Have you ever considered reversing prediabetes without medications? Norma Lyons did it in just 90 days — and here’s how.
Normal Lyons, once struggling with a weight of 180 pounds and enduring the daunting news of prediabetes, took matters into her own hands to reclaim her health. Through dietary changes to reverse prediabetes, she transformed not only her weight but also her entire approach to food. In her compelling journey, she demonstrates the effectiveness of understanding and managing one’s health through informed, sustainable dietary choices rather than relying on medication.
The Start of a Transformative Journey
In 2016, at the age of 60, Norma's doctor delivered the prediabetes diagnosis that would change her life. With a sugar-rich diet — full of tortillas, cereals, and snacks like ice cream — her health was deteriorating. Faced with the option of medication like Metformin, she made a courageous choice: to manage her prediabetes without medication.
“I didn’t want to go on medication,” Norma stated. Instead, she sought to combat her condition through understanding food's role in her health. She was ready for transformation, so she drafted a new health plan based on research and dedication to help her learn how to manage prediabetes without medication.
Embracing the Keto Diet
Norma’s first step was adopting a keto diet for prediabetes. By cutting out carbohydrates, she noticed significant drops in her A1C levels, which reflect blood sugar levels over time. Her new meals included bacon, eggs, and cheese. Instead of tortillas and sugary snacks, her diet became meat-heavy with lots of healthy fats, dramatically shifting her caloric intake.
As she embraced this dietary overhaul, Norma lost 20 pounds within three months. The keto diet indeed acted as an ally, allowing her to experience remarkable changes without medication. However, despite its initial success, the extreme lifestyle came at a cost.
The Sustainability Question
Soon, Norma encountered challenges with the sustainability of her new diet. Keto, while effective, felt overly restrictive. She realized she missed joyful moments of eating out with family or enjoying meals with friends—a vital part of life she didn’t want to sacrifice. Insights from a 2022 study by Stanford Medicine confirmed her concerns about the keto diet’s sustainability, emphasizing that the balanced Mediterranean diet yielded similar health benefits without the rigidity.
“I came to understand that eliminating nutrient-dense foods wasn't the solution,” she reflected. She began searching for a more balanced way to manage her health, moving away from the strict parameters of the keto diet.
Monitoring Made Easy with Technology
Norma now incorporates a modern tool into her dietary management: Stelo by Dexcom, a wearable glucose biosensor that continuously tracks her blood sugar levels. With this device, she receives real-time data sent directly to her phone, allowing her to make informed decisions on the go.
“This sensor lets me know when it's safe to indulge in carbs,” she shared, signifying her newfound empowerment through technology. The ability to pair carbohydrates with protein and fiber—such as mixing oatmeal with protein powder—has allowed her to enjoy foods she once avoided due to fear of blood sugar spikes.
Practical Tips for Carb Management
Norma emphasizes learning the importance of food pairings when it comes to enjoying carbohydrates. Here are a few practical tips she found beneficial
- Pair your carbs with protein or healthy fats: This can significantly reduce blood sugar spikes.
- Start every meal with fiber-rich vegetables: The plate method is a useful guideline where half your plate should be filled with fiber-filled veggies, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with complex carbohydrates.
- Mind your timing: Eat carbs in moderation and always with protein or fiber to manage blood sugar more effectively.
These practical strategies helped Norma evolve her eating habits without compromising on enjoyment—a quality needed for long-term success.
Community and Support
With over 1.8 million TikTok followers, Norma has turned her journey into a shared learning platform. Her engaging content and genuine approach provide a support system for those seeking to understand diabetes and prediabetes. Community plays a vital role in health journeys, and there is strength in shared experiences.
Conclusion — A Path to Empowerment
Norma Lyons’ journey from a prediabetic diagnosis to reversing her condition within 90 days is inspiring. With her proactive steps through dietary changes to reverse prediabetes and the integration of cutting-edge technology such as Stelo by Dexcom, she showcases that successful health management is not solely about medication. Instead, it revolves around understanding one’s body and making informed food choices.
The lessons learned from her story emphasize empowerment, sustainability, and community support. By embracing these principles, anyone can work towards a healthy life, free from the chains of medication, understanding fully how to manage prediabetes without medication and paving the way for sustainable health choices.