If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to help prevent some of the devastating complications that come with this disease. While there is no cure, it is possible to make lifestyle changes which can reverse type 2 diabetes. Many people who were once diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can no live a normal life, with no medications, just by correcting some poor eating and exercise habits.
Type 2 diabetes is not a condition that you are born with, although genetics and family history can play a large role in getting it. Insulin, the hormone the regulates glucose uptake, is at the root of the diabetes epidemic. When you eat your body converts your food into glucose, which is then transported through your blood stream in order to be used as power by all the cells in your body. In order for the cells to receive the energy, the glucose must be transported into the cells via insulin, which is produced by the pancreas. When you have type 2 diabetes your cells become resistant to the insulin, or your pancreas does not produce enough insulin to get the job done. This leaves the glucose in your blood stream, which is commonly known as high blood sugar.
There is a very strong link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. The same factors that cause obesity, like eating a poor diet high in refined carbohydrates and bad fats, and living a sedentary lifestyle also eventually lead to insulin resistance. Recent studies are also showing that the adipose tissue (fat) itself can also have an effect on your hormones. So not only does an obese lifestyle cause diabetes, but the fatty tissue can actually play a role.
If you want to take control of this condition before it causes permanent damage, you must dedicate yourself to making some serious life changes. It is not enough to go on a diet for a few months, then jump back into your old habits.
One of the best ways in which you can start reversing type 2 diabetes is by starting a regular workout routine. Not only will this help you lose weight, and increase your overall well being, but it will also help improve your insulin sensitivity. There are myriad benefits to starting a consistent workout plan, and managing your diabetes is just one of them.
There is a good chance that people who have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have never exercised much, or it has been a very long time since they have. In this case it is wise to start of slowly, by either taking walks or using a swimming pool. If you have a hard time doing aerobic exercises because of your weight, you can start off with a light weight lifting routine. You should always discuss any new exercise program with your doctor before beginning.
Shifting to a healthy diet is another essential step for putting type 2 diabetes into remission. While you should get a complete nutrition plan created for you by a specialist, it is important to take small steps in changing your eating patterns. We know that refined carbohydrates and bad fats lead to insulin resistance, so you should cut them down as much as possible. This means get rid of all that soda, fast food, sweets, and other processed “food” that you are currently consuming.
If you want to reverse type 2 diabetes you must make some changes in your life. Nobody is going to tell you these changes will be easy, but the alternative is much worse. It is possible to live a normal life when you have this condition, but you must take responsibility for your life to do so.
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