Anyone suffering from diabetes knows food can be the enemy. Much like a food allergy, eating something that negatively affects your blood sugar can send you into health tailspin, or worse. This is why it is so important to manage your disease by making healthy food choices. Even the most avid supporter of managing diabetes with insulin and medication understands the importance of food, but is it possible to manage your disease through diet change alone? Many believe it is. They have made the switch to a raw diet and eliminated any danger associated with eating, and in many cases, eliminated diabetes completely.

How Is It Possible?

Skeptics understand that diet affects health, but they are unwilling to rely on diet alone to manage diabetes. The truth is there are former diabetics who are living proof that it is possible. Many of these people never had an intention of eliminating their disease. They simply wanted to feel better, even if that meant managing their disease with insulin. These people made dietary changes to lose weight or boost their energy levels and as a result of these changes, eliminated their need for insulin. Many of them showed no signs of diabetes in tests conducted following their changes. They reversed their condition by changing their eating habits.

The raw food diet is made up of foods heated to no more than 116 degrees F. Food is eaten in its natural form, such as raw fruits and vegetables, and it is prepared using non-heat cooking methods, such as dehydration, blending, and sprouting. This preserves the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients naturally found in the foods. Your body benefits because it is supplied with massive amounts of nutrition. A person following a standard American diet typically consumes too many calories, but lacks basic nutrition. We are overeating and still starving! This causes our bodies to crave more and more food, but the cycle of starvation and overeating never stops because we are eating empty calories.

High Fiber

Raw food diets are also high in fiber. This slows the digestion of glucose and keeps blood sugar under control. Diabetics know there are certain foods they need to avoid, even if they are taking insulin. Refined flours and sugars have an especially negative effect. Have you ever eaten too much candy or too much pasta or bread and felt shaky after? That is your blood sugar spiking and falling. Not only is the sensation unpleasant, it can be downright dangerous for a diabetic. Raw diets eliminate these spikes because they do not include these dangerous foods. When you commit to raw eating, you are committing to consuming only the healthiest foods available.

Initially, a raw food diet is a major undertaking. Most advocates encourage people to ease into raw eating. If you jump in 100% there is a risk of feeling overwhelmed and giving up in a short period of time. Your best bet is to transition gradually. Incorporate raw foods into each meal, then transition to one completely raw meal per day. After a few weeks of success, up your intake to two raw meals and finally, commit to eating only raw except on special occasions. Once you begin to see the heath improvements that come with a raw diet, you will be inspired to manage your diabetes with this improved way of eating.