This interview is with Dr. Jonathan Spages, Doctor, Author at Advanced Natural Health Center.

Dr. Jonathan Spages, Doctor, Author, Advanced Natural Health Center

Dr. Jonathan, can you introduce yourself and share your expertise in the field of health and diabetes?

I'm Dr. Jonathan Spages, a functional medicine practitioner specializing in reversing Type 2 diabetes by addressing the root causes rather than just managing symptoms with medications. I've had the privilege of helping thousands of patients regain control of their health by focusing on what's really going on beneath the surface—whether that's insulin resistance, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, gut imbalances, or inflammation.

Early in my career, I worked as the official doctor for the New Jersey Nets, which gave me a firsthand look at how elite athletes optimize performance. Over time, I realized that everyday people deserve that same level of precision and care. That led me to build a telehealth practice that now reaches patients nationwide, using advanced functional lab testing and personalized protocols to help them finally see real, lasting change.

I've been featured in over 60 media outlets, including TV, radio, and podcasts, for my work in diabetes reversal. My book, "The Wellness Approach," outlines the five foundational factors to real health—nerve supply, nutrition, detoxification, mindset, and exercise—all of which play a key role in restoring metabolic function.

What sets my approach apart is that I don't guess—I test. I combine data with education, so my patients don't just lose weight or lower their blood sugar—they understand why they're getting better and how to maintain it long-term.

What inspired you to specialize in diabetes management, and how has your approach evolved throughout your career?

What inspired me to specialize in diabetes management wasn't just clinical frustration—it was personal. My grandmother, Mary, was an active, vibrant woman who used to golf two rounds a day well into her older years. But after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, she was put on one medication after another. No one ever looked at what was actually causing her condition—they just kept adding more drugs to manage her symptoms.

Over time, her health declined rapidly. She went from thriving on the golf course to barely moving, ultimately spending the last two years of her life dying slowly on a couch. It was a devastating transformation. Watching her suffer like that—knowing it could have been prevented—lit a fire in me. I realized the standard approach to diabetes wasn't just ineffective; it was failing good people like my grandmother.

That experience drove me to search for a better way. Early in my career, I followed the conventional playbook, but over time, I began to see the truth: diabetes is not just a blood sugar issue—it's a complex, reversible metabolic disorder involving the liver, thyroid, adrenals, gut, and nervous system. This shifted my entire philosophy.

Now, I specialize in root-cause functional medicine, using advanced lab testing to uncover what's really going on beneath the surface. Instead of guessing, I build custom protocols that focus on blood sugar balance, inflammation reduction, hormone optimization, and organ function. I also transformed my brick-and-mortar practice in New Jersey into a national telehealth clinic based in Florida, allowing me to reach more people and provide online training and support to help patients succeed.

To date, I've helped over 10,000 diabetics improve or reverse their condition—not by covering it up with meds, but by fixing what's broken. My mission is clear: No one else should suffer the way my grandmother did. There is a better way—and people deserve to know it.

You've mentioned working with type II diabetics who struggle despite 'eating healthy.' Can you share a specific case where you helped a patient achieve long-term success by focusing on metabolism and inflammation?

One case that stands out is a patient named Linda, a 58-year-old Type 2 diabetic who came to me feeling completely defeated. She told me, "Dr. Spages, I eat healthy—salads, grilled chicken, no sugar—and I still can't lose weight or lower my blood sugar." Her doctor had already maxed her out on medications, and insulin was next on the list.

But when we ran advanced functional lab testing, the real story came to light: Linda had major inflammation markers, an underperforming thyroid, adrenal dysfunction, and signs of fatty liver. In short, her metabolism was completely out of sync—and no amount of "healthy eating" could fix that without addressing the root causes.

We started by building a personalized plan focused on balancing blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and repairing her metabolism. That included targeted supplements for her adrenals and liver, B1 and magnesium for cellular energy, and a food strategy tailored to her unique blood markers—not a one-size-fits-all diet. She also learned how to time her meals and reduce hidden food triggers that were inflaming her system.

Within 8 weeks, her fasting glucose dropped over 40 points, her energy came back, and the weight started coming off—without exercise. Over several months, she reduced her medications, reversed her fatty liver, and ultimately got her A1C into a healthy range.

The key to her transformation wasn't just eating "better"—it was correcting the underlying metabolic chaos. Most diabetics aren't struggling because of a lack of willpower—they're struggling because their body is inflamed, stressed, and hormonally imbalanced. Once you restore function, the body wants to heal.

Linda's story is just one of thousands. When you stop managing diabetes and start reversing it at the root, the results speak for themselves.

In your experience, how does gut health impact diabetes management, and what strategies do you recommend for improving it?

In my experience, gut health plays a massive—yet often overlooked—role in diabetes management. Most people think diabetes is only about blood sugar and insulin, but the truth is, if the gut is inflamed, imbalanced, or leaking toxins into the bloodstream, it becomes nearly impossible to stabilize glucose levels or reverse insulin resistance.

The gut impacts diabetes in several critical ways:

Inflammation – A damaged gut lining (leaky gut) allows toxins and food particles into the bloodstream, triggering chronic inflammation. This inflammation interferes with insulin signaling and pushes the body into fat-storage mode.

Nutrient Absorption – If the gut is dysfunctional, you're not properly absorbing nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, or chromium—all essential for blood sugar control.

Microbiome Imbalance – The wrong bacteria in the gut can promote cravings for sugar and carbs, worsen insulin resistance, and even impair hormone function.

Liver Burden – A compromised gut increases the toxic load on the liver, making it harder to detox hormones and regulate metabolism—two vital processes for reversing Type 2 diabetes.

To improve gut health and support diabetes reversal, I recommend:

Remove gut triggers: Eliminate common inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy (if sensitive), processed sugar, seed oils, and artificial additives.

Support digestion: Use digestive enzymes and apple cider vinegar with meals to help break down food properly.

Rebuild the gut lining: Supplement with nutrients like L-glutamine, zinc, and collagen, along with targeted probiotics.

Feed the microbiome: Incorporate prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, asparagus, and fermented vegetables to promote healthy bacteria.

In my practice, when we correct gut dysfunction—whether it's leaky gut, dysbiosis, or poor detox—their blood sugar stabilizes faster, inflammation drops, and patients feel more in control. Gut health isn't a side issue—it's a core pillar of diabetes reversal. Fix the gut, and the rest of the body follows.

You've worked with diabetic truck drivers on meal planning. Can you walk us through the process of creating a sustainable meal plan for someone with such a demanding schedule?

Diabetic truck drivers face a unique challenge—long hours on the road, limited access to healthy food, irregular schedules, and constant temptation from fast food stops and gas stations. But with the right strategy, I've helped many of them not only manage their blood sugar but actually reverse their Type 2 diabetes.

The first step in creating a sustainable meal plan is prioritizing blood sugar stability, even with limited options. That means every meal must include protein, healthy fat, and fiber—these three together slow down glucose absorption and keep energy steady throughout long hauls.

Here's how I guide them through the process:

1. Plan Before the Trip

We start by identifying easy-to-pack foods that don't require refrigeration or can be kept in a small cooler:

• Hard-boiled eggs

• Grass-fed beef sticks or turkey jerky (low sugar)

• Nut butter packets (almond or peanut butter)

• Mixed nuts and seeds

• Protein shakes with added fiber or greens

• Canned wild salmon or tuna with olive oil

2. Strategic Grocery Stops

When possible, I encourage them to stop at a grocery store instead of a gas station. Rotisserie chicken, pre-chopped veggies, avocado cups, and bagged salads are quick, no-cook options that beat anything from a drive-thru.

3. Simple Meal Structure

Each meal should follow this formula:

• Protein (eggs, meat, clean protein bar or shake)

• Healthy fat (nuts, avocado, olive oil)

• Non-starchy vegetables or low-carb wraps (like collard greens or lettuce)

4. Timing and Snacking

To avoid blood sugar crashes, we aim for meals every 4-5 hours, with smart snacks available like nuts or boiled eggs. I also recommend electrolytes and water, not sugary sodas or energy drinks, to support hydration and adrenal function.

5. Education & Accountability

We also focus on label reading, understanding hidden sugars, and creating routines that are realistic for life on the road—not perfect, but consistent.

Truck drivers may have demanding schedules, but with the right prep, they can fuel their bodies, stay energized, and take control of their diabetes—without relying on meds or making excuses. It's about strategy, not restriction.

Many of your patients come to you reliant on medications. How do you approach transitioning them to a more holistic treatment plan, and what challenges do you face in this process?

Many of my patients come to me after years—sometimes decades—of relying on medications, often taking thousands and thousands of pills with little to no lasting improvement. One of the first things I tell them is this: "If that approach worked, you wouldn't still be sick." And if you're doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, that's the definition of insanity. That statement usually hits home and opens the door for real change.

When transitioning patients to a more holistic, root-cause-based treatment plan, my first step is education. I show them why their body isn't broken—it's out of balance. We use advanced functional lab testing to uncover the real reasons their condition exists, whether it's blood sugar instability, inflammation, gut dysfunction, nutrient deficiencies, liver congestion, or hormone imbalances.

Then, instead of just masking symptoms, we build a personalized plan that includes:

• Targeted nutrition focused on blood sugar balance and reducing inflammation

• Supplement protocols based on actual deficiencies—not guesswork

• Lifestyle upgrades like sleep support, stress management, hydration with electrolytes, and movement

• Gradual medication tapering (in collaboration with their prescribing doctor), based on clinical improvements and lab results

The biggest challenge is overcoming the mental programming that they "need" medications to survive. Many patients have been told there's no other way, or that their condition is "progressive." Breaking that belief system takes time, patience, and proof through real results.

But once they start seeing their blood sugar stabilize, energy return, and weight drop naturally, their confidence grows. The body responds when you remove what's interfering and give it what it needs.

This isn't about being anti-medication—it's about empowering patients to take control of their health by addressing why they got sick in the first place. And when they do that, they finally get results they never thought possible.

You've mentioned that diet and exercise alone aren't always enough to address chronic conditions like diabetes. Can you share an example of a patient where addressing underlying issues led to significant improvements?

One powerful example is a patient named Mark, a 62-year-old man with Type 2 diabetes who had been "doing everything right" for years—eating clean, exercising daily, and following his doctor's orders. Despite his efforts, his A1C stayed high, he felt exhausted, and his doctor was considering increasing his medications.

When Mark came to me, he was understandably frustrated. He'd been told that diet and exercise were the keys to reversing his diabetes—but no one had looked deeper. So we ran advanced functional lab testing to identify the real barriers keeping his body from healing.

The results told the true story:

His cortisol was chronically elevated, meaning his body was stuck in fight-or-flight mode, making fat loss and blood sugar control nearly impossible.

His liver function was sluggish, impairing his ability to detox and regulate glucose.

He had signs of gut inflammation and poor nutrient absorption, which were draining his energy and weakening his immune system.

His thyroid hormones were suboptimal, even though they looked "normal" on standard labs.

Once we identified those root issues, we built a customized plan focused on:

Adrenal and liver support with targeted supplements (B1, magnesium, adaptogens)

An anti-inflammatory meal plan tailored to his blood sugar patterns

Gut repair protocols to restore absorption and reduce systemic inflammation

Strategic sleep and stress management techniques to lower cortisol naturally

Within 8 weeks, Mark's fasting blood sugar dropped by over 40 points. Within 4 months, his A1C improved so much that his primary doctor began lowering his meds. He felt energized, focused, and—most importantly—in control for the first time in years.

Mark's story is living proof that diet and exercise are important—but not enough if you're ignoring the root cause. Once you identify what's really going on under the surface, the body can finally heal the way it was designed to.

Based on your experience, what's the most overlooked aspect of diabetes management that you wish more people understood?

Based on my experience, the most overlooked aspect of diabetes management is that Type 2 diabetes isn't just a blood sugar problem—it's a metabolic breakdown rooted in inflammation, organ dysfunction, and hormone imbalance. Most people are told to just "eat better" and "exercise more," but no one is looking at why their blood sugar is high in the first place.

I wish more people understood that the real issue often lies in how the liver, adrenals, thyroid, and gut are functioning. When these systems are out of balance—due to stress, toxins, poor sleep, or chronic inflammation—the body becomes resistant to insulin, stores fat more easily, and struggles to regulate glucose, no matter how healthy someone eats.

I've worked with patients who were doing all the "right" things—cutting carbs, walking daily, even taking medications—and still not improving. But once we ran functional lab testing and found issues like sluggish liver function, high cortisol, or gut dysbiosis, everything changed. We corrected the root causes, and the blood sugar started to stabilize naturally.

The key is this: you can't manage what you don't measure, and you can't reverse diabetes by treating surface symptoms. You have to dig deeper.

Diabetes isn't just about willpower—it's about physiology. And when you restore balance at the root level, the body responds. That's the piece most people are missing, and it's the difference between managing diabetes for life... and reversing it for good.

Looking ahead, what innovations or changes in diabetes care are you most excited about, and how do you see them impacting patient outcomes?

What excites me most about the future of diabetes care is the advancement in functional lab testing and personalized protocols. We're no longer limited to just tracking A1C or fasting glucose—we can now assess inflammation, cortisol, liver detox, thyroid conversion, and gut health with precision. These deeper insights allow us to uncover the root causes of insulin resistance and create targeted, effective plans. As this technology becomes more accessible, I believe we'll see a major shift from symptom management to true reversal and metabolic restoration—leading to better outcomes, fewer medications, and empowered patients taking control of their health.