Diet plan for lowering blood sugar - for a diabetes diet

Diabetes Diet & Lifestyle Protocol

I was talking to my acupuncturist the other day about the holy grail of living a healthy lifestyle and she gave me this. 

           

• Exercise is the most important thing you can do to reverse diabetes.  Diet will slow the progression of the disorder, but exercise can actually reverse the condition.  The optimal exercise regime includes aerobic exercise for 40 minutes, five days a week.  This means having your heart rate elevated for 40 straight minutes, five days a week. 
• Cut out all forms of refined sugar.  A good natural substitute is stevia, which is sweet, but is not a sugar.  The best tasting stevia is “Sweet Leaf”, available at Whole Foods Market.
• Cut out all forms of refined carbohydrates including breads, pasta, white rice, most breakfast cereals, rice cakes or any starchy, low fiber food.  Avoid soda, fruit juice, and any drink that rapidly raises the blood sugar.
• Consume adequate amounts of protein, either in vegetarian form or in the form of lean meat that has not been treated hormonally.  Avoid meat alternatives that are heavily processed with a long list of ingredients.
• It should be noted that a vegetarian diet can be a causing factor of diabetes.  This is because the vegetarian diet is almost entirely carbohydrates: veggies, grains, legumes, and fruits all turn into sugar in the blood stream.  Diabetes is caused by an excess of sugar in the diet, and too many carbohydrates will exacerbate the condition.
• Eat as many fresh vegetables as you wish.
• Eat fruits like berries, which are not too sweet.
• Cut out tropical fruit.
• Eat only complex, whole grains like steel cut oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa.  These better forms of carbohydrates still need to be kept in great moderation.
• Increase your intake of dietary fiber.  Start with a 1 tsp per day of psyllium husk, and take it will a large glass of water.  If your body has no side-effects from the psyllium, such as bloating or constipation, then increase to 1 tsp 2x per day.  Psyllium works to lower cholesterol and increase insulin sensitivity.
• When eating foods, such as berries, root vegetables, whole grains, and sprouted wheat products, which have more naturally occurring sugar in them, combine them with a high quality fat (like avocados) or protein to slow the release of glucose into your system.  This step alone will lower the food’s glycemic index.  Nuts such as almonds or walnuts are a great food to add.