us to lift

more weight and be aware of our bodies.

Correct breathing is vital. We should breathe out during the effort

portion and breathe in during the portion where we return to the starting

position.

We should cool down after strength training by walking slowly for 5

minutes and stretching our muscles after our workout.

In order to properly strength train, we need to consider the following recommendations.

For less strain on our backs, we should keep the weight close to our

bodies.

Lifting with our legs is essential. We need to keep our backs straight and

our head level when picking up our weights from the ground.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You We should not twist our bodies when lifting,

We should lift the weight smoothly.

We should allow plenty of time between lifts.

We should not lift beyond the limits of our own strength to prevent

injury.

Before starting, we should adjust the weight machine to our own bodies.

Stretching both before and after we strength train will give us optimal

results.

Intermittent Training

Intermittent training is the best way to make our hearts stronger since they are

muscles. This method of physical activity is the main component of increasing the

activity levels among sedimentary Americans.

Intermittent training is an activity that has an

active-rest period for a part of every minute of

exercise. We start this type of exercise by

exerting our heartbeat to 5 above our personal

target heart rate and then we rest until we are at

5 heartbeats below our target heart rate. Active

rest, however, does not mean that we stop

moving completely, only enough to slow our

heart rate to the appropriate level. The many

benefits of intermittent training are greater


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You weight loss, greater body fat loss, and an exercise plan that is easier to maintain.

Energy in our bodies comes from two basic metabolic sources, oxygen (aerobic)

metabolism, and muscle (anaerobic) metabolism. Anaerobic metabolism requires us to

have bursts of energy in a very short time. During this time, the workout intensity

exceeds the ability of our heart and lungs to get oxygen to our muscles. We are building

strength when we are allowing anaerobic metabolism to take place, but aerobic

metabolism that creates good health. Intermittent training keeps our bodies from

entering the anaerobic metabolism stage making it easier to walk with less pain and a

plan that is easier to stick with.

Anaerobic metabolism uses the stored form of sugar in our muscles cells, glycogen. By

using the glycogen, our bodies are creating lactic acid, which is what causes the burning

sensation in our muscles during moderate activity. This type of metabolism actually

decreases the rate of fat metabolism and causes a lack of motivation. If we are doing

too intense of a workout, our bodies tend to bypass the aerobic metabolism stage and

instead of burning fat, we burn glycogen. Because we will burn less fat, we will have a

lower weight loss.

It is essential that we determine our target heart rate zones before starting an intermittent

training routine using the following guidelines.

Step – 1: Learning to Take Our Pulse

By having the desire to find our personal target heart rate zone, we are

taking a positive step in becoming active in our own healthcare. The

slower our pulse rate is during complete rest, the healthier we are. It is

essential that we count our pulse at regular intervals to determine the

intensity of our activity. We must find our pulse quickly and count for 10


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You seconds. We will then multiply this number by 6 to determine our pulse

rate. When counting, we need to remember that the first beat is zero and

is a reference beat.

There are two common places that we will be able to take our pulse.

Wrist – The pulse is at the base of each thumb and is best felt by two

or three fingers of the opposite hand. We must remember to only

press gently so we do not cut off the pulse.

Neck – The pulse is on both sides of the windpipe and is best felt

with our index and middle fingers just to the side of the windpipe.

We must not press too hard or press both sides at the same time.

Another method is to use a heart rate monitor watch.

Step – 2: Finding our Target Heart Rate

We can determine our target heart rate by

subtracting our age in years from 220 and

multiplying by 0.65. The intermittent training zone

is 5 beats higher to 5 beats lower. We must

remember that this is a simple method for

determining our target heart rate and it may not work for all of us.

Rate of Perceived Exertion

We can also determine how hard we are working by using a scale from 0

to 10. We will rate how we feel about our total physical stress, effort,

and fatigue. This correlates to our actual heart rate, rate of oxygen

consumption, and lactic acid accumulation. We should work within a

zone of 5 (strong) to 3 (moderate.)

Intermittent training is for use with aerobic activities that are repetitive and rhythmic.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You We should use our large muscle groups by doing activities like walking, jogging,

running, swimming, rowing, stair stepping, and so on. It is necessary to warm up for a

few minutes and begin by building up to our target heart rate zones. We will increase

the intensity of our activity to 5 beats above our target heart rate and then slow down

until we are 5 beats below our target heart rate. It should take 30 to 60 seconds to get

our heart rates up to the highest level and we must not let it decrease quicker than that

same rate. If we perform intermittent training 5 to 6 days a week for up toe 60 minutes

at a time, we will receive optimal results.



Chapter 9 Preparing for Success

The rate of symptoms of depression is double for those of us with diabetes in

comparison to those that do not have the disease. With the simple tools we will discuss,

we will maximize our potential for sticking with our lifestyle changes. We will also

achieve good health and overcome our mental obstacles. We need to understand that we

have choices and there are consequences that result from these choices. We will learn to

understand different strategies for reducing our anxiety, anger, fear, and fatigue, which

will allow us to have better control of our diabetes.

The Influence of Stress

We tend to develop physiological stress on our bodies from our reactions to our

daily lives. This stress can cause the onset of many chronic diseases, including

diabetes. Chronic burnout alone causes a

substantial increase in the risk of our

development of diabetes. We experience a lot

of emotional stress and stress from work,

which often has a negative affect on our

bodies.

Stress causes the risk of diabetes for

several reasons. We overproduce cortisol

with an increase in stress, which counteracts

the effect of insulin, resulting in increasing

blood sugar levels. The processing of fat and

protein in our bodies start to slow and our

sensitivity to insulin decreases. The increase in cortisol also makes it harder for the

glucose in our blood stream to enter our cells. We also see an increase in abdominal fat.

Those of us with diabetes tend to have additional stress from coping with the


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You disease. Daily stress interferes with our diabetes management, so it is important that we

understand how to manage our stress. The following are simple ideas that we can use to

relieve our stress.

We must breathe deeply, hold our breath, and then slowly release.

We should listen to classical music to calm us down.

Walking our dogs will help with our stress level.

We can take a walk outside.

Reading a book will alleviate the stress.

We can pray or meditate.

We need to tell ourselves positive affirmations, repeat them, visualize

them, and really believe them.

We should participate in Intermittent Training.

We must avoid substances that alter our moods like alcohol, caffeine, and

sugar.

As soon as we begin to feel stress, we should gently, but firmly, say

“Stop.” Then we need to focus on the part of our body causing the stress

and try to release that stress.

It is important that we find own ways to bring ourselves peace, balance,


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You and we should take the time to practice them often.

When we focus on bettering our health and well being, we will begin to

feel better when we have an improvement in our health.

The Link Between Diabetes and Depression

There is a link between depression and diabetes and one tends to worsen the

other. When we experience unstable blood sugars, we often experience depression,

mood swings, irritability, weariness, and fear as well. When we experience the

symptoms of depression, we can also have worse glycemic control, higher rates of

chronic complications, increasing risk of a heart attack, and even subsequent

development of diabetes.

We now know that when we have diabetes, our risk of depression is double that

of someone without the disease. We may think that depression causes us to ignore our

diets, activity, and medicine regimen, but it is actually a more complex process.

Depression directly influences specific physiological body processes that can make our

diabetes worse because it causes changes in our immune response, inflammation, and

insulin resistance. The following are symptoms of depression. If experience at least

five of these symptoms, more days that not for at least two weeks, we need to seek an

evaluation for depression.

• Persistent sadness or feelings of emptiness

• Feelings of hopelessness

• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness

• Loss of interest in activities we once enjoyed



• Decrease in energy

• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

• Insomnia or oversleeping

• Changes in weight or appetite

• Irritability or restlessness

• Thoughts of death or suicide

Principles of Successful ThinkingIt is All in Our Heads

It is important to understand that our past disappointments as well as our specific

sources of our current depression do not matter. What

really matters is how we think about things and how we

respond. We have choices in how we judge situations

and how we act. In order to change our negative

thoughts, we should consider whether our thinking is

helping us to achieve our goals or it is causing us to

suffer. It is up to us as we can choose to feel like a victim or we can accept the reality of

the circumstance and move on with our lives.

A positive attitude can have a dramatic affect on our health, such as strengthen

our immune systems and help fight disease, but when we use it alone, it does have some

limitations. When dealing with unpleasant situations we must have serenity. We are

capable of changing our responses because we are responsible for what goes on in our


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You heads.

Utilize the Gap

We must remember that we are not feeling bad due to the people or tragedies in

our lives. It is a tendency to think that our environment causes us to respond in a

specific way, but this is incorrect. There is a gap between the stimulus and our

response. Because humans can think and choose, we have the ability to select how we

will respond. Choosing always takes place in this gap and we must use this time to our

advantage. When we think about our response before we act, we will prevent ourselves

from reacting mindlessly.

Activation, Belief, and Consequences

We now know that we must choose how we will react to a difficult situation, but

this choosing in the gap between the stimulus and the response has to do with what we

believe and what we say to ourselves. Every situation has the following three parts.

The activating event is the stressor or the unpleasant situation.

Our belief system is what we tell ourselves how we should judge the

activating event.

The consequences are our emotional and behavioral responses to the

activating event.

When the gap between the stimulus and the response happens, we are causing

the feelings in which we are acting. The first step in successful thinking is to focus on

the messages we are giving ourselves that fuel our emotions instead of our actual


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You feelings and emotions. We need to start saying nice things to ourselves to make the

change. Even if this type of behavior does not feel natural, we should do so anyway to

motivate ourselves to take constructive action.

Accepting Ourselves Unconditionally

We need to be critical of our own behaviors and make the necessary changes

instead of judging our whole selves. This behavior will gradually change with time and

practice and will become easier along the way. It is critical that we change our

personalities and our tendencies to upset ourselves.

Recognizing our Irrational Beliefs

During the gap between the stimulus and the response, we must be conscious of

what we are saying to ourselves. It is common for us to repeat negative self-talk over

and over, but this tends to cause unhealthy beliefs and bad feelings. We should listen to

our minds and try to hear what we saying to determine what is causing the negative

thoughts because some are rational and others are irrational.

Irrational beliefs keep us from achieving our goals, fuel unhealthy emotions,

lead to harmful behaviors and tend to distort reality. We can look for exaggerations and

distortions in our destructive self-talk and see the impossible demands we are placing on

others and ourselves.

I am a pound heavier today now my whole day is ruined.

If I eat one serving of ice cream, I know I will not be able to stop.

I need to eat only salad for lunch or else I will gain weight.



If I go to the gym, others will stare and laugh at my body.

That girl is thinner than I am. I have to lose weight.

I should not have eaten that cookie. Now, I’m off my diet. I might as

well eat the whole box and start over again tomorrow

Swap Out Irrational Beliefs for Rational Beliefs

It is important that we understand that we are fully capable of replacing our irrational

beliefs with rational healthy ways of thinking. We can seek out and destroy should,

ought, and must in our thinking. For this new behavior to take hold, we need to practice

it many times a day. If we have trouble putting things in perspective, we can use a

catastrophe scale. Once we slow down, breathe, and utilize the gap, we will begin to

think rationally.

Can we stand the situation? Yes, we can and we are even capable of a lot

worse if we have to. It seems as though the worse things get, the better

we are able to cope.

Is it the absolute worst thing that ever could have happened? No, there

are worse things that could happen. Everything we must go through is

just an unpleasant situation. We can endure the stress.

Is it unbearable? No, there are worse circumstances that others deal with

every day.

Preferences and Demands



There are bound to be truly challenging stimuli that come our way, and we do

not have to ignore the strong appropriate consequences. Some situations, such as a

complication of diabetes, that are not the end of the world, but cannot be tossed aside

either. It is essential that we still experience natural responses to these types difficulties,

but we should not blow them our or proportion. We need to choose the way we will

respond and change our negative self-talk.

Certain types of situations may cause use to say we prefer something else, but

we must not be caught in an irrational belief that things need to be a certain way. This

will keep us centered and strong willed. Keeping our desires as preferences without

turning those into absolute demands is vital. When something violates our preferences

we experience appropriate and constructive negative emotions, but if something violates

our demands, we experience unhealthy and destructive, negative emotions. We should

forcefully challenge our demands until they become preferences instead.

Plant Based Diet

The plant-based diet that this program recommends will work to fight depression


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You for the following three reasons, which we will discuss.

Plant-based diets are high in tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid

that our bodies require for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter

in the brain that is associated with depression. For those of us with

depression, our serotonin levels must increase. We can increase our

levels by eating tofu, ground flaxseed, roasted pumpkin seeds, and gluten

flour. The effect that serotonin levels have on depression is rapid and

profound.

Plant-based diets are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which is an essential

fat that we cannot manufacture in our own bodies. This type of fat is

necessary for the proper function of our brains and comes from the

healthful plant fat, alpha linolenic acid. The best sources of omega-3 are

flaxseed oil, English walnuts, canola oil, black walnuts, wheat germ oil,

soybean oil, and dark green leafy vegetables. If we consume any level of

trans-fat in our diets, the alpha linolenic acid will not efficiently convert

to omega-3 fatty acid in our bodies.

Plant-based diets are high in folic acid, which can cause depression if we

do not have an adequate supply. The best sources of folic acid are

chickpeas, black-eyed peas, lentils, red kidney beans, okra pods, navy

beans, spinach, and mustard greens.

Other Lifestyle Treatments

It is essential that we get adequate sun exposure for vitamin D

production. We produce vitamin D in our skin when ultraviolet light is

available. We tend to have low levels in the winter months, which

require a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D works to increase the


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You serotonin levels in our brains, which alleviates the feelings of depression.

We should receive indirect light exposure to our eyes and morning

sunlight is the best source.

We need to receive adequate sleep because insomnia increases our risk of

depression. This is because our melatonin levels decrease when we

receive bright light instead of sleep. Serotonin is a building block for

melatonin so if melatonin decreases, so does serotonin.

If we all give up smoking, we will also reduce depression. This is

because smoking tends to cause the following health conditions.

o A much shorter lifespan – up to 21 years lower

o More heart attacks

o More cancers

o Reduction in bone strength and more fractures

o Risk of back pain and injury

o Hormonal abnormalities

o Rapid loss of agility, balance, and endurance

o Acceleration of skin wrinkling, hair loss, and graying

o Acceleration of vision loss



o Difficulty sleeping

o Heartburn

o Stomach ulcers

Among those of us with diabetes, 25 percent of us are smokers. Smoking has a

negative effect on our metabolic control and causes an increase in diabetes related

complications. For those of us without diabetes, if we smoke, we have a high risk of

developing type-2 because it can negatively influence insulin sensitivity, worsening

glucose metabolism, worsening insulin resistance, and causes our pancreas to secrete

too much insulin. For those of us with type-1 diabetes, smoking causes higher blood

sugar levels.

Believe in Something

It turns out that those of us who are religious tend to get over depression much

quicker, have better mental health and are able to adapt to stress much better. Our

beliefs do not have to be religious based; we can believe in other things and still have

the same effect. We can make getting over our misery the most important goal in our

lives and we can believe in ourselves that we can achieve our goal.

Successful Lifestyle Change

• We must be clear about our goals. Those of us who will be successful know

where we are going and we focus on going in the right direction. We master the

incremental steps that lead to our goals.



• We must set specific target behaviors that will help us achieve our goals.

• We must make the time to reach our goals. We should establish time and

prepare to devote resources on our target behaviors. It is essential that we put

ourselves first.

If We Break the Rules

• Simply do the very best we can do today then start again tomorrow. Do not let a

lapse turn into a relapse.

• Accept the consequences of our behaviors and move on. Let our goals be our

guide.

• Know thyself, the myth of moderation has been the bane of many people who

attempt change



Chapter 10 The Plan to Stop Diabetes

By simply changing our normal American lifestyle, from one that involves an

animal-based diet and a lack of physical activity, to a habit of plant-based foods and

regular activity, we can begin to reverse the risk factors for diabetes, heart disease,

obesity, cancer, and many other ailments. This program combines many

recommendations and guidelines that we will use to improve our blood glucose levels

and our overall health. We usually start on a

diet with the attitude that we will feel

restricted which eventually leads us down the

path of failure. Once we set specific,

attainable goals, we can overcome those

habitual behaviors that get in our way.

Attitude is the key and if we take it just one

meal at a time, the lifestyle changes we are

about to make will not seem like such a big

deal. Once we stay on the program for 30

days, things will get easier and we will be

much more likely to stick with our lifestyle changes.

The main factor that can keep us from achieving our long-term goal of diabetes

management is changing to a plant-based diet. Since we have been addicted to

unhealthy food for so long, we may become distressed when trying to change our habits.

We will use the following seven tips for minimal distress when beginning this program.

We must avoid all addictive foods completely to help our cravings

disappear.

Our taste buds will adjust and begin to enjoy eating healthy after


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You approximately 2 to 3 weeks on a plant-based diet.

When we are reluctant to change our habits, we must write down any

reasons for our reluctance so that we can deal with them and find

solutions.

If we create a safe house at home and fill our homes with only

healthy foods, we will not be tempted to go back to our old habits.

We must eat foods the exact way that they are when we find them in

nature. Processing foods degrade them substantially.

The varieties of foods we can eat with a plant-based diet are endless.

We need to try a new food every week to see all of the options that

are available.

Too many times, we eat dinner while being entertained. When we do

this, we usually eat too much. We need to start eating slowly so that

we can savor the tastes of many foods we may never have tried

before.

The following are the changes we need to make to our lifestyles to control our

cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and weight.

Achieve our ideal body weight.

Get physically active at least 5 times a week.

Eat a plant-based diet of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You limited amounts of seeds and nuts.

Limit our intake of saturated fat.

Avoid trans-fat.

Limit our intake of total fat.

Increase our intake of legumes.

Increase our intake of dark green leafy vegetables.’

Increase our intake of fiber.

Avoid drinking beverages containing caffeine.

Avoid refined, processed, flour products.

Avoid sweets.

Avoid drinking alcohol.

Do not smoke.

Learning what types of food that we should eat and how we should eat them will

greatly improve our success rate. We must stop eating any animal-based products

because they contain too many fats and calories. If we eat a total plant-based diet, with

beans in place of meats, we will be able to maintain a healthy weight while keeping our

health in check. We will use the following 15 guidelines for eating a healthy plant-


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You based diet every day.

Breakfast should be our biggest meal of day while dinner should be

very small or not eaten at all.

We should eat a sensible breakfast and lunch with no snacking in

between meals. These meals should be at regularly scheduled times

so we can keep our blood sugar level stable.

We need to eat at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Vegetables should be mostly above ground and dark green leafy, and

strong smelling varieties because they tend to be low glycemic and

most nutritious. Eating mostly northern hemisphere fruits is essential

because they also tend to be low glycemic. Instead of drinking fruit

juices, we should consume whole fruits in their purest form.

We should try to eat 2 to 3 servings of different varieties of beans per

day.

We need to limit ground grains and flour because these are high

glycemic. Whole grains in their natural state are vital at 6 to 9

servings per day.

It is desirable that we consume 1 ounce of unsalted tree nuts per day.

We need to pay attention to serving sizes closely as they contain

many calories.

To obtain substantial amounts of omega-3 fatty acid, we should eat 1

tablespoon of ground flaxseed daily.



Because a plant-based diet is low in vitamin B12, we should take 1000

micrograms of a vitamin B12 supplement daily.

We should stick to plant-based fats, like olive oil and canola oil. We

will avoid all saturated and trans-fats or any product that uses the

word hydrogenated, ineresterified, margarine, or shortening on the

ingredient label.

Avoid all refined and processed foods. We should try to consume

foods that show only one ingredient on the food label.

We need to limit our salt intake to a maximum of 1000 milligrams

per day.

Training our taste buds to enjoy naturally sweetened food is essential

so that we can stop consuming foods and drinks that contain sugar or

artificial sweeteners.

Because caffeine causes dehydration, affects blood sugar control,

causes increased blood pressure, and decreases the ability for blood

to flow to the heart, we must eliminate it from our diets.

We must eliminate alcohol as well due to causing dehydration and

severe hypoglycemia in diabetic patients.

Water is vital to our existence so we need to drink at least 8 to 10

glasses of water per day for proper hydration. We will begin our day

by drinking 24 ounces of room temperature water. For proper


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You digestion, we will stop drinking one half hour before meals and not

resume until one hour after meals.

Caffeinated beverages as well as alcohol can be detrimental to our health and

well-being, especially for those of us with diabetes. The following information shows

us why we must avoid these substances.

Caffeine causes higher rates of certain cancers, miscarriages, low

birth weight babies, worsening depression, anxiety, fatigue, elevated

blood pressure, heart palpitations, heart disease, bone loss,

osteoporosis, and frontal lobe disorders.

After consuming caffeine, we can experience higher blood sugar

levels, decreases in insulin sensitivity, and impairment of glucose

tolerance.

Caffeine raises stress hormones, a risk fact for diabetes.

In very large doses, caffeine is lethal.

Caffeine increases dopamine levels, the same as cocaine and

heroin.

Our bodies perceive alcohol to be toxic. Our liver works to

detoxify the alcohol and turn it into less harmful substances. Part of

the alcohol gets converted to fat which is deposited locally.

Alcohol is a high calorie beverage.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You The intoxicating effect of alcohol impairs our judgment,

including the judgment to determine if we are hypoglycemic and to

stop eating.

Alcohol can drastically affect our blood sugar levels.

Diet alone cannot control weight loss and blood sugar levels. In order to reduce

insulin and medication requirements, physical activity must be part of our daily routine.

Exercise lowers our insulin resistance, which in turn leads to weight loss and less

dependence on insulin in type-1 diabetics. When we follow the nine recommendations

listed below, we will get adequate exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The only

equipment that is required is a good pair of walking shoes, a heart rate monitor, and a

set of resistance tubes.

Stretching increases our flexibility, balance, and range of motion. We

need to stretch for 30 minutes in the morning, 6 days a week. It is

also important that we stretch before strength training and

intermittent training.

We must be physically active for an accumulated total of 60 minutes,

5 to 6 days a week. This will allow us to burn off substantial calories

and increase our weight loss.

Intermittent training increases our endurance and allows us to be

aerobically fit. When we practice intermittent training, we should

increase the intensity by five beats per minute every 2 weeks until we

are at 75 percent intensity. When we do intermittent training

correctly, we should feel no muscle burn.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You Strolling after each meal will help us to control our blood sugar and

increase insulin sensitivity. We should stroll for 20 minutes after

both breakfast and lunch.

It is easy to get the needed physical activity if we make it enjoyable.

We can pick an activity that we enjoy, such as walking, and we can

set a goal such as working up to walking 10,000 steps per day.

Staying within a target heart rate is important to obtain the maximum

benefit from physical activity. We will use a heart monitor to make

sure we remain in that target zone.

Vigorous activity right after a meal can inhibit the digestion process

and cause pain. We should avoid any vigorous activity for 1 to 2

hours after eating.

Strength training increases our metabolism, and builds and

strengthens bones and muscles. We will strength train 3 times a

week, with at least a day between each time, for maximum results.

When we strength train, muscle pain may occur but joint pain should

not.

Getting outdoors in the sun when physically active is important for us

to have a good attitude, enjoy the activity, and increase vitamin D

absorption.

Sunlight and rest are just as important to our healthy lifestyle as diet and

exercise. Some studies have shown that a lack of vitamin D or regular sun exposure

plays a role in the development of diabetes. Since we have become a society where we


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You eat dinner in front of the TV and physical activity is at an all time low, we have been

getting very little sun exposure. Instead of remaining indoors most of the time as we do

now, we need to make a habit of going outside everyday, even when it is cloudy. The

following recommendations will ensure that we receive an adequate amount of sun

exposure and rest to overcome many health troubles that we may have.

In order for us to get the optimal rest and rejuvenation that we need

to live a healthy lifestyle, we should get 30 minutes of early morning

light exposure every day. We also need to get 15 minutes of sunlight

between 10 am and 3 pm, 4 times a week for adequate vitamin D

absorption.

Because we are less likely to be out in the sun during the winter

months, we should take a vitamin D supplement of 1000 units per

day.

To aid digestion and metabolism, we should avoid lying down for 2

hours after eating a meal.

We must keep our bedrooms neat and clean so that we can receive

peaceful sleep at night.

We will sleep for 7 to 9 hours at night, with 2 to 3 hours being before

midnight, in a dark cool room for optimal rejuvenation.

Finding a doctor that will work with us to achieve our goals is not only

important but can be a difficult task as well. Since we need to see a doctor frequently

when embarking on this program, we should find one who can be our lifestyle coach.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You We need to use the following guidelines when looking for a doctor that will be of help

to us when we try to change our habits and become healthy once again.

Our doctors should prescribe lifestyle changes before medication.

This is important because medication often leads to side effects that a

doctor may just treat with more medications causing a domino effect.

Many times a simple lifestyle change can take away all of the

symptoms of a particular disorder.

Our doctors should explain thing

so that we can understand them.

Too many times, doctors leave us

in the dark because they talk to us

using only terms that a doctor will

understand. We then have no clue

on the actual causes of our

concerns.

Our doctors should take their time

with us and listen to our concerns.

Our doctors tend to rush through

our appointments because they

have several other patients waiting to see them. Because of this, we

will have many concerns that we cannot take care of right away.

Our doctors should treat the causes of our problems and not just the

symptoms. Our doctors will usually prescribe medications to take

care of our symptoms, when the cause of the symptom should be the

concern instead.



Our doctors should look healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. We

always say that people should practice what they preach. If our

doctors do not live healthy lifestyles, then they should not expect us

to do so either.

Our doctors should have a respectful attitude. Many times our

doctors are condescending. Without using a respectful attitude

towards us, we are less likely to follow any recommendations that are

given.

Our doctors should communicate with the other members of our

healthcare team. It is essential that everyone our healthcare team

knows about any troubles we may have and any medications that we

are taking.

Our doctors should consider our entire body when treating us, not

just the medications, symptoms, diagnosis, and numbers. Many

times the numbers of our laboratory tests and our symptoms do not

tell the whole story. Our doctors must look at everything as a whole

to give proper treatment.

It is important to know that it is up to us, not just our doctors, to control our

health. We need to set both short term and long term goals and work with our doctors to

achieve them all. Frequent medical visits will be necessary and we must make it a

priority to see our doctors twice per week for the first two weeks and then weekly until

our health is stable. Because many changes will be required after we change our habits,

we need to discuss the following things with our doctors before starting this program.


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You We need to have the following laboratory tests before starting these

changes and again at three month: Fasting chemistry panel, lipid

profile, fasting insulin levels, and HgA1c.

Our insulin requirements will be lower soon after we make these

changes. Diabetes pills requirements will also lower or unneeded.

Blood pressure pill requirements will be lower after 2 weeks.

Cholesterol medication requirements are usually lower or unneeded

after the 3-month laboratory test results.

Although the focus of these recommendations is helping those of us who are

diabetic, the program is actually a restoration program for those of us who have a

number of disorders. Using the same recommendations can prevent and treat heart

disease, cancer, stroke, and hypertension, as well as high cholesterol, autoimmune

disorders, osteoporosis, constipation, and hemorrhoids.

30-Day Diabetes Prescription

Attitude

Set attainable short and long-term goals.

Find new behaviors that will help us achieve our goals.

Devote time to achieve our goals.

Start over if we fail to attain a goal.

Nutrition and Water

Follow the recommended plant-based diet.

Eat ten servings of colorful fruits and vegetables, nine servings of whole grain, three


Stop Diabetes Before It Stops You servings of beans, and one ounce of nuts and seeds per day.

Drink ten glasses of water per day.

Activity

Stretch for 30 minutes each morning.

Stroll for 20 minutes after each meal.

Perform intermittent training for 60 minutes, 5 days a week.

Perform strength training for 30 minutes, 3 days a week.

Rest

Get 8 hours of sleep every night.

Get up early and go to bed early.

Sunlight

Get 30 minutes of early morning light exposure every day.

Get 20 minutes of afternoon light exposure 4 times a week.

Medical

Take 1,000 μg of vitamin B12 daily.

Check blood sugar levels 8 times per day.

Check blood pressure levels 3 times per day.


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