Basics of Diabetes
Are you or someone you love currently living with diabetes?
Do you feel that you’re at risk? Or perhaps that a loved one is?
Are there any specific questions you have about diabetes that you’re hoping to clear up?
Deciphering the basics of diabetes…
Diabetes is a condition that everyone’s familiar with, but most can’t accurately explain.
Before we dive in too deep, I want to be sure that you have a clear overview of what diabetes is.
We’ll start by exploring the roles of glucose and insulin in the body.
Glucose is a sugar that comes from two primary sources, our liver and the food we eat.
Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters blood cells with the help of a hormone called insulin.
The pancreas is responsible for producing insulin, and if there’s not available to help usher sugar into cells, it builds up in the bloodstream, causing potentially life-threatening complications.
Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes, is an autoimmune condition caused by the body attacking its own pancreas with antibodies.
While the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, we know that genetics and environmental factors do play a role. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, but there is treatment, which involves insulin injections.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common and accounts for about 95 percent of diabetes cases in adults. Type two is often a milder form compared to type 1 since the pancreas usually produces a little bit of insulin - but either the amount isn’t enough, or the body’s cells are resistant to it. People who are obese are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and while there is no cure - symptoms can be controlled and improved with weight management, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
1 in 3 Americans has pre-diabetes. Of those with pre-diabetes, 90% don’t know they have it.
Pre-diabetes is a serious health issue that’s considered an epidemic by some in the field of public health. Being diagnosed with pre-diabetes means that you’re at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The condition is caused when your pancreas can no longer keep up with your rising blood sugar.
Unfortunately, there aren’t necessarily any clear signs or symptoms of pre-diabetes, so it often goes undetected until serious health issues occur. There are, however, risk factors that you should take into account:
-being overweight
-being over 45 years old
-having a direct family member with type 2 diabetes
-ever having gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
-having polycystic ovary syndrome
Take the test to see if you’re at risk: https://www.cdc.gov/prediabetes/takethetest/
The good news is that pre-diabetes can be reversed through lifestyle changes such as improved diet, increased exercise, and better overall habits.
Replace excessive stress with quality sleep
Both sleep deprivation and stress can lead to elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that raises blood sugar.
If you’re not getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night, it’s time to adjust your bedtime routine or incorporate some more relaxation into your day.
To prepare your body for sleep:
-Turn off all overhead lights after 8 p.m. and switch to lamps or another form of soft lighting. This will act as a visual signal to your brain that it’s no longer daytime, and it’s time to start winding down.
-Don’t fall asleep to the television or your computer! That blue light tricks your mind into thinking that its daytime, so put away the electronics and opt for a book, some music, or a podcast instead.
-Take a hot shower. Your body temperature naturally lowers when you sleep, so by first boosting the heat, you’re aiding in that downward shift, priming your body for rest.
To stay calm and collected during the day:
-Practice yoga! Stretching opens up muscles that hold stress and tension while breathing helps regulate circulatory systems and lowers stress levels.
-Try meditation. One study found that nursing students who did meditation and yoga experienced lower blood sugar spikes after meals, check it out:
What stresses you out - and what do you do to cope with that stress?
Exercise regularly to move blood sugar from the bloodstream.
We all know that exercise is important to keep a body healthy, but it’s especially crucial for people living with diabetes to maintain a good workout routine!
Aerobic exercise can help your body use insulin better, and move blood sugar from the bloodstream into the muscles, where it’s then burned up. Additionally, it helps reduce the risk for heart disease, can lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol levels.
Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least five times a week is recommended. To reach moderate-intensity you should be working hard enough to talk, but not to sing!
If you haven’t been super active recently, that’s okay! Start small with just five to ten minutes of walking each day. Over time, you’ll feel stronger and see your fitness improve.
If walking around the block sounds boring to you, no worries - you’ve got options!
Make physical activity fun by:
-dancing to a few songs each day
-swimming around a pool, or just treading water for a few minutes
-climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator
-parking further away from the entrance when you’re running errands
-hiking a trail with some friends
-ice skating or roller skating
-playing basketball, golf, or badminton with a friend
-gardening or other yard work
-cleaning the house, or organizing a large space like a closet or a garage
Safety first! If you’re over the age of 35, you may need to take a stress test to determine what level of activity is safe for you. Be sure to check your blood sugar before and after exercise, and don’t exercise if your blood sugar is over 250 and you have ketones. If your blood sugar is over 250, but no ketones are present, follow these guidelines:
-Type 1- If blood sugar exceeds 300, test within 5-10 minutes of exercising. If your blood sugar drops, continue. If it doesn’t, stop exercising.
-Type 2- If your blood sugar exceeds 400, do not exercise.
The best time to get moving is about an hour after you eat. Make it a habit to always carry some carbohydrate snacks with you (juice, candy, etc.) and drink plenty of fluids particularly water.
Magnesium can help keep blood sugar levels balanced
Magnesium helps regulate blood sugar and is also essential to help keep the brain and body healthy and happy. Low levels of magnesium are associated with insulin resistance, and a deficiency of this nutrient is often seen in people with diabetes.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your body produces insulin, but not enough to meet your needs, and this is called insulin resistance. Some people with type 1 diabetes also develop insulin resistance, which can put them at risk for low levels of magnesium too.
Taking a magnesium supplement can help improve diabetes control for those living with type 2 or pre-diabetes.
Only a few small clinical trials have evaluated the benefits of supplemental magnesium for diabetes thus far. However, studies have shown that when people with poorly controlled diabetes were given magnesium oxide supplementation, they showed improvements in glycemic control after 30 days.
Ask your health provider about getting tested for a magnesium deficiency, and ask them if supplementation is right for you.
Try Probiotics
We carry about six pounds of microbes in our gut, which forms our unique microbiome.
This diverse collection of bacteria, both good and bad, plays an important role in regulating our bodies and supporting our immune system. We know that some of these microbes are inherited genetically, while others are environmentally acquired.
In recent years, new research suggests that microbes in our gut may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Thus far, the correlation between changes in our gut flora mix and the increase in obesity and diabetes over the last several decades is strong enough to warrant more research.
Consequently, several studies have been done to test how probiotics affect insulin resistance and glucose levels. They’ve found that the effect of probiotics is a positive one for those living with diabetes.
Try adding a probiotic to your routine and see if you start feeling any better!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5491138/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29661605/
Consume lots of healthy fats, proteins and fiber
We’ve been conditioned by years of diet-culture to fear fatty foods - but some fat is good for us!
Unsaturated fats have been linked to improved insulin resistance. Pick the right kinds of fat by steering clear of processed vegetable oil, and including more foods like nuts, olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, avocado, and fatty fish like salmon.
Like fat, protein also tempers insulin secretion and keeps blood sugar from spiking after meals. An added bonus- protein fills you up better than any other nutrient and keeps you fuller, longer. You’ll want to generally aim for about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight (about 68 grams for someone who’s 150 pounds). Good sources include wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chickens, eggs, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, and chickpeas.
Last but not least, you’ll want to balance your diet with plenty of fiber. Fiber helps slow the digestion of carbohydrates and the absorption of sugar. A diet high in fiber also helps reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, and keeps your digestive system moving along!
Sources:
https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002087&type=printable
The less processed, the better
We’re all busy, and it’s easier than ever to turn to boxed, canned, frozen, and prepackaged meals out of convenience - but don’t fall into that habit.
Many processed foods are high in sugar, refined grains, and carbs while being simultaneously low in fiber and protein. Make it a point to read labels, skim through ingredient lists, and select food and snack products that have mainly whole-food ingredients whenever possible. For example, choose the granola bar that lists just nuts, seeds, and dried fruit on its label.
Better yet, make your food yourself by embracing meal prep. At first, it can seem like a lot of work, but as you get used to the routine of it, you’ll find that planning and preparing meals and snacks ahead of time will save you time, money, and frustration in the long run.
Here’s a great article about how to prep for a week’s worth of lunches: https://bit.ly/2wqrohm