Superstar Patients:

How They Are Conquering Type 2 Diabetes

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine discovered that by making lifestyle changes, patients at risk for Type 2 diabetes could dramatically improve their health and prevent diabetes complications. Thanks to the medical staff at the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes, and especially to dietitian Phyllis Woodson, two patients at the SDI are doing just that.

In the study, it was found that Americans at high risk for Type 2 diabetes could significantly lower the chance of developing the disease through a healthy diet and exercise. The study was conducted at 27 centers nationwide and included males and females, ages 25-85. All of those in the study had impaired glucose tolerance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, also known as "pre-diabetes."

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first was an intensive lifestyle intervention, including a low-fat diet and moderate exercise. The second group was treated with Glucophage, and the third group was given placebo. The participants in the lifestyle change group reduced their risk of getting Type 2 diabetes by 58%. The Glocophage group reduced their risk by 31%. This is a very significant result, since 95% of people with diabetes in the United States are Type 2.

Constance Fields, a patient of Dr. Dwight Mathias, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year. Constance is like many people with diabetes: she was overweight, had complications from her diabetes, as well as other health problems, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Constance had just been through a battle with breast cancer and found herself with some suspicious symptoms. Her OB/Gyn suspected diabetes and referred Constance to the Institutes. Dr. Mathias diagnosed her condition, prescribed Glucophage, and set up an appointment with dietitian Phyllis Woodson.

Phyllis pointed out some important nutritional information to Constance. She discussed the importance of incorporating exercise into her life and gave guidelines for healthy eating. Constance had several bad habits. She did not exercise. She skipped breakfast, ate a lot of fried and high fat foods, too many carbohydrates, very little vegetables, and did not drink enough water.

After meeting with Phyllis, Constance immediately changed her diet. She started every day with a healthy breakfast. She found this very important in maintaining her glucose levels.

Her breakfast included a healthy cereal such as Fiber 1, Total, or oatmeal. She occasionally would have an egg and toast or peanut butter toast for variety. This helped her from becoming bored and kept her eating healthy.

She also increased the amount of raw vegetables in her diet. She regularly ate tossed salads and instead of pouring dressing on top of the salad, she dipped her fork into the dressing. This kept the fat content way down without eliminating the flavor. Eating salad helped Constance from getting hungry and snacking on unhealthy convenience foods during the day.

Constance also switched to skim milk and ground turkey, and dramatically increased her water intake. She stopped eating canned vegetables, which are higher in sodium and sugar, and replaced them with healthier fresh veggies. Additionally, she realized that she could not eat fruit as a snack, but could eat it with a meal. She found that if she eats fruit with a protein food, it may not increase her blood glucose as dramatically. With diabetes, the combination of foods is as important as the foods themselves.

Constance then began an exercise program. She started walking 1-½ miles, three to four times per week and gradually built up to three miles each outing. A year later, she is still walking and enjoys mall walking with a friend.

Within six months, Constance lost 29 pounds, regulated her glucose, and lowered her cholesterol and blood pressure. She attributes this improvement to her lifestyle change and is very thankful to Dr. Matthias and Phyllis Woodson for their care and guidance.

"This is a way of life for me, for my whole life, not just for a year," Constance said. She also said that a ten-pound loss makes a big difference in her overall health. She would like to lose additional weight, but the most important thing is that she feels so much better.

Superstar #2: Samuel Davis

PhotoSamuel Davis

As a member of the International Longshoremen's Association and a Committee Chairperson for the Cookout for the Cure, Sammy Davis has been a strong supporter and friend of the Foundation. Although Sammy has many family members with diabetes, he had never experienced any symptoms of his own until last November, when a routine physical showed a high blood glucose level.

His general practitioner diagnosed him as having pre-diabetes. She warned him that he would have to begin taking medication to control his diabetes if he did not lose weight and begin exercising. Sammy had always been a very active and athletic person, but of late spent more time coaching sports than exercising himself. Without realizing it, over the years his weight had climbed to 237 pounds, and he had gone up several suit sizes. He was referred to Phyllis Woodson.

Sammy went home from the doctor that day and started exercising. He had already lost seven pounds when he saw Phyllis the first time. Phyllis gave Sammy an eating plan to follow. Sammy immediately gave up his worst habits: excess beef, sugar, and fried foods. He switched from Kool Aid and lemonade to Crystal Light. He began eating large amounts of fresh vegetables and salads with low sugar dressings. He switched from sugar to Equal and began to read the food labels of everything he bought, checking the sugar and cholesterol levels.

"Phyllis' chart will save you if you follow it," Sammy explained. Sammy lost 40 pounds rapidly and has kept it off for over a year. He believes that you cannot just focus on losing weight; you have to focus on what you are putting into your body. As he says, "We are what we eat!"

Sammy lost the weight and maintains it by exercising. He started out slowly, walking for two weeks, then moving to running combined with walking, then running two miles per day. Now he runs between two and four miles per day, three days per week. He also does abdominal crunches every other day. He always listens to his body and does what his body can tolerate that day.

He runs on a track or in his neighborhood and when the weather is bad, he rides a stationary bike at home. He also does moderate strength training at home and makes sure that he drinks plenty of water when he exercises.

Sammy's motivation for his lifestyle change was fear. Because of his relationship with the Foundation and the Institutes, he has heard Dr. Georges and Dr. Vinik speak many times. He has also seen his family members suffer from diabetes related complications. "It was the fear of the known: I know what can happen to people with diabetes and did not want the complications to happen to me. I can't be a phony, raising money for diabetes without doing the right thing myself."

Sammy explains "It was hard to get used to sugar substitutes, and to all of the other changes. But it becomes routine, and my health is the most important thing in my life."

Sammy now weighs 191 pounds, has normal glucose levels, has lowered his cholesterol, and feels great. He checks his sugar every other day before and after he eats. He also sees his doctor once a month and is truthful to her about what he eats.

These are two examples of patients doing just what the NIH study found. They have made important changes in their lifestyles, and dramatically improved their health.