Diabetes is not destiny: ways to Improve your metabolic health
It is the 8th leading cause of death in the United States. It is also one of the most expensive chronic illness that does not get managed overly well in the United States. In fact, the average patient will spend 2.3 times more on care than those without it. What am I talking about? Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes to be exact. Once named adult-onset Type 2 Diabetes, that moniker doesn’t really carry weight anymore since there is an alarming amount of younger Americans that are developing Type 2 Diabetes. The question that remains is exactly why are the younger generations beginning to experience pre-diabetic and diabetic conditions. The answer is lifestyle choices.
What is type 2 diabetes
With more than 1.4 million diagnosed cases of Type 2 Diabetes every year, it is the no wonder how this disease is climbing both globally and here in the United States. So, what is Type 2 Diabetes? It is a disease that affects the way the body metabolizes glucose in the blood and the relationship of insulin in the blood to regulate that glucose. Here’s how it works:
When your body takes in carbohydrates, it breaks those down into different units, one of which is glucose. Your gut absorbs the glucose and sends it into your blood stream for your cells to gain energy. During the digestive process, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin that carries the glucose into the cells in the blood stream. In the case of insulin resistance, your cells are already saturated with glucose so they shut the insulin out (resist the insulin) and that glucose builds up in your bloodstream. This is where pre-diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes starts to rear its ugly head.
tips to improve your metabolic health
The good news is that your metabolic health is something you can work on and improve. Below are a few tips that can help you improve your metabolic health:
Eat a whole foods diet. If you are someone that already has Type 2 Diabetes, aim for a lower carbohydrate diet. Many Functional Medicine doctors suggest the Ketogenic diet for those with Type 2 Diabetes to help them manage their diet because the carbohydrate allowance is very low with a moderate protein level and high fat content. (Please check with your health care provider before starting on Ketogenic diet.)
Cut out seed oils and refined sugar. Both of these items wreak havoc on our bodies and should be cut out as much as possible, if not entirely. Seed oils are highly inflammatory and can cause multiple issues within the body. Sugar is also a trouble-maker in the body. As was explained above, if we have an abundance of sugar in our body, the body become insulin resistant and then goes into hyperglycemia. This condition if not remedied turns into the pre-diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.
Get rid of gluten products in your diet. Modern gluten is not what it was 50 to 100 years ago. Today’s gluten not only has most of any nutritional value ripped from it, but it is also sprayed heavily with glyphosate, which is basically weed killer. Today’s gluten molecule can cause intestinal lining permeability (leaky gut), which then allows inflammation to run rampant through your body.
Move Your Body. Think of your muscles as glucose and insulin sponges. When you grow your muscular system, it needs the glucose to function thereby taking the glucose out of your blood stream. Getting in physical activity is a great way to start to harness that run-away metabolic train. Walking just 30 minutes a day can lessen your risk of diabetes by 50%.
Restful Sleep. Your body needs to restore itself so it can function properly the next day. Getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep every night is a great way to start down the path to healing your body’s systems.
Reduce Stress. Managing your stress levels is another way to improve your metabolic and overall health. Stress impacts the body on so many levels that reducing it will be a huge relief to your body. Find your best to reduce stress. It could be exercise, reading, nature walks, listening to music, breathwork, meditation, etc.
Bring down your toxic load. Toxins are everywhere in our lives today, so reducing them as much as you can will help your body improve its functionality and become more optimal in health. Things you can do to bring down your toxic load are reading the labels on all of your personal care, household, and food products. Chemicals are a recent addition to our bodies, so we can’t discount the effect they have on our bodies.
You only get one body, be sure to show it some love in everything you do. It does its best every day to take care of you.