Almost 40 percent of American adults have “prediabetes.”
But as I always say, it’s not a foregone conclusion that someone with this condition will develop full-blown Type II diabetes.
In fact, a major study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine suggests you can STOP prediabetes in its tracks by making two simple lifestyle changes. And these changes work far BETTER than drugs in warding off this dreaded disease.
Let me explain…
Ward off Type II diabetes WITHOUT drugs
For this landmark study, researchers randomly divided more than 3,000 people with prediabetes into three groups.
The first group took the first-line Type II diabetes drug metformin. The second followed a lifestyle modification program with a goal of at least 7 percent weight loss and 150 minutes of physical activity a week. (This type of modest weight loss and activity level aligns with my long-standing recommendations for good health.) And the third group took a placebo.
Then, researchers followed all groups for an average of 2.8 years.
It turns out, lifestyle modification was “significantly more effective” than metformin in thwarting the development of full-blown Type II diabetes.
Specifically, the number of people who developed Type II diabetes in the metformin group was 31 percent lower than the placebo group.
But, even more impressively, the number of people who developed Type II diabetes in the lifestyle-modification group was 58 percent lower than the placebo group.
Meaning, just shedding a modest amount of excess weight and getting some moderate exercise vastly OUTPERFORMED the most widely prescribed Type II diabetes drug!
Not to mention, more than 75 percent of the metformin group experienced side effects such as gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances (nausea and vomiting). They also had a higher risk of other complications (and even death).
In contrast, the lifestyle-modification group experienced far fewer (if any) side effects. Plus, this approach doesn’t deplete your vitamin B12 stores, as metformin can.
Now—let’s go into a little more detail about the two lifestyle changes that made such a BIG impact for the people in this study…
Simple, sensible solutions
This major study suggests that you CAN ward off Type II diabetes without resorting to drugs…even if your blood sugar has started to creep up in recent years.
But the time to take action is NOW. And it all starts with these simple changes:
1.) Get serious about your diet. For decades, government health experts discouraged people from eating wholesome, unprocessed foods with healthy fats—such as meats, seafood, eggs, and full-fat dairy. So, people started filling their plates with ultra-processed, low-fat products made with added carbs and sugars.
But following this ill-advised, low-fat diet SABOTAGED the health of millions of Americans. In fact, those ultra-processed foods are the real problem when it comes to obesity and disease.
So, let me be clear: Following a Mediterranean-type diet—full of whole foods—is the ONLY real answer here. It’s the key to slowly and safely shedding the kind of excess weight observed in this study. And it helps you avoid (or even reverse) blood sugar problems.
There’s even one naturally “sweet” food you can—and SHOULD—enjoy each day when you have prediabetes or Type II diabetes.
Check out the April 2022 issue of Insiders’ Cures (“Sugar and carbs PROTECT AGAINST diabetes and disease?!”) for more details. If you’re not yet a subscriber, now is the perfect time to become one.
2.) Get moving! As this study showed, consistently getting just 140 to 150 minutes of light-to-moderate exercise every week is a major key to warding off Type II diabetes. (And remember, simple yardwork and housework count toward your weekly total.)
3.) Spot trends BEFORE they become problems. This study only looked at the impact of diet and exercise on Type II diabetes incidence. But I would also encourage you to spot trends (and nip them in the bud) before they become a major problem. Specifically, ask your doctor for two tests during routine check-ups:
- Blood glucose—measures current glucose levels in your blood.
- Hemoglobin A1c—a long-term measure of your blood sugar.
Of course, there are DOZENS of uncommonly effective, commonsense strategies to prevent—and even reverse—Type II diabetes, in addition to the ones I discussed here today. I outline them all in online learning protocol, the Integrative Protocol for Defeating Diabetes. To learn more about this special online learning tool, or to enroll today, simply click here.
Sources:
“Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin.” The New England Journal of Medicine, 2002; 346: 393-403. doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa012512
“6 Ways to Prevent Prediabetes from Progressing to Diabetes.” Newsmax, 2/18/22. (newsmax.com/health/health-news/prediabetes-diabetes-type-2-modifications/2022/02/18/id/1057412/)