Every year 14th November is marked as World Diabetes Day to spread awareness with respect to stopping the spread of the disease. The number of people with diabetes in India has increased from 26 million in 1990 to 77 million in 2017. This data is extremely alarming, and the worst is the fact that our younger generation is also catching up with this disease quite early. Unfortunately, India is regarded as the diabetes capital of the world where one out of every eight people are expected to have either diabetes or pre-diabetes by 2022.
However, today let us understand that type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 90% of the total diabetic cases, is not a lifelong disease but rather is a lifestyle disease. Type 2 diabetes is absolutely a reversible and preventable disease. Which means that we can gradually bring and maintain our sugar levels at absolutely normal levels without any medicines and Insulin injections.
In order to reverse our diabetes completely, we need to understand that diabetes is not a problem of high sugar, in fact high sugar is the end result of diabetes. The root cause of diabetes instead is Insulin Resistance. Insulin Resistance is a situation when each and every cell in our body becomes resistant to a hormone Insulin which is made by the beta cells in our pancreas. So, in order to reverse our diabetes, we need to reverse insulin resistance which unfortunately no one focuses on.
So now the question is how can we reverse Insulin Resistance?
The answer lies in one word – Fiber. We all know that when we eat fiber, it lowers our blood sugar levels, but the only reason why it lowers is because it treats insulin resistance or in other words it helps our cell become more sensitive to insulin. Hence, we need to eat more fiber to reverse our diabetes. And fiber is found only & only in plant foods. So, when we eat more plant based i.e. fruits & vegetables it not only helps in losing weight but also in reversing diabetes and aging gracefully. Apart from eating more plant based, exercising regularly, having a sound sleep and a healthy emotional health can also help in holistic healing of diabetes. I am hereby sharing with you six specific foods that can help in reversing diabetes:
Fenugreek seeds: Fenugreek seeds can lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. Fenugreek seeds are high in soluble fibre, which helps lower blood sugar by slowing down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates
Bhindi Seeds: Okra increases sensitivity to insulin and ensures that there are sufficient insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Broccoli: Broccoli contains sulforaphane, an antioxidant that studies have shown to limit the glucose production in the liver in people with diabetes. This green vegetable can also help improve glucose tolerance regulate fasting blood glucose, especially in obese diabetic patients.
Purple cabbage: Cabbage has a lot of antioxidant and antihyperglycemic properties that make it a medicine for diabetes.
Chia seeds: Chia seeds are full of fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, magnesium, and various micronutrients that can help reduce cravings and control blood sugar. Studies have shown that chia seeds can help improve glucose and insulin tolerance, making them a great choice for diabetics.
We have seen hundreds of patients reversing their diabetes and if they can do it, I am sure all of us can. It is all about the right mindset, awareness and our day to day habits that are going to help us create long-term disease-free life.
