7 Methods for Improving or Preventing Diabetes

Diabetes & Blood Sugar Support

Bruno Graizzaro weighed 298 pounds in 2017 and identified himself as a "big eater." He was on high doses of injectable insulin, used an oral diabetic medication, and was tormented by the ghosts of many family members who had fought with diabetes, including his father, who had lost a limb to the condition. "I was so buried in bad eating that I had no choice but to rely on the medications to keep my blood sugar in check," he adds.

Then he met an endocrinologist at the University of Massachusetts Diabetes Center of Excellence, who proposed taking a different approach: committing to a mix of healthy eating and exercise, which he would kick-start with two newer diabetes medicines that also stimulate weight reduction. The Boston accounting professional, now 64, has shed more than 60 pounds and works out four to five days a week (basketball, squash, yoga and strength training are favorites) and only need a little amount of insulin

Insulin is a hormone that transports sugar from the bloodstream to the cells of the body. When you have diabetes, your body either can't make the hormone (type 1) or develops resistant to its effects (type 2). (type 2). Insulin injections are a typical therapy in both instances. (The first application of insulin in a diabetic patient was 100 years ago in January.)

Fear, dread, guilt, and drugs are all common reactions to a type 2 diagnosis. "People with type 2 diabetes sometimes wind up on four or five drugs, including insulin, because they believe that is the only solution," says Osama Hamdy, M.D., head of the Joslin Diabetes Center's inpatient diabetes program. "However, many people may manage diabetes exclusively by making lifestyle modifications," such as exercising, eating a carbohydrate-controlled diet, and staying hydrated.

If you've been diagnosed with diabetes within the last five years, now is the best time to start implementing strategic behavioral approaches that might help you not just improve but even reverse your disease, according to Hamdy. Even long-term diabetics like Graizzaro can make significant adjustments. Hamdy adds, "Don't start the sickness with blame and guilt." "Accept reality and ask yourself, 'What am I going to do now?' Will I be afflicted for the rest of my life?

'Will I take a chance and turn this into a fantastic opportunity?'

Here are seven strategies to turn the tables – or to avoid diabetes altogether.

1.Lose (a little amount of) weight

The body might have more trouble managing blood sugar levels via insulin when a person acquires weight - even a few pounds. As a result, the pancreas needs to pump out more and more insulin in order to transfer sugar from the bloodstream into the cells, a condition known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is at the root of nearly all occurrences of type 2 diabetes. Insulin increases fat accumulation and weight growth, whether produced by the body or administered as a prescription. As a result, increasing weight drives the body to produce more insulin, which leads to even more weight gain, and so on. However, Hamdy points out that even small weight reduction — 5 to 10% of one's body weight — might result in significant changes. According to his own studies, a 7% weight loss can enhance insulin sensitivity by 57 percent.

2.Lower blood sugar levels

According to Jessica Crandall Snyder, a certified diabetes care and education specialist in Denver, the more dehydrated you are, the more concentrated the sugars in your blood become, like a prune vs a luscious plum. The subjects of a research published in Diabetes Care were followed for nine years. When compared to individuals who drank more than a half liter of water each day, those who drank less had a greater chance of acquiring raised blood sugar levels. Water, herbal tea, and milk are all acceptable options. Caffeine is dehydrating, therefore coffee drinkers should restrict their intake to three cups per day.

3.Try munching while exercising.

"Exercise snacking" refers to squeezing in brief bursts of movement throughout the day, even if it's simply a 10- to 15-minute stroll after dinner. According to research, these little bursts of movement can help regulate blood sugar better than a single lengthier workout.

However, make sure you're exercising in a variety of ways, including weight training. Between the ages of 40 and 70, adults lose 8% of their muscle mass naturally every ten years, and "diabetes increases that," according to Hamdy. Spend 10 minutes a day strengthening your muscles with weights, resistance bands, or body-weight exercises; 10 minutes undertaking an aerobic activity like brisk walking, swimming, running, or tennis; and 10 minutes stretching to increase joint mobility and lower the risk of injury. It's also important to walk as much as possible during the day. A research published in the British Journal of General Practice in 2018 found a correlation between 10,000 steps per day and better diabetes control.

4. Protein will help you build muscle.

Protein is necessary for muscle maintenance and the stimulation of various hormones that help regulate blood sugar levels. Concentrate on fish, white-meat chicken, plant-based sources (beans, nuts, and tofu), and lean cuts of beef, and take protein at breakfast, lunch, and supper.

5. Vaccinate yourself against COVID-19.

COVID-19 puts people with diabetes, obesity, or both at a higher risk of serious disease and death. COVID may aggravate diabetes by causing damage to the pancreas and system-wide inflammation, which raises insulin resistance, according to new study.

According to Nitin Kapoor, M.D., a professor of endocrinology at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, because immunization results in lesser COVID if infected, it should indirectly result in less COVID impact for preexisting diabetes. In addition, his study is one of several that link COVID to new cases of diabetes.

6. Don't get too caught up in the sweetness.

People sometimes go to extremes after hearing "You have type 2" for the first time, severely restricting carbohydrates (with diets like keto) or attempting to live without sweets. Too little carbohydrates, on the other hand, can cause exhaustion, nutritional deficits, and dangerously low blood sugar levels. Instead of focusing on sugars, examine labels for "Total Carbohydrate," which includes both naturally occurring and added sugars as well as other forms of carbohydrates, according to Crandall Snyder. Men should strive for 60 to 75 grams of total carbohydrates every meal, while women should aim for 30 to 45 grams.

7. Allow the medications to arrive as needed.

According to Phyllisa Deroze, a worldwide diabetes patient advocate and diabetic lifestyle blogger, it's normal for people attempting to control their diabetes to feel like failures if they can't go off their prescriptions. "I was managing with simply diet and exercise a year after my diagnosis." "Every prescription I dropped was accompanied by a loud 'Woo-hoo!'," she recalls. However, her health care professional indicated that drugs might still play a role in her life on occasion — and Deroze did require insulin when pregnant. "Insulin has a terrible name," she explains, "yet it helps a lot of people."

Diabetes & Blood Sugar Support