Reverse your diabetes diet

It’s True! You Really Can Reverse Diabetes By Changing The Way
You Eat –With These Irresistible Recipes

Continued From Last Week

Are fruit and vegetables good for me?

Fruit juice and smoothies, both home-made and bought (even if labeled ‘no added sugar’), can contain as much as more sugar as a fizzy drink.

Try to avoid them completely. Limit high-sugar tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapples and mangoes, and dried fruit such as raisins.

The best fruits to eat are those with low sugar content such as berries, apples, pears, peaches and tangerines. Meanwhile, although vegetables contain much less sugar than fruit they differ greatly in the amount of starchy carbohydrates they contain and fall into the following four broad categories.

‘Fruit Vegetables include tomatoes, cucumbers and red and green peppers, have low sugar content and can be eaten freely.

Leafy Vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, spinach, lettuce and cauliflower.

They are rich in fibre and Vitamin C, and low in sugar and starch, so can be eaten freely.

Root Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips and beetroots and are high in starchy carbohydrate, so eat them in moderation.

Some root veg, such as onions, contain less carbohydrate.

Legumes include French beans, runner beans and sugar-snap peas.

Their carbohydrate content varies considerably – for instance, garden peas are relatively low whereas chickpeas contain about 50 per cent carbohydrates and are best avoided.

What can I drink?

Water is the best option, but there is no harm in drinking a few cups of unsweetened tea or coffee a day (not latte or cappuccino).

Beware, though, as excessive coffee consumption may cause insulin resistance.

As I’ve already mentioned, avoid fruit juices and smoothies altogether – they have a sugar content to rival cola. Also avoid drinking chocolate and malted drinks, which are similarly high in sugar.

What about alcohol?

People with type 2 diabetes can enjoy alcohol, but certain drinks contain a lot of sugar, which can cause glucose spikes, weight gain and fat accumulation. Beer contains carbohydrates – as do low-alcohol beers and wines – and cider contains up to 20g of sugar per pint. Many liquors are as much as 60 per cent sugar. Stick to low-carbohydrate tipples such as dry white wine, red wine or spirits such as vodka or gin. Just make sure you don’t have a sugary mixer.

If you want to lose weight, consider cutting out alcohol altogether as it contains lots of ‘empty’ calories.

Do I have to exercise too?

Yes! Sitting around is bad for us, and if you are serious about trying to reverse your diabetes, it’s essential you increase your physical activity while improving your diet. Government guidelines recommend that we take 30 minutes of moderately intense physical exercise every day. But if you haven’t walked further than a few hundred yards in years, then this is unrealistic.
Try setting simple targets. Such as using the car only for journeys greater than one mile. If your job is sedentary, walk around for a couple of minutes every hour. And cut down the amount of time you spend watching screens. Just two hours a day sitting on the sofa is associated with a 20 per cent increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Do I need to lose weight?

If you are overweight (which the majority but by no means everyone with type 2 diabetes is), losing weight is essential to reversing the diabetes disease process. To do so, you may need to reduce your portion sizes, even of the healthy meals featured here. Simple trick include drinking a large glass of water before you eat to make you feel fuller, and using smaller plates and serving spoons. I recommend that you write a meal plan for the week and a shopping list of exactly what foods you need and stick to them both.

How soon will I start to see results?

I can’t make big promises…BUT if you alter your diet you can expect to see reductions in your blood glucose levels very quickly. Depending on how big the changes you make, most people see a real difference in their blood glucose readings by about four weeks. But if you’ve been used to eating a lot of sugar and refined carbs and drastically reduce them, you will see major changes in a day. Most people who reduce their carbs, avoid processed foods and eat fresh
produce will see a change in a week.

Do I stop taking my medication?

Making big changes to your diet may mean you need less medication so please consult your GP for advice.

Will everyone who follows your advice reverse their diabetes?

I’m not promising that everyone can achieve a reverse. But the first step is to alter your diet, increase your physical activity and lose some weight (if you are overweight). If subsequent tests then show your pancreas and liver are working normally again, you no longer have diabetes and you have successfully reversed the condition. You might follow all of my advice but still have diabetes, yet there’s no doubt you will also have much better control over it and may even be able to come off your medication. Either way, this is a complete lifestyle overhaul that you must stick to forever, not a short-term fix. If you return to your old way, then diabetes will most likely return.

What about pudding?

I have deliberately not included any recipes for desserts as by definition most contain sugar. Some of the breakfast recipes here could double as a dessert, as could a spoonful or two of unsweetened Greek yogurt with fresh fruit or chopped nuts. A couple of squares of dark chocolate can also satisfy a sweet craving. Save deserts for occasional treats and accept that your glucose level will rise afterwards.

I don’t have type 2 diabetes, but how can I reduce my risk of developing it?

• Drink water, coffee or tea instead of fruit juice, fizzy drinks or other sugary beverages.
• Eat at least three servings of green leafy vegetables a day and eat starchy vegetables such as potatoes only in moderation.
• Avoid regularly eating larger fruits such as pineapple or banana. Eat smaller fruits that fit into the palm of your hand.
• Choose a handful of nuts, an apple or pear, or unsweetened yogurt for a snack.
• Moderate alcohol intake has been shown to protect from type 2 diabetes as well as other conditions such as heart disease, but you must stick to a maximum of two units per day. Beer, cider and sweet wines are best avoided as they can have high sugar or carbohydrate content.

Alcohol is high in calories, and too much can lead to weight gain and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Choose lean cuts of white meat or seafood instead of red or processed meat.
• Cook from scratch using fresh, unprocessed meat, fish and poultry as much as possible.
• Choose wholegrain bread, rice, or pasta instead of white, refined versions.
• Move more, and sit about much less.

THE PERFECT ROAST COD

This simple recipe works just as well with haddock prepared in the same way.
NUTRITION FACTS
(Per serving)
calories 421, Total Fat 28g, Sat Fat 11g, Carbs 4g, Fibre 0g, Protein 34g
Serves 4

• 75 g (21/2 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 x 200g (7oz) thick cod fillets, the thicker the better
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. In a deep, heavy-based ovenproof frying pan heat the olive oil and butter. Season the fish fillets and place in the pan, skin side down.

Using a fish slice to keep flat, cook for about 2 minutes until the skin is brown. Turn the fillets over, put the pan in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the flesh in the middle of each fillet is opaque. Serve on warmed plates with the juices from the pan and plenty of buttered spinach.

MACKEREL WITH CORIANDER AND CHILLI WITH A RED ONION AND TOMATO SALAD

This dish packs a punch when it comes to flavour.

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving)
Calories 252, Total fat 20.5g, Sat Fat 3.5g, Carbs 6.2g, Fibre 1.9g, Protein 13.5g
Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 3 tsp coriander seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp black peppercorn, crushed in a pestle and mortar
• 1 level tsp sea salt
• 125ml (41/2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

4x220g (73/4oz) whole mackerel

• gutted.

For the salad
• 10 small tomatoes cut in halves or quarters
• 1 medium red onion, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 225g (8oz) black eyed beans, rinsed and drained.
• 50ml (1 3/4fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lime

First prepare the marinade. Combine the garlic, coriander, chilli, turmeric, crushed peppercorns and sea salt in a bowl. Pour in the olive oil and stir.

Make 3 or 4 small diagonal incisions in the flesh of each fish, then turn over and repeat. Put the whole fish into bowl with the marinade and rub the marinade into the incisions. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes. Put all the chopped ingredients in a bowl along with the black-eyed beans, olive oil and lime juice. Mix well and chill in the fridge while you cook the fish. Heat a griddle pan on a high heat. Add the fish and cook for 5 or 6 minutes on each side. The skin should be well charred. Serve immediately with the salad.

TOMATO SALAD

To make sure this dish is bursting with sunshine, seek out the plump, juicy tomatoes you find at farmers’ markets or – even better – grow your own.

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving)

Calories 122, Total fat 12g, Sat Fat 1.7g, Carbs 4.7g, Fibre 1.1g, protein 0.9g

• Serves 4
• 12 or so good quality, ripe medium-sized tomatoes, sliced
• 1 medium red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• A few basil leaves, torn
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste black pepper, to taste

For the vinaigrette

• 50ml (1 3/4ft oz) white or red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon or grain mustard
• 250ml (9fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

To make the vinaigrette, pour the vinegar into a small bowl. Add the mustard, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Place the tomatoes on a serving plate. Season with black pepper then place the onion over the tomatoes, douse with the vinaigrette and top with a handful of freshly torn basil leaves.

VARIATIONS

With egg: Top a layer of sliced tomatoes seasoned with black pepper with a layer of sliced hard-boiled egg. Repeat with another layer of tomatoes and eggs. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and chives, and a splash of white wine vinaigrette.
With tuna: Make a tomato and egg salad as above and season with white wine vinegar vinaigrette. In a bowl, mix a can of tuna with two tablespoons of mayonnaise, chopped chives and seasoning.
sourced: the guardian