Type II Diabetes... Or NOT

When I want to decipher whether or not someone is eating incorrectly, I will take a look at his or her triglycerides. It is part of your routine cholesterol panel and I’m sure you’ve had it checked in the past year or so. High cholesterol does not predict an early death, but triglycerides are your dietary tattletale. Many individuals who live well into their 90’s have had cholesterol numbers between 200-300mg/dL. High triglycerides may be a different story, and suggest that the diet is overabundant in sugar, breads and/or alcohol. It may even be an indicator of metabolic syndrome (prediabetes). If your triglycerides are over 100mg/dL, this article is for you.

Unfortunately, mainstream medicine still associates high triglycerides with a high fat diet. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is that a low fat diet is typically high in carbohydrates and foods that easily break down into sugar. This causes blood sugars to spike, abdominal fat to take hold, and I’ll bet your triglycerides are above the recommended the high limit of 150mg/dL. This will usually take place a few years before your doctor declares you have succumb to the dreaded world of diabetes. Your doctor is probably nicer than I am, as I would have declared you diabetic a few years earlier.

You have the ability to reverse all of this and I have had the pleasure of seeing people reverse their diagnosis of type II diabetes many times. There is no supplement, medication or magic potion to take. It is all about food. Everything you put in your mouth from this day forward will dictate how this goes for you. If you’d rather not take this responsibility on, then continue to take medications (which will become numerous) and suffer the complications. Your blood pressure will elevate along with your weight. Circulation in your extremities and even your penis will be affected, causing a lack of sensation and erectile issues. Sugar substitutes will give you a monster sweet tooth that will destroy your brain, and before you know it, you’re fatter than ever. Early onset dementia or Alzheimer’s will likely not be far down the road. If you have lived a low-fat lifestyle, this will happen sooner rather than later.

So for those of you who would like to take responsibility for your own health, the plan is fairly simple once you break some bad habits.

1. Eat lots of vegetables. Minimize fruit.
2. Do not eat man-made foods. Eat food as it has been taken out of nature. Stop eating cereal, sandwiches, fast food and microwavable meals.
3. Learn how to cook. It’s not hard and it is usually the case of being lazy rather than not knowing how to prepare food.
4. Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners if you need to sweeten something. A small amount of honey, real maple syrup or raw sugar is best.
5. Learn to like water. Stop the flavored drinks and juices.
6. Avoid bread.
7. Keep alcohol to a minimum. Regular drinkers often suffer the consequences of elevated triglycerides. Be wary of this potential downfall.

That’s it! That is all you have to do to reverse what you may think is just a matter of genetics. It is your choice to have type II diabetes and I apologize if I am making it sound too simple—but it really is.