Paper & Ink

For those that still like a real page to turn, I’m pleased to announce that the paperback edition of Refusing the Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey to Kick-Ass Health is now available through Amazon or Createspace.

In even the short month since publishing the digital version there’s been more in the news about the concerns, hunches, and practices I outline in the book. As the diabetes epidemic sweeps over us, there’s probably no such thing as too much coverage. And there’s no shortage of different angles on this story, like the troubling unexplained increase in the autoimmune varieties like Type 1 and LADA over the last couple of decades. It’s a real mystery, although I’ve placed my bet on the toxins in processed food suspect.

Three years ago at age 49 I was your typical all-American beer guzzling, pizza chomping, moderately stressed guy. Slim, and in great health (I thought). Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) is also called Type 1.5, but the fact that it’s autoimmune and the insulin-producing pancreas is under attack makes it closer to the kid’s Type 1. It’s still widely misdiagnosed. People are walking around wondering why the usual Type 2 pills aren’t working. The only option currently offered for any Type 1 variety is insulin. Almost no money is spent researching solutions like what I came up with to avoid those shots in the stomach. Perhaps because you can’t patent the kind of diet, supplement, and stress reduction regimen that has worked for me. In any case, here’s some of what I found interesting in my research and self-experiment:

* Diabetes as a “spectrum” disease – traditional lines are blurred, T1’s have environmental triggers and T2’s have genetic predispositions

* over prescription of insulin to Type 2 and LADA – even though there’s good evidence for Type 2 reversal and cure via diet and lifestyle change, the insulin industry is pushing hard to get as many people using insulin as possible. LADA’s are being diagnosed sooner, but unfortunately, they’re being put immediately on insulin instead of using the available window of time to try a diet/lifestyle approach.

* new science showing residual pancreas function in longtime Type 1’s – recent studies contradict the typical unequivocal statements that “a Type 1’s pancreas is dead, or soon will be, period”.

* anecdotal diet-based reversals – my reversal story is not unique, but my cynical side says there’s more money in insulin and insulin-devices so why fund studies for alternatives. And it’s hard to measure the effects of holistic approaches using techniques like acupuncture and meditation.

* the similarities of the large list of common chronic autoimmune inflammatory diseases – taking the typical western medicine narrow-focus-blinders off shows dozens of autoimmune inflammatory diseases like diabetes, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, crohn’s, celiac, etc. This is what starts to strengthen the whole processed food, environmental toxin angle for me.

* stress and the mental game are more than just an afterthought – others have done much of the same diet and supplement regimen as what I put together without stopping the autoimmune attack, so I’m placing much stronger emphasis on the role of stress, even down at the cellular level. I’ve had to remodel my life to get rid of minimize anger and anxiety.

If this story interest you, please check it out.

Refusing the Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey to Kick-Ass Health , by Russell Stamets

Amazon(Kindle or paperback): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
Barnes & Noble (Nook): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/refusing-the-needle-russell-stamets/1110361672?ean=2940014469739
Apple (ipad): search the itunes store for Russell Stamets
Smashwords (all ereaders): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608

blog: russellstamets.blogspot.com
Twitter: @russellstamets