Diabetes Prevention - Diabetes Treatment

Diet, exercise and heredity (in that order) help determine the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

A "yes" to any of these questions increases your risk.

1. Are you overweight?
2. Are you inactive (exercise less than 3 times a week)?
3. Do you have high blood pressure (140/90 or higher)?
4. Is your HDL (good) cholesterol lower than 35?
5. Are your triglyceride levels 250 or higher?
6. Are you 45 or older?
7. Have you had gestational diabetes?
8. Do you have a family member with diabetes?
9. Is your family background African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Hispanic American?
10. Anyone overweight with a BMI over 25. Check yours now

The good news is that the recently completed Diabetes Prevention Program study conclusively showed that people can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by increasing their level of physical activity and making changes in their diet.

Just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, coupled with a 5-10% reduction in body weight, produced a 58% reduction in diabetes

And a healthy diet, centered around fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains helps you prevent diabetes in three important ways.

• Blood sugar levels remain level throughout the day.
• The body is receiving the nutrition it needs in a steady stream throughout the day. This reduces cravings that can cause spikes in blood sugar.
• Body weight and fat are reduced naturally to healthy levels.

How does owning a Vitamix machine make a difference?

If you are working to prevent diabetes, you need a Vitamix machine.

If you are living with diabetes, you need a Vitamix machine.

High-fiber whole food meals are at the heart of the diabetic diet. That's what keeps insulin levels low.

The Vitamix machine can create such a wide variety of whole food meals that you can actually eliminate up to 10 small appliances from your kitchen counter! Here is a list of some of the most important food functions that the Vitamix machine can perform - without any attachments - to help you enjoy maximum taste and nutrition from your healthy whole food diet.

• Make juice like never before
• Cook soup without a stove
• Make ice cream in 30 seconds
• Blending like never before
• Chopping - a chore no more
• Perfect purees like never before
• Grinding grains, beans, rice and soybeans
• Kneading dough

I've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, now what?

You know you must exercise more. And you know your diet must be more consistent throughout the day with an emphasis on whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. It really is not that difficult and the Vitamix machine can really help!

Whole food meals made in the Vitamix machine use whole fruits and vegetables in their entirety. Nothing is thrown away so the cost-savings on produce alone is substantial. A variety of grains, beans, and nuts take only a minute to grind and are easy to incorporate into all your favorite recipes. For even more savings, you can buy grains in bulk, grind large quantities and store them in the refrigerator or freezer for future use.

Thousands and thousands of people who have diabetes are enjoying life - especially at the breakfast, lunch and dinner table - thanks to Vitamix.

Historically, a diet designed to keep blood sugar in check, thus preventing or controlling diabetes, limited starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. In theory, it made perfect sense: If your body cannot handle sugar, you avoid eating sugar or anything that readily converts to sugar. Cutting fats and calories was also recommended. Unfortunately, this typical "diabetes diet" was not very successful in bringing blood sugar under control.

Another interesting fact was noted: Large population studies indicated that diabetes and high blood sugar were rare in Asian countries like Japan, China and Taiwan, yet the people studied consumed primarily starchy vegetables and grains. When the same people moved to the United States and Canada and adopted a more "Western" diet, heart disease, obesity and diabetes became much more common.

As the Japanese diet has become increasingly "Westernized", the prevalence of diabetes has exploded. What is now apparent is that the genetic pre-disposition for diabetes is common in the Asian population, but the disease was held in check by their traditional rice-based diet. When Western eating habits took hold, so did incidence of the disease.

Therefore, it appears that carbohydrates are not the culprit. The disease has more to do with the body's inability to process carbohydrates appropriately.

A small pilot study by Dr. Neal Barnard allowed participants (all had diabetes and most were overweight) to eat unlimited amounts of starchy vegetables with no limits on calories either. What had been eliminated from their diets was animal fat. At the end of the study, the average participant had lost 16 pounds and lowered blood sugar by 28 percent!

Based on these and other studies, the National Institutes of Health, the research branch of the US government, funded another study that encouraged eating carbohydrates, but whole grains over white flour foods and yams rather than white potatoes. This study found participants' blood sugar falling to such an extent that they had to cut back on their diabetes medications!

Setting aside animal products and keep oily foods to a minimum can be a challenge, but most participants in the study considered the dietary changes a chance to try new recipes and new restaurants. Other positive results of being on the program included having more energy, losing unwanted weight and lowering blood sugar levels by up to 50%.

The results of these and other studies show that the accumulated fat in cells that can interfere with the proper processing of carbohydrates is not just a matter of genetics. Genes do play a role, but the incidence of diabetes and other disease is very much a matter of diet.
Latest Diabetes Research

High-Protein Oat Waffles
	The following recipes were developed by Bryanna Clark Grogan, from the book, Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. These recipes have been adapted by the Vitamix kitchen staff. 1/2 cup dried* cannellini, white kidney, or great Northern beans (or 1 cup canned beans, rinsed and drained) 2 1/4 cups water 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats 2 T sugar or 1 T agave nectar (or other sweetener) 3/4 T whole flaxseed 1 T baking powder 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or orange, almond or coconut extract) 1 tsp salt * Place dried beans in a large bowl and cover generously with water. Refrigerate overnight or for up to a week. Directions Place all ingredients in Vitamix container. Secure two-part lid. Select VARIABLE, speed #1. Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #7. Run for 30 seconds or until smooth. Note: Pour 1/3 cup batter onto hot, prepared waffle iron and bake for a minimum of 8 minutes. If the iron is hard to open, let the waffle cook another minute or two. Repeat with remaining batter, stirring or blending briefly before pouring each waffle. If batter thickens, add enough water to return to original consistency. Waffles should be golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately, or cool, and freeze in airtight container. These reheat nicely in the toaster! Nutritional analysis: Makes ten 4" waffles (5 servings) Per serving (2 waffles: 196 calories, 10g protein, 35g carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 3g total fat, 11% calories from fat, 0mg cholesterol, 6g fiber, 386mg sodium
Spinach Hummus
	1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and drained or squeezed 2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 T whole sesame seeds, or 1 T sesame paste (tahini) 2 cloves whole garlic 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) 2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper Directions Place all ingredients (except spinach) in Vitamix container. Secure two-part lid. Select VARIABLE, speed #1. Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #10, then flip the switch up to the High Speed setting. Use the tamper and run for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth. Pour into bowl and stir in spinach with spatula, or you can add spinach with all ingredients for a smooth green looking hummus. Note: Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with fresh cut vegetables as dippers. Nutritional analysis: Makes about 4 1/2 cups. Per 1/4 cup: 107 calories, 7g protein, 19g carbohydrates, .5g sugar, 2g total fat, 13% calories from fat, 0mg cholesterol, 6g fiber, 336mg sodium

To keep blood glucose levels balanced, fill your dinner plate with whole foods: beans, yams and brightly colored vegetables. Here are some healthy additions for your shopping list:

Old-fashioned oatmeal. Oatmeal is loaded with soluble fiber to bring your cholesterol down and it's filling enough to keep cravings away all morning.

Beans. By the can or by the bag, beans should be the star of your menu plans. They're low in fat, high in soluble fiber, devoid of cholesterol and are low on the Glycemic Index.

Frozen vegetables. Collect bags of broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, winter squash and Brussels sprouts. Have them handy when you run low on the fresh stuff.

Lentils. Soups on! It's hearty, healthy, filling and full of fiber. A perfect job for your Vitamix machine.

Chickpeas. Make your own hummus in your Vitamix machine to keep the fat content low. Makes a great sandwich!

Brown rice. Toast it slightly and cook it like pasta. Goes great with your bean dishes!

Barley. Serve it as a side or add it to your Vitamix vegetable soup, it's low on the Glycemic Index, has lots of soluble fiber to lower cholesterol, and you get a wonderful taste and texture, too.

Tomatoes. Make your own fresh spaghetti sauce in your Vitamix machine so you can keep oil to a minimum and keep the fresh flavor.

Nutritional Yeast. Add it to sauces, stir-fries, soups and casseroles. Buy the flakes for the best texture. You'll find it in the supplement aisle.