Diabetes Solution

A few nice the diet solution images I found:

Diabetes Solution

Image by Earthworm
Before Dr. Bernstein became the savior of the diabetic patient from conventional medicine, he was an engineer with Type 1 diabetes. He suffered for years on the low fat, high carb diet recommended by medical doctors. Then he came across a glucose testing machine (only available to doctors at the time; wife was a doctor so he bought one in her name and began testing his blood sugars). At which point he discovered the effect of carbs on blood sugars. He wrote an article to share this discovery with the medical institution, but they refused to print it because he wasn’t a doctor. So he went to medical school at the age of 45 just so they would. He wrote his first book in his first year of medical school because he wanted to stop further harm being done to diabetics.

This story alone was enough to convince me that he was the man to listen to regarding blood sugars and diabetes. I came across his book almost immediately as soon as I started reading about low carb diets on the net. He gave me the confidence to tell my doctor I was doing my own research. Plus the next time I ate lunch with others, two of my colleagues had read the book and one was following his advice regarding carbs (for weight reduction) so I took that as an affirming sign.

It was not until 1980 that glucose meters were sold to patients for their own use. And doctors were rather threatened that patients would become their own doctors. Which is exactly the allure for me.

He covers all the basic information regarding what foods are okay to eat and what to avoid, how to measure your blood sugars and how to analyze the information. He gives lots of practical information on the use of insulin, complementary drugs and the impact of exercise. He advises his patients to strive for a 90 mg/dl reading though others allow as high as 130. (Normal is 85.) He felt that only by self monitoring blood sugar levels would the patient be able to control their carb intake and reduce the impact of the disease. Plus seeing is believing.

He recommended the book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes so I went directly to that book to uncover more about the science since Dr. Bernstein only covers the facts and that didn’t satisfy my understanding of the problem. Although I was definitely intrigued especially by his comment about how the medical establishment got it wrong about saturated fats.

The recipes in his book did help a lot though. He had a couple of chefs come up with good tasting low carb dishes. I made the turkey stew and the zucchini with bell pepper and feta cheese dish. He does have some geeky recommendations. For instance, microwaving a slice of American cheese to make into a cheese puff that can then be used like sandwich bread. This will not win him points with the usual lot of nutrition guru books so only those who are worried about diabetes and are willing to adhere to his advice will actually come to embrace the information he offers. Thus diabetes was the gateway to my education in the field of nutrition. And since he and Taubes, both point at diabetes as related to all the other chronic diseases of civilization, this knowledge has much wider implications for my education on health as a whole.

The UltraMind Solution

Image by Earthworm
Introduced to me the relationship between compromised health and toxins in the body, mercury for instance, also the impact of nutrient deficiencies (particularly in Omega 3s) and the impact of insufficient protein, and other imbalances contributing to what he calls a "broken brain". Because so many of these imbalances contribute to psychological disorders he encourages the reader to look for biological cause before assuming psychological cause. His anecdotal evidence makes it seem like this is more often the case than not. Hard to believe though when it comes to something like autism. I’m more inclined to believe it about ADHD.

He defies criticizes conventional medical procedure which is to treat symptoms and not look for underlying causes. He describes patients coming in with "a whole list" of things wrong with them. Thus he jokes that he is a wholistic doctor. He describes how he discovers allergies that then cause digestive problems that then cause symptoms that result in prescription drugs and then more symptoms from side effects and so on.

Omega 3 deficiency related to depression. Especially post partum depression. Also dyslexia, dyspraxia, various learning disorders and ADD. Inflammation & blood clots. Cod liver oil to the rescue! For cell membrane health.

Most memorable factoid. Tryptophan (from foods such as turkey) plus vitamin B6 is used by the body to make serotonin. Soy oils correlated to increased homicides in UK, but he does not mention any other problems with soy and its anti-nutrients preventing absorption of zinc, magnesium and other missing essential minerals he talks about. He recommends supplements to make up for that, but synthetic made supplements cause their own problems I just found out.

As to why people have so much trouble with food allergies and toxins he points to the food supply as being the culprit, plus household mold and chemicals. He also points out that Big Ag has robbed the soil and thus the plants of nutrients. The reason why the medical establishment does not believe in nutrient deficiency is because their studies show that individual nutrients are ineffective because said studies do not include the interactions between concert of nutrients.

He talks about insulin resistance and how the only way to know if you are is to take an insulin-response test, by which I think he means a glucose tolerance test. He attributes insulin resistance to causing mood and behavior disturbances such as depression, panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, and ADHD. Also increases LDL and lowers HDL, raises triglycerides and increases blood pressure. Makes blood sticky leading to clots, heat attacks and strokes. Stimulates growth of cancer cells. Out of control inflammation causes insulin resistance. Increase inflammation leads to Type 3 diabetes commonly known as Alzheimer’s disease. Cause is attributed to increased intake of sugar (also what turns to sugar like white flour and processed foods).

Other causes of inflammation: food allergens, toxins, hidden chronic infections, stress, sedentary lifestyle, inadequate sleep, nutritional deficiencies including Vitamin C, B and D, zinc and omega 3 fats. Warns against acid-blocking drugs such as those used for GERD.

Links depression to metabolic syndrome, oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial injury.

Most pertinent tip: Keep mitochondria healthy to overcome oxidative stress and keep free radicals in check.

The book is focused on supplements and stress reduction rather than food. He favors a diet with less animal products and fats and is pro soy and legumes so is definitely not Paleo. He is middle of the road in the sense of going beyond the usual medical pharmaceutical approach, but not quite leaving the low fat, lean meat approach.

A science dense book. Not an easy read, but convincing. His other book Blood Sugars is a much more simplified version focusing on insulin resistance. Has a seven step plan that can be downloaded from his website.

Crossfiit Bodybuilder on Paleo Diet – Non Vegetarian Primal FreetheAnimal Caveman Robb Wolf

Image by Paleo-Caveman-Omnivore-LowCarb-Meat-Diet-Info
How To Do Bodybuilding using Crossfit and the Paleolithic Diet.

STEP 1: Join Cross-Fit and do little "fitness" exercises like "Burpees" and jumping around, which don’t build muscle.

STEP 2: Become duped into falling for the now debunked "Paleo Diet" which is high-fat and high-meat which makes your bones weak and depletes carb energy so your body then has to burn protein to get enough fuel to operate, which then teaches your body to essentially Eat its own muscle, making your muscle mass dwindle away.

STEP 3: Buy and go around wearing an inflatable plastic muscle costume suit.

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Diabetes Solution