Summary
Highlights
Dr. Ken Berry, a family physician, introduces 10 ways to reverse Type 2 Diabetes. He emphasizes that the reversal happens in the kitchen, not in the doctor's office, pharmacy, or gym. He encourages viewers to continue working with their doctors while implementing these home-based strategies.
Stop drinking sugar in any form, including sodas and fruit juices. Fruit juice is highlighted as being as detrimental as soda because it provides an immediate sugar influx, which stresses the pancreas. There is no healthy fruit juice for diabetics.
Begin each day with a meal primarily composed of protein and fat, with very low carbohydrates. Dr. Berry suggests keeping breakfast carbohydrates under 20 total grams or ideally carb-free. Examples include bacon and eggs, or steak and eggs, which prevent blood sugar spikes and help lower A1C.
Beyond obvious desserts, reduce consumption of natural sugars found in items like baked potatoes and sweet potatoes. These all break down into sugar and significantly impact blood glucose levels. Starches, such as those in potatoes and bread, are molecularly long chains of sugar that ultimately convert to sugar in the body.
Request a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) from your doctor. This device allows real-time blood sugar tracking, providing crucial insights into how different activities (like fasting or exercise) affect your levels, helping to distinguish normal fluctuations from problematic spikes.
Avoid snacking between meals to allow blood sugar and insulin levels to normalize. Eating discrete meals with periods of fasting in between is more beneficial than constant grazing, except for individuals currently injecting insulin who might need snacks to prevent hypoglycemia under medical supervision.
Treat sleep as a vital medicine. Adequate sleep helps maintain normal cortisol levels, regulates blood sugar, reduces hunger, and improves willpower, all of which are critical for managing diabetes.
If consuming alcohol, avoid high-carb options like beer and wine. Be wary of mixed drinks which often contain added sugars. Opt for spirits with club soda and a squeeze of lime for a low-carb, low-sugar option. Overall, limiting or avoiding alcohol is best to support liver health.
Be skeptical of foods marketed as 'diabetic friendly' or 'keto' on supermarket shelves, as these are often marketing ploys. Focus on consuming whole, real, single-ingredient foods from the produce, meat, and dairy sections. Do not trust your health to corporate marketers.
Work with your doctor to regularly monitor key lab values. Aim for an A1C of 5.6 or lower. Also, request fasting insulin (aim for under 10), triglycerides (low), HDLC (50 or higher), and HS-CRP (low inflation) every three months to track progress and adjust your approach.
If you are on prescription diabetes medication, work closely with your doctor to de-prescribe as your blood sugar improves. Regular communication and monitoring are crucial to safely reduce medication dosages and avoid hypoglycemia, especially when rapidly cutting carbohydrates.