Here’s a great blog by a young woman who has used the Paleo Diet to treat her Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is now so common that there is a sub-culture of people living with Diabetes with their own magazines, support groups, websites, etc. Its becoming big business to cater to diabetics.
What is really interesting about this is that Type 1 Diabetes is typically though of as an autoimmune disease and not a result of lifestyle choices:
“Type 1 diabetes is usually a progressive autoimmune disease, in which the beta cells that produce insulin are slowly destroyed by the body’s own immune system. It is unknown what first starts this cascade of immune events, but evidence suggests that both a genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as a viral infection, are involved.” (http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles)
Type 2 Diabetes is typically seen as a disease that has genetic links but could be prevented by proper lifestyle choices:
“However, those at highest risk for the disease are those who are obese or overweight, women who have had gestational diabetes, people with family members who have type 2 diabetes and people who have metabolic syndrome (a cluster of problems that include high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low good ‘HDL’ cholesterol and a high bad ‘LDL’ cholesterol, and high blood pressure). In addition, older people are more susceptible to developing the disease since aging makes the body less tolerant of sugars.
In addition, people who smoke, have inactive lifestyles, or have certain dietary patterns have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (webMD)
Going Paleo is a great way to prevent lifestyle related diseases like heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. The fact that people are using it to successfully treat autoimmune disease (i.e. diseases not typically seen to be affected by lifestyle choices) is mind-blowing. It is my personal belief that we should all be eating a paleolithic style diet.
Stay tuned for more on the Paleo Diet and how to implement it into your life!
Or you can go directly to the site:
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October 22, 2009 at 9:19 am
THIS IS GREAT! I have high levels of ANA in my blood and have to see a rheumatologist once year -- they claim that at some point in my life I will get and ANA disease. WELL, maybe NOT if I continue with the Paleo.
October 22, 2009 at 10:43 am
Question about eating Paleo…
Is there any specific combination or quantity of fruits, vegetables, nuts & meats you should be eating?
Thanks,
Joe
October 22, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I don’t want to sound rude, but as a Type 1 diabetic, this is a load of crap.
This girl’s body is obviously still producing insulin if she can eat 70-90g carbs/day without any external insulin. Even though she does not really mention it on her webpage, I would imagine she is still in her “honeymoon phase” where her body is still producing insulin. With her recent diagnosis, this does not surprise me at all; my body produced decreasing amounts of insulin for a few years. Trust me, if it was just as easy as going Paleo to ‘cure’ Type1, I would have been all over it. (not to mention the medical community as well)
Here’s a nice example: I could fast for 3 days and my body would still require a steady supply of insulin. The basal rates aren’t all that high, but I would still need about 10-14units on insulin per day with absolutely NO FOOD. Going Paleo or just restricting carbs would decrease insulin requirements, but, in the end, insulin is still required.
I urge everyone to read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin to see what exactly insulin is for, why the body requires it, and how it is used. NOT taking it is NOT an option unless I’d like to visit the ER with a nice case of diabetic ketoacidosis.
This girl, and her blog, are spreading a dangerous message to type 1 diabetics.
October 22, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I am a big believer in Paleo, and I have seen big health improvements. Dropping dairy, gluten and grains from my diet has helped me drop weight, blood pressure and cholesterol across the board. Also, I had swelling in my knees for 20 years and it is now gone.
If you have not tried it, give it a couple of weeks and see how you feel. It is well worth the effort.
Joe -- I try and stick with the Zone proportions and combinations. Every meal I have a lean protein, veg or fruit, and a good fat. I do try and keep portions on the small side.
October 22, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Gordon, good advice for Joe. When I did my 40 days Paleo it was incredible; it was also much easier than I thought. I abandoned the Zone completely for the 40 days, which was a relief to me after following the Zone for so long. However, I instinctively balance most meals relatively close to Zone proportions automatically noe. Ideally, you follow the Zone Diet with Paleo Foods and a boat load of high quality fish oil, intense exercise 4-5 days a week, low stress, and plenty of sleep.
October 22, 2009 at 3:27 pm
If anyone is looking for a roomate in the Beverly area or knows of someone, one of our new members in Beverly asked me to post this:
jenny600@gmail.com Look forward to hearing from you 
Hey ladies, I’m looking to find some awesome roommates! I’m 26, work in Boston, currently live in Beverly and want to stay here on the north shore. Lets see, I LOVE to cook, laugh!, yoga, wine, loving crossfit so far! and MUSIC! So if this sounds like a good fit, or you know someone that is looking for a roommate, send me an email
October 22, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Thanks for the advice on Zone portions. Now I just need to find out what they are
!
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been trying to eat just vegetables, fruits, lean meats & fish along with nuts & seeds for snacks. I’m not really paying much attention to portion sizes and have already started to notice a difference. I was just wondering if I was missing something.
October 22, 2009 at 5:14 pm
I also need some help on portion control. They claim you can eat all you want…but I still have a layer that I would like to remove.
October 22, 2009 at 8:00 pm
I also read you can eat all you want, but to lose weight, you have to cut back. No matter what you eat it is still calories in and out.
November 10, 2009 at 12:23 pm
http://robbwolf.com/?p=861