The Donsbach Foundation

Diabetes is diagnosed by a simple blood test for the amount of glucose in the blood stream. The blood test is usually taken in the morning after fasting for a minimum of eight hours. Normal levels should be between 70 and 110 mg/dl. In this day and age we have great little devices which anyone can purchase to measure their own blood glucose. These devices are found in most drug stores and can be purchased with confidence that they will give you an accurate reading. All that is needed is a drop of blood from a fingertip (procured with an automatic lancet which "stabs" you with a minimum of discomfort), a reagent strip and the device which reads the glucose content from the reagent strip. And all of this can be purchased in the range of $30.00 or more. The convenience of this device also allows the diabetic to check his own progress on a daily or weekly basis.

Diabetes mellitus affects up to 40 million Americans, most of whom do not know they have a problem until the disease is advanced. It may be detected by a routine blood test taken for another reason, but even this may not be enough in the beginning stages. The symptoms are faint, usually not enough to get attention: Mild nausea, a little more thirst than usual, a little more frequent urination than usual, a little more fatigue than usual. Advanced symptoms are: Slow healing of cuts or wounds, gum problems, urinary tract infections, the presence of yeast in the mouth (thrush), damaged vision, nervous system pathologies which cause numbness and pain in the feet and hands, poor circulation, heart and artery disease, impotence and kidney failure.

Make no mistake, uncontrolled adult onset diabetes will hasten your demise in an uncomfortable way, even though it crept up on you very slowly. Consider the quality of your life without good vision, with advanced heart disease, with the loss of limb from gangrene. With a minimum of effort all that can be avoided.

In adult onset diabetes, the symptoms occur because the insulin does not work properly. Diabetes is not a condition where there is not enough insulin, instead the quality of the insulin is poor. In this particular circumstance, the answer is not to pour more insulin into the blood stream since external insulin injections are never timed to the body's needs, but to increase the quality of the insulin present.

A little review of the function of insulin is in order. When food is eaten two primary needs are met: The extraction of proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins for the replacement, repair and function of the cells - and - the extraction of glucose from the carbohydrates so that we might have an abundance of one of the two ingredients necessary to produce energy which is life. The body uses glucose and oxygen to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which we refer to as, "the currency" of energy. When the body cannot make enough ATP, all kinds of problems occur, including all the symptoms mentioned above. Glucose does not combine with oxygen to create energy in the bloodstream, but must be transported to the cells where the energy is produced. In order to get into the cells, glucose needs assistance - insulin acts as a literal "doorman" in opening the receptor doors on the wall of the cell so that glucose may slip in.

It is this "doorman" function of insulin that fails in adult onset diabetes. The sugar begins to pile up in the blood stream and the symptomatic picture slowly evolves. Part of this picture actually affects another medical entity called, "hyperlipidemia," or excess fat, in the blood. When there is an excess of glucose in the blood, the liver begins a conversion process in which triglycerides and cholesterol can be made from the glucose. The "blood sludge" which results affects many other tissues and organs in the body and is not desirable.

As diabetes became more and more recognized, various drugs were used in an attempt to decrease blood sugar. It was soon determined that insulin should only be used in the more extreme cases and that diet was the most important factor in controlling this condition. But even the reduction of the sugar-rich foods in their diet was not enough for some diabetics and the oral blood-sugar-lowering drugs came into being. Some of them work well for a period of time, but often either produce intolerable side effects or fail in a relatively short time. A recent addition - Rezulin - has been linked to several fatalities directly attributed to its use. Unfortunately, the FDA has not seen fit to restrict the free prescription of this dangerous drug. It is you, the consumer, who must protect yourself. If your doctor prescribes Rezulin, you might consider requesting one of the safer oral anti-glycemics such as Glucophage (metformin), if medication is indeed necessary.

As I have said, there are three basic lifestyle changes that must occur if you wish to control diabetes without drugs. It is a sad commentary on our society that many diabetics would rather rely on poisonous drugs (and there are no drugs which are not poisonous to some extent) and continue their Standard American Diet (which is SAD, indeed) and their low or non-existent exercise effort, rather than reverse a disease which will only get worse as they age.

The following protocol is capable of totally reversing adult onset diabetes and is easy enough for anyone to attempt. The results are evident within 30 days and should be enough incentive to continue the program.

Weight gain is thought to be the primary cause of adult onset diabetes. The excess consumption of refined, sugar-laden foods; the liberal use of processed foods and the ignoring of good, natural foods - such as vegetables- in the diet are, without a doubt, a primary cause of diabetes.

You must reverse these habits and concentrate on the use of vegetables, whole grains and home-prepared foods. I suggest limiting yourself to one cup of fresh fruit daily, plus one cup of melons in the fruit department. Its great to have a serving of oatmeal sprinkled with freshly ground flaxseed meal every breakfast - and all the eggs, cheese, chicken, fish and meat you desire - as long as you consume at least five cups of vegetables daily. Avoid deli meats, margarine, refined flour products (use only whole grain flour), all refined oils (butter, olive and peanut oils are fine), deep fried foods, pies, cakes, cookies and candy. Cultivate a taste for new vegetables; try eating more raw vegetables.

In short order you will find you feel better, your bowels work better and your mind seems clearer. You will lose the craving for sweets and fatty foods and relish the taste of truly good foods. Don't forget to consume at least two quarts of water per day. Measure it out every morning - it's very important!

In order to facilitate weight loss, exercise is necessary. We have determined that excess weight leads to diabetes, so the furnace needs to burn hotter in order to get the sugar used up. I've heard all the excuses; so don't tell me why you can't exercise. One way or another everyone can exercise. Gadgets abound in every possible configuration. The best exercise for everyone is the tried and true method - what works for you is best for you. Walking is the universal exercise and I recommend all my patients walk for 20 minutes after each meal, just to get the metabolic rate up to the task of burning up some sugar. Vigorous exercise stimulates insulin sensitivity, so insulin can perform its job of getting glucose into the cell more efficiently during and after vigorous exercise. The many other benefits of regular daily exercise are so positive that it seems unusual that one must be reminded to exercise regularly - and regularity is the key for the diabetic - every day!

Both diet and exercise are necessary and integral parts in the recovery from diabetes; but the following nutrient concentrates make the way so much easier and quicker, that it is almost a miracle! These nutrients are scientifically researched and readily available, but medicine has chosen to concentrate on drugs to control high blood sugar. In my humble opinion, allopathic medicine is wrong, because this natural method is so simple and so effective and so safe!