Diabetes is one of the greatest medical obstacles of our generation. With more than 115 million people in the United States diagnosed with diabetes and the impending cessation of the Affordable Care Act, which collectively provided unprecedented support to patients with diabetes, it is more important than ever to explore ways to treat and prevent diabetes at home.
A lifestyle change is really all it takes, according to research. A plant-based diet can prevent and even reverse the detrimental effects of a diabetes diagnosis in a way that has many scientists scrambling to disseminate the news before ACA disappears. Let’s take a look at what those researchers are looking at and how what to expect when you embark on a plant-based diet.
The Research Says So
In a 2014 meta-analysis, a group of researchers found that a vegetarian diet led to a significant reduction in hemoglobin. The is an important finding because the higher the blood glucose level, the higher the hemoglobin in the blood. Elevated hemoglobin levels are an indicator of Type 2 diabetes.
The survey of previous studies showed such a remarkable reduction in diabetes among participants following a plant-based diet that the authors of the study remarked no medication can replicate such results. Imagine that! No insurance plan or medication, no matter the cost, can replace the benefits of a plant-based diet. The coolest thing about it? You are in complete control.
What is a Plant-Based Diet, Anyway?
A plant-based diet is exactly as it sounds: eat mostly plants. This lifestyle can be achieved on many different scales, but the most significant changes will come from eating a truly plant-based, vegan diet.
In fact, there is an extreme version of the lifestyle that consists of eating 80% of your food in the absolute raw form. This means that you will be eating fruits and vegetables, mostly, with nuts and seeds as the bulk of your protein and fat. Other milder variations of the diet include beans and rice (nature’s complete protein combination), lentils, potatoes, grains and lots of natural herbs and spices.
Before you groan, though, let me assure you that this lifestyle will not leave you wanting more. The food is delicious and surprisingly intensely more flavorful than the food that you’re probably used to eating. This is because all of the fresh and natural ingredients are bursting with flavors that your taste buds won’t stop craving!
Intrigued? Check out my top 5 favorite plant-based food blogs.
Green Kitchen Stories
This blog is a piece of art with it’s beautiful photographs and inspiring stories that go along with each recipe. Take a look and you will surely be inspired.
Oh She Glows
Oh She Glows is one of my main girls that I have followed since my budding days as a vegetarian. I have stuck with her since then because her recipes are so delicious as well as approachable.
My New Roots
My New Roots introduced me to the feeling of falling in love with the process of cooking. Everything that I make from MNR turns out to be amazing and is always so beautiful, as well.
Naturally Ella
Ella is the queen of making comfort food healthier. Her bowls and dishes are packed with flavor and so filling that I feel like it is Ma’s cooking in my own kitchen.
The Full Helping
Gena used to be a raw foodie that I followed religiously when I was deep in my raw food days. Now, like me, she has transitioned to a plant-based diet that includes plenty of cooked meals, though her recipes are no less stellar. She is also a certified nutritionist so you can be sure that her science-based education has your health in mind.
Take a look at these blogs, and let us know which is your favorite in the comments below!
[expand title=”References“]
American Diabetes Association. URL Link. Accessed January 26, 2017.
Cardiovascular Diagnosis & Therapy. URL Link. Accessed January 26, 2017.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. URL Link. Accessed January 26, 2017.
Diabetes.co.uk. URL Link. Accessed January 26, 2017.
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