Diabetic Mediterranean Diet

Harriet Hall, M.D., looked at the evidence for Plavinol as a diabetes treatment. She’s skeptical about it:

“In a recent article on SBM, Scott Gavura quoted a pharmacy customer who said “I don’t want to take any drugs. Do you have something natural I can use to cut my blood sugar?” Scott went on to cover the questionable evidence for cinnamon in that article. Many other “natural” remedies have been proposed. Here’s an alphabetical list: acetyl L-carnitine, aloe, alpha-lipoic acid, banaba leaf (not banana!), basil, berberine, bilberry, biotin, bitter melon, cinnamon, chromium, coQ10, crepe myrtle, fenugreek, fish oil, fructo-oligosaccharides, green tea, ginseng, glucomannan, gymnema, hibiscus, Indian kino tree extract, magnesium, mistletoe, olive leaf, onion, psyllium, purslane, resveratrol, starch blockers, thiamine, vanadium, and vitamins. I compiled that list from just three websites; I’m sure there are many more natural remedies that I missed. These natural remedies have been recommended on the basis of rather shaky preliminary evidence that they lower blood sugar, usually by only a small amount. Even the CAM-friendly National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) concluded: “There is not enough scientific evidence to suggest that any dietary supplements can help prevent or manage type 2 diabetes.”

Source: Plavinol and Other Natural Remedies for Diabetes: “Condimentary Medicine”? « Science-Based Medicine

…according to an article at American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Metabolic syndrome” may be a new term for you. It’s a collection of clinical features that are associated with increased future risk of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic complications such as heart attack and stroke. One in six Americans has metabolic syndrome. Diagnosis requires at least three of the following five conditions:

• high blood pressure (130/85 or higher, or using a high blood pressure medication)
• low HDL cholesterol: under 40 mg/dl (1.03 mmol/l) in a man, under 50 mg/dl (1.28 mmol/l) in a women (or either sex taking a cholesterol-lowering drug)
• triglycerides over 150 mg/dl (1.70 mmol/l) (or taking a cholesterol-lowering drug)
• abdominal fat: waist circumference 40 inches (102 cm) or greater in a man, 35 inches (89 cm) or greater in a woman
  fasting blood glucose over 100 mg/dl (5.55 mmol/l)
• fasting blood glucose over 100 mg/dl (5.55 mmol/l)

I don’t plan on reading the full text of the report because it’s a meta-analysis and I’ve likely reviewed the four component studies here already. Here are the results:

Four RCTs [randomized controlled trials] that involved 159 participants were included. The 4 control diets were based on distinct national nutrition guidelines but were broadly similar. Paleolithic nutrition resulted in greater short-term improvements than did the control diets (random-effects model) for waist circumference (mean difference: −2.38 cm; 95% CI: −4.73, −0.04 cm), triglycerides (−0.40 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.76, −0.04 mmol/L), systolic blood pressure (−3.64 mm Hg; 95% CI: −7.36, 0.08 mm Hg), diastolic blood pressure (−2.48 mm Hg; 95% CI: −4.98, 0.02 mm Hg), HDL cholesterol (0.12 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.03, 0.28 mmol/L), and fasting blood sugar (−0.16 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.44, 0.11 mmol/L). The quality of the evidence for each of the 5 metabolic components was moderate. The home-delivery (n = 1) and dietary recommendation (n = 3) RCTs showed similar effects with the exception of greater improvements in triglycerides relative to the control with the home delivery. None of the RCTs evaluated an improvement in quality of life.

Ways to improve or cure metabolic syndrome include the paleo diet, Mediterranean diet, low-carb diets, ketogenic diets, and exercise. Losing excess fat weight with any reasonable diet would probably work. Enhance effectiveness by exercising.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference:Eric W Manheimer,  Esther J van Zuuren, Zbys Fedorowicz, and Hanno Pijl. Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. AJCN. First published August 12, 2015, doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.113613

If you suffer stigmatization and guilt about your diabetes, know that you’re not alone.

diaTribe interviewed Dr. Susan Guzman, a psychologist:

One person with type 1 diabetes told Dr. Guzman that when seeking medical consultation, her endocrinologist called her A1c over 6.5% a “failure” and used critical language to discuss her weight; she felt so ashamed that she tried to conceal her diabetes from friends, employers, and strangers. Dr. Guzman urged physicians to cease using harmful messaging, such as “non-compliant,” “unmotivated,” and “failure.” These terms discourage and embarrass rather than motivate; they are often also misguided in origin. Words like “prevention,” “reversible,” and “cure” can also contribute to stigma by inadequately recognizing the long-term efforts and constant decision-making involved in diabetes.

Source: How Do We Reduce Diabetes Stigma and Guilt? | diaTribe

Our deceased rooster, Chuck: handsome but mean!

I’m increasingly troubled by our treatment of the farm animals that eventually make it to our tabletops. I say “our treatment” because, even though I’m not a farmer, I eat animals and therefore contribute to perpetuation of whatever system delivers them to me. Have you heard of CAFOs—Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations? Click for the CAFO Wikipedia article. You might call it factory farming or industrial farming. Are these animals treated cruelly? I realize that small farms aren’t necessarily more humane. Click for an example of alleged cruelty to chickens in a CAFO.

I don’t publish guest posts very often. Here’s one from Beth Kelly, a graduate of DePaul University and a freelance writer and blogger. She is a passionate environmental and animal rights activist, as well as an active triathlete. You can reach her on Twitter @bkelly_88. (I don’t know Beth personally; this is what she shared via email.)

♦  ♦  ♦

Documentaries That Challenge the Meat You Eat

By now it’s fairly common knowledge that there are some major flaws in the average American diet. Obesity claims nearly 35% of all American adults and nearly 18% of all children, and these numbers are only increasing. Those are some frightening figures about the general state of our collective health. Undoubtedly, the situation is a complicated one, involving the government as much as it does corporations and individual consumers. With a low-carb lifestyle, eating high-quality meat is of utmost importance. And with factory farming more or less institutionalized in America, finding safe, healthy meat products can sometimes be a challenge. Awareness is the first step however, and the more you know about where your meat comes from the better you will feel about making other healthier choices. Documentaries are a great source of inspiration, and are also useful for spreading information to interested family members and friends. Read on for five of my own personal favorites!

Food Inc.

Documentary film’s answer to Upton Sinclair’s famous expose The Jungle, Food Inc. challenged everything we thought we knew about what’s in our fridge. The film looked at many different aspects of American food production and educated millions of Americans to facts they never even thought about; like the fact that a majority of meat sold in supermarkets only comes from four giant companies. It not only discussed the monopolistic business structure but also the methods used to create such cheap products, often at the expense of farmers and the animals.

Cock Fight

Taking aim at one of those four companies, Perdue, was chicken farm owner Craig Watts. In this documentary from DirecTV’s Fusion Network, the whistleblower gets to discuss why he called Perdue out and what happens after. After he spoke out against the inhumane treatment of chickens and unfair business practices Perdue sent twenty six inspectors to his farm in the following two months as well as a few visits from government officials, no doubt looking for any excuse to shut him down. It’s an eye opening look at what has happened to the much celebrated American farmer.

Indigestible: The Film

The product of a successful IndieGogo campaign, this documentary from Geri Atos shines a light not only on animal treatment in factory farms but also what it’s doing to our environment. It shatters the illusion so many have of those “happy cows” and the family farm many assume their food comes from. It not only shows the cramped, dirty, and unsanitary conditions farm animals are kept in but it also shows us how these farms are having a massive impact on the environment (methane emissions from cows comprise 10% of total methane emissions, the same amount as coal).

From Farm to Fridge

Created by Mercy for Animals, this 12 minute video looks to shock you into understanding. There’s no hand holding here, they show you the horrific abuse and injustice animals at factory farms are subjected to on a regular basis. Beyond that, the filmmakers embarked on a nationwide tour, hosting screenings and open panels to discuss the state of the American agricultural system. Obviously the push here is to get viewers to give up on eating meat altogether, but aside from that bias, it poses some serious questions to the viewer about what price our food really comes at.

Free-range bluefin tuna

There is a big push towards eating “local” recently, making information easier to find than in past years. It’s up to you to do your research, and identify meat products that are sourced from local, independent farms. In the end, it’s worth it to be a conscious carnivore!