Welcome to the 30 Day Diabetes Cure. This series is based on "The 30 Day Diabetes Cure" by Dr. Stefan Ripich ND, CNP. What follows is an introduction to the plan followed by day to day instructions on how to "cure" your diabetes.
So what is type II Diabetes anyways?
our body needs energy to function and so it converts carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into ATP: the main fuel source for our cells. When food is eaten in excess, our body converts and stores it as triglycerides (Fats); which can be broken down and used for energy later.
when our diets are too high in sugars, glucose levels rise. The pancreas' job is to lower the blood sugar by producing insulin which is like the key to the cells. when insulin is secreted the cells take in the glucose and the excess is stored as fat. However, when our sugar levels are just so overburdening, the pancreas secretes even more insulin to cope, but the cells don't respond, and become insulin Resistant. This leads to high glucose and insulin levels other wise known as diabetes.
can Diabetes be reversed?
Yes and no. Type I diabetes can't be reversed. Pre-Diabetes can be completely reversed, type II diabetes caught early on, can be completely reversed. And someone with type II diabetes, can expect to get off their medications, regain normal blood sugar levels, and loose some of their symptoms. Have they been cured? that's debatable. Can they go back to their old eating habits? No. Are they a lot healthier than they started off? Definitely yes.
An overview of the three phases:
Phase One: Blood Sugar "Boot Camp"
The first ten days will be the most difficult: During this initial phase, you will refrain from all refined sugars; including sodas, fruit juices, chips, cookies, ice cream, cereals energy bars, energy drinks etc. You also won't be eating any bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked goods. And no alcohol or restaurants either (for now). The point of this phase is to loose your sugar cravings, and improve your glucose levels. You will be having three regular size meals a day with snacks, with plenty of filling foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, dairy etc. You will not be fasting. Nevertheless, this phases is called "Blood Sugar Boot Camp" for a reason, and will not be easy. The good news is that it's only ten days! The next phase is a lot easier, and the final phase even easier than that. Right now you have to make a decision; whats more important to you, your health or your cravings? If you answered cravings, then come back when you have set your priories strait. (Seriously; if you aren't motivated to take control of your health, then this isn't the diet for you; at least right now it's not) If you answered health, then your in the right place; read on...
Phase Two: Inside The Bubble:
During the next ten days you will be reintroducing more foods but in healthier versions.
At this point, your sugar cravings should be considerably reduced, and you can start to reintroduce some of the food groups that you took a break from during Phase I. Some of theses foods include: fruit, legumes,beans, nuts, whole grains etc. (No restaurants yet!) You will also start taking specific vitamins and supplements shown to help diabetics. And will learn to de-stress your nervous system, which will help you control your glucose levels. This is the "alternative foods phase." You can eat plenty, you just need to learn how to replace bad choices with better alternatives. It is an intermediate step: you can eat a lot more food than in phase I, yet you are still learning the ins and outs of dieting with diabetes.
Phase Three: Ready for the outside World.
After 20 days of staying in the "Bubble", your ready for the outside world:
In this phase you will learn how to eat in restaurants, on the go, in airports, and even at fast food restaurants. At this point, you should be able to differentiate between good and bad food choices, and should be ready to face the temptations of the food industry.
Phase one: Blood Sugar "Boot camp"
(Days 1-9)
Day one:
- Remove all added sugars from your diet for the next ten days.
Extra credit:
- Take a break from sodas, fruit juices, and alcoholic beverages as well.
Day Two:
- Add one teaspoon of cinnamon a day to you meals.
Extra credit:
- Try using high-antioxidants like cloves and allspice to your foods.
Day Three:
- Eliminate all sugary beverages, including soda, sports and energy drinks, sweetened coffees and teas, and fruit juices (even those made from 100% juice).
- Eliminate alcoholic beverages for the next ten days.
Extra credit:
- Eliminate all products containing High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Day Four:
- Add slices of lemon, orange, mint, lime etc. to your water.
- If removing soda from your diet is too much then: dilute your soda with 1/3 part soda and 2/3 sparkling water and gradually reduce the amount of soda.
- replace your sugary drinks with chilled green and black tea, iced ginger, herbal tea, soy and low-fat milk, iced coffee (with stevia instead of sugar), and fruit spritzer (a mix of 1/4 pomegranate/blueberry juice with 3/4 sparkling water).
- Drink lemonade made with fresh lemons and Stevia to sweeten.
Extra credit:
- Drink 64 ounces of drinking water per day. better yet, check out my post on water consumption for the exact amount of water you need to drink.
Day Five:
- Stop eating "Fast Carbs."
[A good reference for what is and is not a "fast carb", is the Glycemic Index (GI): The higher the GI ranking, the faster the food spikes your blood sugar levels; therefore, you should stick with foods that have a low GI.
A more accurate, yet not as well know reference, is the Glycemic Load (GL). The Glycemic Load is more accurate because it takes more things into consideration, like the amount of fiber for example.
GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs. Net Carbs is the total carbohydrates minus the fiber]
Day Six:
- Eat a protein-rich breakfast with healthy fats.
- Replace your Fast Carb breakfasts with more diabetes-friendly options.
Extra credit:
- Make your own yogurt.
Day Seven:
- Eat protein-rich lunches with plenty of vegetables, without the Fast Carbs.
- Plan a weeks menu of diabetes-conscious lunches.
- Go grocery shopping for the ingredients you need (and go on a full stomach).
Extra credit:
- Get into the habit of making your lunch the night before and after you have already eaten dinner. (This is such a useful habit!)
Day Eight:
- Clear all damaging snacks from your pantry and replace them with better alternatives. (You will probably have to check back for my post for Day Eight for a full understanding of what to do today.)
Day nine:
- Eliminate processed meats; like pepperoni, cold cuts, and commercial sausages.
- Cut back on animal products that aren't grass fed, that have hormones injected into them, and that are genetically modified.
Day ten:
- Eat vegetables several times a day.
- Try Eating three to five servings of vegatables.
- The more vegetables the better! (Within reason of course.)
Extra credit:
- Challenge yourself to discover new ways to include vegetables in all of your meals.
Phase Two: Inside the bubble
(Days 11-20)
Day Eleven:
- Eliminate the following oils from your kitchen: corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, vegetable shortening, hydronated oils and margarine products.
- Add good fats to your diet.
'Good' fats and oils are high in HDL (High-Density Lipoprotien) and 'Bad' Fats and Oils are high in LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotiens,) Cholesterol, saturated fats and trans-fats are generally bad for you, while polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are good for you. The above is oversimplified and not a complete explanation; I will be expanding more on this concept in a separate post. (link needed)
Extra credit:
- Eat more omega 3 rich foods like flax seed, walnuts, salmon and other sea food.
- Add whole grains and fruit back into your diet.
Note: Diabetics have to look at fruit differently then everyone else does; sugar is still sugar, no matter what the source is. Whole fruit is best, because of the fiber content. Fruit juices are still off limits. Home made smoothies are good in moderation. Don't have plain fruit by itself, add some protein instead; for example, an apple and some cheese.
Extra credit:
- Make a ten day breakfast menu, and shop for the ingredients (on a full stomach).
Day Thirteen:
- Walk everyday for 25 minutes.
- Walk every day for 30 minutes.
- Find a walking buddy, and decide on a regular time and place that you'll walk together.
Day Fourteen :
- Gradually increase the amount of beans and legumes in your diet, until you are having them with every meal.
- Add other Resistant-Starch foods to your diet, like bananas, potatoes, yams, barley, brown rice, and whole corn.
- Go to the store right now and buy the foods listed above. Now would be a great time to go for that fifteen minute walk we spoke about.
Day Fifteen:
- Reduce your stress levels.
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Meditate.
Day Sixteen:
- Take a high-quality multivitamin everyday. Take a Vitamin D supplement. (With your doctor's consent)
- Forget the vitamins, and get all your nutrients, including vitamin D, from your food (and the sun). This won't be easy.
Day seventeen:
- Talk to a friend.
- Take a walk.
- Get un-depressed.
- Lose the blues with a blue berry smoothie.
Extra credit:
- If you feel you have chronic depression, then talk to your doctor about these supplements: Tryptophan, 5-HTP, Fish oil, Vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid (otherwise known as Folate)
Day eighteen:
- Start practicing yoga.
- Add one pose a day and become a yoga master!
Day nineteen:
Though this was mentioned for day 15, it deserves to be mentioned again. Your sleep is that important.
- Get enough sleep.
- Wind down 20 minutes before going to sleep.
Extra credit:
- A melatonin supplement might help with readjusting your sleep schedule.
- Try chamomile tea before going to bed.
- Stop using electronics a half hour before going to bed.
- If you can't sleep because your anxious, then ask your doctor about Valerian Root tea.
- Be more physically active.
- Buy a pedometer and aim to take 10,000 steps every day.
- Walk to nearby places, and park a little further than usual.
Extra credit:
- Get a gym membership and use it.
- Add 60 minutes per week of weight training. (20 minutes on 3 non-consecutive days)
Note: With diabetes, it is possible to exercise too much. If the duration or Intensity level is too high, then your blood sugar levels can get too low (,which will cause your liver to break down glycogen into glucose resulting in a blood sugar spike. in general moderation is the key.)
Phase Three of Thirty Day Diabetes Cure:
Ready for the Outside World
(Days 21-30)Day Twenty one
- Pay attention to when you eat, what you eat, and why you eat it. You're in charge of your eating habits. by starting to understand what compels you to eat and how this contributes to your health, you can make the necessary changes to your lifestyle.
Extra credit:
- Keep a journal of what thought processes causes you to have cravings.
Day twenty two
- Start eating at restaurants again.
- Eat out at a restaurant for practice with some friends and let them help you order a healthy meal. Explain to them why you are making these changes.
Extra credit:
- Prepare a list of healthy foods that you will buy for your next vacation or weekend getaway.
Day twenty three
- Eliminate those things in your life that encourage your old behaviors.
Extra credit:
- Choose one self-sabotaging behavior you recognize in yourself and decide how you can transform it.
note: I will be posting a more in depth post on this subject.
Day twenty four
- Assemble a support system that will encourage you to reach your goals.
Extra credit:
- Call your doctor and ask if they have a diabetes support group.
Day twenty five
- Commit to clearing toxins from your body and environment.
Extra credit:
- Buy and install a water filter.
note: I will be posting a more in depth post on this subject.
Day twenty six
- Add strength training two to three times a week, (on non-consecutive days) to your exercise plan.
Extra credit:
- If you don't have a gym membership, ask your local gym for a week trial.
Day twenty seven
- Have a smoothie to start your day and add your supplements into it.
Day twenty eight
- In addition to having a multi-vitamin and a vitamin D supplement that we discussed on day sixteen add, with your doctors permission, omega 3 fish oil, co-q 10 enzyme and ALA to your diet.
Day twenty nine
- Eliminate boredom from your life
Extra credit:
- Turn off the TV for an entire day and replace it with a activity that get's you moving like swimming, playing tennis or the like.
Day thirty:
- Share and reflect your progress.
- Recommit yourself to being more healthy.
- It's not over; it's just beginning.
Extra credit: Reward yourself you deserve it.
What do you think of the format of the series?
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