Author: Paul Kennedy

Paul D Kennedy is a qualified accountant and an international business consultant who used his skills as a researcher to uncover the mysteries of type 2 diabetes and gain control over his health and wellbeing.

How your immune system works

As a diabetic, the chances are that your immune system is compromised and not working as well as it should. There are ways in which you can strengthen it but first you need to know how it works. Here is a simple introduction …

Illustration of how to defend yourself against viruses

Your immune system is an interactive network of organs, white blood cells and proteins that protect your body from viruses and bacteria or indeed any foreign substances.

Every minute of every hour of every day we are continuously being exposed to dangerous organisms that we inhale or swallow, or that stick to our skin or our mucous membranes. These pathogens would cause disease if it were not for our defensive mechanisms, ie our immune system.

When our immune system is working properly, we don’t even notice these infectious agents. But when our immune system is compromised, ie it is underactive or overactive, we develop infections or other medical conditions.

How your immune system works

Your immune system works to (1) neutralize and remove pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that enter the body, (2) recognize and neutralize harmful substances from the environment, and (3) fight against the body’s own cells that are changing due to an illness.

Whether these pathogens or other harmful substances penetrate and cause disease is a result of both their pathogenicity (ie, how virulent they are) and the integrity of your body’s defence mechanisms.

The essential function of the immune system in its defence of your body is best illustrated when it goes wrong … underactivity (or immunodeficiency) can result in severe infections and tumours, and overactivity in allergic and autoimmune diseases.

If our immune system works properly to protect us, we never notice it. But when its performance is compromised, we develop illnesses.

For our immune system to be able to work properly it must be able to distinguish between two types of cells, organisms and substances … ‘self’ and ‘non-self’.

Self refers to cells etc inside your body … non-self refers to foreign bodies, cells etc from outside your body getting into your body … these are called antigens.

Your immune system can normally distinguish between your own cells and antigens. For example, the proteins on the surfaces of your own cells will be different than the proteins on the surfaces of antigens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. The system can detect these differing proteins. Once it has detected antigens, your immune system will attack them to destroy them.

There are two parts to your immune system:

  • a basic system that works as a general defence system against pathogens (organisms that cause disease), and
  • an adaptive system that remembers specific pathogens with whom it has already had contact and will attack them if they reappear.

As you can see, your immune system adapts itself and learns so it can fight against bacteria or viruses that change over time. The two parts of your immune system complement each other in their reactions to a pathogen.

Breakdowns in the immune system

Your immune system, like any other system, can breakdown. This can happen in several ways:

  1. Rather than operating normally against antigens that enter your body, your system can overreact … this is called an excessive immune response.
  2. The system, due to damage, reacts too slowly against invading pathogens … this is called an immune deficiency.
  3. The system mistakenly begins attacking the cells of your own body … this is called an autoimmune attack.

Consequently, your immune system can suffer from several major disorders. As examples:

1] Allergies … an allergy is an immune system response to a foreign substance that’s not harmful to your body. These foreign substances are called allergens. They can include certain foods, pollen, or pet dander.

Your immune system’s job is to keep you healthy by fighting harmful pathogens. It does this by attacking anything it thinks could put your body in danger. Depending on the allergen, this response may involve inflammation, sneezing, or a host of other symptoms.

Your immune system normally adjusts to your environment. For example, when your body encounters something like pollen, it should realize it’s harmless. In people who are allergic to pollen the immune system perceives it as an outside invader threatening the body and attacks it, causing inflammation.

This can result in one or more allergic diseases such as food allergies, asthma, hay fever or dermatitis.

2] Immune deficiency diseases … a weakened immune system will prevent your body from fighting infections and diseases. This type of disorder makes it easier for you to catch viruses and bacterial infections.

Immunodeficiency disorders are either congenital or acquired. A congenital, or primary, disorder is one you were born with. An acquired, or secondary, disorder is an immunodeficiency you get later in life. Acquired disorders are more common than congenital disorders.

Anything that weakens your immune system can lead to a secondary immunodeficiency disorder. Examples include … exposure to bodily fluids infected with HIV … growing older … diabetes … eating too little protein … too little sleep … cancer and chemotherapy drugs … and many more.

Impairment of the immune system can lead to infections that can threaten your life.

3] Autoimmune diseases … an autoimmune reaction is one in which your immune system attacks your own body by mistake. It is caused by an autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes part of your body, such as your joints or skin, as foreign. It releases proteins called auto-antibodies that attack healthy cells.

Some autoimmune diseases target only one organ. Type 1 diabetes damages the pancreas. Other diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), affect the whole body.

Researchers don’t know exactly what causes the immune system to misfire. Some people are more likely to get an autoimmune disease than others … the rate among women is double the rate among men … some autoimmune diseases are more common in certain ethnic groups … certain autoimmune diseases run in families.

Because the incidence of autoimmune diseases is rising, researchers suspect environmental factors like infections and exposure to chemicals or solvents might also be involved. The Western diet of high-fat, high-sugar and highly processed foods may be linked to inflammation which might in turn set off an immune response.

According to the hygiene hypothesis, vaccines and antiseptics mean children today are not exposed to as many germs as they were in the past, thus making their immune systems prone to overreact to harmless substances.

Strengthening the immune system

As a type 2 diabetic, your immune system is likely to be very weak and you need to take care to strengthen it as much as possible. You can do so with:

  • Lifestyle changes
  • Food choices
  • Dietary supplements
  • Herbs
  • Essential oils

These are discussed in my next article … How to strengthen your immune system

What is the best substitute for sugar?

If you cannot give up your craving for sweetened food, you have to consider possible substitutes for sugar in your diet. But which should you go for … sugar alcohols or high intensity sweeteners? The answer may surprise you. Continue reading “What is the best substitute for sugar?”

How to avoid the deadly consequences of COVID-19

By keeping your blood glucose levels under control … a recent study shows that type 2 diabetics who keep their blood glucose under control are more likely to survive an infection with COVID-19. Continue reading “How to avoid the deadly consequences of COVID-19”

Coronavirus – fact-based recommendations

A lot of hype is being circulated on COVID-19 and how to beat it … most of it is based on rumours rather than verified facts. Here’s some advice from Professor James Robb of the University of California in San Diego who has been researching various coronavirus since the 1970s and is a well respected authority on this lethal disease. Here, truly, is how to protect yourself in the form of a circular he sent to his students and staff recently Continue reading “Coronavirus – fact-based recommendations”

What causes hypertension (and how to treat it)

Is excessive consumption of salt the main culprit in chronic high blood pressure? Or is it sugar? Or something else? And what is the best treatment? Let’s find out. Continue reading “What causes hypertension (and how to treat it)”

How to lose belly fat

Most people are overweight and carry too much fat around their tummy. How dangerous is this for your health, especially if you are diabetic, and what can you do about it? Continue reading “How to lose belly fat”

Can intermittent fasting help you reverse diabetes?

Fasting has long been considered beneficial for health, but can it help you control your blood glucose? Here are some basic facts and the result of one rigorous clinical experiment. Continue reading “Can intermittent fasting help you reverse diabetes?”

Can you beat diabetes with a high fat diet?

The simple answer is maybe but unlikely. Adherents of the Keto Diet, a high-fat, low-carb diet, claim that it helps you reduce weight and can reverse your diabetes among many other health benefits. Is there much truth behind this contention?

As anybody who has read my book Beating Diabetes, or who follows this blog, knows: a sure-fire way to get your blood glucose down to manageable levels is to follow a diet that is low in sugar, low in fat, low in salt, high in fibre, made up of mainly natural foods with low GIs, while avoiding eggs and dairy products, washed down with plenty of water.  

The Beating Diabetes diet does not specify low carbs, only low sugar. Other carbohydrates, such as starch and dietary fibre are part of this diet.

The alternate diet, the keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet.

What exactly is it and how does it work?

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet (or keto diet for short) is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves reducing carbohydrate intake drastically and replacing the carbs with fat.

This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, a in which fat provides most of the fuel for the body. It occurs when there is limited access to glucose (blood sugar), which is the preferred fuel source for many cells in the body.

To achieve ketosis, you need, as a general rule to eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day perhaps as little as 20 grams a day. To do this you must remove carb-heavy foods from your diet, such as grains, candy (sweets) and sugary drinks. You also have to cut back on legumes, potatoes and fruit.

When you eat a very low-carb diet, your insulin levels go down and fatty acids are released from your stores of body fat stores in large amounts. Much of these fatty acids are transferred to the liver, where they are oxidized and turned into molecules called ketones (or ketone bodies).

These molecules can provide energy for the body. Unlike fatty acids, ketones can cross the blood-brain barrier and provide energy for the brain in the absence of glucose. They can deliver numerous other health benefits, besides reduced insulin and blood glucose levels, as well as weight loss.

Different types of ketogenic diet

There are several versions of the ketogenic diet. These include:

  • The standard ketogenic diet … a very high-fat, moderate-protein, and very low-carb diet … typically 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs
  • High-protein ketogenic diet … this is similar to the standard diet but includes more protein … usually 60% fat, 35% protein and just 5% carbs
  • Cyclical ketogenic diet … this diet alternates low-carb and high carb periods … such as 5 very low-fat days followed by 2 high-carb days
  • Targeted ketogenic diet … this version of the keto diet allows you to add carbs around workouts

Only the standard and high-protein keto diets have been studied scientifically. The other two versions are mainly used by athletes and body builders.

But which foods exactly do you need to avoid, and which do you need to eat if you are following this diet?

Foods to avoid

You need to limit any foods that are high in carbohydrates.

This means that you should avoid carb-based foods such as:

  • grains … wheat products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc
  • sugary foods … sodas, fruit juices, ice cream, smoothies and sweets (candy)
  • legumes … beans, peas, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and so on
  • root vegetables and tubers … potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips etc
  • most fruits … with the exception of berries

You also need to avoid low-fat or dietary products which are usually highly processed and are high in carbohydrates. In addition, you should ignore condiments and sauces that contain sugar and unhealthy fats. And you should eat very little processed vegetable oil, mayonnaise and similar foods which are choc-a-bloc with unhealthy fats.

Alcoholic beverages are also a no-no as they can throw you out of ketosis. Sugar-free diet foods can also affect your ketone levels especially when they are high in sugar alcohols … these foods tend to be highly-processed also.

Foods to eat

A ketogenic diet should be based on whole, single-ingredient foods that are high in fats and/or low in carbohydrates. Ketogenic experts recommend the following:

  • meat … red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken and turkey
  • fatty fish … such as salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel
  • nuts and seeds … almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc
  • eggs … from free-range chickens
  • butter and cream … from grass-fed cows
  • cheese … unprocessed cheese such as cheddar, goat’s cheese, cream cheese, blue cheeses, mozzarella
  • avocados … whole avocados or freshly made guacamole
  • healthy oils … extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil
  • low-carb veggies … most green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc
  • condiments … you can use salt, pepper and various healthy herbs and spices
Ketogenic diet and weight loss

Several studies over the last 15 years indicate that the ketogenic diet is effective in helping you lose weight. In addition, you lose weight without having to count carbs or track your intake of food.

One such study of 42 healthy but obese women, published in the Journal of endocrinology and metabolism in April 2003, found that people on a ketogenic diet lost more than twice as much weight as persons on a low-fat calorie-restricted diet. Their triglycerides and HDL levels also improved significantly.

Another study, published in Diabetic Medicine, a journal of the British Diabetic Association, in December 1007, of 13 subjects with type 2 diabetes and 13 healthy subjects found that those on a ketogenic diet lost three times more weight than those following the diet recommended by Diabetes UK. But there were no differences between the two groups in changes in their levels of HbA1c, ketones or lipids.

Being overweight or obese is an important factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. The fact that following a ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight suggests that this diet might be helpful in reversing diabetes.

Ketogenic diet and diabetes

A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, published in March 2005 found that a ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by 75%.

In another study published in Nutrition & Metabolism in December 2008, 84 volunteers with obesity and type 2 diabetes followed either (a) a ketogenic diet (ie <20g of carbs a day) or (b) a low-glycemic, reduced-calorie diet (ie 500 kcal/day less than a diet calculated to maintain their current weight) for 24 weeks.

Both diets led to improvements in HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and weight loss. Group (a) on the ketogenic diet had greater improvements in HbA1c, body weight), and HDL cholesterol compared to group (b) on reduced calories. Furthermore, diabetes medications were reduced or eliminated in 95.2% of those in group (a) against 62% of the participants in group (b).   

How the high-fat, low-carb diet works

Persons eating the standard Western diet obtain their energy from glucose. When they digest their food, glucose (which comes mainly from the carbohydrates in their diet) is released into the blood stream where it travels to the muscle cells. At the same time the pancreas releases insulin into the blood stream. The purpose of insulin is to open the receptors in the muscle cells so that the glucose can enter the cells to provide energy.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your basic problem is that these receptors are blocked with fat and the insulin cannot open the cell doors. Hence the glucose cannot enter the muscle cells and you end up with too much fat and insulin floating around your body and causing severe damage to your health over time.  

The trick to reversing your type 2 diabetes is simple. If you follow the Beating-Diabetes (low-sugar, low-fat) diet you will starve your body of fat and after a few weeks the receptors in your muscle cells will unblock, enabling glucose to enter the cells thereby ‘reversing’ your diabetes.

The effects of the high-fat, low-carb ketonic diet are entirely different. When you follow the keto diet, your body switches to using fat as its source of energy rather than carbs. This is known as ketosis, which involves the liver producing ketone bodies (aka ketones) out of fat and using these for energy instead of carbohydrates.

Ketone bodies or ketones (acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone) are used in healthy individuals to provide energy to the cells of the body when glucose is low or absent in the diet.

Should you make the switch?

Though it is obviously effective in helping you lose weight and in all probability can enable you to reverse your diabetes, a ketogenic diet can have negative side effects.

Keto flu … is an unpleasant side effect that you may experience as you transition to a ketogenic diet. You may experience fatigue, dizziness, brain fog and insomnia. But those you have made the transition say that it passes after some time.

Nutritional deficiencies … the keto diet limits the kinds of food you can eat and entire food groups, such as beans, legumes, whole grains, as well as many fruits and vegetables are eliminated from your diet … many of these foods contain vitamins and minerals which you cannot get from any other sources. The keto dies is not a balanced diet so if you go this route on a long-term basis you need to take a wide range of supplements to make up for the loss of micro-nutrients.

Constipation … when you eliminate most fruits and vegetables from you diet you run the risk of becoming deficient in dietary fibre with the result that you become constipated. The solution is to add some low-carb, fibre-rich vegetables to your diet, such as asparagus (2% carbs), Broccoli (7%), Tomatoes (4%), Cucumber (4%), Cauliflower (5%), Eggplant (6%), Bell Peppers (6%) and Green Beans (7%).

Loss of electrolytes … as you enter ketosis, your body will start dumping its stores of glycogen (the main form in which glucose is stored in your body) through urination. An increase in how often you urinate will inevitably lead to a loss of electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium and potassium. These electrolytes are essential for cardiac function and a normal heart beat, and that loss can put you at risk of cardiac arrhythmia. To avoid this you should eat avocados, leafy green vegetables, asparagus and cruciferous vegetables which are natural sources of this electrolytes. Add a pinch of sea-salt to your meals to up your sodium levels. You can also take an over-the-counter supplement.

Dehydration … a keto diet is known as a ‘water flushing’ diet because the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver are reduced through urination. Thus, along with loss of electrolytes, dehydration is thus a real threat in the early stages of the diet. The solution is to drink copious amounts of water, at least 2.5 litres a day. The requirement to drink water is also a feature of the Beating-Diabetes diet.

Kidney damage … untreated dehydration can lead to acute kidney damage. In addition, high levels of nitrogen created by excess protein can also increase pressure on your kidneys, damaging the cells and leading to the formation of kidney stones. Thus, it is only sensible to seek medical advice before you embark on the keto diet, especially if you already have issues with your kidneys and liver.

Muscle loss … is a real possibility when you are in ketosis for a long time. While protein is the basic muscle builder, you muscles also need carbs for their formation and maintenance. Without those carbs your body starts to break down muscle. In itself this would not be dangerous for most of your muscle mass. Unfortunately, your heart is also a muscle, so it too could get damaged.

Low blood pressure … one of benefits of the ketogenic diet is that it can help reduce elevated levels of blood pressure. Thus, if you are already taking prescription medicines to control hypertension, it can cause abnormally low blood pressure levels, taking them so low that it can be dangerous, even deadly. The solution is to discuss whether you should reduce or stop your medications with your doctor and follow his or her advice.

When you consider the risks involved, the answer to the question is you probably should not switch … especially if the Beating Diabetes diet is working for you.

Why you should eat cruciferous vegetables

As we diabetics well know, to beat our diabetes we should make plants, such as vegetables, the main focus of our diet. But not all vegetables are equally beneficial. Some of most healthful are in the group known as cruciferous vegetables. But what are they and what are the benefits of eating cruciferous vegetables?

The Cruciferae family of vegetables are cool-weather vegetables. They are so called because they have four petals so that (with a bit of imagination) they seem to resemble a cross.

Cruciferous vegetables are high in several vitamins and soluble fibre. They also contain multiple nutrients and phytochemicals.

As one of the dominant food crops worldwide, cruciferous vegetables come in a wide variety of forms. A very restricted list includes:

  • bpak choi (aka bok choy)
  • broccoli
  • cabbage
  • cauliflower
  • kale
  • radish
  • sprouts (Brussels)
  • turnip

And many, many more.

Health benefits of cruciferous vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables are low in calories but rich in folate, vitamins C, E and K and soluble fibre.

These vegetables are also good sources of phytonutrients … plant-based compounds that may help lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables also contain glucosinolates, chemicals that are responsible for the aroma and flavour of these plants. These chemicals have been shown to have anti-cancer effects.

According to the National Cancer Institute in the USA, studies in rats and mice have shown that indoles and isothiocyanates (compounds that are formed when glucosinolates are broken down) provide cells with protection against damage to their DNA, inactivate carcinogens, and have anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects.

But the evidence that this also happens when humans consume cruciferous vegetables is underwhelming. Studies of cancers such as of the prostate, colon, lung and breast, show little or no association between eating these vegetables and the risk of developing these specific cancers.

However, cruciferous vegetables may help to protect against cancer by reducing oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is an overload of oxygen-free radicals, harmful molecules generated by the body. Reducing free radicals probably reduces the risk of various cancers such as colon, lung, breast and prostate.

In a study funded by the US National Cancer Institute, 20 participants ate two cups of cruciferous vegetables a day for three weeks after which they reverted to their normal eating habits. When their oxidative stress was measured at the end of the three weeks, it was found that it had dropped 22% when they were eating lots of cruciferous vegetables.

Diets rich in fish and cruciferous vegetables may help to protect against cardiovascular disease. A recent study found that this kind of diet was linked to lower levels of markers for inflammation in the body … markers that signal an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cooking and consuming cruciferous vegetables

Eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables will not harm you. However, they are likely to improve your health and reduce your risk of various chronic diseases. So, eating them is highly recommended.

Here are some general tips:

  • Eat these vegetables raw or only lightly steamed. If you overcook them they can have a strong sulphurous smell and taste.
  • You will find cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower ready-to-go in the fresh food or frozen foods section of your supermarket.
  • Only buy fresh broccoli … it has firm florets with a purple, dark green or bluish hue at the top. These will have more beta-carotene and vitamin C than florets with light green tops. If broccoli is yellow or limp don’t buy it … it is old.
  • Snowy white broccoli florets or dark green broccoli is a must for any raw vegetable platter.
  • Adding raw broccoli or cauliflower florets to a green salad greatly boosts the nutrients in the dish
  • You can add chopped cruciferous vegetables to soups, stews and casseroles during a final few minutes of cooking (to avoid over-cooking them).

Now for the specifics:

Bpak choi ….. is a kind of Chinese cabbage that looks like a hybrid of celery and lettuce. It has a mild flavour and fits well in stir-fries or soups. If you make a noodle soup with bpak choi, chuck in a little bit of chopped ginger to give it a kick.

Broccoli ….. can be eaten raw on its own, in a salad or with a dip as a quick snack. Try steaming it (but don’t overdo it) and topping it with a low-fat sauce. You could also roast it in the oven. If you don’t care for the taste but want the nutrients, drop it into a strongly-flavoured casserole.

Brussels sprouts ….. the bane of generations of school children, are usually eaten in winter especially during Yuletide. They have a very distinctive taste. They are usually boiled but try roasting them in the oven.

Cabbage ….. is usually overcooked so be careful. Another cruciferous vegetable with a distinctive but mild taste, cabbage goes well with most main courses. Or it can be shredded and mixed with beans and sweet potatoes to make a potent side-dish.

Kale ….. is slightly more bitter than spinach or lettuce but is highly nutritious. You can sauté it with a drop of olive oil, garlic and pepper for a quick side-dish or bake it in the oven with some seasoning as a substitute for potato. Or drop a few raw leaves into a smoothie to boost your drink’s vitamin and mineral content.   

Radishes ….. are the perfect garnish for a fresh salad. Unlike the other cruciferous vegetables above the roots, rather than the leaves, are eaten. Radishes have a peppery taste and besides giving a plain old salad a pleasant lift, they can be eaten glazed with mint and onion, or glazed and roasted with fresh herbs.

Turnips ….. are another root vegetable. They have a purple skin. Their texture is similar to that of potatoes, but they have a much more distinctive, slightly peppery, flavour. In fact, once boiled they can be mashed and used as a substitute for potatoes in a main course ….. or mashed and mixed with boiled mashed carrots with a little added black pepper.

The link between diabetes and thyroid problems (and what you can do about it)

Thyroid problems are more common in people with diabetes than they are in the population as a whole. But what is the nature of this link and how do you treat thyroid problems? Continue reading “The link between diabetes and thyroid problems (and what you can do about it)”