Diabetes and Diet

As I mentioned in the previous post, I had a client that had a surgery and needed a place to recover and also someone to prepare their food for them- so that’s exactly what I did. She had bones in her foot deteriorate because of neuropathy caused by decreased blood flow as a result of type 2 diabetes. She had been diabetic for four years that we know of. She did not come under my care until right before surgery. Neuropathy is burning, tingling, and and decreased sensation- especially in the feet, this is caused by excessive blood sugar levels. She was walking with poor foot posture and the decreased sensation didn’t allow her body to know there was a problem with her bones and they deteriorated due to stress of the poor foot posture.

When you have diabetes, your body loses sensitivity to insulin. Insulin helps to get the glucose (sugar from foods like carbs, starches and sugars) into the cells that can use them. Therefore, the sugar stays in the blood. This increased blood sugar is not good for the very small blood vessels because it causes inflammation and makes it hard for the blood cells to travel through the very narrow capillaries. Sometimes these capillaries have a diameter that will only allow one or two blood cells through at a time, you can see how even a small amount of inflammation can cause a decrease in blood flow in these small capillaries.

Without proper blood flow, tissue, bones, and nerves can not function properly or repair themselves. That is why amputation, vision loss, organ failure, and many other health problems can come as a complication of diabetes. The main focus is to eat foods that won’t spike blood sugar levels. We know sweets and refined carbohydrates like bread and pasta will spike blood sugar levels but so will seemingly healthy foods, like grapes. We must watch the glycemic index of the foods we eat. I have gone over that in this blog.

Well, not only did she lose 10 pounds during her program but we were also successful in decreasing her A1C level with food modification. The A1C number is the percentage of glucose (sugar) circulating in the blood. We tested her A1C tested prior to my program and after my program and it went from 6.8% to 5.9%. A value of 5.7% or below of sugar in the blood is what we want and is out of the diabetic range.

When we clear out that extra sugar in the blood we allow the blood system to work more efficiently and we have less chance of nerve, tissue, and bone damage. This client, having had a surgery, was in urgent need of her blood vessels working properly to bring nutrition and the proper materials needed for the healing of her surgical site. The foot is a very common problem spot for diabetics. Upon the three week check up after surgery, the doctor said she had excellent blood flow in her feet. This is great news! Diabetics can get an infection and it may not heal because of the poor circulation.

My main focus was getting this client to eat whole, homemade foods, without preservatives, the least amount of processing as possible, organic, and raw when possible. Salads with Greek yogurt dressing, apples, hummus, nuts, fruits, and vegetables were the focus. Smoothies with chia for increased fiber were also utilized. All bread was substituted with whole grain wraps or sprouted bread, carbs were cut back to once a day, maybe twice. Pasta was substituted for spaghetti squash. Her main sources of protein came from eggs, fish, and organic, free range chicken. Clean eating and exercise every day got us the results we wanted. With some knowledge and the desire to meal prep it is really amazing what diet can do for your well-being.

I would love to do a free personalized consultation and introduction to the eating for health program. I will walk you through every step of the process and advance at a pace that is comfortable for you. We will modify and incorporate food at a pace you choose. Every pivot towards good health is a step in the right direction, no matter how big or how small. Please call to schedule your complimentary initial consultation.

Call or text: 407-205-7488