The program you are about to begin takes a powerful approach to diabetes. Our focus is not on pills or shots, but on foods, and it is the most delicious “prescription” you could imagine. A dietary change can dramatically improve your health and can sometimes even make diabetes go away, for all intents and purposes.
Before we begin, let me share some important tips.
SEE YOUR DOCTOR • Let your doctor know that you are improving your eating habits. It’s not that dietary changes are dangerous. Quite the opposite—they are extraordinarily healthful. But the combination of a powerful change in your diet, along with medications you may already be taking, can mean that your blood sugar could actually fall too low. And exercise can drop your blood sugar even further. So be sure to speak with your doctor before you start, so that your medications can be adjusted or stopped when the time is right.
USE A BLOOD GLUCOSE METER • Your meter will help you track your progress and help you to know if your blood sugar is dipping low enough that your doctor should reduce or stop your medications.
GET COMPLETE NUTRITION • Although the foods you’ll learn about in this book are very nutritious—more so than those recommended in other diabetes regimens—there are two supplements that I highly recommend.
•Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy nerves and healthy blood cells, but it is not made by plants or animals. So as you begin a plant-based diet, it is important to take a B12 supplement. That can mean a typical daily multiple vitamin—all of which contain B12—or a stand-alone vitamin B12 supplement. All drugstores and health food stores carry B12 supplements that meet or exceed the recommended daily allowance. We will talk more about vitamin B12 in Chapter 3.
•Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from the foods you eat and also helps prevent cancer. In sunny locales, sunlight on your skin can produce all the vitamin D you need. However, if you live in a not-so-sunny spot, stay indoors for much of the time, or use sunscreen, you are likely to be low in vitamin D. A supplement of 2,000 IU Per day is safe and helpful.
SHARE THIS INFORMATION • You may know other people who are dealing with diabetes, excess weight, or other health issues. Many have not heard of the approach that is in your hands now, and they will benefit enormously if you will share what you have learned with them.
Now, let’s jump in!