Greetings, Metabolic Mavericks,

There's something uniquely American about our approach to diabetes care. We've somehow engineered a system where we spend approximately 0.3% of our year with medical professionals and the remaining 99.7% engaging in what can only be described as unsupervised metabolic improv. It's like being cast in a high-stakes medical drama but only receiving script pages for the season premiere and finale.

I'm MrT2D, and like you, I've spent countless hours in those sterile examination rooms, watching doctors type furiously into computers while occasionally glancing up to deliver nutritional wisdom with all the depth of a fortune cookie: "Perhaps consider fewer carbohydrates?" Thank you, seven years of medical training for that revelation.

This newsletter was born from my realization that the most honest diabetic exchange I'd had in years was with a complete stranger in the pharmacy line who whispered, "Does your insurance cover test strips, or do you also have to decide between monitoring your disease and making rent this month?"

Together, we'll navigate this peculiar landscape where we're simultaneously told that diabetes is a serious chronic condition and yet somehow expected to manage it with the casual oversight one might apply to a hardy houseplant. "Just don't let it die completely, and we'll check in next spring."

Sincerely,
MrT2D

Welcome to the Diabetes Industrial Complex—a self-perpetuating ecosystem where patients become lifetime customers, and genuine solutions take a backseat to profitable maintenance therapies.

Let’s be blunt: there’s no profit in curing diabetes. A patient who reverses their condition through lifestyle intervention generates exactly zero dollars for pharmaceutical companies. A patient who needs medication for decades? That’s what financial analysts call “reliable recurring revenue.”

The numbers tell the story. The global diabetes drug market reached $63.1 billion in 2024. By comparison, funding for research into diabetes reversal through intensive lifestyle interventions remains a rounding error on most research budgets. One must ask: is this disparity merely coincidental?

“The fundamental problem is misaligned incentives,” explains Dr. Margaret Chen, a former pharmaceutical researcher who now advocates for lifestyle-first approaches. “The entities funding research are often the same ones profiting from keeping patients medicated. It’s not a conspiracy in the cloak-and-dagger sense—it’s simply capitalism working exactly as designed.”

Perhaps nowhere is this conflict more evident than in treatment guidelines. While lip service is paid to lifestyle modifications, the practical emphasis inevitably shifts to medication management. Guidelines are drafted by committees where pharmaceutical influence runs deep—through research funding, speaking engagements, and consulting relationships.

When was the last time your doctor spent 30 minutes discussing precise nutritional strategies rather than writing a prescription? The system isn’t designed for such conversations. The average physician-patient interaction lasts less than 18 minutes, barely enough time to check vitals and review medication compliance. Discussing complex dietary interventions? That’s for the pamphlet they hand you on the way out—if you’re lucky.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: intensive lifestyle interventions work remarkably well. The landmark Virta Health study showed that a well-designed ketogenic diet coupled with coaching helped 60% of participants reverse their diabetes markers within one year. Similar results have been demonstrated in studies of intermittent fasting protocols, plant-based diets, and other nutritional approaches.

Yet these interventions receive minimal coverage in continuing medical education. The cynical explanation? There’s no pharmaceutical sponsor eager to fund education about approaches that might make their products unnecessary.

“It’s not that doctors are willfully ignoring alternatives,” says Dr. Chen. “It’s that the entire information ecosystem they exist in systematically emphasizes pharmaceutical solutions while marginalizing others.”

Perhaps the most absurd manifestation of this dysfunction appears in insurance coverage. Many insurers will cheerfully cover diabetes medications costing thousands annually for decades—while denying coverage for comprehensive lifestyle programs costing a fraction of that amount for a limited time.

The logic defies explanation until you recognize the short-term thinking at play. Insurance companies operate on annual cycles, and executives are incentivized to minimize this year’s expenses. The fact that investing in reversal programs might save tens of thousands per patient over a lifetime becomes irrelevant when quarterly results are all that matter.

So where does this leave the individual with Type 2 diabetes? Trapped in a system designed to manage—never cure—their condition?

Not necessarily. A growing movement of “diabetes rebels” (more on them later in this issue) is demonstrating that patients who educate themselves can navigate around the limitations of conventional care. By combining the best of evidence-based medicine with nutritional approaches often overlooked by mainstream practitioners, many are achieving results their doctors once deemed impossible.

The path isn’t easy. It requires questioning conventional wisdom, finding healthcare partners willing to support unconventional approaches, and taking personal responsibility for lifestyle changes more demanding than simply swallowing a pill. But for those willing to make the journey, the rewards—improved health markers, reduced medication dependence, and often complete remission—speak for themselves.

The greatest conspiracy isn’t that pharmaceutical companies actively suppress cures. It’s that the entire healthcare system has evolved to make pharmaceutical solutions the path of least resistance—for doctors, insurers, researchers, and ultimately patients.

Breaking free starts with recognizing that reality. And that’s exactly what Mr. T2D is here to help you do.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have revolutionized diabetes management, but they’ve also revealed phenomena that can cause unnecessary anxiety. One such phenomenon? The post-exercise glucose spike.

Many CGM users observe their glucose rising immediately after intense exercise—sometimes by 20-30 mg/dL—despite conventional wisdom saying exercise should lower blood sugar. This apparent contradiction has many patients concerned they’re doing something wrong.

New research from the University of California explains this is actually a normal physiological response. During intense exercise, the body releases stress hormones that prompt the liver to release glucose, ensuring adequate fuel for working muscles. In individuals without diabetes, this is quickly countered by insulin release, but in those with insulin resistance, the elevation can persist longer.

“This is actually a protective mechanism, not a sign of harm,” explains Dr. Michael Torres, lead researcher. “The key finding is that despite this temporary rise, regular exercisers show dramatically improved glucose control overall.”

The bottom line? Don’t abandon your workout routine if you notice this pattern. The temporary bump is far outweighed by the long-term benefits.

For years, cinnamon has been studied for its potential glucose-lowering effects, with frustratingly inconsistent results. Some studies show significant benefits while others show none.

A new analysis from the National University of Singapore may have uncovered why: dramatic variations in the active compounds between different cinnamon preparations. The researchers found that the concentration of methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP), believed to be the primary active component, varied by as much as 200-fold between different commercial supplements.

The good news? A newly developed standardization method ensures consistent MHCP content, potentially making cinnamon supplementation more reliable. Look for products specifically labeled with standardized MHCP content—they’re still rare but becoming more available.

Pharmaceutical companies are racing to develop the next generation of incretin-based therapies, with several GLP-1/GIP dual receptor agonists showing impressive results in clinical trials. The latest contender demonstrated an average HbA1c reduction of 1.9% and weight loss of 22 pounds over 26 weeks—surpassing the already impressive results of current GLP-1 medications like semaglutide.

The projected monthly cost? Approximately $1,200, likely placing it among the most expensive diabetes medications on the market when (and if) it receives FDA approval in late 2025.

Natural alternative perspective: While no natural approach matches the sheer power of these pharmaceutical options, emerging research on berberine (500mg three times daily) combined with time-restricted eating (8-hour feeding window) has shown HbA1c reductions of 1.2-1.4% in small trials—significant, if not quite as dramatic as the pharmaceutical options, but at a fraction of the cost and with an excellent safety profile.

The berberine/fasting combination also demonstrated moderate weight loss benefits of 8-12 pounds over similar timeframes. Not as dramatic as the pharmaceutical option, but achieved without the gastrointestinal side effects that cause up to 30% of patients to discontinue GLP-1 therapies.

Before any doctor visit:

Jim Keating, 59, was told diabetes was a lifelong condition. After 11 years and a growing list of meds, he figured insulin was next.

But after chatting with a coworker who had reversed his own diabetes, Jim decided to try a new approach: intermittent fasting and a low-carb Mediterranean diet.

The results:

“My doctor calls it ‘remission.’ I call it getting my life back,” Jim says.

His advice?
“Ask questions. Do your own research. And find a doctor who listens.”

Full Story: From 12 Pills Daily to Zero in 14 Months

Jim Keating wasn’t supposed to get better. At 59, the former construction manager had been living with Type 2 diabetes for 11 years, watching his medication list grow longer with each passing year.

“My endocrinologist basically told me this was a one-way street,” Jim recalls. “More medications, higher doses, potentially insulin down the road. That was just how it worked.”

A chance encounter with a coworker who had reversed his own diabetes led Jim to question this narrative. Against his doctor’s skepticism, he began a protocol combining intermittent fasting with a low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet.

The results defied expectations. Within three months, Jim had lost 37 pounds and cut his medication needs in half. By month 14, his HbA1c had dropped from 8.2% to 5.4%—below the diagnostic threshold for diabetes—and he had eliminated all diabetes medications.

“My doctor still calls it ‘diabetes in remission’ rather than reversed,” Jim laughs. “But I’ll take it. The proof is in my lab work—and in how I feel every day.”

Jim’s advice to fellow diabetics? “Question everything. Not in a conspiracy theory way, but in a ‘let me see the evidence’ way. And find a doctor who’s willing to work with you as a partner, not just as a prescription pad.”

A comprehensive meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has found that magnesium supplementation significantly improves insulin sensitivity and may help prevent Type 2 diabetes progression.

The analysis, which included 32 randomized controlled trials with over 1,700 participants, found that magnesium supplementation improved insulin sensitivity by an average of 12% compared to placebo, with effects being most pronounced in those with documented magnesium deficiency.

What it means in plain English: Many Americans are deficient in magnesium due to soil depletion and dietary patterns. Supplementing with 200-400mg of magnesium daily (preferably magnesium glycinate or malate for better absorption) could be a simple way to improve your body’s insulin response.

The catch: While promising, magnesium isn’t a magic bullet. Benefits were most significant in those who were deficient to begin with, and supplementation works best alongside, not instead of, other interventions.

Welcome to the first issue of Mr. T2D! If you’ve made it this far, you’re clearly someone who refuses to accept the standard diabetes narrative—and we’re glad to have you.

Our mission is simple: to provide you with information, inspiration, and occasional irreverence as you navigate the complex world of Type 2 diabetes. We don’t claim to have all the answers, but we promise to ask better questions than you’ll find in most doctor’s offices.

In future issues, we’ll dive deeper into specific nutritional approaches, explore the complex relationship between stress and blood sugar, investigate emerging technologies, and continue highlighting the stories of ordinary people achieving extraordinary health transformations.

Have a topic you’d like us to cover? A success story to share? A rant about the medical system that needs to be heard? Drop us a line—this newsletter exists to serve you, our community of diabetes rebels.

Until next time, keep your glucose steady and your skepticism healthy.

-MrT2D