Brown Rice and 4 Other Foods That Can Help Prevent Diabetes

My penis burns when I urinate.

Frank of NV 5:54AM July 28, 2010

While cinnamon and buckwheat might help control blood sugar, if you sharply restrict your intake of carbs, you will have very little need to control blood sugar.

Nobody needs concentrated carbohydrates, such as grains and sugars, in their diet. The food pyramid is an agricultural products marketing tool, not a health tool. I mentioned how we got to this state in a previous comment. Protein, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables provide everything you need for healthy life. Our modern food supply makes it much more convenient to load up on carbs, and I know from experience that it is a bit hard to keep grains and sugars out of your diet. But think about it: Is it better to find things to eat to help control blood sugar or not eat the things that cause the high blood sugar in the first place?

Certainly, if you continue to eat some concentrated carbohydrates, look for ways to help control your blood sugar. But at least greatly reduce the amount of concentrated carbs you eat.

I'm unfamiliar with buckwheat, and I see that it is not a true grain, despite its name, but a quick look online seems to show that it is more than two-thirds carbs, so it seems that it probably contributes significantly to your blood sugar level. Perhaps I misunderstand something about how one is to use buckwheat for sugar control, but do be cautious and look into explanations of how it is said to help control blood sugar.

I also don't know the book "Fit for Life", but a quick look around online shows that it is over 20 years old and appears to still promote some incorrect ideas. It seems to advocate avoiding processed food, which is certainly good, but seems not to go very far in the direction of eliminating concentrated carbs. Switching from white flour to whole wheat flour isn't that much of a change, as far as amount of carbs your are getting. Also, it might be putting too much emphasis on fruits, but without actually reading it, I don't know. I'm sure the diet recommended in that book is much better than the usual modern diet, but probably is not as good as it could be.

KD of CA 7:22PM June 22, 2010

Buckwheat is good for controlling blood sugar level and blood pressure.

Max of VA 1:17PM June 21, 2010

DMF of CO: I'm not sure how much it happens with dairy products, but most foods that tout being fat-free, are, indeed, sugar-enhanced. However, it is incorrect to let that lead you to think that fat is higher risk than carbohydrates for diabetes (or any other disease).

The sad history of this is that back in the late 1950s, a well-regarded nutritionist named Keys, without any scientific evidence or testing, wrote a book in which he announced that fat caused heart disease and so fat should be avoided. No evidence or testing. Yet nearly everyone followed his "revelation" and started pushing for low-fat diets. The low-fat foods don't taste so good, so the manufacturers routinely added sugar to make them palatable. Our current sad conditions developed by natural progression from that start. Recently researchers have actually done clinical tests and delved into the biochemistry, both of which debunk the fat is bad position and demonstrate the harm of too much carbs. It will take a long time to undo the harm Keys' unsupported assertions have brought on, but we are starting to correct.

Wang of DC: You are correct that a lot of people try to make a buck by inventing some miracle health-food and promoting it. However, the people who are promoting the notion of avoiding carbs and starchy vegetables, and eating modest amounts of protein and plenty of healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables don't have miracle health-food to sell you. They are researchers who are figuring out what a healthy diet should be and trying to educate us. A few of them have books to sell, but that's about it (and they usually don't get rich off their book sales).

Syndrome X (the cluster of being overweight, diabetic, and having artery disease) is not a rare genetic disorder. It is killing a large and growing fraction of our population. And, as best the current research can tell, it is caused by a diet high in carbs, white grains among them. All carbs digest into glucose, and glucose is what causes most of the problem, though fructose has major bad effects, too). There probably are a relatively few people who have a lucky combination of genes that lets them thrive on a diet high in carbs, but they are few.

Quoting from your post: "Eat a diverse, balanced diet and stay active, ..." That is correct, except your idea of a balanced diet and the current researchers' idea of a balanced diet seem not to be the same. You seem to be approaching the right answer. Keep studying the evidence and I believe you'll soon find that your acceptance of large amounts of white grains is a mistake.

KD of CA 2:19AM June 17, 2010