What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that has been increasingly on the rise. Rates of diabetes are skyrocketing. Per the CDC, 14.7% of American adults had Type 2 Diabetes in 2024, or 38.1 million people. If we take a look at Prediabetes, this accounts for 97.6 million adults, or 38.0% of the U.S. population. In comparison, rates were approximately 2.5% in 1970, and practically non-existent 100 years ago. So what happened?
Type 1 Diabetes
Diabetes is typically split into two categories: Type 1 and Type 2. Despite both being an insulin issue, they are effectively different diseases.
Type 1 Diabetes, formerly know as Juvenile Onset Diabetes, is caused by genetic mutation that prevents the body from producing enough insulin. There's no real way to prevent or reverse type 1 diabetes, and these patients must take insulin for life regardless of diet, though consuming low glycemic foods should limit how much you need to take.
Type 2 Diabetes
On the other hand, Type 2 Diabetes is almost the opposite problem. Formerly known as Adult Onset Diabetes, this disease is caused by too much insulin in the body.
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Chronic consumption of highly refined sugars and starches lead to spikes in blood sugar and increased secretion of insulin. Over time, the body becomes "insulin resistant", meaning that your body responds less and less to the same amount of insulin.
As a result, the pancreas produces more and more insulin to compensate for this resistance. Over time, this leads to elevated fasting glucose, insulin, and A1C, causing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
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Gestational Diabetes
There's also Gestational Diabetes, which occurs during in 2-10% of women during the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. While often overlooked, Gestational Diabetes is a major warning sign of insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes to come. Studies show that 35-60% of mothers with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes in the following 10 to 20 years.
During pregnancy, changes in hormones can lead to increased insulin resistance, as the body is under so much stress and strain as it is. However, this condition typically only develops in women who are already metabolically unfit, whether they know it or not. There is likely already a degree of underlying insulin resistance that isn't known about, and pregancy worsens the condition, causing a temporary diabetes. Factors that increase the likelihood of gestational diabetes include heart disease, PCOS, being overweight or obese, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, and of course metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.
Symptoms and Causes of Diabetes
How to Test for Diabetes
It's estimated that nearly half of American adults are either prediabetic or have type 2 diabetes. Typically, the criteria for prediabetes is having a fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or greater, whereas diabetes is 120 mg/dL or greater. Ideally, your fasting glucose levels should be below 85 mg/dL; anything more and you start to run into issues.
Doctors are very reluctant to test insulin and A1C, despite the fact that insulin resistance can precede the development of type 2 diabetes by 10 years. The optimal fasting insulin level is under 5.0 uIU/mL, whereas A1C is under 5.5%.
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Type 2 Diabetes is a blood sugar and insulin issue, not a weight one. In the U.S alone, about 75% of adults are either overweight or obese, and 93% have metabolic syndrome. Nearly 50% of the population has either Prediabes or Type 2 Diabetes, conditions that did not exist 100 years ago.
This is caused predominantly by our obesigenic diets, and can happen at all weights. You can be extremely active, lifing and running all the time, and still develop diabetes due to an ultra-processed diet We have lots of TOFI (Thin Outside, Fat Inside) people living their day to day lives, not knowing that they're experiencing significant metabolic health issues.
What's Traditionally Done
Most of the time, diabetes patients are not told to make any lifestyle changes. Typically, you're told that as long as you take your insulin, then you're free to eat whatever you want. Blood glucose levels are then monitored through either testing strips or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), in order to see how much insulin you need to inject.
The Problem
This is such a backwards approach, as just taking insulin will contribute to further insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is not a genetic issue; our genes have not changed in the last century, yet we see soaring rates of diabetes as well as all other chronic diseases. Sorry, but diabetes doesn't just "run in the family". It sounds like no one runs in the family.
As mentioned, type 2 diabetes is almost entirely a lifestyle cause illness. Which is good news! They means you can both prevent and reverse this condition.
Remember how I mentioned that Type 1 Diabetes used to be called Juvenile Onset Diabetes, and that Type 2 was Adult Onset? These names have fallen by the wayside, as we are seeing staggering rates of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in children.
This is caused nearly entirely by our ultra processed, hyper palatable diet, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, chronic sleep deprivation, and high stress. It's estimated that a staggering 57% of an American adult's diet is made up of junk foods filled with hidden sugars and inflammatory fats.
The average American man consumes 19 teaspoons (90 grams) of sugar daily; for women, this number is 15 teaspoons (72 grams). These numbers should be absolutely not higher than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women per day. The average American adult has a daily sugar consumption of 2-3 times the recommended maximum.
In children, ultra-processed food consumption is 67%. The age group that needs real food the most for their developing brains and bodies has the highest intake of ultra-processed foods, as well as a staggering sugar consumption. Children should be consuming no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar daily; for children under 2 years old, this number should be stricly 0.
In comparison, the average American child consumes a tooth shattering 17 teaspoons (81 grams) of added sugar daily. Nearly all meals can be classified as desserts, being filled with white flour and sugar, especially breakfast. It's not just "enjoying being a kid"; it's setting them up for a lifetime of chronic disease.
What Should be Done
The cause of our modern diabetes crisis is our diets high in refined sugars and starches. We can both prevent and reverse Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes through dietary and lifestyle changes, like consuming more whole foods high in protein, healthy fats, fiber, and phytochemicals, coupled with daily exercise like cardio and resistance training.
Steps to Prevent or Reverse Diabetes
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that has been increasingly on the rise. Rates of diabetes are skyrocketing. Per the CDC, 14.7% of American adults had Type 2 Diabetes in 2024, or 38.1 million people. If we take a look at Prediabetes, this accounts for 97.6 million adults, or 38.0% of the U.S. population. In comparison, rates were approximately 2.5% in 1970, and practically non-existent 100 years ago. So what happened?
Type 1 Diabetes
Diabetes is typically split into two categories: Type 1 and Type 2. Despite both being an insulin issue, they are effectively different diseases.
Type 1 Diabetes, formerly know as Juvenile Onset Diabetes, is caused by genetic mutation that prevents the body from producing enough insulin. There's no real way to prevent or reverse type 1 diabetes, and these patients must take insulin for life regardless of diet, though consuming low glycemic foods should limit how much you need to take.
Type 2 Diabetes
On the other hand, Type 2 Diabetes is almost the opposite problem. Formerly known as Adult Onset Diabetes, this disease is caused by too much insulin in the body.
Chronic consumption of highly refined sugars and starches lead to spikes in blood sugar and increased secretion of insulin. Over time, the body becomes "insulin resistant", meaning that your body responds less and less to the same amount of insulin.
As a result, the pancreas produces more and more insulin to compensate for this resistance. Over time, this leads to elevated fasting glucose, insulin, and A1C, causing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
There's also Gestational Diabetes, which occurs during in 2-10% of women during the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. While often overlooked, Gestational Diabetes is a major warning sign of insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes to come. Studies show that 35-60% of mothers with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes in the following 10 to 20 years.
During pregnancy, changes in hormones can lead to increased insulin resistance, as the body is under so much stress and strain as it is. However, this condition typically only develops in women who are already metabolically unfit, whether they know it or not. There is likely already a degree of underlying insulin resistance that isn't known about, and pregancy worsens the condition, causing a temporary diabetes. Factors that increase the likelihood of gestational diabetes include heart disease, PCOS, being overweight or obese, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, and of course metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.
Symptoms and Causes of Diabetes
- Blurred vision
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
- Forgetfullness
- Frequent urination
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High cholesterol
- Increased hunger
- Increased thirst
- Insulin resistance
- Metabolic syndrome
- Muscle and joint weakness
- Numbing or tingling in the hands and feet
- Overweight and obesity
- PCOS
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Unintentional weight gain
- Unintentinoal weight loss
How to Test for Diabetes
It's estimated that nearly half of American adults are either prediabetic or have type 2 diabetes. Typically, the criteria for prediabetes is having a fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or greater, whereas diabetes is 120 mg/dL or greater. Ideally, your fasting glucose levels should be below 85 mg/dL; anything more and you start to run into issues.
Doctors are very reluctant to test insulin and A1C, despite the fact that insulin resistance can precede the development of type 2 diabetes by 10 years. The optimal fasting insulin level is under 5.0 uIU/mL, whereas A1C is under 5.5%.
Type 2 Diabetes is a blood sugar and insulin issue, not a weight one. In the U.S alone, about 75% of adults are either overweight or obese, and 93% have metabolic syndrome. Nearly 50% of the population has either Prediabes or Type 2 Diabetes, conditions that did not exist 100 years ago.
This is caused predominantly by our obesigenic diets, and can happen at all weights. You can be extremely active, lifing and running all the time, and still develop diabetes due to an ultra-processed diet We have lots of TOFI (Thin Outside, Fat Inside) people living their day to day lives, not knowing that they're experiencing significant metabolic health issues.
What's Traditionally Done
Most of the time, diabetes patients are not told to make any lifestyle changes. Typically, you're told that as long as you take your insulin, then you're free to eat whatever you want. Blood glucose levels are then monitored through either testing strips or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), in order to see how much insulin you need to inject.
The Problem
This is such a backwards approach, as just taking insulin will contribute to further insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is not a genetic issue; our genes have not changed in the last century, yet we see soaring rates of diabetes as well as all other chronic diseases. Sorry, but diabetes doesn't just "run in the family". It sounds like no one runs in the family.
As mentioned, type 2 diabetes is almost entirely a lifestyle cause illness. Which is good news! They means you can both prevent and reverse this condition.
Remember how I mentioned that Type 1 Diabetes used to be called Juvenile Onset Diabetes, and that Type 2 was Adult Onset? These names have fallen by the wayside, as we are seeing staggering rates of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in children.
This is caused nearly entirely by our ultra processed, hyper palatable diet, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, chronic sleep deprivation, and high stress. It's estimated that a staggering 57% of an American adult's diet is made up of junk foods filled with hidden sugars and inflammatory fats.
The average American man consumes 19 teaspoons (90 grams) of sugar daily; for women, this number is 15 teaspoons (72 grams). These numbers should be absolutely not higher than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women per day. The average American adult has a daily sugar consumption of 2-3 times the recommended maximum.
In children, ultra-processed food consumption is 67%. The age group that needs real food the most for their developing brains and bodies has the highest intake of ultra-processed foods, as well as a staggering sugar consumption. Children should be consuming no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar daily; for children under 2 years old, this number should be stricly 0.
In comparison, the average American child consumes a tooth shattering 17 teaspoons (81 grams) of added sugar daily. Nearly all meals can be classified as desserts, being filled with white flour and sugar, especially breakfast. It's not just "enjoying being a kid"; it's setting them up for a lifetime of chronic disease.
What Should be Done
The cause of our modern diabetes crisis is our diets high in refined sugars and starches. We can both prevent and reverse Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes through dietary and lifestyle changes, like consuming more whole foods high in protein, healthy fats, fiber, and phytochemicals, coupled with daily exercise like cardio and resistance training.
Steps to Prevent or Reverse Diabetes
- Cardio training
- Regularly go for walks, runs, or bike rides.
- Or use cardio machines at the gym like rowing or stair machines to get your heart rate up.
- Consume more fiber
- Always include high-fiber foods like vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and fruits in your meals and snacks.
- This helps you feel full and prevents spikes in blood sugar for minimal calories.
- Consume more protein
- Ensure each meal includes a high-quality protein source, such as meat, eggs, fish, or dairy.
- Supplement with whey or casein protein powder if necessary, especially if you're vegetarian.
- Cut down on processed foods
- Ultra-processed foods lack fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, water, and polyphenols.
- They are instead filled with high-glycemic carbs, inflammatory oils, artificial flavors and colors, and excess sodium.
- Cut down your sweetener consumption
- Eliminate added sugars such as white and brown sugar, corn syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup.
- Limit artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin.
- Use natural sugars sparingly, like maple syrup or honey, and sugar alcohols occasionally, like erythritol or sorbitol.
- Opt for zero-calorie natural sweeteners, like monk fruit or stevia, if needed.
- Don't drink your calories
- Reduce consumption of beverages like soda, smoothies, fruit juices (even 100%), diet soda, iced tea, and alcohol.
- Eat your food in the right order
- Consume vegetables and protein first, followed by carbs last.
- Eating fiber, protein, and fat before carbohydrates helps prevent spikes in blood sugar.
- Don't eat "naked" carbs. Instead, "dress them up" with protein, fat, and fiber. For example, add Greek yogurt and peanut butter to your apple
- Focus on the rainbow
- Include as many colors of fresh produce as possible to reduce inflammation and increase polyphenol intake.
- This also ensures optimal consumption of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber.
- Include plenty of healthy fats
- Healthy fats help mitigate blood sugar spikes and increase insulin sensitivity.
- Great sources include avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, whole eggs, salmon, and mackerel.
- Meal timing
- Avoid eating within 3 hours of bedtime and try fasting for at least an hour in the morning.
- Try to avoid snacking during the day whenever possible.
- Reduce stress
- Incorporate stress-reducing practices like box breathing, meditation, or yoga.
- Worry less and go with the flow more.
- Resistance training
- Lift weights about 3 times a week in addition to cardio training.
- This helps build muscle mass, increase metabolism, and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Savory breakfasts
- Opt for savory breakfasts, like eggs or dinner leftovers, instead of sweet options like pancakes or cereal.
- Or have some vegetables (like baby carrots, salad, or roasted veggies) along with healthy sweet breakfasts (like Greek yogurt with berries, protein powder, and nuts)
- Slow down
- Eat more slowly by chewing thoroughly, putting down utensils, and sipping water between bites.
- Supplementation
- Consider Omega-3 Fish Oil or Vitamin D to reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Other options include a multivitamin, Vitamin B12, or Magnesium. Always consult a doctor first.
- Swap out high-glycemic foods
- Replace bread, pasta, and white rice with beans, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and lentils.
- These alternatives are less refined, more nutrient-dense, and higher in fiber and protein.
- Take regular walks
- Go for short walks after meals to mitigate blood sugar spikes.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of walking daily, using indoor options during winter.
- Travel with healthy snacks
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- CDC: National Diabetes Statistics Report
- Dr. Mark Hyman: 5 Steps To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
- American Medical Association: What doctors wish patients knew about ultraprocessed foods
- American Heart Association: How Much Sugar Is Too Much?
- National Library of Medicine: Insulin Resistance
- Function Health
- Rupa Health: A Root Cause Medicine Approach To Gestational Diabetes
- Yale Medicine: Type 2 Diabetes: Symptoms and Treatments