If you are suffering from diabetes you need to focus on reversing it as much as possible, not just relying on medications to control it. With healthy lifestyle choices, it is possible to completely reverse type 2 diabetes and eliminate the need to take insulin or other diabetes medications.
Obviously, you need to talk to your doctor and take medication if prescribed. Nevertheless, you still need to understand the potential risks of medicine and minimize your need to take prescription drugs as much as possible. Overall, reversing diabetes is the ideal solution. This article explains what you need to know.
Diabetes Is a Global Epidemic
The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide because our eating and lifestyle habits are getting worse. It comes as no surprise that the U.S. has the highest prevalence of diabetes 11% (30 million people). The Middle East, Caribbean, Latin America and Pacific Islands are experiencing diabetes epidemics as well. China and India have the highest total number of people affected (110 million and 69 million respectively). [Ref 1]. Diabetes is a huge global problem because people are switching from their traditional plant-based diets to the Western (American) diet: high fat, meat, dairy, processed food, and sugar.
Sedentary Lifestyles Worsen Diabetes
A sedentary lifestyle also raises the blood sugar in diabetics. Today we sit for hours looking at our screens, phones, computers or TVs and this is harmful to our health. In the U.S, the average adult spends nearly 6 hours each day watching TV and videos on their mobile devices [
Ref 2]. If you want to reverse diabetes, take steps toward a healthy lifestyle.
Last week, I gave away my TV! Yes, I did. I donated it to charity. I am so excited about having more time at the end of the day for exercising, reading, writing, cooking, socializing, walking, going to the theater, and of course, sleeping.
Remember, diabetes is all about your lifestyle and you cannot fix that with medications. You have to change your eating habits and get physically active to see results.
Insulin Makes Your Health Worse
Ironically the more insulin you take, the more likely your health declines. [Ref 3]
Here is why:
Insulin…
· Promotes weight gain
· Increases the risk for cancer
· Causes dangerously low blood sugar
· Worsens hunger and food cravings
The more insulin you take the more weight you’ll gain. It happens quickly and uncontrollably and it’s difficult to take off.
Gaining weight raises the blood sugar further. Thus taking insulin makes a person more diabetic!
Your doctor isn’t going to stand by watching your A1C (glycated hemoglobin test) go up. They will automatically increase your dose of insulin….which makes you gain even more weight and so on. This is how you get stuck in an endless vicious cycle of your health getting worse as you take more and more medication.
This is exactly why diabetics should not rely only on insulin to control their blood sugar. They must eat right, sleep properly, and exercise to see results and avoid complications. I remind my clients about this issue so we can work on the eating and lifestyle changes that correct this problem once and for all.
Your blood sugar naturally improves with whole food plant-based food and healthier lifestyle habits. In most cases, the human body is capable of reversing diabetes. You can do it too.
Medication Prices Are Skyrocketing
A study of insulin prices with data from 2012 to 2016 indicates that the average out-of-pocket spending for insulin by individual patients with type 1 diabetes in the U.S went from $2864 to $5705 [Ref 4].
All Type 1 diabetics need to take insulin because they require it for life. About one third of type 2 diabetics also take insulin (but most of these cases are preventable). Since the cost of insulin is rapidly increasing, you are protecting your financial future by using as little insulin as possible.
Reversing Diabetes Is Possible
I want you to know there is hope for you, even if you are on a lot of insulin right now. Anti-inflammatory whole food plant-based nutrition empowers your body to reverse insulin resistance naturally. Most type 2 diabetics can reverse their diabetes completely. Your body is equipped with a built-in capacity to heal and all you have to do is tap into the power that’s already there.
Whole food plant-based nutrition is not another a fad diet that leaves you feeling hungry or deprived. It’s a lifestyle choice that is sustainable. You will also notice that you can eat more and still lose weight.
This means….
· No counting carbs
· No restrictive portion sizes
· No hunger or starving yourself
Studies show that a plant-based lifestyle with fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes reverses insulin resistance and absolutely decreases the need for diabetes medications. [Ref 5]
Think about what it means when you feel better and save thousands of dollars a year on your pharmacy copays for the rest of your life.
You’ve got what it takes to break the vicious cycle. Reversing diabetes boosts your health now and allows you to save for your even brighter future.
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References
Ref 1. Endocrine News website. U.S. Leads Developed Nations in Diabetes Prevalence. Dec 2015. https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/u-s-leads-developed-nations-in-diabetes-prevalence/
Accessed March 22, 2019.
Ref 2. Tech Crunch website. U.S. Adults Now Spend Nearly 6 Hours A Day Watching Video. 2018. https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/31/u-s-adults-now-spend-nearly-6-hours-per-day-watching-video/
Accessed March 22, 2019.
Ref 3. Lebovitz HE. Insulin: potential negative consequences of early routine use in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011;34 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S225-30.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3632184/
Ref 4. Health Care Cost Institute website. Spending on Individuals with Type 1 Diabetes and the Role of Rapidly Increasing Insulin Prices. 2019. https://www.healthcostinstitute.org/research/publications/entry/spending-on-individuals-with-type-1-diabetes-and-the-role-of-rapidly-increasing-insulin-prices Accessed March 22, 2019.
Ref 5. McMacken M, Shah S. A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):342-354.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466941/
Carla Hightower, MD, MBA is a physician, health coach, workplace wellness consultant, and speaker. She helps people heal themselves with food. Through wellness workshops and courses, she helps companies create healthy, energetic teams.
It will be great if we can reverse the disease
Rupy, many cases of type 2 diabetes are reversible. Low fat, whole food, plant-based nutrition is effective in decreasing inflammation and insulin resistance. This is why I enjoy teaching this topic. Healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes can control blood sugar and often eliminate the need for medications