Jo's Cafe

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — “Lifestyle as medicine” is the motto behind a national American Indian health program that could help Americans of every ethnic background tackle diabetes without medicine.Christina Orosco, 72, is just one of 5,000 Indians from nine different tribes learning to live with diabetes.

She’s lost 74 pounds over the last year and a half — after joining the Indian Health Council’s Diabetic Program on the Rincon Reservation.

“My husband was a diabetic. He lost both his legs,” said Orosco, “I lost him when he was 66 years old.”

She’s not alone.

Indians living on reservations like Rincon have the highest percentage of diabetics of any population group in the world. Most think there’s not much they can do about it.

Jo’s Morning BG Today: 77