We have all grown up reading fairy tales in which the world is perfect with roses blooming and life is picture perfect. Then comes a monster who is hell bent on destroying all the beauty from the world and causing as much destruction as possible. Diabetes is that monster in our real life fairy tales.
India is known as the diabetes capital of the world with 77 million people living with this dreadful condition and it is projected to touch 134 million by 2045.
There are 2 types of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, also referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows sugar (glucose) into cells for energy production. Simply explained, it is an auto-immune illness that necessitates the use of insulin life long. This condition can't be reversed but it can be managed.
Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), which is a long-term medical condition in which your body doesn't use insulin properly, resulting in unusual blood sugar levels. This is a lifestyle disease, which was earlier thought to be non-reversible. However, globally there are 3 companies who have a proven program which shows with evidence that diabetes can now be reversed by following a discipline from experts and making behavioral changes in lifestyle. More than 95% of the diabetic population has Type 2 Diabetes which can be reversed now.
To reverse Type 2 diabetes, we need understand the underlying causes of T2DM
1. Abnormal metabolism : This is observed generally in people with prolonged diabetes duration or other medical reasons in which some percentage of beta cells that produce insulin in pancreas die. In such cases, we have to use external insulin or drugs that help in pushing the pancreas to secrete insulin.
2. Insulin resistance : The cells of the body are not responding properly to insulin produced by the pancreas.
To reverse diabetes, we need to reverse insulin resistance
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and it regulates the amount of glucose in the bloodstream, ensuring that cells get the right amount of glucose at all times.
The carbohydrate from our meal is converted into glucose and passes through the gut wall into the bloodstream.The body detects that the glucose level in the blood is rising and signals the pancreas to produce insulin.
Insulin then acts on individual cells to allow glucose to enter them. Insulin is like a ‘key’ that opens the cell’s ‘door’ allowing glucose to enter the cell.
Insulin also stops the liver and muscles from releasing stored glucose into the blood; this allows spare glucose to be added to the glycogen stores. We have found through clinical research and experience that there are seven secrets to defeating this disease.
* MONITORING - Controlling your blood sugar as well as insulin levels
* DETOXIFYING - Eliminating food sensitivities from your diet
* RESENSITIZING - Healing your insulin receptors
* RESTING - Adequate sleep and stress management
* EXERCISING - Pursuing a more active lifestyle through more strength training rather than walking
* EATING A NUTRITIOUS DIET - Being intentional about your food intake
* SUPPLEMENTING - Supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals
In summary, if you are someone living with Type 2 diabetes, all you need is some determination, discipline and a coach to help you reverse it!
(Dr Seema Goel is a Head Coach at Breathe Well-being)
