Much can be done to control diabetes other than giving insulin injections.
Question: Is there anything other than insulin shots to control diabetes?
J.G., Clearwater, Florida
Answer. There is much that can be done to control diabetes other than giving insulin injections. In my medical practice, I have helped people decrease their insulin dosages through a strict vegetarian diet. Many patients have been able to give up insulin treatment altogether, but this is not something you should try to do on your own. You need to find a doctor who has experience in treating diabetes through nutrition.
The first step is education. I find that few people know much about diabetes beyond the fact that it has something to do with high blood sugar and is treated with insulin shots. Many patients with acquired diabetes (diabetes type II) produce sufficient amounts of insulin, but they are not able to assimilate and burn sugar adequately at the cellular level to produce energy. This explains why diabetics often secrete sugar in the urine, thirst constantly, drink excessive amounts of water and suffer from lack of energy.
Although these patients produce plenty of insulin, they are diabetic because the insulin receptors in their cells are blocked by cholesterol buildup. If the receptors are blocked, the insulin is not received, and the body is thrown out of balance.
Giving insulin injections is an external way to help control the blood sugar, but it does not correct the problem of the insulin receptors. It treats the symptoms of the disease rather than the cause. Type II diabetes is not caused by sugar or lack of insulin production by the pancreas.
When treating diabetes, doctors generally recommend that patients avoid starches and sugar and eat more protein. But most patients, when they hear the word protein, think they need to eat more meat and dairy products, both of which lead to higher cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels in turn lead to poor circulation, which ultimately results in every diabetic’s fear–amputation of fingers, feet and legs due to gangrene.
The most important thing you can do to prevent or reverse diabetes is to adopt a diet low in animal fat and protein, low in salt, and free from fried foods, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. Instead, eat a diet rich in whole foods and organic fruits and vegetables that are loaded with enzymes to help the pancreas function.
If you have diabetes, you need to be more stringent with your diet. To avoid illness, I recommend that your diet contain 90 percent defensive foods (organic fruits and vegetables) and, at most, 10 percent foods that could be considered outside your diet or questionable for you to eat.
Question. I am 65 years old. How can I continue to enjoy a high level of energy?
J.T., Dallas, Texas
Answer. As the baby boomer generation matures, more and more of us are not only hoping but also expecting to live longer and more vibrant lives than our parents lived.
Most of us want a long, happy and ailment-free life, but too many of us believe that it is obtained by luck or by inheriting certain genes. This kind of thinking is wrong. Like most things in life, longevity is a choice.
There are many things you can do to secure high energy levels and good health well into your 90s!
Your diet is essential to health and energy levels. I highly recommend the Mediterranean diet, which includes plenty of organic vegetables and fruit, as well as olive oil.
Be sure to have ample helpings of tomatoes, broccoli, alfalfa, red grapes and garlic. This type of food will help extend your life and help you look younger too!
If you want to go to the next level, add regular exercise. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that men who did at least 1,500 calories’ worth of vigorous activity each week had a 25 percent lower death rate than those who expended less. This can be achieved by walking three miles, three times per week.
Finally, having the right attitude is clinically proven to extend your days. Researchers confirm that much of aging is in the mind.
You are as young as you think you are! The Scripture declares that “as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7, NKJV).
Francisco Contreras, M.D., oversees Oasis of Hope Hospital (www.oasisofhope.com), a cancer-care facility in Mexico widely known for alternative-treatment methods. He is the author of several books on health, including his new The Coming Cancer Cure (SiloamPress, www.charismahouse.com).
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