We’ve all seen the “Got Milk” commercials — very appealing … catchy phrase …

But, have you noticed that most of the people in these ads are beautiful women? or athletes? celebrities? cute kids? cute animals? Don’t fat people drink milk?

We’ve all seen the commercials about milk supposedly being able to help us lose weight. And, if you believe that, then, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

Most of us have grown up drinking milk — I remember I didn’t like milk, but my parents said it was good for us.

During my recovery, I stopped drinking milk and eating most dairy products — this seemed to contribute to what my doctors called a miraculous recovery from near-death, potential cataract surgery, and the threat of double-leg amputation.

During my diabetes and heart disease workshops, teleseminars, and classes, I’m always asked one or more of the following questions

“What do you have against milk?”
“Why do you list milk in your book as one of “the 5 “dead” foods“?
“Don’t we need milk for the calcium?”

Unfortunately, we’ve all been bamboozled and hood-winked into believing that milk is good for us and for our children.

Now, if you’re relatively healthy, then, your body may be able to handle this “dead” food. But, if you’re diabetic, overweight, or struggling with some kind of illness, then, your body may not be able to handle cow’s milk.

Some of the Problems with Cow’s Milk
There are quite a few health-related problems associated with cow’s milk, especially for children and older adults:

• Dead enzymes (can leads to auto-immune problems, i.e. Type 1 diabetes, lupus, , limited brain development, autism)
• Mucous-forming (leads to allergies, frequent colds, ear infections, auto-immune problems)
• HFCS or some other hidden -ose (leads to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, ADHD, limited brain development)
• Dead calcium (ok for children who have the lactase enzyme, but bad for adults)
• Hormone abnormalities via the growth hormones fed to the cows
• Weakened immune system via the antibiotics fed to the cows

All of this makes children weak physically, mentally, and emotionally; and sets the stage for children to be introduced a lot earlier to OTC drugs, and eventually prescription drugs — when their bodies have not matured enough (especially the immune system) to handle the subtle toxins from the drugs. As a result, they become biochemically-dependent on the drugs — from the food and the medications …

If your child doesn’t like milk, consider it a blessing.

Now I know what some of you are thinking: Where do you get the calcium if you don’t drink milk?

Well, there are a lot better ways to get calcium than by drinking “dead” milk, i.e. spinach, broccoli, mustard greens, collard greens, other green, leafy vegetables, okra, watercress, beans, sardines, wild salmon, tofu, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, apricots, figs, currants, oranges, low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, raw milk.

And, keep in mind that there are 2 types of calcium: “dead” calcium and “living” calcium.

So, which calcium do you think is better for a child, or even an adult?

Unfortunately, many of these foods have been marketed to us and our children as healthy foods for years! — thanks to television, the newspapers,  health magazines, radio, and other media.

In addition, so-called experts such as doctors, dietitians, nutritionists and diabetes educators, and other healthcare professionals promote many of these foods as healthy. Why? Because that’s were they were told!

But it turns out that many of these foods fuel Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, allergies, auto-immune diseases, chronic fatigue, erectile dysfunction, depression, constant headaches, and other chronic illnesses.

Here’s the current list of so-called healthy foods, and the list continues to grow:

Artificial sweeteners (i.e. Splenda, aspartame, sucralose)
Baby aspirin (don’t be fooled by the word “baby” and think it’s safe!)
Bottled water (More than 52% is tap water!, plus the plastic issue)
Bottled water with added minerals (a marketing gimmick)
Canned tomatoes (make sure they’re organic)
Canola oil (man-made, hydrogenated)
Cereal (gateway food to cow’s milk, full of sugar)
Corn-fed beef (corn — that’s how you get fat — and fast!)
Corn oil (bad for the cardiovascular system)
Diabetic foods, i.e. Glucerna (run the other way! — full of chemicals and trans fats)
p.s. There’s no such thing as “diabetic food”!
Diet foods/drinks (full of chemicals that create cravings)
English muffins (mostly refined flour now)
Farmed salmon (full of dyes and other chemicals, contains very little Omega-3s)
Fat-free foods (usually full of sugar or other chemicals)
Fish (mostly farmed, very little Omega-3s — stick with wild salmon)
Fruit bars (full of refined sugar, HFCS, PHO)
Fruit cocktail (full of sugar — avoid the heavy syrup)
Fruit juice ( lots of sugar, HFCS and dead chemicals)
Frozen dinners (full of chemicals and trans fat)
Granola (read the ingredients!)
Low-fat foods ( usually full of sugar and/or salt)
Low-sodium foods (usually full of synthetic chemicals to “taste” like salt)
Microwave popcorn (be careful, especially the popcorn with the fake butter!)
Milk (cow’s milk is full of antibiotics, growth hormones — save your children!)
Oatmeal (yeah, I know — everyone is shocked by that one)
Organic juice (organic? in a bottle? yeah, right — it’s pasteurized!)
Peanut butter (full of trans fats and HFCS — try almond butter)
Potatoes (especially the white potatoes — without the skin)
Tilapia (used to be a good fish, now overly-farmed)
Seven-grain bread (read the label — usually flour is the first ingredient)
Soy (yeah, we Americanized a good thing from the Asians)
Soy milk (too much sugar)
Soy protein (unless it contains genestein and daidzein)
Splenda (it’s artificial!)
Sugar-free food (contains some kind of sugar, look for –ose in the ingredients)
Turkey hot dogs (full of nitrates, antibiotics, growth hormones, other chemicals)
Tylenol ( run the other way and save your liver!)
Vitamin pills (i.e. One-A-Day, Centrum — they’re just “rocks” of synthetic minerals)
Vitamin water (contains synthetic vitamins)
Wheat bread  (yeah, not as healthy as we thought)
Whole grain bread (read the label — usually mostly flour)
Whole grain muffin (usually mostly flour)
Whole wheat bread (not that whole …)
Yogurt (it taste nasty so you would think it must be healthy)
Yogurt drinks ( taste better, but full of sugar!)

I know what you’re thinking — what else is there left to eat?

The good news is that there are lots of good, healthy foods out there. In fact, many of the foods listed above can be enjoyed because there are healthier versions of these foods described in the cookbook and Food Tips ebook.

The American Diabetes Association is Searching for a Cure. Sure, they are. They are simply taking your money and promoting the drug and food companies agenda. That’s in my opinion and in those of many other diabetics. By the way, I worked (as a volunteer) for the ADA for more than 3 years.

Diabetes makes you fat.  Being overweight may be caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. It is a fact that the majority of diabetics are overweight. The diabetes is a symptom with the same causes as the weight gain.

Cinnamon lowers blood sugars. While cinnamon can enhance the tastes of foods, it has not been proven to lower blood sugar readings over the long term. There was a study that showed an reduction in blood sugar but it did not last. Subsequent studies have not shown any benefit from cinnamon. Gorging on cinnamon can cause liver inflammation so use in moderation.

Diabetics should be on a low fat diet. Not true. Diabetics need the good fats in their diets just like everyone else. These low fat diets were the knee jerk reactions to problems caused by the bad fats in our diets. Diabetics should concentrate on avoiding junk foods and eat diets containing foods that stabilize blood sugars.

Insulin cures Diabetes.  Nope. It helps control sugar levels by ushering glucose into the cells. The underlying causes are unchanged. Taking insulin forming pills or insulin is simply buying time to seek a cure.

The only way to treat diabetes is with medicine. Wow, I could write for days on this. To me, taking medication for type 2 diabetes is a short term solution. Once you change your diet and exercise routines, medicine should be unneeded. On this subject I will be at odds with traditionally educated doctors.

Treating diabetes with medication is all I need to do.  If that were so then how do you explain the shortened lifespan of a diabetic?

As long as I take my pills or shots I can eat anything.   If you believe this, I have a bridge to sell you. Pills or shots only hide the symptoms of your diabetes, while the diabetes continues to rot out your body!

Diabetes is incurable. – At least that is what we’ve all been told. Is diabetes curable? Somehow these experts haven’t talked to all the people who are living medication and insulin free. You won’t see their stories in the popular diabetes magazines either. That doesn’t sell advertising to drug companies. There are many former diabetics who lead drug free lives because they changed their former self destructive eating habits and added regular exercise. Today,  there are many doctors like Dr. Rosedale, Dr. Mercola, Dr. Young, and Dr. Oz who are challenging this myth and proving it to be untrue. There is no pill you can take to cure diabetes or any other disease.

In some cases the very people that claim to be helping diabetics are lying to them.

Although it is very important to learn everything you can about diabetes, it may be just as important to unlearn a lot of things you believe to be true about diabetes, drugs, and nutrition.

Here are several myths and misunderstandings about diabetes, drugs, nutrition and other related topics.

Myth: Diabetes is just a little sugar problem – it’s not that serious.

Truth: Diabetes is a disease that affects trillions of cells in the body and, gradually, leads to complications such as heart attack, stroke, amputation, kidney failure, and blindness. So, diabetes is serious . . .  very serious.

Myth: Eating sweets and your genetics cause diabetes.

Truth: Eating sweets does not cause diabetes – they make you fat, which can lead to diabetes. Although your genetics can play a partial role in diabetes, the eating and cooking habits that are passed down from one generation to the next are more significant contributors, when combined with a sedentary lifestyle. Look at your genetics as being the “loaded gun” and your eating habits/lifestyle as “pulling the trigger”. As long as you don’t pull the trigger, the loaded gun can’t harm you! Your body may have a genetic predisposition to acquire diabetes, but, if you make better decisions than your ancestors about food, exercise, and lifestyle, then it is not a forgone conclusion that you will become diabetic.

Myth: There is no cure for diabetes – once a diabetic, always a diabetic.

Truth: The treatment protocol for Type 2 diabetes is drug therapy, which is designed to suppress the symptoms of the disease and not address the root causes of the disease. And, therefore, the disease cannot be cured. However, there is sufficient clinical evidence that shows lifestyle changes (such as nutrition, exercise, testing, and spiritual health) can prevent and control Type 2 diabetes. And, once the diabetes is under control, further lifestyle changes may reverse the effects of the disease – if the treatment focuses on repairing the trillions of defective cells.

Myth: Diabetes is not as serious if you are taking pills instead of insulin.

Truth: Diabetes should be taken as seriously regardless of whether you are taking pills or injections. Unfortunately, because we live in a drug-tolerant society that sees pills as “normal”, we don’t really believe our health is in any danger if we are taking pills. Either way, the diabetes will still progress and lead to other health complications. In fact, pills lull diabetics into a comfort zone and a false sense of wellness that eventually fails them.

Author’s Note: A co-worker thought that he was safe taking a pill, but today is on insulin because the disease continued to progress.

Myth: You can control your diabetes by avoiding the carbs.

Truth: You may be able to temporarily lower your blood glucose level, but you can’t avoid a major macronutrient such as carbohydrates and expect to get healthy. Besides, not all carbohydrates are bad – it’s the refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, and cereals that are the problem. However, good carbohydrates, such as broccoli and Brussel sprouts, actually provide some of the missing saccharides, which help to repair the cells and reduce the insulin resistance.

Note: Recent research indicates that cells have a thin carbohydrate (“sugar”) coating (glycocalyx) of glycoproteins and glycolipids that support cellular communications and the immune and endocrine systems.

Myth: It costs more to eat healthy foods.

Truth: It does cost more to eat healthy foods – in the short term. Fresh vegetables and fruits cost more than a box of macaroni and cheese. Sprouted-grain bread cost more than wheat bread. Organic brown rice cost more than white rice. However, as your health improves, you will save money with over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs, doctor visits, physical exams, hospital stays, and the quantity of groceries.

Myth: Most people (including diabetics) do not like taking drugs.

Truth: Surprisingly, most people prefer to take drugs – in lieu of making changes to their lifestyle, nutrition, or exercise regimen. Most people will deny that they like taking drugs, but the facts show that more than 65% of the people in the United States take prescription and/or over-the-counter drugs; and, more than 60% take multiple drugs. This is due to our intolerance to personal pain and suffering – why suffer if there’s a drug that will eliminate the pain? Also, there is the belief that the drugs are “working” because they do what they are advertised to do, e.g. reduce pain, lower blood pressure, lower blood glucose, lower cholesterol. It will require a major paradigm shift in our thinking to move away from drugs as the solution to our health problems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7xpTxVAqQE (last 2 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKA8uMEOOhI (first 5 minutes)

Here’s a doctor on his radio show talking about Mr. McCulley:

Here are some (humorous) video clips from workshops, conferences, and lectures:

Here’s a “fun” interview with a local radio show host, and Mr. McCulley talking about his daughter:

Introductions by a doctor, a NYC cardiologist, and the director of a health federation

Diabetes Overview & Nutritional strategy video:

What causes diabetes, engineering methodologies:

The Power of Blood Glucose Testing:

Why the American Diabetes Association Fired Mr. McCulley:

Videos on the Death to Diabetes website:

http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Death_to_Diabetes_Videos.html

http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Death_to_Diabetes_Videos2.html

The Death to Diabetes^® Health & Wellness Reverse Diabetes Program is a well-structured program designed by an ex-diabetic engineer, who utilizes approved medical protocols and leverages several areas of medical science, including the pathophysiology of Type 2 diabetes, epidemiology, etiology, and morbidity and mortality rates.

The Death to Diabetes^® Health & Wellness Program is a science-based program that utilizes the latest research in nutritional science and various engineering methodologies.

This program is also a spiritual-based program that recognizes the importance of faith and the belief in a higher power; and the importance of emotional support to provide real hope and fuel one’s inner drive to take responsibility and accountability of their own health.

The program also includes a train-the-trainer training kit for people in the wellness industry who want to grow their business.

Why the Death to Diabetes^® Diet-for-Diabetics Works to Reverse and Cure Your Diabetes

Uniqueness of the Death to Diabetes Program

The Death to Diabetes^® program will work when all the other programs have failed you because the Death to Diabetes^® program provides a real diet for diabetics and goes beyond just controlling your blood sugar to address the inflammation markers and other critical blood test parameters that fuel Type 2 diabetes and cause the damage to the cells, blood vessels, tissues, and organs.

As a result, your body is able to repair the damage, giving it the opportunity to reverse and defeat the disease.

Unfortunately, most of the diabetes programs out there fail because they focus strictly on controlling your blood sugar and do not address how to repair the damage caused by the diabetes. That’s one of the key reasons why people remain diabetic.

Here is a list of reasons why the Death to Diabetes^® Program will work and is unique from all the other programs:

1. The program was developed by an engineer, who understands biochemistry, nutritional science, pathology, etiology and cellular function.
2. The program was developed by someone who successfully recovered from a coma and weaned himself off insulin and other drugs– people find this to be inspirational.
3. The program was developed by someone who actually beat the disease! (to show other diabetics that they can, too).
4. The author understands the science of diabetes and its weaknesses, and how to attack it. (and, can help others get their diabetes under control).
5. The program is easy to implement and use.
6. The program is well-structured and easy to follow with 10 specific steps.
7. The scope and breadth of the book is comprehensive and deep (400 pages — most diabetes books are about 250 pages) and explains more than just how to beat diabetes. It explains how to beat heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol; and also how to improve the health of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, brain, pancreas, and cardiovascular system.
8. The “Death to Diabetes” book is popular and well-received, and has become one of the top-selling diabetes books around the world!
9. The program actually works, and can be verified after just 14 days of using the program. Some diabetics see their blood sugar level come down in less than 7 days.
10. The program enables the following health improvements, most of which can be measured by a medical doctor: a decrease in blood sugar, a loss of weight, lower BMI, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, elimination of chronic fatigue, an increase in energy, and increase in muscle tone.
11. The program is measurable and trackable, and therefore verifiable in less than 30 days.
12. The program defines the specific foods to eat and not eat, and why. There’s no guesswork, and therefore no confusion or frustration.
13. The program is comprehensive and addresses more than diet and exercise, including cleanse/detox, blood glucose testing, test data analysis, recordkeeping, spiritual health, knowledge acquisition, emotional support and other support systems. This program specifically explains why someone is diabetic.
14. The program explains diabetes at the cellular level but in a way that most people can understand the disease.
15. The program explains how to use specific super foods and blood glucose testing data to control, prevent, and reverse diabetes. The program explains exactly what to do if your blood glucose remains high, and why.
16. The program provides online support and other educational resources that go beyond the book.
17. The program provides other educational resources besides just the paperback book, including DVDs, CDs, ebooks, and tracking tools
18. The program goes beyond just providing products — it provides services, including workshops, teleseminars, webinars, and 1-on-1 coaching services.
19. The author has received positive feedback from diabetics, non-diabetics and even some doctors about the effectiveness of his book and wellness program. There are  testimonials on the website, feedback about the book on Amazon.com, and videos on YouTube where doctors and others recommend the book.

Program Results Summary

The “Death to Diabetes” book has become one of the top-selling diabetes books in America and around the world.

“Death to Diabetes!” is slowly becoming a rallying cry of many diabetics and family members who are suffering unnecessarily with this disease and its horrific complications of blindness, amputations, kidney dialysis, heart attack, and stroke.

Hypoglycemia Symptoms

Since a stable supply of glucose is required for the efficient functioning of every cell in the body, hypoglycemia can cause a wide range of symptoms affecting the whole body. Since the brain is most sensitive to changes in blood sugar levels however, the first signs of hypoglycemia are typically nervousness, faintness, dizziness, weakness etc.

Below is a list of hypoglycemia symptoms compiled by Dr. S. Gyland, a hypoglycemia specialist and a sufferer himself. This list was produced after Dr. Gyland has treated hundreds of patients for this condition.

Experienced by over 90% of hypoglycemics:

• Nervousness

Experienced by over 80%:

• Irritability
• Unexplained tiredness/Exhaustion
• Faintness
• Dizziness
• Tremors
• Cold Sweats
• Weakness (especially noticeable as being “weak at the knees”)

Experienced by over 70%:

• Depression
• Vertigo
• Drowsiness
• Headaches

Experienced by over 60%:

• Digestive disturbances
• Forgetfulness
• Insomnia
• Constant worrying
• Anxiety

Experienced by over 50%:

• Obesity
• Confused thinking
• Palpitations
• Muscle pain
• Indecisiveness
• Numbness

Experienced by over 40%:

• Asthma
• Unsocial, asocial, or antisocial behaviour
• Crying spells
• Lack of sex drive
• Allergies
• Lack of coordination
• Muscle Cramps
• Poor concentration
• Blurred vision
• Twitching and jerking muscles

Experienced by over 30%:

• Itching and crawling sensations on the skin
• Gasping for breath
• Smothering spell
• Staggering
• Sighing and yawning

Experienced by over 20%:

• Impotency (males)
• Night terrors
• Arthritis
• Phobias
• Fears
• Skin conditions
• Suicidal impulses

Experienced by over 10%:

• Nervous breakdowns

Experienced by over 2%:

• Convulsions

How does the body control blood sugar levels?

When we eat, our bodies break down carbohydrates from foods such as bread, rice, pasta, vegetables, fruit and milk products, into various sugar molecules. Ultimately these sugar molecules are broken down into glucose, the main energy source for the body. Glucose is absorbed directly into the bloodstream after food is consumed and digested, but it can’t enter the cells of most of the body’s tissues unless insulin is also present Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas.

When blood sugar levels rise, they signal cells, called beta cells, in the pancreas to release insulin. The presence of insulin in the bloodstream allows cells to take in glucose for use in energy production, and also signals the liver to reduce glucose production (we will learn about the liver’s role shortly). This action of insulin lowers the amount of glucose in the bloodstream and prevents it from reaching high levels, which also have bad effects on health (diabetes). In a healthy individual, as blood sugar levels return to normal, so does the secretion of insulin from the pancreas, ensuring that the blood sugar level doesn’t dip too low and result in hypoglycemia and associated symptoms.

The liver also plays an important role in maintaining blood sugar levels. After a meal, when blood sugarand insulin levels are elevated, the liver takes up excess glucose and stores it in the form of glycogen. Along with insulin, this process helps to prevent blood sugar levels rising too high. Between meals, when blood sugar and insulin levels drop, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose, and releases it back into the bloodstream, preventing blood sugar levels from dipping too low. Should the supply of glucose to the body be disrupted, the liver is also capable of producing extra glucose itself, through a process called gluconeogenesis. The liver uses various glucose precursors to manufacture glucose.

Through all the above mechanisms the healthy body is able to maintain blood sugar levels within a narrow range, ensuring smooth production of energy within the body’s cells and avoiding the adverse effects of blood sugar levels straying too far from this range.

How does hypoglycemia occur?

In the medical literature, the most common cause of hypoglycemia is an incorrect dose of insulin in people with diabetes. In people who don’t have diabetes, common causes of hypoglycemia include:

Mistaken Medicine Use – Accidentally taking someone else’s oral diabetes medication is a common cause of hypoglycemia.

Other Medicines – Aside from diabetes medications, there are a number of other medicines that can have the effect of lowering blood sugar levels. One of the most commonly used medicines that may have this effect is quinine, which is used in the treatment of malaria and leg cramps.

Alcohol Consumption – High alcohol consumption can interfere with glucose metabolism. Excessive intake of alcohol can deplete the liver’s stores of glycogen and reduce its ability to control blood sugar levels.

Illness – Hypoglycemia has long been known to be a symptom of a number of serious illnesses. Liver disease such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, as well as kidney disease, often cause hypoglycemia due to the major role these organs play in glucose production and maintenance of stable blood sugar levels. Endocrine diseases, those which affect hormone production, can also result in hypoglycemia, particularly diseases of the adrenal glands such as Addison’s disease. This is because adrenal hormones such as cortisol and DHEA play a key role in glucose metabolism.

Excessive Insulin Production – Some rare disorders such as beta-cell tumors result in the overproduction of insulin (hyperinsulinemia) and cause hypoglycemia.

In recent years, it has become apparent that there is another method by which excessive insulin production and hypoglycemia can occur, called insulin resistance. With respect to hypoglycemia in environmental illness patients, it is this method that we are most interested in, for reasons that will become apparent. Insulin resistance is often referred to in popular books and the media as Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X.

Insulin resistance is the name given to a condition in which, for a number of reasons, the body’s cells become less sensitive to the effects of insulin. The body reacts to this situation by producing more insulin with the common result being an overproduction of insulin causing blood sugar levels to drop too low. In this way, blood sugar levels swing from too high to too low. This is often referred to as a “blood sugar rollercoaster”.

As well as the symptoms produced by the hypoglycemic state, the high levels of insulin themselves can have serious health consequences in the long term. The underlying mechanism by which insulin resistance occurs is due to the insulin receptor cells in the liver, adipose (fat) tissue and muscles, becoming less efficient as a result of chronic exposure to high levels of insulin. This is the type of feedback mechanism that is at work in many body systems. If the levels of any chemical messenger such as hormones and neurotransmitters are chronically raised, the cells that they act on become less and less sensitive to them to avoid overstimulation.

We will now look at the factors that can cause chronically elevated insulin levels and ultimately, insulin resistance and hypoglycemia.

The Causes of Insulin Resistance

Although genetics plays a role in who might develop insulin resistance, people of South Asian origin have a higher risk for example, there are a number of environmental factors that have a major influence.

High Refined Carbohydrate Diet

The types of carbohydrate we eat has a big effect on what happens to our blood sugar level and how hard our bodies have to work to maintain it within the healthy range. Most foods contain a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but some foods are predominantly composed of carbohydrate. These include cereals, grains, starchy vegetables (mainly root vegetables), and fruits. Legumes (beans and pulses) also contain a high carbohydrate content even though they are often referred to as protein foods.

The most basic carbohydrates are known as simple sugars and are found in high amounts in fruits and refined carbohydrates contained in processed foods. Simple sugars are usually identifiable by their names ending in “ose”, such as fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar), maltose (found in grains) and glucose. Simple sugars require little or no digestion and are therefore rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream causing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This produces a rapid and excessive insulin response which can result in hypoglycemic symptoms and eventually insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, if simple sugars are consumed on a regular basis.

This all occurs because the chronically raised insulin levels produced by constantly consuming refined foods high in simple sugars actually reduces the sensitivity of the cells to insulin. The human body was not designed to deal with a constant flow of rapidly absorbed simple sugars. The average western diet of processed foods is packed full of these simple sugars and the rapid increase in diabetes and insulin resistance tells its own story.

For this reason, to avoid this situation it is advisable to avoid eating refined carbohydrates and simple sugars as much as possible.

Glycemic Index – To help us understand which foods raise blood sugar levels too high too fast there is a system called the Glycemic Index (GI) which tells us how fast a certain food releases simple sugars into the bloodstream. The higher the glycemic index of a food, the greater blood sugar response it will produce. A GI above 70 is considered high, 56-69 medium, and below 55 is said to be low. To maintain constant blood sugar levels and avoid hypoglycemia and insulin resistance, it is therefore advisable to limit your intake of high GI foods.

Glycemic Load – This is a relatively new system that is not widely used as yet but offers a fuller picture than the glycemic index of the impact of specific foods on blood sugar levels. The glycemic index tells us only how quickly a certain carbohydrate turns into simple sugars but does not tell us how much of that carbohydrate is in a particular food. The glycemic load on the other hand takes this into account to give us a better idea of what a particular food will do to our blood sugar level. For example, a food may contain a carbohydrate with a high glycemic index indicating it is fast releasing, but there may not be much of that carbohydrate in the food, so it would have a relatively low glycemic load (GL). A GL of more than 20 is considered high, 11-19 medium, and 10 or less is low.

It is important to consider both of these measures when deciding on which foods to eat and which to avoid. Foods with both a high GI and high GL are the ones to limit the most.

Refer to the GI/GL Chart when you order the Death to Diabetes book.

Nutrient Deficiencies
There are a number of specific vitamins and minerals that are essential for efficient blood sugar control. These include:

Vitamins: B6, B3, Biotin

Minerals: Chromium, Magnesium, Zinc, Vanadium, Calcium

Chromium – Considered to be one of the most important nutrients for controlling blood sugar levels. Chromium, along with vitamin B3 and glutathione, make up a compound called Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). GTF is strongly linked with maintaining even blood sugar levels. Increased dietary GTF in normal individuals has been shown to augment the action of insulin, and in those with diabetes it reduces insulin requirements. By the same token it can alleviate symptoms of hypoglycemia. This mineral also has a direct glucose lowering effect. Chromium content of food is greatly reduced by refining and processing so it is important to make sure you are getting enough.

Magnesium – Refining and processing also greatly affects magnesium content of food and deficiencies are common. Stress also has a major impact on magnesium levels. This mineral is important for numerous biological processes including energy production and blood sugar control.

Zinc – A highly important mineral with regard to insulin function. Zinc is necessary for the production of insulin and it also helps it to bind to receptors on the cells. Zinc is also required for stomach acid production and therefore affects how well food is digested. A deficiency of zinc affects the action of insulin directly and also interferes with proper digestion, creating deficiencies of the other important blood sugar control nutrients as well.

Vanadium – A trace mineral required in small amounts that has similar actions to chromium.

Calcium – Recent research suggests calcium is also important for blood sugar control. A calcium deficiency can affect the transport of essential nutrients into cells and prevent insulin from working efficiently.

Vitamin B6 – This vitamin is essential for countless chemical processes within the body. Amongst these is its role in hormonal balance. A deficiency of vitamin B6 can result in blood sugar problems. As with all B vitamins, it can be depleted by a number of factors such as stress, alcohol consumption, the contraceptive pill, and other medications. Food processing also destroys this vitamin.

Vitamin B3 – Works with chromium as part of glucose tolerance factor to balance blood sugar levels. Deficiency can occur due to the same factors as for vitamin B6.

Biotin – Involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Biotin is required to metabolize carbohydrates and control blood sugar levels through it’s effects on liver glucose/glycogen metabolism. This nutrient also acts like chromium to reduce elevated blood sugar levels.

Gut Health

Stress
The role of stress in hypoglycemia and insulin resistance is a major one. The basic reason for this is that stress increases the production of adrenal hormones and these increase insulin resistance. There is slightly more to it than that, as one adrenal hormone, DHEA, has the opposite affect, which we will get to.

The two main adrenal hormones involved in the stress response, and blood sugar control, are cortisol and DHEA. Blood sugar problems occur when cortisol is either too high or too low, and when DHEA is too low. This may sound confusing but the effects of low cortisol are high cortisol are basically the same. These hormones are produced to help our bodies cope with the demands placed upon them by stressors such as a work deadline, social conflicts, physical activity, and environmental factors such as extreme heat or cold.

When we are confronted with these situations the body’s natural response is to increase production of cortisol and DHEA, along with the short lived hormones adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. These hormones gives us more energy through increased glucose uptake as well as sharpening our reflexes and allowing us to make quick decisions. After the stress has passed,in a healthy person these hormone levels will return to normal once the stress has passed. Unfortunately, with our modern lifestyles we are constantly subjected to events we (and therefore our bodies) perceive as stressful. This means are bodies are constantly having to produce extra adrenal hormones in response. It has been found that over time chronic stress can produce “adrenal exhaustion” or burnout whereby the body can no longer produce the cortisol and DHEA required for us to cope with the stress. The result is depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue — hypoglycemia/ insulin resistance.

When someone is under chronic stress, their cortisol levels will be constantly elevated. This can result in hypoglycemiaand insulin resistance as cortisol directly contributes to insulin resistance by preventing insulin from doing its job of transporting glucose into cells. When adrenal exhaustion occurs due to prolonged stress, both cortisol and DHEA levels are constantly low. This has the effect of lowering your metabolic rate, making you feel tired, gain weight and crave sugary foods.

All these factors alone can contribute to hypoglycemia and insulin resistance. Additionally, DHEA has a powerful effect on blood sugar control. This is because DHEA levels are inversely related to insulin levels, meaning that when DHEA levels are low, insulin levels are high, and vice versa. As such, low DHEA levels resulting from chronic stress result in high insulin levels and hypoglycemia/insulin resistance. Conversely, increasing your DHEA levels through stress reduction techniques, proper diet and lifestyle choices will effectively control hypoglycemia and reduce insulin resistance. If this isn’t enough, DHEA supplements can powerfully improve your ability to deal with stress and improve your blood sugar control.

It is advisable to seek professional advice if you wish to use DHEA or any other hormone, and have proper testing carried out to determine your current levels before and during treatment.

Exercise

Even minimal exercise such as taking a short walk can improve blood sugar control simply because getting the circulation going allows insulin to more easily due its job of delivering glucose to the cells. Regular moderate exercise can really improve blood sugar levels and insulin response however due to the fact that it increases muscle mass. Muscle is one of the major stores of glucose, so the more muscle you have the more glucose you can store, with the result that the production of insulin is minimized. The accumulation of fat tissue has the opposite effect and contributes to hypoglycemia and insulin resistance.

Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress is a natural process that occurs in all oxygen breathing creatures. When our bodies burn glucose and oxygen to create energy, a number of unstable oxygen molecules called ‘free radicals’ are created in the process. These molecules are highly reactive and if left unchecked can cause damage to the body’s cells. Free radicals are also generated in a number of other ways. Immune cells generate them to kill pathogens and many free radicals are produced in the detoxification of environmental toxins such as cigarette smoke, pollution and heavy metals. Normally the body is able to neutralize free radicals using antioxidants.

If our antioxidant levels are low however, due to poor diet, stress, or high exposure to environmental toxins, free radicals are able to do damage to our cells and the oxidative stress on the body is increased. High oxidative stress has been found in people with a wide range of illnesses and is thought to increase the rate at which we age. With regards to hypoglycemia and insulin resistance, free radicals can damage insulin receptors, making them less sensitive to insulin’s effects. Unfortunately, the more insulin receptors are damaged, the higher the levels of insulin become, which increases oxidative stress still further. In this way a vicious cycle is created.

The Environmental Illness Connection – When we consider all these factors that can contribute to the development of hypoglycemia and insulin resistance, it is no surprise that they are common in environmental illness sufferers. It has been firmly established that patients suffering from environmental illnesses from chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, to autism, have poor gut health, multiple nutrient deficiencies, and increased oxidative stress. Furthermore, multiple studies have demonstrated that chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients have poor adrenal function, typically with both cortisol and DHEA levels being low. Environmental illness patients also generally have very low exercise tolerance, so lack of exercise could certainly increase the risk of hypoglycemia and insulin resistance.

Clearly then, the treatment of environmental illnesses should include measures to tackle hypoglycemia.

Testing for Hypoglycemia

The presence of many of the symptoms listed above, particularly recurrent bouts of dizziness, faintness, weakness, and shakyness, that come and go and are relieved by eating, is a good indication of a blood sugar problem. The easiest way to confirm this is to eat only low GI/GL foods for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve or disappear. A typical diet during this testing period would be made up of meat, fish, low carb vegetables, nuts and seeds.

If there is noticeable improvement in symptoms during this period you can be pretty sure of being hypoglycemic and take measures to further improve your condition (these will be discussed below).

If you or your doctor need further verification of the presence of blood sugar problems, you may wish to have a glucose tolerance test (GTT). For this test you will need to attend a clinic or laboratory that offers this kind of testing, and remain there usually for up to 5 hours. On arriving for the test, a vial of blood is drawn and then you are given a drink containing a specific amount of glucose. Blood samples are then taken at precise intervals, usually every hour but sometimes on the half hour as well. The blood sugar levels are then measured in each sample and a graph is plotted showing how your blood sugar levels changed after you drank the glucose solution. Your graph will then be compared to a reference graph that shows a healthy blood sugar response to the glucose drink. The test gives a clear idea of how your body handles sugar.

If your blood sugar level drops well below the reference level at any point this indicates hypoglycemia. Also, if your blood sugar level drops a large amount over a short period of time, this indicates reactive hypoglycemia and can produce the same symptoms as having a very low blood sugar level at any particular point.

Treating Hypoglycemia

The treatment of hypoglycemia and insulin resistance primarily involves a change in diet, particularly removing simple sugars completely and choosing foods with low to moderate glycemic index and glycemic load scores. In addition to diet, taking steps to reverse the contributing factors discussed above is important.

Overview of treatment:

1. Diet – Remove simple sugars from the diet and get majority of calories from low GI/GL foods.

Refer to Chapters 5-7 in the Death to Diabetes book or the Super Foods & Dead Foods PDF for more details.

2. Replenish Important Nutrients – Make sure you have a good intake of important nutrients involved in blood sugar control such as chromium, Vitamin B3, zinc, biotin, and the other nutrients we discussed. These nutrients should be supplied by both diet, and supplements if necessary.

Refer to Chapter 8 in the Death to Diabetes book or the Supplements PDF for more details.

3. Treat Gut Problems – Improving gut health is vitally important if this is an issue for you. Get tested for food sensitivities, leaky gut syndrome and infections with Candida, bacteria, and parasites. If these are a problem for you, seek appropriate treatment.

4. Stress Reduction – Tackling problems of stress can make a huge difference to the severity of hypoglycemia and insulin resistance. This could mean making adjustments to your lifestyle, using stress reduction techniques like yoga, meditation, or relaxation CD’s, and addressing hormonal imbalances (cortisol and DHEA).

Cortisol and DHEA levels can be tested at home with a simple saliva test (Stress Check).

Refer to Chapter 13 in the Death to Diabetes book or the Stress Reduction PDF for more details.

5. Do More Exercise – Including regular moderate exercise in your routine is very beneficial for treating hypoglycemia. Any exercise is beneficial, no matter how little it may seem, just remember not to overdo it as this will undo the beneficial effects. For those with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, this is especially important and just a short walk every day or when you feel able will still help to improve insulin function and reduce hypoglycemic symptoms.

Refer to Chapter 10 in the Death to Diabetes book or the Exercise PDF for more details.

6. Tackle Oxidative Stress – Treating nutritional deficiencies, gut problems and adrenal hormone imbalances will help reduce oxidative stress. It is also advisable to supplement extra antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E, alpha-lipoic acid, N-Acetyl-Cysteine, and silymarin. Oxidative stress can also be reduced by limiting exposure to chemicals and other environmental toxins as much as possible.

Refer to Chapter 9 in the Death to Diabetes book or the Cleanse/Detox PDF for more details.

Dangers of fluctuating blood sugar levels
As Mr. McCulley discovered during his coma episode, high blood sugar levels are very toxic for the human body. Many cells do not tolerate the high concentration of glucose in the blood. They start to deteriorate. Damage is done on a molecular level: Proteins react with glucose and in the process the proteins are destroyed.

So, when the blood sugar levels are high, the body tries to decrease the blood sugar levels as quickly as possible. It does this by producing insulin, which increases rapidly. The insulin is like a key: It opens the door of the cells, so the glucose can enter. Inside the cells, the glucose is metabolized: It’s burned as fuel or it’s converted into fat. In healthy people, this process works fine. When you’ve had a piece of candy, your blood sugar level rises and soon after that it drops again until it reaches the normal levels.

But, in a hypoglycemic some of these regulation processes don’t work, i.e. the blood sugar level may remain too high for too long before it drops, and then, it drops too low.

Different Types of Hypoglycemia
There are several types of hypoglycemia:

1. Hypoglycemia due to Insulin Resistance
   The cells in the body don’t react to insulin anymore and this causes the pancreas to produce excess insulin. Over time, the cells start to react, but because of the excess insulin, the blood sugar plummets below levels to maintain well-being. The excess insulin also depletes the body of key nutrients and minerals such as magnesium, chromium, potassium, calcium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E. In some cases, excess insulin may trigger the liver to produce excess cholesterol and inhibit the breakdown of homocysteine, which can lead to arterial plaque formation, increased blood viscosity, and high blood pressure.
2. Hypoglycemia due to Adrenal Fatigue
   When the adrenal glands are exhausted and can’t produce enough cortisol, the low cortisol levels can’t effectively antagonize insulin and thus the blood sugar plummets below levels to maintain well-being. Cortisol is also needed for gluconeogenesis (making glucose out of protein).
3. Hypoglycemia due to Yeast Metabolites
   Certain yeasts produce arabinose, which is a yeast metabolite. The arabinose binds to L-lysine, which is important for effective action of (among others) Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is essential for gluconeogenesis. So, when the blood sugar levels fall below the base-level, there is not enough Vitamin B6 available (functional deficiency) to start the gluconeogenesis. Result: Blood sugar levels fall below the base levels.
4. Hypoglycemia due to Acidity or Alkalinity of Body Tissues
   The body uses minerals, primarily different types of organic calciums to buffer the pH in the blood and the tissues of the body. The blood pH remains at a strict 7.4. A drop of one or two tenth of the pH can cause death, so the blood pH is balanced strictly with different means: Minerals that buffer pH, CO2 respiration, the kidneys secreting excess H+ or OH- and finally the body can dump acids or alkaline excesses into the tissues when all other measures are exhausted.
   The urine pH reflects the tissue pH. The optimal pH. is 6.4.  A low pH indicates deficiencies of anionic (alkaline-forming) calciums (like calcium carbonate, -hydroxide), while high pH’s indicate deficiencies of cationic calciums (like calcium lactate). When the tissues are too acid, insulin’s action is lowered. When the tissues are too alkaline, insulin’s action is exaggerated. As a result, both of these abnormal conditions can cause hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
5. Any condition that causes insufficient uptake/metabolism of important vitamins and minerals
   An example is kryptopyrrolurie, pyroluria or HPU, which causes a deficiency of Vitamin B6 and zinc. There are many more examples of conditions like this.
6. Other Possible Causes
   Hypoglycemia can be the result of gastrointestinal disorders, pancreatic dysfunction, dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, pituitary, liver, cancer of the pancreas, etc.

Hypoglycemia due to Insulin Resistance
So, when a hypoglycemic eats a piece of candy, the blood sugar level rises. As a result, the pancreas starts to produce large amounts of insulin. However, the cells don’t react to the insulin — this is insulin resistance. Somehow the lock on the glucose-door has been changed and the insulin-key won’t fit (probably due to the cellular inflammation causing damage to the glucose transports of the cells).

After some time (depending on how bad the insulin resistance is, i.e. 10 minutes or 4 hours) the cells start to react and the blood sugar levels start to drop. However, when the normal blood sugar levels are reached, there is still very much insulin in the blood. The blood sugar levels keep dropping. A life-threatening condition is created. The brains and vital organs need a minimum amount of glucose to function properly. The person is in danger of falling into a coma.

Emergency Situation: Low blood sugar
The body reacts very swiftly, just before it’s too late. It does this by releasing many hormones in the blood. These hormones signal the liver to deposit the glucose-stores in the blood and to convert proteins into glucose. During these events, the person feels very bad, he might be sweating, his mental abilities drop to 20%, he trembles a lot, he might faint. After some time (minutes), the blood sugar levels are normal again. The person has inherited some problems from the flush of hormones. These hormones are adrenalin, epinephrine, glucagon and others. We all know what adrenalin can do to us: Flight or Fight syndrome. Epinephrine causes major stress and irritation. The problem is that these hormones stay in the blood for up to an entire week. During that week, the person is not very nice to be with, i.e. he/she gets irritated very easily.

Insulin Resistance: Vicious Cycle
Hypoglycemia can have different causes. Both causes lead to a vicious cycle.

High carbohydrate consumption (i.e. starches or simple sugars) results in high insulin levels throughout the day. High insulin levels make the intracellular Magnesium decrease and the Calcium increase. Studies show that high blood glucose levels causes the flushing of different minerals, among them being magnesium. Calcium, on the other hand, is not affected. This poses a problem, because calcium is the antagonist of magnesium. A mineral antagonist “fights” some other mineral, meaning that high calcium levels will cause lower magensium levels. After eating a high-carbohydrate diet for several years, a magnesium deficiency will be inevitable. This won’t show up on the blood magnesium tests! — because most magnesium is stored inside the cells (intracellular).

The reduced intracellular magnesium alters the way the cell opens the door for glucose. The low-Mg and high-Ca causes the insulin-key to not fit on the door. Besides that, also the intracellular Mg and Ca of the pancreas cells change. This makes the pancreas overshoot insulin. The next time you eat carbohydrates, the same events occur and it gets worse and worse.

Cause 2: Diet extremely low in Magnesium (Mg) and high in Calcium (Ca)
You can understand that the same vicious cycle is started when the diet is high in Ca and low in Mg (i.e. lots of dairy, little to no vegetables, legumes or  other plant foods). The intracellular Ca and Mg levels also change in such a way that the insulin can’t open the door.

A possible solution focuses on eating only the slow-acting  more complex carbohydrates (such as vegetables) while avoiding the starches and simple sugars (such as pasta, rice, potatoes, bread).

A mashed potato is far worse for the blood sugar than white sugar . This is because starches are split into disaccharides, which in turn are split into glucose+glucose. This process (digestion) is very fast and that’s why a potato or a sandwich causes a bigger increase of blood sugars than the same amount of sugars Another important facet is that sucrose is split into glucose+fructose. Fructose is metabolized much slower and causes smaller increases in blood sugar.
If you want to try this treatment, you will need the Glycemic Index List, which shows how fast carbohydrates in different foods increase the bloods ugar (and thus hypoglycemia symptoms over time). The slower the better.

The problem with this solution is that you will need to snack all day long and that nocturnal hypoglycemia is very difficult to prevent. Even the slowest-absorbing carbohydrates still cause problems, because the insulin resistance makes your pancreas produce too much insulin, even for the smallest amounts of slow-acting carbohydrates.

A better solution would be to eat a balance of superior carbohydrates (i.e. plant vegetables — green, bright colors), superior proteins (i.e. free-range eggs, organic yogurt, free-range poultry, legumes), superior fats (i.e. plant oils such as extra virgin olive oil), and superior beverages such as filtered water and raw juices. A good example of such a program is the Death to Diabetes Nutritional Program designed by (of all people) an engineer! Don’t much care for the title, but the program really works!

Cause 3: Diet low in minerals in general (like the standard Western diet most people eat)
When we eat insufficient minerals, which is the case when we eat a diet full of refined foods like sugar, white flours, pasta’s and high carbohydrate foods in general, our body loses the ability to control acids and bases. Minerals are an important means to control acid/base balance. The blood remains perfectly stable at pH 7.3. Even a very strong deviation will cause death, so when we don’t have enough minerals to balance acids and bases, the body starts to store acids in its tissues. The tissues (in particular the spaces in between the cells) then start to get saturated with acids and cells start loosing even more minerals.

The relation with insulin: Insulin only works when the tissue is at its optimal pH level. When the pH level is too low (too acid) insulin will work less effective and when the pH level is too high (too alkaline) insulin’s action will be exaggerated. Hence: People who have acid tissues will often have too high blood sugars and people who have alkaline tissues will often have low blood sugars. In both cases, the blood sugars won’t be controlled good enough and hypoglycemia can be the result quite easily.

Cause 4: Electrosmog radiation
Electrosmog like the radiation from cellular phone antenna’s and wireless phones in the house (don’t forget DECT, UMTS, GSM, etc) has a devastating effect on the human body. In The Body Electric it’s explained how high frequency radiation (in particular the longitudinal part of it) affects the human body regulatory systems.

Most important perhaps is that it changes the way how the calcium channels in the body act. They either let in too much calcium in or out of the cell or they block the calcium influx/outflux. The pancreas is largely controlled by calcium: When calcium flows into the pancreas it will let flow insulin into the blood. It doesn’t take a genius to realize how the blood sugars of a person who lives in an apartment with a wireless phone (a DECT wireless phone sends 24 hours per day, even when you’re not calling) turn quite unstable.

Electrosmog is the invisible electromagnetic radiation resulting from the use of both wireless technology and mains electricity. The most common sources of wireless electrosmog are:

• Cordless phones
• Cordless baby alarms
• Mobile/cellular phone masts/towers/transmitters
• Mobile/cellular phones
• Wireless networks

Note: Electrosmog is responsible for a condition known as electrosensitivity (ES) or electrohypersensitivity (EHS). Symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Disruptive sleep patterns
• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Hypersensitivity and erratic blood pressure
• Skin complaints
• Behavioral patterns in children

Children, the elderly and anyone with a lowered immune system are most at risk from the health effects.

The health effects from electrosmog can take 10 – 20 years to manifest themselves, however for some, the effect can appear immediately

Research shows that between 3% and 5% of the general population could be ES sufferers. In Sweden, for example, 285, 000 people (over 3% of the population) are registered as ES and claim disability benefit from the government

In November 2005, the Health Protection Agency printed the ‘Definition, Epidemiology and Management of Electrical Sensitivity’ report, commissioned to identify and appraise the literature in order to describe and define ES

Two solutions: Get rid of the electrosmog producing devices or antenna’s. To reduce the effects you could use a BioProtect Card.

How to Treat Hypoglycemia
A proactive treatment strategy is critical to defeating hyperglycemia. Otherwise, you may develop pre-diabetes and finally fully-blown diabetes. The treatment  protocol consists of the following regimen:

• Stop eating all carbohydrates, except the ones in low-carbohydrate vegetables. Max of 30-40 grams carbohydrates every day.
• Don’t eat too many foods high in calcium: Cheese, yogurt, milk; maybe spinach, broccoli
• Take a Magnesium-glycinate supplement which is the only form of Magnesium that can increase intracellular Magnesium effectively.
• Eat a balance of good carbs, proteins, fats, and water.
• Avoid the low carb diets, high carb diets, low fat diets — they’re all fads!
• Get a health coach/nutritionist who is not stuck in the 1980s of the low fat and high carb diets.

Within days you will start to feel a lot better.

Over time this will break the vicious cycle. According to Dr. Wolgang Lutz, it takes half a year on the balanced diet to repair the (damaged) cells and reduce the insulin resistance. It’s very important to understand that it’s not wise to restart the old eating habits afterwards, because then the vicious cycle will restart soon. So, after you’re healed watch out for carbohydrates.

Hypoglycemia due to Adrenal Fatigue
The adrenals are very important in that they produce many important hormones. One of the most important is cortisol, which is needed for regulating stress and glucose and fat metabolism. The adrenals can get exhausted after long periods of stress or after steroid treatments, like prednisone. The adrenals then don’t produce enough cortisol and aldosterone. Signs of adrenal fatigue are:

• Check potassium status (tends to be very high)
• Check sodium status (tends to be very low)
• Check testosterone status (tends to be high)
• Check blood pressure (tends to be low)
• Check erythrocytes (tends to be low)

Treating Adrenal Fatigue
The most important thing to start with is adopting a plant-carb diet like explained above. Besides that it’s important to sleep enough. Sleeping promotes the adrenals. This is often a vicious cycle: Adrenal fatigue causes insomnia, and insomnia aggravates the adrenal fatigue.

Supplements that can be used to boost the adrenals are licorice, cordyceps sinensis and adrenal gland extracts.

Because of the higher cortisol levels in the blood (due to lowered enzyme activity that converts cortisol into cortisone), the kidneys react by doing something that’s identical to what aldosterone does.

Treating yeast overgrowth
The third type of hypoglycemia is caused by arabinose, a yeast metabolite. The goal would be to get rid of the yeasts. This can be done (again) by a plant-carb or a specific carbohydrate diet. This will starve the yeasts and get rid of the metabolites, and thus, overtime of the hypoglycemia.

If you’ve been diagnosed as a pre-diabetic, you can prevent the onset of full-blown diabetes, but you must heed the warning and take action to change your eating habits and lifestyle.

Begin eating more whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains; and start exercising on a consistent basis. Try to avoid eating grain for breakfast — instead eat a vegetable, plant-based breakfast. In addition, cut back on eating the processed foods, fast foods, excess animal meat and living a sedentary lifestyle. Use the Death to Diabetes program to get you started on the right track.

If possible, try to avoid taking any diabetic medication! Diabetic medications such as metformin(Glucophage) may lower your blood sugar, but these drugs don’t do anything to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes! So, don’t start taking a diabetic pill thinking that the pill is going to stop the diabetes from developing in your body. It won’t.

If you’re serious about preventing the onset of diabetes, you must educate yourself about diabetes, nutrition, and drugs. So, get the Death to Diabetes book to get you started on acquiring this important knowledge. It will empower you on so many levels — physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and eventually financially.

Definition of Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is the state in which some but not all of the diagnostic criteria for diabetes are met. It is often described as the “gray area” between normal blood sugar and diabetic levels.

In general, you are pre-diabetic if your blood glucose level is between 101 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl. If your fasting blood glucose is above 126 mg/dl, then, you are probably diabetic.

While in this range, patients are at risk for not only developing Type 2 diabetes, but also for cardiovascular complications.  It has been termed “America’s largest healthcare epidemic,” affecting more than 60 million Americans.  Pre-diabetes is also referred to as borderline diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or impaired fasting glucose (IFG).

Impaired fasting glycemia or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) refers to a condition in which the fasting blood glucose is elevated above what is considered normal levels but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes mellitus. It is considered a pre-diabetic state, associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of cardiovascular pathology, although of lesser risk than impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). IFG sometimes progresses to Type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is a 50% risk over 10 years of progressing to overt diabetes. A recent study cited the average time for progression as less than three years.  IFG is also a risk factor for mortality.

Blood Tests for Pre-Diabetes
Two blood tests are commonly used to determine if you have diabetes or prediabetes:
– Fasting plasma glucose test (FPG)
– Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

These tests measure how quickly your body can “clear” glucose from your blood.

Fasting plasma glucose test (FPG)
The fasting plasma glucose test can be done after an overnight fast or after an eight-hour fast during the day. It is a relatively easy, inexpensive test. After the fast, a simple blood test measures glucose levels before you eat again. The test results indicate whether your blood glucose level is normal or whether you have pre-diabetes or diabetes:

* Normal:  less than 100 mg/dl
* Pre-diabetes: 101-125 mg/dl
* Diabetes: greater than 125 mg/dl

Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
The OGTT usually requires that you have the fasting glucose test first. Then you take a dose of high-sugar (glucose) solution to challenge your body to clear the glucose from your blood. After two hours, another blood glucose test is done. The final test results indicate whether you have a normal level of blood glucose or have pre-diabetes or diabetes:

* Normal: less than 140 mg/dl
* Pre-diabetes: 140-199 mg/dl
* Diabetes: greater than 199 mg/dl

Signs and Symptoms
Pre-diabetes typically has no signs or symptoms. Patients should monitor for signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus. These include the following:

* Constant hunger
* Unexplained weight loss
* Weight gain
* Flu-like symptoms, including weakness and fatigue
* Blurred vision
* Slow healing of cuts or bruises
* Tingling or loss of feeling in hands or feet
* Recurring gum or skin infections
* Recurring vaginal or bladder infections

Possible Causes

* Sleep disorders
* Family history of diabetes
* Impaired glucose levels and/or metabolic syndrome
* Cardiovascular disease
* Hypertension (high blood pressure)
* Increased triglycerides levels
* Low levels of good cholesterol (HDL)
* Overweight or obese
* Women who have had gestational diabetes, had high birth weight babies (greater than 9 lbs.), and/or has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)[10]

In a way, pre-diabetes is a misnomer since it is an early stage of diabetes. It is now known that the health complications associated with type 2 diabetes often occur before the medical diagnosis of diabetes is made.

Pathophysiology
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases that are characterized by hyperglycemia and defects in insulin production in the pancreas and/or impaired tolerance to insulin effects. DM is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.

Because the disease can be insidious, the diagnosis is often delayed. Effects of the disease can be macrovascular, as seen in the cardiovascular system, or microvascular, as seen with retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy.

Normal glucose homeostasis is controlled by three interrelated processes. There is gluconeogenesis (glucose production that occurs in the liver), uptake and utilization of glucose by the peripheral tissues of the body, and insulin secretion by the pancreatic islet cells. What triggers the production and release of insulin from the pancreas is the presence of glucose in the body. The main function of insulin is to increase the rate of transport of glucose into certain cells of the body, such as striated muscles, fibroblasts, and fat cells. It is also necessary for transport of amino acids, glycogen formation in the liver and skeletal muscles, triglyceride formation from glucose, nucleic acid synthesis, and protein synthesis.

Insulin enters cells by first binding to target insulin receptors. DM and some of those with pre-diabetes have impaired glucose tolerance. In these individuals, blood glucose rises to abnormally high levels. This may be from a lack of pancreatic hormone release or failure of target tissues to respond to the insulin present or both.

Prevention
The goals of prevention are to delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, preserving the function of the beta cells, and preventing or delaying the microvascular and cardiovascular complications. Obesity is an extremely important environmental influence, therefore, exercise, weight loss, and proper nutrition are critical. It has been found that lifestyle modification/intervention provides the greatest benefit in preventing the progression into type 2 diabetes.

The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) have developed lifestyle intervention guidelines for preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes:

* Healthy meals (whole foods, limited processed/fast foods)
* Physical exercise (30 minutes of exercise per day, five days a week)

Many studies showed that a balanced diet is a very valuable prevention and treatment tool in diabetes and pre-diabetes. Previous advice focused on low-fat approaches, which haven’t worked. In fact, low-fat diets have actually helped to make us fatter!

Screening
Fasting plasma glucose screening should begin at age 30-45 and be repeated at least every three years. Earlier and more frequent screening should be conducted in at-risk individuals. The risk factors for which are listed below:

* Family history (parent or sibling)
* Dyslipidemia (triglycerides > 200 or HDL < 35)
* Overweight or obese (body mass index > 25)
* History of gestational diabetes or infant born with birth weight greater than 9 lb (4 kg)
* High risk ethnic group
* Hypertension (systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure > 90 mm Hg)
* Prior fasting blood glucose > 99
* Known vascular disease
* Markers of insulin resistance (PCOS, acanthosis nigricans)

Key Point: If possible, ensure you get the hemoglobin A1C test! This may be a better indicator of blood glucose control than the fasting blood glucose test.

Diagnosis
Pre-diabetes is usually diagnosed with a blood test:

* Fasting blood sugar (glucose) level of:
o 110 to 125 mg/dL (6.1 mM to 6.9 mM) – WHO criteria
o 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 mM to 6.9 mM) – ADA criteria
* Two hour glucose tolerance test after ingesting the standardized 75 Gm glucose solution the blood sugar level of 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mM).
* Glycated hemoglobin between 5.7 and 6.4 percent

Levels above these limits would be a diagnosis for diabetes.

Management
Persons with pre-diabetes actually have the same complications as persons with diabetes, only less frequently. They run the risk of developing diabetic eye disease, nerve damage, and early diabetic kidney disease with excess protein in the urine. Patients with pre-diabetes are also thought to already have an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease.

Intensive weight loss and lifestyle intervention, if sustained, can substantially improve glucose tolerance and prevent progression from IGT to type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study found a 16% reduction in diabetes risk for every kilogram of weight loss. Reducing weight by 7% through a balanced diet and performing 150 minutes of exercise a week is the goal. The ADA guidelines recommend modest weight loss (5-10% body weight), moderate-intensity exercise (30 minutes daily), and smoking cessation.

If at all possible, try to avoid taking any diabetic medication such as Metformin! These drugs will not prevent the onset of diabetes! In fact, they may even fuel the onset.

Prognosis
The progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus is not inevitable for those with pre-diabetes  The progression into diabetes mellitus from pre-diabetes is approximately 25% over three to five years. However, this percentage can be reduced to almost 0%  if patients followed a nutrition/lifestyle-driven program such as the Death to Diabetes Wellness Program.

Epidemiology
Studies conducted from 1988-1994 indicated that at that time, 33.8% of the US population 40–74 years of age had IFG, 15.4% had IGT, and 40.1% had pre-diabetes (IFG, IGT, or both). Eighteen million people (6.3% of the population) had type 2 diabetes in 2002. In 2008, the diabetic population has grown to 24 million, almost 7% of the population.

Note: If you want to to learn more about diabetes and if you’re serious about defeating your diabetes, request a free copy of the author’s research paper titled The 7 Mistakes That Diabetics  Make.