Treating Diabetes Naturally
FEATURE
Todd Singleton
DC
When we think of deadly diseases, diabetes isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. It didn’t used to seem like a disease that was very dangerous. However, a little research shows that diabetes is the impending epidemic that will eventually be the downfall of a first-world society and a huge burden on the healthcare system. Let’s look at a few statistics from the American Diabetes Association to illustrate this point1:
• In 2015, 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes, of which 1.25 million were children and adults with type 1 diabetes. That means that most cases of diabetes are the more easily preventable type 2 diabetes.
• Approximately 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
• In 2015, 84.1 million Americans age 18 and older had prediabetes. That’s about one in every three adults.
• Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 332,341 death certificates listing it as the underlying or contributing cause of death.
• The total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012 was $245 billion—$176 billion for direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity.
I could hardly believe my eyes when I first read those statistics. It’s as if diabetes snuck up on us while we were innocently enjoying our donuts and soda! However, it’s also
“The pancreas’s job is to secrete the hormone insulin into the bloodstream.
quite understandable, considering that the standard American diet consists largely of sugars and carbohydrates. It’s time for diabetes to be considered a real threat to the well-being of our communities, and that we fight it at its root—not put metaphorical Band-Aids over the existing diabetic population.
Why Is It So Pervasive?
First, let’s make it clear that type 2 diabetes is the culprit here since the cause of type 1 diabetes is largely unknown and most believe it is mainly genetic (only 5% of diabetic patients have type 1 diabetes2). However, type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity and is considered to be preventable and manageable, and because it is associated with being overweight, we can identify most of the problem:
The pancreas’s job is to secrete the hormone insulin into the bloodstream. When we have the right amount of insulin in our blood, it regulates the level of sugar in our bloodstream by distributing it to the cells that need the energy. Our pancreas then secretes less insulin as the sugar level in our bloodstream lowers. Diabetes manifests when there is too much glucose in the blood and the pancreas is not producing enough insu-
lin (or has stopped altogether). Without enough insulin, the bloodstream simply becomes saturated with the sugar that the insulin is no longer distributing to our blood cells. This leaves us tired, thirsty, excessively urinating, hungry, and experiencing blurry vision. If left untreated, complications such as cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, hearing impairment, nephropathy, eye damage, skin conditions, and Alzheimer’s disease can result.3
Prevention Is Key; Management Is Necessary
The good news is that whether your patients are prediabetic and focused on prevention or they’ve already been diagnosed, the protocols are the same. A sound nutritional diet and regular exercise will go a long way in preventing and managing diabetes. When a patient presents with diabetes (or is even concerned about one day developing the symptoms), I would suggest the following list of things to focus on for effective management.
• Exercise at least four days a week for at least 30 minutes a day. If they are unable to do 30 minutes at one time, they can break it up into multiple smaller units of time, but get moving. The exercises should vary between aerobic (cardio) and resistance training.
• Get regular eye exams. Since diabetes often manifests in the form of vision complications, it is essential to have routine optometrist visits.
• Mind your feet. Check them regularly for sores, pain,
redness, or swelling. Nerve damage in the extremities is common in diabetic patients.
• Quit smoking and lower alcohol intake. Both of these can quickly complicate the symptoms of diabetes.
• Lower your stress factors. Stress can raise blood sugar by disrupting insulin production, so make sure that something calming is part of a daily routine.
• Focus on healthy eating! This is the most important task of all. It is essential for everyone to learn what constitutes a nutritious meal, and what is appropriate for a healthy lifestyle and continual well-being.
What to Eat
Because diet plays such a vital role in managing diabetes, I am devoting an entire section to that last bullet point. The importance of diet cannot be overstated, and your patients should know this by the time they are finished consulting with you.
Recommended Eating:
• Very limited or zero use of grains and dairy
• Lots of organic dark leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables
• Limited quantities of organic fruits
• Organic poultry and eggs
• Wild-caught fish
• Sparing use of organic, grass-fed red meat
• Unrefined, cold-pressed olive and coconut oil
Acceptable Eating:
• Whole grain products
• Conventional (nonorganic) fruits and vegetables
• Conventional (nonorganic) poultry and eggs
• Farm-raised fish
• Refined olive and coconut oils
• Unrefined cane sugar and natural sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, agave)
Foods to Avoid:
• Refined grains (white bread, pastries, cookies, crackers, etc.)
• Refined vegetable oils (soybean, canola, sunflower, etc.)
• Refined sugar (found in soda, candy, ice cream, etc.)
• All fast food and junk food (anything heavily processed and refined)
• Large amounts of red meat (beef, pork)
• Alcoholic or caffeinated beverages
The objective here is to get lots of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as fiber, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. With a diet rich in non-starchy vegetables and high in fiber, your patients will feel noticeably different, lose weight, and prevent the onset of diabetes, or easily manage existing diabetes. They will be amazed at how your practice changed their lives.
Concluding Thoughts
When the pancreas is overwhelmed with the need for in-
sulin because of too much glucose in the bloodstream (from sugar and carbohydrates), it overexerts itself for a while, but then simply cannot keep pace with the demand and closes shop. At that point, most patients will head to their MD for some insulin drugs, vision drugs, and painkillers, but you can be the doctor who helps patients manage their diabetes through healthy living and continual well-being. As a chiropractor, you have all of the tools to make a huge dent in the epidemic sweeping across America. What a way to show how essential your practice is to the community!
References:
1. Statistics About Diabetes, (n. d.). Retrieved A ugust 29, 2017, from http: //www. diabetes, org/diabetes-basics/statistics/
2. Type 1 Diabetes, (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2017, from http:// www. diabetes, org/diabetes-basics/type-l/?loc =db-slabnav
3. Diabetes Complications. (2014, July 31). Retrieved A ugust 29, 2017, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ diabetes/basics/complications/con-20033091
Dr. Todd Singleton, DC, is an author, speaker, and consultant who has been a practicing doctor for more than 25 years. He ran the largest MD DC PT clinics in Utah before switching to an all-cash nutrition model in 2006. He created a very successful cash practice in Salt Take City and now spends his time speaking, teaching, consulting, and visiting other offices all over the United States. For more information on implementing nutritional protocols in your clinic, call 801-917-0900 or visit www.ArticlesByDrSingleton.com.
