A recent study published in Diabetes Care June 2017, followed 59,033 women for 26 years, monitoring their red meat cooking patterns. 6206 of them developed type 2 diabetes over the 26 years. What the research found was, for eating the same amount of red meat:

• Those who ate broiled, barbequed, and roasted red meats often (more than twice a week) had significantly higher incidence of diabetes than those who used other cooking methods.
• Stewing and boiling did not increase T2 diabetes risk. Pan-frying in fact reduced it.

This is hugely important information for anyone wanting to control diabetes!

Not Just Recent Studies

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health conducted a review of nearly 1600 research studies that jointly monitored 1.2 million individuals from 10 countries across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

They found the same thing: consumption of processed meats, but not red meats, is associated with higher incidence of coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus.

Bottom-line

So the next time you think about firing up that grill or eating charred meats at a restaurant, remember that high-temperature and open-flame cooking methods for red meats, especially broiling and barbecuing, have been observed to increase the risk of diabetes. 

Share this with all your friends who love to BBQ!

Meals

1. Eggs: boil 20-30 eggs on the weekend and refrigerate them. In the mornings, just grab 2-3 eggs, add mayo or sour cream, and enjoy. Feel free to add salt and pepper. Or combine eggs with bacon-strips or avocado.
2. Omelet: (see recipe) On the days that you have some more time, beat up 2-3 eggs. Add fresh or warmed frozen, chopped vegetables, heavy cream and make your omelet in butter. Pair this with avocado.
3. Omelet paleo (coconut) wrap: Line a coconut wrap (e.g. Nuco, Julian, Pure Wraps) with lettuce leaf. Apply home made or Primal Kitchen mayo. Place omelet in wrap and top it with sliced onions, avocado, tomato, herbs.
4. Chicken soup: Can be prepared in advance and stored in fridge for 3-5 days.
5. Cold fish: Cook extra the previous night, whenever you have fish for dinner, and store it in the fridge for the next morning.
6. Cooked shrimp: Can be bought frozen and placed to thaw in the fridge the night before.
7. Uncured sausage: Slice and saute in avocado oil with diced onion.
8. Bacon strips: Can be prepared in the microwave. Place on paper towel on microwave-safe plate and microwave 2 strips on high for about 60-90 seconds (or see times listed on package).
9. Whipped cream: have it with a small amount of fruits and nuts. Add dark chocolate if you like.
10. Double cream: eat it with a small amount of fruits and dark chocolate. 
11. Chia pudding: See recipe.
12. Flavored nuts: Warm some coconut oil or butter in a pan on low-medium flame. Add spices of your choice (examples: pumpkin spice, cinnamon, ginger, curry powder, chili, lime juice, black pepper). Add nuts and cook for 2-4 minutes on low heat. Cool for 30-40 minutes
13. Curried vegetables (cauliflower, squash) with avocado (see recipe) and coconut chutney (see recipe)

Beverages

1. Tea with heavy cream. Cream makes the tea more filling, so you do not feel hungry for a long time.
2. Coffee with cream (use heavy cream, NOT half-n-half, and NOT milk)
3. Hot chocolate: Add one 100% dark chocolate square, 1/3rd cup water, and 1/2 cup heavy cream to a cup. Warm in a microwave for 30-40 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times or until chocolate has completely melted, with stopping to stir the chocolate. Add 1/2 tsp of honey and enjoy.

NOTE: Product brands mentioned are only examples, feel free to use other brands with equivalent ingredients (make sure to check the label to avoid accidental carbs).

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tsp flax meal + 6 tsp warm water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Line muffin tray with muffin cups
3. Make flax egg: mix flax meal and warm water in a cup. Set aside for 7 minutes.
4. Mash bananas in small bowl.
5. In a large bowl, mix almond flour, salt.
6. Add oil, vanilla to the flax egg.
7. Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix well.
8. Fold in pecans.
9. Transfer the batter to the muffin cups with an ice cream scoop. Bake for 27 minutes*.
10. Take out of the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes.

Notes
Makes 12- 14 medium sized muffins
*Insert a tooth pick in the center of the muffins. The toothpick should come out clean. If not, then bake for a few more minutes.

Ingredients

• 4-5 zucchini/summer squashes, chopped
• 1 large eggplant*, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper (optional)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 3-4 big sour tomatoes, chopped (or marinara. Recommend Rao’s sauce)
• 1 taro root (arbi), peeled and diced (optional)
• 2″ piece of ginger, minced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
• up to 1 glass of water
• 1/2-3/4th cup heavy cream
• Ghee or avocado oil
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• spices: 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin

Method

1. Warm 2 tbsp ghee in a pan. Add ginger, garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add all the spices and cook for 30-40 seconds or until they start crackling.
2. Add tomatoes and onions. Cook for 7-10 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add remaining vegetables
4. Cover and cook on medium heat for 45-60 minutes. Stir every 10-15 minutes and add water to prevent vegetables from sticking to the bottom.
5. Peel and dice taro root. Cook in a pressure cooker, separately, until soft. Mash with a fork when done.
6. Add taro root and heavy cream to the vegetable mix. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until all vegetables are fully cooked. May add water to thin it to the desired consistency.
7. Garnish with cilantro.
8. When ready to eat, add 2 tsp of ghee or butter to it.

Notes
Eggplant sometimes can take a long time to cook. For a smoother consistency, cook it separately in an oven. Wrap whole eggplant in foil and bake at 400 F for 1 hour. Peel and mash after baking. Add to the vegetable mix.

To heal your stomach and intestinal lining:

Avoid these foods

• Grains
• Quinoa
• Lentils, beans, green beans
• Potatoes
• Dairy (milk protein irritates gut lining)
• Alcohol
• Nut milk (contain emulsifiers)
• Chlorinated water

Consume plenty of these

1. Fish
2. Red meat (grass-fed, gently cooked)
3. Chicken, turkey
4. Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil
5. Avocados
6. Vegetables
7. Bone broth (home made)
8. Spring water (it is chlorine free)

Consume in small amounts only

• Nuts
• Caffeine
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Eggs
• Butter, heavy cream (preferably use grass-fed, raw)

Take these supplements

1. Megafood Megaflora Plus probiotic 1-2 caps/day
2. Vitamin D3 supplement (NOW brand is good): 5000-10,000 IU/day

You should start noticing an improvement in just 1 week.

Can’t I just take a PPI?

No, not without it hurting your body. This article published in JAMA , earlier this year, discusses that PPIs increase the risk (1) of osteoporosis, heart attack, kidney disease, clostrium difficile diarrhea, pneumonia, vitamin B12 deficiency, and many other conditions.

Some examples of PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) are nexium, prevacid, dexilant, pepcid, etc.

References

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2481153?resultClick=1

Vision Loss in Diabetes

One of the risks associated with diabetes is vision loss, caused by diabetic retinopathy (DR) (2). DR initially causes no or mild symptoms but can eventually lead to blindness. It is a leading cause of blindness in the US. Omega-3 from fatty fish is a powerful anti-oxidant. It helps to reduce inflammation in the retina caused by diabetes and protects it.

How Much Fish Should I Eat?

The beneficial effect of Omega-3 depends on the amount consumed. The 2016 study shows that the people who ate at least 2 servings of fatty fish per week had a 48% reduced risk of DR than compared to people who didn’t.

• The recommended serving size (3) per American Heart Association is 3.5 ounce cooked or 3/4th cup flaked fish.
• Fatty fish high in omega-3 fatty acids are: salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna .

References

1. Sala-Vila A, Díz-López A, Valls-Predret C, et al. Dietary marine ω-3 fatty acids and incident sight-threatening retinopathy in middle-aged and older individuals with type 2 diabetes. Prospective investigation from the PREDIMED trial. JAMA Opthalmol. 2016
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-retinopathy/basics/definition/con-20023311
3. https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/HealthyDietGoals/Fish-and-Omega-3-Fatty-Acids_UCM_303248_Article.jsp#.WDOQ_PkrI2w

Risk factors (2)

• Diabetes
• Obesity

Asymptomatic, but life threatening

Comparsion of healthy liver and end-stage liver disease (cirrhosis)

Up to 90% of the people with diabetes and obesity have fatty liver (2). Triglycerides deposited in the liver cause inflammation. This can progress to life-threatening liver failure without causing any noticeable symptoms.

No specific or effective medications are available for this condition. The only route to normalize fatty liver is a healthy lifestyle.

References

1. https://www.liverfoundation.org/downloads/alf_download_1275.pdf
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/when-the-liver-gets-fatty

1. Antibiotics kill good intestinal bacteria, along with the bad ones. This can lower immunity for fighting current and future infections (1).
2. Antibiotics can trigger autoimmune diseases (2), especially in children.
3. They are not effective against viral infections.
4. Can cause dangerous drug interactions

Most over the counter medications provide minimal symptom relief. They do not help the body fight off infections by killing unhealthy germs, or boosting immunity.

To beat respiratory tract infections, use these effective combinations to boost immunity and ease symptoms:

Kids

1. Probonix probiotic 3 droppers full 4 times/day for 2-3 days and then 1/2 dropper full daily (available on Amazon.com)
2. Sunshine for 30-45 minutes daily at noon or Vitamin D3 2000 IU/day for 1 month (liquid drops)
3. Zinc supplement 15-25 mg/day (liquid drops) with food for 7-10 days
4. No milk products for 15 days
5. Chicken soup or bone broth
6. For cough: raw, unfiltered honey for kids older than 1 year

Adults

1. Throat coat liquorice tea: several times/day
2. Megafood Megaflora plus probiotic 4 caps 2 times/day for 1 week, and then 1 cap daily.
3. Sunshine for 30-45 minutes daily at noon or Vitamin D3 10,000 IU/day for 1 month
4. Zinc supplement 50 mg/day (NOW brand is good) with food for 7-10 days
5. No milk products for 10-15 days
6. Chicken soup or bone broth

How long will it take?

You should start noticing a significant improvement in your symptoms within 36-48 hours of starting this regimen.

This regimen resolves illness faster than usual, helping you stay away from antibiotics. Research shows that the right kind of supplements, such as those included in the above regiment, can reduce symptom duration significantly (3), (4).

References

1. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/antibiotics-may-make-fighting-flu-harder
2. https://nyulangone.org/press-releases/antibiotic-treatment-increased-risk-for-type-1-diabetes-in-animal-study
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/8678384/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10929163/

1 large avocado
1 tsp ginger
1 garlic clove, sauteed (optional)
1/2 lemon, squeezed
9 oz water
2 kale leaves
1/4  bunch fresh spinach leaves (or 1 cup packed)
1/3 onion
1/2 carrot
1/2 celery stick

Method

Transfer all ingredients to a high power blender and blend for 1 minute or until you get a smooth mixture.

Notes
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 coconut wrap (e.g. Nuco, Julian, Pure Wraps)
• 1 lettuce leaf/spinach
• sliced onions
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato dip
• 4-5 meatballs
• 1 tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo
• black pepper

Method

1. Lay coconut wrap on a square parchment paper.
2. Put lettuce leaf on the wrap. Apply mayo on it.
3. Arrange meatballs. Apply tomato dip on meatballs.
4. Add avocado, onions. Sprinkle black pepper.
5. Roll up the wrap in the parchment paper.