Larelle wrote:
>Can you explain what causes the thirst in relation to diabetes?

If you have so much insulin resistance or your pancreas is so damaged
that it cannot make enough insulin (or a combination of both), the sugar
in your blood reaches toxic levels, and the kidneys flush it out in
the urine. Since this takes priority over a lot of other things, the
kidneys grab whatever water they can for it, and you get thirsty.

This does not mean that when you ate bananas and got thirsty that this
was what happened. It just means that if it happens over and over you
should check it out.

>How long do you think I need to be following paleo to heal/balance insulin
>levels.  It seems that I am getting more sensitive to any sweet foods the
>longer I am paleo - this doesn't seem like it should be?

This is for someone more knowledgable than I am to answer. However, I can
guess about the sweet foods: we use enzymes to deal with food of different
types, and you haven't been needing to handle very many carbs, so the
enzymes have diminished, while those which deal with fat and protein have
probably increased.

If you are wondering about diabetes, or suspect that it might be a problem,
it would make sense to educate yourself about the early signs. Is there any
family history of it? Do you have a weight problem? Any numbness in fingers
or toes? Any trouble with infections or slow healing or vision?

There's a very good book about diabetes, which you might try to get from
the library: Diabetes Solution, by Richard K. Bernstein, M.D.

The Eades in Protein Power talk about insulin and diabetes quite a bit, too.

Lets hope it's just a false alarm. A paleo diet is good for not causing
diabetes, though some care with dried fruit would be a good idea if you're
not sure.

Susan Kline