A Silent Killer
Diabetes is often called “the silent killer” because by the time a person is diagnosed, irreversible damage may already have been done. Everyone over age 45 is encouraged to do the fasting blood glucose test. If you have any of the following warning signs,3 you should have your blood sugar checked by a health care professional, preferably one versed in integrative and/or functional medicine.
• Feeling very thirsty or hungry, despite having eaten or drank
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Hypoglycemia (typically experienced 2-3 hours after meals)
• Tingling or pain in your extremities
• Unexplained weight loss
• Frequent infections (urinary, vaginal, groin)
• Slow healing of wounds; extreme bruising
• Chronically dry, itchy skin
When it comes to disease, prevention is always preferable to treatment. And Type 2 diabetes is a totally preventable disease! Consider a diagnosis of prediabetes an opportunity to make lifestyle changes for the better, so you can shift these indicators back in the direction of good health.
How to Turn the Tide
Don’t let a diagnosis of prediabetes derail your future plans. This epidemic is largely preventable by following a few conscientious diet and lifestyle tips. In fact, Type 2 diabetes is proven to respond better to lifestyle interventions than to pharmaceutical drug treatment, many of which carry their own significant harms.4
The following good-health practices help to regulate blood sugar, and are critical for anyone diagnosed with prediabetes. They should also be practiced by pregnant women, or women who wish to become pregnant, due to the risk of gestational diabetes. Additionally, you may wish to take these preventative steps if you are currently overweight, have high blood pressure, or a family history of diabetes.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Hands-down, the most important factor in managing diabetes is regulating blood sugar balance. This is best achieved through diet. While there is still some debate on exactly which diet is best, eating more organic fruits and vegetables is one thing that everyone agrees on.
Increasing your intake of fruits and veg is a big win for your health, and this is especially true for those at risk of diabetes. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), diets that are high in insoluble fiber may offer the best protection against this disease.5
While some people believe that fruit has too much sugar for a diabetic, the high concentrations of water and cellulose, a type of insoluble fiber, keep the sugars from rushing into the blood all at once, as happens with food and drinks sweetened with refined sugars. Eating lots of fresh fruit can also help stave off cravings for other sweet foods. Also, there is relatively new research indicating that the recommendation for diabetics to reduce fruit consumption has always been just plain wrong.
Aim for around 40 grams of fiber per day, consumed in smaller meals spaced evenly throughout the day.
Smoking cigarettes is one of the leading causes of preventable diabetes. Smoking increases a person’s likelihood of developing diabetes by as much as 40% over nonsmokers. Smoking also complicates insulin-dosing and makes it more difficult to effectively manage the disease.6
Smoking brings its own risk-factors, such as lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. But people with diabetes who smoke also increase their odds of developing life-threatening complications from their disease. Smoking impedes blood flow to the extremities, increasing neuropathy and the risks of infections and ulcers that can lead to amputation. Smoking also increases the odds a diabetic will develop heart and kidney disease.
For diabetics, smoking is like putting a match to