Healthy At Last!!!! — Lifestyle Therapeutix

It’s been 8 years since the news of the death of syndicated radio jock and broadcast legend Doug Banks was all over my social media threads. I didn’t know him, but all I was reading was about how awesome a man he was. He died of complications of diabetes. In one account I read where he’d had a toe amputated, his vision had been affected and his kidneys were failing. He had returned to work in February after a hiatus for his health. He was hopeful. His last public appearance was at the Black Women’s Expo in Chicago. He was 57. He was born the same year as my husband and 7 months before me. This was sobering. He was 57. He left behind a wife and children and a lot of people who had his voice as the soundtrack of their lives.

Anytime something like this happens, it’s an opportunity for all of us to take another close look at our health. A CDC study published in 2014 noted that 29 million persons in the U.S. had diabetes, with 86 million classified as having pre-diabetes–nearly a third of the U.S. adult population. Additionally, 22% of African Americans are diabetic. And, the proportion of undiagnosed diabetes was about 33% in white and blacks and was as high as 50% in Hispanics and Asian-Americans (Forbes, 2015).

Diabetes is “having blood sugar levels so high and for so log that they eventually cause significant health complications if not corrected.” If your fasting blood glucose is 126 mg or higher; is 200 or higher after an oral glucose tolerance test; is 200 or higher taken at any time combined with classic diabetic symptoms;, i.e., frequent urination/excessive thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, weight loss; hemoglobin A1c is 6.5 or higher…..you are diabetic. (Dr. Wes Youngberg). If you are overweight, store fat around your waist, are inactive, are over 45, have a family history of diabetes, and are a person of color, your risk is significantly increased. And, when diagnosed with diabetes now, you are also diagnosed with heart disease.

As we see this disease and its effects increasing in the population and spreading to younger people, there are a growing group of physicians and other health professionals who are presenting convincing evidence that says your LIFESTYLE can prevent and even reverse diabetes. Here’s some of the key tips to make that happen.

-Get tested by your doctor and if you need medication to STABILIZE, get it with the goal of changing your lifestyle to get off of it.

-Decide what you really want to do with you life and make some goals.

-Choose a Plant-based diet. Whole foods are metabolized differently and work beautifully with insulin to keep blood sugars in the normal range. Processed foods, animals and animal products - milk, cheese, butter, eggs, ice cream, yogurt, tend to drive up cholesterol levels, clog blood vessels and make it really hard for insulin to get blood sugars (glucose) inside the cell.

-Eliminate caffeinated beverages - tea, coffee, colas, chocolate and ALL alcohols. Replace with water and caffeine-free herb teas.

-Time your meals so that there are 5 hours between then and eat NOTHING after 6:00 PM.

-Exercise. EVERY DAY. For at least 30 minutes. It draws blood glucose into the muscle and out of the blood which helps the cells to come more insulin sensitive bringing blood glucose down into the normal range. And, one mile of walking is equal to one unit of insulin.

-Soak up sunlight. Our interaction with the sun and its beneficial Vitamin D literally help to lower blood sugar levels; it decreases inflammation which is a main driver of diabetes. Fifteen minutes per day minimum is all you need.

-Every night. In bed by ten. Sleep 7 hours. It will change your life. Sleep deprivation increases blood sugar levels, inflammation, insulin resistance and elevates blood pressure which all impact diabetes.

-Get your weight down. If you are making any of the above choices, it will happen.

As a culture we must STOP making excuses for not making healthy choices and STOP making fun of people who make them. You know how we can do!! I’ve been to the family gatherings. “All yawl on the special diet….your food is over there….” But, every time a loved one loses a toe or foot or leg, or vision or kidney or they can’t get an erection or they have a heart attack or a stroke or they die, then it’s not funny. Then we’re all sad. Then we all have another reminder that after you see your doctor, you have some personal choices to make.

I know the story of another man who had a totally different outcome. After being diagnosed with end stage diabetes and told by his docs that he would likely never drive again because of his diabetes related blindness, he went home and went to googling. Instead of lookin up ‘managing diabetes”, he looked up “reversing diabetes”. He was shocked with what he found. And, he decided to give healthy lifestyle choices a try. He reversed everything…….including his blindness. He now serves as the mayor of New York City. Eric Adams decision has not only helped him, but so many others as they work to improve their health., especially around diabetes. he’s written about it in his book Healthy At Last. I’ve got a few recipes in it that you may enjoy.

My husband and I love helping people improve their health at our clinic through healthier lifestyle choices. We have seen folk with complications of diabetes recover their health….their circulation is restored and the blood sugars drop and they get off their meds and they get their health back. If you want to know how, reach out to us. We can point you to some resources. Diabetes and its complications don’t play and its victims are getting younger and younger. Stop playing around and choose health. November is Diabetes Awareness Month. You can do this. You NEED to do this!! You’ve got some goals to reach. You can be Healthy At Last.

Change Your Choices!! Be Healthy At Last!! It’s Wellness Wednesday Yawl!!!

I’m Still Shoutin’ Ova Here!!

Donna

#diabetes #diabetesawarenessmonth #plantpowered #healthyatlast #reversediabetes #savethefeet #cookinupgoodhealth #wellnesswednesday #exercise #managestress #beatdiabetes