IN THIS ISSUE:
• Special Feature: How Diabetes Can Be Reversed
• What you can do • Fact or Fiction? • Recipe • News from SHARAN •
• Special Feature: How Diabetes Can Be Reversed
• What you can do • Fact or Fiction? • Recipe • News from SHARAN •
Special Feature: How Diabetes Can Be ReversedAccording to the WHO (World Health Organisation), by 2030, 366 million people worldwide will be affected by diabetes. India is the diabetes capital of the world with 50.8 million affected, followed by China with 43.2 million (Source: World Diabetes Foundation). These numbers are at epidemic levels which indicate that more and more people of all ages are being affected. Most diabetics have Type 2 diabetes which usually develops during adulthood but many children today are also being affected. Diabetics are unable to use insulin effectively leading to problems maintaining a healthy blood sugar level as well as many health complications like weight gain, high blood pressure, vision problems, nerve damage and the risk of developing kidney and heart disease.
Diabetes is called a ‘lifestyle disease’ because diet and lifestyle habits are the major factors which trigger it. The modern diet is highly processed, high-fat and high-protein. It has been scientifically proven through the work of Dr Neal Barnard, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr John McDougall and Dr Gabriel Cousens among others, that by eating the right foods, diabetes can not only be prevented but also effectively reversed.
SHARAN applied this nutritional approach during a 21-day Diabetes Reversal Retreat in May and June 2010, and the results were truly astonishing. At the end of the retreat, 18 of the 21 participants saw a very significant improvement in their blood sugar levels. 5 were able to stop all medications while the others were down to only minute doses. Most also lost weight and saw a decline in blood pressure and cholesterol. The participants felt full of energy and like they had been given a new lease on life.
Their diet? During the retreat, participants ate a plant-based diet with no animal foods (including meat, milk, butter, ghee or curd) and mostly whole foods: white rice was replaced by whole rice, atta was used instead of maida, vegetables and fruits were not peeled to retain their maximum nutritional value and no processed foods were used. No fats were used in the cooking. Fruits, which had been off the menu for many in the past, were served every day.
How does this reverse diabetes? Studies show that it is the intramyocellular lipids – the fat in the muscle cells – that jam the insulin receptors resulting in insulin resistance. While drugs only control blood sugars, removing the fat in the diet actually reverses this insulin resistance. The approach is to remove all animal products since they are always rich in fat and all refined plant fats too.
Watch Dr Neal Barnard explaining how diabetes can be tackled in this 4-part series on Tackling Diabetes:
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.
Diabetes is called a ‘lifestyle disease’ because diet and lifestyle habits are the major factors which trigger it. The modern diet is highly processed, high-fat and high-protein. It has been scientifically proven through the work of Dr Neal Barnard, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr John McDougall and Dr Gabriel Cousens among others, that by eating the right foods, diabetes can not only be prevented but also effectively reversed.
SHARAN applied this nutritional approach during a 21-day Diabetes Reversal Retreat in May and June 2010, and the results were truly astonishing. At the end of the retreat, 18 of the 21 participants saw a very significant improvement in their blood sugar levels. 5 were able to stop all medications while the others were down to only minute doses. Most also lost weight and saw a decline in blood pressure and cholesterol. The participants felt full of energy and like they had been given a new lease on life.
Their diet? During the retreat, participants ate a plant-based diet with no animal foods (including meat, milk, butter, ghee or curd) and mostly whole foods: white rice was replaced by whole rice, atta was used instead of maida, vegetables and fruits were not peeled to retain their maximum nutritional value and no processed foods were used. No fats were used in the cooking. Fruits, which had been off the menu for many in the past, were served every day.
How does this reverse diabetes? Studies show that it is the intramyocellular lipids – the fat in the muscle cells – that jam the insulin receptors resulting in insulin resistance. While drugs only control blood sugars, removing the fat in the diet actually reverses this insulin resistance. The approach is to remove all animal products since they are always rich in fat and all refined plant fats too.
Watch Dr Neal Barnard explaining how diabetes can be tackled in this 4-part series on Tackling Diabetes:
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.
What you can doJoin SHARAN’s Reversing Diabetes workshop.
SHARAN regularly runs workshops which teach people how to prevent and reverse diabetes through this nutritional approach. The workshops are held in cities across India. For details on upcoming workshops, see this page.
Learn more about how diet affects diabetes.
Learn more about how diabetes can be prevented and reversed at this website. Dr Neal Barnard’s book 'Program for Reversing Diabetes' is an excellent resource. In India it can be ordered from flipkart.com or borrowed through SHARAN’s lending library.
If you have done one of our workshops or read the book, then join our Reversing Diabetes Facebook group for more support.
Try vegan.
Try switching to a whole-foods, plant-based diet and see the results for yourself. For recipes ideas, check the recipes page on the SHARAN website. The recipes marked with a double asterisk (**) are low-fat and suitable for diabetics.
SHARAN regularly runs workshops which teach people how to prevent and reverse diabetes through this nutritional approach. The workshops are held in cities across India. For details on upcoming workshops, see this page.
Learn more about how diet affects diabetes.
Learn more about how diabetes can be prevented and reversed at this website. Dr Neal Barnard’s book 'Program for Reversing Diabetes' is an excellent resource. In India it can be ordered from flipkart.com or borrowed through SHARAN’s lending library.
If you have done one of our workshops or read the book, then join our Reversing Diabetes Facebook group for more support.
Try vegan.
Try switching to a whole-foods, plant-based diet and see the results for yourself. For recipes ideas, check the recipes page on the SHARAN website. The recipes marked with a double asterisk (**) are low-fat and suitable for diabetics.
Fact or Fiction?Diabetics should avoid eating fruit.
FICTION!
Because of their sugar content, fruits are often avoided by people living with diabetes. But fruits also contain fibre and vitamins and should be included as part of a healthy diet. Most fruits also have a low glycemic index which is suitable for diabetics. This is because sugar is released slowly into the bloodstream and will have less of an effect on blood sugar levels.
RecipeCucumber Salad with Peanuts and Coconut
Ingredients:
4 unpeeled cucumbers chopped into tiny cubes
¼ cup grated coconut
¼ cup roasted crushed peanuts
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Green chillies, finely chopped
Dash of jaggery
Chopped fresh coriander for garnishing
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together. Adjust the salt, jaggery and lime juice to taste. Garnish with coriander and serve.
News from SHARAN
This year SHARAN held a doctors’ training program, a cooking instructor training program and will be conducting a lifestyle advisors training program in March in order to get more people involved in spreading the message about plant based nutrition. We are proud to say that our cooking instructor training was SOLD OUT. We plan to conduct more such workshops in the future. Some of the doctors who attended our doctors’ training program are already planning their own new workshops.
More than 5000 people have attended SHARAN’s workshops and talks across India, and in other parts of the world. Full details of all workshops are available on the SHARAN website.Upcoming Workshops:
Peas vs Pills in Bangalore (March 3) & Auroville (March 11)
Learn how to prevent and cure disease and a variety of health ailments through food and not medicine! The Peas vs Pills workshop teaches how food choices can heal the body – and the planet. Find more details here.
From 1 to 10 April, Dr Nandita Shah will be conducting a Transcultural Homeopathic Seminar in Himachal Pradesh. This seminar is for homeopathic practitioners who are looking to rejuvenate and explore more aspects of homeopathy.
For full details, see this page.
Do you suffer from hypertension, diabetes or other diseases and ailments? Would you like to take charge of your health and make a change for the better? From 3 to 24 June 2012 SHARAN is offering a special 21-day Diabetes and Hypertension and other Disease Reversal Holiday at SwaSwara. This follows on the success of a similar retreat held in June this year.
SwaSwara is a beautiful eco-resort located on Om Beach near Gokarna on the coast of Karnataka. For more information about this unique retreat, visit this page.
SHARAN offers personalised holistic nutrition / diet consultations via Skype and phone. These are for those who are unable to attend our seminars and workshops (We strongly recommend attending our seminars and workshops), or for those who would like guidance after the workshops.
The initial consultation would be a detailed process during which the complete medical history of the client would be analysed and tailored dietary recommendations could be provided by SHARAN health advisors / experts. Visit this page for more information.
Would you like to meet vegans living in your area and learn about the vegan lifestyle? Vegan potlucks are held in cities across India and are open to everyone: vegans, aspiring vegans, vegetarians or anyone interested in learning more about veganism. To find out about a vegan potluck in your area, get in touch with the vegan group in the following cities: BangaloreMumbai
Delhi
Chennai
Ahmedabad
Hyderabad
The SHARAN photo album features pictures of all our past events. Those who have attended our events may enjoy seeing pictures of themselves and the group. (Click on the image to get an enlarged version.)
Did you miss past issues of this newsletter? Have a look at the SHARAN newsletter archives.
The Reversing Diabetes Facebook Group is for people who would like to learn about and exchange information on how a healthy plant-based whole foods diet can help reverse diabetes. Members share tips and their own experiences of how they have been able to control and reverse diabetes through the food they eat. Click here to join the group.
Did you miss past issues of this newsletter? Have a look at the SHARAN newsletter archives.
The Reversing Diabetes Facebook Group is for people who would like to learn about and exchange information on how a healthy plant-based whole foods diet can help reverse diabetes. Members share tips and their own experiences of how they have been able to control and reverse diabetes through the food they eat. Click here to join the group.
Join SHARAN India on Facebook to find out about upcoming events, join in discussions and share experiences, and meet other like-minded people! 
SHARAN India is now on Twitter. Click here to follow us!
What is SHARAN?We are a non-profit organization with the goals of spreading holistic health awareness, and an ecologically sustainable compassionate lifestyle. We believe that all life on the planet is interconnected. By reconnecting we can heal ourselves and our earth.
Visit our website: www.sharan-india.org
Contact us: info@sharan-india.org
© 2011 SHARAN