The macrobiotic diet is indeed a high-complex carbs diet, so it is possible to get type 2 diabetes ONLY WHEN you don’t know how to balance your diet.
Can the macrobiotic diet cause type 2 diabetes?
It is not the diet that can trigger diabetes but the bad eating habits during the macrobiotic diet that can do it. The macrobiotic diet can cause diabetes, but that happens only when you don’t know how to eat well by balancing your diet.
It is difficult to get diabetes through the macrobiotic diet, because it is one of the healthy diets that are scientifically proven to help prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes because it eliminates all the fast sugars and refined foods.
However, it is a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, even though they ar e complete foods, but ignorance and anarchic consumption can cause damage.
Why can the macrobiotic diet cause diabetes?
The macrobiotic diet is a healthy diet based on three main principles
- Up to 60% whole grains, the rest, legumes, tempeh, seaweed, and tempeh.
- Yin foods to avoid, yang foods to favor
- High complex carbs diet, and low fast sugar and refined foods.
Now, why a diet that pays attention to cooking methods, and avoids all fast sugar and refined foods can lead to diabetes?
1- high complex carbs foods
Although the macrobiotic diet has proven to be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease and even diabetes, it is still a diet that can trigger type 2 diabetes in people who are sensitive to sugar and have a family history of it.
2- Not knowing how to eat
Despite the healthy diet that the macrobiotic diet leads us to, we should not forget that it brings foods with a high glycemic index that if we don’t eat them in a good way (balanced and in a varied plate), we can get diabetes, especially in sugar sensitive people.
3- Unbalanced eating schedules
Snacking actually promotes insulin secretion, over time, insulin can be weakened if you only eat foods that are high in carbohydrates on your macrobiotic diet. Because hyperinsulinism also promotes diabetes.
What are the Macrobiotic Diet Foods that Can Trigger Diabetes?
As I said above, it is not the food itself that causes diabetes but the lack of knowledge on how to consume it in a good way. Here is a list of foods that are allowed in the macrobiotic diet but are hyperglycemic.
Legumes
Legumes are among the starchy foods with a high glycemic index. People, especially who have a family history of diabetes, can consume legumes but in a good way by varying their plate.
Dried fruits
Dried fruits are allowed in the macrobiotic diet and they are part of the foods targeted by this diet. Let’s take the example of dried raisins or dates which are very rich in sugar, the uncontrolled consumption of these foods can certainly be the cause of type 2 diabetes in sensitive people.
Whole grains
Whole grain cereals such as bread, brown rice, and wholemeal pasta are better than white flour pasta. However, they still have a medium and not low glycemic index, and they still remain in the starch group.
How to avoid adult onset diabetes during the macrobiotic diet?
Respecting food intake schedules
Snacking is a factor influencing blood sugar levels through the irregular secretion of insulin. For this reason, timing is very important for diabetics, because it regulates insulin secretion and blood sugar levels.
Balanced diet
A fiber-rich plate reduces the absorption of carbs. This is why we recommend raw veggies as a starter. A vegetable dish is always recommended at the beginning of each meal, especially if the meal that follows is rich in carbs.
Physical activity
If you are afraid of getting diabetes during the macrobiotic diet, it is necessary to expend the energy you receive during heavy meals. For this, it is recommended to do physical activity (brisk walking is also a good sport for this).
Physical activity is generally recommended to have a healthy lifestyle and prevent many other diseases, not diabetes.
What does the Research Say about the Macrobiotic Diet and Diabetes?
The scientific research generally supports the macrobiotic diet and affirms that it can regulate blood sugar levels as long as you balance your meals. Eating only pulses and whole starchy foods is also macrobiotic!
A study conducted among a population of diabetics in the Ivory Coast revealed that the regular follow-up of a good macrobiotic diet showed perfect results on the sugar levels of the people participating in the experiment.
The macrobiotic diet is therefore effective in preventing diabetes and regulating blood sugar levels because it ensures a good quality of food. Still, if we do not know how to eat well and balance our food, we can not overlook some hyperglycemic foods that can cause diabetes during the macrobiotic diet.
Can the Macrobiotic Diet also cause Type 1 Diabetes?
In medical science, we never say no, because everything is possible and variable. However, getting type 1 diabetes by following a macrobiotic diet is not obvious. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the cells of the pancreas are not functioning properly, it is more of an immune and organic problem than a dietary one.
However, if you are already a type 1 diabetic, you should follow a special diet with a dietician or a nutrition specialist with medical advice and beware of restrictive low-calorie diets such as the macrobiotic diet.
What diet is best for losing weight while avoiding diabetes?
To prevent diabetes the diet recommended by dieticians is the balanced one like the Mediterranean diet. We mean by a balanced diet a plate that is composed of all the essential nutrients that the human body needs to complete its vital functions.
You can simply lose weight by gradually reducing the amount of food you eat, the best method is to reduce the 500 calories you used to consume every month.
What a Balanced Macrobiotic Diet Meal plan Looks like?
- Always have a starter dish rich in green vegetables (soup, raw vegetables).
- Organize your meals: 3 meals a day and a snack if you are used to it
- Do not snack outside of meals.
- Your plate of starchy foods must always be combined with green vegetables e.g. spaghetti with broccoli and carrots in sauce.
- Fruit is very beneficial as long as it is eaten during meals and not between meals or throughout the day.
- For more details here is a 7-days of healthy macrobiotic diet menu that effective in preventing diabetes!
Bottom line
The most important thing in the prevention of diabetes is the quality of food and a healthy lifestyle. The macrobiotic diet is a healthy diet, but it lacks arguments regarding type 2 diabetes because it is a diet rich in carbohydrates despite everything.
