Managing Type 2 Diabetes

So why is this?

Type 2 diabetes is a complex disorder characterized by having high blood sugar. It is primarily a disorder of poor eating habits and lack of exercise; however, it can become very challenging and confusing because the high blood sugar can make you feel like you aren't getting enough food! It can cause fierce sugar cravings. Your body is not effectively using the glucose in the carbohydrates you are eating. Many of the high glycemic foods that cause high blood sugar are hidden as additives in processed foods. You probably aren't even aware of all the hidden sugars you are getting in your diet.

Your body can mask the threat of high blood sugar because as your blood sugar goes up, the pancreas makes more insulin, the hormone that regulates it, so the high blood sugar may not show up yet on a test. You need to have your insulin levels tested too. And, there is confusion about diabetes because there are two types.

What is diabetes anyway?

Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune disease caused by the body destroying the beta cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin that regulates blood sugar. People with type 1 diabetes produce little to no insulin and in fact are dependent on insulin injections. Scientists believe there may be a genetic predisposition that allowed for some environmental insult, perhaps a viral infection in childhood or early adulthood, that causes the immune system to break down. Only 5 to 10% of the population is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and it is rarely diagnosed in adults. It requires careful supervision by a doctor and monitoring by you because you are supplying the insulin.

What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is very different because your body does indeed make insulin but your body's ability to use it effectively has become impaired. Insulin is supposed to regulate blood sugar but chronically high blood sugar causes your body to release too much insulin. The insulin that is supposed to bind to a cell receptor can no longer to do that. The cells "resist" the insulin. To make it even more complicated, when you are fat there is an increased need for insulin and the pancreas cannot keep up with the demand. This causes the sugar cravings; your body is looking for energy.

While both types mean that you have poor blood sugar control and insulin impairment, the reasons are very different and the resulting insulin impairment is different. You will have type 1 all your life and it will require extreme care and management. Type 2 diabetes is within your control! You will need to adopt serious lifestyle changes but it can be managed. So, this is the good news. You can manage type 2 effectively and even reverse it. However, if you are obese or experiencing any health complications be sure to consult with a doctor who is very experienced with managing diabetes.

Why being fat is the biggest symptom!

Insulin resistance appears in fat or obese people 80 - 90% of the time. This is because high blood sugar and high insulin also lead to fat storage. When there is too much glucose in the blood the insulin tells the body to store it as fat! High blood sugar causes high insulin causes fat storage and obesity. Also when the body makes too much insulin, it stimulates LPL (the fat storing enzyme) and blocks the conversion of fat to energy. Fat is stored particularly around the abdomen, the belly fat.

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?

The rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes have been skyrocketing in recent years. I think you can look at the causes of obesity and understand what's going on here. If poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles have contributed to the degree to which we have become a nation of fat people, then it follows that type 2 diabetes reflects that. High insulin means you are storing fat. It also means that you are craving the very foods that are causing the problems and some of those foods are hidden sugars in processed foods.

Type 2 used to be called adult onset diabetes but that term may be becoming obsolete. So many children are being diagnosed these days with type 2 diabetes that the term may no longer apply. There may be a genetic predisposition in families so adults who are overweight or obese will have children who are at risk. However, with proper diet and making a determined effort to get the whole family exercising regularly, type 2 diabetes can be reversed.

Here's what can happen if you DON'T manage your blood sugar. Your are at risk for heart disease, cancer, hypertension, high blood pressure, premature aging of the skin, depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. This is what overload of blood sugar and insulin leads to over time. But you CAN do a lot to prevent this.

All health professionals agree that high blood sugar is the problem and diet and exercise are powerful tools in lowering blood sugar. Insulin resistance can be prevented and if not cured at least completely managed. Even if diabetes runs in your family and you have family members who are obese, do not despair! You can still reverse this condition if you will take the necessary steps to change your lifestyle.

Type 2 Diabetes Diets

Food is your best medicine always! And especially when it comes to managing type 2 diabetes, what you eat will always count the most as far as controlling your blood sugar. In 2008 a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids and low glycemic carbohydrates is the best diet to control blood sugar. This is the way to increase your insulin sensitivity.

This is the food lover’s diet and does not taste like medicine but acts like medicine in that it nourishes your body and will increase your insulin sensitivity and help you to maintain a lifetime of fat loss. Logically, it just makes sense because foods that raise your blood sugar need to be minimized. It is a healthy diet for everyone but especially for those at risk for diabetes, that is everyone who is fat. Once you start eating low glycemically your cravings WILL go away and it doesn't take that long.

The low glycemic diet is the focus of the Lifetime Fat Loss way to ideal weight and improved overall health. Go to the glycemic index food lists and print out the lists of low and high glycemic foods. Avoid the white, refined carbohydrates which are high glycemic! Start walking daily, take up some type of vigorous exercise, take up swimming or bicycling. Get moving because exercise increases insulin sensitivity. Sign up for our newsletter and consider getting a consultation to help you get started. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association type 2 diabetes can reduce your lifespan significantly. It is time to make some serious changes in your lifestyle.

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

Are you at risk for type 2 diabetes?

Burn Belly Fat

This is a safe, natural fat blocker that really works to burn fat effectively. It stops the creation and growth of fat cells, burns belly fat and helps to control your appetite and lower your blood sugar!

Cinnamon and Weight Loss

Yes, cinnamon can greatly assist you in managing your weight by supporting low blood sugar and the regulation of fat metabolism!

How To Stop Sugar Addiction

Are you addicted to sugar? Learn how to stop those cravings.

Metabolic Syndrome Symptoms

Do you think you have metabolic syndrome? It means that high blood sugar and high insulin have created a disturbance to your metabolic balance. You can take action to correct it.

Insulin Resistance

This is where you'll find an intensive, low glycemic program to reverse your insulin resistance.

Insulin Resistance Diet

This is all the diet information you need for your Lifetime Fat Loss Low Glycemic intensive program to overcome insulin resistance and get healthy again!

Causes of High Triglycerides

What are the causes of high triglycerides? Probably not what you think .... you have control and can make these changes!

Return from Managing Type 2 Diabetes to Lifetime Fat Loss home page.