Your Role in Diabetes Prevention

By Amber Golshani, N.D.

I’ll spare you the statistics of the diabetes and obesity (“di-obesity”) epidemic that is happening in our country right now and summarize it as follows: It’s bad.

If you don’t start doing something about it today, chances are that you will have diabetes. Almost 1 in 3 people (1 in 2 in certain ethnic groups) will have diabetes by the time they are 60 years old. Diabetes, which is chronically elevated blood sugars, can lead to blindness, amputations, heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. The disease is even linked to Alzheimer’s. Is this a risk you want to take?

Now for some good news: Diabetes is entirely preventable. Becoming diabetic does not just happen overnight. For years leading up to a "diabetic" diagnosis, you are “pre-diabetic,” which means that your blood sugars are elevated above normal, yet not high enough to be given the diagnosis. Most doctors do not recognize this critical period and will often just wait and watch as their patients' blood sugars get higher and higher over the years.

Once the blood sugars are at a level high enough to be called diabetic, "therapeutic" interventions begin. Unfortunately, the medications do not address why the person became diabetic in the first place. What makes matters worse is that the medications have undesirable side effects and do not stop the complications of the disease from occurring.

How do you know if you are you pre-diabetic? Answer the following:

• Do you have extra fat around your abdomen?
• Are you overweight?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you have high cholesterol?
• Do you have high triglycerides?
• Do you exercise less than 30 minutes a day, four days a week?
• Do you have diabetes in your family?
• Do you eat sugary foods, or "white" refined grains more than once a week?
• Do you eat fast foods at least once a week?
• Is your fasting blood sugar above 100 mg/dl?
• Are you having trouble losing weight?
• Do you have an abnormal BMI?
• Do you have an unhealthy hip to waist ratio?
• Are you 45 years of age of older?

If you answered yes to six more of these questions, then there is a good chance you are pre-diabetic.

So what should you eat? A diet of real, unprocessed foods is best. These are foods found in nature and eaten in their natural state, not created, altered or refined in a laboratory.

The ideal diet will have lots of non-starchy vegetables, lean meats, seafood, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and some fruit in limited quantities. It is best to eat these items in their whole state. Eat an apple instead of drinking apple juice. Choose a broiled filet of salmon, not battered and deep-fried fish sticks. This diet will provide all the vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients you need, as well as keeping your blood sugars balanced.

Exercise is a requirement for effective treatment. Aerobic exercise can actually help your body respond to insulin (the hormone which lowers blood sugar) more efficiently. Strength training and adding muscle dramatically helps to decrease fat and increase blood sugar uptake, which helps to prevent elevated blood sugars.

In a landmark federally funded study, more than 3,000 people who were overweight and had elevated blood sugars (not diabetic) were divided into two groups. One group had no change in diet or exercise and within 10 years most developed diabetes. The other had a healthy diet and moderate exercise and delayed the onset of diabetes and/or prevented it all together.

Don’t be a statistic. At your next yearly physical, ask to have your fasting blood sugars checked and take appropriate action. Your future is in your hands.

I recommend working with a licensed naturopathic doctor, the only medical professional trained in nutritional and lifestyle interventions to prevent and reverse diseases. You can find one near you here www.naturopathic.org.

Amber Golshani, N.D., received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Southampton College of Long Island University and a doctorate of naturopathic medicine with honors from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona.