Diabetes 101
What is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes is a condition where your blood glucose levels are abnormally high for years.
This usually occurs because of insulin dysfunction – either the production of insulin or its action or both.
PS – Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for maintaining blood glucose levels. It acts like a gatekeeper that facilitates the entry of glucose molecules into cells. Upon entry into the cell, glucose is used to produce energy. Depending upon the type of diabetes, the production and action of this hormone are compromised.
Types of Diabetes
The type of Diabetes Mellitus you develop depends on the internal cause and the change in natural metabolism that the cause leads to. The 3 common types are:
Type 1 Diabetes OR Juvenile Diabetes
- insulin production is reduced
- this is an autoimmune disorder wherein the part of the body that produces insulin (i.e. Beta cells in the “idlet of langerhans of the pancreas”) is attacked by the immune system, leading to the death of the function.
- the same insulin production loss is also seen as a side effect of unmanaged type 2 diabetes, wherein the pancreas lose the ability to manufacture insulin due to long term damage
- those who have type 1 diabetes have to take external insulin to manage blood glucose levels
- while there is no concrete cure to type 1 diabetes, following the autoimmune protocol diet can slow down the progress
Type 2 Diabetes
- insulin production is normal but its function is compromised
- the body has “insulin resistance” – a condition where the cells in your muscles, liver and fat tissue do not respond as well to insulin and cannot take up glucose from the blood.
- according to the IDF Atlas 2021, 95% of diabetics in India are living with type 2 diabetes
- this diabetes can be reversed or put into remission and those living with it need not depend on insulin or hypoglycemic drugs to maintain a good life’
- with the right lifestyle and diet care, type 2 diabetes can be prevented from developing in those with a genetic risk as well.
Gestational Diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes develops during pregnancy
- this usually occurs because of underlying insulin resistance which is either undiagnosed or unaddressed
- although most women who develop gestational diabetes go back to normal health after delivery, there are several instances where the diabetes stays or comes back after a few years,
- intrauterine nutrition tends to affect the health of the child as well. Kids born under such conditions are also at high risk of developing diabetes as adults.
- maintaining tight control over your blood glucose levels, especially if you have a genetic predisposition or PCOS or a waist circumference >31 inches, is very crucial.
Root Cause Explained
The root cause for type 2 diabetes, i.e. insulin resistance, actually happens to be the root cause for a host of metabolic disorders.
High blood lipids (i.e. dyslipidemia), obesity, PCOS in women, depression, non-alcoholic fatty liver, Alzheimer’s hyperuricemia, migraines, cardiovascular disorders, and many more are results of the same root cause.
Today, our goal, as a species, should be to prevent and reverse insulin resistance.
Insulin functions like a key that opens a specific door on our cells and allows glucose to enter cells and create energy. When you have insulin resistance, this door does not open with insulin. It stays shut, there by leading to high glucose levels in the blood and low glucose levels in the cells. The cells are hungry and the blood has excess. This leads to a whole cascade of metabolic changes that eventually leads to damage to the pancreas, excess fat deposition on the liver, high uric acid levels and kidney damage, nerve damage, depression, compromised immunity (as seen during COVID), high blood pressure and more.
do you have type 2 diabetes
Keeping a tab on certain factors will ensure you can keep diabetes at bay. Here are some of the key factors that will help assess if you are at risk:
1. Blood Work: Check the following
- HbA1c – should be <5.7
- Fasting Insulin – should be between 4-6 mg/dl
- Fasting Blood Glucose – should be less than 110 mg/dL
2. Check Your Risks:
- Family history – if either of your parents or grandparents from either side have it, you are at risk.
- Age – being above 35 is a risk factor
- Gender – men are more likely to develop diabetes
- Ethnicity – Asians are more likely to develop diabetes
- Waist Circumference – for men >35 inches and women > 30 inches is a BIG risk factor
- Physical activity – a sedentary lifestyle is the BIGGEST cause of insulin resistance
- Stress – stress is a very big factor in the development of diabetes in the body
- Diet – eating hyper-processed, high sugar, junk foods or eating a diet that is high in calorie density but low in nutrient density
3. Check for Symptoms:
The classic symptoms for type 2 diabetes are called “3P’s of Diabetes”:
- Polyphagia – Increased hunger
- Polyuria – increased urination
- Polydipsia – increased thirst
Other symptoms include pigmentation around the neck and underarms and skin tags.
4. Co-morbidities:
If you have any of these disorders, you could be at risk of developing diabetes:
- Obesity
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Dyslipidemia
- Hypertension
- Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver
- Gestational Diabetes
Diabetes can be expensive, tiring and debilitating. It can also be the perfect opportunity for you to bring about changes in the way you live your life. The way you look at it is entirely up to you.
All I am going to ask you to do is to educate yourself on the subject. Learn as much as you possibly can. Each time I work with a client who knows a lot about diabetes, the results we achieve are quicker and sustained for years. Also, understand the various treatment routes. Medication is obviously there, it is easy but in the long run can be harmful. Going the remission/reversal/ management with food and lifestyle route is a little difficult at the start but makes your entire life more positive. And I do recommend the reversal route since it is the right route for you. But the decision is entirely up to you.
If you wish to understand the diabetes reversal route and explore if it is the right one for you, please go ahead and book an exploratory call with me. Here’s the link to do so: 15-minute Free Exploratory Call
