In 2013, the American Diabetes Association published a study that showed that the national cost of diabetes had increased to an estimate of $245 billion, a 41% increase from a study done in 2007. If this trend remains steady, the national cost of diabetes could be nearing $350 billion by 2018. Let's give that some perspective:
- $1,100 per person per year in America
- The cost to build 33 Gerald Ford class aircraft carriers (every year)
- The cost to pay the salaries of all US military personnel for 28 months
- The cost to fund the entire national transportation budget for 3.5 years
- 26 years of revenue for the NFL (based on 2016 estimated revenue)
That is a lot of money and this is just for diabetes. If you were wondering why the cost of your insurance is going up, it is not just price gouging by the medical industry. It is also due to that national epidemic of people consuming poor quality foods who's profitability is being subsidized by federal agricultural policy and very effective marketing.
Now for the good news...it would cost individuals with diabetes very little to get most of this money back. If people make the decision to vote with their dollars (and stomachs), most of this expense could be recovered by simply adopting a low carbohydrate, healthy fat, appropriate protein diet. Many people, including me, have put their diabetes into remission by simply eliminating most processed foods and refined carbohydrates from their diet and replacing them with mostly whole unprocessed foods.
I heard a reference to taking cinnamon to help control blood glucose in a podcast I was listening to. The research I was able to find was not the best but there appears to be some evidence supporting cinnamon's ability to help increase insulin sensitivity and reduce triglycerides and LDL particles. Cinnamon seems to be a fairly safe, inexpensive and tasty supplement so I have started a personal experiment to try it out. The dose I decided on was 6g per day based on one study I looked at. I take it 3g in the morning and 3g before bed. There are some forms of cinnamon that have higher concentrations of a liver toxin so you should look into ordering some Ceylon cinnamon or supplement capsules if you plan to try this yourself. I have only been trying this a few days so it is hard to say what the long term efficacy will be but the first few days I have tried it, I am seeing about a 12% drop in my average daily blood glucose. That could be partially due to many other factors so I will have to monitor my glucose for a few weeks to see if there is a trend. I will also be getting some blood work done in a few weeks to check my lipids.
If you are going to try this you have the option to take it in pill form or as a loose powder. Powder is much less expensive so that is my preferred option. One problem is that cinnimon is not really soluble in liquids and tends to create a protective shell when you pour something over it. Anyone who has seen anyone take the "Cinnamon Challenge" is familiar with this phenomenon. If you are following a high fat diet and you are not sensitive to dairy, you can try my cinnimon paste recipe. It is fairly tasty and effective. I also add cocoa powder, which has its own potential health benefits, however I am am using it in this recipe to help thicken the paste and to improve the flavor.
Dave's Cinnamon Paste:
Ingredients (includes affiliate links)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small container
- Slowly begin to mix the dry powders with the cream using a small whisk or spoon. (You do not want to mix too aggressively until all the cinnimon is suspended in the cream or you might start to see puffs of dust coming out of the container)
- Continue mixing more vigorously until you achieve a thick consistency. (You may need to add a little more coco powder to thicken your paste up)
- Enjoy your paste slowly using a spoon
-THE SCIENCE-
Article: Cinnamon and Diabetes: An Update
"Cinnamon may indeed be effective, at least for some people, in lowering blood sugar levels. Yet many diabetes medicines do a better job."
Study: Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes
"intake of 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon per day reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes"
Study: Cinnamon Use in Type 2 Diabetes: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
"The consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, and an increase in HDL-C levels"
Menu:
- Salad
- 100 g. Power Greens Mix
- 30 g. Asiago (fresh grated)
- 1 tbls. Avocado Oil
- 0.5 tbls. Balsamic Vinegar
- Entree
- 6 oz. Pork Sausage
- 1.5 tbls. Mayo/Mustard Sauce
- Sides
- 4 oz. Brie
- 5 Kalamata Olives
- 3 Jalapeno Stuffed Green Olives
- 2 Banana Pepers
Nutritional Breakdown:
