So a guy walks into a convention…

This past weekend, I was reppin one of my new brands, TapOut Drinks (www.drinktapout) – shameless plug, at a fitness convention.  A guy walks up to our booth and says, “you have any sugar free versions, I was just diagnosed with Diabetes”. Fortunately, I had (3) flavors I made with a blend of Erythritol and Stevia…great for diabetics. He took a drink, loved it (thank goodness!), and then asked if replacing his drinks with TapOut would be a HUGE benefit.  “Huge”, I don’t know, but if you’re looking for (2) things to do in the “HUGE” category…here is what they are..

Top (2) tips to fight Diabesity (Diabetes + Overweight/Obesity)..

Q: Why only (2) things?

A: Because it’s manageable. Lifestyle changes are hard if they come all at once. Inching our way forward has shown to produce long-term success. It’s not about intensity, it’s about consistency. Finding things you can do all time, is better than intense ones you do every once and a while. 

Q: What is Diabesity?

A: Simply, it’s a new term that combines Diabetes (Type II) and Obesity. Not a fan of “Obesity”, so I used overweight.  Diabetes/Obesity are linked together because there is a very close relationship between the two conditions. One seems to precede the other. 

Q: Which one comes first?

A: IMO, you become Diabetic (or pre-Diabetic) which leads you to become overweight. Most Western doctors think the other way. However, many holistic and academic researchers have found that once you impair the process of metabolizing sugar/carbs, a hallmark of Diabetes, you then begin to gain weight. 

Q: Explain a bit more..

A: Sugar/carbs isn’t unhealthy, it’s the pace and volume you consume it that’s unhealthy. Your body has a system to metabolize a reasonable amount of sugar/carbs, but if you overwhelm it, it “breaks”. Once it breaks, and you continue to keep overwhelming (eating the same amount or more of sugar/carbs) the system, it “spills” out and begins storing…which is fat. 

Q: So what was your advice?

A: If you said you’d only do (2) things (nutritionally), I would say..1) eat at least 30-50 grams of fiber, from food or supplement, and (2) eat 1g of protein/1lb body weight, up to 250 grams per day. 

Q: Why the fiber?

A: The single best nutrient (excluding water) to focus on if you’re trying to manage your blood sugar, lose weight, detoxify…generally to get healthy! With Diabetes, Fiber helps the body to slow down the absorption of sugar/carbohydrates, critical to keeping your insulin in check. Fiber also helps to reduce inflammation, which is high in Diabetics, and feeds the microbiome (digestive system) so you can break down food properly, causing you to eat less and get more nutrition. 

Q: Fiber just from food?

A: Avocados, Lentils, Chick Peas, Green Leafy Vegetables, Oats, Almonds are great sources, but you can 30-50 grams is not easy for most, so taking a fiber powder supplement is also fine – Raw Organic from Garden Of Life, Metamucil, just choose a blend of soluble and insoluble fiber sources. 

Q: Why the protein?

A: Basically, it keeps you from eating too many carbohydrates! Protein is filling, it gives you long lasting energy, helps maintain muscle mass (which is key to insulin sensitivity), and ALSO slows down the absorption of sugar/carbohydrates. If you were 200lbs, consumed 200 grams of protein, that’s 800 very filling, energy rich calories. It would be tough for you to eat too many unhealthy calories! 

Q: Why “up to 250grams”?

A: You can actually eat much more, but if you’re overweight, let’s say 300lbs and you need to be 200lbs, consuming 300 grams is a lot. I’m assuming you’re overweight (you are Diabetic), you need to reduce your calories anyway, something reasonable like 2000-2500. 250 grams is 1,000 calories of your 2000-2500, that’s plenty. 

Q: Parting thoughts..

A: Type II Diabetes is mostly a condition of excess sugar/carbohydrate nutrition. You need to slow down the consumption (eat more protein, fill yourself up with fiber) and repair the system (essentially, giving it some time off).  There are many things you can do, but eating more Fiber and Protein is less of a complete lifestyle change than other things you can do. You could simply just buy a canister of Fiber powder and take it a few times daily and add more protein (who doesn’t like protein) to your meals.