Is there a full video on him. I tried to watch one and it only showed an excerpt.
Here, have a read of this http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14046739.php and read the sources for the information. Itās just a start.
Your connection to diabetes is interesting but so are the studies in identical and fraternal twins. Why is it that 80% of identical twins will develop diabetes if their sibling has it but fraternal twins donāt share that. Both sets of twins were born at the same time, to the same parents, had the same lifestyle and ate the same foods. So, why is it that identical ones have a hugely higher chance of developing diabetes if the other twin does?
As for the video. You cannot cure diabetes. You can manage it well and that may mean you donāt have to take medications but the disease is still there. You can follow the plan to a T and ācureā your diabetes but if one time you decided you wanted a coke you would see how cured you really are. Being cured means that the disease is no longer there, your body will regulate itself, you will be able to eat whatever you want and your liver and pancreas will take care of it and your blood sugars will stay normal. Following a specific diet that you cannot deviate from or your blood sugar will not stay controlled is controlling your diabetes well.
Sounds like you have things pretty much under control, but if you really want to have an A1C done you might try Walmartās Relion brand A1C test for $9. According to the box you take a blood sample at home and mail it to their lab, with results back in about a week. I donāt know how reliable it is compared to a test done at a hospital, but it should at least give you a ballpark figure.
Just as a point of interest, the last one I had done was at a walk-in clinic at my pharmacy and cost $32. If I go to the hospital lab it costs $105 out of pocket.
It really makes me wonder ā if itās all the same test, why such a huge range in cost? And if theyāre not all the same test ā¦ then whatās the point? How are we supposed to know which test to trust?
As for living out our lives naturally ā Iām pretty much on board with that as well, although I am still taking 500 mg of Metformin, once a day. Iāve found a lot of useful information in your comments about nutrition and I thank you for taking the time to share.
Thanks for the info. My daily readings have me convinced that my A1C must be in the low 5s. If I ever become curious enough, I think I would do the walk-in clinic one. I donāt trust the Relion system, and canāt afford the regular lab fees.
Iām a former metformin user - it caused too much pain in my stomach.
Are you aware of this research paper about how adding calcium to your diet can help take care of the vitamin B12 absorption problem?
Increased intake of calcium reverses vitamin B12 malabsorption induced by metformin.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10977010
Iām now looking for information on how long it takes for the absorption problem to go away after you stop taking metformin, assuming that it does go away. The email address given for the author of that research paper no longer works.
Any you aware that some people have problems converting the cyanocobalamin form of vitamin B12 found in most vitamin B12 supplements available in the US to at least one of the two active active forms, methylcobalamin and another form with a name Iāve forgotten with a name that starts with a? These people need to take forms further along the conversion pathways instead. Web sites saying this and trying to sell methylcobalamin are easy to find, but research papers saying this seem to be mostly either too old to be on the internet, or not in English.
Are you aware that the usual test for vitamin B12 responds mostly to the cyanocobalamin form, somewhat less to the other forms further along the conversion path, and also to some vitamin B12 analogues that the human body cannot use? Some of the vitamin B12 supplements intended for vegan diets havenāt been adequately tested to see what vitamin B12 forms or vitamin B12 analogues they contain, and therefore how useful they are.
If you intend to do a web search based on this, be aware that sometimes the entire family of vitamin B12 forms are called cobalamins, and sometimes only cyanocobalamin is called cobalamin.
If he happens to have type 2 diabetes, this diet plan is generally more successful at controlling diabetes and controlling weight for those who manage to follow it than the low fat diet usually recommended, even though many doctors hesitate to recommend it because it is harder to start:
http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm
It gets easier to follow after it decreases your appetite, though - typically takes one to three months.
It can be combined with a raw food diet, although thatās not especially easy.
Walnuts are a good source of the omega-3 fatty acids that help it work.
There are some A1C tests available where you mail order the test kit, take a blood sample yourself, mail it back to the lab, and get the results cheaper than the method your doctor is likely to suggest. Try a web search for such tests if youāre interested.
Have you been taking a reasonable percentage of your BG tests at one to two hours after a meal, when the peak normally occurs, and including those when you calculate the average? If not, the true average may be higher than you think.
Oily fish, especially those from cold water areas, contain a higher percentage of the omega-3 fatty acids that the body needs. The body also needs some omega-6 fatty acids, but most of the vegetable oils now commonly used in the US have too high a percentage of them to be your main source of fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids also help; both olive oil and walnuts are good sources of those. Red meats typically have a high percentage of saturated fatty acids, which you can safely do without.
This diet plan often controls type 2 diabetes and weight well enough that you can go off insulin for the next few years, but sometimes takes more test strips to use well. Many doctors are hesitant to recommend it because itās harder to start properly than the low fat diet usually recommended, even though it gives better results for those who follow it well. Following it becomes easier after it decreases your appetite enough; this typically takes one to three months.
I read that article. It looks like he wasnāt aware that a further breakdown of unsaturated fats into monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fats, and omega-6 fats can help most people even more (donāt know if this is also true for those with MS). The human body requires both omega-3 and omega-6, but typical American diets have too high a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Monounsaturated fats help many conditions, even though they arenāt normally absolutely required. Also, for most people, transfats, produced during the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil, are even worse than saturated fats.
I am not writing this to start an argument but I do believe that Dr McDougall is feeding you a bunch of ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā . While nutrition is important, he states things that are incorrect: āThe McDougall Program cures this form of type-2 diabetes by correcting the malnutrition with a plant-food based diet and exerciseā
Diabetes isnāt curable. We all know that. So right there McDougall is lying.
Also, if you look around his site he is trying to sell us books, PACKAGED FOODS, dvds, time spent at his clinic to learn this program. Yeah, heās looking out for our best interests though, unlike drug companies.
In other words, he has as much to gain from continuing disease process as any pharmaceutical company does. He just tries to BS you into believing he is looking out for you against those āevil drug companies.ā
You know what? A whole lot of us are still alive due to those drug companies and while I do have issues with the pharmaceutical industry, I am grateful for them helping to keep me healthy and alive.
If I was any of yāall I would take this Metformin is evil stuff with a grain of salt and go read McDougallās site with closer eye.
(and before Craig says it, no I do not work for a drug company or a doctor. Iām a writer.)
Truth be told, I have purchased exactly nothing from either Dr. McDougall or Dr. Joel Fuhrman, yet Iāve been able to glean pretty much the full advantage of what it is theyāre hawking. Believe what you want Suzy, Iām content to live a full, active life without any medication or complications. Youāre welcome to choose whatever course of action you choose, no matter what it does to your body. Thatās the beauty of this whole thingā¦ freedom of choice, no matter how ill informed it is.
It really is quite simpleā¦ you give the body what it needs to provide you with good health and it responds in a positive manner. The trick is to figure out what your body needs in this blizzard of propaganda spewing forth from the television and your doctorās office. Iāve found that the further I stay away from television and my doctor, while spending more time researching alternatives, the healthier I become. Imagine that!
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Ill informed? I am not the one who is ill informed. Here is a quote from McDougallās site: āBlood sugar levels, if you are taking insulin, should be controlled at 150 mg/dl to 300 mg/dl.ā http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_diabetes.html
Now, tell me that keeping your blood sugar at those levels is healthy? ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā . That is asking for complications.
Then, letās look at some of his recommendations for diet: āChange to a low-fat, high-complex carbohydrate diet (starches, vegetables, and about 3 fruits a day).ā
Low fat is good but high in carbohydrates is good for NO diabetic.
And now insulin levels: āChildhood diabetics should reduce their insulin dosage by 30% when beginning the program, then make further adjustments as indicated by blood sugar or urine sugar readings.ā
Is he asking them to run extremely high numbers?
All the research on that page he posts is from the 70s and 80s, with one published paper in 1992. Think about how far the research on diabetes has come since then? We know much more about feeding ourselves and keeping ourselves well than diabetics did 30 years ago.
I could continue on his quackery on other diseases if you wish. By all means distrust the drug industry but make sure you look beyond an easy fix. McDougall is peddling a whole lot of bull to people and he could be costing lives. Blood sugar levels should not be kept as high as he wants, a type 1 diabetic should not be told to reduce their insulin by 30% unless their numbers show they should, and a high carb diet is asking for high blood sugar.
I follow a decent diet, exercise that I can do (I am disabled to an accident and bone disease) and take my prescribed medications and I keep an a1c between 5.2 and 5.8, even with having had major surgery last year. I trust myself, my research, and my well known, best in my state, endocrinologist with my health.
And, while it is fine for you, Craig, to follow what you wish, I thought that an opposite view needed to be here, so that people arenāt dropping medications and causing themselves harm due to one personās word.
āBe more skeptical about what the doctor prescribes. Be less skeptical about what Mother Nature provides.ā
EXACTLY!!! ^5 to you! and congrats at taking out your demons!
Not once in this thread was Dr. McDougall mentioned until you brought him up. Yet you said, āI am not writing this to start an argumentā. Really Suzy? Your profanity, hypocrisy, and distortions (out of context quotes from McDougall) donāt bode well for someone who claims to be a writer. You say, āno I do not work for a drug company or a doctor. Iām a writerāā¦ but youāve made it abundantly clear that you have some sort of agenda which is well beyond the scope of this thread.
My agenda is simpleā¦ as I said: āBe more skeptical about what the doctor prescribes. Be less skeptical about what Mother Nature provides.ā I eat several fruits throughout the day. The nutrient benefits far outweigh the slight increase in BGL. The more I follow the basics outlined in the Fuhrman, McDougall, Barnard, Mendosa, and Quillin diet plans, the easier my BGL is to manage. Since December of 2007, I havenāt needed any medication at all (after years of being on Metformin), I eat all I want, I have more energy than than I did twenty years ago, my weight is perfect and easy to maintain, and my blood sugar is absolutely normal. I can see why some might say that people like me are cured. The only reason I donāt say it is because I might be lulled into complacency and start eating the crappy food that brought me here. Youāre welcome to your opinion, of course, but Iām going to stick with what works for me and thousands of other real peopleā¦ (see link below)
Sincerely,
Craig
Hi Blackmajik Womban,
For some reason, Iām reminded of a Santana song from years ago.
It was a difficult journey, but like they say, āWhat doesnāt kill you, makes you strongerā. Overcoming depression, alcoholism, and diabetes, has made me confident that I can win the battle against fibromyalgia too. Now that Iāve learned to seek solutions instead of making excuses, life has become far more enjoyable. I never was much of a fighter, but Iāve learned that fighting the good fight is good for cleansing the soul. A lot of people donāt like my new found confidence and spirit (I used to be pathetically shy and reserved). But itās precisely what I needed in order to drag myself out of the rut of doom and despair.
I saw your link to the raw foods ācureā. Itās amazing how effective it is.
To your good health,
Craig
You mention your webpage several times which has links to Dr McDougall, and have mentioned him elsewhere here. āFor those of you that have been linked here from Mr. Peachy or Yahoo! Answers, you might be wondering why I am such a big advocate of Dr. McDougall.ā That is a direct quote from your site and why I brought up Dr McDougall.
As for your statements, profanity are words, just as legitimate as any others. The āprofanityā I used was ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā , it is a powerful word for when a word like that is called for.
Hypocrisy? Where? In no way am a hypocrite. I lay out exactly what I am thinking and feeling here. I have read this thread over some time and continued to not respond. I felt the need to have an opposing viewpoint here. Some of the things that you are stating can be harmful to others. While your diet my work for you, it very likely will not for others. How many diabetics on this site will state they eat a lot of fruit or carbs?
My agenda is not wanting other people with diabetes to follow things that could harm them. If someone who had diabetes wander into this thread and dropped their medications without further research it could harm them. Not everyone with diabetes has the ability to research everything, nor the ability to understand the things they read. Someone needs to be skeptical of statements that all the medications we are prescribed, other than insulin, are bad for us. That simply is not true.
I am glad your diet and exercise works for you. Thatās great, I hope it continues to. But, you have to remember that not everyone has the time, or physical capability, to do the exercise you do. And, even if they do, they may still need meds to keep their blood glucose in control.
At the point you started this thread you didnāt even know your A1C, do you now? That is integral in knowing if being off of meds is actually working for you.
I wish you continued good health and wellbeing. But, I also will state my point of view on these issues.
The big key to living medication free is how long you can do it. This is where the biggest problem I have with people who say that normal numbers without medication means you are cured, the diabetes is still there and it is a progressive disease. I will not deny that a large number of people are able to manage with diet and exercise but it may or may not last. Since diabetes is progressive, insulin resistance can get higher and beta cells can work less and less effectively. The longer you have diabetes the chances that you will HAVE to go on some form of medication or insulin will increase. If your body cannot produce enough insulin then no form of diet or exercise can bring that back and it will be impossible to keep the control that has been enjoyed previously. You also have to remember that diabetes isnāt just about blood sugar and that shouldnāt be focused on completely. Itās about the entire body and many other things play into complications other than blood sugar.
If people can manage with no meds, thatās great. I would never say it isnāt. But there is much, much more to diabetes which means you canāt pigeonhole such a large number of people because they are all different, will have massively variable access to food, massively variable ability to exercise and a very different acting diabetes than the next person. Even in the last couple of weeks there has been a lot more info released about the genetic component of type 2 and are predicting that there are about 800 genes linked to developing diabetes. Thatās a pretty large number if you ask me and could mean there are really hundreds of different types of diabetes with hundreds of different reasons for getting them rather that the rather limited number currently recognized.
Actually, the big key is how you take care of yourself. My experience suggests that I can go the rest of my life without medication. While on Metformin, I thought I was doing everything right, but watched in frustration when, after years of being on the drug, my numbers climbed to the point where I was faced with yet another doctorās visit and more prescriptions. Or, better yet, more research into alternatives. I remembered reading the success stories of people who had gotten off the drugs. Once I stumbled upon the thing that I was missing (that few doctors even know about, let alone recommend), and incorporated this one missing ingredient into my plan, thatās when I saw the reversal trend. That was December 13, 2007. Today, 16 months later, things are still improving. I contend that, in the majority of cases, type two diabetes is progressive only if you continue to do the things that provoked the disease in the first place. Regardless of genetic factors. There are people who are predisposed to type two diabetes that donāt get the disease and there are people with no family history of the disease at all who become diabetic for no apparent reason. Whatās the difference? Healthy lifestyle verses unhealthy lifestyle. You can complicate it all you want with your massive variability, but quite simply in the vast majority of cases of type two, it boils down to crappy diet and insufficient daily exercise. Improve the diet with loads of cell vitalizing nutrition, improve the exercise routine to lower insulin resistance, and the body responds with improved numbers. Often, to the extent that meds are no longer needed. I donāt think Iām doing anyone a disservice when I advocate working toward a healthy lifestyle that minimizes or eliminates the need for harsh drugsā¦ many of which are known to cause problems. Like Avandia, for example. Also, the recent halting of aggressive blood glucose treatment shown to do more harm than good. Is it so bad to make folks aware of the risks of having blind faith in their doctor to decide whatās best for them? In my world, knowledge is power. Some here have said that Iām lucky to be able to control my disease with diet and exercise alone. Interestingly, the more I learn and apply this knowledge, the luckier I get. The future will tell for sure. Hope youāre still around to celebrate my ninetieth with me.
Cheers,
Craig