Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

Eat to Live 161

of forcing the pancreas to work so hard? You guessed it — pancreatic

poop-out.

The pancreas begins to secrete less insulin, in spite of the huge

demands of the body. Eventually, with less insulin available to move

glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, the glucose level in the

blood starts to rise and the person gets diagnosed with diabetes. In

most cases, these individuals are still secreting an excessive amount

of insulin (compared with a person of normal weight), just not

enough for them. When they eat a less taxing diet and lose weight,

they don't need the extra insulin to control the sugars.

What this means is that typical Type n diabetes is caused by over-

weight in individuals who have a smaller reserve of insulin-secreting

cells in the pancreas. In the susceptible individual, even ten to twenty

pounds of excess weight could make the difference. Losing the extra

weight enables these individuals to live within the capabilities of

their body. Most Type II diabetics still produce enough insulin to main-

tain normalcy as long as they maintain a thinner, normal weight.

Following my program is the most important thing a diabetic in-

dividual can do to extend his or her life span. It has been known for

years that intentional weight loss improves diabetics' blood sugars,

lipids, and blood pressure. A recent study documented a significant

increase in life expectancy, with an average of 25 percent reduced

premature mortality when diabetic individuals dropped their body

weight.'^7 Imagine the results when a program of nutritional excel-

lence achieves the weight loss.

Insulin is a dangerous drug for Type II diabetics. These are people

who are overweight to begin with. Insulin therapy will result in fur-

ther weight gain, accelerating their diabetes. A vicious cycle begins

that usually causes patients to require more and more insulin as they

put on the pounds. When they come to see me for the first time, they

report their sugars are impossible to control in spite of massive doses

of insulin, which they are now combining with oral medication. It is

like walking around with a live hand grenade in your pocket ready

to explode at any minute.

Don't Merely Control Your Diabetes — Get Rid of it For Good

As my patients begin the program I usually cut their insulin in half. The

insulin is then gradually phased out over the next few days or weeks,

depending on their response and how advanced their condition was

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