Diabetic diets are not complete without four essential types of food. By eating foods to help metabolize sugar, promote insulin sensitivity, reduce oxidative stress, and protect from glycation, you could finally reach your treatment goals. Food Type #1: Sugar Metabolizers A critical step in beating diabetes is to restore the proper metabolism of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar initiates a cascade of dangerous reactions that destroy the body and ultimately lead to disease. Adding certain foods to your diet may help to restore normal sugar metabolism. The following foods and spices are potent sugar metabolizers: Cinnamon Basil Apples Green beans Broccoli Whole wheat bread Sprouted breads Add 1-2 servings with each major meal. Food Type #2: Promoters The hallmark of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. Insulin directs the uptake of blood sugars by the cells throughout your body. Diabetics are resistant to insulin. Promoting better insulin sensitivity is the second critical step for beating diabetes. The following foods are insulin promoters: Collard greens Lean red meats (organ meats) Brewer’s yeast Cabbage A meal consisting of 6-7 ounces of lean red meat with 2-3 servings of dark greens provide high doses of insulin promoters. Food Type #3: Reducers Excess blood sugar creates extreme levels of oxidative stress, one of the leading theories of aging. If not properly metabolized, blood sugar quickly transforms into highly reactive molecules that damage your body. Cells and tissues are destroyed faster than they can be replaced. Reducers, also known as antioxidants, are foods that lower oxidative stress by mopping up reactive sugar metabolites. Eating a wide variety of antioxidants from a wide variety of sources is key step for beating diabetes. The following foods are rich in reducers (antioxidants): Red beans Blueberries Cranberries Artichokes Pomegranate Green & black tea Cocoa (dark chocolate) Tart cherries Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli) Every meal should contain 2-3 servings of reducers (antioxidants). And if you got to snack, eat only foods rich in antioxidants. Food Type #4: Protectors It is crucial that diabetics understand the ways in which blood glucose causes damage. The most notorious process is glycation, the same process that causes food to brown in an oven. Glycation (defined as sugar molecules reacting with proteins to produce nonfunctional structures in the body) is a key feature of diabetes-related complications because it compromises proteins throughout the body and is linked to nerve damage, heart attack, and blindness. Protectors are foods that can minimize the effects of glycation: Turkey Liver Tuna Chili peppers Lentils Chicken Lean red meat Chili peppers added to marinades for chicken and fish is a great way to boost consumption of protectors and help diminish the rate of glycation. Summary I firmly believe that you can beat diabetes. If given the right tools, the human body can heal itself. And healing begins with eating the right foods. Add the metabolizers, promoters, reducers, and protectors into your diet today! Check out Life Extension’s Diabetes protocol to learn more.