“What Do the People of the Marshall Islands Teach Us About Reversing the Diabetes Epidemic” (44:17 min) Brenda Davis, R.D. is registered dietitian, author, outstanding speaker, and is an internationally recognized nutrition educator to health professionals and the public. Her interview relates her experience with designing a diabetes prevention and reversal program for the Marshall Islands (“Defeating Diabetes… A story of hope from the Marshall Islands.” (scroll through this outstanding educational slide show).
Brenda has co-authored nine best-selling nutrition and diet-related books. Brenda lives in Kelowna, British Columbia with her husband Paul Davis.
The Marshallese have some of the highest rates of diabetes, diabetic deaths, and amputations due to diabetes in the world. The current diet of the Marshallese is incredibly processed and high in sugar. It is a diet dramatically different from the diet of their indigenous diet no less than 70 years ago which was rich in fish, coconut, breadfruit, bananas, pandanas and pelee leaves.
The diet that was used in the initial 6 months of the program was a whole food, plant-based diet rich in low glycemic, intact carbohydrates from whole grains, beans, squash, yams/sweet potatoes, fruit and greens. The program started with intensive educational sessions 4 days a week for 6-7 hours per day for 2 weeks, then 2 times a week for a month, then 1 time a week for a month and then the subjects were on their own for the next 3 months. While on the first two weeks of the program the participants ate a completely animal-free diet. After the first two weeks fish was allowed because it is such a part of their original indigenous diet.
Participants were taught how to shop, cook, grow local vegetables, exercise and at 6 months there was a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar (50 + point reduction), hemoglobin A1C by 2 points and hs-CRP by 1-2 points.
Brenda has gone on multiple return trips to the Marshall Islands and plans to return in November, 2017.
You can purchase Brenda’s books, including “Defeating Diabetes”, on her website along with recipes and many other nutrition education products.
Past Diabetes Reversal Podcasts by Diet
– Erectile Dysfunction, Sunlight and Vitamin D (Part 1) – Diabetes Reversal with High Carb Diet, Exercise and Sunlight (Part 2) – An Interview with Dr. Marc Sorenson EdD (2013)
– The End of Diabetes – An Interview With Joel Fuhrman MD (2013)
– Diabetes Risk, Insulin Sensitivity and the Benefits of Barley Beta Glucan – An Interview With Joy L. Frestedt, PhD (2011)
– Diabetes Reversal with The McDougall Program – An Interview With John McDougall M.D. (2009)
– Diabetes Reversal With The “Eat For Health” Approach – An Interview With Joel Fuhrman M.D. (2009)
– Diabetes Reversal With The HCF Diet – An Interview With James W. Anderson M.D.(2009)
– Diabetes Reversal Without Drugs – An Interview With Neal Barnard M.D.(2009)
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Kirk
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