The Solution to the Problem of Diabetes

Chances are, your life has been touched in some way by diabetes. You may have had a short bout of gestational diabetes while pregnant, you may know a friend or relative who suffers from it or you may have diabetes yourself. In fact, the World Health Organization states that the number of people who suffer from diabetes worldwide has risen from 108 million people in 1980 to 422 million people in 2014: 8.5% of the adult population.

Diabetes is no joke: though high blood sugar may seem like a small thing, diabetes is a chronic disease that is debilitating and degenerative over time. It often results in serious health issues including blindness, nerve damage, ulcers and infection, and eventually even heart attacks and stroke. Diabetes can literally kill you.

Our bodies operate under an intricate balancing act of hormones, nutrients and signals that tell the body how to respond to stimuli and how to operate most efficiently. Insulin is a hormone that plays a key part in almost all the body’s processes, beginning with mealtime. Insulin is produced when we eat, and more is produced when we eat foods that produce glucose, or sugar, in the blood.

High carbohydrate, sweet and processed foods all garner a larger insulin response than other foods. Insulin regulates our blood’s sugar levels, which in turn regulate energy expenditure or fat storage. When too much insulin is produced because of too much sugar in the diet over time, our bodies are unable to generate a proper insulin response, and diabetes is born.

Historically, diabetes has not been on the scene for very long. 200 years ago diabetes (or any form of high blood sugar disease) was virtually unheard of. So how did we get to a place where almost 1 in 10 people all over the world suffer?

A very interesting correlation can be found between modern diet and modern rates of all forms of disease. Beginning in the late 19th century, sugar and refined flour became more common, inexpensive and accessible. With the rise of processed foods and the huge “food” corporations of today, there has been a steady corresponding rise in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, food allergies, autism, and many other health issues. These health issues are now so common that we can hardly remember a time when they weren’t a prominent part of our lives.

But they haven’t always been. For most of human history we have eaten whole, single-ingredient foods and have been free of virtually all of the health issues that plague us today. Why didn’t I know anyone with food allergies when I was growing up in the 80’s? Why are children getting diagnosed with diabetes, a disease most commonly associated with overweight, unhealthy adults?

Though a “cure” to diabetes has remained elusive to our modern medical establishment, maybe the solution is right there on our dinner plates. Every doctor knows the best cure for diabetes is to prevent it in the first place. And we know very well how to do that: don’t create a constant high insulin response with your food choices such as sodas, chips, candy and high-carb meals.

Eat real food. Move your body. Cut processed food and sugar completely out of your diet. Your body will thank you for many, many years to come.

Get your low-carb, nutrient-dense dinner on tonight with this authentic Asian specialty recipe!

Miso Braised Pork Belly: VitaClay is Your Personal Chef!

Suitable for VitaClay models VF7700 and VM7900 series. 

Authentic Asian restaurants often have a pork belly dish on the menu. It is a savory, satisfying umami experience that is surprisingly nutrient-dense. It has an abundance of readily available Vitamin B and other nutrients such as collagen and gelatin. It's also very filling and no-carb. 

Miso is a traditional fermented soybean paste. It contains an abundance of nutrients in a small amount and it lends a unique savory flavor to anything it touches, from broths to sauces to dressings and marinades. 

This flavorful pork recipe may quickly become a household favorite, and withVitaClay it is so easy to make! Let VitaClay be your personal chef! 

Miso Braised Pork Ingredients

• 1 T bacon grease or coconut oil
• 5 lb of pork belly or butt cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 T minced garlic
• 2 c water orbroth
• 1/3 c soy sauce,tamariorcoconut aminos
• 1/3 c brown sugar orcoconut sugar
• ¾ c white Shiromiso

5-Steps for Preparing Miso Braised Pork (About 15 minutes)

1. Heat oil over medium heat
2. Add pork and sear until both sides are browned.
3. Stir in garlic and ginger; cook for about 30 seconds 
4. Transfer the mixture toVitaClay
5. Add water/broth, soy sauce, sugar and Miso.
6. Close, seal and cook on "stew" for 1 hour.

Satisfy the Craving: Asian-Inspired Miso Mushroom Soup

Adapted for VitaClay from Weight Watchers. Suitable for all Vitaclay Models. Image Courtesy of The Kiwi Cook

Whenever I go to a sushi place, I always look forward to the miso soup. There is something so warm and comforting about it. Miso is also very nutritious: it is a fermented soy product that the Japanese have been using to benefit health for a long time.

At first I didn’t understand how to use Miso. I tried to cook it in soup, and found out as a fermented product, it should remain raw. It is best stirred into a hot soup at the end and not cooked: it will dissolve as you stir it in and produce the lovely milky broth.

This soup is great to keep on warm during rainy or chilly days to sip on all day long, or is a great first course for fish or a stir fry.

Ingredients:

• 4 c brothbroth
• 1 c water
• 2 Ttamari or soy sauce
• 8 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut lengthwise into 4 pieces
• 1 bunch scallions
• 4 oz whole shiitake mushrooms
• 1 small red Fresno chile, thinly sliced (other chiles can be substituted)
• 2-3 Tmisopaste
• Optional: Coriander (cilantro) or leeks, for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients intoVitaclaycooker.
2. Close, seal and cook on “soup” or “slow” for 1 hour.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard garlic, ginger, and scallions from the liquid.
4. Remove the mushroom stems and slice the mushroom caps
5. Cover and cook on “slow” or “soup” setting until the mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes.
6. After the soup is finished cooking, stir in miso paste until dissolved
7. Slice the remaining scallions; stir into the soup with the chile slices to serve.

PER SERVING: (serving size: about ¾ cup): Calories 45; Fat 0.5g (sat 0g, mono 0g, poly 0g); Protein 5g; Carb 6g; Fiber 1g; Sugars 2g; Chol 0mg; Iron 1mg; Sodium 284mg; Calc 24mg