Puberty And Diabetes Risk
What weve seen over the past two decades is more children ages 11 15 years old being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Children going through puberty are at higher risk than younger children, because theyre going through a growth spurt, they feel hungry all the time and they have regular weight gain during this period. They also start to have hormone changes, which can make their bodies more resistant to insulin.
During this time, its more important than ever to make sure your child is making healthy choices when it comes to diet and exercise.
What Are The Effects Of Raised Insulin Levels
The only way to effectively reverse type 2 diabetes is to deal with the underlying cause Insulin Resistance. Trying to address the blood sugar levels without addressing the insulin levels is treating the symptoms, not treating the root cause. It is similar to using a bucket to remove water from an overflowing sink rather than actually turning off the tap!
The most important thing to do is to stop adding fuel to the fire. If Insulin Resistance is driving the condition, you need to firstly stop consuming foods that increase insulin production. Secondly, you need to make some lifestyle changes so that you can become sensitive to insulin once again
What Is A Healthy Diet For Prediabetes
After a diagnosis of prediabetes, ask your doctor to connect you with a certified diabetes educator and or nutritionist to help you develop a customized and meal plan that allows you to eat the foods you’re accostomed to with alterations that lower the amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates you are consuming to help lower your blood sugar.
Studies show that developing a plan around the foods you like and adding in new healthy alternatives for simple carbohydrates, such as substituting cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles for white rice and pasta, is much more effective than simply trying to cut out all foods that have carbohydrates and sugar without healthy alternatives to substitute. You don’t have to give up all of the foods your love or grew up cooking. In fact, research shows that a diet plan that allows you to incorporate those foods into your diet will be more sustainable and effective longterm.
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Foods To Avoid With Prediabetes
You can have a rich and satisfying diet while cutting out foods and beverages that can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. Here are some basic guidelines on what foods to avoidalong with some healthy alternatives to keep your blood sugar levels balanced.
Trans Fats
Trans fats are a type of dietary fat formed when liquid oils are turned into solid fats. Some trans fats occur naturally, but most are industry-produced. All should be avoided, since they increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Trans fats are found in processed and packaged baked goods, fried or battered foods, margarine, and shortening. If you see the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil on the label, the product contains trans fats.
Refined Grains
Refined grainsor simple carbohydrateslike white flour, white pasta, and white rice products, are stripped of nutrients and fiber during the refining process. This makes them easily digestible but also able to quickly raise blood glucose levels.
Instead of refined grains, choose breads, pastas, and cereals that primarily comprise whole grains like wheat, quinoa, oats, oat bran, barley, and millet.
Sugary Drinks
Many popular sports drinks and fruit juices which are marketed as healthy are actually far from it. These drinks, along with colas, flavored milks, sweetened teas, and fancy coffee drinks, tend to be full of .
Certain Meats
Foods with Added Sugar
Food Fitness And Prevention Of Diabetes
Bottom Line: There is much we can do with a healthy lifestyle alone, no medications needed, to prevent diabetes, states Dr. James Barnard, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at UCLA and author of more than 200 studies on the relationship between lifestyle habits and chronic diseases like diabetes.
In fact, a healthy lifestyle has proven more effective than medication in staving off diabetes.
Lifestyle changes, like those taught at the Pritikin Center, are nearly twice as effective as medication in preventing pre-diabetes from turning into diabetes.
In a landmark study, the NIH-sponsored Diabetes Prevention Program2, scientists followed 3,234 men and women with pre-diabetes for three years.
One-third of them adopted lifestyle changes that were similar to the Pritikin Program: a daily eating plan of low-calorie-dense, high-fiber foods exercising for at least 30 minutes five days a week and a 7% weight loss.
Another third of these pre-diabetics took a drug metformin .
The remaining third, the control group, took a placebo.
The results? Those on the lifestyle-change plan reduced the progression to full-blown type 2 diabetes by 58% compared to the control group. The reduction was even greater 71% among those aged 60 years or older.
Treatment with the drug metformin reduced the progression to type 2 diabetes by just 31%.
Put simply, lifestyle changes were nearly twice as effective as medication in preventing pre-diabetes from turning into diabetes.
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What Is Nutritional Ketosis And Why Does It Work For Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
Why does carbohydrate restriction work so well for people with type 2 diabetes? Because of something called ânutritional ketosis.â Nutritional ketosis is a natural metabolic state that allows your body to burn fat and ketones rather than carbohydrates as its primary fuel source.
At the heart of nutritional ketosis are ‘ketones’, or small molecules that are made from fat in the liver. Ketones provide energy to fuel important organs like the brain, heart, and muscles. They also play a role in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are key underlying contributors of type 2 diabetes.
Given that ketones are both fuel and a metabolic regulator, nutritional ketosis is one of the most effective treatment options for sustainably reversing type 2 diabetes. It is clinically proven to reduce blood sugar , improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce inflammation. Since type 2 diabetes is a disease of high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and inflammation, nutritional ketosis is an effective diabetes reversal tool because it can improve all three.
Entering a state of nutritional ketosis requires changing what you eat. To learn more about nutritional ketosis and how it can help reverse type 2 diabetes, read more here.
Treating Diabetes With Healthcare Associates Of Texas
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Can Children Get Prediabetes
Yes. The CDC reports that 18% of adolescents have prediabetes, and its on the rise in that group.
All children experience metabolic and hormonal changes during puberty, along with a decrease in insulin sensitivity problems tend to develop when an adolescent also has obesity, explains Dr. Jastreboff. Children who have obesity are much more likely to grow up to be adults who have obesity, and then they are likely to develop weight-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, kidney problems, and heart problems, she says.
Lifestyle changes are critical to prevention in kids, because there are no effective medications for reversing prediabetes in that age group, says Michelle Van Name, MD, a Yale Medicine pediatric endocrinologist. And we know that prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are more aggressive in kids than they are in adults.
Dr. Jastreboff also points out that in the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth study, a major clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health , youth who developed type 2 diabetes at a young age had more severe cases than adults with the disease.
Talk To Your Doctor Before Starting A Liquid Diet
If your doctor prescribes you a liquid diet, theyâll go over what liquids you can have, and how long you should be on it. Make sure you follow their instructions carefully.
If you want to go on one for weight loss, talk to your doctor first about whether a liquid diet is appropriate for you. Pregnant or nursing women, and people who take insulin for diabetes, or anyone with a chronic illness shouldn’t go on a liquid diet.
If your doctor gives you the OK to go on one, you should also see a registered dietitian, who can go over it with you and make sure you’re getting enough calories and nutrition. Your dietitian might recommend that you take a vitamin or nutritional supplement while you’re on the liquid diet.
Before you choose a liquid diet plan, know what you’re drinking. If you’re considering one of the commercial diets, look at the daily values on the nutrition facts label. Be sure you’re getting 100% of all the recommended vitamins and minerals.
Look for a diet that is not too low in calories and contains plenty of protein and fiber to keep you feeling full while you lose the weight gradually. Liquid diets that include a solid meal or two per day, or that teach you healthier eating habits, will be more likely to help you keep the weight off in the long run.
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Can You Reverse Prediabetes
Yes. With early detection and simple lifestyle changes , prediabetes is often reversible. As an added bonus, the changes made to reverse prediabetes and prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes can also improve other aspects of your overall health. In addition to lowering your blood sugar, diet changes and regular exercise can help to control blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Prediabetes Flies Under The Radar
You can have prediabetes for years without symptoms. This means you likely wont know you have prediabetes until serious health problems show up. Talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk factors for prediabetes, including:
- Being overweight
- Being 45 years or older
- Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Being physically active less than 3 times a week
- Ever having gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
Race and ethnicity are also a factor. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk.
Ready to find out your risk? Take the 1-minute prediabetes risk test and be sure to share the results with your doctor.
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How To Lower Your A1c Level
When you have diabetes, you probably know you should check your blood sugar regularly. Your doctor will also recommend that you take an A1c blood test a few times a year, with a goal of lowering the results to help protect your health. And thereâs a lot you can do to move toward meeting that goal.
Unlike a regular blood sugar test, the A1c test measures the amount of sugar that clings to a protein, called hemoglobin, in your red blood cells. The test shows your average blood sugar levels over the past few months, so you know how well your diabetes is under control.In general, the goal for your A1c is to be lower than 7%. Exactly how much lower will depend on your individual treatment plan. When you take steps to get your A1c in a healthy range, you lower your risk of complications such as nerve damage, eye problems, and heart disease.
Your doctor will let you know the best target for your A1c. How do you get there? Here are a few tactics to try, in addition to taking any medications your doctor prescribes.
Get some new kitchen gear. Youâll want to get a set of measuring cups and a kitchen scale if you donât already have them. These will help you with your portion sizes. Your blood sugar will go up if you eat more food than your body needs. Keeping servings in check is a good way to reduce your A1c level.
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SOURCES:
Mayo Clinic: âA1C Test,â âHyperglycemia in Diabetes,â âDiabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy Eating Plan.â
How To Prevent And Reverse Type 2 Diabetes In Children
Type 2 diabetes is a growing problem for our youth in this country. What was once considered an adult disease is now becoming more prevalent in children ages 10 to 18 years old. The good news is, it is preventable and reversible if it treated appropriately.
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Is It Really Possible To Reverse Prediabetes
Whats important to remember is that prediabetes may be reversed, explains Dr. Anam. Ive had patients achieve tremendous things, she says, adding that starting early helps.
Parents may need to talk to a pediatrician when their children are in adolescenceor even before thatand adults should assess their lifestyles while they are still in their 20s or 30s, she adds. “Glucose tolerance worsens with age, so problems that arent controlled early may be more difficult later on,” she says.
Anyone who is concerned should understand their glucose numbers and check them routinely. You should know your weight, your blood pressure, and your A1C, Dr. Anam says. Keep tabs on your health and take action if you need to.
How To Cure Type 2 Diabetes Without Medication
It can be debilitating and last a lifetime, but type 2 diabetes, if caught early, can be reversed with weight loss
Its 10 years since Professor Roy Taylor revolutionised treatment for type 2 diabetes with a groundbreaking study that showed the disease could be reversed through rapid weight loss. Until his research was published, type 2 diabetes was thought to be an incurable, lifelong condition. Now, for many people, we know it is not.
But his achievements and the thousands of people he has cured are not something he dwells upon. Im in a very lucky position of being able to do this research, he says, which really extends what Ive been doing as a doctor throughout my life. He laughs at the suggestion that he must occasionally marvel at his own success: No, no, he chuckles. Lots of occupations make a useful contribution to society. I wouldnt set myself apart.
Modest words for a man whose useful contribution to society has given hope to the 3.9m people diagnosed with the condition in the UK and who has shown doctors a new way to fight a disease which causes 185 amputations and 700 premature deaths every week.
If people really do want to make it happen, then in the first few years of diagnosis, its almost universal that their health can be returned to normal, says Taylor, who is professor of medicine and metabolism at Newcastle University. In one study, he found that nine out of 10 people with early type 2 diabetes were cured after losing more than 2½st .
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The Story Of The Pima Indians
Research has found3 that the Pima Indians are a perfect example of how powerfully our environment can dictate who gets obese and diabetic, and who doesnt.
Today, two main groups of Pima Indians live on earth. The first group lives high in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico a rural environment. The second group lives in Arizona on the Gila River reservation. Both groups are thought to be genetically identical. Scientists estimate they were separated about 700 to 1,000 years ago. For DNA evolutionary development, thats a mere pittance of time.
But physically, the two groups today could not be more different.
Can Prediabetes Be Reversed
Yes! Before prediabetes develops into type 2 diabetes, it can absolutely be reversed.
To help people reverse prediabetes and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, the National Diabetes Prevention Program is an accredited program recognized by the CDC that focuses on healthy eating and physical activity.
In a study, participants of the NDPP cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% when completing the program .
There are accredited programs in every state, and most insurance plans cover the cost of participating, including some state Medicaid programs and Medicare.
Some additional lifestyle changes that can reverse prediabetes include:
- Swapping out sugar-sweetened beverages for water
- Cut out processed carbohydrates and foods with added sugar
- Eat a lower carbohydrate diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Get adequate sleep
- Take all medications as prescribed
- Test your blood sugar often, with an at-home glucometer
- Manage any other health conditions you have, including hypertension or high cholesterol)
- If you smoke cigarettes, quit
- Manage your stress levels with deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or journaling
- Seek support from family, friends, or a support group
- Maintain a healthy weight, and lose any excess body weight
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Losing Weight Can Reverse Diabetes Without Drugs
Putting a person with type 2 diabetes on an intensive weight loss programme can reverse the disease with no need for medication, according to a landmark study. The findings could revolutionise the way it is treated, researchers said, benefiting both patients and the NHS. Almost half of the participants in a weight-loss programme that used low-calorie shakes and soups were in remission after 12 months, despite some having had type 2 diabetes for six years. Almost one in ten adults in Britain has type 2 diabetes and the condition costs the NHS about £14 billion a year. Mike Lean from the University of Glasgow, lead researcher of the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial , said: âPutting type 2 diabetes into remission as early as possible afterâ¦Continue reading > >