Can You Reverse Diabetes?

Many people find the phrase “reversing diabetes” misleading.

I know I do. First, there are many types of diabetes – which one are they talking about? Unfortunately, you cannot reverse type 1 diabetes, so making a blanket statement about ‘reversing diabetes’ is wrong and upsetting to anyone with type 1 diabetes.

Regarding type 2 diabetes, I remember being told that my boss Luther Vandross was no longer living with type 2 diabetes because he had lost weight. Looking back, I assumed they meant he didn’t need oral medications. However, their misleading comments had me convinced he was cured.

I lived in that bubble until he suffered a devasting stroke in 2003. Sitting in a chair in ICU,  his doctors told me that he still lived with diabetes even when his weight changed. Throughout the over twenty years of living with diabetes, Luther had periods of well-managed and mismanaged diabetes. Like many people, who gain a significant amount of weight, he routinely gained or lost a hundred pounds or more; he stopped managing his diabetes.  The damage he did to his capillaries during these periods of mismanaged diabetes was nonreversible.

Maybe he fully recovered from the stroke, returned to the stage, and continued to entertain fans worldwide; I would have a different opinion about ‘reversing diabetes.’ But given my life experience, I don’t like or use the phrase ‘reversing diabetes’ because it fuels the chaos or confusion regarding self-care.

Reversing diabetes is a term that usually refers to a significant long-term improvement in insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes who get their HbA1c below 42 mmol/mol (6%) without taking oral diabetes medication are said to have reversed or resolved their diabetes.

I prefer the phrase “moving forward with diabetes” much more
inspiring and motivating.

How about you? Does the phrase ‘reversing diabetes’ motivate you or annoy you?

Whether or not you embrace the term ‘reversing diabetes,’ you shouldn’t deny your living with diabetes.

More than 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 don’t know it. 96 million US adults, over a third, have prediabetes, and more than 8 in 10 don’t know they have it.

Although it’s not always possible to reverse type 2 diabetes, you can manage it. Seek help managing your blood sugar levels, lifestyle choices, oral medications, or insulin therapy to prevent complications from developing. One thing I learned from Luther was trying to manage your diabetes alone is a risky business. Luther had over twenty people helping him with his musical career. However, he tried to go ‘solo’ when managing his diabetes. After his devasting stroke, related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes, I realized the importance of a team approach to diabetes self-care. 

Let Lisa Stansfield inspire you to live loud and proud with diabetes. You Can’t Deny it!

Helpful Ways to Begin Accepting Your Diabetes 

Enlist the help of a mental health professional like our friend, Dr. Bevery S. Adler PhD, CDCES. She’s a licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist, Author, and Speaker. Not only is “Dr. Bev” a fantastic therapist, but she’s also been living well with type 1 diabetes for over 50 years. She walks the talk. Take the time to interview therapists to find the one that best fits your needs.

Make an appointment with a certified diabetes care and education specialist to learn more about diabetes and how to manage it. Our friend, Rachel Zinman, living with LADA diabetes, said the ‘AH HA’ moment leading her to go from ‘survive to thrive’ with diabetes came after meeting with a diabetes educator.

Consider joining a diabetes support group. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by people who know exactly what you’re dealing with. Many people hesitate about joining a diabetes support group. Still, the truth is that anyone who has ever attended a Divabetic Support meeting walks away with a better attitude about living with diabetes. Make sure you find a group with a qualified moderator. No one wants to sit in a room and be judged.

While you may not be able to reverse diabetes, you can reverse some things in life, like your car, DVD, or even this podcast!

We’re flipping the script on this podcast and presenting our regular show format from back to front because we hope to inspire you to look back at past mistakes with a new attitude. Mistakes teach important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal: optimum health. There’s no room for shame or blame when you’re able to accept your diagnosis. Let us help empower you to look back at your life with the satisfaction of knowing that diabetes didn’t dim your dazzle!

Singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield inspires us to ‘throwback’ and discuss the concept of ‘reversing diabetes’ on this podcast.

In the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s, Lisa Stansfield was one of the coolest popstars on the planet. Her seductive, soulful vocals and timeless dance-pop songs took her to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Four of her albums were international hits selling more than 15 million copies and spawning over 20 hit singles.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Kathy Gold RN, CDCES, Neva White DNP, CRNP, CDCES, the Digital Divas, Jessica Issler RD, CDCES, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie and special guest Cheri from Long Island, NY.

In tribute to Lisa Stansfield, we will be playing many of her biggest hits courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

By the way, we printed t-shirts with the phrase ‘Denial’s Not My Style’ over 20 years ago. We still stand behind every word in the phrase. There’s nothing new about the positive attitude we promoted in 2003 and will continue to promote in 2023. We might have to reprint some t-shirts to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

Low Carb Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies by My Montana Kitchen

Cutting back on carbohydrates can have major benefits for your health according to Healthline.

Many studies have shown that low-carb diets can help you lose weight and help manage your diabetes and/or prediabetes.

Personally, I’ve been trying to eat less carbohydrates while Sheltering In in New York City to manage my weight. Although I’m taking daily walks and doing short at home workouts, I’m not playing tennis and/or going to the gym. The lack of physical activity makes me wonder what’s going to happen when I stop wearing sweatpants and start wearing work pants! But that little voice inside my head still hasn’t be able to stop me from craving something sweet at the end of the day.

These low carb Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies by My Montana Kitchen are just as delicious as they look! The brownie itself is dense and fudgy, while the peanut butter cheesecake layer is creamy and melt-in-your-mouth. And these brownies are so easy to make!

FULL RECIPE

Divaabetic’s Mystery & Culinary Misadventures Podcast

FULL RECIPE

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The Diabetic Pastry Chef’s Sugar-Free Chocolate- Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe

My friend and colleague Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’   shares a Halloween-inspired dessert recipe to help you celebrate this spooky holiday without jeopardizing your diabetes health.

When Stacey Harris was studying to become a pastry chef, she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Rather than give up her chosen profession, she began creating more diabetic-friendly desserts. By using blended flours and a combination of sugar and sugar substitutes, reducing milk carbohydrates, and eliminating trans fats,  Stacey Harris has transformed more than 200 desserts into diabetic-friendly delights.

Sugar-Free Chocolate- Pumpkin Bundt Cake by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

Please read carefully: This cake recipe uses 2 separate batters, a number of bowls, and must be baked in a large 12-cup bundt pan to prevent overflowing. A little difficult but well worth the effort! Splenda For Baking can be substituted for the Whey Low D Granular, see the instructions for this in the note at the end of the recipe.

3 sticks butter, softened

2 1/2 cups Whey Low D Granular sweetener

6 large eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups pure canned pumpkin

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 tsp baking powder, divided

1 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup buttermilk

Directions:
In medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Add Whey Low and continue whisking until pretty well dissolved. Set  aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Slowly add the egg mixture a little at a time beating well after each addition. Remove half the mixture from the mixing bowl and place in another bowl; set aside.
Pumpkin Batter: Add the following to the mixture still in the mixing bowl: 1 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and all of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Finally add the canned pumpkin and beat on low speed just until combined.
Chocolate Batter: In another separate clean bowl, mix together the remaining 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt;  add the cocoa powder. Add this mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the remaining butter mixture that was set aside.
Add half of the pumpkin mixture to a greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan. By spoonfuls drop half of the chocolate batter on top of the pumpkin batter in the bundt pan, being careful to let the pumpkin mixture peak through in spaces. Repeat to spoon the remaining pumpkin and chocolate batters. Carefully run a butter knife a couple times around the rim of the batters in the pan and then draw the knife across the width of the pan in 10 to 12 spaces to swirl the batters. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes before inverting the pan to remove the cake. Cool completely.
Special Note: Splenda For Baking can be used instead of Whey Low Granular D in this recipe. To use Splenda For Baking beat the butter, add the Splenda and continue beating until fluffy. Next add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, and then add the vanilla. Continue the recipe as written.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef’s cookbooks are filled with information on the definition, treatment, and prevention of diabetes and include complete nutritional information (calories, fat, cholesterol, sugars, and protein) for each recipe. She uses Splendar and presents other sugar-free alternatives for pancakes, muffins, cakes, cookies, and pies. Stacey Harris shares the sweet secrets of her simple-to-use formula that will convert most any recipe into a lower-carb alternative without compromising taste or quality. Now ‘divabetics’ can enjoy Chocolate Truffle Cookies, Blueberry Tartlets, Cream Cheese Cupcakes, Coffee Bread Pudding, and hundreds of others. BUY NOW

“In The Diabetic Pastry Chef, Stacey Harris proves you can prepare and eat wonderful food and still stay well within the guidelines of food for a person with diabetes.”Alan L. Rubin, M.D., author of Diabetes for Dummies and Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies

Healthy Halloween Tip: Take the focus off of candy by encouraging arts and crafts projects, pumpkin carving/painting contests, watching a Halloween movie, visiting a haunted house, or going on a hayride. This is a great way to create memories that don’t involve food.