Diabetes – Dietary Approaches

Written by Ralph W. Moss, PhD

One year ago, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D). At the time, I had all the classic symptoms, such as an unquenchable thirst. My blood glucose was 390! My hemoglobin A1C (a measure of the average blood glucose over the previous three months) was 12.3 (which works out to an average of 306). My fasting glucose was 164 (i.e., anything over 99 is considered abnormal).
For the past year, I have taken a reading of my blood glucose upon arising as well as several times during the day. Now, my fasting glucose score averages 82. (This morning it was 78.) By point of reference, the medical authority Richard K. Bernstein, MD, believes that 83 is the optimal normal blood sugar score for a healthy adult male. In parallel, my weight has gone from 203, before the diagnosis, to 162—a more than 40-pound loss. My “orthodox” primary care physician recently scratched his head and declared me “cured” of diabetes. I corrected him with the proviso that if I return to my previous life style my diabetes would almost certainly return.
I want the reader to understand that I accomplished this without the use of ANY pharmaceuticals for diabetes (such as insulin or Metformin®) and just a few basic food supplements.
So, how did I accomplish this? The brief answer is that I went on a low carbohydrate, high fat diet. This diet flies in the face of the idea that carbohydrates are somehow “essential” nutrients. I choose my foods based on their effect on my blood sugar—in effect I “eat to the meter.” I therefore completely eliminated sugar and other sweeteners, cut out all grains (even including, for now, whole grains), and severely limited my intake of fruit and root vegetables. I do eat other green vegetables and salad greens, with olive oil and plain vinegar dressing. All my blood and urine markers have improved and my cholesterol, although somewhat higher, is of the protective “fluffy particle” kind (pattern A), according to the “VAP” test. I feel great and yesterday went for a three-hour bicycle ride. Maybe it will work for you.