Diabetes refers to a metabolic condition that causes elevated blood sugar (glucose) in the body. Glucose is essential for health as it supplies energy to the cells that make up your muscles and tissues and is your brain’s main source of fuel. But too much glucose, over time, can cause serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye damage and nerve damage, among other issues.

The hormone insulin is responsible for moving sugar from the blood into the cells where it can be stored and/or used for fuel. When a person has diabetes, they either have too little insulin, or the body is unable to use its insulin properly and the result is high blood sugar. With type I diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough or any insulin at all and so is unable to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. With type II diabetes, the body becomes insulin resistant, allowing blood sugar to soar.

Researchers found that one serving a day of a sugar-sweetened beverage is associated with a 13 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Similarly, consuming one serving a day of artificially sweetened beverages is associated with an 8 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. And with fruit juice, one serving a day is associated with a 7 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes. ( Source )

There are many ways to heal the body and all have their appropriate place, each modality with its own strengths and weaknesses. I have found in my practice, that what often works best is integrative therapy, where multiple modalities are combined and used in congruent fashion. However, what is lacking in the United States, as a general rule, are practitioners who are willing to work together for the greater good of patient care. This is something you may have to fight for.