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Diabetes
You Have To Learn How to Find the Sweetness in Life Again.
The burden of diabetes falls heavier on our communities.
1 in 4 people living with diabetes do not know they have it.
Black adults are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than the general population.
We are 4x more likely to suffer lower-limb amputation than others with the same condition.
The good news is that you don't have to keep it forever. Clinical trials show that 46% to 61% of people with Type 2 Diabetes can achieve remission (normal numbers without meds) through lifestyle change alone.
You don’t need a magic pill.
You need to treat the root (insulin resistance), not just the symptom (sugar).
Diabetes is a long-term health condition that affects how your body uses food for energy. Normally, your body breaks down food into sugar (glucose) and uses a hormone called insulin to move that sugar into your cells.
But when you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use it the right way. This causes sugar to build up in your blood.
There are two main types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes happens when your immune system attacks the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. People with Type 1 need to take insulin every day because their body can't make it anymore. This type usually starts in kids or young adults, but it can happen at any age.
Type 2 diabetes is what this program focuses on. With Type 2, your body still makes insulin, but your cells don't respond to it the way they should (this is called insulin resistance). Over time, your pancreas can't keep up, and your blood sugar stays high.
Type 2 diabetes used to mostly affect people over 40. But now, because of processed foods, sitting too much, and stress, younger people (even teenagers and kids) are getting it too.
Good news: Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented or even reversed when you change your lifestyle and address what's causing it (not just treat the symptoms).
Spirit Listening
A health condition is not something to fix. It is something to listen to.
Type 2 Diabetes is not a punishment.
It is your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, sending you a distress signal.
It is saying, "I need support. I need better rhythms. I need you to trust God more than you trust your stress."
The Sweetness Gap
Type 2 diabetes isn't just about how your body handles sugar.
It is about how you are handling the sweetness, or the lack of it, in your life.
For many of us, real emotional and spiritual comfort feels too far away.
But a sweet treat costs a couple of dollars and works instantly.
When we carry unprocessed grief, resentment, or the bitterness of a job we hate, sugar becomes the substitute for the joy we are missing.
The Shift: We have to ask where we have been using food as a stand-in for comfort, love, or safety.
The "Urgent Care" Lifestyle
Insulin resistance is often the physical result of years of "pushing through."
We live by silent vows like:
"I can't be weak."
"I don't have time to rest."
"I'll sleep when I'm done."
This keeps our nervous system in overdrive.
Just like working a 12-hour shift with no breaks, your cells are exhausted.
When you try to control everything instead of trusting God, your body mirrors that struggle.
You cannot heal a body you are constantly at war with.
Generational Warfare & Healing
We must be honest about our history.
In Black and Brown communities, food insecurity often comes from trauma.
Our ancestors ate what they had to in order to survive scarcity and slavery.
They did what they had to do.
But we cannot blame them, and we cannot stay there.
The Prayer: "Almighty Creator, help me be the one who breaks unhealthy patterns while honoring the sacrifices that got me here."
The Action: You are the one who changes the bloodline. You are the one who will speak openly about blood sugar, move your body, and invite the next generation into a different story.
Faith Without Works is Dead
We cannot just "pray away" a physiological condition.
A spiritually aligned approach includes repentance, which simply means turning back.
It means saying: "God, I've been ignoring my temple. I've been numbing my stress. Help me turn back to You."
The Work: If you need medication, take it. If you need to change your nutrition, do it, even during the Sunday potluck. If you need to sleep, protect that rest. Dependence on God is key, but God empowers you to act.
Sit with these questions. Do not judge your answers. Just listen.
Where in my life have I been craving sweetness that has nothing to do with sugar?
What emotions have I been eating instead of feeling? (Grief? Loneliness? Anger?)
What would it look like to treat my pancreas and liver as beloved servants that are tired, not broken?
Where is the Holy Spirit inviting me to slow down or say "no"?
What generational story about food and struggle am I being invited to rewrite today?
Rhythms that Heal
One of the most overlooked ways to manage diabetes is connecting with yourself and your Higher Power.
We have been taught to rely only on what doctors give us.
But true healing also comes from spiritual connection.
Before you can heal, you need a breakthrough.
That breakthrough does not come from a provider or medication alone.
It comes from listening to the Creator's voice in your life.
Protecting the Temple & The Legacy
Diabetes is about how we take care of our temple. It is tied to how we eat, move, sleep, and deal with stress. But it is bigger than just you.
This condition affects oppressed and underserved Black and Brown communities more than others. When diabetes takes over our communities, we cannot fulfill our purpose. We do not have the time, energy, or years left to work, parent, or serve.
The Reality: Our existence is our legacy. We have to protect it.
The Mindset: Honoring your body as a temple is not self-worship. It is treating your body as something special in God's eyes. You would not walk into a church sanctuary carelessly. We must learn to treat our bodies with that same respect.
It Is Not a Verdict. It Is a Signal.
Do not see diabetes as something that "just runs in the family" or "comes with old age."
See it as a signal.
Your body is telling you that something needs to change.
Sometimes we cannot do it alone.
We have to ask the Creator to guide us and help us see the patterns that are hurting us mentally and spiritually.
When you turn to God proactively, not just when things go wrong, you get the breakthrough you need.
Faith Requires Action
This is not a "just pray it away" message.
This is a "go deeper" message.
Prayer is powerful, but God also wants to see you do the work.
The Question: What are you doing to make the change?
The Challenge: As people called to be set apart, we need to ask if we are in bondage. Are we being controlled? Are we letting something block our purpose? Is God happy with how we are living?
You have to act on what you know.
As a provider, I can help manage your symptoms and look at your numbers.
But I cannot give you the breakthrough.
That comes from your relationship with God.
The Virtual Dispensary
Did You Know?
Kidney Failure's Number One Cause Is Diabetes
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S. High blood sugar slowly damages the kidneys until dialysis or transplant is needed.
It's the Top Cause of Blindness in Working Adults
Diabetic retinopathy (damaged blood vessels in the eyes) is the number one cause of vision loss in working-age people.
Your Stress Raises Your Blood Sugar
Chronic stress releases cortisol, which raises your blood glucose and makes insulin resistance worse. It's not just about food.
Prayer Alone Won't Heal You
Spiritual connection is important, but faith without works is dead. You need prayer plus medication, better food, movement, and doctor visits.
Diabetes Triples Dementia Risk
People with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to get Alzheimer's or dementia because of how high blood sugar affects the brain.
Your Gut Bacteria Play a Role
An imbalanced gut (dysbiosis) can make insulin resistance and inflammation worse. Healing your diabetes means healing your gut too.
You're 4 Times More Likely to Have a Heart Attack
Diabetes damages blood vessel walls and speeds up plaque buildup, making heart disease 2 to 4 times more likely.
Diabetes Causes More Amputations Than Car Crashes
Over half of all non-trauma amputations happen to people with diabetes because of poor circulation, nerve damage, and slow healing.
It's Spiritual Warfare in Our Community
Diabetes has roots in generational trauma, food scarcity from slavery, and unhealthy food traditions. Breaking these cycles takes both faith and action.
Your Pancreas Can Heal
With serious lifestyle changes, some people with Type 2 diabetes can reverse their condition. It's not always permanent damage.
"It runs in the family" stops with you.
Just because your grandmother had "sugar" doesn't mean you have to lose your vision or your limbs to it. Genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger. Let’s unload the weapon. We are building a guide to help you protect your vessels and change your family's health trajectory. Sign up here for early access.