Impact of Medication Therapy on Diabetes

For Doctors and Patients

Studies show that intensive medication therapy to control glucose levels may not be the most effective treatment approach for type 2 diabetes. Insulin therapy results in weight gain, which can be excessive, worsening cardiovascular risk profile.

Reversing Heart Disease

Excess caloric consumption causes the buildup of cholesterol and plaque inside of the blood vessels. Lowering your cholesterol with cholesterol-lowering drugs does not decrease the risk of fatal strokes. Lowering cholesterol with nutritional excellence, however, can offer more protection and disease reversal than drug therapy can, without the risk or expense of prescription medication.

The goal is a low body-fat percentage, which is best achieved by prescribed regular exercise and nutritional excellence. Nutritional interventions are effective for:

• Lowering cholesterol and lipid risk markers
• Losing weight and glucose intolerance, reversing the diabetic process
• Reducing inflammatory and clot-promoting tendencies
• Reducing the tendency toward arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death, heart attack, and stroke

Managing Insulin Use for Type 1 Diabetes

Early onset heart disease in people with type 1 diabetes is linked to insulin resistance. That means excessive amounts of insulin is dangerous for type 1 diabetics because it can cause heart disease. But when type 1 diabetics follow the nutritarian diet approach, they require substantially less insulin, reducing the risk of heart disease and hypoglycemia.

Diabetes During Pregnancy

Gestational diabetes is a pregnancy-related condition affecting over 5 percent of pregnancies in which women develop high blood glucose in the diabetic range. Gestational diabetes develops when the pancreas can’t produce sufficient insulin to keep up with the body’s higher demand during pregnancy. Overweight women are more prone to gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes poses an increased risk to both mother and child. Elevated glucose level increases the size of the baby resulting in delivery complications. It also increases the risk of the baby having underdeveloped lungs and respiratory distress after birth.

Gestational diabetes is characterized by very strong insulin resistance, so if insulin is prescribed to treat the condition, the dosage must be high. High dosage of insulin is dangerous because it can induce neonatal hypoglycemia and preterm delivery. So an aggressive antidiabetic protocol is needed to reverse gestational diabetes quickly without the use of risky drugs.

A Sample Phase One (Aggressive) Diabetic Reversal Diet for Newly Diagnosed Gestational Diabetes

This is also a version of the phase one diet plan to follow if you are on diabetic medications, yet still have a fasting glucose level above 150. Your glucose level will drop quickly under this strict diet. Once your numbers are more favorable, and you are reducing medication, then you can move on to phase two of the program. Make sure you reduce or eliminate mediations to prevent hypoglycemia.

Follow this plan until your blood sugar is favorable.

Breakfast

Because insulin resistance is the highest in the morning, eat low-glycemic plant foods for breakfast. Avoid grains, beans or fruits, except some berries. Use one of the below suggestion per meal.

• A green salad with a creamy hemp seed herbal dressing. Half cup of berries.
• A roasted eggplant casserole. Half cup of berries.

Lunch

Choose two of the below suggestions per meal

• A vegetable-bean soup made with low-salt tomato and celery juice base. A bowl of shredded lettuce and raw spinach.
• Roasted tufu slices wrapped in raw collard green leaves.
• Zucchini-cauliflower casserole.
• Spicy beans or lentils (1 cup) served hot over a bed of shredded raw vegetables.

Dinner

Include all three below per meal

• Steamed green vegetables, crushed raw walnuts, and toasted almond slivers.
• Raw vegetable served with a humus or salsa dip.
• One fresh fruit, or two kiwis or some berries for dessert.