Bahamas News

Arlington Lightbourne, M.D., has successfully reversed the symptoms of Diabetes 2 in a patient without insulin

Published

7 years ago

August 22, 2017

#Bahamas, August 22, 2017 – Nassau – For patients suffering from Type-2 Diabetes, the daily prick is as predictable as the changing of the tides. But the wave of wellness that is sweeping the medical industry may just be changing the way doctors treat diabetes. And one local expert who treated hundreds of patients in emergency rooms at PMH and the private hospital in New Providence before dedicating his practice to preventative medicine and healthy lifestyles has already reversed the symptoms in a patient who is now insulin-free.

“It has been estimated that there are nearly 40,000 people living with diabetes in The Bahamas and another 30,000-plus who present with pre-diabetic conditions,” said Dr. Arlington Lightbourne, founder of the Wellness Clinic, Collins Avenue. “Type 2 Diabetes simply means that there is too much sugar in the blood because the cells are not sensitive to the insulin which opens them up to let the sugar in. This is called insulin resistance, meaning the insulin that the pancreas produces is not working, and for years, the treatment has been to either inject or increase the stimulation of insulin. However, evidence suggests that the more insulin you have, the greater the severity of insulin resistance, which means ultimately the more diabetic you are.

“The number one cause of insulin resistance is insulin.”

Dr. Lightbourne compares the increasing reliance on insulin for the diabetic patient to a repeated delivery of a product the recipient already has.

“Let’s say I delivered a 5-gallon bottle of water to your door. The first time I deliver it, you are grateful because you were out of water and thirsty so it was great,” said Dr. Lightbourne. “But if I come back the next day and the day after and I keep offering water, you are going to send me away. It is the same with insulin. The pancreas has no problem making insulin; the problem is that it’s not working.”

Dr. Lightbourne states that the evidence shows that that the key is to decrease insulin (and cortisol) in the body by removing the stimulus for insulin production using nutritional and lifestyle interventions.

“This results in increased sensitivity by the cell to available insulin and that process begins to reverse insulin resistance,” he said. “It just takes information and commitment on the part of the patient. And what patient suffering from diabetes 2 would not want to get better naturally?”

Dr. Lightbourne has reversed the symptoms in a patient whose diabetes was life-threatening.

“This was a 67-year-old man with extremely high blood pressure,” said Dr. Lightbourne. “Normal A1C (glucose measurement) should be below 5.7. His was 11. Most physicians, sensing the danger, would immediately put him on insulin.”

Instead, Dr. Lightbourne and support staff, including a wellness coach, got the patient to agree to a structured program including changing his dietary habits, increasing exercise and reducing stress. He was never treated with insulin. The changes in lifestyle were initially dramatic, but the patient adapted well and the results were outstanding. Today, said the wellness expert, the patient’s A1C count is 5.4 and his blood pressure is well controlled.

Another patient, one in his early 30s, suffered from clearly identifiable lifestyle-related issues.

“He had a very stressful job that often kept him at work until late. He would go home tired and hungry and eat a whole pizza before falling asleep,” said Dr. Lightbourne. “So here he was, highly intelligent, very productive and extremely responsible to the company he worked for, but he was killing himself. Not even 35 yet, he weighed in the high 280s, had very high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes. We worked with him on a daily basis, a lot of coaching. He has lost more than 40 pounds, his diabetes is almost gone, and his blood pressure is now well controlled. He feels like a new person, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. He looks great and feels great.”

“Everyone can do it, everyone can improve their health and well-being if they really want to,” he said. “People think healthy food is expensive. The cost of a piece of fruit instead of a bag of chips is negligible by comparison to the cost of poor health in terms of morbidity and quality of life. Once you start on the journey of living well, you will never want to go back. And the beauty is that when you are on that journey, it’s perfectly okay to ‘cheat’ once in a while and treat yourself to something really special.”

Story by: Diane Phillips

Press Release: DPA

Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

Published

5 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.”

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”