You don't have to eat LESS, you just have to eat RIGHT
Type II diabetes is a condition in which insulin resistance causes an inability to move circulating blood sugar into the cells for utilization, causing the build-up of blood sugar within the bloodstream which can be harmful to the body as a whole. It is important, as with any condition, to act preventatively to avoid complications and disease progression over time.
Contrary to popular opinion, type II diabetes IS a reversible condition through modifications to diet and lifestyle.
Some of the most profound changes
you can make are as follows:
Following a paleo or keto nutrition plan. This keeps carbohydrate intake low, so insulin and blood sugar spikes are mostly avoided. Think of this analogy; if your bathtub is flooding, the first thing you want to do is turn the faucet off! Either of these dietary strategies would need to include mostly whole/unprocessed foods, healthy fats (olive oil, avocados and avocado oil, grass-fed butter/ghee, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, etc), quality animal protein (grass-fed, pasture-raised, wild-caught, etc.), and plenty of organic cruciferous vegetables. You would want to avoid oxidized seed oils (canola, sunflower, safflower, etc.), and grains (including bread, pasta, baked goods, etc.).
Implement a fasting regimen into your lifestyle. Fasting is the purposeful avoidance of caloric intake (food) over a span of time to allow the cells of the body to turn over (autophagy), give the digestive system a break, and also allow cells to dump their stored glucose (in the bathtub analogy, this is like opening the drain) so insulin sensitivity can be restored. There are different styles of fasting to experiment with, but I would suggest starting with a 12 hour fast overnight from your dinner (say around 7 PM) until you wake up the next morning and eat breakfast (say around 7 AM). Once you are comfortable with this, extend this to a full 16 hour fasting window and keep your eating window to 8 hours or less. Once comfortable with this, you can start to fast for entire 24 hour periods and even up to a full week at a time! This is where HUGE therapeutic benefits can happen, including significant weight loss without sagging skin and stretch marks due to fasting’s “self eating” effect on denatured proteins and tissues of the body. Be sure you are staying adequately hydrated during any fasted period, including replacing imperative minerals to keep the side effects to a minimum. You can add a pinch of pure Himalayan sea salt to your water throughout the day, sip on sparkling mineral water like Pellegrino, or invest in a mineral supplement to add to your water throughout the day. My favorite brand is LMNT which is available for purchase through Flint Physiotherapy.
Move your body DAILY! This is very important in order to increase lean body mass and improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism/utilization. Aim for 30-60 minutes of some sort of movement you enjoy, for example; strength training, swimming, walking, or progressive high intensity interval (HIIT) workouts. Sweating daily is also extremely important to move toxins out of the body which are released in higher amounts as we are losing body fat, where many toxins are stored.
Get 10-15 minutes at least of direct sun exposure each day. The UV rays from the sun are precursors to vitamin D production and nitric oxide production, both extremely preventative and healing elements needed for reversing type II diabetes. Vitamin D may improve glucose metabolism by stimulating insulin production in the pancreas and by improving peripheral insulin sensitivity. Nitric oxide improves natural vasodilation and circulation, which is essential to protect cardiovascular health and prevent arterial damage from any elevations in blood sugar.
Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water every day. Additionally here, it is important to drink high quality filtered water with minerals added back in so your cells can actually absorb and utilize this hydration (see #2).
Work with a nutritionist, dietician, or health coach. This step cannot be underestimated when you are not sure where or how to start. Working with a trained nutrition professional will help you to continually learn and improve on these lifestyle changes necessary to control and reverse diabetes. This will ensure that the changes you work so hard to make remain life-long health habits to keep you thriving for years to come.
Monitor blood glucose daily with a glucometer. This is an excellent way to better understand the foods, or even meal timing, that raises your blood sugar the most so you can make changes accordingly to avoid this. Tracking this information in a diary is also a tremendous way to track regression of your high blood sugar to be sure you are on the right track with the changes you are making. It can be very motivating to see the trends improve over time! It is also important to make sure your blood sugar is never going too low.
Reversing type II diabetes can be a challenge, but do not let anyone tell you it’s not possible.
Having the right support in healthcare providers will certainly ensure your success. Seek out a knowledgeable team including a nutritionist/health coach and a physical therapist to keep you on track and accountable!
By Dr. Jamie Flint (PT, DPT) and Christina Flint (M.S. IFN, CHC)
*Our articles are intended to be educational on general guidelines for each disease process, not an individualized treatment plan. Please consult with your healthcare provider regarding changes to your current lifestyle, fitness, nutrition, medications or if you have any further questions.
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