Type 2 Diabetes: How To Win This Battle

If you, or a friend or loved one, have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, DON'T PANIC. There is a solution to this problem and you can get started on STOMPING diabetes from your life today!

First off, Type 2 Diabetes is NOT a disease (at least that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it). It is a condition of the body brought about by improper diet, nutrition and lack of exercise, among other things.

In recent months I have developed a protocol for eliminating diabetes that is working for me and I believe it can work for you too.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 1997 so I have probably had this condition for 20 years or more. I have maintained pretty good control over my diabetes since then but every year it seems to get a little harder. I will NOT use drugs to control this problem as I believe that approach is 1) not a solution for the long term, and 2) because of side effects is worse than the problem. Nor do I take insulin.

A few months ago I discovered that my pH levels are acidic. This got me to researching what pH Balance is and what does it mean to be on the acidic side. What I found is that being acidic, which is where most Americans are, has a profound effect on your health and is the likely cause of why my diabetes is such a constant struggle to control .

In the past I have tried many so-called miracle cures, supplements, and other methods to "cure" my diabetes. None of them worked! That was no surprise to me. The only thing that ever helped, other than my normal exercise and diet, was using stabilized rice bran. More on that another time.

What does work is changing your diet to make your body neutral to alkaline, instead of acidic. I started on this strategy in December (2007) and the results have been almost unbelievable. Check out these numbers. In December my fasting blood sugar had risen again (as it seems to do every fall) and was in the range of 190-210 every morning.

This is now February, and since I started my new regimen, my fasting blood sugar is now consistently in the 140s and below. And has been as low as 127! The other big positive is that my sugar levels are staying much more constant throughout the day. Most times my blood sugar is between 110 and 120 before lunch and dinner. And those hunger cravings are GONE!

Here is what I am doing and it can work for you too:

• Exercise. That goes without saying. Just about everyone recommends diet and exercise as the two main weapons in the fight against Type 2 Diabetes. In the warmer months I walk 4-8 miles per day and in the colder months I treadmill for 30-60 minutes per day. I cannot emphasize enough how important daily exercise is. In the past week I have not exercised much (tread broke on my treadmill) and I have noticed my fasting blood sugar has gone up some in the morning.

• Diet and Nutrition. The modern American diet is geared towards creating diabetics. That is because most people are eating far too many acidic foods and not nearly enough alkaline foods. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta reports that there are approximatley 21 MILLION diabetics in the US and another 54 MILLION who are pre-diabetics. That means that ONE-FOURTH of the US population is on a runaway train to many, many health problems. The key is to get your body to be neutral to slightly alkaline. At any meal my goal is to eat 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic foods.

• Lemon. Most water is slightly acidic, even spring water. I now add lemon drops to my water to increase the alkalinity in the water and to help me raise the alkalinity in my body. I drink four to five liters of water every day and within just of couple of days of following this protocol, my fasting blood sugar started dropping. NOTE: You can easily check the pH level or your blood using pH test strips found at most pharmacies. The ideal blood pH is 7.365.

• Greens. Because our modern diets are so lacking in vitamins, minerals and other crucial nutrients, it is important to supplement your diet with some form of 'Greens.' I now take a daily dose of greens, in capsule form, twice a day (I tried the powdered greens but I didn't like the taste). I believe this is another critical element helping me to normalize my blood sugar levels.

• Rice Bran Shake. I eat a rice bran shake for lunch every day. Rice bran has helped my health tremendously over the last few years as it is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet.

• Stress Management. This can be pretty tough to manage. Exercise is one of the best ways to deal with stress. I find that stress can affect my sugar levels as much as anything, and not in a good way.

• Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol. Both of these are very acidic. I gave up coffee in January and that has significantly helped to reduce my blood sugar levels. I still have a few beers every week, usually Michelob Ultra, which has only 2.6 carbs per beer.

MY GOAL

My goal is to eliminate Type 2 Diabetes from my life by the end of 2009 and help others to do the same. My new regimen is already working for me and I really believe anyone with Type 2 Diabetes can follow these same steps and be successful as well. It just takes a little knowledge, a lot of determination, and the desire to be healthy.

You can track my progress this year, here on my hub pages, and at www.stompingdiabetes.com.