. . . And Beat Diabetes With Healthy Carbos Instead Of Drugs
By Norman D. Ford, Health Reporter
On Page 7 of its January 2004 On-Health Newsletter, Consumer Reports quoted a recent Mayo Clinic study confirming that frequent and regular exercise boosts the body's sensitivity to the sugar-regulating hormone Insulin--a key factor in fighting excess weight and diabetes. On the same page under "Exercise Fights Dangerous Syndrome," the Newsletter reports on a large clinical trial of participants with pre-diabetic Metabolic Syndrome. After five months of regular exercise, one-third of the participants were free of Metabolic Syndrome.
As a tidal wave of massive obesity overwhelms the U.S., the nation's top health advisory agencies have warned that being significantly overweight can be the greatest single barrier to staying healthy and living longer in the U.S. today. Some have added that this is a grim warning that something is terribly wrong with America's diet and lifestyle.
Spurred on by a flood of diet books offering bewildering and often contradictory advice-- from diets high in carbs and low in fats to spartan vegetarian eating plans to diets urging us to eat right for our body or blood type--- millions of Americans became so confused that they turned in droves to the then, wildly popular lo-carb diets that were high in risky fats and protein.
By drastically cutting back on carbs and eating almost unlimited amounts of meats, cheese, eggs, butter and rich creams--the foods most Americans love --the lo-carb books held out the promise of regaining normal weight, then maintaining it permanently, all without experiencing hunger or the need for exercise. These rich foods, loaded with artery-clogging saturated fats, are still forbidden by most of the hi-carb, lo-fat gurus.
All this contradicted the hi-carb, lo-fat mantra which for decades, has dominated advice by the nation's top nutritionists to lose weight and prevent heart disease. Certainly, those who strictly follow just about any of the diets, have lost weight. But for the majority of Americans, in all of the diets, the choice of foods is too restrictive and monotonous to stay with. Eventually, the majority of dieters give up and go back to gulping down the foods they love--usually at fast-food eateries where, once again, they can socialize with family or friends without having to watch what they eat.
Amazingly, however, most of those who followed the lo-carb diets lost weight over the short term. . .and as their weight dropped so did their cholesterol and their risk of developing Type II Diabetes. But studies showed that regardless of being able to scarf down almost unlimited amounts of rich, tasty foods--foods that have been proven to threaten heart health-- from 25-50 percent of lo-carb dieters would drop out in the first year. So gradually, the fat crept back, and the sprawling bellies and thunder thighs reappeared, and the weight these dieters had lost came back to haunt them.
Lo-Carb Diets Often Deficient In Essential Nutrients
Even though you may lose weight on a low-carb diet, many doctors are concerned by the nutritional deficencies of the foods these diets recommended. Many lo-carb diets proved to be deficient in Calcium and Vitamin-D which can lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. By almost eliminating carbs during the first few weeks, the diets created a deficiency in fiber plus anti- oxidants and anti-carcinogens, that help protect the body against heart disease and cancer. Although some fruits, vegetables and whole grains were allowed later, a deficiency of these nutrients often remained. For instance, where was the variety of different colored fruits and vegetables that helps keep cancer at bay?
This has led some doctors to try to reinvent the lo-carb diet, retaining the ratio of carbs-to- fats that seems to take off weight, but using healthier foods and fats. Rather than meat, fat-rich dairy products and eggs, the new lo-carb diets use oily fish, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, olive oil and avocadoes as fat sources; and fruits, vegetables and whole grains to provide healthy carbohydrates. One such step in this direction is the popular South Beach Diet.
But regardless of using healthier foods, ALL DIETS HAVE A BUILT-IN FAILURE FACTOR. . .ONE THAT IS ALMOST GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU FAIL.
Only when diets are combined with regular daily exercise are dieters usually able to stay with their diet and gradually lose weight. For as long as they continue with their daily exercise program, their weight is much more likely to stabilize at or near-normal levels and remain there.
So you've heard that exercise, such as brisk walking, burns off very little weight. Correct! What most of us haven't heard is the recent discovery that regular daily exercise transforms the hormone and metabolic patterns of muscle and tissue cells throughout the body. In doing so, it causes body cells that have developed a resistance to Insulin to turn around and welcome Insulin, an act that makes it difficult to put on more weight and that literally reverses Diabetes. But we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves. (Keep on reading, all is explained below.)
Suffice to say that being overweight and weight loss are really side issues of a much larger problem that involves the hormone Insulin. The lo-carb diets are really about keeping the body's Insulin levels low and preventing not only weight gain and obesity but life threatening conditions like Pre-Diabetes or Insulin-Resistance, Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome and full-blown Type II Diabetes that being overweight or obese so frequently leads to.
Become a Medically-Informed Layperson and Learn As Much About Your Body's Sugar Factory As Your Doctor Probably Knows
Much of the confusion about weight loss stems from the public's misuse and misunderstanding of dietary terminology. Most Americans believe that carbohydrates are cereals or products made from white flour and sugar like white bread, bagels, donuts, pasta, pies, cakes, pastries, pancakes etc.
In reality, all foods that grow on plants are basically carbohydrates. All fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans are carbohydrates, as are all grains, cereals, starches and sugars such as donuts or breads. Some like beans and avocadoes have more fat, root vegetables like potatoes have more starch, juicy fruits have more sugar, beans and grains together form whole protein equal to that in meat, and whole grain cereals have more fiber. But all are basically carbohydrates.
But not all carbs are equal. There are good and bad carbs. The good carbs are called Complex Carbohydrates and these are fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains etc that remain unprocessed and in the same whole food state in which they grew. (Coarsely-sliced whole grains like oatmeal or whole wheat flour are also classified as Complex Carbohydrates.)
But the bad carbs, those that are restricted in all lo-carb --and most other-- diets, are primarily Refined Carbohydrates like white flour, sugar, sucrose, all sweets and junk foods and white rice plus sugary breakfast cereals and fruit punch (along with anything made all or partially from refined carbos such as sodas). Equally undesirable are naturally-occuring Simple Carbohydrates like honey, molasses, alcohol, dried fruits, and most fruit or vegetable juices. (It's OK to eat juicy fruits.)
Good Carbs, Bad Carbs
To make it easier to identify good and bad carbs, researchers have developed a glycemic index for most common carbohydrate foods. Fats and Proteins (meat, fish, eggs, dairy foods) have almost no glycemic effect.
The Glycemic Index (GI) ranks carbohydrate foods by the speed at which they are digested and transformed into blood sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. It does so by measuring the blood glucose level two hours after the food is eaten. The standard GI of 100 is based on the blood glucose level two hours after eating 100 grams of pure sugar. (Another glycemic index in use is based on consuming only 50 grams of sugar and all indexes are exactly half those in the 100 grams table. It's fairly obvious to tell whether your indexes are from the 50 or 100 gram tables.)
For a list of GIs to the most common carbo foods, click on www.diabetes.ca/Section_About/glycemic.asp . The GIs listed are based on the 100 gram standard. The lower a food's GI, the slower it digests and the slower the rate at which it raises the blood glucose level. This keeps the blood sugar level stable and healthy. When measured by a glucose fasting test, the blood glucose level of a healthy person invariably reads under 100 mgs/dl.
Among carbohydrate foods with the lowest GI are peanuts, seeds, nuts, whole grains and 100% whole grain products, most fruits and vegetables, soy milk and soy products, carbs that naturally contain fats like avocadoes, and any food high in fiber. Cooked foods have a higher GI than when eaten raw. And the GI of most carbs can be lowered by adding fat or fiber.
While most meals include only 2 or 3 carbohydrate foods, it's smart to choose carbs with a low GI. In contrast, it's the bad carbs, those with a GI above 70 (or above 35), that lead to Diabetes and our surging obesity rates.
Refined and Simple Carbohydrates have no place in a healthy diet and should never be eaten. Nor should Processed, Pre-Prepared or Packaged foods unless you are certain they are free of both bad carbs and bad fats. Look on their labels. (To learn more about fats, click on the "Good Fats, Bad Fats" report on our Home Page menu.)
The Glycemic Index has revealed how cutting back on fat has caused millions of Americans to turn instead to bad carbs which, though fat-free, can turn the human body into a thriving fat machine. In all too many cases, food manufacturers have produced new Fat-Free foods by replacing fat with bad carbs like sugar. The inevitable result has been that many Fat- Free foods actually contain more calories than their original full-fat version. And those who eat them keep piling on the pounds.
How Our Body's Sugar Factory Functions
When a lean, healthy person eats good carbohydrate foods, they are digested and transformed into glucose, a type of sugar that can flow through the blood stream. As more food is eaten and digested, it releases more glucose and the body's blood glucose level slowly rises. This rise triggers secretion of the hormone Insulin by special cells in the pancreas. Molecules of Insulin then escort glucose molecules through the bloodstream to the liver and to every cell in the body.
Insulin molecules contain a protein key which binds with receptors on each body cell and allows glucose molecules to freely enter. Once inside muscle and tissue cells, glucose is transformed into yet another form of sugar called glycogen, and is stored away for use as muscle fuel. Roughly one fifth of all glucose also goes to fuel the brain. And about 75 grams of glucose per meal is stored in the liver.
Any surplus glycogen in the liver may be released back into the bloodstream as Triglycerides. These are a compound of fats that maintain the level of circulating fats in the bloodstream. In a healthy person, a Triglycerides level below 100 mds/dl is ideal, below 120 is good, and below 150 is still OK. But a reading above 150 mgs/dl --especially if your total cholesterol level is also high-- is an indication to either upgrade your diet and exercise program, or to see a physician.
Roughly two hours after eating bad carbs, or 2.5-3 hours after eating good carbs, a healthy person's blood glucose level gradually drops to where mild hunger pangs appear. These pangs are easily relieved by a carbohydrate snack. Fuelled by an occasional snack, a healthy person can keep exercising, or doing physical labor, for hours without any problems.
In a healthy person who is not overweight, who exercises daily, who gets at least 6.5 hours of sound sleep every night, and who avoids bad fats and carbs, that's roughly how the Body's Sugar Factory functions. But it's a very different story for people who are overweight, sedentary and who recklessly consume bad carbohydrates.
Insulin Resistance--The Spike And Crash Syndrome
When a sedentary person overeats on bad carbs, a sudden rush of glucose pours into the bloodstream. This places a tremendous stress and burden on the ability of the pancreas to churn out Insulin. When this excessive stress continues daily for weeks and months at a time, the body's cells may develop a chronic resistance to Insulin. The protein "keys" on Insulin molecules are then no longer able to unlock tissue and muscle cells to allow glucose to enter.
The result? Glucose, and its Insulin escort, accumulate in the bloodstream. But Insulin still retains the ability to bind with receptors in the body's adipose (fat) cells and to store surplus glucose inside these cells as fat.
You don't have to be a biochemist to guess what happens next. Excess blood glucose streams into the fat cells and a person begins to put on weight. . . a fate that has already befallen 66 percent of Americans, while over 25 percent of the population is classed as clinically obese.
You can easily tell if you are overweight or obese, by clicking here www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/index.htm and obtaining your personal Body Mass Index.
Years ago, the "ideal weight tables" were replaced by the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale which assesses the ratio between lean muscle mass and body fat. The BMI scale applies equally to adult men and women. Excepting only people with very large muscles or body frames, your BMI provides a good appraisal of your future outlook for health and freedom from most diseases, including Insulin Resistance and Diabetes.
A BMI of 30 or over indicates that a person is obese. Between 25 and 29.9 indicates a person is significantly overweight. To stay healthy and free of any form of Insulin Metabolic Disease, you should keep your BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. For ideal health and longevity, it should be below 22.
To some degree, Insulin Resistance (IR) exists in about 40 percent of Americans, most of whom overeat on bad carbs and don't exercise. Technically, IR is known as Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Carbohydrate Intolerance, and it's a developed resistance to Insulin function that frequently includes such symptoms as chronically-elevated Insulin levels; low HDL (good) cholesterol; increased weight; belly sprawl and/or bulging buttocks, thighs and abdomen; fat "chipmunk"cheeks and bloated fat around the neck; high triglycerides; drowsiness after eating; bloating and gas; fatigue; difficulty concentrating; poor memory; and slow learning ability.
All this occurs because overeating on high-glycemic or refined carbs (all bad) is quickly followed by a sudden spike in blood glucose levels--only to be followed a short time later by an equally sudden crash as energy and glucose levels nosedive. Fierce hunger pangs quickly appear with acute cravings for sweets, chocolate, ice cream, coffee or more bad carbs.
If these cravings are not swiftly satisfied, a person with IR may become shaky, jittery, moody, lethargic and depressed . . .as the supply of glucose to power the brain begins to run low. Every time the body is exposed to a high-glucose surge, muscle and tissue cells become increasingly Insulin Resistant.
As IR worsens, a person's fasting glucose level may gradually creep up from below 100 to 125 mgs/dl. That's just one point away from the break-even level of 126, a widely recognised marker for Type II Diabetes. (All future references here to Diabetes refer to Type II.)
While being overweight or obese is a strong indicator of IR, not all overweight people are pre-diabetic nor are all people with IR overweight. For this reason, most doctors recommend that people 45 and over should take a fasting glucose test every 3 years (every two years if you are pre-diabetic or have IR).
Type II Diabetes was formerly known as Adult-Onset Diabetes. But due to the epidemic of overweight and obese youngsters and teenagers, it is now known as Type II Diabetes. With one in five young people overweight and overloaded with bad junk-food carbs and deprived of exercise, IR and other pre-diabetic conditions are becoming common among America's increasingly chunky younger population (and especially among Latinos and blacks).
Thus a new blood glucose test has been developed called PGB or Protein Bound Glucose which measures blood glucose levels over the past 7-15 days or longer and provides a more accurate assessment of the body's glucose metabolism. Even so, blood tests alone don't confirm IR or Diabetes, they only suggest a strong possibility.
Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome
As IR progresses and glucose levels creep past 110 mgs/dl, the disorder drifts into an advanced level which many doctors describe as Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome.
Both IR and Syndrome X are difficult to diagnose. But many physicians believe that when a person has 3 or more of the following symptoms, that person has Syndrome X and is at increasing risk for Diabetes and Heart Disease.
1. A waist of 40 inches or more in men, or 35 inches or more in women.
2. A blood pressure of 130/85 mm/Hg or higher.
3. A HDL (good) cholesterol reading under 40 mgs/dl in men, or under 50 in women.
4. A fasting glucose level of 110 mgs/dl or higher.
5. A BMI of 30 or higher.
6. A fasting triglycerides level of 150 mgs/dl or higher.
These are all symptoms of approaching heart disease. But the fasting triglycerides level of 150 or more is particularly significant. That's because in 25 percent of men, a diet high in bad carbs and low in fat appears to raise triglycerides levels to where LDL (bad) cholesterol molecules become smaller and heavier. And from that point on, they begin to harm Insulin- producing cells in the pancreas.
As IR drifts on into Syndrome X, levels of glucose, Insulin and triglycerides all continue to rise. Eventually, the fat cells also become Insulin Resistant. And fats from the liver begin to strangle and kill the vital Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. By this time, the fasting glucose level is hovering near 126, indicating the body has entered a state of full-blown Diabetes.
Diabetes--The Silent Killer
Diabetes Mellitus (Type II Diabetes) is defined as inability to take up and use glucose from the blood. Symptoms are a high level of both Insulin and serum glucose. Most people enter Diabetes with their pancreas still producing sufficient Insulin. But throughout the body, muscle and tissue cells may no longer respond to Insulin.
At this point, most Diabetes cases can still be reversed by lifestyle modification, meaning a combination of exercise and diet. Despite the frightening implications of Diabetes, many people still make only a half-hearted attempt at lifestyle modification. If and when that fails, medical treatment can help slow the onset of Diabetes.
Not until most Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have died, is supplemental Insulin usually required. Beyond this point, however, Diabetes can seldom be reversed by non- medical means. And medical treatment is often uncomfortable, expensive and requires frequent testing.
From here on, the disease profoundly disturbs the metabolism of every body cell. It can damage small capillaries in the eyes and kidneys, leading to blurred vision or blindness; or to kidney shut-down and and the need for frequent dialysis. Foot injuries are slow to heal and it may become necessary to amputate one or both feet.
Nerve problems may appear. And advanced Diabetes can bring on a host of complications, including heart disease and many cancers.
Nature's Antidote to Overweight and Diabetes: The Number One Healthy Lifestyle Plan
Today, 17 million Americans have been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes while, estimates say, several million more cases remain undiagnosed. While genes may be responsible for a small percentage of Diabetes, the great majority of cases are self-caused by reckless consumption of bad carbs coupled with a complete disregard for the body's need to exercise.
Meanwhile the majority of Americans remain trapped in an over-mechanized, junk food society that has made us the most overweight, flabby and out-of-shape people on earth. . . with some of the world's highest rates of Diabetes and its devastating complications. According to the CDC, for example, one in 3 American youngsters born after 2001 will develop Diabetes; and for black and Latino kids, the rate is one in two.
Yet there is an antidote to our modern, health-destroying way of life. It's called the Live To Be 90 Lifestyle Plan . And for those prepared to do what it takes to succeed, it offers a way to live a long and healthy life largely free of the menace of obesity and Diabetes and their life- threatening complications.
The first step in losing weight the Live To Be 90 Lifestyle Way is to become our own health advocate. We may get support from a spouse or friend. But it's strictly up to us to blend-in our diet with that of other people we may eat and live with. We may have to eat out less at fast food restaurants and eat more at home where we can make healthy food choices. And we may have to drop foods that we grew up eating and switch to others with unfamiliar textures and unaccustomed tastes.
If we're accustomed to ordering a greasy hamburger sandwiched between two hi-glycemic white flour buns, with a side order of French fries, and a sugar-laden soda, it's obvious that we're eating dangerously and fast foods like these must go forever.
So where do we start?
Nutritional experts who have re-designed the the most successful of the lo-carb diets, have come up with a profile for an ideal weight-loss diet that looks like this:-
Nutritionists measure proportions in calories rather than in weight because one gram of fat contains a whopping 9 calories compared to just 4 calories for a gram of either protein or carbohydrate.
Our example above is called a 50-30-20 diet profile. Translated into weight, a meal based on this same profile would typically contain:-
A meal based on these proportions would express the same ratio of food types as those used in the more successful lo-carb diets. It's good to remember that we can speed up weight loss by serving smaller meal portions--another step which reduces the Insulin-burden on the pancreas.
STRATEGY TO PREVENT AND REVERSE INSULIN-CAUSED OVERWEIGHT AND METABOLIC DISORDERS
STEP ONE: OUTDISTANCE OVERWEIGHT AND DIABETES WITH A SIMPLE DAILY EXERCISE PROGRAM
Exercise is the most powerful, proven therapy in the entire arsenal of weapons to beat overweight and diabetes. As reported in the journal Diabetes Care (March 26, 2003), regular exercise transforms the body's entire hormone and metabolic pattern so that cells that reject glucose begin to accept and store glucose instead. Blood sugar levels then swiftly return to normal and Insulin ceases to transform surplus glucose into body fat. From then on, we begin to lose excess fat and body weight.
Exercise alone can break the vicious glucose-Insulin-fat cycle. And this boosts our determination to follow the Live To Be 90 Lifestyle for the rest of our lives.
Most diets fail without the constant boost of a daily exercise program. That's partly because exercise releases clouds of feel-good endorphin molecules that block pain receptors in the brain and leave us feeling terrific the rest of the day. Even though we may not lose much weight, some body fat is burned off through exercise and replaced by healthy muscle mass.
Provided we're medically fit and able to exercise, we can start immediately by walking for thirty minutes each day. We need to walk at the best pace we can without becoming tired or fatigued. If you can't walk, try swimming or riding a stationary bike. A minimum of five half-hour sessions of brisk exercise each week is usually sufficient to transform our metabolism and to start our Insulin level on its way back to normal.
For best results, however, most health advisory agencies now recommend exercising for up to an hour each day. Ideally, that should include 40 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise and 20 minutes of strength-building calisthenics like push-ups and ab-crunches. If it's safe, you can save time by doing this exercise close to home and in your living room. Most libraries have a selection of books on strength-building exercises you can do without equipment or weights.
Most fitness advisory sources, like the American College of Sports Medicine, believe it is far more dangerous not to exercise than to begin a gradually increasing program of daily exercise. To play it safe, however, you should check with your physician first and take a full fasting glucose test with full Blood Chemistry and Serum Lipid tests. With your doctor's approval, you can then exercise within any limits he/she sets.
To avoid being given biased advice by a doctor who may be unfamilar with the benefits of exercise, consult only a physician known to favor exercise and who is lean him or herself. Sports medicine physicians are usually the safest bet.
Always give exercise top priority. Never miss a workout if you possible can. Bear in mind that 55 percent of Americans who begin an exercise program drop out within six months. Becoming an exercise drop-out may be equivalent to throwing away your health, your life and all hope of shedding weight and avoiding Diabetes.
STEP TWO: EAT A HEALTHY DIET OF GOOD CARBS, FATS AND PROTEIN
START BY AVOIDING THESE FOODS THAT SABOTAGE OUR HEALTH AND PILE ON THE POUNDS
Among modern American foods that can sabotage our health are just about all fried, smoked, salted and pickled foods plus many processed, packaged, manufactured, instant, convenience, ready-to-heat or microwave, or TV-type frozen dinners, pre-prepared meals (the few acceptable ones can be identified by reading the labels). Cut out also all the Worst Foods listed below--some of which are undesirable for reasons other than piling on weight.
Worst Carbohydrates
Worst Fats
All fats, good or bad, will help slow digestion and prevent glucose or Insulin spikes. They all have more than twice the calories of carbohydrates and protein. Ones to avoid include:-
Worst Proteins
HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES THAT HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT AND BEAT DIABETES
The higher the level of fiber in a carbohydrate food, the more it slows digestion and prevents glucose spikes and Insulin-overload. The more fiber there is in a food, the lower its glycemic index (good). Significant amounts of fiber exist only in foods that grow on plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes). Fiber keeps us feeling full and satisfied for several hours after eating, during which time it also keeps Insulin levels stable.
To lose weight and keep IR and Diabetes at bay, we need 20-30 grams of fiber daily. The average American consumes only 10.5 grams. Most overweight people are deficient in dietary fiber which leads to stagnation in the colon with dramatically increased risk of colo-rectal cancer.
By comparison, a fiber-rich diet sweeps through the colon like a cleansing broom, creating large, bulky stools, virtually eliminating constipation, and excreting food 3-4 times as fast as in a person lacking fiber.
There are two types of fiber: Insoluble Fiber such as whole wheat, lentils, beans and brown rice; and Soluble Fiber such as oats or apples, which also lowers cholesterol. We need 10-15 grams of each per day. In canned and processed foods, the amount of dietary fiber is indicated on the food label. For anyone with an Insulin-related disorder, 30 grams of fiber a day should help speed weight loss and Insulin-stability.
To digest hi-fiber foods, you will probably need to drink more water, tea etc. If you have been fiber-deficient, you may experience loose stools or perhaps occasional diarrhea as your digestive systems adapts to increased amounts of fiber. This is a signal to increase fiber gradually. It may take your system several weeks to fully adjust to a hi-fiber diet.
Best Carbohydrates
Best Fats
For more about fats, click on the report "A Primer on Fats: Good Fats, Bad Fats" listed on our Home Page menu. All fats contain 9 calories per gram and eaten to excess, even the best can add weight and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease. The best types of fat are mono-unsaturated, omega-3 and, in limited amounts, poly-unsatured Omega 6 cooking oils.
Best Proteins
Eating The No. 1 Healthy Lifestyle Way
Many foods contain significant amounts of not only carbohydrate but also of fat and/or protein.
A typical example of one day's meals designed to keep Insulin levels low might look like this:-
Healthy Snacks
If you crave something sweet, or feel hungry, try:-
Healthy Beverages
Other Good Diets
Among other proven heart-healthy diets is the Mediterranean Diet, especially the Greek version built around fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, dried cooked beans, oily and other fish, soy cheese, olive oil, seeds, peanut butter and red wine. The DASH Diet, developed by the National Institutes of Health to lower high blood pressure, is equally commendable. Details can be found by typing the name of each diet into the search engine of your Internet browser. Well worth reading is the book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" by Walter Willett M.D (Fireside 2001), Harvard Medical School epidemiologist, which presents a new and improved version of the then USDA's Food Pyramid in which Exercise plays the largest role.
Another proven way to stabilize Insulin levels is to divide each of your 3 daily meals into two halves, then eat each of the six mini-meals at equally-spaced intervals throughout the day.
Finally, in case you didn't get it, not just excess weight but most cases of Insulin Resistance, pre-Diabetes, Syndrome X, Metabolic Syndrome and Type II Diabetes can not only be prevented but also slowed down and usually reversed by the Live To Be 90 diet and exercise combination described in this report. Just check with your doctor first to be sure. And Diabetes can be reversed only if most of the Insulin-producing Beta-cells in the pancreas are still undamaged.
CAUTION: Though these reports are based on documented studies in professional journals or on advisories from leading university medical schools and research institutes, they are intended for information only and should not be regarded as medical advice or instruction. For diagnosis and treatment of specific symptoms and diseases, disorders or dysfunctions, consult your physician. If you smoke or are over 35 or have symptoms of--or are at risk for--any chronic or degenerative disease, you should check with your doctor before beginning to exercise or making any changes in lifestyle or diet. However, fitness organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine invariably believe that the risk of NOT exercising far exceeds any risk in beginning a gradually increasing program of daily exercise. Thus if you experience any pain or problem while exercising, or making any other lifestyle change, stop and see your doctor at once.