Diabetic

Diabetic populations are a strong candidate for refined food addiction research.  The experience of educators and practitioners in refined food addiction is that glucose levels rapidly return to normal or come under better control with use of a food plan free from refined foods.  The approach makes intuitive sense when it is considered that refined carbohydrates (sweeteners, sugar, flour) enter the blood stream rapidly and can elevate glucose levels.  An approach that forestalls the ingestion of the refined carbohydrate is sensible.

Before starting a food plan free from refined foods, it is essential that diabetics work with their health care professional to learn how to adjust medications as frequently as needed.  Diabetics should test glucose levels in accordance with the instructions of their health care professional on a food plan free from refined carbohydrates because glucose levels may improve significantly on a daily basis.  If medication levels are not supervised by a health care professional, it is possible that the diabetic could over-medicate and experience blood glucose levels that are too low. 

One example involved a diabetic whose glucose level was 500 on the first day of a data collection program.  Within two weeks, the level was 150.  Although this is only one case, it illustrates how rapidly glucose levels can improve and how important it is for diabetics to learn how to adjust their medications when undertaking a food plan free from refined carbohydrates.  Again, this is to avoid experiencing harmful low blood glucose.

Although the efficacy of elimination of refined foods in the treatment of diabetics has not been captured in data, the Foundation feels that diabetics can determine on an individual basis whether an unrefined food plan would help control glucose levels by reducing or eliminating cravings for refined carbohydrates.  Considering that the consequences of uncontrolled diabetes are severe, and that unrefined foods are universally accepted as safe, diabetics can feel confident about evaluating the results of an unrefined food plan in cooperation with their health care professional.