Diabetics, Eat Your Carrots

Carrots, peas and sweet potatoes are some of the richest vegetables in the nutritional world. It is so sad to see diabetics forgo these beneficial vegetables. It's not really the diabetic's fault; it's poor dietetic advice that's promoted in the hospitals. It's wrong advice and it's hurting many people.

It all started when they discovered in a lab somewhere that anything that was not a protein or fat can be used as a carbohydrate. Since it was known that carbohydrates raise blood sugar, dieticians grabbed onto the carbohydrate in equals blood sugar rise. It's the principle behind the glycemic index.

Since then, nutritionists discovered that all those vitamins, minerals and fibers slow the absorption of sugars and can direct some of those sugars into feeding the millions of probiotics in our digestive system. Some of the carbohydrates are used to build healthy tissue. Fat slows the absorption of carbohydrates and this is why it's best to eat a tiny bit of butter with your carrots; it also helps us absorb the Vitamin A.

Without the sugars entering our blood, the total blood sugar number does not go up. This is the principle behind the glycemic load. The best hospitals and doctors are using the nutritional information based on the glycemic load to teach diabetics about their foods.

The glycemic index for a serving of carrots is 41 (about half that of table sugar), but the glycemic load is only 3 (or "ridiculously low", according to Dr. Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., clinical nutritionist specialist). That's because people typically eat about 6 grams of carrots in 1 serving. Of that, nearly ½ is water, 1/3 more is fiber and nutrients. It doesn't leave enough sugars to affect blood sugars significantly.

So, why are the dieticians clinging to outdate belief? There are many reasons from politics to funding. Plus, no one likes to admit they were wrong. But you can take a stand for your health

Everyone needs to watch their blood sugars with any food they eat. There are some people who are very sensitive to the sugars in carrots and will see a sugar spike. I usually question that result and ask to see what else a person has eaten. Nearly always, I see bread, pasta or another processed food or chemical. That is the real problem.

The chemicals in processed foods and sugar substitutes can make the body react poorly to natural sugars. In fact, there have been studies done that show that aspartame, sucralose and saccharine actually increase our reactions to natural sugars and artificially raise blood sugars. They also harm the liver, cause cancer and disrupt hormones.

Most processed foods are also devoid in nutrients, so they deprive the body of the very thing that will help heal it: vitamins and minerals.

People need fruits and vegetables in their freshest and most natural form in order to absorb the nutrients necessary for health. Local farmer's markets are prefect for this. Otherwise, I recommend organic from the grocery store or organic frozen vegetables. Skip the cans and boxed stuff. In order to sit on the grocery store shelf, the nutrients must be stripped out.

So, go ahead and enjoy your fresh, local carrots. They will taste better than the cardboard, boxed stuff that only deprives your body of what it needs to heal.

Christina Major is the Naturopathic Doctor and Holistic Nutritionist of Crystal Holistic Health Consulting. Crystal Holistic Health helps people, especially women, who have Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure lower their numbers, get off medication and increase their energy so they can save money, take back control of their lives and improve the health and happiness of their families.