deep sleep diabetes remedy

Deep Sleep Diabetes Remedy – Main Manual | Scott Hanson

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DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT NOTICE

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including print, scan, photocopy, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author has attempted to present information that is as accurate and concrete as possible. The author is not a medical doctor and does not write in the capacity of a health professional. Any medical decision should be made with the advice and care of your doctor. The author will not be held responsible for any injury or loss incurred by the reader through the practice of any information contained in this book. The author does not mention the fact that new studies are constantly being carried out, the information in this book was as accurate as possible at the time of writing, but given the changing nature of the subject, the author hopes that the reader will be able to appreciate the basics that have been addressed in this book. Despite every effort to verify each piece of information provided in this publication, the author assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, or misinterpretation of the subject matter in this book. Again, please note that the help or advice provided here does not replace medical advice. You agree to use some or all of the information given in this book at your own risk. The author will not be responsible for any injury that may result from putting into practice any advice given in this book. If you are under medical treatment or have any doubt about the advice given here, please consult your doctor as soon as possible.


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Deep Sleep

Diabetes Remedy


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 5

IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP AND DIABETES AT THE SAME TIME

1 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLEEP & DIABETES

1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF DEEP SLEEP 9

1.2 THE HORMONAL IMPACT OF SLEEP 13

1.3 HOW SLEEP IMPACTS YOUR DIABETES 14

2 STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE SLEEP AND DIABETES

2.1 WHAT FOODS TO AVOID 18

2.2 BEST FOODS 21

2.3 STRESS MANAGEMENT 28

2.4 INTERMITTENT FASTING 30

2.5 NATURAL REMEDIES 32

2.6 AN ANTI-DIABETIC DRINK TO FAVOR SLEEP 37

3 A GUIDE FOR HEALTHY DEEP SLEEP AND BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS

3.1 PROMOTING SLEEP: WHAT TO AVOID 41

3.2 PROMOTING SLEEP: WHAT YOU SHOULD DO 43

3.3 ANTICIPATING CRAVINGS 45

3.4 CLEVER & FUN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 47

3.5 MEAL PREP AND ORGANISATION 51

3.6 MOTIVATIONAL WORDS 53


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REFERENCES 56

INTRODUCTION

IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP AND DIABETES AT THE SAME TIME

First of all, congratulations on making this decision to improve your health. This is a journey that will lead to an “upgraded” you – without the complications of diabetes, with sound sleep and greater overall health to boot. In other words, you are taking a step towards a healthier version of yourself and most importantly, a much happier one! The aim of this e-book is to give you easy changes that you can slowly implement to your current routine. These changes are crucial to eliminate the fatty deposits around the pancreas – which


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will in turn, enable a reduction of diabetes’ symptoms and quite possibly, entirely reverse your type 2 diabetes. In addition, you will discover key rules that will boost your metabolism and prevent the reoccurrence of diabetes. Also, you will discover how the quality of your general health can be greatly improved with better sleep. And particularly, deep, slow wave sleep. I will shortly explain how the quality of sleep can impact your health and diabetes. Finally, this e-book will provide you efficient strategies to implement this program easily: foods to eat and the ones to avoid, powerful herbal sleep teas, ideal mealtimes, exercises to favor deep sleep and reduce blood sugar levels, practical video guides to use on-the-go, numerous tips and so much more. By taking this step, you have done what the majority of people never do, you are investing in yourself through your health. Rather than waiting for some miracle to occur, you are taking action and you are giving yourself the tools to succeed. And for that, once again congratulations! But to start this new adventure, you will have to follow my instructions carefully. And that doesn’t mean implementing everything at once. A better way to go about this is to start with a list. A list of small changes you can make today, this week or this month. Bit by bit, you will add new changes once the previous ones are fully integrated to your routine. This little list will help you stay on track and motivated throughout the program. Also, to succeed, I will give you concrete tools and every information that is needed to ensure you can implement the changes long term. This book is going to deepen your understanding about how your body works and how to boost vital mechanisms with ease. So, to be successful in this new adventure, I highly advise you to follow this plan step by step. This is how you will succeed on this journey – by making small changes and progressively improving many levels of your current lifestyle. Moreover, by improving your overall health, you will see many different positive changes. In a few weeks, you will notice that your stress levels are far more manageable. If you suffer from chronic stress, anxiety and/or depression, it will be far easier to deal with it. Moreover, your energy levels will soar to new heights and so will your cognitive abilities.


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And of course, step by step, your sleep will get better and your diabetes’ symptoms will improve significantly. Basically, your health will get a premium upgrade – which will in turn help you achieve any goal you set your mind to! So, how do you get started? First, we are going to focus on the importance of sleep and its major impact on hormonal health. Then, we will focus on ensuring you get that deep, slow wave sleep – a type of sleep that is necessary to boost the function of your pancreas – thus, improving your diabetes and overall health. Deep slow wave sleep is the kind of sleep that will get YOU started towards a much healthier you. So, in a nutshell, what is deep slow wave sleep?

On average, we spend about a third of our lives sleeping – which is a LOT. Decades of research have shown that sleep is more than just a matter of survival, it consists in four crucial stages. First, you start feeling groggy and fall asleep gently, which means that your brain waves have slowed down and your body is going from consciousness to sleep. Then, it’s time for your heartbeat and breathing to slow down, your body temperature to diminish and your eyes to cease moving – getting you ready to enter the quiet world of deep sleep. This stage is the third one, deep sleep – or slow wave deep sleep. It’s characterised by the slowest heartbeat and breathing during sleep. In fact, your muscles are completely relaxed and it becomes very hard to wake up. Finally, the last stage, REM sleep, kickstarts the awakening process by making your eyes move rapidly from one side to another. Which makes your brain waves as alert as needed, your breathing erratic and faster, and your heart rate and blood pressure higher. There are many cycles of REM sleep during the night. In fact, it happens every 90 minutes. However, the last one is by far the most important one and it is usually accompanied by vivid dreams. So, why is each one of these stages important for your health? Basically, when we are asleep, several structures of our brain start working to ensure a peaceful night and then, to fill our dreams with sound, images and sensations. The last REM sleep stage activates your amygdala, a part of your brain that allows you to process your emotions.


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Researchers are clear: without quality sleep, we can’t maintain proper brain function. Furthermore, if the quality of sleep deteriorates, so does brain function. With unhealthy sleep, it becomes harder to learn and create memories, to focus on tasks and to be generally alert. A good night of sleep ensures that we are alert, comfortable, calm, collected, happier and far more energetic! And that’s just the tip of this massive iceberg! Regular good sleep strengthens our immune system, reducing the risk of disease and also diminishing the gravity of existing symptoms. Particularly, with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic illnesses and even, the mighty common cold. Long-term, unhealthy sleep can also have a profound impact on mental health. Healthy sleeping habits ensure that your mental health is as good as can be and greatly reduce the risk of anxiety and depression. A key element to follow this program successfully and make it easier to do so. Finally, good sleeping habits ensure a balanced hormonal health – a crucial factor when it comes to diabetes management, metabolism and appetite regulation. As you can see, sleep is essential and, unlike diet and lifestyle, its importance is often understated. So, let’s discover how to improve sleep, diet and lifestyle to make sure that the horrid reality of your diabetes becomes soon a very faint memory...of something that once was. Let’s get started, shall we?! It’s time to discover the secrets of a wonderful and healthy life diabetes-free!


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The Relationship Between Sleep & Diabetes

1. The Importance of Deep Sleep

A Crucial Factor to Promote Good Health

First of all, make sure to get the following three essential herbs to make an herbal tea that will ensure sleepiness and boost the quality of your sleep:

1. Ashwagandha (scientific name: Withania somnifera). Start with ashwagandha, if you only need a little nudge to sleep. >> Click here to see our best source of Ashwagandha

2. Albizia (scientific name: Julibrissin). Albizia works well with ashwagandha, if you need a

more powerful effect. >> Click here to see our best source of Albizia

3. Blue Verveine (scientific name: Verbena hasta). Finally, Blue Verveine can be added to

complete the trinity, if you need a very powerful combination to get good sleep. >> Click here to see our best source of Blue Verveine

https://lostempireherbs.com/product/ashwagandha-tincture/?ref=56

https://lostempireherbs.com/product/albizia/?ref=56

https://lostempireherbs.com/product/blue-vervain-tincture/?ref=56


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These three herbs are an ESSENTIAL part of our program, as they will gently nudge your body towards natural sleep and particularly, deep sleep. >> Click here to claim a discount on a bundle of all 3 sleep and relaxation herbs

Deep sleep is essential to achieve and then, maintain good health. And when it comes to diabetes, sleep plays a major role in blood sugar regulation, the loss of fatty internal deposits, regulating hormones and metabolism. But it all starts with melatonin, a very important messenger. Before the advent of electricity and the magical light bulb, our sleeping patterns were simple and natural. In fact, we awoke with the first rays of sunshine and started nodding off not long after the sun hit the horizon. To put it simply, our sleep was completely linked to our exposure to light and the lack of it. It all starts by the exposure to light, which stimulates a part of our brain: the hypothalamus. In the hypothalamus, the human biological clock – otherwise known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus – will signal to other brain parts in control of hormones, body temperature and numerous vital functions, whether we should be awake OR start nodding off. As soon as the sun rises, our biological clock will start to increase our body temperature and stimulate specific hormones such as cortisol (which is released during stressful episodes or to keep us alert). Similarly, when light goes out and darkness has dominion a new hormone enters in play: melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone synthesized by the pineal gland, a tiny gland that is located above the middle of the brain. During daytime, this gland stays mainly inactive but as soon as darkness hits, it turns ON and begins melatonin production. Then, melatonin is released in the blood and in consequence, our alertness slowly declines and sleeping becomes a very enticing option. (1)

https://lostempireherbs.com/product/sleep-bundle/?ref=56

https://watermark.silverchair.com/110406.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAl4wggJaBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggJLMIICRwIBADCCAkAGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQMqIAVMa9tTzrW3Lj6AgEQgIICEdTjzpPWAlU6LdFQ8n_G0X2b4PmMbborV6n8AToZ4BU-9SovewBVB9vzxpVZ8rgkao4tqLykh91mrFuACtRjwpZv-xxwciV34sf6TyNPEnktU3M_Os13oa9frtorGQ44Zr_b9Bo3GxrB88SA3Wlolzs0gYuuKnRyVfwyAyRG2NsdyWEFzRYWw9kjTTWjbhRobWLMQ8HlXN4uzQn2Dyhe1UiDbT0COGlF_qfKiUk6af_fk-byCVw8BGtlXvp91LaooG4mkJgRg8P12xMlqeIcSrOGJVL1FYoHZOZwtQ1NU0O8NEK-J5grfuER81rhP4YJe4xMwa-HreBtS8v5HbtMNANQcKnY1tWIDFH4lnKTQqDuYOeVOVGsb4TrVaAUZvMqsL4nEn0DvsJhBq0EwITJ0ubyvmQNfVALZaQSFPvdZjlQKnK2GB4lO9NDew-E-Gk939PryAd5d_jyld90NStyEPgqC2c6H46DRfT_vL_bj5z-3t_dd4fw9KiFTXiTMBlyUoPoCfcmM8tOezsW-DnHUMQUJf8Dxhqdnt6xh3HdYjUzdX-UWZILpjwwNdM968NCoeTcfe9Wb3fJLeEg2eNvjqmSStB1AHn-3TKrp-xeOTcVdD5pv3Hg78UEI8BdwUS3dofFM5sJJN2wdRjged_2nm_aFf8ruGDZbPCi1TFq_G17PcA1zahlc19Ye47sd2c8xl4


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But there’s a big issue, modern living doesn’t really reproduce the natural cycles of the sun and as a result, our biological clock isn’t working as it should. With the introduction of bright lights and various bright gadgets in our homes, we started inhibiting the natural production of melatonin. Actually, even street lights can disrupt its production. Thus, the first step to reset sleeping patterns, is to create a dimly-lit environment in the evening and at night time, and switch off all gadgets one hour and half or ideally, two hours before going to bed. Additionally, investing in quality light blocking curtains or blinds can do wonders to improve melatonin production. Finally, the Golden Milk, this Northern Thai recipe is the ULTIMATE combination to ensure that you will get the deep sleep you need & deserve (take it 1 hour prior bedtime). Ingredients (for 2 cups):

• 2 cups milk of your choice (skim, whole, coconut, almond, etc.)

• 1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

• 1/2 tsp. Ceylon Cinnamon

• 1 1-inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger

• optional: ½ teaspoon of erythritol or xylitol, 1 teaspoon of Blue Verveine or ½ teaspoon of Ashwagandha powder or tincture, 1 teaspoon of Albizia or melatonin drops (links above)

→ Warm the milk, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and sweetener in a small saucepan until it simmers

hot. Add extra herbs (such as Blue Verveine, Ashwagandha, Albizia, or melatonin drops)

if you need a sleeping boost.


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→ Whisk well to dissolve spices, drain everything (optional) and divide into two mugs.

Note: If you can’t find the ingredients necessary for the Golden Milk, try:

✓ The Moon Milk: replace spices with ½ tsp. Ashwagandha, ½ tsp. Cinnamon

(normal kind), ¼ tsp. powdered ginger and a pinch of nutmeg (p.8 of the 31 Day

Food Plan)

✓ The Purple Lavender Milk: replace spices with 1 tablespoon of lavender and ½ a

vanilla bean instead (p.45 of the 31 Day Food Plan)

Sleep and Mood – A Clear Correlation

Now that you know how to create an environment that will improve your sleep. It’s time to focus on something else that is intimately linked to sleep: mental health. And specifically, a neurotransmitter (aka a brain’s messenger) known as serotonin. Serotonin is often referred to as the neurotransmitter of well-being and happiness. Additionally, serotonin modulates several different functions such as learning, cognition, memory and...sleep. This neurotransmitter plays a major role in our well-being and our well-being plays a role in how well we sleep. So, if you have ever been depressed or felt poorly, you might be inclined to already know how easily mental health can affect sleep. For instance, studies have shown that serotonin levels decrease significantly when depressed, stressed or anxious. Moreover, depression, stress and anxiety can all increase significantly hormones such as cortisol. (2) And cortisol, the hormone released during stressful episodes, happens to also be particularly useful to stay alert. In consequence, it isn’t surprising to discover that low serotonin levels and high levels of cortisol can disrupt natural sleep rhythms. Moreover, low serotonin levels make it incredibly hard to attain a state of deep sleep and as it was mentioned earlier, you now know how important deep sleep is to improve your overall health and “inverse” the symptoms of diabetes.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3638388/


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A way to naturally improve low serotonin levels is to use tryptophan – an amino acid that also happens to be a precursor of serotonin. It can be found in specific foods and as a supplement. However, our body can be quite capricious, it doesn’t use properly tryptophan if it isn’t particularly healthy or if you aren’t happy.

Cytokines, tiny regulators of specific mechanisms such as inflammation, infections and various immune responses, can complicate the assimilation of tryptophan into our bodies. Which means that even if you have enough tryptophan in your body, cytokines can deplete tryptophan levels by themselves and create important imbalances in neurotransmitters such as dopamine – a neurotransmitter known for its impact on love and desire. (3)

Little Sleeping Fact:

Have you ever felt like you were falling while nodding off? Then, suddenly, you had to jerk yourself awake? These are “hypnic jerks” and they also are completely harmless. Scientists don’t understand why they happen but it’s been noticed that they tend to happen more regularly with caffeine, anxiety, late night physical activity and quite simply, ageing.

2. The Hormonal Impact of Sleep

Far Too Many Cytokines and Not Enough Tryptophan, What Can Be Done?

We have established that high levels of cytokines are a dangerous thing and on top of that, they don’t do anything to help us improve sleep. In fact, high levels of cytokines are rather often the result of mental issues, including anxiety, chronic stress and depression. Furthermore, high levels of cytokines are linked to high inflammation levels. (4)


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10936147


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And high levels of inflammation will impact both the body and the mind. Once again, the effects of a troubled mental health are not to be disregarded, they are abundant and their impact affects the body and the mind without distinction. Now, let’s focus on cytokines again. If you have notably high levels of cytokines, it means that your tryptophan stock is probably depleted or dangerously low. Basically, if this should happen to you, your current mental health would make it much harder for you to have normal levels of serotonin and dopamine. Which are two crucial neurotransmitters to have a healthy mental health AND also enjoy slow wave deep sleep. And to finally get out of that vicious circle once and for all, several things can be done. However, as you can guess, it starts by addressing the most pressing issues in your current lifestyle without any further delay. So, this can be anything from improving sleep, implementing better stress management tools, increasing the amount of exercise or rather simply, improving a lacking diet. And progressively, the combination of positive changes will lower the levels of cytokines and inflammation. Thus, making it easier for your body to function the way it should. Moreover, adding effective strategies and special supplements will be additional helpful tools in this journey towards a healthier you. I will come back to that later in this e-book.


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Important Sleep Fact:

By a great deal, sleep deprivation is far more dangerous than the lack of food. The first one will kill you long before the second one. You can start hallucinating after 3 days without sleep. Then, delusions, paranoia and psychosis can easily ensue. The longest recorded time without sleep and medical control (to ensure no micro-naps were taken) is 11 consecutive days. While the odd sleep deprivation won’t hurt much, chronic sleep deprivation is extremely unhealthy. Consequently, make sure to get enough sleep and ensure your environment is adapted for heavy Zzzz.

3. How Sleep Impacts your Diabetes

Sleep, Satiety, Hunger & Blood Sugar Regulation

Sleep, metabolism, weight and blood sugar levels are largely controlled by hormones. Lack of sleep and chronic sleep deprivation can directly lead to weight gain, a fatty liver and/or pancreas, metabolic disorders and more. Let’s look at a very important hormone. Leptin is produced by our fat cells, it reduces our appetite and tells our brain that we are full (and have enough food to function). Additionally, leptin tells our brain that if there is enough fat in stock, no more is needed. Overweight and obese people have very high leptin levels.

Following that logic, overweight people should simply eat less and lose weight, it shouldn’t be that hard, right? Unfortunately, in overweight and obese people, leptin doesn’t work as it should. It actually does the same as insulin resistance (the premises of type 2 diabetes), the syndrome of leptin resistance can appear in overweight people.

So, leptin doesn’t signal to the brain that the body is full. As such, the brain doesn’t know if there is enough energy in its reserves...or not. In other words, the brain will believe that this person is starving. Which is why it’s so easy to overeat once you’ve put on some extra weight.

Similarly, erratic sleeping habits mess with leptin levels. During sleep, leptin levels increase, telling your body there’s no need to feel hunger, after all you are sleeping.


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However, sleep deprivation drains leptin levels, which tells your brain that there isn’t enough energy to function. Not unlike with leptin resistance, your brain is telling you that you are hungry. Regardless of the fact that you don’t need any food. (5)

To start improving or low leptin levels significantly, you have to get enough quality sleep (slow wave deep sleep), to have some physical activity daily, to avoid inflammatory foods and indulge in anti-inflammatory ones – which will also work to reduce a high level of cytokines. You will find various anti-inflammatory foods in the Best Foods chapter. Now, comes another very important hormone…

Ghrelin is vastly regulated by sleep and excess weight. Ghrelin controls hunger. When your stomach is way too empty, your body releases ghrelin. Nevertheless, sleep deprivation and extra pounds can easily disrupt normal ghrelin levels.

Research has shown that after a meal, ghrelin levels in obese people only diminish ever so slightly. In consequence, the brain doesn’t receive a strong “stop eating” message – which is extremely easy to overeat (on top of leptin resistance) and as a result, continuing to

gain weight. (6) As opposed to leptin, during sleep, ghrelin levels decrease, since you don’t need to be hungry. However, lack of sleep can result in high levels of ghrelin – which will signal to your brain that you are hungry and that your body needs energy. (7) A long, long time ago, these mechanisms allowed primitive men to survive during food shortages.





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But it’s definitely a moot point for most of us today, since food is readily available. So, to improve leptin and ghrelin levels, try aiming for an optimal night of sleep – some people may need 6 hours while others need 10. To figure it out, try modulating your “going to bed” hour and then stick to the ideal hour (even on week-ends). You will find that you have far more energy if you stick to the same going to bed/waking up schedule all week long. Yes, you can definitely make an exception for your niece’s wedding. Finally, dim all of your lightning a couple of hours prior to bedtime (and switch off electronic gadgets), avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol (both are excitants) and avoid exercising three hours before bedtime (to avoid having too much cortisol keeping you awake).

Random Sleep Facts:

→ A cat spends 2/3 of its life sleeping. → A giraffe needs very little sleep, it sleeps an average of 1.9 hours daily. → Roger Federer, the tennis player, has long nights. On average, he sleeps 11 to 12 hours

daily. → The famous golf player Tiger Woods only needs a mere 4 to 5 hours per night!

So, find out what’s your ideal night, it may not be 8 hours. We aren’t equal when it comes to that.

Sleep, Human Growth Hormone and Insulin

It’s now clear that sleep quality significantly affects hormonal health. And ghrelin and leptin levels aren’t the only players in this game! Let’s get down to it: the two following hormones are ESSENTIAL for your present and future health.

Insulin and human growth hormone (aka HGH) are intimately linked. In fact, they play antagonist roles against one another. In other words, if one is high, the other one will be low. Insulin's job is to pull out nutrients of cells and to regulate blood sugar levels. On the other hand, HGH provokes skeletal, muscular, neurological and overall cellular growth. It is clear that both hormones are


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crucial for our bodies and health. So, how do they manage working together if they always antagonize each other?

Here’s where sleep enters the game. Healthy, slow wave sleep encourages HGH while also reducing blood sugar levels. As a result, the need for insulin decreases altogether. (8)

Actually, most of HGH secretion happens during sleep. Consequently, sleep is a crucial player in cellular regeneration and quite literally, this means that quality sleep keeps the years away. Or, at the very least, a healthy human growth hormone secretion keeps your body and physical appearance as youthful as can be. Who wouldn’t want that?!



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Strategies to Improve Sleep & Diabetes

Efficiently and For Good

1. What Foods to Avoid

Now, let’s focus on the fight against diabetes, insulin resistance and more specifically, on the foods promoting weight gain and increasing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and various other diseases that are best avoided. To make this easier to follow, the following chart details most unhealthy foods. As such, these foods should not be a part of your diet. An occasional indulgence is fine but it has to be occasional.

Deep-Fried Foods

Chips (or crisps), French fries, onion rings, fried chicken, spring rolls, tempura,

(etc.) are all very tasty foods (note: fat isn’t the only thing that can make food tasty). Nonetheless, these foods are also all significantly high in calories, near-

entirely devoid of any nutritional value and on top of it, frying food creates

carcinogenic substances called acrylamides. Instead, prefer baking to frying, or

shallow frying your food. Ideally, gentle and quick steaming is a great option to

preserve most nutrients. (9)

Sugary Drinks

Whether you are overweight or not, if sodas and juices are an integral part of your

diet, you will need to reconsider their importance in your life. These sugary drinks

have been clearly associated with weight gain and catastrophic ill-health effects

(type 2 diabetes being a frontrunner and it does nothing good to existing sufferers).

(10) Additionally, these drinks also rapidly add a LOT of calories to your diet and




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unfortunately, your brain doesn’t quite register these calories. Hence, the term

“empty calories” used for sugary drinks and drinks such as alcohol. At the end of

the day, you end up drinking additional calories, full of sugar (that will mess

your blood sugar levels) without even feeling satiated. Finally, diet drinks may

sound appealing but avoid them too. They usually contain carcinogenic

substances, such as aspartame – which are also known to mess with blood sugar

levels.

Processed/Refined Carbohydrates (carbs)

White rice, white pasta and white bread are all made from refined (white) flour.

These are your enemies, especially when it comes to the fight against diabetes.

Let’s illustrate this with this fact: only two daily slices of white bread have been

linked to a 40% higher risk of weight gain and being overweight. And as you

know, weight gain is to be avoided at all costs if you want to get rid of the

“diabeetus” for good. (11)

Pastries, Cookies & Cakes

In the world of sweet baked goods, the worst offenders are the industrial kind.

These apparently “yummy treats” are packed with sugar, refined flour and rather

often, trans fats (a very harmful type of fat). Moreover, they rapidly add up to your

daily calorie intake and they don’t do a good job at filling you up. So, should you

have a sweet tooth, indulge in fruits and dark chocolate instead. Also, once in a

while, bake yourself a nice treat with much healthier ingredients (find inspiration

in cooking paleo and ketogenic blogs).

Ice Cream

Ice cream is a very decadent and deliciously creamy dessert. Nonetheless, it also

happens to be incredibly high in calories and is loaded with sugar and fat. While

a small and occasional portion is fine, can you really resist and just stick to a small

portion?! I can’t. Instead, consider making your own ice cream with a calorie-

free and healthy sugar substitute such as erythritol or stevia, Greek yogurt

and frozen fruit. It’s incredibly easy to do, you can prepare a massive batch and

boom, you’ve got some low-calorie deliciously creamy and tasty ice cream!

Fast-Food

Pizzas, burgers, kebabs, hot dogs and many other fast-food items are all very

popular and convenient food choices. Especially after a long and tiring day of

work. Nonetheless, these so-called “foods” are incredibly high in calories, are

usually loaded with many unhealthy ingredients, including refined flour, sugar,

sugar hides in the strangest places) and bad-for-the-heart processed meats.

Industrial Pre-made Meals

These industrial meals (fresh, canned or frozen) are most of the time one of

the worst offenders when it comes to your health. They contain significant

quantities of trans fats (much cheaper than their healthier counterparts), sugar (to

improve the taste), refined grains (terrible for your blood sugar) and the icing on

the cake, a long list of untrustworthy food additives/preservatives that are used for

a longer shelf-life. (12)

Breakfast Cereals

If you go to the cereal aisle of your supermarket, you will notice several

breakfast cereals branded as “healthy”. Actually, most brands can write

anything they want, with little to no fact checking and...get away with it.

Breakfast cereals are literally packed with refined grains and sugar, that’s pretty

much it. As you know, this combination will very quickly raise your blood sugar

levels to new highs, and increase the risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders.

If you enjoy your breakfast sweet, opt for rolled oats (porridge). This is an

excellent option. Also, for a lower carb count, an overnight chia seeds pudding is

great and tasty too.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25335643/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216714/


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Candy and Most “Healthy” Bars

Candy bars and most healthy exercise/nut bars are usually loaded with sugar, trans

fats and refined flour. A perfectly deadly combo that worsens diabetes and overall

health alike! Moreover, candy bars are calorie-dense and they have little to no

nutritional value. Instead, go for (a handful) of nuts and dried fruits. Or you can

make your own actually healthy bars with ingredients such as oats (omit this for a

low carb option), dates, nuts, nut butters, raw chocolate, bananas, etc. Keep in

mind that even natural sugar can quickly add-up – so, don’t overdo it.

Sweets and Sugar Derivatives

Sugar, the worst enemy of diabetes. Sugar is rapidly metabolised by our bodies

and if it isn’t used right away, it will end up as fat around the waist and

internal organs (such as the pancreas). Overindulging in sugar and sugary treats

can also significantly worsen the symptoms of type 2 diabetes and metabolic

disorders. When abused, this enemy can lead to an early death. Finally, marketing

experts are incredibly resourceful. Nowadays, sugar can be listed in many different

ways. Avoid foods containing the following sugar derivatives: glucose, sucrose,

corn syrup, dextrin, diastatic malt, glucose syrup, maltodextrin, fruit juice

concentrate, golden syrup, invert sugar, refiner’s syrup and dextrin – these are the

worst offenders.

High-Calorie Coffee Drinks

Most of us do enjoy a gorgeous and comforting latte before heading to work…

However, these drinks aren’t just bad for our bank accounts, our health too isn’t a

fan. Let’s have a look at an average frappuccino: one drink can contain up to 50

grams of sugar. Another favorite: a caramel swirl frozen coffee can pack up to

900 calories, which is half the daily recommended amount of calories for a

woman! Instead, prefer black coffee or add a little whole milk and some stevia or

erythritol to sweeten it. Also, if you enjoy more flavor in your coffee, add some

vanilla extract, cinnamon or even some quality dark chocolate.

Alcohol

You can have an occasional drink and enjoy a diabetes-free life. However, in this

program, I would heavily recommend that you halt your alcohol intake for the time

being. Alcohol can easily mess with blood sugar levels and will definitely undo

most of the progress you are about to make. Once your health is back on track,

choose your alcohol wisely and learn how many calories are hidden in your drinks.

For example, beer, especially the light kind, is loaded with extra sugar (to

improve the taste). Similarly, sweet cocktails are calorie-heavy and full of sugar.

Instead, prefer a glass or two of white spirits, wine or a good whisky. Also,

remember that every single alcoholic drink contains empty calories and they do

add up. (13)



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What most of these foods have in common is their highly processed nature, their high calorie-density. And you will usually find arguably massive quantities of sugar, trans fats and refined grains in these so-called foods. If you have a doubt about a packed, frozen or canned food, check the label thoroughly. Remember this: the first ingredients in the list are the ones that are present in the highest quantity. If you don’t know an ingredient, do a quick search on your smartphone but as a rule of thumb, it’s probably bad for you. Finally, if you think that I am taking away most tasty foods, be reassured, I am not. You will now discover that there are so many tasty and healthy foods: it’s just a matter of knowing what to choose and learn how to cook them easily. Let’s have a look, shall we?

2. Best Foods

So, we have just seen what definitely shouldn't be on the menu. Now, let’s discover what foods can help you lose the extra fatty deposits that worsen diabetes, improve your insulin resistance and also, help you sleep better. Your diet has a major impact on your hormonal health and it will be a major actor in your success against diabetes. You will learn that sometimes eating less is more. And that this program will change the way your body functions for the better – by teaching to your body how to dig into its own fat reserves and boost its own organs. Also an improved diet will help with the regulation of leptin (satiety hormone) and ghrelin (hunger hormone). Now, let’s take a look at the things that will make you WIN the fight against diabetes and promote healthy slow wave sleep.

Leafy and Green Vegetables

Greens can be delicious when cooked properly and also, they ensure your body works as it should.

As an example, leafy greens such as spinach, cabbage, kale, watercress or collard greens are loaded with dietary fibre – an essential compound to help you feel fuller and to facilitate bowel movements.


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Furthermore, these vegetables contain significant quantities of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – a combination of powerful nutrients to help your body lose fatty deposits and improve your overall health.

Finally, leafy greens are an excellent source of iron.

Iron is essential for the formation of red blood cells – which are the carriers of oxygen. Also, an iron deficiency – a common occurrence – can disrupt sleep. (14)

PS: I have clearly put an emphasis on green and leafy vegetables – a kind of veg that should be abundant in your diet. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t eat other vegetables such as cruciferous (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower), root vegetables (turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes – which are far healthier than a normal spud) and of course, any other seasonal vegetables and fruits you can find in locally. However, these will have to be consumed with moderation (higher carb & sugar content), whereas green leafy vegetables can be plentiful.

Healthy Protein

Proteins are an essential macronutrient to build cells – you simply can’t live without them.

Should you be vegetarian or vegan, you will find plenty of protein sources that do not come from animals.

When it comes to protein, prefer quality to quantity. Nowadays, many animal based products are not necessarily very safe to eat due to how the animals have been treated. To reduce the cost of industrial productions, many producers don’t hesitate to give animals a frightening quantity of antibiotics. This results in many health risks – since we end up ingesting these antibiotics and furthermore, it also plays a major role in our current antibiotic crisis. (15)

As such, when choosing animal products, support local ethical producers that let their animals roam outside and eat a diet adapted to them. Due to the higher prices, learn to spot promotions and freeze these deals for later.

Unfortunately, the ocean isn’t particularly clean either and fish ends up sucking up some of that pollution. So, to reduce the risks to your health, limit your fish consumption to two times a week maximum and prefer smaller fishes. Unlike bigger fish, smaller fish haven't eaten as much as

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945710002182



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bigger fishes – which results in lower pollution levels in them.

Then, opt for organic dairy products and eggs whenever possible to enjoy the optimal health benefits of these foods. If you want to limit – or have stopped – your consumption of animals and animal products for ethical reasons, ensure that your diet contains a variety of legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, Lima beans, pinto beans and low carbs alternatives, such as tofu, tempeh, endamame, hemp seeds, chia seeds and nuts. Moreover, quinoa is a healthy carb alternative with low GI index (which doesn’t raise blood sugar quickly) that also happens to have a significant amount of protein.

Alternatives To Refined Carbohydrates

White rice, white bread and white pasta are definitely off the menu to beat diabetes. However, this doesn’t mean that all carbs should be excluded. It just means that you have to be more conscious about the type of carbs you eat and the quantities eaten.

For reference, in general, you shouldn’t eat more than about ¼ of a normal sized plate of carbs per meal.

The following list contains complex carbohydrates (with a lower GI index):

→ Amaranth is high in fibre and it’s also a great source of protein. This grain is ideal to limit

animal consumption and reduce inflammation levels. (16)

→ Barley is high in fibre and contains probiotics, which are healthy bacteria that will nourish your own healthy gut bacteria. Higher quantities of internal healthy bacteria will positively impact your blood sugar levels.

→ Buckwheat is a great alternative to rice and it can also be used as flour (an interesting



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choice for people intolerant or sensitive to gluten).

→ Brown rice: Unlike its white counterpart, brown rice has a high fibre content and contains a far more important amount of minerals that will provide a richer nutrition.

→ Farro is a delicious nutty tasting grain that is easily digestible and loaded with fibre. Depending on your country, it can also be called emmer, einkorn or spelt.

→ Millet is a grain that provides a good quantity of protein and lowers the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. An absolute must in your diet! (17)

→ Quinoa is the grain that contains the highest amounts of protein and also vitamin B,

folate, iron and zinc while being gluten-free. This makes quinoa an incredibly nutritious addition to any diet. Research shows that quinoa may be interesting to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. (18)

→ Sorghum is a gluten-free grain that is extremely versatile. For instance, you can use it to do porridge or as a flour and you can even do a low-carb “popcorn” with sorghum.

→ Wholegrain Oats are readily available and great for breakfast with a little fresh fruit and maybe a dash of cinnamon.

Tip: Avoid eating carbs at the beginning of the program and during the days with little physical activity. Carbs are essentially loaded with energy and if they aren’t used quickly, they will end up being stored as fat. Moreover, a high carb intake WILL negatively impact your blood sugar levels and put your health at risk. Know that carbs can also be found in vegetables and fruits – which are sufficient sources of carbohydrates for most days really.




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Healthy Fats, Spices and Herbs

Changing your diet for a healthier anti-diabetes one shouldn’t amount to bland and tasteless meals.

Fats are essential to nourish your cells and your brain. Similarly, fats are crucial to ensure good sleep and good overall health. However, only healthy fats do the job.

For example, omega-3 fatty acids facilitate melatonin secretion, the key hormone to promote sleepiness and slow wave sleep. Lower omega-3 levels have been linked to low melatonin levels in the bloodstream. (19)

You will find omega-3’s in fatty fish such as tuna, sardines, salmon and also, in egg yolks, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and nuts. Additionally, fatty fish and egg yolk also provide vitamin D, an important nutrient that deeply affects sleep quality and overall health. It’s recommended that vegans and vegetarians take a supplement of omega-3’s.

Now, let’s discover these healthy fats.

The following fats can safely be integrated to your diet:

→ Uncooked: extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, nut oils (such as walnut oil), hard cheese, nuts, seeds, nut butters, full fat organic yogurt, 70% or more dark chocolate, avocados

→ For cooking: organic butter and cream, organic lard, MCT oil, cold pressed coconut oil



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Make sure to have the following spice & herb basics in your kitchen:

Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, nutmeg, paprika, cardamom, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, ginger powder, turmeric, basil, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme

Additional Cooking Tips:

→ If you don’t cook much or at all, get started with easy dishes, don’t try overly complicated recipes with thousands of different ingredients and steps to go through.

→ Put all of your focus on cooking these easy dishes right. You will find many simple

recipes in our program and online. → Once you have improved your cooking skills, you can start expanding your culinary

horizons and progressively add little challenges!


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3. Stress Management

Stress can cause disruptions on many hormones. Especially, hormones linked to diabetes such as leptin, ghrelin, cortisol and insulin. Chronic stress results in high levels of cortisol and these will lead to increased blood sugar levels and metabolic disturbance. Cortisol is a hormone synthesised by our adrenal glands (located above the kidneys). While cortisol is essential for various bodily functions, including: waking up, muscle strength, thyroid activation, etc. – high levels of cortisol are incredibly detrimental to overall health. For instance, cortisol is released during the last stage of sleep to gently wake us up from our slumber. Nonetheless, chronic stress negatively affects cortisol levels during sleep and as a result, impacts sleep quality. Similarly, high levels of cortisol are terrible for weight loss and can prevent you from losing internal fatty deposits efficiently. (20) In fact, high cortisol levels signal to the brain that a bad situation is unfolding. Upon receiving the signal, the brain tells the rest of the body to go into full survival mode – which is known as the fight or flight response. First, the brain releases adrenaline, a hormone that makes us extremely alert and eliminates the desire to eat. Then, after adrenaline wears off, cortisol comes in to suppress non-vital functions. While this is incredibly useful in the actual event of survival, it becomes an absolute disaster if it happens repeatedly – with mental troubles such as chronic stress, anxiety and depression. What happens is that high levels of stress are telling our bodies that they need all the energy they can possibly get. Consequently, our brain makes us crave high calorie foods such as carbs, sugar and fat. Or, in other words, an absolute disaster to fight diabetes.



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To keep stress under control, discover the following effective strategies:

IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP

I know, I had to start with the obvious. By improving sleep, you will naturally be able to manage your stress and other emotions much easily. So, once again, good deep and regular sleep is crucial to obtain excellent health!

EAT FOODS THAT PROMOTE RELAXATION

Brazil nuts are high in selenium, a mineral that reduces inflammation levels (and high levels of cytokines). Reducing inflammation has been linked with lower levels of stress, anxiety, fatigue and depression. 3 to 4 nuts are more than enough to get your daily fix of selenium! (21)

ADD RELAXING SUPPLEMENTS

As mentioned earlier in the healthy fats chapter, omega-3’s are key to improve brain function and positively impact stress levels. Consequently, make sure to eat plenty of fatty fish or invest in a quality supplement. Also, vitamin D can have a major impact on mood as well as sleep. The best way to get your vitamin D is to expose yourself to sunshine at least 20 minutes without protection during the warmer months and then supplement with vitamin D3 the rest of the year (5000 to 10 000 UI per day). (22) Furthermore, tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin is going to be your partner to regulate mood and reduce anxiety levels. But, tryptophan can do much more for you. Check the chapter Natural Remedies to discover all the fascinating properties of tryptophan!

EXERCISE REGULARLY

Physical activity is one of the best tools there is to manage stress. Research has found that any form of physical activity will have a stress relieving effect. And that also includes hoovering, taking the stairs, clearing the garden and walking! (23)

CONNECT YOUR BODY TO YOUR MIND

Breathing exercises, mindful meditation, yoga, tai chi and qi gong are great practices to calm your mind and to find solutions to the issues that are worrying you. Similarly, certain artistic hobbies such as painting, playing an instrument, drawing and writing (etc.) can also


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have a calming and therapeutic effect that helps you deal with your stress healthily.

4. Intermittent Fasting

The latest weight loss and weight maintaining craze is intermittent fasting and this craze definitely deserves the praise. So, what is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting restricts your daily eating window and you end up “fasting” for the rest of the day (and night). For example, you can have an eating window of 8 hours and then, fast for the 16 hours remaining. This approach promotes a better and healthier control of food quantities and significantly limits the urges to snack or indulge in cravings. Moreover, intermittent fasting elicits weight loss and especially, the loss of internal fat. This is the result of a smaller eating window, which eases the consumption of less food and as such, less calories.

Depending on your lifestyle, choose a fasting method that works for you:

THE 16/8 METHOD

This is the example mentioned but it can be tweaked depending on your own preferences and lifestyle. You can start eating at 10 am and finish your dinner by 6 pm. Or you can start later on. In other words, you do you. Additionally, the 16/8 method can also turn into the 18/6 or the 20/4 method. If you want to venture there, decrease your eating window progressively to make the transition smoother.

THE 5/2 DIET

Intermittent fasting takes many different shapes and this one may be more practical for those who only want to fast for two days per week (e.g. during the week-end). Basically, you eat healthily for 5 days and then, reduce your calorie intake to 500 calories for two days. These don’t have to be consecutive. Tip: Use online calorie calculators to figure out your daily calorie allowance.


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OMAD (ONE MEAL A DAY)

OMAD – or One Meal A Day – is a pretty self explanatory way of fasting. In other words, you eat one meal a day and that’s it. This fasting method is more advanced and it’s preferable to ease yourself into it by doing the 18/6 method and decrease your eating window gently.

ALTERNATE FASTING

When it comes to alternate fasting, you can go full on fast for a day or two per week and then, eat healthily every other day of the week. This method is also interesting to boost your metabolism, decrease inflammation and deal with emotional eating. (24)

SPONTANEOUS FASTING

If your lifestyle doesn’t fit the traditional structure, this type of intermittent fasting may be for you. So, quite simply, you eat when you are hungry and you don’t, when you aren’t. You don’t fancy dinner today then, don’t eat. Not hungry waking up? It’s fine too. We have finally debunked the myth that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, this method cannot be applied during the program because it can easily lead to erratic blood sugar levels. Wait until your type 2 diabetes is in remission beforehand. (25)

Fasting also offers a well-deserved break for the body. Our bodies aren’t designed for continuous food consumption. In fact, they enjoy a little bit of fasting to focus on improving other bodily functions – digestion is an incredibly energy-consuming process.

As such, don’t hesitate to give your digestive tract a rest every now and then. And if your blood sugar levels are an issue, monitor them closely as you get started.


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5. Natural Remedies

It’s easy to get lost in the world of supplements – they are incredibly abundant, varied and everywhere. But not every supplement or natural remedy does what is advertised. Actually, some can even be dangerous. Instead of losing your time and money, discover the supplements that will REALLY boost your sleep and help you regulate blood sugar levels efficiently.

Natural Remedies & Supplements for Better Nights

Tryptophan & 5-HTP (aka oxitriptan)

One of the safest ways to naturally increase your serotonin levels is with the amino acid tryptophan.

Simply increasing tryptophan intake can reduce stress levels, anxiety, depression, ADHD symptoms and improve memory, concentration, learning, issues with binge eating, weight loss and sleep. (26)

Tryptophan is a crucial compound to produce serotonin – which is the neurotransmitter of “happiness”.



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It’s important to know that studies have shown that tryptophan supplementation is as effective as antidepressant drugs to treat depression. (27)

Additionally, increasing tryptophan consumption has a positive impact on cognitive abilities. The brain becomes more alert and memory and concentration also improve. Tryptophan also happens to be an essential hormone to produce melatonin. As such, a higher tryptophan intake leads to falling asleep faster, having a deeper and longer sleep and less chances of awakening. So, how do you increase your tryptophan intake? Most sources of tryptophan are found in animal products such as meat, seafood, eggs, poultry and dairy products. Some vegetable sources contain smaller quantities of tryptophan: leafy vegetables, seaweeds, soybeans, cauliflower, asparagus, sunflower and sesame seeds. Nevertheless, there’s a problem. Eating these foods by themselves will paradoxically decrease both your levels of serotonin and tryptophan. This is the result of protein synthesis inhibiting the production of tryptophan and serotonin. (28) Be reassured, every problem has a solution. In order to increase your serotonin levels and make sure tryptophan stays in your body, eating small portions of carbohydrates (without any protein) allows tryptophan to pass the brain barrier and boost serotonin levels. So, to start the day well, have a breakfast with some carbs and no protein, and later have a small carb snack to do the trick (fruits work too). If you are vegetarian, vegan or would prefer to supplement, take your supplement at night time with a small carb snack (e.g. a small fruit) to ensure tryptophan gets where it needs to be – which is in the brain.




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Similarly, 5-HTP (aka oxitriptan) is a precursor of serotonin. This amino acid is also useful to increase serotonin levels, improve sleep and reduce appetite. Nevertheless, some people do report some side effects with 5-HTP, such as nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain. Consequently, if you haven’t tried 5-HTP before, start with a small dose to see how your body tolerates it. IMPORTANT: Tryptophan and 5-HTP (oxitriptan) supplements will both

increase serotonin levels. However, taking antidepressants, sleeping pills or any other medication can be dangerous with these supplements. So, make sure to consult your doctor beforehand.

In the case of antidepressants, the combination of tryptophan or 5-HTP and antidepressants can cause a very grave disorder called serotonin syndrome – which is potentially life-threatening. (29)

So, if you take ANY medication, make sure to get the approval of your doctor before starting with these two supplements. However, they are otherwise safe for consumption.



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Herbal Remedies to Calm Down Naturally

Chamomile tea, valerian root, ginkgo biloba, lavender and passion flower are tasty and powerful plants to gently ease you into a wonderful sleep.

But for optimal effects, carefully choose your herbal remedies and follow the instructions provided.

Valerian root can help you fall asleep faster and will improve sleep quality. Lavender has a sedating effect that can be ideal to improve sleep. Ginkgo biloba may aid sleep, relaxation and reduce stress.

A Few Other Relaxing Supplements: → Glycine: This amino acid is helpful to improve sleep quality (3 grams are recommended

before going to bed). → Magnesium: This essential mineral also plays a very important role in relaxation and sleep

quality. A simple deficiency can affect your sleep quality. → L-Theanine: Here’s an amino acid that increases relaxation and improves sleep (100 to

200 mg are recommended before bed time).

Nonetheless, make sure to only try one supplement at a time. This will allow you to prevent surprise side-effects and to figure out what works best for you.

This doesn’t apply to minerals and vitamins. You can safely consume these together.

Natural Remedies & Supplements to Reduce Blood Sugar Levels

The previous supplements will indirectly help you with blood sugar control, with the intimate


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connection linking sleep to hormonal health.

But in the incredibly large and varied world of supplements, other things can also directly target blood sugar levels efficiently.

Let’s look at the best anti-diabetes & fat-burning supplements:

→ Caffeine: Caffeine is commonly found in most weight loss and fat-burning pills. And with good reason, since caffeine boosts metabolism by 3 to 11% and increases fat-burning up to 29%! However, avoid caffeine supplements, these can be dangerous and it’s very easy to ingest potentially life-threatening doses. Instead, get your caffeine fix with coffee (4 cups maximum daily) or tea. (30)

→ Green Tea Extract: Tea also contains caffeine. That fact in itself will boost fat-burning but green tea extract also contains a very interesting compound called EGCG. EGCG increases the activity of norepinephrine, a hormone that also promotes fat-burning. And to add to the benefits of green tea, its consumption (in tea form or extract) can reduce depressive symptoms. (31,32)

→ Cayenne Pepper (& Other Chillies): Cayenne pepper is a common spice found in most kitchens. But did you know that the active compound of chilli pepper, capsaicin, has major fat-burning properties? Research has shown that capsaicin slightly boosts metabolism and has a direct effect on ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Capsaicin effectively reduces ghrelin levels, which in turn reduces appetite. (33)

→ Turmeric: Another common spice, mainly used in vibrant curries, also possesses interesting fat-burning and anti-diabetic properties. Studies have found that curcumin, the main active compound found in the spice, can enhance fat loss. For best results, associate black pepper to turmeric, it makes turmeric 200% more effective! Finally, turmeric reduces blood sugar levels and prevents liver fat accumulation. (34)

→ Cumin: Not least of all, another common spice, cumin, can effectively reduce body weight and body fat. An eight-week study reported that adults who consumed a cumin supplement three times a day lost an extra 2.2 pounds (1 kg) compared to the placebo group. Not unlike turmeric, cumin also seems beneficial to reduce blood sugar levels. (35)

So, get ready to spice up your meals! It can also help you fight diabetes!



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6. An Anti-Diabetic Drink to favor Sleep

This chapter will show you how to combine “superfoods” and supplements to multiply the benefits. Superfoods are simply foods rich in beneficial nutrients (minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, antioxidants, proteins, etc.). Nutrients that are going to be essential to improve your health and get rid of diabetes. The following recipe literally packs a bunch of superfoods together and gives you a great example of what can be done in the world of healthy (and yet, decadent) anti-diabetic foods!

Diabetes-Free Hot Cocoa

A recipe that will lower your blood sugar levels and favor a peaceful night of sleep


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Ingredients (for two cups):

• 2 cups | non dairy milk (coconut, almond or hazelnut work perfectly with this recipe)

• 2 tablespoons | raw cacao powder (without added sugar)

• 1 teaspoon | ground dried reishi mushroom (or alternatively maca powder)

• ¼ teaspoon | organic turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon | ground Ceylon cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon | organic coconut oil

• Optional: 1 teaspoon | stevia, erythritol or xylitol* (both are alcohol sugars that aren't entirely absorbed by our bodies and are safe to use)

* Xylitol can have laxative effects, use it sparingly.

Directions:

Add your milk into a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Gather all the ingredients and start by adding the cocoa powder into your milk. Reduce the heat and add the powdered reishi mushroom (or maca powder), organic turmeric, freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon, coconut oil and if needed, the sweetener of your choice. Stir and let it incorporate for a couple of minutes and then, pour the mix into a mug.

For best results, drink this “super” hot cocoa in the evening (an hour or two before bed time).


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Discover the Health Benefits of....

Raw Cocoa

First used by the Mayan civilization in America, cocoa is now available anywhere in the world. And to add to its deliciousness, cocoa is also loaded with healthy properties. Cocoa – more specifically raw cocoa – is rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that diminishes inflammation levels and blood pressure, and improves blood flow and blood sugar levels. Regular consumption of cocoa improves brain function and specifically, mental performance. Finally, cocoa can have a positive effect on mental health due to its content in flavanols, a precursor of tryptophan (the precursor of serotonin, the famous neurotransmitter of happiness). In consequence, raw cocoa can help your body deal with stress better, boost your overall health, reduce the symptoms of your type 2 diabetes and also, boost your brain power!

Reishi Mushroom

This powerful mushroom is commonly used in Japan. Now, the Western world is starting to wonder why.

Reishi mushrooms are traditionally used to boost the immune system. Scientists suspect that these mushrooms reduce inflammation levels and also alter specific genes in white blood cells (white blood cells are the warriors of the immune system). Reishi mushrooms are particularly useful to decrease

symptoms of fatigue, anxiety and depression. Additionally, reishi mushrooms reduce blood sugar levels, decreasing symptoms of type 2 diabetes and increase “good” HDL cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. Thus, they also are beneficial to cardiovascular health too.

Turmeric & Black Pepper

I quickly mentioned turmeric above but let’s dig into this delicious spice a bit more, it has other interesting properties that deserve to be highlighted.

In Asia, turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a spice and also, as a medicinal plant.


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Recently, several studies have confirmed what Asians already knew, turmeric is packed with beneficial medicinal properties. Turmeric contains active compounds called curcuminoids, one of the most active ones being curcumin. Curcumin is the main active ingredient of turmeric and possesses very strong anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, curcumin improves brain function, significantly decreases the risk of depression and neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s), and boosts concentration and memory. But, eaten by itself, curcumin isn't well absorbed by the bloodstream. For that, you will need black pepper which contains piperine, a compound that can increase curcumin absorption by 2000%! As such, the combination of turmeric and black pepper is a match made in heaven to fully enjoy the benefits of both spices! Similarly, the addition of a healthy fat also improves the bioavailability of curcumin.

Ceylon Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a delicious spice and a worldwide staple that is used in sweet and savoury dishes. However, cinnamon use isn’t limited to its taste, it's also been used for its medicinal properties for millenaries.


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Cinnamon is packed with antioxidants. It contains many polyphenols, which are useful to keep inflammation levels under control. You will easily find Cassia cinnamon, the most commonly available and used variety of cinnamon. However, if you want to fully enjoy the benefits of cinnamon and can afford the expensive version, choose Ceylon cinnamon instead. A study from 2015 tested both Ceylon and Cassia varieties. Ceylon cinnamon showed the most interesting results to fight chronic inflammation. Nonetheless, in a pinch, Cassia cinnamon also has interesting anti-inflammatory properties. (36) Furthermore, the spice can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, it can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar level and consequently, significantly reduce the risks linked to type 2 diabetes.



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A Guide for Healthy Deep Sleep & Blood Sugar Levels

1. Promoting Sleep:

1. Drinking coffee: A seemingly innocuous afternoon cup of coffee can remain in your system for several hours. This could easily impact the quality of your sleep. Instead, prefer tea in the afternoon and herbal teas in the evening, especially camomile, valerian root, passion flower and lavender.

Tip for men: Avoid drinking too much liquid before going to bed, it can increase your chances of waking up to go for an unwanted toilet break. This is particularly frequent in older men suffering from prostate issues.

2. Drinking alcohol: Research has shown

that alcohol intake before bedtime can be significantly disruptive to sleep cycles and negatively impact REM stages. While alcohol may not be great for a good night’s rest, an occasional drink (with moderation) is okay but once, you have finished the program. Remember that alcohol messes up with blood sugar levels and it nutritionally amounts to nothing with its empty calories. (37)

3. Eating Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower,

cabbage and Brussels sprouts are great against diabetes and to improve your sleep BUT not as much when you eat them for dinner. Cruciferous vegetables contain high quantities of insoluble fibres, which are incredibly hard to digest. As a result, a difficult digestion can significantly impact the quality of your



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sleep.

4. Eating Cured Meats and Cheese: These things are delicious - who doesn’t enjoy an easy and tasty dinner platter. However, cured meats and cheese both contain tyramine. Tyramine is an amino acid that is particularly known for keeping you alert. Thus, eating tyramine foods isn't a great idea before bedtime. Unless, you have a very early dinner to limit the effects of tyramine (but that’s not guaranteed).

5. Late Night Exercising: Scientists recommend

to avoid exercising (or being too physically active) 2 to 3 hours prior to going to bed. Exercise makes you more alert because it increases cortisol levels. Nonetheless, anecdotal evidence hints that while this may be true for some, others can manage to sleep deeply post-exercise. Which is great news, it would be a shame to never exercise before falling

asleep...with your partner.

6. Using Bright Gadgets Late: Sure, gadgets are entirely integrated into our daily lives but they can do some damage after darkness arises. As I mentioned it at the beginning of this e-book, electronic devices disrupt our natural biological clock – which is also known as the circadian rhythm. This disruption is the result of light exposure and more specifically, the blue light emitted by smartphones, tablets, television, laptops (etc.) that mess with melatonin production. Consequently, to ensure slow wave sleep, turn every gadget off an hour and a half – or two hours – before going to sleep.

7. Bright lightning: Similarly, electricity, LED lights and light bulbs are a great addition in our lives. But, in the evening, make sure to dim your lights or light a few candles to simulate night time. Your biological clock finds bright lights very confusing at 11 pm.

8. Overheating your Bedroom: Our bodies prefer cool environments to sleep since they naturally get warmer during the first stages of sleep. As such, ensure that your room temperature doesn’t go beyond 24°C (or 75°F) before going to bed. Also, sleeping naked may improve sleep too!


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2. Promoting Sleep: What you SHOULD do

1. Increase Bright Light Exposure During Day Time: Our internal clock, the circadian rhythm has an impact on the brain, body and hormones – which helps us to stay awake or help us fall asleep depending on our needs. Exposure to natural sunlight and bright lights during the day is essential to keep our internal clock healthy. Doing this also improves daytime energy levels and the quality of sleep later on. Do keep in mind that sunlight is the best bright light there is. So, don’t forget to get enough sunshine, it’s also important to synthesise the incredibly important vitamin D.

2. Nap Properly: If you enjoy a little daytime rest or don’t get enough time to sleep as long

as you need, naps can be an ideal solution. However, not all naps are healthy. The best naps are short (30 minutes or less) and are usually done at consistent times. Long and irregular naps can confuse your circadian rhythm and lead to sleep struggles later on.

3. Sleep and Wake at Consistent Times: Your

circadian rhythm is pretty much set on a loop, naturally aligning itself with sunrise and sunset. Or in our world, bright light bulbs in the morning and dim lights in the evening. By having constant waking and sleeping times, your body knows when to wake up and when to fall asleep – which in turn, improves long-term sleep quality. Moreover, studies have pointed out that irregular sleeping patterns not only alter your body’s natural clock but also melatonin production, making it a lot harder to fall asleep and...stay asleep. (38)

Furthermore, you can use apps to help you set sleep hours and track your sleeping patterns better.

4. Eat a Light Meal for dinner: Eating a light supper favors

healthy and deep sleep by ensuring an easy digestion process. On a similar level, eating too late can also lead to trouble sleeping.

Tip: Eating a small portion of complex carbohydrates four hours prior sleeping can help you fall asleep faster and will help

tryptophan cross the brain barrier to boost serotonin levels.

5. Try a Melatonin Supplement: If your sleeping patterns are often irregular or you are insomniac, supplementation of melatonin may be highly helpful. A study has shown that 2 mg of melatonin improved sleep quality and energy levels, while also making its participants fall asleep faster. Nevertheless, melatonin supplements may alter natural brain



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chemistry after a while. So, start with a low dose and don’t overdo it. (39)

6. Transform Your Bedroom Into a Dedicated Sleep Temple: Earlier, I mentioned that the temperature of your bedroom was an important factor to fall asleep and sleep profoundly. A few additional things can improve sleep when it comes to your bedroom (such as dim lights). Or a less obvious and yet, quite obvious thing such as noise. Should you live in a noisy area, invest in good quality earplugs or even better, quality double or triple glazed windows if you can afford it. Finally, your bedroom should be a bedroom. So, if you have a desk setup, try setting it up elsewhere if it’s possible. And to transform your room into a temple of Zen, keep your furniture to a minimum, make sure your bedroom is a relaxing and clean place at all times.

7. Create a Bedtime Ritual: Night time rituals can also work to signal your body’s natural clock that the time to sleep is getting closer. You can play some very smooth music, read a book, indulge in a self-made facial massage, write tomorrow’s to-do list (which also prevents thinking about it in bed) or any other activity that relaxes you.

8. Take a Relaxing Shower or Bath: A warm bath or

shower before going to bed can improve overall sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster. A study has shown that taking a bath 90 minutes prior to going to bed, improved sleep quality and increased the amount of deep sleep. (40)

9. Relax Your Body and Clear Your Mind: If your mind tends to go on overdrive as soon as

you hit the pillow, you may want to try a few techniques to limit it. First, if you are planning the following day ahead of time, just do it before going to bed (write it down on a piece of paper). Other people will go through what actually has happened during the day. Well, if that’s your case, breathing exercises and/or mindful meditation may be useful tools to keep the thoughts at bay. Additionally, some apps offer dedicated meditative exercises to help you focus, you could try them out!

Just remember this: it takes practice to work. As such, don’t expect miracles to happen overnight. Keep it simple, slow down your breathing, focus on how it feels, try to detach yourself from your thoughts and just, let them be. If you are thinking about something...don’t try stopping that thought, instead, observe the thought. Keep on breathing.

10. Invest in Better Bedding: Good quality and

comfortable pillows and mattress are an underrated part of a good night’s sleep. For instance, a good mattress can reduce back and shoulder pain, and improve sleep quality by up to 60%! However, mattresses tend to be based on personal preference.



46

So, find the one that works best for you and stick with it. Also, it’s important to change your mattress every 5 to 8 years. (41)

3. Anticipating Cravings

Diabetes management is crucial to diminish symptoms and eventually, get rid of diabetes entirely. However, sometimes temptations abound and it becomes harder and harder to resist. For example, the everyday temptations like a colleague bringing sweet treats or familial festivities such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can’t always rely on pure willpower to be more sensible when faced with these cases. So, how can you efficiently fight cravings without feeling highly frustrated? First, let’s understand better the nature of food cravings. Food cravings are intense desires to consume certain foods. And despite the common notion that the body craves what it needs, when it comes to certain cravings that isn’t necessarily true. For instance, sleep deprivation, lack of energy, wanting to calm stress or anxiety, or recapturing memories can all lead to food cravings. As you can see, sleep, stress and anxiety are major factors behind cravings. As such, now that you have the needed strategies to improve these, you will notice a decline in your cravings.

If that’s not enough…

...here a few effective strategies to ward off cravings:

1. Improve your Diabetes Control: Avoiding big

swings in blood sugar levels is crucial to prevent food cravings. Use our guidelines in “Strategies to improve sleep and diabetes” to manage your blood sugar levels efficiently. It’s a well known fact that high or low blood sugar levels can cause very sudden feelings of hunger or wake up the desire to eat. So, should that happen, drink some water and go for a walk if your levels are high or, eat a fruit and rest a little if they are low.

2. Recognize Real Hunger: Sometimes, it can be difficult to differentiate a craving from



47

actual hunger. In this case, remember this: hunger grows over a long period of time whereas cravings are rather sudden. Additionally, hunger doesn’t go away with a distraction but cravings tend to do so.

3. Distract Yourself: The previous last sentence brings us to distraction. Thus, if cravings should happen, the best solution is to wait it out for a little bit. Unlike true hunger that keeps nagging at you, remember that cravings are temporary. By focusing on something else – at 100% – you will quickly forget about cravings altogether.

4. Drink Water: Sometimes cravings – or “fake” hunger – mask the real thing, which can be thirst. In this case, the solution is quite obvious: drink some water or a nice cup of tea, or an herbal infusion.

5. Identify your Triggers: If you aren’t thirsty, hungry

and your blood sugar is within the healthy range, your desire to eat might be related to stress, anxiety, boredom or other emotions. Keep a detailed log of everything you eat, of the times you exercise, of your worries, your blood sugar levels and when you cravings spike. By doing this, you should be able to pinpoint when they tend to happen and as such, you will be able to break your pattern more easily. For example, if your cravings for cookies come after a long and stressful day at work, find something relaxing to distract your mind from it post-work.

6. Sleep Enough: While this e-book focuses

heavily on improving your sleep, I thought that repeating this fact wasn’t superfluous. Lack of sleep plays a massive role in the apparition of cravings. The imbalance of leptin and ghrelin – the two key hormones that control satiety and hunger – can cause cravings of high-calorie foods. Once again, sleep is crucial for your health and to reduce your

cravings too!

7. Limit your Exposure to Tempting Foods: This seems to be common sense but in a world where temptations are plentiful, sometimes we have to remember that avoiding temptation in the first place is ideal. To do so, make sure that your home and your work environment is “temptation free” or as devoid of it as can be.

8. Indulge with Moderation: Being too restrictive doesn’t work either. As such, finding a good and doable balance is the best option to prevent cravings. Nevertheless, keep in mind the following: if you can be satisfied with a reasonable portion of your craving, you can and should indulge once in a blue moon. However, if you are more likely to overdo it, you should maybe refrain from that specific craving


48

altogether. Ideally, find healthier versions of your cravings. For instance, ketogenic sweets and baked goods are great to keep your blood sugar levels low and your sweet tooth satisfied (just watch for the fat content).

9. Revisit your Meals and Snacks: With this program, there is plenty of variety in terms of

meals, drinks and snacks. But if you find that you are a bit bored, it may be time to revisit your meals a bit. For example, you can twitch them with seasonal produce, different spices and herbs, different fats, exotic ingredients and foods, and different ways of cooking. If you need inspiration follow cooking blogs from diabetic sufferers that are adapting thousands of delicious recipes that won’t mess your blood sugar levels.

4. Clever & Fun Physical Activity

After your diet, one of the most important things for diabetes management is physical activity. In fact, I should rephrase this: one of the most important things for anybody’s health is physical activity. But particularly, for sufferers of type 2 and type 1 diabetes alike. Working out regularly lowers blood sugar levels and blood pressure, boosts energy levels, improves sleep quality and mental health, and of course, overall health. However, you should adapt your physical activity to your current physical form. That is incredibly important to avoid hurting yourself. If you aren’t currently very active, start by walking 30 minutes daily (at your own rhythm) and slightly increase your daily walk week by week.

Important Note: During the first 2 weeks of the program, stick to light exercise regardless

of your current physical condition. Sticking to the nutritional rules of this early period may


49

be less successful if you are exercising more.

If you are looking for something a bit more fun than walking, but still gentle, opt for vinyasa yoga, tai chi or qigong. These forms of exercise are great to gently get back in shape, improve coordination and balance, while also enjoying a relaxing and fun practice.

If your budget allows it, invest in small dumbbells, a resistance band, an exercise bike and/or a stepper. By having these things, you can also create a small dedicated exercise area in your home and exercise whenever you are bored or watching television. Finally, if your joints are struggling a bit, go swimming at least 3 times a week. Or, if you prefer nature, go hiking whenever possible.

When your physical condition improves, you will be able to up the ante a bit. For example, you will be able to incorporate a HIIT routine – High Intensity Interval Training – to your weekly physical activity. This particular way to exercise engages your body fully for 2 or 3 minutes – hence the high intensity. It’s then followed by active rest for 2 to 3 minutes (like a gentle walk) and then, you


50

start your exercise at full power again. You can alternate this cycle for 15 to 20 minutes to obtain the equivalent of a 45 minutes moderate-intensity cardiovascular workout.

To synthesise this information in an easy way, here are three examples of one week of physical activity adapted to different levels of physical shape.

An exercise guide for 30 days – Beginner:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Morning

30

minutes

gentle

walk (+10

minutes

every

new

week)

30 minutes

gentle walk

(+10 minutes

every new

week)

30

minutes

gentle

walk

(+10

minutes

every

new

week)

30

minutes

gentle

walk

(+10

minutes

every

new

week)

Afternoon REST

DAY

Evening

30 minutes

of yoga

(increase to

45 minutes

and then, 1

hour when

comfortable

enough)

30 minutes

of tai-chi

(increase to

45 minutes

and then, 1

hour when

comfortable

enough)

An exercise guide for 30 days – Intermediate:


Morning

30 to 45

minutes

of light

jogging or

15

minutes

of HIIT

30 to 45

minutes of

light jogging

or 15 minutes

of HIIT

30 to

45

minutes

of light

jogging

or 15

minutes

of HIIT

Afternoon Optional:

1 hour of

swimming

REST

DAY

Evening

30 minutes

of

bodyweight

exercises

or weight

lifting

30 minutes

of

bodyweight

exercises

or weight

lifting


51

An exercise guide for 30 days – Advanced:


Morning

45

minutes

of

moderate

to

intense

jogging

or 20

minutes

of HIIT

45 minutes of

light jogging

or 20 minutes

of HIIT

45

minutes

of light

jogging

or 20

minutes

of HIIT

Afternoon

REST

DAY

1 hour of a

cardiovascular

exercise or

resistance

training

Evening

45 minutes

of weight-

lifting or

callisthenics

45 minutes

of weight-

lifting or

callisthenics


52

5. Meal Prep and Organisation

Planning your meals well is a key element to succeed in this particular endeavour. It will allow you to save time, resist temptations and cravings and it should also save you money!

Moreover, properly planning your meals is a long term skill that will ensure your long-term well being and health.

First, start by writing down every single meal for the whole week. To start with, choose simple meals or a variation of the same meal. For example, you could cook the same vegetables and carbs (optional) for every lunch and alternate with a different protein – and then, opt for easy suppers like soup or a mixed salad. For breakfasts and snacks, choose two options per week. That way you can easily switch to whatever you would enjoy best. Now, you have a whole week of meals planned. So, write down the ingredients needed and only buy what’s on your shopping list (avoid going to the grocery shop if you are hungry though).

Here are additional tips to help you organize successfully:

✓ Organize your Kitchen: Organize your kitchen, pantry, fridge and freezer. This will help

you store everything easily and you will be able to quickly see where your ingredients


53

are.

✓ Invest in Quality Containers: Food containers are a must to keep your meals fresh for the rest of the week. Similarly, think about whether you will need to refrigerate, freeze or microwave your meals, and choose containers that are adapted to each situation. Generally speaking, glass containers (such as Pyrex) are ideal for the fridge and microwaving. However, they can’t be frozen – so, use plastic ones for the freezer. Finally, small containers are ideal if you want to portion your meals in advance.

✓ Keep a Healthy Ratio: Your breakfast should be rich in protein (eggs, Greek yogurt, legumes) and vegetables/fruits. Lunch should be slightly less calorific, have a little protein, plenty of vegetables, some healthy fats and maybe, a little bit of legumes or wholesome carbs. If you are feeling peckish, have a fruit and a handful of nuts (or some yogurt). Dinner should be light and nutritious: soups, salads and maybe a fruit is more than enough. Add some extra protein if you need something more substantial.

✓ Ensure your Pantry Always Has the Basics: Maintaining a well-stocked pantry will lighten your grocery shopping load, simplify meal prep and the creation of menus. For instance, make sure you always have enough whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, oats, bulgur, etc.), legumes (chickpeas, garbanzo beans, lentils, pinto beans, etc.), canned goods (tomatoes, olives, tuna, salmon, natural tomato sauce, cooked legumes, etc.), oils (coconut, olive, avocado), baking essentials (baking powder, baking soda, whole grain flour, almond flour, linseed flour, etc.) and nuts.

✓ Have a Variety of Spices & Herbs: Herbs and spices will ensure that an okay meal turns into an amazing one. And even if you aren’t into very spicy foods, you will notice that most spices aren’t necessarily hot – they just bring extra flavor. Furthermore, spices and herbs are also loaded with active compounds that provide a variety of health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and...blood sugar levels.

✓ Choose a Day to Shop & Meal Prep: If your work

weeks are pretty consistent, choose a practical moment to do your shopping grocery and similarly, your meal prep. If you are planning to only do your lunches for the week, you should at least free 2 hours. If you want to do both your lunches and dinners, 4 hours should be more than enough.

✓ Save your favorite Recipes: You can save your recipes on your computer or tablet (on a

.doc file) or if you prefer, in a notebook. This will allow you to easily find your favorites and also, to save time.


54

✓ Repurpose Leftovers: Waste not, want not. As the saying goes, leftovers are ideal to

make an easy meal in a pinch without wasting food. So, be creative – you’ve got some chicken breasts and some broccoli, make a tasty Asian stir-fry out of it!

✓ Invest in a Slow or Pressure Cooker: These two types of cookers are ideal if you don’t have time to stand over a stove all day long. You could easily make a whole week of a delicious lighter beef stroganoff with some brown rice and green beans in less than 1 hour with a pressure cooker.

These tips will help you get started with meal prep and cooking organisation. Additionally, remember to vary your meals, you will be more likely to stick with them if you are enjoying them. In no time, meal prepping will become your second nature, you will save time and money, and long-term, you will find it easier to make healthier choices.

6. Motivational Words

Sleep, diet, stress management and physical activity all play a MAJOR role in your health, from diabetes to mental well-being, they are the foundation to ensure a diabetes-free life. Research has linked insufficient sleep with an increased risk of obesity – as a matter of fact, an incredible 89% in children and 55% in adults. (42)

While other studies have clearly shown that not sleeping enough increases your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. And consequently, it increases the symptoms of an existing diabetes. (43)

I hope that you now realize the importance of sleep, regular exercise and a healthy diet in your lifestyle. And how every single positive change in your lifestyle will in turn improve your overall health and bring you a step closer to a life without diabetes or at the very least, a far more manageable one.




55

Here’s a reminder of what unhealthy sleep can do to you health:

✓ Lack of sleep compromises your immune system – which in turn, increases the risk of developing diseases and chronic illnesses. Moreover, the addition of new diseases can also worsen your existing diabetes.

✓ The quality of sleep plays a role in memory, concentration, reaction speed, decision making and several other cognitive abilities.

✓ A mere 48 hours of sleep deprivation can lead to significant DNA damage (through poor DNA reproduction).

✓ Deep slow wave and sufficient sleep is essential to ensure the repair of the neural network (otherwise known as brain cells).

✓ Similarly, deep sleep and regular REM stages improve your body’s own healing (such as muscle healing post physical activity).

✓ Good sleep is essential to learn motor skills and anything else, actually.

Here’s a reminder of what an unhealthy lifestyle can do to your health:

✓ An unhealthy diet increases significantly the risk of heart disease, especially if it’s high in fat, sugar and sodium. This dreadful trifecta can easily increase blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides levels. Which eventually can lead to atherosclerosis: which are arteries clogged up by fatty deposits (cholesterol).

✓ A sedentary lifestyle associated with a lacking diet increases the risk of cancer. For example, bowel and stomach cancers are far more common in people who eat a lot of red processed meat.

✓ Continuing a diet rich in sugars, sugar-rich foods and refined carbs will worsen significantly the symptoms of diabetes. Similarly, re-starting such a diet after reversing diabetes can easily lead to its comeback.

✓ The risks of being overweight or obese are way higher with a high fat/ carb heavy diet. In consequence, the risk of high blood pressure, chronic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, type 2 diabetes (etc.) all increase significantly.

✓ And as you probably already know, a badly managed diabetes will result in early death and this can also include ulcers that won’t heal and a high risk of amputation.

Now, by combining deep slow wave sleep and our anti-diabetes plan, you will lose weight, enjoy exercising again, be happier and you will be able to say ….goodbye to crazy blood sugar levels for good!


56

In other words, to optimize your health, it all starts with how well you sleep and how good your overall lifestyle is. And that depends on you. Just you. So, start implementing progressively our tips into your lifestyle and soon you will be able to reap the benefits! You will quickly see how a good night of sleep is quite literally one the most important things you can do for yourself. And the same applies for a healthier well-planned diet, a little bit of weekly physical activity, better stress management and a much happier life. Just simple and healthy things that will change your life for the best, make your diabetes more manageable or help you get rid of it entirely. I am now wishing you many good nights of deep and peaceful sleep in the foreseeable future. And of course, a body that you control... instead of a body that is controlling YOU. Cheers to life. A healthy and diabetes-free long life!


57

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deep sleep diabetes remedy

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