Dr. Kirt Tyson

Class of 2011

I was originally planning on becoming a cardiovascular surgeon when I was diagnosed with type I diabetes at 24 years old. My doctors told me I’d have diabetes for the rest of my life and it seemed like there wasn’t a lot conventional medicine could do. I was hospitalized with glucose levels of 1,200. I had lost 20 pounds in about a week. I started losing my vision and I had stage II kidney damage. I was hospitalized for about four days.

When I was lying in the hospital bed, I recalled the nurses and the doctors coming over to me and saying you have diabetes. You are going to have this for the rest of your life, and you will take insulin or some other medication for diabetes for the rest of your life. It hit me hard because I felt like there was nothing I could do about it.

I came across an advertisement on Craig’s List for people interested in participating in a documentary on raw foods for diabetes. I joined and went to the Tree of Life Center in Patagonia, Arizona. Within 30 days of being on the raw foods diet, I was off my insulin. I realized there was more you can do than surgery and drugs to treat patients, so I changed my career path and pursued a future in naturopathic medicine.

I loved my time at Sonoran. I graduated with a vast amount of knowledge and tools to help people individually. I see people as a whole, rather than just a disease. I love educating my patients and the community about their bodies and disease so they can take an active role in being healthy.

Kirt Tyson, ND, graduated from Sonoran in 2011. He is the author of the book “The Raw Truth: The Recipe for Reversing Diabetes,” which is a guide that helps people with diabetes to regain control of their health. He also starred in the life-changing documentary film, “Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days.” To learn more, visit his website at www.livingrawforlife.com.

To learn how Sonoran can prepare YOU for a rewarding career in medicine, contact admissions@sonoran.edu or call 480.858.9100.