How to Decrease Glucose Intolerance
Glucose intolerance occurs when your body isn't able to process sugar well. Chronic high levels of blood sugar or glucose trigger the release of excess insulin. After a while, your body's cells become insulin-resistant and sugar levels build in the blood with devastating effects on the body. Fortunately, you can decrease glucose intolerance with diet and exercise. Diabetes is a disease characterized by glucose intolerance and it is rare in countries that eat mostly plant foods.
The charity organization Diabetes UK recommends eating a balanced diet that is low in fat to help decrease glucose intolerance. Endocrinologist Fedon Lindberg recommends a Mediterranean diet: one rich in unprocessed plant foods and foods with a low glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic load don't raise blood sugar the way processed carbohydrates can. Dr. Neal Barnard, author of "Reversing Diabetes," advises trying a vegan diet, one that contains no animal fats and he lays out the plan on the website "PCRM:" the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine.
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Instructions
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Avoid all dairy products. Avoid all meats and animal products. Dr. Barnard believes that plants contain adequate amounts of protein and that you should cut all meats, eggs and dairy products from your diet.
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Unlike the Mediterranean diet, Dr. Barnard's diet doesn't include olive oil. Avoid vegetable oils. Vegetable oils are high in calories writes Dr. Barnard. Use them sparingly and avoid eating foods with high oil content like avocados, olives and peanut butter.
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Pumpernickel is a better choice than white bread. Eat foods low on the glycemic index. Cereals, processed flour products, sugar and white potatoes are high-glycemic-index foods. Avoid eating these foods plus pineapple and watermelon. Pumpernickel and rye breads are have a low glycemic load. So too do barley, beans, oats, sweet potatoes and pasta. Most fruits and vegetables are low-glycemic-index foods.
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Increase fiber in your diet gradually to avoid discomfort. Eat foods high in fiber. Fiber helps to slow digestion and decrease glucose intolerance. Choose whole grains and eat plenty of beans and vegetables. Increase fiber content in your diet slowly. Dr. Barnard writes that you should consider your "new four food groups" as grains, beans and legumes, vegetables and fruits.
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Tips & Warnings
Have your doctor help assess your fitness level and work out a realistic exercise plan: one you can stick with. Start slowly and build your fitness level over time.
If your glucose intolerance is severe, you may need to take medication until your diet and exercise plan begins to take effect.
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- Photo Credit vegetables image by dinostock from Fotolia.com green beans with butter image by robert lerich from Fotolia.com Olive Oil image by elmgrover from Fotolia.com pumpernickel rye bread image by William Berry from Fotolia.com Pearl barley on the big wooden spoon image by Elzbieta Sekowska from Fotolia.com
