This Is a Step-By-Step Cure For Diabetes Developed By Scientists

This Is a Step-By-Step Cure For Diabetes Developed By Scientists
I highly recommend you check this out and cure diabetes like I did. Maxine

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Diabetes and Figs - Enjoy Them While They're Fresh!

It has long been known that fig leaves are useful in curing diabetes. If brewed into a tea, they confer upon the drinker the benefit of needing less insulin. In fact, fig leaves are so effective at this, even type 1 diabetics benefit greatly, often being able to significantly reduce the amount of insulin they need.

However, the focus of this post is about FRESH figs and why, as it turns out, they are so good for diabetics to eat as well. By the way, "anjeer" is another commonly used name for fig, especially outside the United States.

I must admit that I do not have much history in eating fresh figs (anjeer). However, I was standing in the check-out line at the grocery store the other day talking with the lady in front of me who had several packs of fresh figs - 3 varieties in fact. She was a walking natural commercial for figs as she simply exuded the physical appearance and attitude of a very healthy person. That conversation really motivated me to do some research on figs and I'm glad I did because, as it turns out, fresh figs are an excellent dietary choice for diabetics.

It's no wonder that I have never been a big fig (anjeer) eater - and they aren't anywhere near the most popularly consumed fruits. The main reason for this is they are extremely perishable. In fact, they only last about 3-4 days, even if you put them in the refrigerator. For this reason, it is difficult for grocers to carry fresh figs. However, during the months of August through October, which is now of course, you should be able to find some good fresh figs. Most figs that are grown commercially are dried - it's something like 80% - 90% of all figs are dried in fact (sources varied on this stat). Dried figs do offer some of the benefits that I discuss below but not as much as fresh figs so you should try to take advantage of the fresh fig season which we're in right now. If you do buy dried figs, be sure to get organic so they are not treated with sulfur which negates the benefits.

Here are some of the benefits of figs for diabetics I found from my research:

Figs have more fiber than any other fruit or vegetable - more than even plums/prunes! This includes both soluble and insoluble fiber in one delicious package. You get 5 grams of fiber eating just 3 figs. Eating more natural fiber has many healthy benefits of course, but for the diabetic specifically, it slows down the digestion and absorption of sugar and carbs. Fiber also helps you lose weight more easily which can dramatically improve the quality of life of a diabetic and make it much easier to cure the disease.

Figs also have more minerals important to diabetics than any other fruit! Figs are extremely high in manganese, calcium, and potassium. Figs truly are one of the most nutrient dense foods around. Remember too that buying organic figs will ensure you get more of these healthy minerals and vitamins (and anti-oxidants - discussed below).

Manganese is important for diabetics because it is critical in carbohydrate metabolism. Furthermore, studies have shown than most diabetics show a deficiency in manganese. There is some evidence that low manganese levels actually contributes to the development of diabetes but more work needs to be done in this area. However, it is definitely known that people who have already been diagnosed with diabetes need to make sure they get enough manganese.

Calcium is one of the most important methods that you can use to keep your body more alkaline which is extremely important in curing diabetes. In fact, figs are one of the most alkalizing foods you can eat! I should probably note that calcium plays a part in that but is not the only factor.

Potassium helps to stabilize blood sugar - you'll have less peaks and valleys. There's also evidence that shows that potassium actually lowers blood sugar as well.

It turns out that figs (anjeer) also have an incredible quantity per gram of very powerful anti-oxidants which are well known to be very important in preventing the develop of diabetes and the in reversing it. These include flavonoids, polyphenols, and nonfluorescing chlorophyll catabolytes (NCCs for short) which are just beginning to be thoroughly studied but already show incredible promise for diabetes.

I think figs (anjeer) may become known as a "power food" for diabetics dedicated to curing their diabetes naturally. I can not emphasize enough how important food is in curing diabetes - and YES, it can be cured naturally as I am walking proof of that. However, in order to do this you do really need to have a comprehensive source of information (you can't just eat figs - smile) and this is by far the best comprehensive source I have found for diabetics to cure their own disease and get off of medication - I no longer take ANY diabetes medication and all my blood tests come back normal. The information I have linked above is what I used to cure my diabetes.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Optimal pH To Cure Diabetes: Acidic Body vs Alkaline Body

Diabetics have one thing in common with cancer patients: they tend to have a an overly acidic body. It is thought by many who understand that "food is medicine" that the root of all disease is an acidic body. Furthermore, those same people believe that to cure whatever ails you must get the pH of your body back in balance - you must achieve a slightly alkaline body of about 7.2.

Since lemons are one of the most alkalizing foods you can eat, you may want to read my article:

"Diabetic Diet: How Lemons and Lemon Water Can Help Cure Diabetes"

The link between the pH of the body and diseases like type 2 diabetes is not a new idea. In 1933, Dr. William Howard Hay stated,

"...we have allowed our alkalies to be dissipated by introduction of acid-forming food in too great amount... It may seem strange to say that all disease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of expression, but it is verily so."

For decades this concept was largely lost but thankfully it has been resurrected by the alternative health community. Once again, we are beginning to understand how important it is to keep a healthy pH in our bodies.

We now know that most diseases thrive in an acidic body. Harmful bacteria, fungus, and parasites all do well if the body is acidic. In order to cure diabetes (and many of the complications of diabetes such as inflammation), you will need to work on changing the pH of your acidic body back to a more alkaline level.

High acidity causes insulin resistance! It is imperative that you get your body to the right pH if you want to reverse your diabetes.

The magical optimal pH seems to be 7.2 which is slightly alkaline.

Here are the ranges:

0 - 6.9 = acidic
7 = neutral
7.1 - 14 = alkaline

The acidity or alkalinity of the body is determined by measuring the pH of the body. You can get test strips from your local drugstore that you can dip into your urine and saliva and determine your pH. The pH scale ranges from 0 - 14 with a score of 7.0 being neutral. Lower than 7 and the pH is considered "acidic" and higher than 7 and the pH is "alkaline." Remember, your target pH is not neutral but slightly alkaline - or about 7.2.

A pH below 6.5 is considered really low (way too acidic). A pH below 6.0 is considered extremely too low (extremely and dangerously too acidic).

It is very important to note that the pH scale is NOT linear - it is logarithmic (like the Richter Scale used to measure the intensity of earthquakes). This means there is a difference of 10 times between a pH of 6 versus a pH of 7.

Take a look at this:

pH 6 vs pH 7 = 10 times different (pH 6 is 10 times more acidic than pH 7)
pH 5 vs pH 7 = 100 times different (pH 5 is 100 times more acidic than pH 7)
pH 4 vs pH 7 = 1000 times different (pH 4 is 1000 times more acidic than pH 7)

pH 7 vs pH 8 = 10 times different (pH 7 is 10 times more alkaline than pH 8)
pH 7 vs pH 9 = 100 times different (pH 7 is 100 times more alkaline than pH 9)
pH 7 vs pH 10 = 1000 times different (pH 7 is 1000 times more alkaline than pH 10)

A 0.1 difference in acidity is actually more significant than you may think.

Also note: the term "alkaline" (a pH greater than 7) is sometimes referred to as "basic."

This also means that one point on the pH scale is hugely significant! The difference between 7.2 (your target pH) and 6.2 (way too acidic) is 10 times! Remember, even a tenth of a point is quite significant. It also means that the human body, and all life for that matter, can only operate within a rather narrow range on the pH scale. Relatively small shifts within this narrow range for life can make the difference between a healthy person and one that has diabetes and/or other diseases.

Basically, I'm trying to stress that the pH of the body really matters if you're serious about reversing your diabetes!

The main way you can get your body to the right pH is to eat the right foods. Some foods will cause your body to become very acidic. Other foods will help your body to move more toward the alkaline side. You can't cut out all the acidic foods by the way because they have nutrients you need. However, there are certain foods that are SO acid producing, you really should avoid them. Plus, you need to learn how balance things out and keep your body slightly alkaline - it's not just what you eat but also the combinations that you eat and the quantities of each that you eat.

To learn more about how to use food to keep your body slightly alkaline and how to avoid a highly acidic body that will flat out prevent you from being able to cure your diabetes (no matter how much you exercise, lose weight, eat healthy foods, etc), I highly recommend the information you'll find here.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Why Is Whole Foods Using So Much Canola Oil?

I went shopping at Whole Foods recently. I've been reading about how much canola oil they use in their hot foods and in their private label products. I had some extra time to browse so I really paid careful attention to the ingredient labels while I was there. I am sad to report that Whole Foods puts canola oil is most all of their products! It is alarming, in fact, how wide spread this noxious ingredient  really is!

I recently wrote about the dangers of canola oil to the diabetic because of trans fat and other reasons. I entitled the article, "What Is Canola Oil and Should Diabetics Avoid It?" I really encourage you to take the time to read it because I have researched this in depth. I also strongly encourage you to click on the red button at the top of the page and watch the video and get the information they recommend. This resource has so much more information than I have on this site about the oils you should be avoiding if you want to reverse your diabetes and the ones you should be consuming to help with the process of curing your diabetes and healing your body.

Back to my Whole Foods "safari." I looked at virtually every salad dressing they had in the refrigerated section near the veggies. It all contained canola oil! This was mostly private label stuff. Then I looked at the pre-made sauces too - same thing - loaded with canola oil - in fact canola oil was often the first ingredient! Then I hit the meat counter and took a look at the sausages - the sausage that they grind/mix there in the store had guess what? More canola oil! Why?!? Why do they have to put canola oil in sausage?!? Good grief! Even worse... they add it to their smoked salmon spread. What's that about? Does that stretch it? Stretch the expensive salmon with super cheap canola oil so they make more profit?

You guys do realize why food manufacturers love canola oil so much, right? It is because it is dirt cheap! In other words, if they can load a dip or sausage or a salad dressing or a pre-made sauce or any other food item with dirt cheap canola oil and still sell it at a high price, they'll make a higher profit margin.

Next, I wandered over to the non-refrigerated isles of the store. It seemed like every item I picked up contained canola oil. Whole Foods, what are you doing? You should be a leader in not having canola oil! I saw more canola oil in their private label items than in the other brands they carry.... I kid you not! I could hardly believe that one.

Then I walked over to the hot foods section. It smelled delicious of course (I was getting hungry by this time) but sure enough when I talked with the employees, they told me it contained canola oil. I didn't buy anything because when I hear the words "canola oil" I think "POISON!" (and so should you!)

Canola oil = Hidden Unlabeled Trans Fat = POISON = Diabetes and Other Diseases Like Heart Disease

Canola Oil = Genetically Modified Organism (or seriously contaminated with it) = POISON = Diabetes and Other Diseases Like Heart Disease

I've been doing some serious digging online to find out more about the canola oil situation at Whole Foods and I plan to write much more about this in the upcoming weeks. For now, I encourage you to visit the Whole Foods contact page where you will find several email addresses you can send comments to. Before you do, however, you may want to educate yourself even more and click on the red button at the top of this page. This is information I used to cure my diabetes. It is always best to be armed with a lot of knowledge when you speak out about things like this. Stay tuned for more to come from me too. Those of us who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are more acutely aware of these issues, aren't we?

Get Healthy and Stay Healthy!

Maxine

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Can Sex Help Reverse Diabetes?

It's way late night so I thought it would be a good time to introduce this provocative topic :-)

I've written about the importance of reducing stress in reversing your diabetes before. When humans are stressed out, a very powerful hormone called cortisol surges. It has been shown that if cortisol remains high all the time, it causes insulin resistance. To put this another way, cortisol contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Cortisol can also interfere with your efforts to reverse diabetes. Even if you modify your diet and get plenty of exercise, if you remain overly stressed out, it will be very difficult for you to reverse diabetes because you'll have too much cortisol pumping through your system.

Now for the good news -- great news really!

When humans have sex, cortisol is dramatically lowered almost instantly. So, in answer to the question, "Can sex help reverse diabetes?" Yes, most definitely, and this is the key to it.

Sex not only lowers cortisol, but the "feel good" oxytocin surges with reciprocal intimate touching between partners. This physical and emotional connection greatly reduces stress which in turn reduces cortisol which in turn paves the way for the reversal of your diabetes. When you lower stress, you lower one of the main hormones that causes insulin resistance.

So, the next time your significant other is resisting the amorous mood, you can let them know that you really need their help in reversing your diabetes ;-)

Please make sure to check to out the information behind the big red button at the top of the page.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Diabetic Diet: How Lemon and Lemon Water Can Help Cure Diabetes

Hi. I originally wrote the following article on using lemons to help cure diabetes for syndication on other websites. It has gotten such a positive response, I wanted to post it here on my personal blog as well. I will add that you should try to get organic lemons whenever possible since they contain even higher levels of the nutrients I describe below. If you don't get organic lemons, be sure to wash the outer lemon thoroughly before you slice into it to remove the residual pesticides.

I started buying fresh lemons by the bag after I found out how they can help cure diabetes. They are quite literally a miracle from Mother Nature! I have always loved fresh lemon but now I make an extra effort to eat lots of them. In fact, I believe lemons should be an important staple in every diabetic diet.

Lemon Lowers the Glycemic Index of Other Foods

Research has shown that lemon lowers the glycemic index of any food it is added to. And... we are not talking a few points here. The drop is very significant! To benefit from this, all you have to do is add a little squeeze of fresh lemon over your food. Almost like waving a magic wand, this will instantly lower the glycemic index of your meal. Best of all, lemon is such an excellent flavor enhancer, it makes many foods taste better too. I often add a squeeze of fresh lemon to a hot bowl of soup (yum!), casseroles, stove top goulashes, stir-fries, almost any kind of salad (including salads containing fruit), and sauteed vegetables (especially greens!). Anything with chicken or fish of course tastes especially good with lemon. Please note that it is best to add the fresh lemon right before you eat the food because lemon becomes bitter when it is cooked. If you cook it in soup, for example, the soup will be a little bitter and the health benefits won't be quite as great.

Have A Glass of Lemon Water First Thing In the Morning

A glass of lemon water is the perfect way for a diabetic to start the day. Most people start their day with coffee (very acidic) and food that shift the pH of the body toward the acid side. However, if you shift the pH back toward the alkaline side, you will notice your blood sugar will go down. Moreover, your cell membranes will become more sensitive to insulin - i.e. you will be LESS insulin resistant. In fact, this will actually aid your body in repairing those damaged cell membranes.

Although lemons contain a weak acid, when they are metabolized by the body they have an alkalizing effect. If fact, they are the strongest alkalizing food you can eat! This is why adding lemon to your diet can go a long way toward restoring the pH of your body to the alkaline side where it should be. It has been found that most diabetics have a very acidic body pH (as have cancer patients). Bringing your body back to the alkaline side will go a long way toward helping to cure your diabetes.

Making lemon water is very easy. Just squeeze the juice from a half lemon (or a full lemon if you are a larger person) into a glass of water, swirl it around a little, and drink it up. Do this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach before you have your coffee or breakfast. Also, if you roll the lemon on the counter under the palm of your hand, you will get more juice out of it.

Lemons Have TWICE the Vitamin C As Oranges

This was a fact that surprised me as you always hear that orange juice is so loaded with vitamin C. Well, the orange's citrus cousin has it beat with twice the vitamin C. Most people don't realize but vitamin C is an extremely powerful antioxidant. It is important to note that vitamin C  taken in the form of food is much better absorbed by the body than vitamin C taken in the form of a pill!
Vitamin C is at least part of the reason lemons interact with the cell membrane and make it less insulin resistant. However, vitamin C also has other very important benefits to the diabetic as well. For example, it increases the production of collagen which strengthens blood vessels. This is key since many diabetics have problems with circulation and arterial damage.

Aids In Repairing Digestion

Most diabetics have impaired digestive enzymes and lowered acidity in the stomach. This means that they don't always reap the full benefit from the nutritious food they eat. Lemon goes a long way toward curing this problem as well.

Eating Lemons Is Just One Important Thing You Need To Know About Curing Your Diabetes Naturally

Don't let anyone fool you. It is possible to cure type 2 diabetes. I cured my diabetes! I went from a HgAC1 of 10.6 to less than 6 (my last reading was 5.2) in less than 6 months and I've been able to keep it that way. When I was first diagnosed, they were giving me insulin and then they wanted me to take a variety of prescription drugs. I finally said, "NO!" and I shopped around to find another doctor who would support my efforts to cure my diabetes naturally. To cure my diabetes, I used the techniques described in in this video and the resources it describes

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Best Way You Can Help Others Cure Diabetes

If you want to have a strong voice in helping others cure diabetes, the best way you can do so is to cure your own diabetes or pre-diabetes using natural methods and then share this experience with others. Your friends, co-workers, family members, etc will really pay attention to what you have to say if you can prove to them that what you say actually works. They will see how healthy and happy you are and how you no longer have to take diabetes medication. This more than anything else will inspire them.

Do you have a stubborn spouse, parent, child, friend who refused to believe that diabetes is curable? Don't tell them, show them! You can also offer them this information which is based on very solid scientific data. It is also the most comprehensive source of information for curing diabetes naturally that I have seen to date.

So, how do you first cure your own diabetes? The key to doing this is to have the right information. You need information like I linked above because if you skip even one essential step, you may not be able to fully cure your diabetes. Of course, every healthy step you take is worthwhile but to really cure your diabetes completely, you need to make sure you are not skipping anything important.

Next, you want to make sure you get your blood tested at least every 3-6 months so you can PROVE to yourself, your doctor, and to everyone else that you actually are curing your diabetes.  The main test you want to use is not just a simple finger prick because that just tests the glucose level in your blood at that precise moment. The glucose in one's blood varies widely and can be dramatically different just a few minutes later. Therefore, testing blood sugar this way doesn't really prove anything. What you need to be more concerned about is the average level of glucose in your blood across several months. If your glucose readings remain in the normal range across a long period of time, i.e. remain low on average, this can be interpreted to mean you cured your diabetes.

The best blood test to use is called called the "glycated hemoglobin test" and it is something you have to get your doctor to order - it cannot be done at home. The "glycated hemoglobin test" is usually referred to using short hand, like the "A1C" or the "HbA1C test."

What is the glycated hemoglobin test? What is the A1C test?

Glycated hemoglobin is hemoglobin that sugar has attached to because there is an excess of sugar in your blood. The red blood cells in your body live on average about 4 months.  If your blood glucose is elevated all the time, the glycated hemoglobin will build up in the your blood because it takes so long for red blood cells to replace themselves. While it is normal to have a low level of glycated hemoglobin, diabetics and others with insulin resistance (pre-diabetics) will have higher than normal levels. The exact cut-off for what is considered "normal" varies somewhat but anything over 6.5 is definitely in the diabetes range. Some say anything over 6 is diabetes. Other say this is "pre-diabetes." I personally don't think it much matters what you call it as long as you can get it down below 6 and keep it there! Most non-diabetics will produce a A1C reading of 5 point something.

Remember, there is no cure using modern medical techniques, so to cure diabetes, the only option is to use methods. I say this from personal experience. Bringing down your own blood sugar and keeping it down using natural methods (explained in a very detailed way in the link I provide above) is the best way to convince others that they too can cure their own diabetes! It tells them it is indeed possible to do so.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Help Me Convince Trader Joe's Not To Use Canola Oil In Their Products

Two days ago I posted a very long article entitled, "What Is Canola Oil and Should Diabetics Avoid It?" The bottom line take home message was to warn diabetics of all the dangers of including canola oil in their diet and to avoid the stuff like the plaque. Canola oil only makes diabetes worse and its widespread use starting in the 1990's is probably partially responsible for our current diabetes epidemic. If you have not had a chance to read this article and you don't know how bad for you canola oil is for you, please click on the link above and read through the article carefully.

Trader Joe's has a policy that they do not include genetically modified products (GMO) in their store branded products. However, I have noticed canola oil is in a significant number of their store branded products. Since the vast majority of canola oil is a genetically modified product, I talked with the store manager at my local Trader Joe's and asked him how they could have this policy of no GMO ingredients and still have canola oil in so many of their products. He told me that Trader Joe's uses only canola oil that is not GMO. I told him that even if they made an effort to use non-GMO rapeseed to produce canola oil that most of that is highly contaminated with GMO (this has been tested and makes sense since it is wind pollinated).  I also attempted to explain to him all the OTHER problems with canola oil, such as it being full of trans fat (which causes type 2 diabetes to develop and will prevent you from curing it!) due to the processing, but he told me there was nothing he could do. He also said the way to get these things changed is to contact the home office directly and he suggested doing so through the website.

So, I am asking my readers to please contact Trader Joe's through their website (click the link and it will take you straight to their contact form) and explain to them why you don't want them to remove canola oil as an ingredient in all of their products. If you are diabetic, you may want to mention this as well. You may want to explain to them that food is medicine for the diabetic and canola oil is essentially poison. Trader Joe's is known for working with their manufacturers to institute ingredient substitutions so if enough of us contact them, we can make a difference. I have told them that I read the food labels on every Trader Joe's product I buy and if it has canola oil, I will not buy it.

One of the main reasons so many food manufacturers use canola oil is because it is so much cheaper than other oils. I have told Trader Joe's that I would be willing to pay a little more for a product that contained a healthy oil like coconut oil and olive oil instead of canola oil. You may want to do the same as this may motivate them even more. Thank you for helping guys!

If you came to my blog looking for how to reverse diabetes, click on the link for an incredible comprehensive resource which will give you far more detail than I can give you on my personal blog.

Friday, August 12, 2011

What Is Canola Oil and Should Diabetics Avoid It?

In the various online diabetes communities I belong to, I have noticed a lot of participants asking questions like, "What is canola oil?" and "Is canola oil healthy for diabetics?" I decided it was time for me to address this issue on my "Reverse Diabetes Naturally" blog. This post is really long because the issue is rather complicated but I encourage you to read it to the end because it is information you really need to have.

I'd first like to get right to the bottom line because I don't want anyone to miss the most important take home message of this post: diabetics should avoid canola oil like the plague! It is truly dangerous to your health and it most likely even contributed to the rise in diabetes over the last 2 decades as it first came into use on a wide scale.

First of all, there is no such thing as a "canola plant" as I have been asked several times. Canola oil is derived from rapeseed which is a weed (a type of grass) that has also been cultivated. Wild rapeseed and early cultivars of rapeseed have extremely high levels of a toxic fatty acid (oil) called erucic acid. Wild animals avoid rapeseed and pet birds that are given bird seed containing rapeseed "mysteriously" fall ill and die. You don't want to be eating this stuff or anything derived from it.

The traditional cultures of Japan, China, Indonesia, and India used rapeseed oil in their cooking and it was noted by the medical community that they were getting legions in their hearts and cancer at a much higher frequency than in other parts of the world. This caused a erucic acid panic of sorts and prompted agriculturists to develop a strain of rapeseed through genetic selection that greatly reduced (but did not eliminate) the erucic acid. It was mostly replaced with oleic acid. Scientists love acronyms so this new strain was named LEAR which stands for "Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed." I occasionally see products labeled as containing LEAR, especially in ethnic grocery stores (in the US). I've also seen it on some "health food" labels but it is NOT healthy!

The reason these cultures used rapeseed oil is that it is dirt cheap and can be produced relatively easily on a small scale by a local peddler. In fact, it is the cheapest of all the cheap oils. I think it is very important to note here (and I will be posting more about this in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned) that those traditional peoples who also got a good amount of saturated fat in their diet were partially protected from the ill effects of rapeseed oil.  However, these sources of saturated fats (which included coconut oil, palm oil, ghee, and butter) were/are also much more expensive and the poorest of the poor could not afford these and therefore had higher incidence of heart legions and cancer because they did not have enough saturated fat to protect them. Moreover, modern science, through experiments on rats, has shown that saturated fats DO indeed protect against canola and rapeseed (more in later posts).

Later on, LEAR was dubbed "canola oil" which is sort of a contraction for "Canadian oil" because most of the LEAR grown in the world at that time was in Canada - and they were trying to come up with a term that sounded more user friendly and "healthy" (it is not healthy!).

Next in the evolution of "modern rapeseed oil" (modern canola oil) was to create a GMO crop of canola - genetically modified to resist Monsanto herbicides. This was touted as wonderful because this increased the crop yield per square acre so much. More is good, right? Wrong - not when it causes severe health effects. Diabetics, and everyone else for that matter, should stay away from ALL GMO foods - ALL of them, no exceptions. We are only just beginning to learn how hazardous these GMO foods are to the human body but we know they are hazardous and they have already been shown to cause insulin resistance (aka type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes). Nothing makes me angrier than the GMO issues (well, maybe the trans fat issue is tied for first place) but I'll leave the full blown discussion of this to other posts. For now, if you have diabetes or you have the potential to develop diabetes, you should do everything you can to avoid genetically modified foods. Keep in mind that GMO is very different from old fashioned genetic selection - in GMO you are actually ADDING GENES to to DNA, usually from microrganisms/other species.

Okay, back to why I am urging all diabetics (and everyone else) to NOT use canola oil. There are many reasons for this but here are some of the top ones:

1. Canola oil has a lot of trans fat even if it is not labeled that way!! Raw unprocessed LEAR or "canola oil" has more than 10% of its content as omega 3 fatty acids (an EFA - essential fatty acid) which of course is healthy for the human body and something most of don't get enough of. This is one of the points Unilever and other companies that sell canola oil use to market it. HOWEVER, and this is a HUGE however, the omega 3 contained in canola oil is converted to trans fat during processing and trans fat is one of the worst things a diabetic can eat! Omega 3 spoils very easily and therefore has a very short shelf life. Big food manufacturing companies can stand this as it cuts into their big profits. Plus, spoilage means offensive odor. So what do they do? They put the raw canola oil through a "deodorization" process where they heat the oil to incredibly high temps to convert the omega-3 to trans fat which doesn't spoil - of course it doesn't, it has no life left in it! I am currently investigating HOW they get away with not labeling canola oil as containing trans fat and I will report back when I have more information. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the question, "Does canola oil contain trans fat?" be answered as "no" but this is just not true at all!  In fact, a University of Florida research study showed that canola oil had 4.6% trans fat (very high) - and it was NOT labeled as such.  And... why does this matter so much? Trans fat causes diabetes and perpetuates diabetes! You need to eliminate it 100% from your diet.

2. Even though many stores and products claim that they use the form of canola that is non-GMO - Whole Foods in their hot foods bar and Trader Joe's in their private label products like blue corn chips (they both state they use no GMO crops) - they do not seem to understand yet that non-GMO canola planted in the field is highly contaminated with  GMO canola. In fact, even wild rapeseed grass (including the wild rapeseed growing in refuges and on roadsides) is so contaminated with GMO that it has been shown that as much as 80% is actually GMO!! Rapeseed is pollinated by the wind and the GMO version spreads like wildfire - literally! This is a staggering statistic that has severe potential human health consequences as well as conservation consequences to wildlife. I find it absolutely mind boggling that the government isn't doing anything about this (more about this later too). It is interesting that no food in the US can be labeled as "organic" if it contains canola oil, no matter if it is supposedly non-GMO or not! So, there is no such thing as "organic canola oil."

3. Well, this post is getting really long (sorry, I am quite passionate about this topic) so I'll try to keep this shorter but there have been several experiments with lab animals and livestock that show ill effects, even death, from LEAR/canola oil, GMO and non-GMO. The effect is somewhat mitigated by the addition of saturated fats as I mentioned earlier but they are still far greater than those that are given no canola oil at all. The ill effects include the clumping of blood cells, vitamin E deficiency, heart legions (with canola too, not just the original rapeseed) and significantly shortened lifespan.

So, please remember the most important take home message - diabetics (and all others) should avoid canola oil like the plague. I personally go way out of my way to not touch the stuff and I let deli counters, restaurants, stores, food companies, etc know why and I encourage you to do the same - we can make a difference when these companies realize it is going to cost them money and we are taking notice. I also encourage you to check out this reverse diabetes guide because there is so much more information you need if you are really serious about reversing your diabetes and curing it naturally like I and many other have. Information is power as they say. I try to share my knowledge on this blog but in the end it is just a personal blog and it is no where near all you need to know.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Anthocyanin - Why Diabetics Should Eat A lot Of It

About a week ago, I posted a long article about why diabetics should choose blue corn chips over yellow corn chips and white corn chips. In that article, I reported that blue corn has a very powerful antioxidant of the flavonoid variety called anthocyanin (anthocyanidins when they are not coupled to a sugar). I want to discuss anthocyanin in more detail because I think it is something every diabetic should know about. Moreover, I think every diabetic should make sure to include lots of foods that contain high levels of this antioxidant in their diet as often as possible - this is one of the important steps to take to reverse diabetes.

As I reported in the previous article, anthocyanin works to strengthen the walls of small blood vessels in the body, especially the really tiny capillaries like the ones you find in the eyes and lower extremities. What I did not report last week is that gastro anthropologists now believe that human beings used to get FAR more anthocyanin in our diet than we do today. When humans were collecting their food from hunting and gathering food directly from the wild, we were eating much higher quantities of foods that contain anthocyanin. Wild berries are exceptionally high in in this miraculous antioxidant and it is thought we ate a lot of berries and other fruits that contain high quantities of anthocyanin. Probably one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself (and your family) is go out and pick some wild berries and eat until your heart's content (and save some for the winter too).

Besides anthocyanin, there are many other healthy reasons diabetics should consider picking wild berries. In fact, I posted an article about this last July called, "Why All Diabetics Should Go Berry Picking This Weekend." Of course, berry season is upon us again so I suggest you go out and get some of nature's most delicious "medicine" to eat fresh now and also stow away some in zip lock bags to throw into the freezer for later. Plus, have you checked out the prices of organic blackberries lately - almost $5 per pint. Don't get me wrong - I support local organic farmers whenever I can and I totally understand the reasons they have to charge more and I believe it is more than worth it to pay extra for organic, but there's also something very satisfying about gathering an expensive food from the wild for free - and knowing it's even healthier than cultivated organic food! Check with local nature groups, parks, and interpretive centers as you can often find free guided tours showing you how to find wild edible berries this time of year. Your local boy scout leaders are also usually really good sources for information on edible wild foods in your specific area.

Back to anthocyanin... one of the most common complication of diabetes is vessel damage and weakened circulation. It is the high blood sugar that causes this damage. It eats away the lining of the vessels, weakening the the smallest ones faster. Too much of this happening in the eyes can cause blindness, aka retinopathy (damage to the retina). There are also many small vessels in the feet and if they are damaged it is quite easy to get ulcers in the feet. Sometimes when there isn't enough blood circulation in the feet, it can lead to and amputation of the foot and the lower leg (they usually cut the leg just under the knee). This is devastating of course and I really urge all my fellow diabetics to eat plenty of foods that contain anthocyanin.

Okay, so... Which foods contain the most anthocyanin? Basically you are looking for dark blue, deep red, and purple food. Dark "bluish" berries are #1 on the list. Berries like blueberries (and the closely related bilberries found in Europe - YUM by the way), blackberries, etc... Now, edible red berries like raspberries and thimbleberries (excellent one to hunt in the wild because they never sell these in the store) also contain a good amount of anthocyanin. Blueberries are my personal favorite when I purchase them but nothing beats the variety you find out in nature - berries the stores don't even carry. In fact, wild berries even contain more variety of anthocyanin than cultivated berries. Eggplant, cherries (the darker the better), pomegranate, plums, dark grapes, red wine, blue corn, black beans, avocado, sweet potato, purple cabbage, beets, and even purple potatoes (which you can often find at a farmer's market) contain large quantities of anthocyanin. Organic varieties and heirlooms tend to have more anthocyanin.  Even wild tomatoes of long ago had significant quantities of anthocyanin. The dark pigment in black pepper is also due to anthocyanin.

Remember that if you want to reverse diabetes through natural means, you need information that you're not going to get at your doctor's office. While I'm glad you found this article that I've written, this is only one piece of the puzzle and you would benefit greatly from a comprehensive report that would detail all the information you need. From my research, this reverse diabetes report is the best one available. It describes the same natural techniques I have used to reverse my diabetes. I wish you all the best and I hope that you are successful at curing your diabetes like I did.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

To Reverse Diabetes You May Need To Shop For a New Doctor

Regardless of the over-whelming evidence that you can reverse diabetes, "traditional medicine" seems to be firmly entrenched in on the idea that you cannot reverse diabetes. If you ask a traditional doctor or nurse, "Is there a cure for diabetes?" you will more than likely be told that there is no cure for diabetes.

However, the answer should really be: there is no cure for diabetes in traditional medicine.

But... there IS a cure for diabetes in NON-traditional medicine (just click on the big red button at the top to learn the details).

In fact, thousands of diabetics (including me) have used non-traditional methods (alternative methods) to cure their diabetes. It is possible to cure diabetes with these more natural approaches.

I like to use myself as an example so I encourage you to check out my last hemoglobin test (HbA1c test) and also my blood sugar experiment which proves I really have cured my diabetes.

If you are working to reverse your diabetes, it is very important for you to have a good working relationship with your doctor and you are both on the same page working toward the same goal. While some type 2 diabetics can cut their diabetic medicine cold turkey, most need to be weaned off it as their blood sugar levels improve. Your doctor will need to monitor this carefully and aid in your decision about when to reduce your medication, how much to reduce it, and when to cut it entirely. What you don't need is a "pushy" doctor telling you that you can never get off the medication and there's no way to reverse your diabetes. You also need your doctor to order your hemoglobin test on a regular basis so you can monitor your average blood sugar and also all other aspects of your health very closely and regularly.

When I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, like most people I was told I had a very serious disease, that it would definitely progress, and the best I could do was "manage" it and try to delay the inevitable complications of the disease. I was given brochures which told all about the various complications: blindness, foot and leg amputations, heart disease, suppressed immunity, and depression. The prognosis presented to me was very bleak (it's no wonder so many diabetics get depressed). I was given insulin combined with oral medication at first and then just oral medications. My doctor kept wanting to change my dosage and my medication because I kept getting the shakes due to blood sugar lows.

As a scientist and as a person who likes to research things thoroughly, I searched the literature and every other resource I could find for how to reverse diabetes. It wasn't long before I became 100% convinced it was possible to completely cure type 2 diabetes. However, as I was piecing this all together, I would attempt to talk with my ex-doctor (emphasis on the ex part) about reversing diabetes naturally and he would basically scoff at the idea. However, I was very determined and very convinced and it wasn't long before I realized that I needed to shop for a different doctor. It made a world of difference finding a doctor who was supportive of my goals and actually agreed that traditional medicine does not have all the answers. In fact, at one point he actually told me that he would be doing the same thing if he were in my shoes.

From what I've seen with other diabetics, it is rather typical for traditional doctors to actively work against a patient who is taking charge of their own health and using natural methods (alternative methods) to reverse their diabetes. Unfortunately, this is the way most doctors are trained in modern medicine. Sometimes traditional doctors express this overtly but other times it is more subtle. However, either way it can greatly impede your progress to cure your diabetes with natural methods.

If you have the wrong doctor, I strongly encourage you to shop for another doctor. If your current doctor isn't 100% supportive of your efforts to reverse your diabetes naturally and try to get off prescription medications, you need another doctor. While they are definitely in the minority, there are doctors traditionally trained who also understand that alternative medicine sometimes offers a patient the best course of action - diabetes is definitely one of those times as alternative medicine is far ahead of traditional medicine in curing this disease.

It is best to be very upfront when interviewing a doctor and tell them that you intend to reverse your diabetes naturally and you would like to know how supportive they are of that goal - you really need to have a "heart to heart" very candid discussion with them. If they hesitate or you get any kind of bad vibe, it is probably best to just say thank you very much and go interview another doctor. Don't be hesitant at all to interview different doctors - remember it is YOUR body and your life and you have the right to work with a doctor who will fully support your efforts - also remember, doctors work for you, not the other way around. Your chance of successfully curing your diabetes will be much higher if you take charge of your own health and find the right doctor.

Before you go doctor shopping, you really need to be fully prepared. If you are going to reverse your diabetes, you need knowledge of how to do this and you need to be confident in that knowledge. You also need complete information so you don't miss any crucial steps. I have reviewed many materials on how to reverse diabetes and I think overall, the information you'll find on this site (click link) is the most helpful single resource I have found. It describes in detail the same methods I used to cure my diabetes and I find the information to be very reliable and very well researched.