Dealing with Diabetes :: Healthy Lifestyles and Natural Weight Loss Information

Dealing with Diabetes
by author Joey Shulman, DC, RNCP

In order to appreciate how type 2 diabetes develops, consider the following example. A person eats a piece of white bread, which is made from refined flour. Due to the lack of fibre, protein, and essential fat, the piece of white bread breaks down into blood sugar (glucose) and enters the bloodstream at a rushing speed (the piece of bread has a high glycemic index rating). In order to deal with the blood sugar, the pancreas responds by secreting an appropriate amount of insulin.

If this person continues to eat a diet filled with refined carbohydrates and does not take in sufficient fibre, protein, and essential fat, and does not exercise, the body will try to adapt by secreting more and more insulin to deal with the excess sugar.

Unfortunately, excess insulin creates two serious problems: 1) it causes excess glucose to be stored as fat, contributing to weight gain, and 2) it causes blood sugar to drop too low into a state known as hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemic symptoms include fatigue, moodiness, mental fogginess, and cravings. In order to satisfy a powerful craving and get an energy boost again, most individuals grab the closest sugary or starchy treat, causing this vicious cycle to begin all over again. This continual bouncing around of blood sugar and over-secretion of insulin is the first stage in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Incurring the Cost of a Preventable Disease

As mentioned, type 2 diabetes is a largely preventable disease if proper information and nutritional changes are applied. Unfortunately, change and education is not occurring at a fast enough rate to make a dent in the number of those diagnosed.

In fact, diabetes, with its associated health complications, is now one of the most financially burdensome diseases on the Canadian healthcare system. Secondary diseases and complications caused by type 2 diabetes, such as atherosclerosis, kidney problems, nerve disorders, blindness, erectile dysfunction, amputation, and foot ulcers are draining the well of healthcare dollars and decreasing people’s quality of life. Consider the following statistics for Canadians diagnosed with diabetes.

Approximately 80 percent of people with diabetes will die as a result of heart disease or stroke.
Diabetes is a contributing factor in the deaths of approximately 41,500 Canadians each year.
Canadian adults with diabetes are twice as likely to die prematurely, compared to persons without diabetes.
Life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years. Life expectancy for people with type 2 diabetes may be shortened by 5 to 10 years.

Instead of healthcare dollars being directed toward prevention and education, a large percentage is allotted toward the treatment of diabetes and its complications, which includes costly medications, hospital stays, and diagnostics. According to the Canadian Diabetic Association (CDA), the estimated cost of diabetes has skyrocketed.

Tools for Change

If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it is important to undergo a complete workup from your family doctor in order to determine baseline levels of your sugar levels, body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Knowing these amounts will be an important platform to monitor change. As well, have your doctor perform a HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) test every three to four months to ensure you are properly maintaining blood sugar levels.

In addition to a complete physical, there are three tools that should be incorporated into every diabetic’s life to help monitor and control glucose levels and lose weight. These tools are 1) a glucometer; 2) a copy of the glycemic index; and 3) a copy of the glycemic load.

A glucometer is a small home glucose monitoring device to help patients manage their blood sugar levels. This small machine draws blood by pricking the top of the finger with a small, simple, disposable lancet. The individual checks his or her glucose readings by placing a small amount of blood on a reagent strip and then placing the strip into the glucometer. The glucometer then gives a glucose (blood sugar) reading. After a short training session, diabetics become quite proficient at monitoring their blood sugar levels.

The glycemic index is a scale that measures the specific rate at which food enters into the bloodstream. The faster the speed of entry, the more insulin the pancreas will secrete. Food is categorized on the glycemic index scale from a scale of 0 to 100, depending on its effect on blood sugar levels. For ranking purposes, the glycemic index is divided into three categories: low (up to 55), medium (56 to 70), and high (over 70). For the most part, foods that are lowest on the glycemic index have the slowest rate of entry into the bloodstream and therefore have the lowest insulin response.

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Dr. Joey Shulman, DC, RNCP, is author of Winning the Food Fight (Wiley 2003) and The Natural Makeover Diet (in stores Jan. 2006). For more information, visit www.drjoey.com.

Source: alive #277, November 2005

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