Type-2 Diabetes

Type-2 diabetes is a disease that is characterized by chronic high blood sugar levels caused by an inability to produce, and/or an insensitivity to the hormone that regulates glucose levels – insulin. Diabetics have a greater risk of stroke, blindness, renal failure and colon cancer and the chronic high blood sugar levels that they suffer from, can result in bothersome symptoms such as fatigue, excessive thirst, vision problems and muscle cramps.

RELATED READING: Diabetes Myths You Need to Know

The Effect of Coffee on Diabetes

It should be noted that this study was done in cells, and more research needs to be done to determine if coffee has the same diabetes prevention effects in humans. In addition, adding sugar or cream to your coffee would likely hinder the possible beneficial effects, because sugar and cream negatively affect your glucose levels. According to U.S. diabetes expert Dr. Vivian Fonseca, it is way too soon to be recommending coffee for the prevention of diabetes. Until further research is done, your best bet for reducing your risk for developing diabetes is to consume a healthy diet high in fiber and whole foods and to maintain a healthy body weight; both of which will prevent the chronic high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes. Exercising regularly will also help to keep your glucose levels steady and dramatically lower you diabetes risk

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Myth #1: Obesity and Diabetes Are Caused by Genetics

We have been led to believe that genetics play a principal role in the development of obesity and type-2 diabetes, however these assumptions are false. Although obesity tends to run in families, genes only play a small role in its development; the rest is a matter of nurture, and not nature. In other words, a major reason why obesity tends to be shared amongst family members is because they also tend to share similar, unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits. As for type-2 diabetes, it can be brought on by environmental and lifestyle factors. As Dr. Hyman pointed out–the fact that the total number of people in the world with diabetes increased sevenfold, from 35 million to 240 million in the past 25 years, is proof that environmental, and not genetic factors, are primarily to blame for diabetes.

RELATED ARTICLE: Is Diabetes Actually Reversible?

Myth # 2: Diabetes is Irreversible

A healthy diet in combination with regular exercise is often all that is needed to completely reverse type-2 diabetes. Unfortunately, too many doctors focus solely on fasting blood sugar levels instead of insulin levels when it comes to diagnosing diabetes and this can result in doctors not catching diabetes early enough, states Dr. Hyman. This is problematic, because as the disease progresses, it becomes more difficult to reverse. Nevertheless, the majority of advanced diabetes cases can still be controlled via aggressive lifestyle changes, in combination with the temporary use of insulin medications.

Myth #3: Pre-Diabetes is Nothing to Worry About

If a blood sugar monitor or fasting blood sugar test suggests that you have pre-diabetes, it is not something you should take lightly. Pre-diabetes carries almost all the same risks as diabetes– it increases your risk for heart attack or stroke by 50% and it also increases your likelihood for developing dementia and cancer Pre-diabetes is much easier to reverse than full blown diabetes, and neglecting to proactively reverse it, is foolish and imprudent.

Myth # 4: Insulin Therapy is the Best Treatment Option for Diabetics

Although insulin can effectively reduce high blood sugar levels, it also encourages the storage of fat. Moreover, insulin therapy can lead to an increased appetite and weight gain, increased inflammation and higher cholesterol and blood pressure levels. According to Dr. Hyman, insulin should only be used as a last resort, and the lowest dose possible should be taken. Fortunately, if you are already on insulin, you are not stuck on it for life. Under your doctor’s supervision, you can use a combination of aggressive lifestyle factors and dietary modifications in order to reverse your diabetes and get off the insulin for good!

Myth # 5: Medications That Lower Blood Sugar Levels Can Prevent Heart Attacks and Death in Obese and Diabetic Individuals

According to recent trials in New England Journal of Medicine, treating risk factors associated with obesity and diabetes may not only be ineffective, it may actually be harmful because it ignores the root cause of the disease. In fact, as opposed to reducing heart attacks, strokes and deaths, the world’s #1 diabetes drug, Avandia, contributed to a whopping 47,000 incidences of them in the first ten years of its use alone.

If you suffer from obesity or diabetes, you should shift your focus from increasing insulin and lowering blood sugar levels, to simply getting healthy. By focusing on getting healthy instead of just treating the symptoms of obesity and diabetes, more often than not, the diseases will take care of themselves.

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Diabetic Diets

Planning daily meals based on a diabetic diet can also be quite cumbersome, especially when the food choices are restricted to low-sugar or sugar-free items.  There are also sugar substitutes that could be included in a diabetic diet, designed as sweetener for your coffee, tea, and other favorite beverages.  Sugar-free ice cream and frozen yogurt are also substitute desserts in a diabetic diet.  It is also recommended that diabetics increase their consumption of nuts and vegetables, which are rich in proteins and fiber.

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For diabetics that are classified as non-insulin dependent, the chances to cure diabetes are quite high.  A change in one’s lifestyle, including the type of food consumed on a regular basis, can serve to directly cure diabetes.  Simply avoiding high-sugar food items can cure diabetes, yet there are also certain food items that may have been considered as safe for decades but are now considered harmful to diabetics.

How Can Your Blood Sugar Be Effective

According to the Strong Family Heart Study conducted by the University of Washington in Seattle, eating canned meat increases the risk for a person to develop diabetes.  The study involved monitoring approximately 2,000 non-diabetics for 5 years and determining which of the study participants developed the disease at the end of the study.  The study participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that collected the frequency and type of food items that they consumed on a regular basis.  It should also be understood that the study population did not follow a diabetic diet because none of them were diabetics at the start of the study. Interestingly, the canned meat brand Spam was the most commonly processed food item that the diabetics consumed.

In order to cure diabetes, a diabetic diet should be strictly followed, yet who knew that canned meat could turn around the effects of a low-sugar or sugar-free regimen?  The results of the Strong Heart Family study provided useful information for designing a diabetic diet, based on actual prospective studies involving non-diabetics and monitoring their health outcome after five years.  It may be possible that canned meat is considered as a quick resource for meals, even in a diabetic diet, yet other more healthy food options should be considered to cure diabetes.

It is true that biomedical research efforts have continuously conducted studies on how to cure diabetes.  These scientists may come up with a new drug that would effectively control blood sugar levels, regardless of following a diabetic diet or not.  However, it is also important for a person diagnosed with diabetes to actively cure diabetes on a personal level.  The recent report on the effects of canned meat gives us leverage on how to cure diabetes by improving our food choices.  The report shows that it is not the meat that actually increases the risk for developing diabetes, but the processing involved in manufacturing these commercial meat products.  It is thus still safe to eat unprocessed meat and still cure diabetes.  This report will also drive us to be more creative in designing a diabetic diet that would ultimately cure diabetes.

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What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that is characterized by high blood sugar levels. Diabetes can be broken down into:

a) Type I – this is usually diagnosed during childhood, but can be found at any age. With Type I diabetes, the body is unable to make sufficient insulin which results in high blood sugar levels if left untreated. Treatment involves insulin injections.

b) Type II – this is the most common type of diabetes, and is usually diagnosed in adulthood, but is now being seen in children and young adults. Type II diabetes occurs when the body cannot make enough insulin or when the body is not using the insulin properly. Type II is often seen in the obese population. Gestational – high blood sugar levels can be seen in women during pregnancy, even if they don’t have diabetes

Complications of Diabetes

If diabetes is left untreated, high blood sugar levels can lead to a number of complications including:

- Heart disease – up to 80% of diabetics will die of a heart attack or stroke

- Kidney disease – high blood sugar levels can impair the kidneys and prevent them from functioning properly and can even cause them to shut down in severe cases

- Eye disease – approximately 2 million Canadians have some form of eye disease as the result of diabetes (diabetic retinopathy)

- Nerve damage – diabetes can affect the circulation and immune system and can damage sensory nerves, especially in the hands and feet

- Impotence – men with long-standing diabetes, poor blood sugar control, smokers and those that have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease are at an increased risk

- Depression – approximately 25% of diabetics suffer from depression

Cinnamon as Treatment and Possible Diabetes Cure?

Cinnamon and its’ role in lowering blood sugar levels has been a topic of debate recently. Past research suggested that cinnamon may be added as a supplement to traditional diabetes treatments to help lower high blood sugar levels. Researchers have found that by adding a small amount of cinnamon to your diet, about ½ teaspoon, you will start to notice a decrease in your blood sugar levels. It will also help to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and total cholesterol levels in Type II diabetics. To date, no research has proven that cinnamon is a diabetes cure.

While many people get excited when new findings are reported about a diabetic treatment option or a diabetes cure, it is best not to get too optimistic. Until a diabetes cure is found, the best way to manage diabetes and control blood sugar levels is to monitor your blood sugar levels regularly. Maintain your blood sugar levels by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and if needed, by taking medication to control your blood sugar. In combination with these treatments, adding a half teaspoon of cinnamon a day to your diet can help to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, but should not be confused as a diabetes cure. It is vital that additional research be conducted and focused on the mechanism of action of cinnamon as well as other herbs and spices to help develop additional treatment options as well as a potential diabetes cure.

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