There are more than 21 million people with diabetes in Diabetes is a serious, chronic, pervasive disease that has rapidly grown …
Franklin House, MD Stuart A Seale, MD Ian Blake Newman
The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle
QA
1 Whats the underlying problem here? There are more than 21 million people with diabetes in the United States–7 percent of the population More than 41 million more people have prediabetes In some places, like New York City, more than one in eight people already have diabetes And soon even those numbers will seem small The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in three children born in the United States in 2000 are expected to get diabetes in their lifetimes Were not talking about a minor inconvenience here, or even just a run-of-the-mill epidemic Diabetes is a serious, chronic, pervasive disease that has rapidly grown into a crisis and will soon become a bona fide catastrophe 2 Are you proposing a cure to a deadly disease in your new book, The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle? Were proposing a proactive method to prevent, reverse, and even cure diabetes Were posing the question to readers themselves– Could you call it a cure? If, through lifestyle changes, you could lower your blood sugar, weight, and medicine requirements including insulin to the point where your doctor could
no longer detect the clinical signs of diabetes, could you call it a cure? Could you call it a cure if you got your life back, your hope, and your future? You decide Our patients have to face this wonderful decision all the time 3 What forms the basic core of your miracle approach to treating diabetes? The three pillars of this lifestyle approach to the miracle are a plant-based diet, intermittent training, and cognitive behavior therapy We present a natural, health-promoting diet that is clinically proven to attack the diabetes process at the level of cause, not symptoms We propose a program of physical activity thats easier to learn, easier to maintain, and more effective than the standard no pain, no gain prescription Finally, we teach common sense techniques for training your brain to overcome the obstacles to major life change, and to make important changes stick 4 Why do most other attempts/treatments to control or reverse diabetes fail? Most attempts to control and reverse diabetes fail because most even those from the venerable diabetes researchand advocacy-based institutions like the American Diabetes Association give only lip service to the critical lifestyle factors
that are at the cause of the type-2 diabetes disease process When they do promote healthful lifestyle choices, they only go partway for example, recommending eating 4 ounces only of lean meat, rather than eschewing meat altogether Also, most efforts focus on drug treatments, which treat symptoms rather than causes, and often have unintended consequences that worsen the diabetes process, rather than ameliorate it In short, the usual prescription doesnt offer the patient the whole truth, that Type-2 diabetes is a disease of culture,
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a disease of choices The lifestyle medicine approach is intuitively simple: Different choices, different outcomes Different inputs, different results 5 If the methods you describe in your book are so effective and safe in stopping or even reversing Type 2 diabetes, why arent other doctors and medical professionals using this as their standard treatment? Some reasons the average doctor fails diabetes patients are: 1 They may assume you wont understand what you really need to know 2 They may assume you cant or wont do what they tell you to do 3 They may assume you want a magic bullet solution requiring minimal effort or change 4
Their training in drug use is extensive and their nutritional knowledge may be elementary at best 5 Theyre excited by the promises offered by newfangled technology, to the point of ignoring the wisdom of the ages 6 Theyre trained to focus on treating symptoms, not preventing or attacking the cause of chronic disease 7 Theyre not doing much better with their personal lifestyle choices than their patients with diabetes 8 They likely have never experienced the remarkable health improvement resulting from positive lifestyle change 6 Why do you believe doctors need to change how they are trained and how they treat and interact with patients? Medical schools must change their teaching paradigm soon to incorporate much more nutritional and behavioral education, or our culture will continue to suffer the dire consequences as the Standard American Diet gets worse and diabetes onset begins earlier and earlier American doctors are not experts at treating chronic diseases, especially diabetes, which most believe involves an inevitable devolution toward death from a constellation of very unpleasant effects, such as eye, kidney, nerve, blood vessel, and heart damage These so-called effects are
the result,not of the diagnosis of diabetes itself, but of the process of uncontrolled diabetes: chronic high blood sugar, and chronic high insulin levels If those are both under control, which they can be through the right lifestyle choices, patients can expect much better outcomes 7 Is the United States on the verge of a diabetes and obesity epidemic that is just going to not only shorten lives and limit lifestyles, but also cripple the healthcare industry and adversely impact the economy? What you see in America as you observe citizens in its grocery stores, shopping malls, and hospital rooms is only the tip of the iceberg The US is already well involved in a diabetes and obesity pandemic that is already shortening lives, limiting lifestyles, and beginning to cripple the healthcare industry, eventually leading to an economic catastrophe, especially as Boomers reach that age Predictions are even more dire as we focus on the younger generation More than a third of American children are overweight, and more than half in that group are considered obese Were in trouble and we must change 8 Why do you believe a plant-based diet is superior to the Standard American Diet? While most
Americans about 95 percent eat animal products regularly, the evidence is overwhelming that a diet high in animal protein, saturated fats, and cholesterol will increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, and even some cancers There are also other hazards that many people do not often think about, including the danger of catching a communicable illness from the animal foods you eat–in other words, getting food poisoning In short, these are the six main health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet over the Standard American Diet: 1 More fiber–only PB foods have fiber 2 Less total fat and no saturated fat–
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PB fats like those in avocados and nuts are healthier 3 Much less unhealthy trans-fat partially hydrogenated oils, if processed foods are avoided 4 Much less dietary cholesterol–the body 9 makes all the cholesterol it needs, and any excess cholesterol in the diet is unhealthful 5 More antioxidants 6 More phytochemicals 10 Are you pro-carb? Why? Were absolutely pro-carb In fact, our diet is about 65-70 percent carb, yet our patients take less insulin, and have better blood sugar control in the short and
long term The secret is simple: whole grain unprocessed carbohydrates convert to sugar more slowly, and pack a high-fiber punch that further dulls blood sugar spikes, even while making us feel more full Even better than that, the fiber component of carbohydrates comes with no calories We share other carb secrets with our patients, too, such as eating northern fruits and above-the-ground vegetables 11 Is America overmedicated? A majority of our patients significantly reduce or eliminate at least some of their diabetes medicines including their insulin after just a short time on our program We believe that most approved drugs for blood sugar, cholesterol, and high blood pressure work at least moderately well But they shouldnt be used as the primary treatment modality for type-2 diabetes First of all, theyre quite expensive Theyre usually focused on chasing some number, and theyre frequently not prescribed until your condition has had plenty of time to mature to the point of causing symptoms Ttheyre too frequently over-prescribed; and, finally, they almost never address the cause of the disease Indeed, many of the most popular drugs might actually be worsening the underlying
condition For example, some diabetes drugs, if taken without improved diet and physical activity, will cause weight gain, which ultimately worsens the process called insulin resistance, making diabetes condition worse, not better This means patients will eventually need you guessed it more drugs The enormous influence of the pharmaceutical industry, and most doctors and patients penchant for the magic bullet of drugs, are to blame Even most people with type-1 diabetes can and should significantly reduce their insulin intake to normal physiologic levels if they want to avoid major complications Insulin is a growth hormone, and too much of it in the system can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and other serious problems 12 Where do you disagree with the guidelines of treatment of the American Medical Association and the American Diabetes Association? While the big national diabetes organizations are respected, noble and valuable institutions, offering vital research and many fine services for people with diabetes, we believe many of their guidelines for diabetes control are not on target for optimal health for people with diabetes It is only on the basis of its current
implementation of the mission–not the mission itself–that we believe the ADA is misguided The various diets it recommends are sub-optimal for the treatment and reversal of diabetes They do not eliminate unhealthy food groups, such as meat and dairy Instead, they restrict the amounts of these foods the patient should eat The ADA also doesnt make as strong a distinction as we do between the right kind of carbohydrates whole grains and the wrong kind processed foods And, in fact, our diet includes more carbs in general than the ADAs–and significantly less protein The diet we recommend, while it eliminates animal foods, actually does not restrict the patient nearly as much as the ADA diet Studies also show that a total plant-based diet, such
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as ours, is superior to the ADA diet in improving diabetes control, weight loss, lipid reductions, and kidney function
Its tacit support of the proposition that people with diabetes should eat up to six small meals a day to avoid hypoglycemia is potentially contraindicated to the proper treatment of diabetes, and necessary only if patients subscribe to its recommended diets Its reluctance to be more transparent about the
power of lifestyle approaches to the treatment and reversal of diabetes call its scientific objectivity into question Its inextricable ties to the pharmaceutical industry and the US government can potentially further distort its objectivity The ADA has proven ineffectual in stemming the pandemic of diabetes either by prevention, disease management, or reversal that must be stemmed if we as a nation are to avoid the devastating potential c 
onsequences on our economy and culture Most AMA doctors and healthcare experts are not recommending target goals that are optimal for diabetes care Some guidelines for diabetes control recommended blood sugar range, diet, and physical activity guidelines, for example are significantly sub-optimal The whole diabetes industry and medical profession, notwithstanding remarkable advances in research, technology, and pharmaceuticals, is not necessarily giving you the whole truth all the time 13 Which plays a bigger role in a diabetics recovery insulin, diet, or exercise? Why? Diet, physical activity, and drugs can all play key roles in recovery from diabetes, but we believe drugs should be used only when absolutely necessary, always in the minimum
dosage necessary, and always as adjuncts to proper lifestyle choices Drugs should not be the first choice of doctors or patients The TV commercials promoting the latest drugs, suggesting their products for When diet and exercise arent enough are misleading because consumer-level dietary information is woefully confusing and inadequate Very few patients ever adopt ideal lifestyle choices like optimal good nutrition and proper physical activities before turning to pharmaceuticals If they did, many–if not most–would not need drugs at all 14 Why do so many experts with big degrees and years of experience disagree on how to effectively treat diabetes or to eat a healthy diet? Why are there so many contradictory claims being touted? It can be very difficult for the average individual to sort through the maze of information they are confronted with, especially when it comes to nutritional issues It can even be difficult for those who are scientifically trained to determine what claims are valid Many claims are made on the basis of results that are not scientifically determined, yet they make their way into publications and advertisements, and they are stated with an authority that can
be difficult to refute But there are some things the average person can look for when trying to spot the frauds First, if there is a need to buy special foods or supplements from the expert making the recommendations, this is a red flag Second, if a nutritional recommendation seems to benefit an isolated condition, but in the process may aggravate other conditions, then the recommendation is likely not a good one to follow A healthy, ideal nutritional recommendation like ours will be good for all chronic disease conditions and it will promote overall health It will not rely on special foods or supplements that can be purchased only from the purveyor of the
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claim, and, it will not be excessive or imbalanced in nature It also will be possible to follow for a lifetime
15 What do people typically fail to do when pursuing a healthier lifestyle? Typically, people fail to really transform their lives at all–they merely make short-term, often radical overly restrictive, unbalanced, or even unhealthful adjustments to targeted areas only, and these are doomed to failure Simply giving up red meat, or trying to spot- reduce abdominal fat wont cut it, nor will
eliminating all fruits–or living entirely on grapefruit for a week Our program includes two pillars we almost never see in typical diets:and our cognitive behavior therapy component helps people use simple tools to start and maintain important changes The component we call spiritual, asks people the all-important, but so often ignored, question, Good Health–For What? Why do you want to feel better and get better? If you focus on how good health could bring meaning to your life –more time with your kids or grandkids, the ability to travel or continue to work, etc–youre more apt to make and maintain changes 16 What are some myths floating out there about diabetes? Much of what you hear or read about diabetes is riddled with myths, ignorance, and misconceptions Here are a few encouraging truths about diabetes, to counter those myths: 1 Diabetes is not a death sentence Your lifestyle choices about diet and physical activity can have a tremendous influence on your health, wellbeing, and longevity 2 Having diabetes does not mean you will have awful complications like blindness, kidney damage, and amputations Commonsense lifestyle changes in diet and activity outlined in The 30-Day
Diabetes Miracle can drastically reduce and often eliminate such complications 3 Diabetes is not primarily a genetic disease You have to trigger a genetic predisposition by lifestyle choices 4 It is not best for you to place your diabetes management solely in the hands of your doctor An educated, proactive patient should work cooperatively with an encouraging physician to jointly make decisions key to conquer the disease 17 Why isnt the government doing more to prevent the occurrence of diabetes? Are health insurance companies at fault, too? Insurance companies are a main culprit in Americas failure to stem the pandemic of diabetes Third-party providers are not in the business of caring The payer doesnt care who you are as patients, nor who we are as doctors They dont even care about your problems–only insofar as those problems relate to the bottom line, their costs This means that our relationship has been meddled with in a fundamental and destructive way We can no longer communicate person-to-person, doctor-to-patient, the way we used to This outside force is now managing much of the interchange, with deleterious effects for all of us Especially disruptive is the practice of
HMOs reducing our exchange with you to a cutthroat per-patient reimbursement, which has become lower while the physician office overhead continues to get higher Reimbursements are paltry Because of that, we are forced to maximize the number of patients we see in a given day, and therefore minimize the time we spend per-patient This probably seems awfully heartless, but the simple truth is that doctors cant earn a reasonable living while spending enough time with their individual patients As for the government, it is has consistently failed the American people on the diabetes front in several ways, including allowing physical education programs in schools to lapse; and in selling out its diet and nutrition guidelines to special interests like the meat, egg, and dairy industries The political influence exerted on the
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USDA and Congress has lead to a culture that believes in order to be healthy we need to consume such unhealthy foods
18 Ian, how did the program that you write about in the book save your life? In short, I went from barely being able to climb the stairs in 2005, to summiting Mt Kilimanjaro in 2007 Since beginning the program three years ago, Ive
dropped 30 pounds, so Im back at my high school weight and waist size again I cut my insulin intake by more than halfwhich is why I was able to lose the weight I came off my triglyceride drug and three other medicines I lowered my resting heart rate to an athletic level, according to my doctor I got out of pain; and I adopted a whole new way of thinking about food, stress, and physical activity Ive got my blood sugars under super-tight control now–better than many people without diabetes My doctor back home now asks me to print out my blood sugar patterns using the software that came with my insulin pump He makes copies and shows his other patients whats possible with good education and motivation–with good choices I got my life back, and my hope Im convinced now that theres no reason I should suffer the usual complications of diabetes I understand now that those complications are a function of high blood sugar and high insulin levels, both of which I have under tight control by following the prescription in The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle 19 What type of responsibility does the individual have in preventing or treating - - diabetes? When it comes to type-2 diabetes, most of our
patients got themselves into that mess by the choices they made, and only by changing those choices can they now get out We have proven that patients can, through wise lifestyle choices, overcome, reverse, and even cure their disease But this good news comes with a serious caveat We remind patients all the time that, If its to be, its up to me In other words, your doctor wont do it for you Even our book wont do it for you You have to take charge of your own body, your own disease, and your own destiny You have to make some fundamental, but do-able, changes in your thinking and your behavior 20 Why is it so difficult for individuals to take control of their health? Our program will require a major departure from the way youve all been brought up to think about health care, disease, food, and other basic tenets of our culture For many, this is a big adjustment Most of us are still caught up in negative, pessimistic thinking when it comes to our health Too many of us think: 1 Our chronic disease determines our fate 2 Our doctor is our health care boss 3 When we get sick, the latest wonder drug is the solution 4 Our unhealthy habits are binding, too potent and ingrained to ever change,
or, Whats the use? Its in my genes and I cant change them We disagree wholeheartedly with these counterproductive ways of thinking, and we offer many simple cognitive tools for overcoming such negative thinking in order to break through to positive change 21 How does your books 30-day prescription to better health compare to the 18-day boot camps that youve seen work wonders for thousands of people? The residential programs offered at our Sulphur, Oklahoma and Sedona, Arizona facilities are radical lifestyle interventions under constant supervision by medical professionals Patients get the whole package, all at once, in a very controlled environment where diet, physical activity, and lab results are all carefully and constantly monitored Patients, on a daily basis, see their doctors, nurses,
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nutritionists, physical trainers, behavioral counselors, and lecturers, with all the pillars of our program supporting optimal benefits As a result, patients see remarkable results fast But for the properly motivated patient, the supervised intervention isnt necessary You, too, can achieve a miracle at home 22 Why do you call your treatment plan a miracle? It is really
our patients who call the plan a miracle We have heard it so many times from our patients They believe it is truly a miracle when they see their blood sugar under control for the first time in years, yet at the same time they are taking less medication than before they came to see us Usually, they arrive at Lifestyle Center of America without any hope their diabetes will ever be controlled Then, two weeks later they leave, and they are not only controlling the disease, but they are actually reversing it in many cases If you lower your blood sugar, insulin resistance, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and risk of heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimers disease, and cancer all with good food and less medicine, or none at all Couldnt you call that a miracle? Would you even call it a cure?
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Source:nym.org
