Diabetes Solution Diet

Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, has been successfully treating type I diabetes for decades. He himself is a type 1 diabetic and has been able to live his life free of the complications that arise, from this disease, by following his own dietary protocol.

Now you might be asking yourself, what does type I diabetes have to do with type II and other metabolic diseases? Well, though the cause for these two diseases differ, the end result is pretty much the same - uncontrolled blood glucose, mainly from hyperglucagonemia. For this reason, blood glucose control is priority #1 and insulin levels will follow. Tightly regulating blood glucose is the pillar of the Bernstein approach and this is something that is needed in both type I and type II diabetes.

• For type I diabetics, this tightly regulated blood glucose prevents over dosing of insulin and future "double diabetes".
• For type II diabetics, tight blood glucose regulation prevents further hyperinsulinemia and increases insulin sensitivity of organs and muscles. It also corrects hyperglucagonemia.

If the Bernstein protocol can tightly regulate the blood glucose of a type I diabetic, it certainly can do the same for a type II. The only difference is that a type I will have to continue dosing insulin, but at a much lower dose, and a type II can use all the excess insulin they already have.

This protocol is an excellent one to follow if you need blood glucose regulation. This is a common sense, no fad, no gimmick approach for achieving real, long lasting blood glucose control. It is not "hiding" high blood glucose, it is correcting it. There's a huge difference between the two. The Bernstein protocol which uses his "Law of Small Numbers", has been proven effective if it's followed consistently and correctly. So, if you are truly serious about correcting your blood glucose, this would be the protocol to try.

OVERVIEW:

• This protocol should not be mistaken as "high fat". It is a low carbohydrate, moderate fat and adequate protein diet. The focus of this diet is protein. The fats consumed will come via protein containing foods.
• The goal of this protocol is to stabilize blood glucose and keep it normal. Dr. Bernstein recommends a target fasting blood glucose of 83 mg/dl. Postprandial (2 hours after a meal) blood glucose should never go higher than 100 mg/dl and the closer, it returns, to 83 mg/dl, the better. Target HbA1C should be 4.5.
• This is a proper long term nutritional protocol, so it can be followed, safely, for the entire month or for life.
• This protocol is similar to the first phase of the Atkins Diet, but lasts forever. It is also comparable to a ketogenic diet, but with more focus on protein than fat. Yes, you will still have periods of ketosis on it. Ketosis is determined solely by carbohydrate intake, not fat intake.

RULES:

• Only 3 meals a day. They should consist of:
  Breakfast: 6 grams carbohydrate, 3 ounces protein
  Lunch: 12 grams carbohydrate, 4 ounces protein
  Dinner: 12 grams carbohydrate, 5 ounces protein
• A recommended minimum daily consumption of 1.0 - 1.2 grams of protein, per kilogram of ideal body weight, for adults.
• No added dietary fat, except what's needed for cooking and what's naturally in meat or other protein containing foods. As long as fat is consumed in this way, it is not a macronutrient of focus, so it is not tracked.
• No more than 30 grams of carbohydrate a day, divided into three meals. Carbohydrates should come from whole food sources only. No sugar, grains or starches.
• Eat breakfast no sooner than 3 hours, after waking, to allow blood glucose time to lower.
• Allow no less than 4 - 5 hours between meals, to allow blood glucose to lower before your next meal.
• This diet does not track calories, as it tracks specifically macronutrients.
• This protocol does not include a fasting regimen, except for the time between meals and overnight, but it doesn't need one, since it has been a complete success without it.

KEEP IN MIND:

• You must check fasting and postprandial (2 hours after a meal) blood glucose to see how foods are impacting your levels. The goal is to maintain a steady blood glucose of around 83 mg/dl, the majority of the time. You want to avoid highs and lows. It can take several weeks, or longer, to achieve this, depending on how uncontrolled your blood glucose levels were at starting.
• Macronutrient amounts are divided into 3 meals to prevent excess glucagon release, which disrupts blood glucose and prevents insulin levels from lowering.
• Limiting food variety, by eating relatively the same meals daily, will give you better blood glucose predictability and control.
• As with all carbohydrate restricted diets, keep electrolytes in mind and supplement accordingly. At least 5 grams of table salt, every day. A recommended electrolyte guide can be found here.
• If you are a type II diabetic, on medications, or a Type 1, do not start this protocol without first discussing it with your healthcare professional, as combining this diet, alongside glucose lowering medications and/or insulin, can cause dangerously low blood glucose.

MORE INFORMATION:

For more information and sample recipes, visit Dr. Bernstein's website or his
Diabetes University YouTube Channel.