Diet and Activity Can Help Diabetics In A Short Amount of Time

If you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, you can improve your health without losing weight and do so in a matter of weeks, according to recent medical findings.
An article in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, "Physical activity and dietary intervention for chronic diseases: a quick fix after all?" by Frank W. Booth and Manu V. Chakravarthy discussses how high fiber diets have been shown to lower insulin levels.
Also, an intense change in diet and physical activity can cut the chance of developing diabetes in half.
The journal authors discuss a study by Roberts et. al's in the same journal that shows how a 3- week treatment program showed a 50 percent decrease in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
At the start of the study, 42 percent of the 31 subjects had Type 2 diabetes. This number dropped to 23 percent after the three week trial. An intense change in diet and increased physical activity contributed to the solution.
Participants' diet was light on fat, medium on protein, high on unrefined carbohydrates and fiber. The physical activity regiment, on the other hand, consisted of 45-60 minutes per day of walking on a treadmill at a heart rate of 70-85 percent of maximium. All the activities took place in a 21-day program at the Pritikin Longevity Center.
The change in lifestyle resulting from the high-fiber, low-fat diet and physical activity reduced stress levels and inflammation associated with Type 2 diabetes in obese men. All this improvement took place despite a 3.6 and 2.8 percent decrease in body weight and body mass index.
The journal authors conclude that the 3-week intense lifestyle change can result in a marked improvement in health without a major change in body mass. Much of the analysis, however, focuses on the study which featured 31 male subjects tested in 2001.
For long-term health benefits the focus should be on improving fitness by increasing physical activity, rather than relying on diet or weight control, Booth and Chakravarthy argue.
"These comments are important because the role of physical activity in health seems to be emphasized less than diet and obesity by the popular media."