The Plan is an amazing program for helping clients gain control over their blood sugars. Whether you are a type 2 diabetic or a type 1 diabetic or just someone dealing with early stage glucose intolerance, learning which foods stabilize your insulin and glucose levels can help you get off the rollercoaster for good.
The main goal for all diabetics is to keep glucose levels as close to normal as possible with as little medication as needed and The Plan is an amazing tool to achieve this. More and more research has shown that insulin resistance is due (in large part) to pro-inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. These pro-inflammatory signals make our cells less resistant to insulin and can even damage pancreatic and liver cells that are responsible for glucose regulation. With The Plan two amazing things happen: we reduce the bodies production of these inflammatory cytokines, allowing our cells to become more sensitive to insulin. In addition we gain the knowledge of which foods work best to keep those levels low and lower overall inflammation.
Dr. Katie’s Story
When I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes I was told it didn’t matter what I ate as long as I knew how many carbs I was eating and gave myself insulin for it. If I wanted to maintain better control I should eat less carbs. After trying the low carbohydrate “diet” for years I can say this just isn’t true! I was living on a rollercoaster where each meal was a gamble.
Once I did The Plan, I was able to finally pinpoint which foods make my own blood sugar harder to control . A key example? Eggs. Eggs have almost zero carbohydrates but when I tested eggs I found that they shoot my blood sugar up every time (even with plenty of insulin!) and cause weight gain. For me, eggs are reactive and eating them increases inflammation that makes glucose levels harder to manage. However, I do GREAT with wild rice! I used to avoid rice at all costs (carbohydrates!), but I have found with Planning that it leaves me satisfied, my sugars respond beautifully to it and I no longer have to live a life devoid of delicious carbohydrates.
Wild Rice and Pomegranate Salad
4 cups cooked kale
2 cups wild rice
½ cup pomegranate arils
¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds or nuts of choice
¼ cup grated goat or sheep’s cheese of choice
Basil Vinaigrette
1 cup EVOO
¾ cup balsamic vinaigrette
½ cup basil
Blend all ingredients thoroughly.
How the Plan Helps You
The beauty of Planning as a diabetic is that we get one more tool to assess foods. We use weight and our blood sugars to guide us to the foods that work well for our systems. It’s exhausting listening to the experts tell you what to eat as a diabetic. The Plan gives you a system to test the foods that you love and see how your body responds to it. This gives you control over your blood sugar, weight and overall health.
Tip For Managing Your Sugar
- Check you sugar!! Especially as you get started check your sugar before and 2 hours after every meal as well as at bedtime and on waking. Even if you aren’t used to checking your sugar this much, doing it for a few days or weeks gives you so much information about what is and isn’t working. I will also allow for quick adjustments to medication.
- Any food that causes high, sustained levels of blood sugar after eating is likely inflammatory for you EVEN if you lose weight with it. Remember that your blood sugar is another tool you can use to judge foods so watch it and learn from it!
- Low blood sugar options: This is especially true for type 1 diabetics as insulin levels are adjusted but try whole grapes, watermelon (if Planning in the summer) or raisins (if on the go) as potions to quickly bring up low blood sugar if you should need it.
Recommended Supplements
- MSM: one of the most bioavailable sources of sulfur. Insulin is actually formed by two proteins attached with a sulphur bridge and many research studies have shown that glucose uptake into the cells is aided by MSM supplementation.
- Ashwagadha: Many research studies have shown lowered glucose levels in diabetics taking ashwagandha. It it thought to improve the uptake of glucose into muscle cells. Ashwagandha is also an amazing adaptogenic herb that can help support our adrenal and thyroid systems as well.
- Liquid B12: This is primarily a recommendation for our clients that are on type 2 diabetes medication (such as metfomin). The medications often rapidly deplete stores of B12 and folate so if you are on these medications then supplementing with these nutrients can help dramatically.
- Probiotics: More and more research is showing that the health of our digestive tracts plays a critical role in blood sugar balance. The most recent study showed that supplementation with L. Reuteri and Bifidobacteria (In the probiotics we recommend) greatly reducing blood sugar and fasting insulin levels.
- Vital Nutrients Blood Sugar Support: This is one of my favorite supplements if you feel like you need extra support in addition to changes in food. It is a combination of chromium and herbs that act to sensitive the body to insulin. I often take this when I travel and have less control over food!
Your friend in health,
Dr. Katie Reinholtz
