Defeating Diabetes Blog – Restored Life Now!

October 27, 2014February 4, 2015

Defeating Diabetes: Real Choices or Hype?

Is it really possible to defeat diabetes (especially Type 2)? If so, how?

There are many books and blogs that tell us that Type 2 diabetes results primarily from life style choices. Many go on to say, “Eat right and exercise”. Great advice! But exactly how do I do that?

A quick search will result dozens of different proposed ways to “Eat right”. Many claim that the science is on their side. Here is just a few of the more well know programs:

Meat centered, high protein, ultra-low carbohydrate: Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars (I tried this approach without success. I do not recommend this approach due to the low micronutrient content, high use of processed food, and high saturated fat content of the diet.)
Vegan, mostly raw food, moderately low carbohydrate: 21-Day+ Holistic Recovery Program – Dr. Gabriel Cousens There Is a Cure for Diabetes, Revised Edition: The 21-Day+ Holistic Recovery Program (This approach provided excellent and rapid results to start my recovery. However, the book is long, filled with a lot of details and the program is not outlined very well. I recommend started with Dr. Fuhrman’s book.)
Nutritarian, all or mostly plant based, moderately low carbohydrate– Dr. Joel Fuhrman The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes (An excellent starting point. Just the right amount of information and a solid starting plan. I needed something a little more rigorous to deal with some the the difficulties I was facing. But this is the book that I recommend people read first.)
Vegan, higher complex carbohydrate: Dr. Neal Barnard Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes without Drugs (His reported success is not as good as Dr. Cousens. However, many have found success with this method.)

What are we mere humans to make of all this? The amount of information can be overwhelming. It can also make it easy to find new excuses to not take action.

At times, I have longed for a quick and easy fix to the problem. I did not care if it was medicine, herbs, or powders as long as it was quick and easy.

Dr. X says, “Eat mostly meat.” Dr. Y says, “Do not eat any meat.” They are both standing on well-established science and clinical experience. Yet they draw such vastly different conclusions.

Some scientific claims are misleading. Some science is truly junk science—not really science at all. To make things even more complicated, different groups or individuals have overt or hidden agendas.

In the Defeating Diabetes blog and podcast, we will explore these topics. But more importantly, we will work together to find solutions. It may not be a quick and easy process. Together we can accomplish great things. I am convinced that there are solutions! (See the blog post “Defeating Diabetes: The Journey Begins” to read more of my story).

Each books mentioned above, have value. I recommend that you start with Dr. Joel Furhamn’s book The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes*. It can help get you started in the right direction.

Question for discussion: What are some of the craziest, most outlandish, fad diets you or a friend have tried?

*This is my Amazon affiliate link. Using this link will help support RestoredLifeNow.com.

October 22, 2014November 2, 2014

Defeating Diabetes: My Journey Begins (Part 1 of 2)

Welcome! Thank you for joining me on this journey towards better health. So far, it has been exciting and it keeps getting better and better.

For years I have been dealing with diabetes. More precisely, diabetes has been dealing with me. When diabetes showed up, it brought some of its friends: high cholesterol, high triglycerides (fats in the blood), and high blood pressure.

Most of my doctors told me that my diabetes could not be reversed. The best I could hope for, they would say, is to slow it down. Their main solution was medication on top of medication, with ever increasing doses.

Even with treatment, I quickly started to develop serious complications. My feet started to hurt. Parts of my feet were losing feeling while at the same time they would burn deep within. This is called neuropathy (nerve damage). I developed additional vision problems. The eye doctor informed me that I had “atypical” cataracts.

But wait…there’s more… For no additional charge, diabetes and its friend threw in a heart attack! The medical community’s response—more medication! At this point I had a total of 14 different prescription medications. (Note: I am grateful for the medications during the heart attack–they may have saved my life.)

All this and I was barely 44 years old. Only 5 years had passed since my diagnoses.

It started back in 2008. I was serving as a Chaplain in Iraq for the US Army. Something damaged my lungs and I was medevac’d from Iraq. Whatever it was, caused a rare and difficult lung problem—Constrictive Bronchiolitis Obliterans. At the same time I developed diabetes.

I always met the Army weight/height and physical fitness standards. Until that time, I lived an active life. That is not to say I was in top shape. I had a little extra weight where I did not want it. Yet, I meet the standards.

The lung damage significantly limited my ability to be physically active. Even moderate activity became increasingly difficult. I was also plagued with frequent and serious lung infections. I coughed so much and so hard that I literally busted my gut (hernia).

The story does not end here. The best is yet to come! More in part 2 of The Journey

October 20, 2014

Is there a quick and easy way to defeat diabetes?

Many try to sell us powders, pills, or hidden secrets that promise a quick and easy solution to diabetes. Please do not be fooled.

It angers me when people offer false hope. Often the only “quick and easy” involved is hucksters acquiring our money.

But take heart, just because there may not be a quick and easy way does not mean that there is no way. We can gain victory over diabetes.

The road may be difficult. It will take time and effort. But it is something that is within our grasp. There are simple, but not easy, steps we can take to regain control over this devastating condition.

Each of us is unique. Yet we share a lot in common. As a result, each of our paths will look a little different. At the same time our journeys will share a lot in common. Together we can be stronger and perhaps even a little wiser.

No quick and easy solutions here! All I can offer, in the words of Winston Churchill during a difficult time in modern history, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat…You ask, what is the aim?…victory, however long and hard the road may be;”

If you want to join me on this journey sign up for the Restoration Nation Update and subscribe to the blog/podcast. You do not have to go it alone!

David

October 14, 2014October 14, 2014

One Million People Free and Victorious!

This is my goal and the goal of RestoredLifeNow.com: To help 1,000,000 people defeat diabetes! That sounds like a lot of people. Well, it is. This can be accomplished if we band together. I cannot make this happen by myself. Together we can transform a million lives for the better.

The problem is huge!

In the United States nearly half of all adults 20 and older are either a pre-diabetic or diabetic.[1] That is over 115 million adults. Only about 10% of the 86+ million US adults with pre-diabetes know they have it. Pre-diabetes is not pre-dangerous. Pre-diabetics can suffer the same complications as diabetes. This problem is not limited to the U.S. It is truly a worldwide epidemic.

In 2012 the World Health Organization reported 347 million diabetics.[2] A 2013 report from the International Diabetes Foundation estimates that there 382 million people around the world with diabetes. That does not include the pre-diabetics.

Most, 90-95% of diabetes is Type 2—the kind produced largely from lifestyle choices.[3] The good news is that healthy choices will benefit both Type 1 and 2. Type 2 diabetics can, in most cases, obtain complete victory over this devastating disease. May doctors believe that Type1 one diabetics can eliminate the complications and greatly reduce their need for insulin.

It will take a lot of work to help one million people transform th
eir lives. Together we can do it!

What can you do to help transforms a million lives?

Make healthy changes in our own lives. Even if you do not have the common risk factors. Your lives (life style) can encourage, instruct and inspire others.
Encourage our friends, neighbors, loved ones and coworkers to go for screening. Especially if they are even a little over weight, carrying a little too much in the midsection or have a family history of diabetic problems.
Learn all we can for ourselves. The more we know the more we can guide people toward solutions.
Let them know that there is hope and help!!!!
Share all the free resources available on the web. There are many blogs, podcasts, sites and videos that can help people beyond our own capacity and knowledge.

This is why I am developing these free resources. This blog, podcast, and community exist to help you and your loved ones defeat diabetes. Let’s build this community together and defeat diabetes one life at a time.

Be sure to sing up for our newsletter, “Restoration Nation”, to stay informed and connected. Oh, and don’t forget to share our podcast and website.

[1] http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/14/prediabetes-rising-diabetes-threatening-usa/15134489/

[2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/

[3] http://www.joslin.org/info/genetics_and_diabetes.html

October 11, 2014

Does the lack of sleep affect blood sugar?

We know that sleep is important for our brain recovery. But does sleep directly impact our bodies’ ability to control our blood sugar?

A study of type 2 diabetics found that those reporting poor sleep duration and quality were linked to poor blood sugar control[i]. Similar results were observed in healthy individuals limited to 4 hours of sleep for 6 days.[ii]

Some of the impacts from the lack of sleep:

Decrease lepton (a hormone important in appetite suppression)
Increased ghrelin (a hormone involved in stimulating our appetite)
Possible increase in cortisol (stress hormone)
Reduction in glucose tolerance
Reduction in insulin sensitivity

What a combination! From my own experience, the hunger that is created results in looking for sweet, salty and/or fatty foods—not vegetables.

When we are tired we look for quick energy. The carbs we seek provide a quick short-term boost. Simple carbs not only provide energy but they trigger a dopamine (the feel good brain chemical) response. Both of these boost are short lived. If they did not come with all the nutrients we need then we quickly seek out another boost.

These tired eating binges not only spike our blood sugar, but they also add to our waist line. This further complicates the insulin resistance problem diabetic’s face.

On top of this add the decreased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. All this combined is not good for healthy people, much less diabetics.

In a recent podcast episode of “Healing the Wounds of War” I discuss 10 Tips for Better Sleep. The information is also applicable to those dealing with diabetes.

Here are some additional web resources (besides the journals listed below)

Illustration courtesy of Iosphere on freedigitalphoto.net

[i] Knutson, K, JAMA Internal Medicine “Role of Sleep Duration and Quality in Risk and Severity of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus” September, 2006 http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=410883

[ii] Spiegel, K, The Lancet, “Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function”, October 1999 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(99)01376-8/fulltext