Karol Chooses Diet For Prediabetes Treatment

Dr Jedha, : 0:10

What if changing what you eat could bring your blood sugar back to normal, ease painful symptoms and even inspire your whole family to get healthier? In today’s episode, you’ll hear how Karol chose diet to treat her prediabetes and the powerful lessons her story holds for achieving better health.

Dr Jedha, : 1:04

Hello wonderful people. Dr Jedha here and welcome back to Type 2 Diabetes Talk. Today’s episode is all about how powerful nutrition can be in treating prediabetes. We’ll be hearing from Karol, a mum of two who was shocked by her diagnosis, but instead of feeling stuck, she decided to take action. Diagnosis, but instead of feeling stuck, she decided to take action. Through the right dietary changes, she’s been able to lower her A1c to normal, lower her high cholesterol to normal levels, lose weight and even resolve some early warning symptoms that her doctors couldn’t explain.

Dr Jedha, : 1:39

Karol’s story is a perfect example of how nutrition is not just about numbers on a page. It’s about regaining health, energy and confidence for yourself and your family. So let’s hear from Carol now, and then we’ll chat about how diet and nutrition are the most powerful and effective treatment for pre-diabetes diabetes. So I guess we’re here to learn more about your journey today in being a member and how your health has been progressing. So maybe you want to start back at the beginning and tell us share a bit about yourself and your lifestyle and what brought you into being a member in the first place.

Karol,: 2:26

I believe it was 2024, beginning of 2024, where I was diagnosed with prediabetes and I was like what? It was a shock. Although it runs on my mother’s side, everybody has it my grandfather, my mother, everybody but to me it was shocking because I thought I ate so healthy. So I you know, the doctor gives you a list of what you can do, but inside of me a lot of it didn’t make sense. Like they don’t tell you stop eating this, they say, do less of this, but I really am afraid of needles. I think that I think I’ve told you I’m nemophobic, but I really am afraid of needles. I think I’ve told you I’m nemophobic. I’m afraid of blood, terribly afraid of needles, so I have fainted when they’re drawing blood or I see blood, even with my own kids. So it’s something that really stressed me out. So when I heard that, I was like oh my gosh, like there’s no way. What can I do to not have to deal with this in the sense of, you know, having to get blood and all this done?

Karol,: 3:27

That’s when I noticed the little something. It was in Pinterest. It was like a triangle with what you should be eating if you have prediabetes and it aligned with a lot of what I just assumed that made more sense. And so I clicked on it and I read you know everything? And I’m like, and I told my husband, I need this because I feel like I had no guidance, zero guidance. And so we’re like, let’s do this. And I am a person that’s very committed, I’m going to do something, especially if I’m again afraid of the needles or you know. Then so, because of that fear, it pushed me towards look, get this done. And yeah, in three months I had dropped. I believe I don’t really remember now, but I know the last checkup I was 5.3.

Dr Jedha, : 4:09

And you, you did start at an A1c of 5.8, I believe, and then, so within that few months, you went down to 5.3?.

Karol,: 4:17

I believe I went down to 5.6 the first three months. 5.3 was the last one.

Dr Jedha, : 4:24

Yeah, well, in any case, that’s still a fantastic progress, isn’t it? And yeah, I know there was a case when it went down and then it went up and then you freaked out. You were kind of like, oh no, yes, I’ve got to stick to this.

Karol,: 4:38

Yeah, because it just I think it was, you know, even though it was all in, there was a sense of denial like, nah, maybe you know, even though I was all in, there was a sense of denial like, nah, maybe you know. And then it’s like no, no, I yeah, no, my liver or everything that you talked about, the pancreas, oh, I really need to be careful with where’s my stress level. Also, on top of what I’m eating, and when you don’t have any guidance, which is what I was feeling it just feels like where do I even begin? And I and the doctors here at least my doctors they give you a page and it just says just limit this. I’m not going to just take a pill. No, I mean, this is something that could be reversed, like why would I take the pill? Because I see what that’s doing to my family members and it’s I don’t want to lose my, my eyes, I’m able to see and live longer for my girls and be in not just that, but just to live a life where I’m healthy.

Karol,: 5:27

And I do also have that sense of feeling that I am in control of my health and then expecting, like the doctors, to be obviously in control of me, but it’s okay, what am I doing and what’s beneficial for my health, and that I can do. That. That’s again thanks for your program and to me as a person myself, I feel like I need a lot more than than that. So in your program gives oh my goodness it’s detail and the videos, and I just feel like you have so many uh videos or information for everybody, because I have a friend that has a Hashimoto and I remember telling her hey, I just found something on the app about Hashimoto, maybe you should eat this and not that, and so, but even with that, about the losing weight, I know that you have one about gain, trying to gain some weight, so I try to throw those olives in olive oil, which I love. It’s just, it’s so easy.

Dr Jedha, : 6:19

Yeah, no. Well, I’m so glad you found us and I really appreciate that you’ve stepped up and shared your story to help encourage other people too, because it really does help when people just hear that you know from others, from other members person.

Karol,: 6:47

I enjoy cooking. You know that’s that’s. The other thing is how do I make this or what if I’m creating this? And that’s what I appreciate about your program that you have the app and I can visually go in there and find everything I need to look for, even how to bake, whether sweets or baked bread, which I’m really bad at that, but my husband really good, so he bakes for me while I cook. It’s just really helped me to find something that I just feel like oh my goodness, this is so easy. I can’t go back like there’s no way because it’s just so easy.

Karol,: 7:16

And then, of course, the first three months learning all the videos. It was a lot of information for me, but I appreciate that you would send reminders. It’s okay, take your time, but as I continue to read, I would make it like if I was going to school. So I would set a time where I would be on the phone for an hour just learning, relearning, sit with me so she can kind of remind me how to do the math and the carb and the and so, little by little, even to this day. If I don’t understand something I’ll ask my daughter.

Karol,: 7:50

So I feel like it’s like a family event now where they know they remind me should you be, you know, like? So it’s, it’s become part of our family really. And my husband, um, he’s in 5.6, he just went to the doctor and he’s like, can you make sure you’re like prepping my meals too? And I also had my daughters checked just because I wanted to be sure and they were in the fours and you know. But I constantly remind them, hey, should you, you know, can you get something else? So it’s become a family thing and I think that’s why it’s we’re so much more aware of what we shouldn’t be eating and what we could, what we should be, you know, just to take care of our health.

Dr Jedha, : 8:28

Yeah, wow, how amazing. That’s really such a fantastic journey so far.

Karol,: 8:32

It gets a little tricky. We just went on vacation. I had to have a croissant, I had to have the churro, but you know, but knowing that, like you, I appreciate that you said well, you can have your cake at a party, but you know you’re not going to eat like this every day. That helped me, because I know that I can’t. I can at least have half try and be like okay, I have this, Okay, but I can’t eat like this every day.

Dr Jedha, : 8:54

Yeah, that’s exactly right and it’s so true because you need to enjoy life in those moments like have that croissant, or delicious, enjoy it. Consistency is more important than perfection. It’s just that, yeah, we have to enjoy life and it’s so great to hear that it’s become a family thing too, and that health consciousness of taking care of yourself and your husband’s on board and what you’re being such a great role model now with your daughter and just her learning amazing about nutrition. Yeah, yeah, thank you, thank nutrition.

Karol,: 9:25

Yeah, yeah, thank you, thank you and thank you, and that’s why I wanted to. At first I was like I don’t know, I can’t do this, but I tell all my friends about your program and I constantly send them the link. Even this Monday I sent my friend a link because her son is pre-diabetic and he’s 15. And she is also. So I’m like, well, you guys can totally do this. So I sent her the link and and then I’m like honestly telling everybody how thankful I am to your program. So I want to make sure that I’m letting you know how thankful I am for your program, because it’s it is very visual, it’s very easy. It’s something so easy that anybody can do yeah, and there’s.

Dr Jedha, : 10:02

There really is a lot of different resources in there, isn’t there, Karol just?

Karol,: 10:06

yes, tons, and even when I have questions about the fruit or certain vegetables, I appreciate that you guys do respond and let me know the carb and the information on it 

Dr Jedha, : 10:18

yeah, that’s right. you can email us or check in with the member check-ins every month, which I know you’ve done a few times. So your blood glucose numbers have basically returned to normal, which is fantastic, and you know how to keep them there now with your nutritional plan. What else? Because I know you said you had high cholesterol when you first came into the program, and I think that’s improved now too, hasn’t it?

Karol,: 10:41

That has definitely improved. I think the biggest thing that stands out to me when I first started going to the doctor in 2023, around October, december was because I had a lot of leg pain in my left leg the veins to the point where I saw at least four different doctors about is there any surgery that we need to do? Because the pain was awful. Because the pain was awful and when I saw your videos and they’re talking about visually what happens to our veins right, whether we’re pre diabetic or diabetic, and I know that from family they’ve lost toes or they lose eyesight or so many things and then I’m like how, how crazy that I could be 5.8 and already be experiencing these symptoms on my left leg and that’s gone away. Like, I mean, that’s one of the things that I was, whoa it, that’s what it was.

Karol,: 11:35

Yet my doctors couldn’t pinpoint. By the way, they never even checked on the prediabetes. I mean, they never did a blood test. They were just doing x-rays, they were doing check, they were doing panels and checking how my blood was flowing. But I, I, yeah, I have no, no more pain in the veins separate from my doctor plan. I saw a different doctor where they go and they remove certain veins or they. All these things are just so scary to me. But I can honestly tell you that when I saw your video and I put the two one in one and I was like, oh my, my goodness, that’s what it was, it’s gone. I don’t, I don’t experience it anymore.

Dr Jedha, : 12:10

Yeah, wow, that is a real symptom like early that’s early neuropathy, where you’re starting to see some symptoms of that in nerves and vessels in the in the limbs, which is common in early pre-diabetes even, and due to some nutrient deficiencies as well. So it’s great that you got that early.

Karol,: 12:29

When I started doing your program, I understood that I thought I was eating correctly, but I was really drinking a lot, of, a lot of things that they show, like kombucha, or I love coconut water just a lot of things that have sugar in them already, and sometimes I would drink like three bottles a day, which would amount to like a Coke. So then, the more I started understanding that, no, I was really putting a lot more sugar, stressing my own body by drinking a lot of those things and of course, it just added up. It’s great to know.

Dr Jedha, : 12:57

Anyway, your A1C is on track, it’s normal. Your high cholesterol has come down to normal because I know in a report that you shared a while back it all looked like it was in the normal ranges. Your cholesterol, hdl ratios, perfect, so that’s a really positive thing too.

Karol,: 13:14

Yes, yes, because and I feel it, I, I feel it, I mean again going from where I was, like what is happening? Uh, the, the pain in the, the leg, the veins, and and I feel, oh, and I think the biggest thing that stands out is my sleeping pattern. But I’m really making a breakthrough. Even this week I’ve been working really hard on that. So it’s really I think what it was is summer vacation with my girls. You know it’s hard to get a pattern for three months, but now that they’re back to school, we’re all adjusting to our patterns and, yeah, it’s little by little getting back to that.

Dr Jedha, : 13:48

Yeah, and I think that’s it, isn’t it? It’s always a learning process, it’s always a growing process, and little adjustments here and there can make all the difference too. Yes, yeah. So I always like to ask people what would be your best advice to other people wanting to make a change in their lives.

Karol,: 14:07

To push through, to believe that they can do it, to persevere. So I feel healthy, I don’t have pain in my legs, I have more energy. Oh my goodness, so much more energy. So yeah, yeah, yeah, just to push through, don’t, you know? Don’t give up if it’s not working immediately.

Dr Jedha, : 14:30

Yeah, that’s great advice. And you look very healthy too. You just look healthy.

Karol,: 14:35

Yeah, I feel healthy, yeah.

Dr Jedha, : 14:37

And that’s just such a great thing for your daughters as well. Just them learning about nutrition, them eating healthier. You know they’re going to take that through to their lives as well.

Karol,: 14:48

Yes, yes, they, they know, they know, um, uh, they’ve tried a lot of the, a lot of the big goods, and sometimes they, they’re like, Ooh, this is really good. I’m like, yes, it’s just a matter of really. Again, you know, it can be easy to just go buy something, but to make it at home, they see it, they participate, they’re seeing the difference, At least for me. They’re seeing that difference of a not a mom that’s always tired or lethargic, but right away everybody can tell that it’s different.

Dr Jedha, : 15:59

After hearing Karol’s story, there are a few really important takeaways I want to highlight. There are a few really important takeaways I want to highlight. First, diet truly is a foundational treatment for pre-diabetes. Carol started with an A1c of 5.8 and within just a few months of changing her nutrition she brought that down to 5.6. Then she kept on going and now maintains an A1c level of 5.3, which is well back into the normal range. She didn’t need medications to make that happen. She simply followed a structured plan built around food. That’s powerful evidence of what the right diet can do. Karol’s cholesterol returned to normal and, although we didn’t discuss it in our chat, she also lost weight effortlessly, her body returning to pre-pregnancy weight. All of these outcomes are because of the new lifestyle habits she has built around food, nutrition and prioritising health For herself, yes, and for the whole family as well.

Dr Jedha, : 17:05

The second point is about clarity. Karol mentioned how the guidance she initially received from her medical doctor felt really vague. Getting a one page sheet with things like eat less sugar or cut back a little on this and that and that didn’t really help at all. What made the difference for her was having a clear, practical plan to follow, and she used our program and all its countless resources the videos, the cooking and baking masterclasses to build new skills and gain new knowledge, because when you know exactly what to do, it removes the confusion and you can take action with confidence.

Dr Jedha, : 17:45

The third point is that symptoms can actually improve with food changes. Karol had been experiencing that significant leg pain, something her doctors couldn’t explain. This kind of pain can occur even in the pre-diabetes stage, and it’s considered an early sign of neuropathy, where the nerves and blood vessels in the legs begin to show stress. Higher than normal blood sugar can spark these symptoms, and research has shown that nutrient deficiencies can contribute to this process as well, especially magnesium and vitamin B12. Once Karol changed her habits and improved her nutrition and blood sugar, those symptoms have completely disappeared. That’s remarkable, and it shows that pre-diabetes isn’t just about numbers on a blood test. Your body is giving you real signals that something is off. By addressing nutrition, both in terms of reducing excess sugar and improving nutrient intake, you can often resolve these symptoms before they progress into something more serious.

Dr Jedha, : 18:53

Another big highlight is the family impact. Karol’s husband and daughters joined in making healthier choices right alongside her. That ripple effect is so important because nutrition isn’t just an individual treatment. It has the power to improve the whole health of the whole household. And finally, sustainability. Karol learned that it’s not about being perfect all the time. You can still enjoy a croissant on vacation or a special treat at a party. What matters most is what you do consistently, day in and day out. That’s the mindset that allows you to both enjoy life and protect your health at the same time.

Dr Jedha, : 19:38

The key message overall is that diet is the most powerful tool you have for treating pre-diabetes. Studies consistently show that nutrition can normalise blood sugar, reduce the need for medication and prevent progression to type 2 diabetes. Of course, we absolutely know this to be true by the many members in our community like Carol who are living proof of the benefits of nutrition Beyond the science. As Karol shows us, diet and nutrition restores energy, reduces pain and creates a ripple effect for families. So if you’re sitting with a diagnosis of pre-diabetes and feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start, remember Karol’s example.

Dr Jedha, : 20:25

Diet is not just a side note, it is the treatment. Diet and nutrition is the most effective treatment to reverse pre-diabetes. And it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being consistent. Each meal is an opportunity to support your health, protect your future and enjoy life in the process. As we spoke about in episode 100, small, consistent changes can deliver big changes, overall powerful results. The most important thing is that you do take your prediabetes seriously. Your body is not broken and all is not lost. Prediabetes is an opportunity to change, to grow, to put your health as a priority. Seizing that opportunity is your choice. All you have to do is make that choice and start taking small steps today. In a few months, life can look a whole lot different, not just in terms of lab metrics, but in terms of energy, health and happiness. Thanks for joining me today for Karol’s inspiring story and thanks to Karol for sharing her experience to help others. 

Dr Jedha, over and out.