Diabetes Management With Oats - Happy Tummies and How To Ramp Up Your Happiness Quotient!

 

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 Fifty years ago, one in 100 of us had Type 2 Diabetes.  Now it's one in 10 and of course, our diet has been the primary cause.  Sadly, it's sometimes referred to as "sugar diabetes" and individuals think that cutting out sugar will fix it.  In fact, after just a few days on a high-fat diet, you can get twice the blood sugar spike in response to drinking sugar water.  Some physicians are revisiting an ancient treatment for diabetes and achieving better blood sugar control by having patients eat two and a half cups of oatmeal three times a day as their meals - for just two days! It's only about a thousand calories - a plant-based dietary intervention that has no added fat, no salt and excludes animal protein. Not only did insulin needs drop almost 40 percent in just two days, but also long-term blood sugar control has taken four weeks later reflected the benefit!  If you're taking insulin, make sure your physician is closely monitoring you on the oatmeal days.  Have a marvelous oat-filled Monday everyone!

More studies for Type 2 diabetics have shown that two days of oatmeal significantly reduced the required amount of insulin and improved blood sugar levels with the benefits lasting a month!  This was after they resumed their regular diets. How could this short intervention lead to such dramatic results that somehow continued for weeks? Although 2 days of oatmeal cannot be compared to a whole food, plant-based diet in terms of maximizing the intake of protective foods to reverse type 2 diabetes completely, they both strictly exclude animal-based foods, which is the key.  If you're taking insulin and doing the oatmeal days, make sure you're under the care of your physician, as your blood sugars should fall.  Have a terrific Tuesday and we ALL can benefit from oats!

Slow gut motility can severely influence our daily lives, physically and mentally and it is SO overlooked and under-discussed.  We are a "constipation nation" with over $750 million spent on medications, and other countries don't have this problem.  The answer is so simple - dietary fiber!  You'll feel so much better, and the side effects are only positive!  ALL plants have fiber – the best for motility are root vegetables, beans, and whole grains.   Compared with those who consumed the least amount of fiber, those who consumed the most had a 23 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, a 17 percent lower risk of death from cancer, and a 23 percent lower death from ALL causes. Fiber can be lifesaving by improving cholesterol, immune function, and blood sugar control.  Fiber is also anti-inflammatory, and associated with a lower risk of developing moderate or severe knee pain over time!  Plantify your plates to feel better and live longer!

One of the best bits of relationship advice I ever read was from Ed Diener, a revered happiness expert. He used to winter in Illinois, and many mornings, ice-covered both his and his wife’s car windows.  He shares, “When I wake up in the morning, I want to scrape off her windows before my own.” His message was: find the partner or develop the mindset, wherein you get more joy out of doing something nice for them than for yourself.  Living longer and better lives is more than just what we eat and how we move, our social connections are critical as well.  Spread the joy and build up your own by doing things for others!

It's Fix-it Friday and we are so excited to share some recipes from Chef Lori, who is the Chef at Revelations Cafe - if you've not heard the story about this plant-based, faith-based cafe, check out their website and documentary movie!  Chef Lori is fabulous and her sweet potato, and black bean burgers are delish! 

Veggie Burger-Sweet Potato/Black Bean

Vegan/No Oil

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2      pounds sweet potato -- diced.

1              cup quinoa -- cooked

1              cup old-fashioned rolled oats -- ground.

15           ounces black beans -- rinsed/drained.

1/2         small red onion -- diced.

1/2         cup cilantro -- chopped.

2              teaspoons cumin powder

1              teaspoon chili powder

1              teaspoon chipotle powder

1/2         teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2         teaspoon salt

 INSTRUCTIONS

Boil the sweet potatoes in a stock pot until tender. Remove, drain, and set aside. Grind the oats in a food processor to fine flour. Sauté the onions in a 2 tbsp vegetable stock until tender. Add all ingredients, except for the oat flour in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Sprinkle the oat flour over the mixture and combine. Form into 8 patties and refrigerate. Patties hold their shape if they are chilled first. Air fry patties for 8-10 minutes. Serve on a toasted bun and garnish with favorite toppings.

From The Archives:

There's only one diet that has ever been proven to reverse heart disease, which is one centered around whole plant foods.   Heart disease is the #1 reason that you and your loved ones will die – so the ability to reverse it is exciting news!  And that's not all it can do – it can also be effective in preventing, stopping, and reversing other killers like type 2 diabetes and hypertension.  There is a growing movement toward plant-based eating, yet it has been slow.  Keep in mind, it took 25 years and more than 7,000 studies that linked smoking to premature death before it was widely accepted. The physician who just became President of the American College of Cardiology was asked why he follows his own patient advice by eating a plant-based diet.  He responded that he doesn't mind dying, he just doesn't want it to be his own fault:) On this Meatless Monday, you too can be on the leading edge of our country becoming healthier by increasing your plant slant!

It is estimated that more than a million deaths worldwide every year are linked to low fruit and vegetable consumption!  Norway offered free fruit for grades 1 through 10 and the kids ate it up! More importantly, after a year they were still eating more fruit…and even 3 years later!  There was also a positive "spillover effect" where their PARENTS started eating more, too.  Most importantly, though the intention of the program was not to reduce unhealthy snacks, that's exactly what happened.  Giving free fruit to kids was more effective than telling them not to eat junk food.  Less than 10% of us get the recommended fruits daily target – so power up YOUR plantified plates with lots of fruits today and have a healthy, terrific Tuesday everyone!

Most people know that eating healthy foods can prevent and even reverse some diseases, yet we continue to have an extremely under-nourished and over-fed society.  How can we translate our knowledge into action?  The motivation to change is likely the most important factor – understanding the need to change.  Also, humans rate their own eating behaviors as healthier than average individuals, even when their actual habits are terrible.  Not only do we overestimate the health of our consumption, but we also tend to believe we are somehow at less risk than others who make the same choices.  This "optimistic bias" is present when it comes to heart attacks, obesity, diabetes, and all the rest – we think that somehow it happens to others, not to us.  Lastly, there is a tendency to think our good genes will protect us (Mom and Aunt Betty lived to be over 95), but only 10% of our health is due to genetic factors.  What runs in families is habits, good ones, and bad ones.  By knowing we have personal control over our health and making different choices, we can live longer and live stronger.  Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Yesterday we talked about the need for motivation to get healthier, and for Dr. Dean Ornish, it's the first question he asks his patients.  You may know that he founded the only heart health program that was ever approved by Medicare, and recently co-authored the book, "Undo It", showing how to reverse diseases.  His four pillars are to eat well, move more, stress less, and love more.  In talking to patients about their motivation, much of it has to do with their dreams and what or who makes them feel most alive – the reasons they want to make healthier choices.  Once healthier choices are made, he says that most people feel so much better so quickly that it reframes the reasons for the changes from preventing something bad from happening years from now TO a better life now.  We can enjoy a wealth of health by asking ourselves why we want to feel better – what IS the motivation?  Have a great Thursday everyone!

Yesterday we mentioned Dr. Dean Ornish's work and how he has found that the overarching thing that enables us to make sustainable lifestyle changes is not fear of dying, but the joy of living.  If it's pleasurable, it's sustainable, and feeling better fuels those changes even more.  James Cameron (you know, the one who directed Titanic and many other movies) became vegan years ago and felt so much better that he was able to create and film Avatar 2, 3, and 4 all at the same time.  He also is the one who co-created the movie "Game Changers" and it's a great movie that shows the power of plant-based eating.  It would be a great film to watch this weekend.  Remember to eat well, move more, stress less, and love more - and have a Fantastic Friday everyone!