In my early life, I thought I was living a healthy lifestyle. I could Eat and drink what I wanted, as much as I wanted and didn’t worry about the consequences. Then, the consequences caught up with me. After two deployments to the Antarctic continent, where the average daily calorie intake topped 8000, I came back overweight and out of shape.
I knew the warning signs. Because of my lab indicators and the scale my doctor advised me that I was headed in the wrong direction. With a family history of diabetes, my mom was a type 2 diabetic, was a prime indicator I neglected to adhere to. Then, what I thought could not happen, happened. In 2018, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. When I was finally diagnosed, I was at the tipping point where the doctor told me I should start taking insulin shots. After much debate with my doctor, we decided I could try the maximum dosage of metformin.
After a short period of time, my numbers started to decrease, but not to the levels I needed. I knew I needed to make some serious changes, but change is hard.
Before I dive into the changes I made, let’s talk for a moment to explain to someone new to this disease, what Type 2 diabetes is and how it is different from Type 1.
Where Type 1 diabetes there is a lower level of insulin to control blood glucose, due to an autoimmune induced loss of insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, relative lack of insulin. Primarily caused as a result of obesity and lack of exercise. Some people are genetically more at risk than others.
In Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable by staying a normal weight, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet. This is a long-term chronic condition. Currently, there are no cures for either type of diabetes. In both cases, lifestyle changes can help.
Simple steps
So, what are those lifestyle changes I talk about? We all have heard about exercise, eating right and weight control. Same basic concepts we hear about to help with other diseases and living a healthy life. But is there more? Let’s find out.
1) choose healthier carbohydrates. All carbs affect blood glucose levels. It is important to know which foods contain carbohydrates and learn portion sizing. Some healthy choices include whole grain, brown rice, fruit and vegetables, unsweetened yogurt, and milk.
2) eat less salt. Heavy salt intake could lead to an increase in blood pressure and lead to possible high blood pressure. This in turn with diabetes can lead to a potential heart attack or stroke.
3) eat less red and processed meats. Cutting down on portion sizes helps reduce carbohydrate consumption. Less carbohydrate consumption helps lower glucose levels to manageable levels.
4) fruit and vegetables contain carbohydrates. Choosing the right one helps to maintain getting your body the required nutrients and minerals, without increasing your blood glucose.
5) fat is not bad; you just need to choose the right fat. Our bodies need to consume fat and turn it into fuel. The problem is by using some saturated fats, we increase the amount of cholesterol in our blood. This can lead to heart disease.
6) cut down on added sugar. Best to get rid of processed sugar. That can be harder than said. Start with low zero-calorie sweeteners and then move off the processed sugar all together.
7) snacking, we all like to snack. Do a little homework and you can choose the right snacks.
8) drink responsibly, do not overindulge. A handful of unsalted nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables instead of a bag of chips is a great way to satisfy your hunger, without increasing your blood glucose.
Taking vitamin and mineral supplements.
This depends on your diet. It is very difficult to get all the daily recommended vitamins and minerals in one day if you’re eating a diet focused on highly processed convenience foods and fast food. These foods are typically rich in calories, but poor in nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
On the other hand, it can be much easier to get all the recommended vitamins if you eat a varied diet containing veggies, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, proteins, dairy and leafy greens. All these foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, and many are good sources of fiber.
But even if you eat many of these foods regularly, it can still be difficult to get some specific nutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D. I recommend my clients intentionally add calcium-containing foods to their regular diet, and some may require a vitamin D supplement as it is not found in many foods.
If you think it might help to fill in any missing vitamins and nutrients, here are some things WebMD considers you should look at the next time you are thinking of adding supplements to your diet.
Daily Value (DV). The first thing that you should look at when you read a multivitamin label is the DV. Looking at the label, check to make sure that the multivitamin has close to 100% of the DV of the ingredients inside. When it comes to some nutrients, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, it’s not possible to put high amounts of them into one daily tablet. Going over 100% of the DV can actually be harmful, as these substances then build up in your body over time and could potentially become toxic.
Your age and gender. Some multivitamins aren’t specific in terms of whom they’re marketed for. However, multivitamins that are gender or age-specific have different compositions. If you’re going to start taking a supplement, pick one that’s aimed at your gender and age group so that you’re getting the right mix of vitamins and minerals.
On-going effort
Remember, diabetes is a chronic disease. What you plan for today, will take you into tomorrow and beyond. These are habits we have had a lifetime to create. It will take time to reverse the trend. Stick with it and see the results.
On a personal note:
If you were wondering if I practice what I preach. I have loss over 50lbs. From over 250 lbs. to a daily average of 195 lbs. My A1C marker reading (long-term glucose effects) is down from over 8.0 to 5.9. My fasting glucose is down from a daily reading of 195 to 147 and my nutritional ketones (replacing carbohydrates with good fat) is up between 4 and 5 points. Meaning I am starting to burn fat effectively.
I am not where I want to be but tracking in the right direction.
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