Dr. Cousens Cure for Diabetes....Raw foods

No, Type 2 CAN’T be fixed. Fixed, or cured, would mean that a person could eat a large, high-carbohydrate meal with no meds and never experience high BGs. That just doesn’t happen. Even with eating healthy (what’s the definition of that?), and exercising.
And Type 2’s gradually lose beta cells, too, and about 40% end up on insulin. And then, the treatment doesn’t differ from Type 1, although Type 2’s may have to continue to take orals as well.
You have fallen for the media story, which MAY apply to pre-diabetics, and early stage Type 2’s, but doesn’t apply to long-term Type 2’s. There comes a point where diabetes is just diabetes, regardless of type.
I don’t want to start another war between Type 1’s and Type 2’s – I just would like all of us to try to understand the other type before we make unwarranted judgments.

:slight_smile: its understood. My mom has type 2 and she keeps her BG under 140, she has been since 2003 i believe when diagnosed she was at 189! but she continues to diet and excercise to keep from taking orals and such and has not seen a BG# over 140 for a little over 2 years and was taken of meds about the same amount of time. As a T1 I wish I could do that :frowning:



You are correct, it is all diabetes however I feel that Type 2 has much more flexibility. This kid thinks he can stop taking insulin if eats raw food… what? yea a type 2 can stop (im not sure how long) but dont crush a kid who hates shots and thinks he can be cured. this is not directed at you but this something a type 1 cannot do.



Ive had (type 1) diabetes since 1989, Born 1988.

:slight_smile: I take it you mean the phrase and not the ideas that constitute “nonsensical woo”. I can’t take credit for creating that one; I read it on Respectful Insolence, written by an oncologist who fights 3 fights: (1) misinformation given to cancer patients that leads them to pick unproven “alternative” treatments instead of proven, science-based treatments; (2) the belief that vaccines cause autism; and (3) those who deny science in general (e.g. climate change deniers, creationists, pseudoscience-lovers, etc). He also dislikes racists, bigots, people with poor critical thinking skills (like the ex-wife in this tale), and general stupidity. My kind of doctor!

Wow, thanks for posting this story!

I WISH Type 2’s had more flexibility. Your mom (and I congratulate her!) is keeping good BGs BECAUSE she watches her diet and exercise. She can’t just sit down and be a couch potato and eat all the carbs she wants to, because then the symptoms of diabetes would come right back. So she’s being very self-disciplined and diabetes-conscious.
It’s true that a Type 1 can’t go off insulin, and their BGs tend to fluctuate more wildly than most Type 2’s. And that’s hard to cope with. But it’s not the meds that are the big deal – it’s the above-mentioned self-discipline that makes diabetes hard, no matter which type you are.
Personally, I would LOVE to be under 140 all the time, but I can’t manage it and still partake of the pleasure of eating! I am neither a Type 1, nor a classic Type 2, but off in some never-never land where the rules just don’t apply. So I call myself Type Weird. I went on insulin 5 months after my formal diagnosis, and I’m glad I did. But I see the difficulties of both types, because I am both and neither.

I read him, too! He does not suffer fools gladly!

It wasn’t a rant. It was the release of some long-pent-up feelings. I’m so glad you are coming to terms with your diabetes! Can’t undo the past, but I’m wishing you a great future!! :slight_smile:

Tell her that there were parents charged and convicted for depriving a type 1 child of insulin.

Angela, I argue that it is calorie restricted diet because raw foods are signficantly less bioavailable. In the book, Catching Fire, they examine studies of various animals, their digestive systems, the foods that they eat and the amount of time spent eating in order to obtain sufficient calories. Their conclusion, humans have a short digestive tract, oriented towards eating cooked meat and that it would take something like 6-8 hours of constant eating for humans to get sufficient calories eating raw veggies and fruit. Some of this can be improved by juicing everything. That is why I suggest it is a starvation diet.

Thanks for this review. I think you did this with a reasonably objective eye, many of us would not have sat through it like this.

Thanks as well for the interesting and informative review and analysis!

Perhaps the teen subject was on to the alleged secret of the diet “This food sucks” “Do you want some insulin so you can eat some of it?” “no this food sucks” so your insulin need is reduced! Sort of like pretty much everyone on Survivor losing weight, eating 1/4 c of rice and whatever bugs and coconuts are available?

It came out at the end of the video that the younger African American male (can’t remember his name) was also a Type 1 (he’d been misdiagnosed). I think his whole ‘I’m off insulin’ thing can be explained by the fact that he was obviously a LADA and was retaining some beta cell function at that point!

Or he could have been a Type 1b, also known as ketosis-prone Type 2, or Flatbush Diabetes. They present in ketoacidosis and are often mistaken for classic Type 1, but as soon as their BGs are brought under control, they don’t need insulin. They are almost always black or Asian. That’s the kind of diabetes that Halle Berry has.
If that was the case with this young man, then of course he was able to get off insulin when his BGs got under control, but it had nothing to do with THAT diet per se – any diet that controlled his BGs would do it.

Just to clarify…I am the step-mom…I dont consider myself step-mom. I was the one who realized something was wrong and lead to my son’s diagnosis, I am the one with the total support of my husband who goes to the never ending doctor’s appointments, wakes up every 2 hours to check his BG, who has witnessed countless seizures due to a summer away from us and a week at lacrosse camp where he was over 400 the entire time etc. being the parent of a Type 1 diabetic is difficult, but nothing compared to the struggles he must go through himself…I started this post because I want to continue to do what is best for him…if a raw diet will lower his need for insulin and balance his BG then I am all for it…if all this is just a bunch of hogwash then I do not want to take away even more from him (meat, cooked food etc). THANK YOU to everyone for their advise, insight and knowledge…RCGGW

You’re quite welcome and thank you for your dedication to your son!!

After reading through all of the posts (and adding a few myself), I think the overwhelming consensus is that the raw food diet as promoted by Cousens is not a cure. There also is no evidence that trying some vegan recipes in the short term is going to be harmful. Will it lower his insulin requirements? That is harder to say. He’s at an age where the growth and sex hormones are starting to surge, which will cause an increase in insulin resistance and will cause him to experience an increase in the amount of insulin he needs to cover his carbs. Because his body is likely gearing up toward puberty, it’s less likely a dietary change will make much of a noticible difference. That’s something I completely forgot until I started thinking about your son’s age. Bottom line: If he’s determined to try it, I’d be as supportive as I could, while trying to gently explain that there are no guarantees and to remember to be happy if his bgs show small improvements and to be flexible enough to give it up quickly if things worsen.

I wish you the best with this!

My daughter decided to become a vegetarian at age 14. She has done it for mixed reasons, but it was her decision. Our understanding at the time was that while it was her decision, it was also her responsibility. She is still a vegetarian now at nearly 19, and although she has struggled with some things like anemia, and she has clearly had to make more effort to follow such a diet, she has been successful and healthy. As a teenager, diet can be one of the ways that you express your independence.

Ignore it and move on. Another nut selling snake oil.

If she’s struggling with anemia, perhaps she should talk with a dietitian to help her devise ways to ensure she is eating appropriate sources of amino acids. Strict vegans are known for having problems eating “complete” sources of protein and it’s a good bet that’s her problem as well. It takes some work, but vegans can meet their daily nutritional requirements without sacrificing their dietary principles!