Although heart disease and cancer continue to rank as America's two leading causes of death, another condition is rapidly becoming one of the greatest threats to both longevity and quality of life.

Diabetes.

I remember when I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s, diabetes was relatively uncommon.

Once the 1980s arrived, however, things began changing dramatically. Diabetes prevalence quadrupled between 1980 and 2020, and the numbers continue to climb.

So what happened?

One major factor has been the dramatic rise in ultra-processed foods.

During the 1980s, tobacco companies such as R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris expanded into the food industry by purchasing major food manufacturers, including Nabisco and Kraft. Researchers and journalists have documented how food companies increasingly focused on engineering highly palatable products designed to encourage repeat purchases.

At the same time, decades of nutrition messaging emphasized low-fat diets while encouraging higher consumption of refined carbohydrates. Combined with the growing availability of inexpensive processed foods, this shift likely contributed to worsening metabolic health across the population.

Today, we are living with the consequences.

The Numbers—and the Different Types of Diabetes

According to the CDC, approximately 38 million Americans currently have diabetes, with the overwhelming majority diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. An additional 98 million adults have prediabetes, often without realizing it.

Although all forms of diabetes involve elevated blood glucose, each type develops differently.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes accounts for approximately 5-10% of all diabetes cases.

In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. It is most often an autoimmune condition, although it can also develop after injury or disease affecting the pancreas.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the form that has increased dramatically over the past several decades.

When blood sugar remains consistently higher than your body needs for energy, the pancreas must produce increasing amounts of insulin to move that glucose into your cells. Over time, it may struggle to keep up with the demand.

Eventually, your cells become less responsive to insulin—a condition known as insulin resistance. Think of it like trying to soak more water into a sponge that's already saturated. The sugar remains in the bloodstream instead of entering the cells where it's needed.

Dietary quality also matters. Diets high in refined carbohydrates, excess calories, and heavily processed foods—including those containing large amounts of seed oils—have been associated with chronic inflammation and impaired metabolic health.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes, once considered relatively uncommon, has also increased substantially.

Cases rose from 58 per 1,000 births in 2016 to 79 per 1,000 births in 2024—a 36% increase in less than a decade.

Researchers now believe this trend reflects declining metabolic health before pregnancy begins, driven by poorer dietary habits, reduced physical activity, and rising obesity rates among young adults.

Fight Back—and Don't Become a Statistic

Fortunately, there is a great deal you can do to support healthy blood sugar and metabolic health.

Start with Your Diet

As much as people dislike discussing nutrition, it's impossible to ignore the enormous role diet plays in metabolic health.

To help reduce your risk of diabetes, minimize your intake of:

• Sugars and sweets
• Refined grains
• White bread, pasta, and pastries
• Highly processed snack foods
• Sugar-sweetened beverages
• Seed and vegetable oils commonly found in processed foods

This also includes soda, sweetened coffee drinks, sweet tea, fruit juice, sports drinks, and energy drinks.

Instead, build your meals around:

• Quality protein
• Healthy fats such as eggs, butter, avocado, and full-fat dairy
• Plenty of non-starchy vegetables
• Filtered water throughout the day

Skip Artificial Sweeteners

I remember when my dear mother was living in a nursing home before she passed away. Her roommate, Sadie, had diabetes, and one evening I happened to be visiting when the facility's dietitian stopped by.

She encouraged Sadie to finish all of her pasta and reminded her to use Equal® instead of sugar in her coffee.

I was speechless.

While artificial sweeteners eliminate calories, research suggests they may still influence appetite, food cravings, and metabolic health in ways that aren't fully beneficial.

If you'd like a calorie-free sweetener, I recommend choosing stevia instead.

Get Moving

Exercise is probably the second topic people least enjoy hearing about—but it's just as important.

Regular physical activity has consistently been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, helping your cells respond more effectively to insulin.

Choose an activity you enjoy, get your physician's approval if needed, lace up your sneakers, and make movement part of your daily routine.

Prioritize Sleep

Poor sleep doesn't simply leave you tired.

Research suggests that inadequate sleep can increase stress hormones, negatively affect blood sugar regulation, and contribute to insulin resistance.

If sleep is a struggle, consider:

• Drinking chamomile tea in the evening
• Avoiding caffeine, sugar, and alcohol close to bedtime
• Taking a warm bath with Epsom salts
• Sleeping in a cool, dark room

Regular exercise also helps reduce stress, making restful sleep easier to achieve.

Support Healthy Blood Sugar with Turmeric and Vitamin D

Emerging research suggests turmeric may help support healthy blood sugar levels by promoting normal insulin function and supporting glucose metabolism.

Our Optimal Turmeric Blend combines 750 mg of pure turmeric with black pepper extract to enhance absorption, making it an excellent addition to your daily wellness routine.

Vitamin D also plays an important role in healthy glucose regulation, yet deficiency remains extremely common.

Whenever possible, aim for 20-30 minutes of sensible sun exposure. To help maintain healthy vitamin D levels year-round, consider Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B®. Each capsule provides 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 along with vitamins K1 and K2 plus the mineral boron for comprehensive nutritional support.

The Bottom Line

The diabetes epidemic didn't happen overnight, and there's no single solution.

However, by eating a nutrient-dense diet, staying active, getting quality sleep, and supporting your body with targeted nutrition, you can take meaningful steps toward maintaining healthy blood sugar and protecting your long-term metabolic health.

Small, consistent choices truly do add up—and it's never too early or too late to start.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia