A diabetic’s amazing success with a simple diabetes diet could land him in jail

Bureaucrats gone wild

Do you have a diet that works for you? Does it work so well that it vastly improves your health?

If so, you’d better not share the details of your success. Your local Royal Order of Mainstream Bureaucrats might threaten you with jail time.

Exaggeration? Not at all.

This very scene recently played out in North Carolina. But this could happen anywhere. Petty bureaucrats will come at you tooth and claw to protect their territory. And they get especially aggressive if you challenge their healthcare sacred cows.

Escape from the pyramid

In early 2009, Steve Cooksey was middle-aged, overweight and out of shape. He never exercised. He describes his pre-2009 diet as bad fats and bad carbs.

During an emergency room visit, doctors gave him devastating news. They told him he had severe type 2 diabetes. He immediately began taking a diabetes drug and four insulin injections each day.

After his diagnosis, two different nutrition professionals recommended the dietary guidelines of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). In short, they told him to follow the USDA Food Pyramid.

Remember the base of the old Pyramid? They called it the “Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group.” The recommendation was, “6 to 11 servings each day.”

He began using the USDA Food Pyramid as a dietary guide. Fortunately, his doctor had a better suggestion. He recommended a book about low glycemic foods. As I’ve mentioned before, the glycemic index (GI) is a scale that categorizes foods according to their effect on blood sugar.

Steve began a strict avoidance of high GI foods. He ate mostly vegetables and high quality meats. He also began a strict exercise regimen.

His results were wildly successful. Within three months, he lost nearly 50 pounds. More importantly, he reduced his blood sugar to levels that required no drugs and no insulin.

First Amendment Warrior

Steve came to realize how appalling it is for anyone to recommend several daily servings of pasta and rice to diabetics.

So he started a blog. He felt an urgency to share his experience with other diabetics so they could break free of drugs and insulin.

He probably never imagined he would ruffle the feathers of some smalltime bureaucrats.

In January 2012, the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition informed Steve he was practicing nutrition without a license. They threatened to shut down his blog and haul him into court if he didn’t substantially rewrite his blog posts. He even faced the possibility of jail time.

You see, Steve not only “trespassed” on NCBD/N territory. He also contradicted the status quo of mainstream nutrition. In fact, he gleefully attacks the ADA and anyone else that promotes a grain-based diet for diabetics.

Oh no. No no no. You can’t do THAT!

You can tell people you eat meat and salads. No problem. But you can’t suggest they might be better off eating meat and salads too. No! THEN you’re an unlicensed nutritionist. You know, unlike those LICENSED “nutritionists” who tell diabetics to eat rice and pasta.

On top of that, if you suggest that the ADA is in collusion with drug companies to sell more drugs… Well, let’s just say that strays WAY outside the mainstream party line.

Steve quickly responded to NCBD/N. He included more disclaimers on this website and stopped publishing an advice column. Apparently, that appeased NCBD/N. For the moment, anyway.

Recently, the board informed him that he’s now in compliance. But they’re still monitoring him.

Steve’s response: “All this means is that the board has violated my First Amendment rights by silencing me and altering how I express my opinions.

“I have absolutely no intention of complying with the board’s violation of my free speech rights. I intend to defend those rights, not only for myself, but for everyone.”

That’s a fighter! Steve fought for his health and won. And he’s determined to fight anyone who tries to silence his important message.

Here’s my unlicensed advice: Every diabetic should visit Steve’s website at diabetes-warrior.net.

Sources: 
“My First Year… with DIABETES” Steve Cooksey, Diabetes Warrior, 2/22/10, diabetes-warrior.net

“I Received a Letter from the NC Board of Nutrition and Dietitians” Steve Cooksey, Diabetes Warrior, 4/27/12, diabetes-warrior.net

“State Threatens to Shut Down Nutrition Blogger” Sara Burrows, Carolina Journal, 4/23/12, carolinajournal.com