A Simple Exercise for Diabetics (and anyone wanting to lose weight!)

There is no doubt that exercise improves glucose levels, increases insulin sensitivity, improves glucose utilization by the muscles, reduces the vascular and neurological damage caused by high glucose, and improves weight control. However, time and energy are at a premium for many people with diabetes. Although any exercise is better than no exercise, I recommend the following exercise regimen for my patients:

Individualized Interval Training

FOR 12 TO 15 MINUTES ONLY:

1. Do a vigorous aerobic activity as fast and as hard as you are able in your current state of health. This may be running, going up and down stairs, doing jumping jacks, dancing vigorously, bicycling, or any aerobic gym machine.

2. When you are breathing hard and your heart is pounding, STOP! This may be after ten seconds or five minutes, depending on your state of health and your exercise capacity.

3. Rest until your breathing and your heartbeat normalize.

4. Do the aerobic activity vigorously again.

5. When you are breathing hard and your heart is pounding, STOP!

6. Rest until your breathing and your heartbeat normalize.

7. Repeat this until 12 to 15 minutes is up.

This type of exercise breaks down fat over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, improves the strength of the heart muscle, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol, builds muscle, reduces vascular inflammation and increases the feel-good chemicals in the brain.

This exercise is tailored to fit your individual needs. You do not go beyond your limit because your breathing and heartbeat tell you when to stop. Over time the amount of time you can exercise increases, and the amount of time you rest decreases. Your body improves at its own individual rate and ability. Be patient with it. It knows what it’s doing!

Conclusion to these blogs on Diabetes (yes, we're finally coming to an end!!)
This information was designed to inform the person diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes about the nature of the disease process, the effect of medications, and ways to improve and at times even stop the disease process.

When each person takes individual responsibility for their own health, rather than depending completely on the health system to tell them what to do, they will find the ability to change their life and change their health.

In my experience, many who follow the Sugar Stabilization Program, along with supplementation and exercise, can reduce, and in many cases for Type 2 Diabetes, come off of their diabetic medications under the supervision of a physician. The less medication needed, whether insulin or oral medications, the less long term side effects of those medications. And the more balanced the glucose and insulin levels become, the less long-term complications from the disease process occur.

The earlier a person starts a program like this the more effective it is. Someone who has been dealing with diabetes for many years has more damage to clean up, so it takes longer to balance the blood sugars. But be patient, because the more you do for yourself, the better you will be in the long run. If it took you a long time to come to this state of health, it may take one or two years to improve. But it will be worth it!!

Best wishes to you all in your pursuit of health!

My next few blogs will be on the effects of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Did you know that people who have low blood sugar have less self control? Stay tuned!

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi

What Can I Eat When I Have Diabetes?

I'm going to discuss two diets here: the diet proposed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the diet I have found works best for the diabetic patients that come to my office.

The ADA recommends the following:

•Grains and starches 6-11 servings a day
•Vegetables 3-5 servings a day
•Fruit 2-4 servings a day
•Milk and dairy 2-3 servings a day
•Meat and meat substitutes 4-6 oz. divided between meals
•Fats, sweets and alcohol keep small servings for a special treat

A serving of grains or starches includes 1 slice of bread, ¼ bagel, 1/3 cup rice, ½ cup potatoes, yams, peas, corn, beans.

A serving of vegetables is 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked.

A serving of fruit is ½ cup canned fruit, 1 small fresh fruit, or 1 cup melon or berries.

A serving of mild and dairy is 1 cup non-fat or low-fat milk or 1 cup of yogurt.

Four ounces of meat is a quarter pound. 1 oz. of meat is equal to ¼ cup cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and ½ cup tofu.

A typical serving of sweets includes ½ cup ice cream, 1 small cupcake or muffin, or 2 small cookies.


The problem I see in my patients on this diet, even though basically healthy, is that their blood glucose and insulin levels are still not controlled. And I believe the greatest source of that problem is in the grains and the starches, which are given the highest priority in this diet.


Sugar Stabilization Program

The following is the program I put my patients on which has very positive effects in balancing their blood glucose and insulin levels. This can be used for both type 1 and type 2 diabetics, and often both the amount of insulin and/or oral medication can be reduced (under the direction of a physician) when the diet is used in combination with the supplements.

1. Avoid refined sugar: sucrose, fructose, maltodextrose, etc. No honey, syrup, turbinado sugar, etc. Avoid artificial sweeteners: aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin), acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One), Sucralose (Splenda). Limited amounts of xylitol, stevia and agave nectar are acceptable.

2. Eat a palm size piece of protein (meat, fish, egg, tofu) at each of the three major meals a day.

3. Eat as many vegetables as possible—preferable five servings a day, especially green leafy and non-starchy vegetables. Eat potatoes sparingly.

4. Eat three fruits a day, preferably as a dessert after a normal meal. Eat bananas sparingly. Avoid fruit juice.

5. Eat a healthy (protein, vegetable, nuts or seeds, cheese) snack between meals.

6. Avoid products made with flour: bread, crackers, tortillas; use pasta sparingly. Whole grains: whole wheat berries, brown rice, whole barley, oatmeal are acceptable in limited amounts, unless you are gluten sensitive. Bread made from sprouted grains rather than flour are acceptable in limited amounts. DO NOT USE GRAINS IF YOUR BLOOD GLUCOSE REMAINS HIGH ON THIS DIET.

7. Legumes, nuts and seeds are acceptable.

8. Dairy is acceptable if there is no allergy to it.

9. Use healthy fats and oils: olive, sunflower, safflower, grape seed, walnut, etc.

10. Drink 6-8 cups of water a day.

11. Glucose Balance supplement daily.

12. Interval exercising 12 minutes a day.

This way of eating combined with the supplements and exercise program described in a future blog often reduces blood sugar enough to reduce or even come off of medication (under a doctor’s supervision) for Type 2 Diabetes, and often reduce the level of insulin necessary in Type 1 Diabetes, which reduces long-term complications.

Before you start this program, it is important to take your blood sugars four times a day: before each meal and at bedtime, to get a baseline of where your blood sugars are normally, and then continue for the first couple of weeks on the program to see how you are responding to it. Once a month it is useful to take your blood sugars four times a day, if you are not already doing it, to be sure that your regimen is working for you. If your blood sugars start going too low, talk to your doctor about reducing your medication.

After you get used to the basics of this program, having been on it for more than a month, if your glucose readings are still too high, you can modify it in the following steps as needed, one at a time, step by step, until your readings, along with supplements and/or medication, are between 80 and 110 (the majority of diabetics will not have to go beyond the first one to two steps):

1. Using an online carbohydrate counter and reading labels, count the number of grams of carbohydrates you are eating and reduce to 75 grams a day.

2. Use an online glycemic index table, and only eat foods that are given the value of 50 or below.

3. Cut out all gluten (wheat, oatmeal, rye and barley). Some people are sensitive to gluten and it causes an unusual rise in insulin levels.

4. Reduce the number of grams of carbohydrates you eat to 50 grams a day.
5. Reduce the number of grams of carbohydrates to 25 grams a day.


Studies have shown that people who don’t eat gluten (in wheat, oatmeal, rye and barley), lose weight, lower glucose levels, and increase their HDL and ApoA1 levels.

The low number of carbohydrates seems restrictive, but blindness and kidney dialysis and amputations are much more restrictive. Often, when the blood sugars are under control for a year, the body can handle more carbohydrates without a rise in blood sugar.

The next blog will be about supplements that have been shown to assist in lowering and stabilizing glucose and insulin levels.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi