Reversing Diabetes by Getting to the Root with Dr. Raj Gupta

Most people think type 2 diabetes is a life sentence—but what if it’s not? In this episode, Dr. Raj Gupta shares how he’s helped thousands reverse chronic illness by treating the root, not the symptoms.

Have you ever wondered if diabetes could be reversed—not just managed?

Many people are told to accept type 2 diabetes as a permanent diagnosis and rely on medication forever. But what if the root cause of the disease has been misunderstood all along?

In this conversation with Dr. Raj Gupta, we explore why food alone isn’t to blame for diabetes, the hidden “seeds” that cause disease, and how an integrative, root-cause approach is helping patients regain their health and independence.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• Why food is just the fertilizer—not the cause—of chronic illness
• What the “lemon tree” analogy reveals about treating disease at the root
• How to use the DREAM method (Diet, Rest, Exercise, Adjustment, Mindset) to restore health
  
  

This episode will leave you feeling empowered to take charge of your health—or help your clients do the same.

CONNECT WITH DR. GUPTA:

• Facebook Group: Real Health Roots
• Website: www.realhealthroots.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Challenging Diabetes Assumptions
• 3:11 Introducing Dr. Raj Gupta
• 8:42 The Root Cause Approach Explained
• 13:29 The Hidden Drivers of Diabetes
• 19:25 The DREAM Method for Optimal Health
• 22:43 Legacy and Resources for Patients
• 28:20 Closing Thoughts and Next Episode

Transcript

Dr. Raj Gupta: 0:02

I see patients and I ask them do you guys share meals? And they say, yes, of course they eat the same crummy food that you do and do not develop type 2 diabetes, but you do. It can't be the food.

Dr. Tamar: 0:16

If you want to break the mold of traditional pharmacy and healthcare, you are in the right place. Welcome to the Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics podcast. You are in the right place. Welcome to the Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics podcast, part of the Pharmacy Podcast Network. Here's a little truth bomb. We're all unique, down to our DNA, so it's no wonder we react differently to the same medications, foods and environment. Here's a million dollar question how can you discover exactly what your body needs, which medication, what foods or supplements and which exercises are right for you? How can you manage chronic conditions like diabetes without more medications? How can you lose weight and keep it off? How do you tap into your genetic blueprint so you can stop surviving and start thriving in health and life? That is the question, and this podcast will give you the answer. I'm your host, Doctor Tamar Lawful, doctor of pharmacy. Let's pivot into genomics and bring healthcare to higher levels. Hey friends, welcome back to Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics, the show where we raise the script on what health care could and should look like when you stop chasing symptoms and start listening to your body.

Dr. Tamar: 1:32

I'm Dr. Tamar Lawful, doctor of pharmacy and certified nutritional genomics specialist, and today's episode well, it's a powerful one, because if you've ever been told that type 2 diabetes is something you just have to manage for the rest of your life, I need you to lean in seriously, because what if I told you that for thousands of people it's actually been reversed. My guest today, Dr. Raj Gupta, has built his life around that mission. He's a chiropractor turned functional medicine expert, the founder of Soul Focus Wellness Center and someone who's not afraid to challenge the system when it's not working for people. Dr. Gupta has helped countless patients not only lower their blood sugar, but get off medications and actually feel good again by doing one radical thing treating the root, not the fruit.

Dr. Tamar: 2:24

Now, I know that might sound bold, but what you're going to hear in this episode from how diabetes is often a symptom of deeper imbalances to how trauma, stress, toxins and even our mindset all play a role is both eye-opening and empowering. And yes, we're going to talk about genetics too, because you know I couldn't leave out the DNA connection. If you've been feeling stuck or burnt out or you're a health professional wondering how to support your patients or clients beyond eat better and exercise more this is your invitation to see chronic disease through a whole new lens. So settle in because we're about to dive into a conversation that just might shift how you think about diabetes, root cause medicine and your own ability to thrive. Dr Gupta, welcome to Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics. I'm so excited to have you here.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 3:17

Oh, thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here too.

Dr. Tamar: 3:19

You know you built a nationally recognized wellness brand rooted in treating the whole person, not just symptoms. What led you down this path of root cause healing? Let's say I'm going to do an air quotes here particularly with chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 3:34

Sure. Well, my training is as the chiropractor, and chiropractors were always trying to get to the root cause of musculoskeletal aches and pains and trying to keep people off of NSAIDs or pain meds. There is a natural way to heal the problem. If you have a backache, if you have headaches, it's certainly not a lack of Tylenol or Advil in your body that's causing them. Getting to the root cause and fixing those problems is where I began my career.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 4:02

And as I began to grow and offer more and more services, I was able to find out that you could reverse chronic disease, which blew me away. And I'm like how the heck do you do that? And then I learned about functional medicine and I started to learn the processes of how the body really works, not just musculoskeletal wise, but internally, organ wise, and understanding that high blood sugar is really like a car that's overheating. There's something wrong with the car. It's not the smoke, that's the problem. The problem that's causing the smoke.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 4:35

And getting to that root cause and fixing it will stop the smoke, will stop the high blood sugar and thus reduce and eliminate meds and then reduce and eliminate the disease. I was sold, I was like no way. And then, when I learned and actually reversed my first patient's type 2 diabetes. I never looked back. I get goosebumps just thinking about it because to that point, most people now don't think or have been told erroneously, that it is not reversible. Where it is documented worldwide that it is Most recently by UCLA Medical School in 2023, they agreed indeed it is reversible and people simply don't know.

Dr. Tamar: 5:17

That is correct. Even the American Diabetes Association, their website, now states that it is a reversible condition. But many people you're right, they're diagnosed with it and think that they are just that's a life sentence for them and that there is nothing they can do about it.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 5:33

Exactly, People throw in the towel. But I will tell you that if they do believe that they can manage and control, even if they don't believe that they can reverse it, the way they are told to do so is through diet and exercise. And they are told that it's a lifestyle disease. And while I wholeheartedly agree it is a lifestyle disease, and while I wholeheartedly agree that a poor diet and lack of exercise are definitely aspects of our lifestyle, there is so much missing, Doc. There are so many other aspects of our lifestyle that there is so much missing, Doc. There are so many other aspects of our lifestyle that are not being addressed. Big ones like toxins that we come in contact with in our homes every day, hormonal irregularity, GI tract problems, infections there's just a ton that no one's looking at. These are aspects of our lifestyle. Causing the car to overheat.

Dr. Tamar: 6:25

That's so true and we are definitely going to get into that because we have to. We cannot have this conversation without diving into those other aspects. But you know, you said you went from chiropractic care and you found it soul focus wellness. I just love the name of that soul focus wellness. It's not common. It's not a common leap. Was there actually a turning point, a specific patient experience you had that sparked the evolution?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 6:50

Yeah, that's a great question. You know I don't get asked that too often, but yes, there was a pivotal point. You know, as a chiropractor and while building our practice, we were out marketing and getting our word out, my partner and I trying to just get into the community and we would go to local gyms and we'd go with massage chair and we just identify musculoskeletal problems and people speak to them about it and then we would solicit them and get patients. So this is how we built our practice. Well, one of the gyms that we were most successful in you may not even remember it was like a Curbs. It was called Ladies Workout Express and somehow my partner and I who's also a, this is an all female gym my partner and I, who are both male, we decided to buy this gym.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 7:38

And you know what? It was a tough struggle because the model wasn't the greatest model. You know what it was a tough struggle because the model wasn't the greatest model, but we owned it for about three to four years and during that time we just got a lot of patients out of it. So I came up with the idea at that point that if I were able to have the gym and my practice under the same roof. They would be a great cross referral for one another, and that's where I got the idea. And then I said you know what? You know what would round that off quite nicely A spa. And that's where I got the idea.

Dr. Tamar: 8:08

And then I said, you know what you know, it would round that off quite nicely a spa. And that's where I got the idea. Oh, I love that, why not? So you know, your journey from chiropractic care to creating a whole person wellness center is indeed inspiring and it really speaks to the why behind your mission Dr.

Dr. Tamar: 8:23

Gupta. So let's shift into the how. One of the things you emphasize, especially in your upcoming book, is treating the root, not just the fruit, of chronic illness. So let's unpack what that actually means, especially in the context of diabetes. What do you mean? Can you break down what the fruit is in diabetes and what the root often turns out to be?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 8:44

Sure, you know, if any of my 22,000 members in my Facebook group are listening right now, they are envisioning this tree. It's a graphic that I use all the time and it shows all the fruits on this tree of irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol, hypertension, insomnia, toxins, mold, autoimmune problems, leaky gut. This is all the fruit on the tree that is developed as a result of a body of chronic disease. They are all symptoms. Now you don't want to treat the symptoms Now. I explained to people that all those problems I just spoke about have individual specialists that you would see. You'd see the neurologist for neuropathy. You'd see the gastro and torologist for GI tract problems, the psychiatrist, if your gut's messed up and it's messing with your brain, because your gut is your second brain and all of these specialists.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 9:42

They do not collaborate with one another. They don't speak about you and confer or collaborate on your care. They are simply focused on their individual piece of specialist fruit, and what the best that they can do would be would be able to pick off their piece of fruit, which is awesome, Doc, None of us want that fruit on our tree. But the problem is that when you pick a piece of fruit off of a tree. Let's say it's a lemon tree, because no one wants a lemon tree. I found out, I like lemons.

Dr. Tamar: 10:13

I have a lemon tree in my yard.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 10:15

I love lemons, but they say when you have lemons, make lemonade. But if you pick a lemon off of a tree, the tree does not wither away and die, it simply replaces the fruits by making another lemon Right. So going to a specialist and have them picking off the symptoms or the fruit of your tree. It's why? Because the lemons actually come from the lemon seeds. If you don't want lemons, you have to change the seed and root structure. So then you have to do the investigation to find out what seeds are causing the fruit.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 10:52

Let's just talk about the fruit of diabetes, type 2 diabetes. What causes type 2 diabetes is not food. It's not food, and I know everybody's like what, oh my gosh. Well, the fact of the matter is is I see patients and I ask them and I asked their spouse, who are with them do you guys share meals? And they say yes, of course, and I speak to the husband or I speak to the wife, depending upon who the patient is, and I asked them the other do you have type 2 diabetes? And they're like no, I'm like well, how?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 11:25

And then it can't be the food. You know people that eat the same crummy food that you do and do not develop type 2 diabetes, but you do. And do not develop type 2 diabetes, but you do. It can't be the food it is. Food is actually just water on the bad seeds that grows the fruit of diabetes. If you don't have diabetes seeds and now I got to clarify that, I apologize there is no genetic component to type 2 diabetes. Right, and I know that that's hard to believe because there is such a strong family association. And maybe in time scientists will find the gene that is linked to type 2 diabetes, but not to date. There are genes that will tell us if we have a predisposition for Alzheimer's. We have genes that will tell us if we have a predisposition for breast cancer, but not diabetes. So it is not a diabetes gene seed. It is seeds like toxins, seeds like GI tract infections. These are the seeds that are being watered to turn into the lemons of type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Tamar: 12:36

Right. I absolutely love that analogy with the tree and the seeds and the lemon. That brings it home, definitely helping us understand that we have to go to that the source. What's the source? What are the components that are actually leading us to have these symptoms that we now call diabetes? So it's clear that it's more than just cutting carbs or losing weight. It's much deeper than that and I would love to zoom in a bit, or zoom out, actually, and talk about the bigger picture, those hidden drivers. You talk about the toxins, but in my practice of nutrigenomics, you're right, there's no gene that's saying you have type two diabetes, but there are genes, genetic variations, that can look at how we manage inflammation, how we manage our processed carbohydrates and fats, even stress. So, dr Gupta, what role do stress, inflammation and nervous system regulation play in the diabetes equation? And you know what? Why aren't they being talked about more?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 13:31

It's huge. It is huge. Inflammation is gas on the fire. It's like you have smoke coming from a fire and then pouring gas on that fire and that is inflammation. And the standard American diet is the cause of most inflammation. Stress certainly is a cause of inflammation If you cannot regulate your hormones, and stress is the number one reason for hormone irregularity. You have adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands are responsible for production and distribution of hormones, but your adrenal glands get beat up. They get beat up by three things. The number one is stress.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 14:11

The number two are toxins and the number three is sugar. So that's a trifecta. Usually here in the United States Inflammation is a killer and you know many of the inflammation markers are not called for, one of which, c-reactive protein, crp is the best predictor for a future cardiac event, heart attack and stroke. It says it right on LabCorp's paperwork. It says this is a best predictor for a future heart attack or stroke. But doctors don't call for that.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 14:45

So interesting and that's an inflammatory marker it is, and the reason why physicians don't call for them is because there's even. They come back high and flagged. There is no medication that a doctor can give you for high inflammation. They will tell you to go home, diet and exercise, just like they do for diabetes.

Dr. Tamar: 15:04

Right, right. Thank you for explaining that. Now, how do genetics, trauma and even a person's relationship with their own body come into play in your approach to reverse and chronic conditions?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 15:15

So genetics, as I said, I do do genetic markers in my blood work often and it will tell me if a patient has a predisposition for, say, lyme's disease or MS or cancer. But even if you have a predisposition genetically, at most that predisposition is typically no more than 50%. So then what is the other 50%? The other 50% is lifestyle. It's an inflammatory lifestyle and an inflammatory environment that expresses that gene. So just because you're dealt a bad hand, you don't have to play it, you can fold. You don't have to express that gene, even if you were given a predisposition, and it is the lifestyle that you choose that either expresses or does not express that gene.

Dr. Tamar: 17:02

There's this quote I used. I can't remember who the originator of the quote is, but it says your genetics. Load the gun. Remember who the originator of the quote is, but it says your genetics load the gun, but your lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 17:11

That is, that's that I love that quote.

Dr. Tamar: 17:13

I have to figure out who is the one that originated that quote. I can't remember. I'm going to type that in when?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 17:17

we're done, because nothing, nothing could be more true.

Dr. Tamar: 17:21

Yes, exactly so. A lifestyle can make a huge difference. Now you've painted this powerful picture of how stress and trauma can influence our health outcomes. I'd love to be more practical. At Soul Focus, you're combining multiple modalities fitness, chiropractic, functional medicine. How do you weave these together into a cohesive plan for someone managing diabetes?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 17:44

That's a great question. So with Soul Focus, not everyone was a patient for diabetes. They all were being treated with different services for different complaints, but for all patients we were encouraging a healthy lifestyle that included diet and exercise. We would have weekly and monthly classes on the education of nutrition and eating. We'd have classes on everything, but we try to focus on different aspects of health, whether it be diet, exercise or self-help and mental health and relaxation, which is what we exhibited and were able to provide in the spa. Here is my formula for overall 100% health. It is an acronym called DREAM, d-r-e-a-m, and D stands for diet, r stands for rest, e stands for exercise, which is not a four-letter word, a stands for adjustment, because I'm trained as a chiropractor and I work on the nervous system, and the M is super important, overlooked it's mental attitude. What you think about you bring about, whether it's good or bad, and the combination and balance of those five aspects of life will yield 100% productivity, energy and health and wellness.

Dr. Tamar: 19:06

I love that dream diet, rest, exercise, adjustment, mental attitude. It's definitely comprehensive and integrative. Now, when it comes to that integrative approach, you know it's definitely refreshing and it's exactly what's missing in a lot of conventional care. But you're not just about transforming the lives of your patients, you're helping other practitioners do the same as we talked about before we went live. So can we talk about the entrepreneurial side of health and why that matters in chronic disease care?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 19:38

Sure. So I built Soul Focus, which was a 16,000 square foot facility, against the wishes of all my friends and family. It was a big venture and it was a struggle, I will say as soon as I built it, we got hit by Hurricane Sandy here in the Northeast. That almost put a kibosh on it ever existing. But I fought through because I knew that this was the model, this was what Americans needed, our culture, our community.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 20:07

So after I built it and it began to succeed, many of my colleagues were just in awe of what I had built. They had called it the Rajmahal. And you know what? I spared no expense. It was a five-star resort. I used to advertise it's like an hour vacation every day when you came to visit us. So many of my colleagues asked for my assistance in helping them, one to integrate their practices and then two to build wellness centers much like my own, seeing that that was the model of the future. So I began consulting and traveling and going to other physician offices and helping them to just streamline and become more efficient, both clerically but also with services, and allowed them to broaden their horizons and the services that they were offering, which would increase their income. But first and foremost, it would better serve the patient to approach health and wellness. It was awesome. It is awesome.

Dr. Tamar: 21:08

Yes, it is awesome, Sounds awesome. The Raj Mahal, the Raj Mahal. I absolutely love that. One hour, one hour. So I think it is important that outside of the hospital because usually people associate oh, I need to get treated, if they're acutely sick they go to a hospital. But on the outside of that hospital, as entrepreneurs in the health field, we have the capability of helping with those chronic diseases so that they don't have to have this acute complication that ends them up in the hospital. Helping other gym owners and other physicians know how to do this integrative wellness and incorporate that into their practice so they can overall reduce those hospital admissions for their patients. So that's lovely, that's great. What kind of advice would you give to another healthcare practitioner or pharmacist like me, even a health coach that wants to adopt a more root cause approach? What advice would you have for them?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 22:09

The best advice would learn how to be a detective. Go and start with lab work. So lab work will tell me how banged up a patient is. It also will tell me about what other tests I should order to find out to do more detective work and I kind of I liken myself as a murder detective and I liken myself as a murder detective, a homicide detective. I'm looking for clues and ultimately I need to find the culprit, not just the murderer, but the weapon used. And that's what I try to teach others to be physicians. Order are cursory, above the level. It's just a look and they're looking for flagged markers that would tell them that they can medicate, but they're not looking below the surface. I want the true narrative of somebody's health. I don't want just the table of contents. We need to do a deep dive.

Dr. Tamar: 23:09

I love that. We do not want the table of content. Everyone, we want that deep dive. Love it. Now I want to close this conversation by getting a little bit more personal. Let's talk about legacy. You know what drives you to give back through education. What kind of shift do you have to see?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 23:27

I, just, I come from a family of teachers and you know what I'm most happy and it's? I see it in my seven-year-old too. She just likes to teach, she likes to learn something. Turn around and teach someone else how to do it. It's just so rewarding, doc. I can't even explain the feeling I get. In fact, I, we, we talk about ringing the bell. I have this bell here. And when my patients go to their physicians with their follow-up lab work and their doctors have the jaw dropping, like what are you doing? They say I don't know what you're doing, just keep doing it. And when my patients come back and tell me and the whole group, we ring the bell because that's our goal. Our goal is to hear your doctor be like how did you do that?

Dr. Tamar: 24:15

Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I can definitely relate to that, because it's the same thing with the clients. I see Doctors are like what are you doing? Whatever you're doing, just keep doing it.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 24:25

I've had physicians take down my name. Go on the Facebook website right there, immediately write down the supplements the patients are taking, you know, but they don't realize those supplements are customized for that patient.

Dr. Tamar: 24:37

Exactly. You can't apply that to the next patient or the next patient. It's customizable, it's personalized, and you have this high school scholarship contest right. Oh my goodness, can you tell us about that?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 24:49

Yes, yes, I've done that for years. We've made physicians. The first person who won my high school essay contest just graduated from chiropractic school. I can't tell you how proud that makes me.

Dr. Tamar: 25:01

Congratulations. Great work, great work, just motivating the future of our health care. Now, what legacy along those lines? Yeah, let's talk about legacy. What do you hope your work leaves behind, not just in reversing diabetes, but in reshaping how we think about health altogether?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 25:18

Oh man, that's a great question. You know, all I really want people to know is that there is another way and that we are a pill for an ill society and we take 18 pills per person, per American, per day. That's not okay. That's not okay. So I just want people to start thinking about their own health and wellness and craving and striving. I want them to thrive and not just survive, and they people don't know they have a choice. I want our health care system to change and I think I hope it may be. We're definitely making some changes and I just want people to know that it's not a death sentence.

Dr. Tamar: 26:05

You can reverse this stinker. Yes, you can. Yes, you can. I love that. We want to thrive, not just survive Now. Dr Gupta, this has been an incredible conversation. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and passion for root cause healing. But before we wrap up, where can listeners connect with you or learn more about your work at Soul Focus?

Dr. Raj Gupta: 26:24

The best place to go would be to Real Health Roots. That's my Facebook group page Real Health Roots. Now Soul Focus was a wellness center. We had tons of services, but for those looking specifically to reverse chronic disease, real Health Roots it's called Real Health Roots treat the root, not the fruit. It's a Facebook group page. As soon as you get there, you'll see my mug. You'll know you're in the right place.

Dr. Tamar: 26:49

Okay, thank you so much, dr Gupta. It's been a pleasure. Thanks for joining us on Pivoting.

Dr. Raj Gupta: 26:55

Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics. Thanks very much for having me. I appreciate you.

Dr. Tamar: 26:59

I don't know about you, but I'm still letting that one sink in. Dr Raj Gupta didn't just drop knowledge. He gave us a whole new framework for thinking about chronic illness, from his treat the root, not the fruit philosophy to the dream method, to that unforgettable lemon tree analogy. I mean, come on, that's the kind of clarity we all need when we're trying to make sense of our symptoms, our stress and our healing journey. And what I love most, it's not just theory. His patients are living proof that reversing type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions is possible when you stop patching symptoms and start investigating the source. And if there's one message I hope lands with you today, it's this you are not broken, you're just missing the map. That's exactly why I created the Genetic Blueprint Wellness Program so you can finally understand your body's unique needs and make sustainable changes that match your DNA. If you're tired of guesswork and ready to get off the roller coaster of symptoms and supplements, head to thelifebalancecom that's wwwthelifebalancecom. That's wwwthelyfebalancecom and start your personalized path forward. And to all my fellow health professionals listening, if you're ready to help your clients and patients do more than manage chronic conditions, come join me for my next masterclass Unlock the Blueprint how to Tailor Nutrition, fitness and Supplements for Thriving Wellness. I'll walk you through how we use genomics inside life balance to support better outcomes.

Dr. Tamar: 28:39

Reserve your spot now. Check out the link in the show notes. Want to learn more from Dr Gupta? You can find him on Facebook inside his community, real Health Roots. Just search the group and you'll see his face pop up right at the top. That's how you know you've arrived. Coming up next week on the show. We're talking about how your environment, not your DNA, might be the real trigger behind your health struggles. We're exploring how trauma, mindset and even your words can shape gene expression. Plus, we dive into the future of personalized health, from peptides to proteomics, so you can thrive with the tools of tomorrow, not just cope with the symptoms of today. Talk to you next Friday. Until then, always remember to raise the scripts on health, because together we can bring healthcare to higher levels. You