Michelle Rupp: J. J. Mayo joins us now to talk a little more about diabetes. And JJ, we’re going to talk about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

J.J. Mayo: Yeah. I think a lot of people just throw out the term diabetes. They don’t understand that there are three general types: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. With Type 1, the person has no control over it. It is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas doesn’t secrete insulin. Insulin helps take sugar from the blood. Type 2 is what we tend to focus on because it’s more lifestyle-related, and it’s due to eating excess carbohydrates. The third type is gestational diabetes which can happen during pregnancy.

MR: So, if you’ve received a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis at whatever stage you are in life and whatever those numbers are, is that final, or can you reverse it through diet and exercise?

JM: You can. And a lot of this is controversial, but I have done it. I have helped people. I’ll give you an example. I had a client who came to me because her doctor was going to start her on Metformin, the front-line medicine for diabetes. I worked with her for less than 12 weeks. When she went back to her doctor to test her A1c numbers, the doctor looked at the numbers, and he was like, “Wait a minute.” He went back to the front desk because he thought he had picked up the wrong chart. Her numbers had gone back to normal, and she had lost about 30 pounds at the end of these 12 weeks. She had started to turn things around. The way she did that was to control her carbohydrates. Think about this, for people that have Type 2 diabetes, if the problem is that your blood sugars are high, shouldn’t the solution be to lower the amount of sugar that you’re consuming? A lot of people don’t talk like that. They see it as a destination, and they’re just going to progressively get worse over time. And it will if you continue to take medicine because you start on the medication, and then eventually, down the road, they’re going to want you to get on insulin. The best thing to do is get a handle on it, improve that blood sugar, and do it through food.

MR: Okay, well, I know you and Jamie will be sharing a recipe with us, so we’re looking forward to that coming up.

JM: I’m excited about it. It’s a low-carb recipe, good for Type 2 Diabetes.

MR: Perfect. Alright. J.J., thank you so much for joining us.

Easy Queso Soup

  • 2 cups chicken broth (two cups of water and two bouillon cubes if you do not have chicken broth)
  • 1 package of cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 pound of meat of your choice (use what you have left over)
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes or Rotel
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 package taco seasoning
  • Dash of garlic powder or garlic salt (to taste)

Combine chicken broth and cream cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until all ingredients are combined and the soup is warmed through. Let sit 10-15 minutes and serve.