Reversing diabetes in Cayo

Photo: Dr. Jeffrey Cho, a preventative medicine physician, was the main presenter on Sunday at La Loma Luz Hospital in Santa Elena, Cayo.

by Orlando Pulido

SANTA ELENA TOWN, Cayo District, Mon. Oct. 28, 2024

Community members in Santa Elena Town, Cayo, have benefitted from a Diabetes Rewind Program at the La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital. The second session of diabetes rewind got underway on Sunday and continues for the next four Sundays until November 24.

The main presenter on Sunday was Dr. Jeffrey Cho, a preventative medicine physician. Dr. Cho has been in Belize for the last two years, and admits that the Belize environment “is a bit challenging” because our diet includes a lot of fried foods, meats, and other animal products.

“Some people develop what is called double diabetes where they have lack of insulin, because of the Type One, but also insulin resistance which characterizes Type Two, and so this program would also help those with double diabetes Type Two,” he said.

Dr. Cho continued: “So, the biggest thing is going to be focusing on the diet—what we feed our bodies and primarily whole food plant-based diet; and in diabetes, especially the low-fat component is going to be critical there, because fat contributes to what is known as insulin resistance, which is the driver not only of Type Two diabetes, but things like heart disease, stroke, and other serious diseases.”

Another presenter at Loma Luz on Sunday was Leera Coleman, who is a registered dietician. Coleman agrees with Dr. Cho on how to deal with diabetes.

“We are recommending a plant-based alternative for diabetics. Now, it is unconventional because the majority of nutritionists and doctors that we have available in Belize believe that you just need to balance the foods; however, the science does suggest that animal products contribute to insulin resistance, because of the fat content that are within these foods and how the food is prepared,” said Coleman.

Leera Coleman supports the theory that a high-fiber diet based on consumption of plants works against diabetes. Coleman claims that she has seen it work with her patients.

“For example, the fibers which we don’t have—we have insoluble fiber and soluble fiber, and the body does not digest fiber, so the higher the fiber content within the meals, definitely the slower the body will be breaking down these foods, which is going to give it better control for the glucose within the blood, and it will be beneficial for the diabetic overall. I’ve seen it; I practiced it with my diabetic patients in recommending a plant-based diet, where they have seen exceptional results,” she stated.

The Chief Executive Officer of the La Loma Luz Hospital, Jaime Sosa, himself suffers from diabetes. He said that the program that is now being taken to the Cayo community is a preventative one. Diabetes left untreated can lead to kidney failure.  La Loma Luz currently serves 20 patients with dialysis (with 18 spots funded by the Government of Belize) who get treatment three times per week.

“We are conscious of the fact that this diabetes does affect, and so we offer hemodialysis as an alternative in trying to prolong life; but the initiative here is trying to help not reach that stage,” said Jaime Adam Sosa.

Members of staff at the La Loma Luz hospital were in Santa Familia on Saturday doing free diabetes screening. Nurses from Loma Luz were also checking the body mass index and glucose levels of members of the audience on Sunday.