254 - Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes with Diana Licalzi & Jose Tejero

Episode • Nov 1, 2023 • 1h 3m

Our guests today are Registered Dietician Diana Licalzi and Exercise Physiologist Jose Tejero. Together, they founded Reversing T2D, an online health platform that helps people gain control of their blood sugar through plant-based nutrition, exercise, and mindset. In their new book, The Type 2 Diabetes Revolution: A Cookbook and Complete Guide to Managing Type 2 Diabetes, Diana and Jose help us lower our blood sugar, and eliminate or reduce the need for medication if we’re taking it. It has over 100 delicious plant-based recipes and tips, with something for every palate.

Join us as Diana and Jose provide their insight into combatting this pervasive, but preventable, malady.

“The pathophysiology behind insulin resistance confuses people because when they are already insulin resistant and they eat, let’s say, a banana, their blood sugar is going to rise. So, they put one and one together. They are like, ‘Okay, bananas equal spikes; hence bananas are bad. Hence, fruits as a whole are bad.’ And then that is when the mix-up in avoiding all carbohydrates starts. They say ‘all carbohydrates are evil. I cannot go ahead and eat carbohydrates for the rest of my life,’ and they start avoiding the healthful carbohydrates, the ones that are full of fiber, like fruits, vegetables, the whole grains. A banana never gave anybody type 2 diabetes. The reason why you are spiking up after eating a banana is not due to the fructose and the fiber in the banana. It’s due to the insulin resistance at a cellular level that has developed over multiple years of eating a diet that has been high in saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, an excess of calories, and not enough physical activity, and that is what led to you becoming intolerant to healthy carbohydrates.” – Jose Tejero

What we discuss in this episode:

- The differences between type 1, type 1.5 and type 2 diabetes.

- The link between visceral fat and insulin resistance.

- The dangers of consuming saturated fats and refined carbohydrates.

- How you can determine if you are prediabetic.

- Why we’re at a greater risk for diabetes as we age.

- The importance and benefits of eating fiber.

- The truth about carbohydrates.

- Why eating a whole foods plant-based diet can help you reduce insulin resistance.

- Why meat consumption puts you at greater risk for type 2 diabetes.

- Why exercise helps with diabetes.

- The benefits of walking after meals.