Diabetic Mediterranean Diet

Dr. Fung is a nephrologist and huge advocate of intermittent fasting. He has an article over at DietDoctor that you may find interesting (link below). Beware: at the link you will find an accurate photo of a gangrenous foot that you may find nauseating or disturbing.

I see gangrene in the hospital once a month. It’s one of the things that keeps me motivated to help PWDs (people with diabetes) learn to conquer diabetes.

Another caveat. If you take drugs that have the potential to cause hypoglycemia, you may indeed suffer life-threatening hypoglycemia if you drastically cut back on sugar and other refined carbohydrates. You better know what you’re doing.

Dr. Fung writes:

“Once we understand type 2 diabetes, then the solution becomes pretty bloody obvious. If we have too much sugar in the body, then get rid of it. Don’t simply hide it away so we can’t see it. There are really only two ways to get rid of the excessive sugar in the body.

1. Don’t put sugar in [nor refined starches]
2. Burn it off

That’s it. That’s all we need to do. The best part? It’s all natural and completely free. No drugs. No surgery. No cost.”

Source: How to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes – The Quick Start Guide – Diet Doctor

Karl’s no physician, I don’t even think he has diabetes, but he’s a smart guy:

“You simply have to allow me to make the following policy change with regards to one disease — Diabetes:

• For those with Type II diabetes we will provide unlimited metformin (cheap, off-patent generic medicine that costs pennies a day) to anyone with the disease.
• We will provide no other care of any sort for Type II. You want or “need” it, pay cash or die. Period.
• We will also make changes to how we deal with Type I diabetics’ insulin requirements, as detailed below, that will cut said requirements dramatically.

Now before you scream in horror that I’m a monster, listen up.

Instead of medicine and, inexorably, amputations, dialysis, hospitalization and death we’re going to prescribe a lifestyle of eating no more than 50g of carbs a day, all in green vegetables high in vitamin C (e.g. broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc.)

Caloric intake is to otherwise be 70% saturated (animal) fat and 20% protein. Sugars, grains and starches, including but not limited to “white” foods (pasta, potatoes, breads, etc) are all prohibited. Zero-calorie / zero-carb spices and condiments are unrestricted, of course.

In short you eat (and don’t eat) what’s described in this post, less the fruits (since they are all fairly high-glycemic and the vitamin C requirement is taken care of.)

For most Type II diabetics eating this way will reduce their need for other drugs, including insulin, to a literal zero and since their blood sugar will normalize their need for many-times-a-day testing will also disappear, getting rid of both the pain of sticking one’s finger repeatedly and the cost.

For those who it doesn’t the metformin is there to help.

We will also accommodate all actual, documented exceptions — that is, those people for whom this lifestyle change legitimately doesn’t work.

Those who claim “it doesn’t work” will be locked in an isolation ward where they will be fed that diet for two weeks (with no access of any sort to any other source of sustenance) and be able to prove that for them, individually, it doesn’t work. If they’re right then they will get whatever medication or other intervention is necessary provided they keep to the lifestyle change. But if that empirical test shows that it does work (and it will for virtually everyone) then their ass will be discharged, the fact that they refuse to change what they eat will be noted in their chart and further complaints of “impossibility” will be ignored.”