Diabetes and Obesity affect EVERY other American and one in four kids?
Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Type 2 diabetes in America has tripled since the 1980s, and researchers estimate one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050. More than one-third of American adults are obese. And one in three Medicare dollars is spent on diabetes making – it the biggest driver of our federal debt. Sadly, these numbers continue to increase.
Overall, it’s not a pretty picture, and experts predict things will only become worse. Type 2 Diabetes is associated with the following chronic illnesses and diseases:
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Heart disease (Heart attack/myocardial infarction)
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Strokes
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Kidney disease / Kidney Failure
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Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage)
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Amputations
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Blindness
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Alzheimer’s disease
I use the term “diabesity” to describe the continuum of health problems ranging from mild insulin resistance and overweight to obesity and diabetes. Diabesity is the underlying cause of most heart disease, cancer, and premature death in the world.
Research has revealed that these conditions are also 100% preventable and reversible.
Most people believe diabetes is not reversible because that is the myth being propagated by most doctors, out of touch with current research.
Science shows diabetes and obesity are preventable and reversible with
aggressive nutrition and lifestyle modifications.
Type 2 Diabetes and obesity are caused by the consumption of 152 pounds of sugar and 146 pounds of flour per year eaten (on average) by every American – that is a toxic drug dose of diabetes causing food.
It is well known that massively obese patients can reverse their diabetes within a few weeks of getting a gastric bypass, even if they haven’t lost that much weight. Why? Because food is medicine and when you take disease producing food out and put the right food in the healing happens quickly. I recently had a patient lose 45 pounds and get off 54 units of insulin and all his diabetes medication. I implement these seven strategies every day with patients to prevent, treat, and reverse diabesity without drugs and surgery.
- 5 to 5 grams of PGX, a unique type of fiber that controls appetite and blood sugar, before each meal with eight ounces of water
- 200 – 600 mcg of chromium polynicotinate or picolinate
- 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid twice daily
- 2,000 IUs or more of vitamin D3 (Thorne Research)
- One to two grams of omega 3 fatty acids (Tuna Omega by Standard Process)
- A high-quality multivitamin/mineral (Basic Nutrients by Thorne Research)
- Get the right nutrients. Supplements make your cells more sensitive to insulin and more effective at metabolizing sugar and fat. Combined with the right diet and lifestyle modifications, they can help you balance blood sugar and reverse or prevent diabetes. At the very minimum, I recommend:
- Stock up on whole, unprocessed foods. Whole, unprocessed real foods balance your blood sugar, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and improve your liver detoxification to prevent or reverse insulin resistance and diabetes. Choose a rich variety of colorful fruits and vegetables with a low to moderate glycemic index, plenty of omega-3 fats, coconut butter and olive oil, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Whole, real foods turn on all the right gene messages, promote a healthy metabolism, reverse insulin resistance and diabetes, and prevent aging and age-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
- Cut the Sugar. A diet full of sugar calories (liquid or solids), and refined carbohydrates – all of which convert to sugar – creates high insulin levels, eventually leading to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Among the many problems of chronically high insulin levels include inflammation, high blood pressure, poor sex drive, increased risk for cancer, and depression. The most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity or reversing its impact is to eliminate or dramatically reduce sugar in all its many disguises.
- Get the right exercise. You needn’t spend hours at a gym to get exercise’s benefits. Even a 30-minute walk can help. Vigorousis the key for effective exercise that helps balance blood sugar and lower insulin levels. Walk at a brisk pace and pump your arms. Get your heart rate up to 70 – 80% of its maximum capacity. Your goal should be to walk (or other cardio activity) for 60 minutes, up to six times a week. Step it up a few notches with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training. Studies show HIIT can benefit Type 2 diabetes2 and obesity3. Best of all, you can do it in just minutes a day.
- Get sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep or poor sleep damages your metabolism, spikes sugar and carb cravings, makes you eat more, and increases your risk for numerous diseases including Type 2 diabetes. One study among healthy subjects found even a partial night’s poor sleep could induce insulin resistance. That’s why you must prioritize sleep so you get eight hours of solid, uninterrupted shuteye every night. Create a sleep ritual that includes turning off the T.V. in the bedroom, herbal therapies consisting of aromatherapy with essential oils, soaking in warm bath with 2 cups of Epsom salts and essential oils and creating total darkness and quiet.
- Control stress levels. In the face of chronic stress, our levels of insulin, cortisol, and inflammatory compounds called cytokines all increase. This drives the relentless metabolic dysfunction that leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, and eventually Type 2 diabetes. The links between stress, weight gain, mental disorders, and blood sugar imbalances show that managing stress becomes a critical component of obesity and diabetes management. You can’t eliminate stress, but you can learn to control it. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, massage, laughing, and dancing are among the best ways to manage stress and reverse Type 2 diabetes.
- Journal Your Results. Research shows that people who track their results lose twice as much weight and do twice as well. Begin by getting a journal to track your progress. That could be as simple as a pad of paper, a notebook, a spreadsheet in your computer, or whatever is convenient and works for you. Here’s what should you track?What you eat
Baseline of all measurements: your weight, weight, waist size, body mass index (BMI)
Daily blood pressure (optional)
Daily glucose readings (if diabetic)
Many patients become inspired when they see their results on paper.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: drhyman.com
WHICH DISEASE IS COMPLETELY REVERSIBLE AND PREVENTABLE?
The answer is DIABETES. Every year in the U.S., 1 million people are diagnosed with diabetes and the CDC estimates that by 2050 1 in 3 Americans will be afflicted with diabetes.
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death. The good news is that this statistic can be changed according to the latest research. (see article resources below). Diabetes is no longer inevitable. You can prevent – and reverse Type 2 diabetes.
Research shows that developing Type 2 Diabetes is a complete function of environmental factors (how you eat, chemical exposure, stress management, etc.). When you eliminate these negative factors, the pancreas has the ability to heal and cells will regain insulin sensitivity. This is extremely important considering that diabetes is responsible for a host of debilitating illnesses such as:
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Heart disease & stroke
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Kidney disease & kidney failure
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Alzheimer’s disease
If you are suffering with diabetes or peripheral neuropathy and would like to learn how to reverse both conditions – contact:
210-492-0111
Or Schedule a Consult Here.
Article resources
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Diabetes and exercise. (2012, September 4). National Institutes of Health. Retrieved June 29, 2014,
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Diabetes type 2 – Meal planning. (2013, August 1). National Institutes of Health. Retrieved June 29, 2014,
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Lim, E.L, Hollingsworth, K.G., Aribisala, B.S., Chen, M.J., Mathers, J.C., Taylor, R. (2011). Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes: Normalization of Beta Cell Function in Association with Decreased Pancreas and Liver Triacylglycrol. Diabetologia, 54(10), 2506-2514. Retrieved June 29, 2014,
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Type 1 diabetes. (2013, January 23). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved June 29, 2014,
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Type 2 diabetes. (2013, January 25). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved June 29, 2014,
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Donga E1, van Dijk M, van Dijk JG, Biermasz NR, Lammers GJ, van Kralingen KW, Corssmit EP, Romijn JA., A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects., J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun;95(6):2963-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-2430. Epub 2010 Apr 6.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,Overweight and Obesity.
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Shaban N1, Kenno KA, Milne KJ., The effects of a 2 week modified high intensity interval training program on the homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in adults with type 2 diabetes., J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2014 Apr;54(2):203-9.
