Diabetes and white potatoes

Seattle weight loss hypnosis clients who have diabetes often ask if white potatoes are OK to eat. I refer them to a growing body of medical research that  recommends foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. Researchers like Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Neal Barnard and many others have been advocating managing diabetes with starches and other plant based foods for years. Do you recommend that diabetics avoid white potatoes? is this weeks featured article in the Hypnosis Health Info Article Library.

Do you recommend that diabetics
avoid white potatoes?

by David Richards, D.C., M.D.

I certainly do not. I encourage my diabetic patients to eat freely of baked, steamed, microwaved, or boiled potatoes of any variety (prepared without added salt, oil, or sugar) as part of a healthy diet that also includes fruits, raw and cooked vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

The idea that white potatoes are problematic for diabetics stems partly from the concept of the glycemic index, and partly from the inaccurate way that potatoes have been categorized in some scientific studies.

The glycemic index measures the extent to which a food raises blood sugar levels after it is eaten. Because white potatoes have been characterized as having a high glycemic index, it is often assumed that they can worsen diabetes. However, the glycemic index has not been found to be a useful concept when devising optimal diets for diabetics. One of the major problems with the glycemic index is its variability; not only do blood sugar responses to similar foods differ between individuals, they can vary significantly in the same person on different occasions. A recent review of the scientific literature conducted by the American Diabetes Association concluded that there is little difference in blood sugar control between “low-glycemic index” and “high-glycemic index” diets. For this reason, in their most updated guidelines, the American Diabetes Association has deleted a statement suggesting benefit from the glycemic index.

Read Do you recommend that diabetics
avoid white potatoes?

Even though I have been coaching weight loss hypnosis with Slender For Life™ for the past 16 years, it still thrills me when hypnosis weight loss clients report to me that their blood sugars are in healthy ranges within 3 to 6 weeks of starting a plant based diet. John McDougall, M.D. tells us that type 2 diabetes is essentially unknown in parts of the world where people consume a diet based on starches (like rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and legumes) with fruits and vegetables. If you are living with type 2 diabetes, weight loss hypnosis can change your life and improve your health. Ask me how.

Recommended Reading:

Reversed Diabetes by Eating Potatoes
Potatoes and the Glycemic Index
Vegan Diet Benefits Diabetics
Simple Care for Diabetes
Diet and Diabetes
Potatoes Are Pillars of Worldwide Nutrition
4 Myths about Carbohydrates and Diabetes

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