Fats … AND Red Meat Linked to Type 2 Diabetes??
Two studies have been released recently..implicating fats and meats with Type 2 Diabetes. Before we discuss them specifically I want to explain how I look at new nutritional information.
I want you to learn how to evaluate studies and their nutritional advice.
I was NOT going to report on this. I’ve already written (at least) two posts on tainted studies … tainted or just poorly done. Here are the links if you missed the posts “Smell Test” “Red Meat Kills”.
I changed my mind and decided to post on the two most recent studies after receiving a couple of questions … and seeing the outright deceptions being spread around.
Anyone else tired of the Demonizing of … meat? and fat?
Let’s get busy… shall we?
FIRST I want to go over how I try to think with a critical eye when evaluating health, fitness or nutritional information.
As I have noted in the past, whenever I hear or read nutritional advice or just have a question in general I always try to think ‘critically’ … I attempt to objectively evaluate the information and see if it makes sense.
I do that in at least four ways … how do you evaluate new information?
Too MANY people… including doctors and ‘diabetes educators’ read the headline and assume that it’s truthful and accurate.
What I Do
1) Evaluate the information based on my own experience. I often test nutritional and fitness advice I read. I urge caution with this one, at times we can convince ourselves of certain outcomes. When possible use quantifiable data… like a blood glucose meter. Even then, test multiple times to make sure of the results.
One benefit diabetics have … your blood glucose meter. It can provide ‘hard’ numbers to help you as you assess the benefit or harm done by nutritional, fitness changes.
Apply this to the question, Is fat and meat linked to Diabetes? : Using a high fat, high protein, low carb meal plan I have weaned off drugs and insulin… with normal blood sugar. I’m in the best fitness/shape since high school …
I read a book that suggested low glycemic foods reduce blood glucose… and I tested it!!! Guess what? The book was hafl right. I soon realized that going lower and lower carbs … eliminated my need for drugs and insulin completely!
** Does it seem logical that a meal plan that has helped me ERASE all diabetic complications, ERASE all diabetic symptoms… would be responsible for my diabetes? … I don’t think so.
*** I should note… there are MANY who have done this… I am not alone. :) All who go “low carb paleo” reduce drugs and insulin… all.
2) Search through my Blog Roll to see what fellow paleo adherents say on the subject. Many are Science PhDs and MDs. (the first place I look is MarksDailyApple.com)
On the upper right hand side of my blog, I have a list called “DW’s Mentors” … that’s a list of websites I used to learn much of what I know today… and I urge you to use them as well. Use Google to search for keywords, just include the website’s url with the keyword.
Apply this to the question, Is fat and meat linked to Diabetes? : This is the post that changed my life… this post was my ‘nutritional epiphany’, if you have NOT read it yet… YOU MUST. “Definitive Guide to Insulin, Blood Sugar and Type 2 Diabetes“. It’s not the meat … it’s not the Saturated Fats… it’s the carbs, grains and hydrogenated veggie oils!
3) Look at the information from an Evolutionary perspective.
This one too can be tricky… no one is alive today that was alive back then…. :)
Obviously we must use care when ‘guesstimating’ what our ancestors ate and how they lived. We can make educated assumptions based on the limited information we have.
Apply this to the question, Is fat and meat linked to Diabetes? : Neolithic foods are causing the bulk of our disease.
Yes… we ate fruit in the paleolithic era but we did not eat modern fruit and even if we did… we did NOT eat 2-4 servings per day … EVERY DAY! There is no doubt that we DID NOT eat cookies, cakes, breads, pasta, nor Pepsi Colas through out our existence…. only until recently in geologic time…. we did however eat animal fats and MEAT!
4) Apply Common Sense – Using the ‘tools’ above and sometimes… just plain common sense.
Apply this to the question, Is fat and meat linked to Diabetes?
A) As ‘society’ pushes more and more LOW FAT, HIGH CARB diets… full of neolithic foods such as fructose, veggie oils and grains… our obesity and diabetes epidemic worsens. Common sense says… something is not ‘right’.
B) Carbs raise BLOOD GLUCOSE levels…that’s a fact. Another fact, Diabetics require DRUGS and INSULIN to remove the blood sugar.
C) Meats can raise blood sugar ever so slightly in my case. Fats have a negligible affect on blood sugar. Meats and FATS are not the problem…. it’s the 3rd nutrient group… the carbs that must be reduced.
I’ve been fortunate to wean off of drugs and insulin, while maintaining NORMAL blood sugar. I’ve done it while eating a low carb, high fat… TRUE diabetes diet.
In reality, my ‘diabetes treatment success’ is much more than that… not only is my blood sugar normal but I’m in the best health of my life. I’m more fit than any time certainly since High School … I am THRIVING and not just surviving.
I continually tweak my nutrient ratios as well as change up my exercise regimen…. and will gladly experiment with change if I see the need.
Summary
I am running out of time so we’ll look at the actual studies in tomorrow’s post.
To sum up what I’ve seen so far, I am not convinced at all that I (nor anyone else) would need to reduce meat nor fat to prevent diabetes.
However, tomorrow we will take a look at the studies themselves to see what we can glean from them.
Here are the two studies we will be investigating.
How Fatty Acids Cause Diabetes
Red Meat Linked to Type 2 Diabetes