21 Million Americans Have Diabetes

As bad as that statistic is, here is the really scary part: most of them have type-II diabetes, and about a third of those with disease don't know they have it.

From Yahoo News:

This represents about 7 percent of the population -- and more than 6 million of these people do not know they have the condition, the CDC said.

"Another 41 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes -- the most common form of the disease -- as well as heart disease and stroke," the CDC said in a statement.

Diabetes is a lack of control of glucose, or blood sugar. Type-1 diabetes, or juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune condition in which the body mistakenly destroys the pancreatic cells that make insulin. It affects an estimated 2 million Americans.

Type-2 diabetes once was called adult-onset diabetes but it now affects many children as well. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and can lead to many other diseases.

"Diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputation, kidney disease and nerve damage. Two-thirds of people with diabetes die from a heart attack or stroke," said Dr. Frank Vinicor, director of CDC's diabetes program.

Type-II diabetes is an unnecessary illness. Diet, exercise, and supplements can control or prevent the condition in nearly everyone.

A bit more from the article:

"Recent studies have shown that people with pre-diabetes can successfully prevent or delay the onset of diabetes by losing 5 percent to 7 percent of their body weight," Vinicor said in a statement.

"This can be accomplished through 30 minutes or more of physical activity most days of the week and by following a low calorie, low fat eating plan, including a diet rich in whole grains and fruits and vegetables," he added.

I work with a lot of clients who have diabetes or who are at high risk and want to avoid the disease. Nearly all of them come to me having been told to adopt the ADA (American Diabetes Association) dietary recommendations (like those in the last paragraph above) -- which are wrong.

Most diabetics are encouragd to eat too many grains and other carbs. Their diet should be based on protein, then healthy fats, and lastly on carb sources such as oatmeal, vegetables, and limited whole grains. Once a pattern of six small protein-based meals each day is established (with oatmeal for breakfast and as many vegetables as desired), attention should be paid to supplements such as alpha lipoic acid, cinnamon, fiber, fish oil, and other lesser supplements.

The final piece is exercise. Start with walking if that is the extent of your ability. Work up to doing high intensity cardio (ignore that whole "fat-burning zone" nonsense), and include weight training at least two or three days a week. Hire a trainer if you can afford it, or read books and magazines on training to learn good, safe form.