Beating Diabetes

Let’s Talk About Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X)

Friday, August 27, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

In addition to being the driving force behind type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance is also part and parcel of a condition called metabolic syndrome (formerly syndrome X).

Identified in the mid-1980s by Stanford University researcher Gerald Reaven, MD, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of disorders that includes obesity (particularly abdominal obesity), high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol (often referred to as “good” cholesterol, since it ushers excess cholesterol out of the body), and increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Reaven, observing that these seemingly unrelated disorders cropped up so often in the same individuals, determined that the one underlying constant was insulin resistance.

Though the natural treatments for diabetes that I often write about are geared toward people who are already managing diabetes, it is good to know that your efforts at beating diabetes can also help protect against hypertension, heart disease, and obesity.

For more information about metabolic syndrome (syndrome X), insulin resistance, and how to manage diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Chromium: A Primary Natural Treatment for Diabetes

Monday, August 2, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Chromium is a trace mineral that improves the action of insulin and helps move glucose and other nutrients into the cells. Its therapeutic value was first discovered in the 1950s, when researchers isolated a previously unknown substance from pork kidney. When they gave this substance to laboratory rats with glucose intolerance (a pre-diabetic form of insulin resistance), it caused such significant improvements that they named it glucose tolerance factor.

This unique compound was found to improve the activity of insulin and facilitate the uptake of glucose into the cells. Research intensified, and in 1959, the active ingredient in glucose tolerance factor was identified: chromium.

Chromium doesn’t cause the body to make more insulin—it just helps make insulin work better. At least 15 well-controlled clinical trials examining the effects of supplemental chromium on patients living with diabetes, insulin resistance, and other blood sugar abnormalities have shown that this mineral improves glucose metabolism.

Chromium has also been demonstrated to facilitate weight loss. As you likely know, diabetes and weight are very closely connected. Maintaining an ideal weight greatly increases your chances of avoiding the disease and beating diabetes.

For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Diabetes and the Western Diet

Monday, July 12, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

One of the primary reasons we’re seeing a worldwide glut of insulin-resistant diabetes is because more and more emerging nations are adopting the Western diet that we’ve “enjoyed” for years. Indigenous diets of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are being replaced with processed, refined foods that have been stripped of their natural fiber and nutrients. Meat has become more prominent in the daily diet. And fast-food restaurants are springing up all over the globe. This is horrible news for anyone trying to manage diabetes.

In the US, we’ve been eating a schizophrenic diet for years. In a futile effort to lose weight, we fill up on fat-free cookies and ice cream, which are nothing more than unhealthy refined carbohydrates. We’ve also become sugar junkies. According to US Department of Agriculture statistics, Americans consume an average of 149 pounds of sweeteners a year—not counting the artificial sweeteners that we consume in more than 7,000 products.

Excess fat is also a culprit, particularly saturated fats from meat and altered trans fatty acids in processed foods. As early as the 1920s, it was demonstrated that a high-saturated-fat diet contributes to type 2 diabetes, as it not only causes weight gain—one of several diabetes risk factors in itself—but also decreases insulin sensitivity and makes it difficult to control blood sugar.

Beating diabetes has a lot more to do with lifestyle choices than with which pill to take next. Stay tuned to this blog for additional diet recommendations and other natural remedies for diabetes.

For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters, or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

Sugar Dressings for Diabetic Ulcers  

Monday, June 21, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

J.J. was lying in a hospital bed awaiting a below-the-knee amputation, thanks to a diabetic ulcer that didn’t respond to intravenous antibiotics.

Five hours before his surgery, someone told J.J. about the Whitaker Wellness Institute, so J.J. checked out of the hospital against medical advice and came to see us.

Like all of our patients dealing with diabetes, J.J. was started on natural diabetic treatments, including a therapeutic diet and targeted nutritional supplement program (he was obviously unable to exercise). He also underwent a course of EDTA chelation.

In addition, we treated his infected diabetic ulcer—which was so far gone the skin was almost black—with sugar dressings.

When sugar or honey is packed on top of and inside of an open wound, it dissolves in the fluid exuding from the wound, creating a highly concentrated medium. Bacteria cannot exist in this environment, and infection is dramatically curbed. This natural treatment for diabetes related wounds also reduces swelling and encourages the removal of dead tissue to make room for new growth.

Over the next few weeks, J.J.’s foot began to regain its normal color, and eventually the wound healed completely. Today, he’s beating diabetes, is nearly 150 pounds lighter, and he walks several miles a day on his own God-given legs.

NOTE: Do not try this on a bleeding wound, as sugar promotes bleeding.

Sugar Dressing Protocol

Unravel a 4” x 4” piece of gauze into a long strip and coat it with Vaseline. Place it around the outside edges of the wound, like a donut.
Cover the wound with ¼-inch of sugar. (The Vaseline “donut” will keep it in place.)
Place a 4” x 4” sponge on top of the wound. Bandage it firmly but not too snugly with a cling dressing.
Change the dressing every one or two days. Remove, irrigate with water, saline, or hydrogen peroxide, pat dry, and repeat steps 1–3.

Fish Oil’s Role in Managing Diabetes

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Fish oil, which contains the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, is powerful medicine for disorders ranging from heart disease and depression to arthritis and autoimmune disorders.

EPA is particularly beneficial for the cardiovascular system, as it discourages blood platelets from sticking together, relaxes the arteries, and lowers triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

For years, people dealing with diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes, were advised to avoid fish oil supplements, due to their presumably negative effects on the body’s ability to control blood sugar. However, a meta-analysis has put this myth to rest.

In this review of studies involving 823 patients with type 2 diabetes, fish oil supplementation at doses ranging from 3,000–8,000 mg per day had no harmful effect on short- or long-term ability to control blood sugar. Furthermore, the fish oils supplements significantly improved triglyceride levels.

More recent research found that women living with diabetes who took 3,000 mg of fish oil a day for two months had marked improvements in body fat and blood lipid levels. (This is key, in part due to the connection between diabetes and weight.)

I’m not suggesting that fish oil is a cure for high blood sugar, but it can certainly play a role in managing diabetes. Everyone, regardless of health status, should take a minimum of 2 g of high-quality fish oil per day. If your cholesterol and triglycerides are high, consider increasing this to 4 or more grams daily. For these larger doses, look for liquid or concentrated fish oil supplements, as they beat taking handfuls of capsules.

Diabetes and Weight

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

One of the most significant risk factors for type-2 diabetes is obesity.

Statistics show that 90 percent of all people with type-2 diabetes are overweight. In fact, the link between diabetes and obesity is so strong that it’s led to the coining of a new term, diabesity.

Where you store those extra pounds is also an issue, in terms of your ability to control blood sugar. For example, if you carry the pounds in the abdominal area, you are at an even greater risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. That’s because abdominal fat is more metabolically active than fat stored in the hips or buttocks. It is more easily broken down into free fatty acids that enter the bloodstream, interfere with the action of insulin, and raise triglyceride and glucose levels.

The good news is, for most people, getting a handle on weight is a great way of beating diabetes. Check this blog often for tips on how to lose weight and other natural remedies for diabetes.

Treating Diabetes

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Diabetes is a fearsome disorder, yet one we take much too lightly. Few people dealing with diabetes risk factors or borderline elevated blood sugar levels realize the urgency of controlling diabetes in its early stages.

Most are unaware that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations in this country or that people who have diabetes are more likely to have—and die of—a heart attack or stroke than those who are able to maintain blood sugar levels that are closer to normal. Nor do they recognize that diabetes is a primary contributor to conditions such as erectile dysfunction (impotence) and dementia. As a matter of fact, most people either don’t know or tend to ignore the subtle warning signs. It’s time we all pull our heads out of the sand and look diabetes in the eye.

The ability to manage blood sugar levels is largely an issue of lifestyle. In 90 percent of all cases, diabetes is both preventable and treatable.

I’ve been practicing medicine for more than 30 years and I have tens of thousands of diabetes success stories from to people who have followed my protocol of natural diabetes treatments. Many of my patients have called me over the years to thank me for my alternative treatments for diabetes. “My blood sugars are normal—without drugs.” “I was able to avoid amputation.” “My vision has stabilized.” “Your advice saved my life.”

In future blog postings, I will share what you need to know to take control of your own health so that you, too, can beat diabetes.

Processed Meats a Recipe for Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Thursday, December 17, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Seems you might get more than you bargained for with your $5 foot-long.

According to a study of heavy meat eaters published in the journal Diabetologia, a diet high in processed meats -- think bologna, salami, hot dogs and the like -- could increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 40 percent.

The incidence of diabetes with a high meat diet rose 17 percent overall, but with red meat, the increase lept to over 20 percent. Processed meats drove diabetes risk even higher still.

But why, exactly? What is it about an Italian hoagie that could specifically cause type 2 diabetes?

The researchers involved speculate that the culprit could be nitrates.

"Nitrosamines can be formed by the interaction of amino compounds with nitrates present either in the stomach or within the food product,” they said. “[Nitrosamines] have been linked to beta cell toxicity. In addition, low doses of the nitrosamine streptozotocin were found to induce type 2 diabetes in animal models.”

Because beta cells produce and regulate the release of insulin, a diet heavy in anything that targets and kills them off is a recipe for a diabetes disaster. Healthy beta cells equal healthy glucose levels in the blood. Without them, glucose levels can spike unabated, insulin sensitivity plummets, and maintaining healthy blood sugar becomes a weighty challenge.

Clearly, maintaining a healthy diet is paramount to beating diabetes, or preventing diabetes and nearly any other serious health condition in the first place.

And no one would argue, save the commissioner of Major League Baseball, that hot dogs are a good choice, no matter what your health concerns are.

Slash Type 2 Diabetes Risk by 20% or More...With Coffee!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Finally, a reason to feel good about my daily venti dark roast fix.

A new meta-analysis from the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a nice correlation between coffee consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

For every cup of Joe you drink, your risk goes down 7%. Not bad.

This review included data from over 500,000 people, with over 21,000 cases of type-2 diabetes. Of the 31 studies reviewed, 18 looked at regular coffee consumption, six focused on decaf, and the remaining seven studies included tea drinkers.

Bottom line, everyone with a mug holds a natural diabetes treatment in their hands.

It's not just regular coffee drinkers who can beat diabetes. Three to four cups of decaffeinated coffee were associated with a 33 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-coffee drinkers. And three to four cups of tea dropped diabetes risk by one-fifth as well.

Now if I've learned anything, it's to take a meta-analysis like this with a grain of salt. And if this were the only reason to drink coffee, I'd proceed cautiously. But it isn't.

Coffee has been championed by researchers as a natural way to maintain blood sugar and reduce diabetes risk before, because coffee has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity. Previous studies have shown that a high intake—at least six cups a day—lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 54 percent in men and 30 percent in women.

Dr. Whitaker has written about the health benefits of coffee for years, including research showing coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease by as much as 80 percent and even protects against other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

Coffee improves concentration and alertness, boosts mood, and decreases suicide risk. In fact, coffee aroma alone can relieve stress in animals. (Count me among them.)

Did you know that coffee can also halt a full-blown asthma attack in its tracks? And drink coffee before a workout and you'll enjoy both increased endurance and less muscle pain.

There are even studies that suggest coffee will make you live longer!

Of course, if you're exercising, preventing diabetes and enjoying your day feeling alert and in a great mood, you can't help but live longer, right? Pour me another cup...

Natural Type 2 Diabetes Treatments: New Study Supports Cinnamon Supplements

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 by Tom Callahan

It's always nice to be proven right, particularly when it concerns health advice that actually changes people's lives.

As has happened so often over the years, Dr. Whitaker's core recommendation of supplementing with cinnamon daily as a natural way to control blood sugar continues to rack up additional clinical support, the latest from a recent study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

This study sought to determine whether cinnamon could help lower hemoglobin A1C in patients with type 2 diabetes. The randomized, controlled study followed patients for 90 days, with the cinnamon group using 1g cinnamon daily (curiously, the same amount Dr. Whitaker has been recommending for years...).

The result: Cinnamon users lowered their hemoglobin A1C by .83 percent, compared to .37 percent with standard treatment alone.

Said another way, adding cinnamon doubled the effectiveness of the basic treatment.

This may not sound that significant, but lowering your A1C is critically important for anyone with diabetes. A hemoglobin A1c test measures the level of glycated hemoglobin in the blood, the result of blood sugar (glucose) attaching to hemoglobin. As your A1C rises, so does your likelihood of diabetes complications, like vision problems, cardiovascular or kidney disease, circulatory and nerve imparement, and stroke.

When it comes to natural remedies for diabetes, cinnamon is pretty hard to beat. It's cheap, readily available, safe, and as the research continues to prove, effective.

Vitamin D Shows Potential as Natural Diabetes Remedy

Thursday, October 29, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Oh vitamin D, is there anything you can't do?

As I've written before, the "D" in vitamin D may soon be shorthand for "diabetes fighter" as the pile of research continues to grow supporting this humble nutrient's power to maintain blood sugar and beat back diabetes naturally.

This, of course, is in addition to the already long list of benefits for vitamin D, including immune fortifier, bone builder, PMS and SAD preventer, fibromyalgia fighter, C-reactive protein reducer and mood booster.

If anything has earned the moniker "the sunshine vitamin," it's this.

The latest good news for vitamin D takers comes from the British Journal of Nutrition, which showed that by increasing levels of D, you can improve insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity, two major risk factors for developing diabetes.

Study participants taking 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily for six months showed "significant improvements" in both insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance, according to the New Zealand researchers conducting the study.

The improvements were also accompanied a decrease in fasting insulin levels, another boon for those struggling with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or metabolic syndrome.

This study focused on the D3 form of vitamin D, also known as cholecalciferol, which Dr. Whitaker recommends due to its bioavailability. It's also the form created naturally in the body from regular sun exposure.

The bottom line. If you're not taking vitamin D, start. If you haven't asked your doctor to check your vitamin D levels, do it soon. You're not going to find a more inexpensive, easy-to-take, versatile natural remedy than this one, whether you're focused on beating diabetes naturally, or just looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

You Can Do It -- A Diabetes Success Story

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

I'll admit, by now it's easy for me to say that preventing and beating diabetes is possible without drugs. I've seen it time and again. It inspires me to see it happen, but by now it doesn't surprise me.

I know that controlling diabetes naturally may not seem possible. Living with this condition -- or even just the threat of pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome -- is difficult. Your doctors may have told you it's too late, permanent, or something worse.

I'm here to tell you, they're wrong. You CAN do it. And all it takes for most people are two things: knowledge and commitment. Ok, if there's a third thing, it's inspiration.

I can give you the knowledge. The power of knowing what's possible is what launched Health & Healing so many years ago. The commitment comes from you.

And to show you how making a commitment to lifestyle changes is one of the best ways to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes, here's a little inspiration, courtesy of a diabetes success story from Georgia newsletter subscriber J.D.:

“Four and a half years ago, I was 43 and in the worst shape of my life. At 6’2” I weighed 310 pounds, and the only exercise I got was mowing my yard. I insisted on going out for a fast food lunch every day because I just ‘had to get out of the office,’ and those meals were usually ‘supersized’ so I could get as much food as possible for my money.

“I already had hypertension and high cholesterol when a routine physical found a fasting blood sugar of 160, and I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Fortunately for me, my doctor gave me an ultimatum: I could either lose weight or I would have to go on medication for the rest of my life. My wife was determined that I would not take any drugs.

We checked out Dr. Whitaker’s book, Reversing Diabetes, and began utilizing many of his techniques. I started exercising and our whole family changed lifestyles.

“Today, four years later, I have lost over 100 pounds and it has stayed off. I have never taken medication for diabetes, and my cholesterol and blood pressure are also under control. I walk four miles, four days a week, and climb Stone Mountain two days a week. I feel better than I have in years.”

J.D. ends his letter with this. “I think the secret is that you have to decide that this is not just a ‘diet’ but rather a lifestyle change. You also need the support and encouragement of your family and friends.”

J.D. was lucky to have a doctor who told it like it was and a helpful wife. If you don’t have that support, create it. Find a new doctor, join an exercise group, keep reading this blog, enroll in a weight loss program—the possibilities are endless.

Just keep your eye on your goal and remember this: changing your diet or exercising may seem difficult, but it’s easier than dealing with the inevitable complications of diabetes down the line.

Beating Diabetes Now is Critical to Our Country's Future

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Tom Callahan

I don't need regression analysis, statistical modeling or a supercomputer to know that the incidence of diabetes and blood sugar concerns is skyrocketing across the United States.

I only need to review the number of questions I get about living with diabetes, or respond to the many emails I get each day seeking natural treatments, herbal remedies, or recipes to deal with diabetes.

Considering the complications of untreated diabetes, and the costs to the country in rising healthcare premiums if this epidemic of diabetes goes unchecked, it's good to know that many natural diabetes treatments do exist. If you're dealing with diabetes or blood sugar concerns, you should know that living with diabetes is not only possible, but so is beating it. And Dr. Whitaker's diabetes success stories prove it.

But what does an epidemic look like? That's where the stats and models come in (just flip through the next few slides and watch).

The picture isn't pretty. It's like flood waters pouring across the country, without much high ground to run to.

I'm not sure what the secret is in Colorado, which fares better than most states. I suppose the average Colorado resident is more active than the average American.

If skiing is a way to prevent diabetes naturally, sign me up!

Another Top Natural Supplement Remedy for Diabetes

Monday, September 21, 2009 by Tom Callahan

You could fill a book with Dr. Whitaker's diabetes success stories--and, in fact, Dr. Whitaker's Reversing Diabetes is being re-released in paperback on November 1.

Since this groundbreaking book was first published, your supplement arsenal for controlling blood sugar--and beating syndrome X, pre-diabetes and even type 2 diabetes--continues to grow, as more research emerges that shows drugs and insulin aren't the only answers anymore.

One of the more exciting herbal blood sugar supplements is Gymnema sylvestre. This climbing plant native to India has been used since the sixth century B.C. to lower blood sugar, and may actually help repair damage to cells in the pancreas in the process.

Animal studies on diabetic rats showed fasting blood glucose levels returning to normal after 20 to 60 days of treatment, with a rise toward normal in serum insulin. An examination of the rats' pancreatic islet and beta cells, which produce insulin, showed the number of cells had doubled compared to those of the placebo group. As Dr. Whitaker points out, this flies in the face of everything we believed possible. Once beta cells are gone, they're gone...or so we thought.

Human studies have shown similar results: Five of 22 patients taking 400 mg per day for 18 to 20 months as a supplement to oral drugs could discontinue the drugs, and the rest reduced their dosages. There was a significant reduction in blood glucose and other parameters of insulin efficiency. Researchers concluded, "the beta cells may be regenerated in type II diabetic patients on (Gymnema sylvestre) supplementation."

Dr. Whitaker recommends that anyone with diabetes try 400 mg daily of Gymnema sylvestre. Or, if you are at high risk for developing diabetes, he recommends a maintenance dose of 200 mg daily.

Dr. Whitaker's Top Supplements for Diabetes

Monday, August 31, 2009 by Tom Callahan

As General Manager of Forward Nutrition, I get a lot of questions about supplements. These days, many of you are asking what Dr. Whitaker recommends when facing a significant health concern like diabetes.

Are there specific supplements he has recommended for years? Are there supplements Dr. Whitaker has had success using with patients to manage blood sugar naturally? Are there different supplements to control blood sugar, target Syndrome X, manage pre-diabetes or beat type 2 diabetes? What about weight loss -- does Dr. Whitaker have suggestions for that?

The short answer (and that's what blogs are for, short answers) is yes, there are many different supplements for diabetes and related blood sugar concerns. Over the next few posts, I'll focus on Dr. Whitaker's favorites, the tried-and-true, and as new ones come along, you'll be sure to hear about them here.

Vanadium: A Cornerstone of the Whitaker Wellness Approach

According to Dr. Whitaker, one of the most effective and intriguing nutritional supplements for managing blood sugar levels is vanadium. This trace mineral lowers blood sugar by mimicking insulin and improving the cells’ sensitivity to insulin. Studies show that supplementation with vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate) markedly lowers fasting glucose and improves other measures of diabetes.

In one study, eight people with type 2 diabetes who received 50 mg of vanadyl sulfate twice a day for four weeks were found to have a 20 percent reduction in average fasting blood sugar, which lasted well after the mineral was discontinued. The only reported adverse effect was minor gastrointestinal distress during the first few days of the study.

Dr. Whitaker's suggested dose of vanadyl sulfate is 30 mg daily. If you need extra support and are under a doctor’s care, you can take up to 100 mg per day.

Pretty powerful stuff. And that's just one of many solutions. Look for more specific recommendations in upcoming posts, and keep the questions coming!

Half the Story: New Research Confirms One Type 2 Diabetes Drug More Dangerous Than Another

Friday, August 21, 2009 by Tom Callahan

It will be interesting to see what the mainstream media makes of this latest study on the dangers of type 2 diabetes drugs, and their links to heart failure and death. You can bet that it won't be to tell you to avoid the drugs entirely and focus on managing blood sugar and diabetes naturally, or showcasing Dr. Whitaker's proven solutions for the natural treatment -- and reversal -- of diabetes.

As Dr. Whitaker wrote in May's Health & Healing, "When are we going to learn—rather, when are we going to accept—that oral medications for type 2 diabetes actually do more harm than good?"

We've known since the late 1960's that drug treatments for type 2 diabetes have fatal complications, and the two drugs in this latest study -- rosiglitazone and pioglitazone -- are hardly different. Consider the side effects and you're left scratching your head in disbelief.

Why doctors would knowingly prescribe "treatments" for type 2 diabetes that bring on fluid retention, weight gain and increased risk of heart failure, health risks diabetics already have with the disease, is absurd, especially when you consider that lowering blood sugar, controlling weight gain, and preventing the complications of diabetes is not only achievable with alternative treatments, it's far safer.

Dr. Whitaker will continue to lead the charge against this gross mistreatment, and if you're dealing with diabetes, it's nice to know you have someone on your side. Someone who understands that dealing with diabetes isn't a drug deficiency, it's a chance to take control of your life. Understand that, and beating diabetes isn't just achievable, it's natural.

Type 2 Diabetes Feared Less than Sharks, Snakes

Monday, August 3, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Ok, it’s time to get our priorities straight, unless we’ve got a bigger shark problem than I thought.

A recent American Diabetes Association survey says that despite the devastating impact unchecked blood sugar and type 2 diabetes can have on your health, fewer Americans actually fear diabetes than plane crashes, snake bites, lightning strikes or shark attacks.

Even though shark attacks get the scary headlines, tens of thousands more lose limbs each year to diabetes than Great Whites, and the numbers diagnosed with diabetes – or on the verge of a pre-diabetes diagnosis due to elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides, increased weight or insulin resistance – are skyrocketing.

Comparing a few stats shows our misplaced fears beautifully. Less than 500 deaths were attributed to commercial aviation accidents in 2007, while in 2005, diabetes contributed to almost 234,000 deaths.

No doubt about it, diabetes is scary. If you have diabetes, you’re at least twice as likely to die of heart disease or stroke, perhaps as much as four times as likely. Nearly half of new cases of kidney disease are caused by diabetes. At least 12,000 new cases of blindness occur annually, thanks to unchecked blood sugar and insulin resistance.

According to the American Diabetes Association’s Ann Albright, “We can no longer sit back and politely tap people on the shoulder to get their attention. The future of our country – and the future of our children – is at stake.”

But why then are our fears so misplaced? I’d like to think that it’s because of the success Dr. Whitaker has had helping tens of thousands reverse diabetes and beat back blood sugar problems, going back decades.

If you know that blood sugar problems aren’t beyond your control, and your blood sugar can be managed naturally, easily, and permanently, it makes sense you’d fear something you can’t control, like being struck by lightning, I suppose.

“The good news is there are steps people with diabetes can take to manage their disease and prevent or delay these serious and deadly complications from developing,” says Albright, and I have to agree. Plus, many of the steps towards managing or reversing type 2 diabetes are natural, safe, and very effective.

Of course, you could argue that lifestyle changes make it easy to prevent shark attacks too. When you hear that “Jaws” theme music, get out of the water, pronto.

"Maybe" Diabetes Helped by Exercise?!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 by Tom Callahan

It's always nice when the mainsteam media wakes up to the realities of healthcare, particularly when it comes to the devastating damage of the rampant diabetes epidemic in the U.S. But an article in the July 12 USA Weekend underscores the importance of sticking with a doctor like Dr. Whitaker, someone who isn't afraid to come right out and state the brutally obvious.

On the one hand, Dr. Todd Mitchell's "HealthSmart" column does bring to light the scope of the diabetes problem, and the consquences of not bringing blood sugar under control. Without action, the more than 23 million Americans already diagnosed with diabetes -- not to mention those who have diabetes and don't know it, and the scores with Metabolic Syndrome or pre-diabetes -- are on a road to serious health problems, to say the least.

From comparatively minor skin and teeth concerns to truly frightening heart, eye, circulatory, and kidney diseases and increased risk for wounds and infections, Mitchell acknowledges that uncontrolled blood sugar is a recipe for disaster.

To his credit, Mitchell also points out that there are many effective ways to naturally lower blood sugar and keep Type 2 diabetes at bay, including following a diet low in high glycemic refined sugars, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate sleep, and maintaining an active lifestyle.

But that's as far as Mitchell is willing to go. Of course, it's not surprising that a diabetes article in USA Weekend fails to include a single mention of the many nutritional supplements that can not only lower blood sugar but directly impact the diabetes risk factors that lead to the complications he mentions. However, it's the waffle words about exercise and diabetes that truly surprised me.

In describing an "interesting" study of NFL players and blood sugar (not exactly your representative sample of the U.S. population) Mitchell points out that while the massive linemen and tackles weighed an average of 60 lbs. more than men in the control group, their fasting blood sugar was lower. Could exercise and rigorous physical activity have something to do with these blood sugar findings? Well, maybe, says Mitchell.

The kicker is the closer though. "More study is needed, but it does seem that, when it comes to diabetes, lifestyle habits matter."

Thanks for the newsflash, Dr. Mitchell.

There's no maybe about it. Exercise is one of the best, safest, most logical and truly natural ways to control blood sugar and prevent, manage, and even reverse diabetes. That's because exercise is one of the best ways to improve insulin resistance and make your cells more sensitive to insulin.

To get more exercise into your daily routine, the first thing you should try is taking a brisk 10-minute walk after meals whenever you can. Even mild aerobic exercise causes your muscles to soak up the glucose in your blood more quickly, keeping those post-meal blood sugar spikes to a minimum. Also, shoot for several sessions of resistance training (such as weightlifting) in your weekly routine to build muscle and improve your insulin sensitivity long-term.

At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, Dr. Whitaker has been helping thousands of patients over the years use diet, exercise and targeted nutritional supplements to beat back diabetes for good.

And as a 2001 NIH study showed, this type of natural program works better than the most prescribed diabetes drug, Glucophage. No maybe about that either, Dr. Mitchell.