Latest news with #NormaLyons
New York Post
27-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
This pre-meal trick can regulate your blood sugar — but doctor shares warning before you try it
If you're diabetic or pre-diabetic, you know post-meal blood sugar spikes can wreak havoc on your health. There are many prescription drugs out there that can help you manage glucose levels, but a simple, non-pharmaceutical trick may also get the job done. And all you need is something that's likely already hiding in your pantry. Advertisement 3 Apple cider vinegar has long been touted as a miracle potion that can be used for practically anything, but the scientific evidence is limited. Prostock-studio – Norma Lyons, 60, was 40 pounds overweight when she was diagnosed as prediabetic nearly a decade ago. People with prediabetes have higher-than-normal blood sugar levels — left untreated, it can turn into full-blown diabetes, putting them at risk for heart disease and stroke. Not wanting to take drugs to treat her condition, she told The Post she managed to lose the weight and reverse the prediabetes in just 90 days by switching to a keto diet. Advertisement These days, she uses a tangy trick whenever she wants to get her fix: Lyons told the Post she simply mixes two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in her water and — voila — she can have two slices of pizza and still be in the clear. Apple cider vinegar has long been touted as a miracle potion that can be used for practically anything — from losing weight to aiding digestion to soothing sore throats, skin issues and headaches, although the evidence on its efficacy is limited. So, does the science for this blood sugar hack hold up? Advertisement 'I've heard from some patients who have successfully used apple cider vinegar to prevent post-meal sugar spikes,' Dr. Victoria Finn, an endocrinologist at Medical Offices of Manhattan, told The Post. 3 Lyons simply mixes two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in her water to manage her blood sugar levels when she eats carbs. ThamKC – ACV, as fans call it, may work in a few different ways: According to Finn, it might slow the breakdown of carbohydrates, delay the rate at which food leaves the stomach and increase insulin sensitivity — all of which can help prevent blood sugar from rising too quickly after eating. Advertisement But it's not without risks. 'I would advise against trying this natural treatment before consulting your healthcare provider,' she said. 'Apple cider vinegar's high acidity can cause stomach irritation and nausea in some patients, leading to other gastrointestinal issues. 'Furthermore, certain medications may interact negatively with apple cider vinegar.' 3 Norma Lyons before (right) and after (left) losing 40 pounds and reversing her prediabetes in 90 days. Norma Lyons Some people are likely to benefit from the trick more than others. 'It will definitely work better in people with some degree of insulin resistance, meaning those who have prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes,' Finn said, noting that the hack is more likely to work if the apple cider vinegar is taken before a high-carb meal. Advertisement While the tummy trick may have its merits, Finn still encourages people to focus on making lifestyle choices that can help them manage their blood sugar levels. 'My two best pieces of advice would be to consume protein, vegetables and healthy fats before eating carbohydrates and to take a 20-30 minute walk after meals,' she said. 'Eating a bowl of salad or a handful of nuts can significantly slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and reduce stomach emptying, which helps prevent a sugar spike.' The post-meal walk — which the internet has affectionately dubbed the 'fart walk' — 'can help cells take up glucose from the blood as an energy source and lower glucose levels,' she said. Advertisement As an added bonus, this flatulent stroll can also prevent constipation, get rid of gas and even lower your risk of cancer. For Lyons, the apple cider vinegar trick — and adopting other smart eating methods — has been a life-changer. 'I don't feel like I need to deprive myself of anything anymore. It's just a matter of learning how to eat it,' she said.
New York Post
22-04-2025
- Health
- New York Post
I reversed my prediabetes in 90 days without drugs — here's how
Ozempic who? Nearly 10 years ago, Norma Lyons was 40 pounds overweight and considered tortilla a major food group when her doctor broke the news that she was prediabetic. Unwilling to take medication, the now 60-year-old mother of three was determined to reverse the condition on her own — and she did, transforming her diet and her health in just 90 days. Advertisement Now she has 1.8 million TikTok followers who turn to her for healthy eating tips and recipes — and the twist, she told The Post, is that she no longer adheres to the strict diet she used to flip her diagnosis in the first place. 6 Norma Lyons reversed her prediabetes with diet changes. Norma Lyons Back in 2016, Lyons was a busy mom who didn't prioritize her health. 'I have three boys and a husband, and I was running around and not taking care of myself,' she said. Advertisement She mostly ate what her kids did, which meant a lot of cereal, bananas with peanut butter, sandwiches and ice cream. 'I'm Hispanic, so everything was thrown in a tortilla back then,' she added. 'Lots and lots of tortillas. Probably a lot of cheese as well — just oversaturation of food that just wasn't good for me.' Though she wasn't going crazy on fast food and donuts, she weighed 180 pounds and wasn't exercising at all. Advertisement 'I was teetering on a very, very scary weight for my 5-foot frame,' she recalled. 6 Lyons said she wasn't taking care of herself and was 40 pounds overweight. Norma Lyons The not-so-sweet news At a routine checkup that year, she learned she had elevated A1C, a chemical in the blood that is linked to sugar. She was firmly in the prediabetic zone. People with prediabetes have blood sugar levels higher than they're supposed to be — though not quite as high as someone with a full diabetes diagnosis. Unmanaged, it can progress to full-blown diabetes and put people at risk for heart disease and stroke. Advertisement They figured I'd be coming back in three months and having medication. But I came back in three months and they were shocked. Norma Lyons Lyons' doctor wanted to prescribe Metformin, the most common oral drug to treat high blood sugar levels. But Lyons didn't want to go on medication — and was determined to fix the problem on her own through changing her lifestyle. 'So I said, 'Can we hold off on the meds and let me try and see if we can do this another way?'' she recalled. Her doctors weren't convinced: 'They just said, 'OK, good luck.'' She was sent on her way with no information on how she might do that, no nutritional advice and no referrals to dietitians or nutritionists. 'I think they pretty much figured I'd be coming back in three months and having medication. But I came back in three months and they were shocked,' she said. Carbohydrates vs. diabetes Lyons went home and did her own research, quickly dedicating herself to the keto diet. 'I had completely eliminated carbohydrates,' she said. Advertisement When we eat carbs, our body breaks them down into glucose, raising our blood sugar. Limiting carbs can reduce those blood sugar spikes, which helps manage prediabetes. 6 Lyons' doctors wanted to put her on drugs to manage her prediabetes, but she was convinced she could do it without them. Norma Lyons Lyons' new diet included eggs, bacon and cheese every morning, lettuce wraps with cheese and chicken for lunch, and lots of meat for dinner. Her go-to snacks were nuts and mozzarella cheese sticks. Advertisement 'All that animal fat, which, gosh, I'm so grateful that I didn't have a heart attack,' she admitted. She dropped 20 pounds in three months — and even got back in a bikini for the first time in 30 years. She'd ultimately lose a total of 40 pounds. And three months after her diagnosis, she went back to the doctor — who told her that she got her A1C levels down and was no longer prediabetic. Lyons said they were 'shocked.' Keto worked wonders — why she decided to ditch it Though she managed to make massive headway with her health on keto, she's no longer adhering to the meat-heavy diet — and doesn't recommend it. Advertisement 6 She dedicated herself to the keto diet and met her goal by her 90-day follow-up. Norma Lyons Besides some unpleasant side effects, like a lack of energy, she realized that it simply wasn't sustainable. After all, she wanted to be able to enjoy herself with friends and family. A study by Stanford Medicine in 2022 came to a similar conclusion, finding that the Mediterranean diet and keto diets both had similar effects for blood sugar, weight and several other health indicators — but the ultra-restrictive keto diet was tougher to stick to. Advertisement It also eliminated some good-for-you foods. 'The lower in carbs you go, the more you're wiping out entire food groups that are considered very nutrient dense and healthy,' noted Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., who was the lead author of the study. 'Restricting added sugars and refined grains and emphasizing the inclusion of vegetables should be the focus,' he added. 'There's no reason to restrict heart-healthy, quality carbohydrate foods above and beyond.' 6 She no longer does keto because it's too restrictive. She's now relying on Stelo by Dexcom, a tiny, wearable glucose biosensor. Norma Lyons How she's managing her blood sugar today Eventually, Lyons' blood sugar started to elevate again. She learned from a nutritionist that that's because you actually need some complex carbohydrates in your diet to balance out your blood sugar. These days, she's on a sugar-free diet. She's also relying on Stelo by Dexcom, a tiny, wearable glucose biosensor that sends info about her blood sugar levels to her phone. 'Back then, I didn't think that I could eat any carbs at all for fear of my glucose spiking, but the sensor is showing me that now I'm able to eat carbs,' she said, noting that it's all about eating them at the right time and pairing them with other foods. 6 Her tips for eating carbs include pairing it with protein or fiber. Norma Lyons What you can do Lyons stressed that the most important thing when you're struggling with prediabetes is to know your glucose numbers. She also recommends pairing carbs with protein. For example, oatmeal alone can make her blood sugar spike — but adding a scoop of protein powder and a tablespoon of peanut butter to it and she's fine. Fiber is another good tool. She cited the plate method often promoted by the American Diabetes Association. 'The plate method is half your plate with a fiber-filled vegetable, a quarter of your plate with a protein, and a quarter of your plate with a complex carb,' she said. 'Start with a fiber first. So eat your veggies first, you know, and then you can go on to your protein and then your carb, for a much slower response in blood sugar.'
