Type 2 Diabetes and Prevention
Type 2 diabetes. It is an indicator that something is wrong. That your body is overwhelmed, and screaming for help.
We will be discussing here type 2 diabetes, and how it can be prevented. A healthy diet (or lifestyle) will help avoid this diagnosis.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body does not use insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar levels. It is the most common form of diabetes and can result in serious health complications if not managed effectively.
Let’s break down the process to understand what is going on. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Its job is to help glucose (sugar) move from the bloodstream into your cells for energy. In type 2 diabetes, the body’s cells don’t respond well to insulin. Over time, the pancreas may also not make enough insulin. This leads to high blood sugar levels.
The WHO states “Factors that contribute to developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight, not getting enough exercise, and genetics.” 1
But how can we prevent this? Again, the WHO recommends “eat a healthy diet and avoid sugar and saturated fat”. Not very helpful! What does that diet look like?
The biggest factor that you can put into play is your nutrition. Based on the old food pyramid, we are told to eat lots of carbohydrates. Pictured at the bottom of the food pyramid are grains and wheat (or grass seeds). Interestingly enough; Did you know that farmers use grains to fatten up their livestock? 2
Glycemic index levels are critical to consider when you are eating. This measures how quickly a food will raise your blood glucose levels compared to pure glucose. Foods with a high GI cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Higher blood sugar levels → insulin release from the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for helping cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. Repeated high spikes in blood sugar from eating foods that are high on the glycemic index table, can lead to insulin resistance. This means that cells become less responsive to insulin, leading to increased blood sugar levels, and more insulin production, which can contribute to conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Prolonged insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and other health issues.
In the table below, we can see that a Snickers bar is higher than that of whole wheat bread when comparing GI levels! We have been told that whole wheat bread is “heart-healthy”. It could not be further from the truth.
So what do I eat? I eat a diet mainly consisting of vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and salad), fruits (in moderation), and grass-fed and finished meats. Corn is not a food, and soy acts as a phytoestrogen. They should not be given to livestock that you are ingesting. That’s for another post, though.
If you are interested in maintaining a healthier lifestyle through nutrition, I have a passion to see all my clients succeed in the day. Reach out to me today to learn more!
More reading and resources:
1 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
2 https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/finishing-beef-cattle-on-the-farm.html
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