“Diabetes”: the dreaded diagnosis that silently creeps up on you. However, it really shouldn’t be a surprise considering Diabetes is one of the fastest growing conditions and is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. According to latest report from the CDC, Diabetes affects nearly 30 million children and adults in the U.S. today. This is nearly 10 percent of the population. What’s even more troublesome is 1 out of 4 people do not know they have Diabetes.
Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism. Whether “Type 1”, “Type 2” or “Gestational” Diabetes, they’re all a disorder of metabolism. Our bodies are designed to break down food into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose then travels in our bloodstream and into cells to provide fuel for energy. Two things drive glucose into a cell: 1. Insulin 2. Need. If a cell needs glucose for energy, it freely moves in and out of the cell but if glucose starts to back up into the blood stream which is a condition known as Hyperglycemia, the body brings out the “big gun” known as Insulin to kick open the cell doors and force glucose into the cells. You are diagnosed with Diabetes when there is a chronic elevation of glucose levels in the blood stream. Chronic elevations in glucose can be caused by certain medications, toxic elements in your environment like cadmium and arsenic, poor nutrition or diet, high caloric diet combined with a sedentary lifestyle, mineral deficiencies, infections or digestion issues.
How do you know if you have Diabetes? Unfortunately, diagnosis of Diabetes can be tricky at first. In the earlier stages there are no outward symptoms. Once the condition is fully developed the following symptoms may appear:
● Increased thirst
● Increased Urination
● Increased sense of hunger
● Fatigue
● Vision problems
● Poor healing
● Edema
● Neuropathy
● Weight loss (Mainly found in Type 1)
● Tingling, pain or numbness in the hands/feet (Type 2)
The good news is once you’ve been diagnosed with Diabetes your future prognosis can be promising with proper treatment and monitoring. Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes can nearly always be effectively managed and even reversed and Type 1 Diabetics can greatly reduce their insulin dosages if the following recommendations are followed:
● Exercise Regularly. Exercise burns the excess glucose. If you are not accustomed to working out, make sure to ease into an exercise routine. Start with at least 10 minutes of exercise and slowly work up to at least 30 to 40 minutes a day.
● Reduce the amount of carbohydrates and low quality foods consumed in the daily diet. A low glycemic diet is often times recommended to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that is being consumed. This take stress off of the liver and helps maintain glucose levels so they’re not fluctuating so much.
● There are many nutrients that are vital to glucose regulation. If you’re not getting them in your diet, this will increase your risk of developing some form of Diabetes. Some of the most important nutrients include: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Chromium, Vanadium and fish oil. The best way to know your true need for any of these nutrients is to get a comprehensive blood and hair test. These tests are also used to monitor progress and determine when dosing should be reduce or if there is no longer a need to supplement certain nutrients.
● Have a blood test conducted at least once a year. It is important make sure the blood test includes a Vitamin D test, liver panel, kidney panel, triglycerides and a hemoglobin A1C. Contrary to what most think, it’s the liver that is the primary regulator of glucose.
● Check your C-Peptide level. C-Peptide is produced by the pancreas at the same rate as insulin. If C-Peptide levels are low, this means your pancreas may not be producing enough insulin and you could be heading toward Type 1 Diabetes.
● Have a hair test done to check on toxic and essential element levels at least once a year. It’s important to see if there are toxic elements in your environment you may not know about. These toxic elements cause nutrient deficiencies and interfere with vital processes in the body. A hair test will also check your chromium and vanadium status. These are two very important minerals in glucose metabolism.
● If you’re over the age of 30, have a urinalysis every 6 months to check for glucose, ketones and protein. Generally, the human body doesn’t “spill” glucose into urine unless levels become very high in your bloodstream. When cells are not absorbing glucose, the cells may become desperate for fuel. At this point, the body turns to fat for fuel which produces ketones. If ketones are too high for too long, it can create a life threatening condition known as Ketoacidosis. Protein in the urine can indicate kidney damage.
The bad news is if Diabetes is not kept under control it can increase the risk of stroke, heart attacks, cancer, loss of nerve function, kidney disease, liver disease, blindness and a possibility of amputation.
Medically, Type 2 Diabetes is treated with oral medication to reduce the chances of having further complications with the condition. The ugly truth about diabetic medication is that it is designed to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood stream by force. The question we must ask ourselves: “Where does the glucose go when one takes these medications?”. Does it simply “poof” away? The medications force the excess glucose into the cells. But what if the cell is already full? Glucose is fuel; it’s like gasoline. Gasoline is very inflammatory. If you’re “forcing” this inflammatory gasoline (glucose) into the cell, do you think just maybe it’s going to damage the cell? The kidneys, eyes and peripheral nerves are very sensitive and delicate. Do you think forcing the glucose into those cells is going to cause some damage? Damage to these cells leads to kidney disease, blindness and painful neuropathies. Can you see how using medication to treat Diabetes can cause so many other problems? Why not truly reverse Diabetes with proper diet and lifestyle changes? It is within your control, but proper testing helps you have a perfect game plan!
By having a nutritional blood and hair analysis performed, you will be able to know if you are showing any risk factors for developing Diabetes and develop your perfect game plan to reduce your risk. The earlier you catch Diabetes the sooner you can start on the path to a healthier and disease free lifestyle. If you think you may need some help, set up a consultation with our nutritional experts today.
Work Cited:
“American Diabetes Month®.” American Diabetes Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
“Diabetes.” – Mayo Clinic. N.p., 31 July 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
“Diabetes in the United States.” 3.
MacGill, Markus. “Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 15 Oct. 2015. Web. 21 Oct. 2015
“Role of Insulin Secretion and Sensitivity in the Evolution of Type 2 Diabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Program: Effects of Lifestyle Intervention and Metformin.” Diabetes 54.8 (2005): 2404-414. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.
