Beating Diabetes Program No SPEAKER: JOHN BRADSHAW GUEST: DR. NEIL NEDLEY

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1 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 1 Beating Diabetes Program No SPEAKER: JOHN BRADSHAW GUEST: DR. NEIL NEDLEY JB: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw; thanks for joining me today. I'm joined by Dr. Neil Nedley, president of Nedley Health Solutions. Together, we're going to discuss something that's affecting millions of people, and it seems like this disease is just going to explode. There are around 26 million Americans suffering from diabetes. Now, you can translate that into just about any other Western nation and the incidence is about the same per capita. There are 80 million pre-diabetics in the United States. This is a disease that is running rampant, and in spite of our advancements in medical science, it seems like this is a train that's running out of control and we can't make it slow down. Dr. Nedley, thanks for joining me today. NN: Oh, it's great to be here. JB: We know about diabetes, because everybody's got it; but, what's diabetes? NN: Diabetes is actually a problem with glucose getting into your cell, where you can have energy produced by the cells that, of course, need to function. And so there is in most cases--the ones that you mentioned, the pre-diabetics and most of those diabetics-- it's a problem with insulin resistance. They have insulin but unless there's insulin going to a receptor it doesn't allow glucose into the cell. And that's when it accumulates out in the bloodstream, and that's why the blood sugars go up. JB: Okay, so you've got to get the glucose into the cell. Now, what is glucose? NN: Glucose is a carbohydrate, and it's one of the primary forms of energy in the body. JB: Okay, so we've got to get energy, we've got to have carbs. Glucose is a good one. NN: Yes. JB: What's insulin?

2 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 2 NN: Insulin is something that's produced by the pancreas to allow glucose to get into the cell. JB: So you want glucose for energy; you need insulin to get the glucose into the cell. If the insulin isn't being produced by the pancreas like it should, the glucose collects outside the cell: high blood sugar. NN: Correct. And low energy. JB: High blood sugar and low energy. NN: That's right. High blood sugars and low energy go together. JB: This equals diabetes. NN: That's right. JB: How do you know if you've got diabetes? NN: Well, a blood test. If you're fasting blood sugar is greater than 125 on two occasions, that's a definite diagnosis. But there's a better blood test than just the fasting blood sugar. It's called the hemoglobin A1c; and that tells you what your average blood sugar's been for the last three months, and that's more accurate. JB: So how do I get that test? NN: It's just a blood test. JB: I've got to go to a doctor? NN: Got to go to a doctor, a laboratory, and get your blood test. JB: Should I be asking for this? NN: I would. If you're in America today, since 1 out of 3 people have diabetes or prediabetes, and half of diabetics don't even know that they're diabetic, it's a good test to have. JB: Okay. You know, I'm pretty fit. I'm certainly not overweight, probably a little underweight right now. I'm not likely to be diabetic. I don't have any of the warning signs. But should I go ahead and say, hey, doc, could you check me out? NN: It's not that expensive a test. You could at least find out if you have the gene for diabetes. JB: Okay.

3 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 3 NN: And if you're prone. JB: If I wasn't thin; if I maybe was big and had some of the other warning signs, I really should get tested. NN: Really. Yeah, absolutely. JB: Is my doctor likely to say, hey, John--if I'm in that group--hey, John or Joe or Jack, I want to check you. Or, should the patient take the initiative? NN: It's good for the patient to take the initiative, and part of the reason is that doctors can't necessarily doctor like they used to, because there's insurance plans. And some of the insurance plans say, do not do a hemoglobin A1c unless this patient is a diabetic because it's going to cost money. There are a lot of insurance plans where you're prohibited from ordering that unless the patient is a diabetic. But yet there are half, as I mentioned, that are diabetic and don't know it. How are we going to pick it up unless we actually do the test? JB: Well, the reason we're talking is the Bible says that Jesus came to give us life more abundantly, and we want you to be living, I want to be living, an abundant life. It's not just a matter of physical well-being; it's a matter of our spiritual well-being, because our health and our spiritual well-being are inextricably linked together. So, blood sugar--is that the issue? Is that really the issue? Or are there other things involved with diabetes? NN: Well, there are other complications that occur, but because that glucose is not able to get into the cell, there are a lot of complications that occur as a result of that. Eye complications--one of the leading causes of blindness is actually uncontrolled diabetes. High blood pressure is one of the complications. Heart disease. Neuropathy. Poor circulation of the limbs--a lot of amputations are due to that. And kidney failure. Half of the patients that are on dialysis are there because their diabetes was not controlled earlier. JB: Boy, so this is something you really need to get a lid on. NN: Yes. JB: Now, it's one thing we're saying, have the doctor test you--and that's wise, that's smart to do. Is it feasible to be suggesting diabetes can be reversed, diabetes can be avoided? NN: Absolutely. Absolutely. In fact, if it's caught early enough it can be completely reversed to the point where you don't even show up as being a diabetic on these tests. And so it is crucial to understand this. JB: Let me ask you this: these type 1 diabetes, these type 2 diabetes. What are they, what's the difference?

4 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 4 NN: Well, type 1 diabetes is due to not producing enough insulin in our pancreas. Actually the pancreatic, the beta cells are destroyed by an autoimmune condition. And that normally occurs in young people. And those people are dependent on insulin shots, or now there's insulin that you can get through your nose, you know. And so they're depending on insulin; otherwise they're going to die in a matter of a couple of weeks, if they don't get it. JB: Can we talk about reversing that, is that feasible? Or is that a different ballgame? NN: We can control it but we can't reverse it. So you're not going to cure type 1 diabetes, but you can control it so you don't have all of those complications that type 1 diabetics run into. JB: Now type 2? NN: Type 2 is an insulin receptor problem. They're making insulin, but the receptors get gummed up. And the receptors get gummed up due to two things combined: Genetics loads the gun and lifestyle pulls the trigger. And so there are lifestyle things that are gumming up those insulin receptors if you have that gene, and thus glucose goes up in the blood stream, and it doesn t get into the cell and we end up with all those complications. JB: So if this is a lifestyle issue, that's how we can safely say masses of people being confronted by diabetes now can avoid that. NN: Exactly. JB: If they make some lifestyle changes. NN: That's right. JB: Well, what sort of lifestyle change ought a person to make if they're wanting to avoid, or perhaps I can say--and tell me if I cannot--reverse type 2 diabetes. NN: Exercise. JB: Oh yeah? NN: Yeah, exercise works just like insulin, and so it will drive the glucose into the cell. So, because a diabetic needs insulin every day, we recommend that they exercise every day without fail. JB: How much exercise? NN: The more the better, but a minimum of 60 minutes a day. And of good, aerobic exercise. It's crucially important to helping reverse this disease.

5 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 5 JB: And this is where I want to challenge people, because someone will say "60 minutes a day! Oh my goodness." Hey, do you value your health or not? NN: Exactly. JB: And diabetes can lead to so many real difficulties; it's certainly worth giving it a shot. NN: It's a tremendous investment in time. You'll save time. That 60 minutes, if you add it up over the course of years, you're going to add way more than that in regard to quality of life and quantity of life. JB: Just exercise. NN: That's right. JB: That simple. And, maybe I can ask it this way, as a percentage of the whole, how important is, or how large a component is exercise in dealing with diabetes? Is that half the battle, is that part of the battle? NN: It's part of the battle. I wouldn't say it's half, but it is almost half. JB: Diabetes, is it possible to live without it? Is it possible to reverse it? We're finding out that the answer is yes, because we can live an abundant life through Christ, as far as possible, a believer can be assured that God's will is for them to live without illness, without disease. Not always, but very, very often, and when it's a lifestyle illness, well, this is the sort of thing that a lifestyle change can reverse and help you to avoid. We're going to find out just how in just a moment. OFFER JB: We know the Bible is a book that teaches us to live in harmony with God and in ways that demonstrate His love to those around us. God knows what's best for us spiritually. But does He also know what's best for us physically? If you'd like to know what the Bible says about how to live the longest, healthiest life possible, let me send you our free booklet, "Living Life to the Fullest." All you need to do is call (800) and ask for your copy of "Living Life to the Fullest." If the line is busy please do try again. You can write to us at It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, TN We'll mail a free copy to you in North America. Again, that toll-free number is (800) You'll find us online at ItIsWritten.com. RETURN TO PROGRAM JB: Jesus came into this world to give us an abundant life, yet we discover there are millions and millions of Americans--about 10 percent of the population--who are suffering from diabetes, and 80 million who are classified as pre-diabetic. Now, what we've learned is that diabetes can be avoided in many, many cases. It can be successfully

6 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 6 treated through lifestyle adjustments; it can be even reversed. Dr. Nedley, a moment ago we discussed exercise. It is a very important part of reversing diabetes. What does diet have to do with getting diabetes, and then with reversing diabetes? NN: A lot. Type 2 diabetes comes about really as a result of too much energy in and not enough energy out, so the not enough energy out we're correcting with exercise. But we need to actually lower the energy that's coming in. And so that means lowering the fat intake, lowering the sugar intake, and actually attempting to lose weight down to your ideal weight. JB: I remember hearing diabetes is too much sugar, but you just said too much fat. And this, we are growing in our understanding of this. High fat diets lead to diabetes, don't they? NN: Correct. JB: Yeah, explain that for me. NN: Well, fat actually gums up those insulin receptors, and so it actually causes the problem to get worse as far as the original cause of the type 2 diabetes. Now, in yesteryear we used to treat diabetes--since we thought it was just sugar--we used to treat it with a high protein, high fat diet, very low in carbs. And you know, the amazing thing is we could control the blood sugars a little better that way, because you're just not getting any that's coming in. But the complications of the disease skyrocketed, so you had more blindness, more kidney failure, more neuropathy, more of all of the problems that diabetes causes--strokes, heart attacks--because a high protein, high fat diet is normally high in cholesterol, high in saturated fat. But we now know that if you're eating natural carbs, in their natural state, and having a low fat diet and a lower protein diet, we can control the blood sugars just as well, because the fat isn't gumming up the insulin receptors, and we can lower the risk of all of those complications. JB: So what's the ideal diet for a diabetic and some who has diabetes and wants to reverse diabetes? NN: The ideal diet is high in vegetables and legumes, whole grains are part of the equation, nuts in moderation, and when you eat fruit--the northern fruits. JB: What are they? NN: Those are going to be pears, apples, as compared to the tropical fruits which are much higher in the simple sugars. JB: Okay, so out with the mangoes, out with the pineapples. NN: That's right.

7 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 7 JB: In with the pears and apples. NN: Exactly. JB: Now that doesn't sound so bad. NN: Yeah. JB: I'm thinking from the perspective of somebody who's saying, Oh, what do I have to give up now? I'll tell you what you've got to give up, man, you've got to give up diabetes. That's okay. NN: Exactly. If you don't manage your diabetes, it's going to manage you. JB: Yeah, well said. So it's that a low fat, high natural diet. NN: Yeah. We have people that are on high doses of insulin, that are out of control, and they leave (our program) actually on no insulin and completely controlled in their diabetes, and their complications reverse. Their painful neuropathy is gone; they're able to walk and exercise five miles a day, where they thought it was impossible for them to do so because of pain in their feet. Actual, real physiological changes can occur far more powerfully than medicine by getting on the right diet and lifestyle, and it's not that hard to do if you're educated. JB: I've told you the story once before; I'll tell you again. A friend of mine was a great big guy, way overweight, doing everything wrong, eating junk and so forth. The doctor said, The diabetes is at the place where we're going to have to put you on insulin. I think that's how it was. It was time for insulin, anyway. And he said, You know, I don't really want to do that. Well, you're going to have to do it. My friend said, Will you give me a month? Give me a month, and I'm going to see if there are some things I can do naturally. And this is a guy that hadn't done anything naturally. It was natural for him to just get bigger, you know. And the doctor said, It's your health, if that's what you want to do. He said, Well, I'll check back with you in 30 days. He started to make the very changes you're talking about the very changes. And at the end of 30 days he went to see his doctor, and the doctor said, Whatever you're doing, keep doing it.

8 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 8 And now, this guy is at his ideal weight. He exercises and loves to. He says he's eating healthy food and he loves how it tastes. The guy was like, sparkling. He said, I just can't tell you how good food tastes now. No insulin, no drugs, no nothing. And he turned it around naturally. So, that's why I said to you, is this quackery? I know the answer: It isn't. But. But, why didn't his doctor say to him, Hey friend, this is what you've got to do? NN: Doctors sometimes have a paternalistic attitude that says this is going to be too hard for the patient, so why even tell him about it. And one of the reasons why they have a tendency to think that is because they're not on an ideal lifestyle themselves, and they don't really want to do it themselves so they assume nobody else does either. But I find it's much better to tell the patient what is the most ideal, and then have them make the choice. And so, there's a lot more people willing to follow a program like that than many doctors believe. JB: I have physician friends who've told me about patients who say, you know, Doc, I've got this going on, and the doctor says, well, if you drink more water and walk a mile a day, everything will be okay. And the patient then says, Doctor, are you going to write me a prescription, or am I going to have to go and find me a doctor who will? So there's that to contend with as well, isn't there, in some minds? NN: That's right. Yeah, exactly, People anticipate when they go to a doctor, they're going to get a pill, and if they don't somehow they feel they've been cheated. JB: People are funny old things. Sometimes they don't want to help themselves even when the results are just so dramatically good. And I think this is why we want to approach this and everything else through the lens of the Bible. Arm in arm or heart in heart with God. Because ultimately what we want to do is God's will. NN: Yes. JB: And going God's direction, doing things God's way. There's much more to talk about. Don't go anywhere, we'll be back with more in just a moment. EVERY WORD JB: Thanks for joining me. An article I read suggested that if you eat out less and eat with your family more, you're likely to see these five benefits: You'll lose weight; your children will be healthier; you'll save money; your family's bond will be stronger; and your kids will have a healthier future. I'm not sure if these are guarantees, but they're sure good sense. God wants us to consider our health for spiritual reasons. He said, "You were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:20. Whatever you can do to give yourself a physical edge is a good thing. While nobody's suggesting that a person would never eat out, it's been proven that eating together more as a family is good not only for your health, but good for your

9 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 9 well-being. And that's something that's good for all of us. I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. Let's live today by every word. RETURN TO PROGRAM JB: Dr. Nedley, when it comes to diabetes let me ask you about sugar, because there's this thought that says if you're not a diabetic, well hey, it's okay to eat all you want. That cannot be the right thought, but please, you explain. NN: Well, sugar even in a non-diabetic will increase free radicals. In fact, there are studies showing 14 times the free radical production after drinking two sodas as compared to drinking two glasses of water. JB: What's a free radical? NN: A free radical is something that's going to cause damage to your system; it's going to cause blood vessel damage and it can get into the cells actually. It's one of the reasons why sugar has been associated with several cancers. And so yes, you might not get diabetes from it, if you don't have the gene, but you can get something else bad from it as well. And of course it's one of the main causes of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in college students. It's a cause of dental caries. You know, and these are in non-diabetics. The American Heart Association recently stated that if you are getting more than 150 calories a day in sugar and you're a female, you are dramatically increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke because of the blood vessel changes. Over 200 calories a day in sugar--and that's not much--and so the headlines came out after that, because one soda has more than that. One soda a day can kill. And you know, heart disease and vascular disease is still the number one cause of death in this country, and we've focused in on cholesterol and those things, and yeah, they're important, but we've ignored the sugar part of this disease. JB: Right, sugar does some real harm, doesn't it? NN: That's right. Refined sugar. JB: I think too, sugar's everywhere. NN: It is, yeah. JB: There are some breads loaded with sugar, ketchup, loaded with sugar. It's not just candy. NN: That's right. JB: There are some breakfast cereals that could practically be classified as candy because of the sugar content. NN: That's right.

10 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 10 JB: And we tend to think if it's in the cereal aisle, it's good for our kids. And maybe it's anything but. NN: Average American is eating 140 pounds of it per year. 140 pounds. JB: What should that number be? Much less. NN: Much less less than 10. I eat less than 10, and that means someone else is eating about 300 to average me out. JB: Whew! I eat less than 10 as well, so there's somebody getting their share and my share, too. You see patients about this, you consult with patients who are diabetic and they're wrestling with this. So, do they listen to you? And those who do, what do they experience? NN: They do actually listen to me, in most cases. I'm not going to say everybody follows 100 percent of what I recommend. But what I have found is, if we show them the benefit and we also show them what will happen if they don't go on this approach, and we leave the choice to them, they're very willing to be educated and to go through this. So they'll come to nutrition seminars we hold, they'll go to reversing diabetes seminars at Weimar. They'll even go through the Weimar New Start Program. They'll achieve optimal health. But one of the key components of this, that a lot of people are not aware of, is the fact that self-control is possible. A lot of people say well, that might be true if I were able to change my lifestyle, but I don't think I can. JB: Well, what's the secret to self-control? NN: The secret to self-control is actually self-sacrifice. It's a self-sacrificing love. And you know on the front end it looks like a tremendous sacrifice. You mean I'm going to have to give up my Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? And I'm going to have to give up my four Dr. Peppers? I don't think can do that. But actually if we take hold--this is where the spiritual part comes in--self-sacrificing love does not come from within. It comes from outside of us. It's called the love of God. And the love of God changes people, and it can change the world. And if we open ourselves up to learning more about that love and embracing the love of God in our lives, we can have comprehensive self-control. And we think it's self-sacrifice on the front end, but it actually is far more life enhancing. We're going to have a far more pleasurable existence by following the Lord's will for us in a diabetes-control program than not controlling it. JB: I'd like to challenge people to give it a try. NN: Yeah. JB: 'Cause you know something about Christianity--faith in God. It isn't about how strong you can be; it isn t about how much self-control you can muster up. It's really about your

11 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 11 willingness to take God at His Word and believe the promises God makes to you. Many people want to promise God, I'll do this and I'll do that. Instead, believe God's promises to you. And when the Bible says My God shall supply all your need, and you need selfcontrol, you go to God and say, here's the promise. Philippians 4:19. It's time for You to keep Your promise, because this is what I need and I can't do it myself. NN: God will help you. JB: That's right. Not I, but Christ lives in me, Paul wrote to the Galatians in chapter 2, and verse 20 of that book. It's about coming to God and saying I've tried it my way. That's a dead-end street. Time for me to try it Your way. Come and do in me what You want to do. That's a surrendered life. Jesus didn't even want to die on the cross. Three times he cried out, if it's possible please no. But He would follow that by saying, Nevertheless, not my will but Your will be done. And that's a big key right there. NN: Absolutely. JB: I want to challenge you to take God at His Word. If you don't have the self-control, no sweat. God's got plenty to give you. Oh look, I'm out of control, I'm spiraling out of control, there's no way I can do this right. Ask God to give you the will. Say, Right now I don't want to, God, but I would like You to make me willing. And that's faith in God. It's about turning your life over to Christ and allowing the Spirit of God to dwell in you richly and do the sorts of things that you are not able to do. OFFER If you'd like to know what the Bible says about how to live the longest, healthiest life possible, let me send you our free booklet, "Living Life to the Fullest." All you need to do is call (800) and ask for your copy of "Living Life to the Fullest." If the line is busy please do try again. You can write to us at It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, TN We'll mail a free copy to you in North America. Again, that toll-free number is (800) You'll find us online at ItIsWritten.com. It Is Written is a faith-based ministry, and your support makes it possible for us to share God s good news with the world. Your tax deductible gift can be sent to the address on your screen, or through our website at ItIsWritten.com. Thank you for your continued prayerful support. Again, our toll-free number is (800) , and our web address is ItIsWritten.com. RETURN TO PROGRAM JB: Dr. Nedley, again, thank you for joining me today. NN: It's been great being here. JB: This has been a blessing. Lives have been helped. As far as we want, our lives have been helped, because you know the key is not to go and religiously do all the new things

12 It Is Written Script: 1366 Beating Diabetes Page 12 I've learned, but it's to go to God and say God, You do in me what You can do. And when we learn to do that, the sky's the limit. NN: Yes. Absolutely. JB: Thanks again. NN: You're welcome. JB: Let's pray together. PRAYER JB: Our Father in heaven, we are grateful that there is a God who would live His life in us. There is a God so merciful to sinners that He would forgive us and cleanse us. There is a God so powerful that He can help us even when our lifestyle choices have led us in unfortunate directions; You can lead us back in the right direction. And we're thankful for that today. And so keep and bless us, let Your will be done. In Jesus' name, amen. It Is Written PO Box 6, Chattanooga, TN USA Tel: Fax: