The Raw Diabetes Story

[Guest guest]

Why One Woman Stopped Cooking: The Raw Story

 

Aimee Perrin

February 2007

 

As a type 1 interested in nature's ability to heal, I ask, What is

causing this so-called diabetes epidemic? Why is it expanding from

Western countries to developing countries at the same rate that fast

food and junk food are spreading?

 

The newly popularized raw-food diet is a diet of nutritionally dense

plant foods that are naturally low in calories and low on the

glycemic index—yet high in satisfaction. Many people following the

raw-food diet can eat until well satisfied at every meal (as long as

all of the food is raw), yet they still easily achieve their ideal

weight and remain energetic.

 

A Popular Dietary Choice

 

Many people tout the virtues of eating a diet of uncooked and

unprocessed fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted raw grains.

For baby boomers searching for improved health, the raw-food diet is

becoming a popular choice.

 

The fundamental justification for eating a raw-food diet is the

theory that food that has not been heated beyond 105 degrees retains

all the enzymes that are naturally present in whole, unprocessed

foods - enzymes that are destroyed during the cooking process.

 

Enzymes are the key to all bodily functions, and they exist in the

body in a limited supply. If the body's enzymes are needed to process

and metabolize foods that are enzyme-depleted through heating and

processing, then there are fewer enzymes left for maintaining health.

Over time, this cycle leads to deteriorating health and, ultimately,

disease.

 

Lowering My Insulin Requirements With a Raw Food Diet

 

While living with type 1 for 36 years, I tried many diets and natural

treatments. Three years ago, I decided to try the raw-food diet. When

I began the raw diet, I was taking 22 to 24 units of insulin daily,

and I had good control on the low-carb/high-protein diet. I now need

only six to eight daily units, with excellent control, and I am

satisfied, free of cravings, energetic, and happy. Some may say the

decreased need for insulin is a result of fewer calories, but the

biggest change for me has been in long-acting insulin requirements,

which demonstrates an overall improvement in the general diabetic

condition.

 

Nutritionist Swears By Raw Food Diet

 

Fred Bisci, MD, a nutritionist from Staten Island, New York, has been

a raw-food dieter for over 40 years and is now in his 70s. He still

does nutritional counseling and takes 10-mile runs on the beach.

 

" Diabetes, as well as many other diseases, sees improvement on the

raw-food diet, " says Bisci. " The body shows many remedial

capabilities and reversal of certain pathologies if the diet is done

properly and under supervision. "

 

Bisci is very cautious with his encouragement of the raw-food diet,

understanding that it may not be for everyone.

 

" It is a commitment to a whole lifestyle change, " he says. " The

closer you get to the raw-food diet, the more dramatic the

improvement. "

 

On a raw-food diet, Bisci says, the body cleanses itself on a

cellular level and is able to function better on fewer calories,

garnering all needed nutrients from the nutrient-dense food. Bisci

says that he has seen thousands of type 2s get off all medication by

eating a diet that is 80 to 100 percent raw.

 

A Diet Still in Its Infancy

 

The raw-food movement among the diabetic community is still in its

infancy. However, the promise that the raw-food lifestyle holds,

though largely based on personal testimonials, is starting to be

supported by a few studies (see below). There is no question that the

raw-food diet warrants further investigation.

 

 

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From the March 28, 2006, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine

 

A study was conducted by a team at Washington University School of

Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Eighteen individuals who had been

eating a strict raw-food diet for an average of 3.6 years were

compared to 18 others who ate a more standard diet. The raw-food

dieters' average body mass index was 20.5; the conventional dieters

were a little overweight with an average BMI of 25. The vitamin D

level of the raw-food dieters was " markedly higher. " In addition, the

level of the raw-food dieters' C-reactive protein ( " an inflammatory

molecule that is becoming linked with the risk of heart disease,

diabetes and other chronic disease " ) was much lower.

 

 

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Sample Menu for one day of the Low-Glycemic Raw/Live Food Diet

 

Each menu item is followed by nutrition facts detailing the content

of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and calories, with a percentage

breakdown for each nutrient category. An overall daily breakdown

follows the day's menu.

 

Note that although the overall fat content for the diet seems

suspiciously high, the fats are all heart-healthy plant fats that

have not been heated. The health-giving impact of live food can

transcend the macronutrient content.

 

Both my husband and I are lean, fit, and muscular, with low body fat,

excellent blood profiles, and superb energy despite the relatively

high fat content of our diets. My most recent blood work was as

follows:

 

A1C: 5.8%

Total cholesterol: 169

HDL: 75

LDL: 82

Triglycerides: 88

 

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Breakfast: Low Glycemic Breakfast Cereal

 

Lunch: Very Large Garden Salad

 

Supper: Live Kale Salad

 

Low Glycemic Breakfast Cereal

 

1 T flax oil

1 T flax seeds

1 T hemp seeds

1 tsp maca powder

2 tsp shredded coconut, unsweetened

1 tsp raw cacao nibs

Salt & sweeten with stevia to taste, then mix thoroughly in bowl.

 

Protein 6 g; Carb 10.2 g; Fat 28.9 g; Calories 325

 

 

 

Very Large Garden Salad (Serves 2)

 

1 head dark green lettuce

1 large tomato

1 cup sprouts

½ red onion

2 ripe avocados

2 T olive oil

2 T apple cider vinegar

10 raw olives

Chop ingredients, then toss in large bowl. Season with salt and herbs

to taste.

 

Per serving:

Protein 6.75 g; Carbs 26 g; Fat 39 g; Calories 482

 

 

 

Live Kale Salad (Serves 2)

(Modified from Chad Sarno's Vital Creations)

 

1 bunch kale

1 tomato, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

2 T olive oil

2 T lemon juice

2 T pine nuts

Blend by kneading with hands. Add salt and chipolte pepper to taste.

 

Per serving:

Protein 6 g; Carbs 24.5 g; Fat 29.2 g; Calories 385

 

 

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Daily Profile

 

Protein: 18.75 g (11%)

Carbs: 60.7 g (34%)

Fat: 97.1 g (55%)

Total calories: 1200

 

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Aimee Perrin, a native of Tennessee, was brought up on the " Standard

American Diet " until the age of 16, when she was diagnosed with type

1 diabetes. During the seventies, she became a vegetarian chef and

began a quest for a nutritional solution for her diabetes. Through

the use of whole foods, she was able to bring her daily dose of

insulin from 36 units down to 24. Since 2003, she has eaten nothing

but raw foods. She states that by doing so, she has succeeded in

reducing her insulin dose down to only 8 to 12 units daily.

 

Blissed be, Annie