In this episode, Dr. Steve shares a powerful talk from the Secrets in Health Conference about how diabetes medications often "miss the mark." He explains the real root problem behind type 2 diabetes (insulin resistance), why focusing only on blood sugar and A1C keeps you sick, and how man-made, high-carb processed foods have created an epidemic of high insulin, inflammation, and weight gain. You'll learn what pre-diabetes really is, how drug companies have shaped the way doctors are trained, and why low-carb, whole, animal-based foods can help you lower insulin, burn fat for fuel, and regain your energy without living on medications.​

Bullet point episode highlights

• The "three columns of disease": high inflammation, high insulin, and high blood glucose damage every organ over time.​

• High insulin and inflammation show up 10–40 years before blood sugar ever becomes high, which is when most people finally get diagnosed.​

• Man-made, processed "Franken foods" from the center aisles of the store drive high insulin, high glucose, and constant fat storage.​

• Type 2 diabetes is really a problem of insulin resistance, not just "high blood sugar." High blood sugar is a symptom, not the root cause.​

• Insulin is the fat-storage hormone:

  • High insulin = you store fat.

  • Low insulin = you burn fat from your fat cells for energy.​

• There are only two ways blood sugar goes up: you pull it from your limited glycogen stores or you eat it (through carbohydrates).​

• The body was designed to use fat as the main long-term fuel and glucose just for short bursts like "fight or flight," not as an all-day energy source.​

• Processed foods often mix carbs and fats together (like burgers with buns, pizza, donuts), which is the worst combo for fat gain.​

• Our bloodstream only holds about 2 teaspoons of sugar, yet the modern diet now averages an estimated 65 teaspoons of sugar per person per day when you include soda, juice, breads, pasta, and sweets.​

• Extra glucose is quickly turned into triglycerides and stored as fat, which keeps your insulin high and your energy low.​

How insulin resistance develops

• Every fat cell takes in triglycerides under the command of insulin until it is completely full.​

• When fat cells are stuffed and can't take more, they become insulin resistant and start pushing the problem to other cells and organs.​

• This process can take decades, which is why you can look "fine" but be building disease silently for years.​

• "TOFI" people (Thin Outside, Fat Inside) can look lean but still have fat packed around their organs and have type 2 diabetes.​

• Others can be very obese without diabetes because their bodies keep making new fat cells (adipocyte hyperplasia), but they still suffer from hormone problems and other issues from having so much fat tissue.​

How diabetes medications mislead us

• Most diabetes drugs work in only two basic ways:

  • Forcing the pancreas to make more insulin.

  • Making cells more sensitive to insulin.​

• This means the drugs push even more triglycerides into already stuffed fat cells, kicking the can down the road and worsening insulin resistance over time.​

• Historically there were only two main drug classes (sulfonylureas and biguanides like metformin), but once A1C testing and "pre-diabetes" were defined, the number of drug classes and medications exploded.​

• A1C was originally used around a cutoff of 8, then gradually lowered to 7, then 6.4, which suddenly turned millions more people into "drug candidates."​

• The creation of the "pre-