Preventing and Treating Diabetes Type 2

Restoring Indigenous health using the best of traditional medicine and modern science.

An integrative approach to health based on one’s personal and social reality

At the Center for Traditional Medicine, we recognize that health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Whether thriving or in crisis, health is always both a personal and social reality.   Our approach to holistic health reflects a deeply rooted understanding shared by Indigenous cultures: healing involves the self (mind + body) as well as our environment—relationships, history, land, and culture.

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Because health is intersectional,  so is our approach

Our work in traditional medicine centers on the prevention, treatment, and education of type 2 diabetes by restoring wellness with nutrient-dense traditional food, plant-based remedies, and integrative therapies.

We combine ancestral wisdom with modern science to support long-term healing. We also recognize that health is intersectional—healing includes addressing historical trauma, chronic stress, PTSD, and food insecurity as essential to self-care.

Food is health. Restoring Indigneous foodways is a
path toward healing.

We understand that food is health, and that reconnecting with Indigenous foodways and healing practices is a path toward recovery and resilience.

We have curated a small collection of resources representing nearly 50 years of work with individuals, families, tribal communities, and public health agencies to

build community-based models for managing and healing from type-2 diabetes.

If you are interested in digging deeper into our approach to fighting Diabetes Type 2, check out Dr. Leslie Korn’s online course Diabetes Type 2, Cognitive Decline, and Alzheimer’s.

Recommended reading for learning about our natural, intergrative approach for fighting Diabetes Type 2 in Indigneous communities.

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“Diabetes Type 2 is a modern disease and a disease of modern ways of living” In Preventing and Treating Diabetes Naturally, Dr. Korn and Dr. Rÿser present satate-of-the-art, integrative approaches to restoring health.

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Learn a holistic approach to prevention and treatment, integrating Pacific Northwest American Indian healing traditions with complementary/alternative medicine.

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This book is a celebration of Salish knowledge with ancient roots in the land and the sea. Contains recipes that use Northwest native foods and medicines gathered and prepared in ways suitable for the 21st century kitchen.

Medical Massage for Diabetes Project

Our Medical Massage for Diabetes initiative is a cornerstone of our work in Indigenous health, focusing on type 2 diabetes in rural communities of Western Mexico. This includes the municipality of Cabo Corrientes and Puerto Vallarta—areas deeply impacted by gentrification, mass tourism, and environmental degradation—all of which contribute to chronic illness.

This project restores the practice of massage therapy, a traditional healing method with deep roots in Mexico, as an accessible and community-based tool for supporting diabetes relief.

While medical massage was once widely used across both rural and urban areas, it has become increasingly rare in Indigenous regions due to systemic neglect and healthcare inequities.

We aim to increase access to care by training massage therapists and community health workers to provide culturally rooted diabetes support for populations. Through hands-on healing, education, and traditional knowledge, we are working to address the emotional and physical burdens of diabetes holistically.