Tara’s Super Quick Lesson On Diabetes
Simply put, diabetes is chronically elevated blood glucose. In Type 1 diabetics, there is a chronic glucose elevation as a result of the pancreas not making insulin. With Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes insulin but the insulin has stopped being able to do its job.
First, you eat food. Second, your body breaks the food down into glucose to power your cells. Your cells have a ‘lock’ on them. Glucose cannot get into your cells to be used without a ‘key’. Insulin is the key. The insulin ‘key’ unlocks the doors to your cells allowing the glucose to enter to be used for energy and proper body functioning. Without insulin, levels of glucose build up in the blood because the glucose cannot get into the cells without the key. This chronic high level of blood glucose is what damages the nerves, blood vessels and vital organs.
Type 1 vs Type 2
Type 1 diabetics have no insulin and therefore they inject themselves with insulin to make up for their body’s lack of production. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetics make insulin to act as the key but the locks on the doors are broken and clogged up by fat (specifically intramyocellular lipids). Yep, you heard me correctly. Fat either from your diet or body fat stores. The goal with getting Type 2 diabetes under control is to get the locks functioning better by getting the fats out of the way of the locks.
It is common to hear that newly diagnosed diabetics or pre-diabetics are advised that the very first thing they need to do is get their weight under control. This gets rid of that excess fat blocking the locks allowing the high levels of glucose floating around in the blood stream to enter the cells to be used for energy. When they accomplish this, their blood sugars go down. Let’s get into a little more detail on how we can prevent this broken/clogged lock situation before it is too late.
Tara’s Tuesday Tips: How To Eat To Prevent Diabetes
Eat Plant-Based
Eating a more plant-based diet = less chance of developing diabetes. There is no way to sugar-coat that. Study after study has proven this is the way to eat to prevent diabetes. Flexitarians cut their rate of diabetes by 28%, pescatarians drop it by 50%, vegetarians by 61%, and those that eliminate all animal products including dairy and eggs drop their rate of diabetes by 78% (nutritionfacts.org).
The saturated fat in meat, dairy, and eggs leads to insulin resistance. Excess intake of these fats causes the lipotoxicity I mentioned above leading to the broken locks (and then diabetes …). Both insulin action and insulin secretion are impaired within just hours of eating a meal high in saturated fat. Alternatively, monounsaturated fats found in nuts, olives, and avocados actually protect us from the harmful effects of saturated fats (aka the clogging of the locks).
Are you hearing me? Plant-based eaters are better at both producing and using insulin. Eating a plant-based diet has been found (across multiple research studies) to protect and reverse insulin resistance and diabetes (nutritionfacts.org). 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 Curious about a plant-based diet? Start here with my article all about a WFPB diet.
Low Carb IS NOT The Answer
In my article The Truth About Carbs, I dive into the comparison of refined vs unrefined grains and why we should be eating lots of the right carbs. Traditionally, diabetics have been told to restrict carbohydrates and calories in order to control their weight and in turn, their blood sugar. However, newer studies are now revealing that a diet high in fiber, low in saturated fat, and made up of whole + unrefined food is really the answer to preventing and reversing diabetes. If you truly are interested in the way your diet affects your risk of diabetes then eat to prevent diabetes by increasing fiber + monounsaturated fats while lowering your intake of saturated fats + animal fats. ✔Low in Saturated Fat. ✔High in Fiber + plant based. ❌NOT carb-restricted and high in meat + eggs + dairy.
Eat To Prevent Diabetes With Intermittent Fasting
Fasting increases your insulin sensitivity and therefore decreases your risk of developing diabetes. Over time (and done properly), intermittent fasting will decrease fat storage and in turn, you lose weight. Even with just an 8 hour fasting window, this gives your body a chance to rejuvenate your cells while it isn’t busy digesting food. Therefore, your body has a chance to repair your damaged cells during your fasting times. This allows you to have less inflammation in your body. Studies looking into the benefits of intermittent fasting have overwhelmingly shown us that giving your body a rest from taking in food teaches your body how to efficiently use glucose and gives the body a chance to use up all of the excess glucose circulating in your blood. This is a very good thing for preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes. Read my full article here about intermittent fasting.
Be Careful of Sneaky Sugars
Eating too many refined sugars can be a disaster on your blood sugar levels. Causing even non-diabetics to have fluctuations leading to mood swings, food cravings, and fatigue. Refined sugars sneak their way into everyday foods, and you may be sabotaging yourself and not even realizing it.
Salad dressings, breakfast yogurts, jarred sauces, granola, milk alternatives, crackers, dried fruit are just a few everyday food items that might be sneaking sugars into your meals without you even knowing it! There are dried fruits that have NO added sugar, yes they do exist. We eat lots of them. The only ingredient on the label is the fruit itself that has been dehydrated or dried naturally without sulfites or added sugars. Read the labels carefully on these everyday foods. Alternatively, make your own! Start with this Healthy Homemade Granola, 3-Ingredient Marinara Sauce, Homemade Quinoa Crackers, and my favorite Oil-Free Salad Dressings.
Learn To Love Spices
Meet my two best friends: Cinnamon + Vanilla. EVERY DAY I am asked how we stay at a healthy weight. This is one of my top-secret tricks to weight management. First is cinnamon, second is vanilla. From coffee to oatmeal and everything in between. These two ‘sweeten’ our foods just enough without adding any added sugars. Above all, cinnamon is one of the magical foods that has been found to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels for hours after consumption. Mr. MVF + I eat cinnamon in our oatmeal every day with this recipe.
Avoid Non-Food Items That Disrupt Blood Sugar Levels
Chronic stress, poor sleep, lack of exercise, colds and flus. Not much more to say. I am a huge advocate of good sleep hygiene and obviously of exercise. Any amount of exercise will help. Small changes add up to big results. What you eat to prevent diabetes is a huge piece of disease prevention but the non-food items cannot be overlooked.
Cutting Out All Sugars Is A Recipe For Disaster
It is super unhealthy to eliminate all forms of sugar. That would mean cutting out fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This move causes you to eliminate the foods that provide you with all of your fiber. Fruits + vegetables contain lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients. This natural balance evens out the impact of sugar on your system by slowing down the breakdown and digestion of the natural sugars in the fruit. Fiber is CRUCIAL to help stabilize your blood sugar, keeps your cholesterol in check, helps ward off colon cancer, promotes overall gut health, and SO MUCH MORE. Eat fruits + vegetables. Eat lots of fruits + vegetables. This is NOT your problem. Let me shout this one for the people in the back of the room. FRUITS + VEGETABLES ARE NOT THE PROBLEM!
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth the Smart Way
Check out my article, Guide To Sugar Alternatives, to better understand why I avoid refined sugars but do indulge in sweets made with healthier sweeteners. When you up the fiber content in your dessert + add in some healthy nuts and other unrefined grains, you create a sweet treat that will not cause a rapid spike in blood sugar. Keep baked goods on the menu by following these simple swaps/additions to your baking.
Here Is How We Eat To Prevent Diabetes But Still Eat Sweets:
- Cake Batter Dessert Hummus
- Edible Vegan Cookie Dough (Easy +Healthy!)
- How To Make Quinoa Cookies
- Vegan Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Pumpkin Cookies (GF + Vegan + Refined Sugar Free)
- Sweet Potato Cookies (No Egg + GF + Vegan)
- 3 Ingredient Cookies
- Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Cups
- Strawberry Banana Nice Cream (No Dairy + No Eggs + No Sugar!).
All the Best,
Tara 💚
⭐️Do you have more questions on eating to prevent diabetes? Leave a comment below 🤍
📸Follow me on Instagram @myvegetarianfamily
💌Be sure to subscribe here to my weekly emails for tips and recipes so that you never miss a veggie thing!
8 thoughts on “How To Eat To Prevent Diabetes”