This Is a Personal Story.
It Happens to Be Yours Too.
I didn't set out to become a metabolic health coach.
I set out to stay alive.
For 26 years I managed Type 2 diabetes the way I was told to. Five medications. 52 units of insulin daily. Doctor visits that always ended the same way. "Let's keep an eye on it." Meanwhile the weight climbed, the energy tanked, the brain fog settled in, and the complications stacked up.
I was the good patient. I followed every piece of advice I was given.
I was getting worse.
My Turning Point.
On April 17, 2020 a heart surgeon looked at me and made it very clear what my future looked like if I kept going the way I was going.
That was the moment.
I changed what I ate. Real food. No sugar. No processed carbs. No seed oils. Nothing complicated. In 11 months I lost 80+ pounds, eliminated all five medications including 52 units of daily insulin, and heard my doctor use the word remission for the first time in 26 years.
Not because I tried harder. Because I finally corrected the system instead of fighting the symptoms.
(photo April 17, 2020 - heart surgeon visit)
My Personal Why.
My mother had Type 1 diabetes. That's a different disease from mine in cause but not in consequence. Her body produced no insulin at all. Mine produced insulin that my body could no longer use properly. Two different paths to the same broken system.
She died while on over 15 medications. Insulin. Then medications to manage the side effects of the insulin. Then medications to manage the side effects of those. A vicious, compounding circle that the system kept prescribing its way around instead of addressing the root cause.
I watched that happen. And I made myself a promise that it wouldn't happen to me.
I broke that promise for years. My Type 2 Diabetes got worse. The medications stacked up. The complications came anyway.
Every person who takes back control of their metabolism is one less person the system gets to keep. That's why I do this work. Not because I wanted to be a health coach. Because nobody told me this was possible until it was almost too late. And I am not willing to stay quiet about it.
(photo my mother, Deanna)
I’m Darin Berntson.
Most people call me Doc.
Before Metabolic Reawakening I spent 25+ years building businesses, coaching sales and marketing teams, and helping companies become the most trusted brand in their market. I understand business language natively because it's my language.
I know what it costs to run a company while your body quietly works against you. I know what it feels like to make your worst decisions at 2 pm. I know what it's like to be the person everyone relies on while privately falling apart. And I know what it's like to come home at the end of a long day with nothing left. Not for your work. Not for your family. Not for yourself.
That's not theory. That was life for 26 years.
Now I work one-on-one with business owners and executives who are done managing the wrong problem and ready to fix the right one.
How I Work With Clients.
This is private. One-on-one. Structured around the five pillars that control how your metabolism actually functions. Food is the lead domino and where we always start. But sleep, light, movement, and stress all play a role and we may work through all of them over the course of the engagement.
It's not a diet. It's not a fitness plan. It's a system correction.
Most clients feel a meaningful shift within the first four to five weeks. Not because they're trying harder. Because the system finally changed.
Some Fun Facts About Me.
Disney obsessed. Mickey Mouse on my person every day. Office is a Mickey museum. Walt Disney said "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." I believe that.
I make treats in Mickey molds and I'm not sorry about it.
I travel as much as possible and I've figured out how to eat well everywhere. Airports, hotels, all-inclusive resorts. Real food exists everywhere. We'll figure out how to find it in your world.
Podcast mic, good coffee, and a bunch of visible Mickey's. That's my desk setup.
Certified Proper Human Diet Health Coach. (PHDC)
Certified Endless Customers Coach (They Ask You Answer).
Student of Dr. Jason Fung, Dr. Anthony Chaffee, Dr. Ben Bikman, Dr. Ken Berry, and anyone else willing to tell the truth about what food actually does to the human body.
Not a doctor. Not a dietitian. Not a licensed healthcare professional. Someone who lived it, fixed it, and built a framework around what actually works.
Ready to Have the Conversation?
No pressure. No judgment. Just clarity.
Behind the framework is a real story. If you want to understand why this work matters to me personally, you just read it.
If something here resonated, the next step is simple.
Not Ready a Call Yet? Start Here.
Download my Blood Sugar Reset Guide. Thirty days of practical steps for stabilizing energy, reducing food noise, and understanding what your body has been trying to tell you.
Free. No catch. Just a starting point.
Take the Metabolic Health Assessment For Professionals and reveal your metabolic health score in 10 minutes or less, and receive simple recommendations tailored to your results
Free. No catch. Just a starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Darin Berntson? Darin Berntson is a metabolic health coach and educator based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He spent 26 years managing Type 2 diabetes on five medications including 52 units of daily insulin before reversing it completely through dietary change in 2020 losing 80+ pounds in 11 months and achieving full remission confirmed by his physician. He now coaches business owners and executives privately through Metabolic Reawakening, helping them correct metabolic dysfunction through real food and sustainable habit change.
What is metabolic health coaching? Metabolic health coaching focuses on identifying and correcting the root causes of conditions like Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, chronic fatigue, and brain fog primarily through dietary change and lifestyle habits. Unlike medical management, which focuses on controlling symptoms through medication, metabolic health coaching works to correct the underlying system driving those symptoms. Metabolic Reawakening operates as an educational and lifestyle coaching program, not a medical treatment.
Is Metabolic Reawakening a medical program? No. Metabolic Reawakening is an educational and lifestyle coaching program, not a medical treatment. Darin Berntson is not a physician, dietitian, or licensed healthcare provider. The program is designed to work alongside your existing medical care, not replace it. All participants are encouraged to consult their doctor before making any changes to diet, medications, or health routine.