Tag Archives: diabetes

Dirty Fuel, patient education, Weight Loss

3 Ways to Flatten (get off) Soda

The quintessential soda

I discussed diet with a patient today when I realized I failed to mention soda consumption. For the purposes of this article, soda and sweetened tea are synonymous.  Soda is a dirty fuel.  There are several articles mentioning health risks associated with carbonated soda, but not benefits.  For those who do not know, soda contributes to weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cavities.  Rather than go into these risks, the objective of this article is to describe ways to stop soda consumption.

Strategy 1:  Drink a full glass of water before soda or sweetened tea

I grew up drinking Coca-cola, and I could easily drink at least 3-5 cans a day.  I stopped drinking soda and sweetened tea in college, and I found this strategy worked very well.  When thirsty, I easily down 1-2 glasses or cans of soda rapidly.  Whereas, drinking a glass of water beforehand rapidly quenched my thirst.  I was apt to drink only half or less than 1 soda.  Water is the most efficient source of hydration so you get more bang for your buck.  Notably, if you desire to supercharge soda discontinuation, then drink two glasses of water before reaching for that soda/sweetened tea and see the result.

Strategy 2:  Reduce soda or sweetened tea intake by 1 glass or can per day

For many, if you can get someone to think about making small changes, then a series of changes eventually becomes large moves.  Therefore, small moves matter.  One leap is all that is necessary for many before an avalanche of changes.   If you have a level of commitment, then small changes take you places.  One must have resolve.  For example, you can drink a glass of  sweetened tea or soda three times daily with meals.  I challenge patients to consider exchanging one sweetened drink for water for one meal.   Small changes plant seeds of success.

Strategy 3: Cold Turkey

There is nothing like straight quitting.  NOTHING! If one is angry, determined, and has grit, then cold turkey is possible.  Commit every single day as if it is the first day.  Understand that soda is absolutely evil.  The only way to make that leap is to understand who made the soda and what it stands for.   They do not stand for me, and quite possibly you as well.  Now I have veered into political/economic commentary here, but I conjure these things for my own motivation.  It may help you as well.

Another way is to consider soda and like an illegal drug.  It is addictive.  I have never heard anyone say I will  do one crack rock today, or one line of heroine this morning at 8am before work and not another one for 24 hours.  Your health is serious business.

Feel free to leave any more suggestions on quitting soda in the comment section.  Let me know if you disagree as well.

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Dirty and Diabetes

I have mentioned this before, but I will reiterate it again.  Diet was not a priority during my medical training.  We always asked or ordered an  American Diabetes Association (ADA) diabetic diet consisting of 1500-2000 calories per day for hospitalized patients with diabetes.  The ADA diet consisted of eating a well-balanced  diet that limited processed food consumption.  On the surface,  it seemed to help diabetes, but these patients rarely improved their sugars and many had to at least maintain their present medications.

The ADA diet is inadequate for eliminating diabetes, but eating clean fuel and limiting dirty fuel can clearly control diabetes and reduce insulin  and medication use.   Carbohydrates are supposedly the problem, but rice is consumed in large quantities in Asia where diabetes is rare.  Furthermore, parts of Africa are similar and their primary diet is sweet potatoes and beans.  Again, carbohydrates do not cause diabetes.

However, there are several studies showing the contribution of fat to the diagnosis of diabetes.  Fat containing foods or dirty fuel promote fat absorption, weight gain and insulin resistance leading to diabetes.   The difference between the western world and parts of Africa and Asia is that the western world eats more processed food, fat and animal protein than the simple carbohydrates consumed in other parts of the world.

Compare a diabetes-causing meal versus a diabetes-curing meal.

Dirty meal:  Fried or baked wings, french fries and cole slaw.

Clean meal:  Two oven roasted sweet potatoes (1 tablespoon of olive oil) prepared like french fries, a bowl of black beans and a tossed salad.

The dirty meal causes diabetes, but there is not one sweet item on the menu.  However, the grease and animal protein causes insulin resistance fueling diabetes.  The clean meal is a profoundly low fat meal.  Eating this way will reduce a patient’s weight, diabetes medications or insulin requirements.    I did not provide the specific references to articles contained in the post, but please write a comment if anyone is interested in obtaining them.