borderline pre-diabetes

[cara4art]

After thinking I was so doing so well and healthy, I had a fasting glucose blood test at one of these health fairs, and they informed my that I was on the low end of being pre-diabetic, due to my fasting glucose level being at 105 instead of below 100(which is the normal reading). Now, when I cruise some info about pre-diabetes, aka insulin resistance, they often say that all carbs are bad except for vegetable ones and that insulin-resistant people have to be careful even with fruit. Say it ain't so! And they also say lose 10-11%of one's bodyweight. I'm not that overweight to begin with, more like 6 pounds overfat than overweight. Now, I've never had a glucose test before, and I'm post-menopause by 11 years. I started up with raw back in February. Oh, and that blood test(finger prick type)also revealed that I have borderline high cholesterol too, at 221 total, but with good HDL levels which are the good ones to have. They did suggest lowering my LDLs to come below 200. Before menopause, I consistently had total cholesterol of between 157 and 168, almost no matter what I ate, and here I am eating healthier than I ever have, and I have this? I told my husband that menopause throws everything out of whack, and that there are many very healthy fitness-oriented and diet-conscious post-menopausal women who are shocked when they get these kinds of readings. I guess I've just joined the club! Maybe my readings would have been WORSE if I had not gone high-raw! Now, are green smoothies good for insulin resistance? I've been drinking and loving these since February, but should I totally leave out fruit from them? Help!

[Eva]

How do you feel?

[cara4art]

Hi Eva!

Actually, I feel very good, but often hungry! but that mid-section fat is not disappearing the way I hoped it would on the raw diet yet. It's better, by maybe a .25" or so, in the last few months, but I'd like to get rid of at LEAST another 1-1.5" or so.

[Eva]

Hi!

So, here are my thoughts... Fear is not helpful. You likely are NOT going to develop diabetes. You ARE doing a lot for yourself already!

Often that extra layer on the waist is related to stress or unhappiness. I don't get a lot of that from you! But there could be some deep cleansing -- even from childhood/emotional -- that needs to happen. Maybe this is just a good time to REALLY take care of yourself and to try a fast and some spiritual emotional cleansing?

Just thoughts. But please, whatever you do, focus on the good you are doing already and anything extra you are ready to do. Position yourself to manifest good and better in your life! :)

[raweater]

You may want to cut back on sugar rich foods, even if they're raw, like bananas, dates, agave, honey and especially maple syrup and "raw" granulated sugars which are cooked to death and more dangerous than smoking.

To help lower your sugar levels cinnamon works very well, and exercise is crucial, if you're not bruning the sugar you're eating with exercise then high blood sugar levels will be inevitable. www.mercola.com has lots of great info on diabetes and how to eliminate it with diet changes.

[raweater]

How do you feel?

How you feel is not always accurate, cocaine and tylenol probably make you feel great, it doesn't mean they are improving your health.

[cara4art]

Thanks Eva for the great input!
Yes, I'm totally aware of the stress/mid-section fat connection. I went through a huge period of stress between late 2002 to mid-2006, when my husband and I moved 15 times. We've been in our same place happily now since August of 2006 though. Maybe on some level, I am STILL recovering from that period? As far as emotional cleansing, I have done so-o much from depth hypnotherapy a ways back to recover from the effects of an emotional abusive mother, and I did really well doing that. Later on, actually, DURING that highly stressful period I mention, I went through intensive shamanic energy work for nearly 3 years. My entry or port of call into that was a back injury.
More about the stress-fat connection - recently I was reading that post-menopausal women's adrenals are often pumping out MORE cortisol in response to the stress of having to pick up hormonal production. I was hoping that eating raw would help these issues.
I do tend to get very stressed-out on any implications in my health, or my husbands for that matter, as I'm well aware of what untreated conditions can lead to, plus I AM high-strung and highly-sensitive by nature - that's been like that since Day One - LOL!
Sorry to have gone off directly the topic of raw here, but this was a bit of background to fill you in. Again, thanks!

[cara4art]

Hi raw eater!
Thanks for your input too - yes, I've been on a solid exercise program for some time now that includes both resistance training and cardio at my gym, and I do mostly avoid raw desserts for the reasons you mentioned. Once in awhile I eat a date or two, but that's about it, and I limit my banana intake to one, maybe two at most per day, if that. I don't use agave syrup or any other sweeteners either. I already do the green smoothies and get in a good amount of greens and other veggies. No grains or tubers other than the occasional handful of raw buckwheat granola that I make myself. And I make my own non-grain dehydrator crackers too.

[cara4art]

Bumping this up again to get more input! Was surprised that only two people had anything to say about pre-diabetes(aka insulin resistance). Has anyone else here who is also well past menopause had to deal with this, and been successfully raw, or aren't there any post-menopausal raw foodists who are healthy and slim?
Is it really necessary to restrict fruits if one has this if one is raw? In the last few days I've been doing some research on insulin resistance but it seems that much of the info out there is aimed at overweight, underactive SAD eaters, i.e. a goodly proportion the general public these days. They say to exercise, but I already do PLENTY of that, and one person over on another discussion board who was diagnosed with insulin resistance was told to do aerobic exercise, and she was already running 10 miles per day - LOL!
Further thoughts, anyone, so I don't just stress out on this? I don't want to have to go do a diet where I have to eat "lots of animal protein" - no way, and very little in the way of fruit!

[Eva]

--Two causes for diabetes: excess dietary fat and cholesterol
--Too much sweet flavor can cause sugar imbalances.
--Best diet to prevent or reduce effects of diabetes: low-fat diet based on complex carbs such as unrefied grains, vegetables, and legumes.
--One should avoid late-night eating and complex food combining.
--Small, frequent meals stimulate insulin production.
--Wheat bran is a great addition to diet.
--Chromium, zinc and manganese are factors that help with controlling blood sugar.
--In order to maximize mineral absorption, add more chlorophyll to diet.
Chew well!

[Eva]

LOL, I know you were looking for someone else. But I thought it was worth looking in my reference book to see what nuggets I could find for you.

You do NOT need to stress about this. You ARE doing wonderfully already! If you want to ease your mind, why not pick something extra to do to help you a long even more? Wheatgrass, spirulina, E3live, something like that. Or even practicing counting to 50 every time you put food in your mouth -- that's how much you should be chewing.

:)

P.S. I'm so glad you were able to do so much emotional healing!

[hee haw raw]

I'm a good bit hungrier when I eat fruit, I generlly limit myself to 1/2 to 1 a day (with about 10 berries in my green smoothie). One way to really stretch half a fruit or a small fruit and slow down release into your bloodstream is to make a little chia pudding with it. Just blend maybe 1/2 your portion with three tablespoons or so of chia and very cold water. Then, chop up the remainder of your fruit into little pieces that sort of explode in your mouth while you eat your pudding. It's great with a bit of banana and some berries. Yum!

[cara4art]

I AM totally stressing out over this - everything I'm reading lately about pre-diabetes makes it sound as serious as full-blown diabetes! Of course, maybe the articles are aiming at the population that is overweight, under-exercised, undermuscled, and eating the typical SAD. For the record, my fasting glucose reading was just 5 points over normal at 105 instead of the less than 100 which is considered normal. And my cholesterol was read at 221, whereas pre-menopause it was consistently between 157 and 168. A couple of things I did have going for me with my recent readings was my blood pressure is very good, my HDLs are good, and my triglycerides are low, and my waist measurement is WELL below the danger point for women. Also, I'm not overweight at 115 lbs. at 5'4.5. They even suggest going on the full anti-diabetic diet too. But I DON'T want to get onto a high-protein cycle, or have to totally give up fruit either! For my vegetarian protein, I'm already getting hemp protein and chia seeds which I put into my green smoothies by the way.
I repeat, are there any healthy post-menopausal raw foodists out there with good readings and at a low weight? I really want raw to work for me and that I'm improving my health, not damaging it especially with eating any fruit! Lots of stuff I can go without eating at the blink of an eye, but don't take away my fruit, which is what alot of these sites say, even fruit is bad for pre-diabetics. Fresh raw fruit is one of the supreme joys of the raw life!

[rawstrength]

Diabetes and metabolic syndrome are really about mineral deficiency, not sugar. Google it!

Also, your body could just be adjusting right now to going through menopause. Treat it well and trust its wisdom.

( I can't say that I am post-menopausal and at a healthy weight because I'm only 18)

[shashibala]

I wonder if you might want to get another test done? Perhaps it was a fluke?
I had very high fasting blood sugar before I went raw. I was given the pre-diabetes lecture by my doctor. When I had that test done, I was reacting to all food with extreme fatigue. It didn't matter what I ate, I felt that I needed to sleep afterward. Now that I've been raw for 10 months, I no longer react to foods that way. I don't know what my blood sugar readings are now because I no longer have health insurance. I sure feel better, though.
It sounds like your lifestyle is very healthy, so I would think you would be too!
I wish you all the best!

[cara4art]

to RawStrength - I've been post-menopausal for 11 years, so I thought things would have stabilized by now, but now with my research I'm finding that often just by virtue of being post-menopausal one's numbers go whacko, even with living a very healthy lifestyle. I thought I was getting a ton of minerals through eating greens and doing the green smoothies daily - but maybe I need MORE minerals than I'm getting through raw food?
But here's another thing, I haven't had these tests since way before menopause, and it could very well have been that my numbers were worse and improving my diet by shifting to largely raw since February might have helped me. I've also been back at my gym for the last two years - before that I was living in a rural area with no access to a gym but had a rudimentary weight set-up at home, plus I walked 5-6 miles daily 5x a week. I've been health-conscious since the age of 26, and I'm now 61.

[juliebove]

Pre-diabetes is like a warning. Watch what you eat now and perhaps you won't get full blown diabetes. My SIL used to be very heavy. For her all it took was losing over half her body weight. She now weighs what she should and is considered a normie, but... She still has to check her blood sugar because the chances are greater that she could still get full blown diabetes.

I do have full blown diabetes. And yes, you do have to watch the carbs that you eat. That doesn't mean you can never eat fruit. But should you eat 5 pieces of fruit at a time? Probably not. And all fruit is not the same. Many people find they can eat berries with little to no problem. But fruits like bananas and oranges can be a problem.

Have you gone to the Dr. for a real diagnosis? If not, you should. Keep in mind that one high reading does not warrant diagnosis, but it does warrant followup. If you are diagnosed you should be prescribed a meter. With a meter, you can monitor your own blood sugar at home and adjust your diet accordingly.

[cara4art]

to juliebove: Great that your sister turned her health around and lost that weight. I don't have the weight problem, but your prognosis sounds pretty dire for me who has her glucose only 5 points over normal(at least that's what it was when I had it tested after fasting for 10-12 hours anyway). I know it's a warning, but I can't believe that being slightly over normal could be as serious as full-blown diabetes. Of course I intend to get this stabilized, and no way do I want to have it progress. I am planning on seeing my acupuncturist, as I know that there are Chinese herbal formulas for post-menopause that also address the sugar use issue since it is so common post-menopause. I'm inclined to believe that if I get my hormones balanced, then my situation should improve, as I had none of this stuff pre-menopause. Oh, and I don't have to lose a bunch of weight - I'd only like to ditch maybe 5 pounds.
As far as carbs, I already got away from grain and bread, don't eat desserts. My only sweet thing aside from a moderate amount of fruit is extra-dark chocolate. I've avoided making raw desserts, and no, I don't eat 5 pieces of fruit all at once or even over the course of the day in most cases, really. I might put the equivalent of a half-orange, and an apple in my green smoothies and I really load those up with greens, hemp protein and chia seeds. As far as bananas go, I try to limit my intake to one or two max per day(that's hard, because I love 'em). If I have some, these days I'll maybe have just half, with some almond butter spread on it like a mini fruit sandwich. The green smoothies keep me going and satisfied for hours too, so that combo works for me. For other meals, it tends to be things like a spread on a collard green heaped up with non-starchy vegetables, or my own dehydrator veggie and seed crackers with some mashed avocado, chopped tomatoes and a heap of greens. Once in awhile I'll have a smallish bowl of cut-up fruit with some raw almonds or cashews sprinkled on it. I don't eat coconut oil, or a lot of olive oil either. I tend to count out my nuts, limiting a serving to maybe 8-10 almonds, for instance.
This is basically the way I've been eating since about February - do I have to be even stricter than this?
And as far as getting a meter, I haven't been to a regular doctor in years and am not planning on it either if I can handle this in other ways. I REALLY, REALLY don't want to get stuck to flypaper the way it often happens when people enter the medical system.

[juliebove]

It may sound dire, but keep this in mind... I kept going to the Dr. with various medical problems and was told I was fine. This went on until I could not walk. And the diagnosis? Full blown diabetes with moderate neuropathy (that's nerve damage) to the feet and lower legs. Some years later I was diagnosed with gastroparesis (that's nerve damage to the stomach). Had I been diagnosed properly, this might not have happened.

As for the nuts, I wouldn't limit them. They are good for you! So are the good oils, like coconut and olive. You really should include them in your diet.

[HolyGuacamole]

I see it has already been mentioned, but cinnamon can help normalize blood sugar levels. You may want to consider incorporating some into your diet or supplementing.
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/cinnamon.htm
http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2007/244.html

Sorry you are dealing with this. I know it's scary.

[cara4art]

Here's a little bit of an update - I went to my acupuncturist a little over 3 weeks ago with the print-outs that I had gotten from the health van where I had the capillary finger-prick test that detected me on the low end of pre-diabetes as well as elevated cholesterol. As I thought he would, he prescribed me a common herbal formula that addresses menopause, blood sugar issues and cholesterol all in one shot. To his credit, he didn't come down on me for being pre-dominantly raw, as many acupuncturists/Ayurvedic practitioners tend to do with their clients. Down the line a bit, at another health fair, I'll get tested again. Anyhow, although I wasn't expecting to notice anything so soon as I'm aware that herbal formulas sometimes take a few weeks to a few months to work in chronic conditions, within 10 days or so, I dropped a couple of pounds, and a bit of weight got released off of my mid-section, loosening up the old pants, a really good sign, as any excess fat in the mid-section is NOT good for us post-menopausal women and doubly so with insulin resistance. Plus, I'm sleeping a great deal better! I didn't alter my diet any further than what I've already been doing with raw, and I did bump up my cardio a little, but I really think it's the herbs that are helping along with the raw. Previously, I wouldn't notice any difference in a positive direction when I tried to bump my my cardio. In fact, when I did that once before, all it did was put fat pounds on me, so I scaled back a bit. I think it was the cortisol response and insulin resistance issues, so maybe these herbs are helping already? If so, I can't wait to see what happens in a few months, along with of course, continuing a healthy raw diet!

[saxmaam]

...he prescribed me a common herbal formula that addresses menopause, blood sugar issues and cholesterol all in one shot....

What's the formula?

Thanks,

Susan

[MZ B]

I agree with Juliebove, it is the warning before. However my belief is there is no such thing either you have it or you don't. I work in the medical field and it starts out as pre and most of it ends with DM. However it seems like you have a plan and a good regime. Keep it up and you will be alright.

[HolyGuacamole]

What's the formula?

I'd like to know, too.

Personally, I believe there is no condition other than death that can't be reversed and healed.

[saxmaam]

I agree with Juliebove, it is the warning before. However my belief is there is no such thing either you have it or you don't. I work in the medical field and it starts out as pre and most of it ends with DM. However it seems like you have a plan and a good regime. Keep it up and you will be alright.

So I think you are saying that those with pre-diabetes fall into the "have it" category. Is that right?

[MZ B]

Yes that is so.

[cara4art]

Thanks, MZ B for the support, especially since you seem to know. I went over onto a diabetes site where they assess one's risk factors for diabetes out of 7, and I had only one, my age, because everything else is in place - my conscience is clear about my weight and lifestyle unlike many others who are finding themselves with this condition. I also read that one out of 10 people who have pre-diabetes go on to develop full-blown diabetes within a year. I'm NOT going to be one of those and I'm NOT going to be among those who go full-blown diabetic within 10 years either!
The Chinese herbal formula that I'm using is Six Flavor Tea Pills, 8 pills taken 3x a day, and up to 16 pills each time for actual diabetics. Google that formula and you'll find plenty of info, or "Chinese herbs diabetes" Lest this sound like an awful lot of pills, many of the OTC Chinese formulas feature little round black pills, less than 1/4" in diameter, so it's not that bad - LOL!

[goobygirl]

If you are worried about diabetes, you could watch the movie Simply Raw which they took 6 diabetics to a raw retreat (Gabriel Cousens) and all were off insulin with 20-30 lbs off by the end of 30 days. Only one Type 1 guy had a small dose of insulin daily, and another type 1 was off all insulin. I'd say, not having a MD or any other type of medical degree or knowledge, that the raw needs to be tweaked somehow as well.

In this movie, it looked like they really kept it low fat and low sugar.

[cara4art]

Hi goobygirl - yes, I know of that film although I haven't seen it. I know that Dr. Cousens is doing important work along these lines, which gives me encouragement to follow a raw food path. In my own tweaking of diet, I am finding that I'm more satisfied on a lot of greens and veggies with SOME healthy fats, and a moderate amount of fruit. I like some spreads and pates too, in moderate amounts. I've so far avoided raw desserts for the most part although so many look so tempting! As far as nuts go, I'm one of those who counts out her nuts, as I've mentioned on other threads about fat, although I love nuts of all sorts! I'm not one of these who eats 15 bananas in a day, not even close - LOL! And I find that I feel better and more satisfied(as in not getting hungry an hour later)by powering up my green smoothies(the most awesome elixir on the planet IMO)with hemp protein and chia seeds(which slow the release of sugars elsewhere). Just yesterday on the Health Ranger Mike Adams newsletter, there was an article about isolating a substance that is common in fruits and vegetables that really helps with blood sugar issue. This is why people can eat large amounts of vegetables and fruits that have a good bit of natural sugars, and not have the same blood sugar problems as eating a lot of starchy carbs and sugary sweets. I'm off starchy stuff anyway, and I hate things that are too sweet - been like that since I was a kid. Like I say, it is very possible although I don't know for sure, that my numbers might have been WORSE prior to adopting a raw food lifestyle, plus I hadn't had my numbers done this way since way before menopause.

[WendyLouWho]

I somehow missed this thread when you initially posted, Cara4art.

I just wanted to give you a little encouragement. Those fasting glucose tests are infamously fallible (one study cited 57% false positive rate). I only found this out after much research and a scare when I was pregnant with my first. After that horrible experience, I declined tests with my other children (no problem as I switched to a midwife and homebirth, but that's neither here nor there).

I do think you shouldn't stress about this since you are doing so much good for yourself. If you do have cause for concern (symptoms, history, etc.) I would suggest you take several more to hopefully get an accurate read on it.

[fuggles]

You may want to cut back on sugar rich foods, even if they're raw, like bananas, dates, agave, honey and especially maple syrup and "raw" granulated sugars which are cooked to death and more dangerous than smoking.

To help lower your sugar levels cinnamon works very well, and exercise is crucial, if you're not bruning the sugar you're eating with exercise then high blood sugar levels will be inevitable. www.mercola.com has lots of great info on diabetes and how to eliminate it with diet changes.

Give me an example of raw granulated sugars, i think i may have tried some of them before ! Just curious what they might be, i dont know much about sugars. things like molasses and brown sugar ? I used to eat that a lot.

Anyway, What about exercise. The olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, look at what he eats, and I dont know if Michael Phelps has diabetes, but if he doesnt, what does that tell you ?

[PamRaw]

Cara4art, I am 50 and have been completely raw off and on for the past 5 years. I am not post-menopausal but indicators seem to point to a wind-down (as does my suddenly thicker waistline). When I am not raw, my blood sugar is as high borderline as it can get. When I am raw, it is normal. (By the way, when I am not raw, I exercise and follow a pretty healthy diet by American standards). Of course, my doctor pooh-poohs this phenomenon, but it's true. It happens every time. So I recently decided to get back on raw and stay raw. I've had some problems with it each time but I think I figured out what I need to do differently.

I think you mentioned that you watched Raw for 30 Days. I haven't seen it yet, but did watch Raw for Life. I get the impression that the raw food diet that the diabetics followed was very strict for the first 30 days. What I'm doing instead is a 30 day cleanse and then going back to raw. I don't know this as fact but I believe that the cleanse will get my blood sugar back in line. When I am raw, I am 99.5% (the .5% being things like Nama Shoyu and maybe cashews that aren't really raw). I don't monitor sweet fruits or agave at all and really didn't monitor fats either. Yet, my blood sugar still returns to normal.

This time around, I will watch the fat. I don't really think that 60%-70%, even if it is good raw fat, is healthy over time, if for no other reason than it keeps me from making better, more mineralizing choices. Even at an active 50, I can't eat like a 30 year old, so I feel I have to make the most of every bite. Also, I feel sluggish on a high fat diet. But I'll still eat my 2 or 3 bananas a day and any other sweet fruit I please.

So, I guess I'm saying all this to say that I think that raw will make a difference. And maybe as you mentioned, it already is. You may want to do a cleanse, though, to give the healing process a jump start, or go very strict raw for 30 days.

Good luck!

[annavon]

I just saw this thread. I don't know what helps pre-diabetes, but I know what helped me with my cholesterol. I had borderline high cholesterol 220+ a few years ago. It surprised me at the time because I was eating a mostly vegan diet with lots of veggies and fiber. I didn't really make any drastic changes as I felt I was already eating a pretty healthy diet. I started adding flax seeds (ground) to my smoothies and eating flax seed crackers and started eating more almonds. I was actually most consistent with the almonds. My cholesterol dropped down to 125 and then went back up to 145-150 range. I have not had any symptoms of pre-diabetes either even though my brother and sister are both diabetics and my mother was borderline.