How Pam Transitioned: From Cravings To Healthy Choices

Everyone, when they reach out for help, is looking for improvement. If they don’t get it, they can feel discouraged. I think that’s a completely normal response. She was very tired of the reality of Type 2 diabetes. She was on mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, a peptide class of medications used as a prescription drug for Type 2 diabetes. She was also on prescription medications that helped her sleep. Her sleep had improved. She was getting some benefits from the mounjaro. However, the prescription medications weren’t enough. She wanted something more so that she could feel well again and get her energy back. Feelings of exhaustion, depression, and deep-seated sleep problems were keeping her from enjoying her days and doing the things that she wanted to do along with the things that she needed to do. Each day was a slog from start to finish. She was that tired. We started working together when she enrolled in a package that combined an initial consultation and a cortisol lab test by using a lab test to assess the root cause of her fatigue. The lab test results highlighted adrenal hormone dysfunction, specifically the lack of cortisol, a primary stress hormone, as the critical problem uncovered via the lab test. Now, cortisol levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day and night. There’s a very specific pattern to them, and they have a strong influence on blood sugar levels, food cravings, and hunger. Whether or not we can tell when we feel full or satisfied from eating and then whether or not there are issues with overeating.

As we reviewed her lab test results together, I mentioned that her problems with cravings for junk foods and highly processed foods and portion control were likely related to the issues with cortisol. Perhaps the roots weren’t in the sleep; it was cortisol. Her stress response. Unfortunately, this connection is mostly overlooked when people have diabetes. Medical and healthcare professionals mean well, but sometimes they don’t necessarily know how to look for these things. They may neglect this aspect of health. Since it is overlooked, people are often left to fend for themselves. Sadly, and perhaps shamed and blamed along the way for their health problems, especially if they have Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes when they do reach out for help. I can say with complete confidence that shaming and blaming are not healing environments. It doesn’t help. She began by taking a specific supplement to help restore her energy. Now, this support was foundational to helping her move from feeling constantly exhausted to feeling energized, peppy, and joyful each day. She turned a corner with this. She then enrolled in the Yates Protocol Health Program for Diabetes to work on the aspects of her lifestyle that most impact a person’s blood sugar levels.

The full spectrum of the Yates Protocol was covered in this program, so together we covered nutrition: which will always be the bull’s eye of the target when we’re talking about diabetes. Meal timing: this can include intermittent fasting, if appropriate. Stress makes a difference: It does. It is a bully that grabs you by your genetic color and slams you right up against whatever weaknesses might be there. Your environment will force the epigenetic expression of whatever is lurking there in your genes. Sleep: number four, of the Yates Protocol. Sleep makes a big difference. That’s when your blood sugar resets. That needs to be in good order.  then, finally, the fifth member. The fifth step is exercise and strength training. Those matter a lot for blood sugar control. We tracked your blood sugar levels while doing the program, connecting them to how she was feeling and helping her gain actionable insights to guide her lifestyle. This way, she was in charge. Now she has the energy to live her life the way she wants. By starting with this key issue—this restoration of her energy—the rest of the pieces of her health puzzle fell into place. As we worked together, her energy came back. It was so wonderful to watch this unfold. Next, she started to cook for herself again. She had the energy, and she became so much more interested in making healthy food choices consistently upfront. She stopped bringing junk food into her home and nutrient-deficient foods and beverages as well. She just made way better choices at the store and made sure that what was in the house was going to support her health. Things that weren’t good were gone.

The most important thing about this is that her cravings for junk foods and highly processed foods went away. It is so helpful when your tongue and your brain work together to support your health and no longer want you to eat the stuff that’s undermining it, but instead want you to eat the stuff that lets you be well. This made it easy in this case to make healthy food choices consistently since you had no interest in junk foods or highly processed foods. It’s joyful when this happens. I love it for people when this happens. Then she returned to the gym to begin working with her trainer again because now she has the energy to exercise and to look forward to working out because it feels good to be active again. All the pieces came together for Pam. She deserved it. She did the work; she used all five steps of the Yates Protocol to regain her health and well-being: nutrition, meal timing, stress, sleep, exercise, and strength training. Those are the five power steps that make the difference. Now she has her nutrition dialed in. She went from craving crackers and crapola to craving a three-bean salad. That is a change that lasts once you start feeling good, and it supports making self-care your number one priority. Her meal timing is fine. She stays on an eating rhythm that works well to keep her energy and blood sugar even throughout the day. Life happens. Sometimes stressful events do occur. Life continues to throw curveballs, and she stays on track with her healthy lifestyle because she knows she feels so much better when she does this.

If she feels stressed, she has also been noticing that the old cravings don’t return to sabotage her work on her self-care. Her sleep continues to be in a good place, and now she is exercising again. Her energy is back. What a difference it makes for her quality of life! Now, she looks forward to visits with her doctor or nurse practitioner and the rest of her health team. They’re all cheering her on. They’re delighted with her results. Of course, she’s feeling great about it, too. She’s on track for a healthy, active, energetic life and freedom from the long-term complications of Type 2 diabetes. I share this story with you because, for many people listening, this can be a part of the journey that you’re probably shaking your head on. I recognize it. Been there, done that. I got the T-shirt. I got you. I’m so glad you’re here at this summit. I hope you find encouragement, inspiration, and insight to help you on your health journey. Enjoy the rest of the summit and the episodes from each day. Take care.