This past weekend I hosted and presented a seminar for medicine to survivalists in my Great Lakes region. It's focus was medicine and things for wounds, wound care, learning to suture, when to staple (which I advocate for 90% of wounds), triage, what medications to use, how to store, what medications are safe (quite a few can be stored without toxicity--despite what pharmaceutical companies tell you), making I.V. solutions, and on and on. It was a three day seminar. I touched on issues of illnesses that people currently have that require pharma./ Rx meds. And if TEOTWAWKI (The End of the world as we know it) occurs, and it lasts more than a few weeks there will be a significant die off of people who have chronic illnesses. Sad, but true. As much as people may dislike Big PHARMA we do have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to modern medicine. Within that I spoke of diabetes.

All suggestions below presume that you have a glucometer available at all times. Get batteries, lancets, strips that are needed. Consider getting a glucometer that does not require strips.

Type II Diabetes

I was blunt. If you have Type II diabetes and are not yet insulin dependent--then straighten up and fly right. It is a lifestyle that has put the person into that state. To remove this as quickly as possible, I suggested a diet of 600 calories per day for 8 weeks.  I of course have to say have this supervised by your doctor. All 70 people there laughed (they're not fans of doctors, unless it's me, LOL).

The research has shown that adding a diet protein shake and non starchy veggies. The shake is Optifast. It can be found on eBay. It's pricey but to rid yourself of Type II diabetes, it's worth the investment. The non starchy vegs examples are: beets, broccoli, bean sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucuмber, eggplant, mushrooms, peas, salad greens, summer squash, Swiss chard and zucchini. Also, drink 2 liters of water a day. It's suggested to have 3 Optifast shakes per day with this diet. I will not lie, it is very strict and very difficult to get through--especially the first week. Find things to distract yourself, walk the dog, play with the kids anything to keep you from thinking about food.

The research shows that the cure rate for Type II diabetes with this diet is about 74%. After the 8 weeks, you can go back to your normal eating but let's hope that in that period you learned what got you to Type II in the first place and avoid it from here on.


Type I Diabetes

This one was not so concrete.  I shared with those in attendance that this is where it's very probable that we will have a very high death rate. It is very feasible to at least keep the person from going into hypoglycemia and have that maintained for several weeks, but that after that is where it's murky. The goal is to have anything above 70 mg/dL. If it's 70 mg/dL you are in a true danger zone. Keep the carbohydrate level with some type of food. In a TEOTWAWKI situation what foods are easily transportable? Peanut butter, Karo syrup, some hard candies. When the blood sugar level is getting low, the focus is to get 15 grams of carbs in you stat. Wait 15 minutes, re-check levels, and do again. Now here is where if after 2nd try the person goes to ER. But we're assuming that is not available during my seminar. Simply put, the person can not under any circuмstance hit low blood sugars where coma and death can result. Carry the PB, Karo syrup, sugar, glucose tabs (3-4 of those during this episode). It's a bit easier to maintain to keep hypoglycemic than hyperglycemic. The foods, availability of food will change after several weeks. Then what to do?

Of course the most common sense solution is to get the insulin used and stockpile it. However, I've attempted to help my fellow survivalists and roadblocks have come up. The biggest one is the insurance companies only allow for X many bottles per month or it's cost prohibitive in some other way. You are allowed to go to Wal-Mart for example and get insulin without a Rx.  YOU DO NOT NEED A PRESCRIPTION FOR INSULIN! The cheapest in our area that I scouted without insurance was Sam's Club. It is the damn syringes that are more difficult. However that shouldn't be a problem if your pharmacist sees that you use insulin from previous purchases and you can be allowed up to 100 count. In times of TEOTWAWKI, re-use will have to occur if it's prolonged.

Several other options come to mind. None of them fun. My first suggestion is to go on a severe diet that is akin to the 'old days' of diabetes before insulin was even available. Prior to insulin, there was the starvation era. I'll get into that in a bit, but thankfully there is one that is a bit above 'starvation' but strict and still severe. This comes from Richard Bernstein, M.D. a DM survivor, who has developed this diet for himself and prescribes it to his other DM patients. It's premise is to get a DM to an ideal of 85 mg/dL in blood sugar. Which is the optimum for the body. The ADA allows for DM's to have as high as 126 mg/dL as within the 'high normal range'. To achieve this it requires a diet that is a bit restrictive, and that to also only give insulin of no more than 7 units. To go more in depth it would be best to purchase his book, Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. This forum/medium doesn't allow me to go in-depth anymore than overview. However, foods that are forbidden and accepted within this diet. His book shows these foods as

FORBIDDEN FOODS:
Sweets and Sweeteners

Sugar, honey, fructose, corn syrup, molasses, etc, or foods which contain them such as candy and regular soda
Foods containing other ingredients which are types of sugar (see Sugar's Many Disguises)
Sugar alcohols such as maltitol, sorbitol, etc., or foods which contain them, including sugar-free candy and other "diet" or "sugar-free" foods
Most desserts - pies, cakes, cookies, etc.
Powdered artificial sweeteners add carbs(see section on artificial sweeteners in the "Allowed Foods" section)
Grains and Grain Products

Any product made from wheat, barley, corn, rice, quinoa, rye, etc., including:
Breads
Crackers
Other products made with flour
Cereal, including oatmeal
Pasta
Pancakes and waffles
Sweet or Starchy Vegetables

Potatoes
Parsnips
Winter squash
Beets
Carrots
Corn
Yellow Bell Peppers
Legumes
Onions (except in small amounts)
Raw Tomatoes (except in small amounts)
Cooked tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce
Packaged vegetables containing sugars or flour
Fruits or Fruit Juices

All, except, for some people, tomato juice in a Bloody Mary if it doesn't cause blood glucose rise

Dairy Products

Milk (it has natural sugars)
Sweetened yogurts
Most low fat and nonfat yogurts have added carbs
Cottage cheese, except in small amounts
Powdered milk substitutes and coffee lighteners
Evaporated or condensed milk
Other Foods

Nuts except in small amounts (count the carbs)
Most processed and prepared foods, snack foods, etc.
Most condiments, including balsamic vinegar


ALLOWED FOODS:

Most meats and protein foods

Be aware of breaded foods, meatloaf has bread crumbs usually added to that, so that is not allowed, or at least count it.

Organ meats (liver for example) has about 1 gram of carb per oz., some lunch meat has nitrates in them technically not an issue but it actually makes you feel thirsty for anyone, but a person with DM thirst is a factor of part of understanding their well being, so it needs to be kept at a minimum, that--as well as sodium.

Vegetables not listed above - count 1 cup raw, 2/3 cup cooked, or 1/4 cup pureed or mashed as 6 grams of carb -Some examples:

Sprouts (bean, alfalfa, etc.)
Greens – lettuce, spinach, chard, etc.
Hearty Greens - collards, mustard greens, kale, etc.
Radicchio and endive count as greens
Herbs - parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.
Bok Choy
Bamboo Shoots
Celery

Dairy Products:

Cheeses - count one gram of carb per ounce for most
Yogurt - full fat, unsweetened - 11 grams of carb
Cream - half a gram of carb per Tablespoon
Unsweetened soymilk can be used as a milk substitute
Butter or Margarine
Grain substitutes:
Soy flour has 7.5 grams of carbohydrate per 1/4 cup
Certain bran crackers (read labels)


Artificial Sweeteners are allowed unless they have added sugar (usually in the form of dextrose or maltodextrin), as most powdered sweeteners do. Exceptions are liquid sources of artificial sweeteners or those which come in small tablets.

Nuts - allowed, but count carbs, and Know Thyself, as many people can't get themselves to stop

Condiments and flavorings - those without sugar include spices, herbs, mustard, sugar-free/low carb salad dressings, and sugar-free flavorings and extracts

Beverages - include water, sparkling water, club soda, diet soda, coffee, and tea. Also, low carb alcoholic beverages in moderate amounts.

Treats

Ready made Sugar-free Jell-O Brand Gelatin or other truly sugar-free brands of gelatin - check especially for maltodextrin. The powdered kinds are more apt to have maltodextrin.
Sugar-free puddings can be made with low carb dairy alternatives and can count as six grams of carbs as part of your meal plan

Now Dr. Bernstein does not advocate snacks at all. He suggests no snacks as that is a way diabetes (DM) have 'cheated' and gave themselves extra insulin to off set the spikes and of course the valleys of the blood sugar and creating the never ending 'blood sugar chase'.

After reading the book, and looking at this very restrictive diet and I see why the 7 units of insulin could work.

Now--this next suggestion is last resort. As in no insulin is found and you have means and capability to try it and your loved one is dying in front of you. Frankly, I have never tried this but only suggest it based on this video:
**Very interesting, please watch**



But what is the 'recipe' for the insulin that was created during this period shown in the video? At first the only thing I found online was from Banting and Bell? Frederick Banting along side Charles Bell were the discoverer of insulin in Toronto. Frederick Banting included what the 'ingredients' were found in his lecture. This used bovine, porcine pancreas as it's main ingredient. Something no longer used as a main source for insulin here in the U.S. Here is is lecture:

'Best and Scott who are responsible for the preparation of Insulin in the Insulin Division of the Connaught Laboratories have tested all the available methods and have appropriated certain details from many of these, several new procedures have been found advantageous have been introduced by them. The yield of Insulin obtained by Best and Scott at the Connaught Laboratories, by a preliminary extraction with dilute sulphuric acid followed by alcohol is 1,800 to 2,220 units per kg. of pancreas.

The present method of preparation is as follows. The beef or pork pancreas is finely minced in a larger grinder and the minced material is then treated with 5 c.c. of concentrated sulphuric acid, appropriately diluted, per pound of glands. The mixture is stirred for a period of three or four hours and 95% alcohol is added until the concentration of alcohol is 60% to 70%. Two extractions of the glands are made. The solid material is then partially removed by centrifuging the mixture and the solution is further clarified by filtering through paper. The filtrate is practically neutralized with NaOH. The clear filtrate is concentrated in vacuo to about 1/15 of its original volume. The concentrate is then heated to 50oC which results in the separation of lipoid and other materials, which are removed by filtration. Ammonium sulphate (37 grams. per 100 c.c.) is then added to the concentrate and a protein material containing all the Insulin floats to the top of the liquid. The precipitate is skimmed off and dissolved in hot acid alcohol. When the precipitate has completely dissolved, 10 volumes of warm alcohol are added. The solution is then neutralized with NaOH and cooled to room temperature, and kept in a refrigerator at 5oC for two days. At the end of this time the dark coloured supernatant alcohol is decanted off. The alcohol contains practically no potency. The precipitate is dried in vacuo to remove all trace of the alcohol. It is then dissolved in acid water, in which it is readily soluble. The solution is made alkaline with NaOH to PH 7.3 to 7.5. At this alkalinity a dark coloured precipitate settles out, and is immediately centrifuged off. This precipitate is washed once or twice with alkaline water of PH 9.0 and the washings are added to the main liquid. It is important that this process be carried out fairly quickly as Insulin is destroyed in alkaline solution. The acidity is adjusted to PH 5.0 and a white precipitate readily settles out. Tricresol is added to a concentration of 0.3% in order to assist in the isoelectric precipitation and to act as a preservative. After standing one week in the ice chest the supernatant liquid is decanted off and the resultant liquid is removed by centrifuging. The precipitate is then dissolved in a small quantity of acid water. A second isoelectric precipitation is carried out by adjusting the acidity to a PH of approximately 5.0. After standing over night the resultant precipitate is removed by centrifuging. The precipitate, which contains the active principle in a comparatively pure form, is dissolved in acid water and the hydrogen ion concentration adjusted to PH 2.5. The material is carefully tested to determine the potency and is then diluted to the desired strength of 10, 20, 40 or 80 units per c.c. Tricresol is added to secure a concentration of 0.1 percent. Sufficient sodium chloride is added to make the solution isotonic. The Insulin solution is passed through a Mandler filter. After passing through the filter the Insulin is retested carefully to determine its potency. There is practically no loss in berkefelding. The tested Insulin is poured into sterile glass vials with aseptic precautions and the sterility of the final product thoroughly tested by approved methods.

The method of estimating the potency of Insulin solutions is based on the effect that Insulin produces upon the blood sugar of normal animals. Rabbits serve as the test animal. They are starved for twenty four hours before the administration of Insulin. Their weight should be approximately 2 kg. Insulin is distributed in strengths of 10, 20, 40 and 80 units per c.c. The unit is one third of the amount of material required to lower the blood sugar of a 2 kg. rabbit which has fasted twenty four hours from the normal level (0.118 percent) to 0.045 percent over a period of five hours. In a moderately severe case of diabetes one unit causes about 2.5 grammes of carbohydrate to be utilized. In earlier and milder cases, as a rule, one unit has a greater effect, accounting for three to five grammes of carbohydrate."

Whew! Did you read all that? Did you understand it? I suspect a lot of you glanced over it and got glazed eyes....and it seems daunting....it is...but there is one that's a bit better. A hybrid of sorts that is much better explained:

I could not copy/paste the .pdf file so here is the link. You will notice that is seems much more easier to read and not as intimidating as Banting's lecture above. If I had a choice, it would be this one found in link below that I'd follow.

http://www.jbc.org/content/72/1/57.full.pdf

There you go folks. Of course this would be used only as the very last resort because you could kill the person receiving the crude insulin concoction, but when in desperate times and you want to save your child, husband, wife, loved one you now at least have this as an option albeit very dangerous one but as the youtub re: Eva Saxl it can be done and saved many people's lives during war torn China...if she had to do it, perhaps we could too.

Blessings to each of you.
+JMJ