The Fight Continues: Managing Diabetes Through Diet

Filed in archive Diet on August 30, 2006

More and more, we're seeing stories and recommendations concerning 'natural' ways to treat diabetes, eliminating the need for medication. Diet is without a doubt the most popular choice. Whether it's incorporating a new food specifically designed to fight diabetes, such as cinnamon or Bitter melon, or old-fashioned calorie restriction, more and more diabetics are fighting their condition the natural way.

"We in America derive pleasure from food," Goodman said. "If a person decides to 'eat to live' rather than 'live to eat,' it is easy to cure our most common ailments. Healthy eating is key."

Goodman talked about how diabetes was a rare condition before 1910, but for those who had it, it was a fatal disease. Now it is more prevalent in the Type 2 form, most likely due to increased refined foods.

"Type 2 diabetes is the most common. Ninety-nine percent of people I see with diabetes have Type 2," he said. "Type 2 is not insulin deficient, but insulin resistant. Insulin, not sugar, is the problem."

Because there are side effects to medicine people take to control their Type 2 diabetes, Goodman said medication isn't the best option. Side effects include increased appetite, glucose delivery to cells, fat production and heart attacks.

What do you think: is a healthy diet the best weapon?