Flow chart 1: How to get diabetes

Ask most medics what Type-2 diabetes is and they will tell you it’s about having too high a blood sugar (glucose) level. Unfortunately, they confuse the problem with its effects. The problem, at least in its early stages, is a combination of too much insulin and the body not reacting too it very well (insulin resistance). It’s the insulin resistance that causes blood glucose levels to go up. 

The downside of confusing the problem and effect is that most medics strive to get glucose levels down. It is their number-1 priority in treatment. They are great at changing the effects of diabetes in other words. Sadly, the consequence of this approach is that it ignores the real problem that goes on quietly driving glucose up; the insulin thing. 

So, ask your medic what is causing glucose levels to run high and there will usually be some discussion about calories and exercise. The problem here is that the real underlying cause for most folk with diabetes isn’t the calories, it’s the carbs.

Sugary and starchy foods (carbs) make glucose, makes insulin, drives insulin resistance, and Bingo! You’ve got diabetes. Diabetes medications do not sort this out which is why they never seem to reverse diabetes; it’s a policy of managed defeat. Why, I often ask, are we so super-clever at tweaking blood glucose levels while ignoring the stuff flood into the body every from high-carb diets? More about why medicines fail to cure the problem later.