How I fought diabetes in just 15 months (III)

In just 15 months, I was able to successfully wean myself off any diabetic medication or insulin injection. Even doctors are surprised about my relying on dietary modifications and weight loss alone to abstain from taking any diabetic medication. In fact, most of them would be hesitant to tell you to go without taking any […]

In just 15 months, I was able to successfully wean myself off any diabetic medication or insulin injection. Even doctors are surprised about my relying on dietary modifications and weight loss alone to abstain from taking any diabetic medication. In fact, most of them would be hesitant to tell you to go without taking any medication and rely on dietary modifications and weight loss alone. When I asked my doctor at the beginning of the treatment if I would ever live without taking any diabetic medication again, he replied no.

Well, I have achieved just that and I am sharing my success story to encourage diabetics that they can actually live a healthy life without taking the diabetic medication depending on the extent of their sugar control and adherence to the necessary lifestyle changes. More importantly, they can also live a healthy life while taking the medication without any diabetic complication provided they will control their blood sugar level always. Currently, I weigh 70 kg and still counting down, remember that I weighed 86 kg in 2015 when I started treatment for diabetes and 90 kg in 2013. Now, let me shed light on some diabetic dietary myths by presenting some ABCs of junk foods and healthy foods. Sometimes you can hear a diabetic telling you that the following food items are good for a diabetic: pasta, couscous, Indomie, maize or millet pap, etc.

Vegetable oils are the umbrella that may actually represent soybean oil, corn oil, groundnut (peanut) oil, palm oil or sunflower seed oil. Their chemical structure are similar in that they are all unsaturated oils except palm oil coconut oil which are saturated oil. If you are on a low cholesterol diet, then palm oil is a no-no for you because of its high saturated fat content (50 %). Trans fats are found in processed foods. Food manufacturers in the US must list trans fat on food labels. Words like “hydrogenated” or “partially-hydrogenated” are used to identify trans fats that are hiding in your food. Other saturated fats are those found in meat and dairy products which are generally solid at room temperature. On the other hand, unsaturated fats and oils are generally liquid, even when refrigerated. These trans fats raise your LDL cholesterol levels (the bad kind) and lower your HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind) at the same time. Hence, they raise your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Vegetable oils with the exception of palm oil and coconut oil contain the essential fatty acids omega-6 which are essential for our body, yet, our body cannot manufacture them and must be taken in through diet. Pure groundnut oil processed from groundnuts and sold by Kuli-kuli (groundnut cake) vendors is the most reliable groundnut oil and has a lower smoke point than the conventionally packaged vegeatable oils and that is why it is not economical for frying purposes. Unfortunately, the good unsaturated oils can also be hydrogenated to create trans fats and a more shelf-stable product. I hope NAFDAC ensures that the so-called vegetable oils are not hydrogenated.

What is usually sold on shelves as butter is actually margarine. These are two different fats with different nutritional values and ingredients. While butter contains saturated fats, many brands of margarine contain trans fat listed as “hydrogenated oil” or “partially hydrogenated oil” on the ingredients list. Trans fat should be completely avoided according to health experts. Before 1990s, trans fats were regarded as a healthier alternative to saturated fats, hence margarine was promoted as a heart-healthy option over butter. However, since the recent discovery that trans fats are bad, many margarine companies in the US have reformulated their product and eliminated trans fats. The popular Blue Band ‘butter’ is nothing but margarine. Pure and natural butter is sold by Fura Da Nono vendors as Man Shanu. The best and recommended butter for diabetics is peanut butter called Tunkuza in Hausa. Health experts recommend that one takes one tablespoon of Extra Virgin olive oil daily owing to its heart-healthy benefits.

Processed foods have a generally bad reputation and bring to mind things like additives, preservatives, sweeteners, colors, excess sugar or sodium. They contribute to public health problems like obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Processed foods are better viewed on a spectrum of minimally (e.g. roasted nuts, canned tomatoes, canned sardine) to heavily (e.g. crackers, potato chips, cookies, microwaveable dinners, hot dogs, sausages) processed foods. However, certain foods benefit from processing. These include milk (pasteurized to kill bacteria), dried fruits (have more fiber and phenols – an antioxidant), etc. Refined foods mean they have been stripped of nutrients through processing such as white flour instead of whole grains. Pasta and couscous are made from refined wheat, hence possess a higher glycemic index than pasta made from whole wheat. The same thing applies to processed and refined parboiled or white rice and brown rice. Processed foods are linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression and colon cancer. Glycemic index (GI) is an estimate of how blood glucose levels are affected by carbohydrate foods. A high GI food can raise blood glucose level faster than low GI food. A sudden spike in blood glucose level is undesirable in persons with TTD. As a rule, proper diabetic diets should have low glycemic index or load. Junk foods are usually heavily processed and refined, hence possess high GI and calories. Healthy diets are unrefined fresh or minimally processed foods that possess high fiber and other nutrients and have a low GI. Examples of healthy foods and snacks for diabetics include whole beans (starch-resistant and high in insoluble fiber), oats (whole grains and contains soluble fiber), whole grain wheat, carrot (high in insoluble fiber), apple (high in insoluble fiber), avocado, almond, salmon, veggies, Zogale (moringa), etc.

One key point for the successful management of any disease is the patient’s ability to read and research about the disease as widely as possible irrespective of one’s discipline. This is will go a long way in simplifying the work of the doctor. You should be able to take charge of your wellbeing and discuss extensively with your doctor about any management plan. Based on your readings, be willing to provide the relevant details that could guide your doctor in charting an appropriate management plan for you, do not wait for your doctor to ask you for the details. This is one thing that has been helping me to manage any disease that comes my way. You can find articles with more details on diabetes and nutrition than what I presented above in the following websites: www.verywellhealth.com and www.verywellfit.com.

(Concluded)

Dr. Salihu Lukman is an assistant professor at the University of Hafr Al-Batin and writes from Saudi Arabia. [email protected]