Is Preventing Type 2 Diabetes with Diet Really Possible? YES!!!
According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. It is a chronic disease that usually leads to many painful, serious, and disabling health conditions before it turns fatal. Because of these dangers, you would think preventing type 2 diabetes is at the top of everyone’s health goals. You would be wrong.
Unfortunately, the majority of people do not focus on preventing type 2 diabetes. This is despite the fact that 30 million adults in the U.S. suffer from diabetes. This is despite the fact that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 84 million more American adults have prediabetes. (Statistics show that prediabetes usually turns into diabetes within 5-10 years if preventative steps aren’t taken.)
These figures don’t even include the number of children affected by type 2 diabetes. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017, issued by the Centers for Disease Control, 132,000 children and adolescents in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes. This figure includes type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but only 5% of people with diabetes are estimated to have type 1.
Still…many people do not take diabetes seriously…even if they have multiple risk factors…even if they have prediabetes…even if their children are affected by diabetes.
And that can be a tragic mistake.
Why preventing type 2 diabetes is so important
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the cells cannot use glucose properly. This usually occurs when the cells become resistant to insulin, the hormone responsible for “unlocking” the doors of the cells.
When you consume carbohydrates, your body converts them to glucose which is then absorbed into your bloodstream. Your blood sugar levels rise. Your pancreas releases a sufficient amount of insulin to move the excess glucose from your bloodstream to your cells. (If you take your blood sugar readings several times after a meal with a blood sugar monitor, you’ll see your blood sugar levels gradually fall as the insulin removes the glucose from your bloodstream.)
But if you overload the bloodstream with sugar and starchy carbs, the system is overwhelmed. There is too much glucose for insulin to handle, so it sends most of it to your fat cells. If you eat a steady diet of low-quality foods, ie, refined carbs and sugars, your cells become resistant to insulin. They no longer accept it, which not only leads to more glucose stored as fat, but it also leads to consistently high blood sugar levels. This contributes to prediabetes and then diabetes.
When blood sugar levels are too high, it causes damage to blood vessels and nerves. The most common areas of damage are the hands, feet, kidneys, heart, and eyes. However, high blood sugar can negatively affect nearly every organ in the body, which makes preventing type 2 diabetes especially important.
Complications of chronically high blood sugar levels (diabetes)
Complications of chronically high blood sugar levels can include:
- Heart Disease
- Stroke
- Kidney Disease/Failure
- Nerve Damage/Neuropathy
- Gallbladder Disease
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Retinopathy (A type of eye disease that can lead to blindness)
- Amputation
- Obesity
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes
There are several risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Below are the most common ones:
Poor-Quality Diet: Studies show that eating a poor-quality diet is a key factor in developing type 2 diabetes. Specifically, overconsumption of simple carbohydrates; ie, processed carbs devoid of fiber; sugars; and heavily processed foods increase the risk of obesity and insulin resistance. Both obesity and insulin resistance almost inevitably leads to type 2 diabetes. Improving your diet, as you’ll see in a minute, is the best method for preventing type 2 diabetes.
Sedentary Lifestyle: Not getting enough regular physical activity has been shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. That’s because exercise increases insulin sensitivity. Exercise also burns glucose, helping to lower blood glucose levels.
Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome: Research shows that having any of the 4 symptoms of metabolic syndrome — increased blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess belly fat, and abnormal cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels — increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other diseases.
Increased Age: As you get older, your risk for developing type 2 diabetes increases. According to the Centers for Disease Control, adults ages 45 to 64 were the most diagnosed age group for type 2 diabetes in 2015. However, the number of younger people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate.
Family History: Having a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, with type 2 diabetes increases your risk of developing this disease, too.
Obesity: Being overweight or obese significantly increases your risk for type 2 diabetes. In fact, obesity is the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes
Obesity is not only a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but type 2 diabetes is also a risk factor for obesity. These two diseases are so interrelated that you’ll rarely find one without the other. The term “diabesity” has even been coined to describe the symbiosis between these two diseases. What is the connection?
Well, both obesity and type 2 diabetes are symptoms of the same underlying metabolic disorder, namely insulin resistance. Studies show, for instance, that obesity causes and is caused by insulin resistance.
The Centers for Disease Control states that 90% of those who are obese will eventually develop type 2 diabetes. And what percentage of diabetics would you guess are obese? That’s right. Approximately 90%. This makes losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight with a high-quality SANE Diet doubly effective at preventing type 2 diabetes.
Preventing type 2 diabetes with SANE weight loss
Are you ready, then, to learn an awesome, easy way of preventing type 2 diabetes with weight loss? Or are you hesitant, fearful even, afraid you’re going to fail again? After all, you’ve tried dozens of diets in the past few years or decades. All of them promised miracle weight loss results. All of them said they would help you take the weight off and keep it off.
Somehow, though, you failed to lose the weight long-term. Either you just couldn’t stay on the diet, or you lost 20 or 30 pounds, only to gain back every last stinking pound — plus an additional 10 for good measure!
First off, let’s get one thing straight…you did NOT fail those diets. They failed YOU. There is a reason traditional diets have been proven to fail more than 95% of the time. They are ineffective because they are all based on the false premise that you need to consciously control your calorie intake, creating a calorie deficit to lose weight. That is 100% false.
It is true that a calorie deficit will cause weight loss. But those pounds lost do not come from your fat stores; most of them come from muscle. In fact, slashing calories (starvation or crash dieting) in this way only causes you to gain the weight back as soon as you go off the diet. It also elevates your setpoint weight so that you gain more weight than you lost. Your body does this as added insurance against future starvation.
The setpoint weight and weight loss
Your body is an amazing machine, well able to regulate your weight just as it regulates your respiration, heartbeat, and dozens of other “automatic” functions. Your brain, digestive system, and hormones communicate with each other through a sophisticated continual feedback loop to coordinate the activities to keep your level of fat at what your body “thinks” it should have. Your setpoint weight is the number on the scales that your weight tends to hover around, give or take 10-15 pounds.
The minute you go on a starvation diet, your body panics. The cells are not getting the nutrition they need. Your fat stores, what it thinks you need to have to survive, are in danger of being depleted. So, your body activates hormonal signals to make sure that doesn’t happen. These hormones make you hungry, cold, weak, dizzy, and irritable. These hormones slow your metabolism and direct most of your calories to your fat stores. To nourish your all-important fat stores, your body starts burning muscle. This is why your diets fail and why you always gain the weight back. Starvation dieting also raises your setpoint weight.
Going on a starvation diet is working against your survival mechanism, and this never works for long-term weight loss. The only way to lose weight permanently — and the best method of preventing type 2 diabetes — is to lower your setpoint weight. When you do that, you will lose weight easily without effort. No counting calories or points.
One of the best ways to lower your setpoint weight is to switch to a high-quality diet. This involves reducing or eliminating low-quality foods and replacing them with high-quality SANE foods.
Preventing type 2 diabetes by removing these foods
Removing or eliminating these types of foods will help you meet your goal of preventing type 2 diabetes, as this not only stabilizes blood sugar levels but also helps lower your setpoint weight.
Refined sugars and carbohydrates
Refined sugars and carbohydrates are ones that are devoid of fiber. “White foods” such as white sugar, white rice, and white flour fall into this category. Because they have no fiber, refined sugars and carbohydrates are rapidly digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, which can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels. Try to cut down on all foods containing added sugar, even if it is not white sugar (sucrose.) Even brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup spike blood sugar levels, which can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods are ones containing multiple chemicals that make them look, taste, and smell like “real” food, but they have none of the qualities of real food. They are devoid of fiber and contain few nutrients. (Food processing destroys a large percentage of nutrients.) Like refined sugars and carbohydrates, ultra-processed foods are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing rapid spikes in blood sugar levels. The chemicals they contain also contribute to inflammation, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, so avoiding ultra-processed foods is a major step toward preventing type 2 diabetes.
Grains
Though the government and most nutritional “experts” sing the praises of grains, they are not good for your setpoint weight or for preventing type 2 diabetes, and that includes whole grains. The body breaks grains down into glucose within a short while after consumption, causing huge spikes in blood sugar levels.
Preventing type 2 diabetes with the SANE diet
The SANE diet is the best way to prevent type 2 diabetes. The foods you’ll eat are delicious, have no effect on blood sugar levels, and have been proven to lower setpoint weight. There are 4 SANE Food groups. Here is a brief overview of the plan.
Non-starchy vegetables
Enjoy at least 10 servings per day. Either fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables at each main deal (at least 3 servings per meal) or blend them into tasty green smoothies.
Non-starchy vegetables contain loads of fiber. Research shows fiber fills you up fast and keeps you full for a long time, slows down glucose absorption, and regulates blood sugar levels.
Non-starchy vegetable examples:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Eggplant
- Endive
- Spinach
Nutrient-dense proteins
3-5 servings per day, 30-55 grams per meal
Protein also slows down glucose absorption, and it has little effect on your blood sugar levels.
Nutrient-Dense Protein Examples
- Cottage Cheese
- Egg Whites
- Grass-Fed Beef
- Liver
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- Salmon
Whole-food fats
3-6 servings per day
Studies show medium-chain fatty acids, such as those found in coconut, can balance blood sugar levels. They can also serve as your body’s preferred fuel source — but only if you replace sugars and refined carbs with whole-food fats.
Whole-food fat examples:
- Almonds
- Cocoa/Cacao
- Coconut
- Flax Seeds
- Macadamias
- Olives
Low-fructose fruits
0-3 servings per day
You can also feel free to enjoy a serving of low-fructose fruit as an occasional treat.
Low-fructose fruit examples:
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Goji Berries
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Strawberries
Eating a SANE Diet will help you permanently lose weight and prevent type 2 diabetes. How awesome is that?!!!
Next step: Learn the ways of preventing type 2 diabetes with the SANE Diet
Ready to finally break free from the yo-yo dieting rollercoaster by balancing your hormones and lowering your body’s setpoint weight?
Want to know the exact foods and serving sizes that are scientifically proven by over 1,300 peer-reviewed research studies to boost metabolism, burn fat, and enjoy virtually effortless weight loss like a naturally thin person?
Download the free SANE metabolism boosting food list, cheat sheet, and “Eat More, Burn More” weight loss program by .
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