We finally seem to be mostly back to normal after the past year and a half of a global pandemic that has changed the way we live in big and small ways
Part of me hates to say this, but the time is now that we should start thinking about the NEXT epidemic or pandemic and how to get through it healthy and thriving.
If you’re groaning at the thought of another pandemic, I get it.
But that’s exactly why it’s important to do everything you can so you don’t have to worry about being prepared when another health catastrophe happens.
Because it WILL happen. It’s only a matter of time.
There are several possibilities for the next epidemic or pandemic I want to explore today so you can guard yourself and your family in advance:
- The next virus – Another coronavirus-like illness that spreads across the globe. It’s only a matter of time for this one. It may be very different than the Covid pandemic, but there are basic things we can do to protect ourselves before the next one even starts. We’ll talk about that more below.
- A growing crisis – This would be an explosion of a health epidemic we already know about, like heart disease, cancer, or diabetes due to population and/or environmental factors. For example, we can expect to see rates of heart disease, the #1 killer in America, continue to rise as the large Baby Boomer population gets increasingly older.
- A new health crisis – Unlike the last category, this is one where medical experts may be concerned, but no one else is talking about it. Yet. But you can expect that to change, and when it does, the change will be rapid. Today, we’re going to talk through one example of this type of possible epidemic on the horizon…
If there were a health crisis that the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, and the Journal of the American Medical Association were all concerned about, wouldn’t it be worth talking about?
Wouldn’t you think there would be news reports and books being published on the topic?
And yet, the health crisis we are going to look at in detail today is a concern to those esteemed medical establishments, but no one is talking about it.
What is this health crisis? Type 3 diabetes, or diabetes of the brain.
That’s the nickname for it, but another way of looking at it is a huge, scary symptom of type 2 diabetes that becomes common with advancing age.
It's an accepted fact that people with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. This direct link between the 2 diseases means that anyone with diabetes or pre-diabetes needs to be concerned about their cognitive health as they age.
In fact, one meta-analysis of all of the research out there in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation found that people with type 2 diabetes had a 73% increased risk of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers are also saying the higher the blood sugar levels, the faster the cognitive decline. So not only are people with diabetes at an increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, once they have one of these diseases, they decline at faster rates if their blood sugar levels are higher.
If you’re already scared hearing these statistics, hold onto your seat and brace yourself because it’s about to get even scarier. Type 2 diabetes is increasing at a skyrocketing pace and only looks like it’s going to get worse, according to the World Health Organization.
In 1980, 4.7% of adults worldwide had diabetes. That rose to 8.5% in 2014. That’s nearly DOUBLE. And just to put those numbers in perspective, in 1890, only 3 out of every 100,000 people had diabetes! This is why we’re talking about this as the next epidemic.
In 2016, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. 1 in 3 American adults have pre-diabetes (and many don’t even know it)! And 27% of Americans over 65 have type 2 diabetes, and about HALF have pre-diabetes.
By the year 2050, 1 in 3 Americans will be diabetic! That means that for every 2 aging adults you know in the US, one of them is at high risk for developing not just 1 but 2 serious diseases – diabetes AND dementia.
Are You at Risk for Developing Diabetes and Dementia?
When a person’s body is unable to produce enough (or any) insulin, or becomes insulin resistant from a chronic, hyper-acidic diet, the result is higher levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. Blood sugar levels are meant to be tightly regulated by the body, just like blood pH.
When you have high blood sugar levels from sugar, grains, dairy, and too much animal protein in your diet, it wreaks constant havoc on the body. It can damage nerves, vision, the heart and coronary system, limbs, digestive system, and the brain.
People can live with high levels of blood sugar for years or even decades without developing symptoms of type 2 diabetes, but the damage is already being done.
Here are the common warning signs that you are headed for pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes:
- Unexplained weight gain
- Dark patches of skin around the neck or under arms
- Painful, numb, or tingling hands, feet, or limbs
- Reproductive system problems or unexplained hormonal changes
- Changes in appetite or thirst
- Fatigue that doesn’t go away
- Frequent infections (anywhere on or in the body)
Even if you don’t have any of these symptoms, it’s possible you’re living with elevated glucose levels. So if you have any issues with blood sugar regulation, you have a history of eating a lot of sweets (even if you don’t anymore), or you have a family history of diabetes, talk to your doctor about checking your glucose levels.
The Good News About the Next Health Crisis
It’s hard to imagine that there’s any good news about this or any future epidemic. However, I want to assure you there is good news, even if you’re part of the 1 in 3 Americans at risk for diabetes.
And the best part is the same actions you can take to reverse your risk of developing diabetes will also help prevent severe illness from other epidemics that crop up and spread. Remember that one of the groups of people most susceptible to severe Covid disease was people with type 2 diabetes, so these steps will help in multiple ways.
This simple change to diet, supplements, and lifestyle has worked for thousands of patients all over the world and can make a huge difference in quality of life and even extend the length of your life.
Step 1: Cut Out Harmful Foods – The most important step in preventing diabetes is to stop eating foods that make blood sugar imbalance worse and make you more susceptible for other disease. Don’t worry – there are plenty of good, healing foods in step 2 that we’ll replace these with.
- Grains, gluten, and refined carbs
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Dairy products, especially yogurt and ice cream
- Too many omega-6 fatty acids, which come primarily from canola, vegetable, and soybean oils
- Too much animal protein (when the diet goes over 15% of your calories from animal protein, it turns to sugar)
Step 2: Add in Healing Foods – As you stop eating foods that are making diabetes more likely, you want to replace them with foods that are going to naturally heal your body and promote healthy glucose levels.
- Dark, leafy greens
- Avocados
- Broccoli
- Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts
- Flax, chia, and sunflower seeds
- Green beans
- Coconut oil
- Wild-caught Alaskan salmon
- Cinnamon
- Parsley
- Turmeric
Step 3: Get Moving! Exercise is key in balancing blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. Day to day, and especially over time, getting the body moving will make a big difference in its ability to heal itself.
The two best exercises for reversing diabetes are walking, which should be part of your daily routine, and rebounding. If you’re not familiar with my favorite acid crushing exercise, the rebounder, or mini trampoline, a NASA study showed that the rebounder is 68% more effective as a cardiovascular exercise and for weight loss compared to running without the harsh effects on your joints.
Step 4: Supplement to Prevent Disease – It’s necessary to supplement your diet with a few things that your body can’t get enough of based on what you eat alone. These supplements will help prevent diabetes as well as prime your immune system to fight off other diseases.
- A larger dose than usual of vitamin D (5,000 IU daily).
- A high-quality magnesium supplement will help increase insulin sensitivity and balance blood sugar. The best one you can take is Acid-Kicking Minerals because it will ensure you’re also getting enough calcium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate in their most bioavailable forms so you’re fighting acid along with diabetes.
- A good quality fish oil supplement to ensure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids (3,000 mg daily is my recommendation for adults, but always check with your health care practitioner). Our Acid-Kicking Daily Omega-3 is the best quality supplement on the planet.
We combined 4 powerful superfood ingredients to create the best immune system support you can buy.
Superfood Ingredient #1: Chaga Mushroom
Known as the “mushroom of immortality” in Siberia, chaga has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties. It is said to have the highest level of antioxidants of any food in the world. As such, it’s a great way to boost immunity and reduce cravings, because unlike regular mushrooms, chaga helps your body heal from candida overgrowth, and viral and bacterial infections. Our chaga is sourced from the largest organic forest in the world in the Arctic Circle, and is a powerhouse source of antioxidants and immune-boosting beta glucan, which research has shown helps the immune system function more optimally and even protect against autoimmune conditions.
Superfood Ingredient #2: Elderberry
Elderberry contains a whole host of immune-boosting antioxidants, including vitamins A, B, and C. These antioxidants and vitamins can help keep your immune system strong and allow you to better fight off infections, such as common viruses like cold or flu. Elderberry also has anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent the onset of cellular damage, and decrease the inflammation that's happening inside your body. In addition to other potent antioxidants, elderberry contains anthocyanins — a pigment with antioxidant effects that give berries their red, blue, purple, or black coloring. Anthocyanins prevent flu viruses from reproducing inside our bodies, which may prevent the onset of flu and other viral infections, also decreasing the duration of flu symptoms.
Superfood Ingredient #3: Vitamin C
Vitamin C strengthens the body’s immune system by protecting the integrity of cells, and affecting the production and function of white blood cells, your body’s defense against viral and bacterial pathogens. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight against damaging and inflammatory free radicals in the body. Vitamin C also helps heal wounds and repair and maintain healthy bones, teeth, skin and cartilage, and may help prevent or delay certain cancers and heart disease, lower the risk of stroke, and promote healthy aging.
Superfood Ingredient #4: Astaxanthin
Known as the “king of carotenoids,” astaxanthin is grown in fresh water where it encourages algae to grow its own powerful medicines protecting it from oxidation, UV radiation, and other environmental stressors. Astaxanthin is actually what gives salmon its reddish color and allows them to perform heroic feats like swimming upstream against the current and leaping up waterfalls. It’s one of the most powerful antioxidants in the natural world, with research showing that it has 550 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E! These antioxidants slow down the aging process and protect us from damaging and pro-inflammatory free radicals that can cause stress to our immune systems, DNA and nerve cell damage, and accelerated aging of our internal organs.
Together, these 4 ingredients are the most potent immunity boosters you can take to both prevent common illnesses and stave off aging and disease.
Power up your resistance. Fight fatigue. Alkalize your body.
Our new Acid-Kicking Immunity contains the right combination of ingredients to prime the immune system to keep you best protected against germs, viruses, and disease.
It’s a doctor-formulated capsule with all natural superfood ingredients to strengthen and support your immunity, both today and long-term.
This simple supplement is the best way to guard yourself and your loved ones from germs, microbes, and bacteria that you encounter everyday to help prevent diseases ranging from the common cold to chronic illness.
GET OFF YOUR ACID!
Dr. Daryl