What is Diabetes
There are three main types of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes — Your body does not make insulin.
- Type 2 diabetes — Your body is insulin resistant and cannot properly absorb glucose. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes — Some women get this kind of diabetes when they are pregnant. Most of the time, it goes away after the baby is born.
While there isn’t a cure for diabetes, studies show it is possible to reverse it with lifestyle changes. This means that through lifestyle changes you may be able to reach and hold normal blood sugar levels without medication. This doesn’t mean you are cured. Should you choose to go back to the lifestyle that created the disease, it will be back in full force.
Is diabetes serious?
As diabetes is becoming more and more common, you may have heard people say they have “pre-diabetes” or that their “sugar is a little high.” These words might suggest that diabetes is not a serious disease. That is not correct. Diabetes is serious, but you can learn to manage it and reverse its effect.
Diabetes is a progressive disease and has statistically been proven to lower life expectancy. After many years, too much sugar in the blood can cause problems in your body. It can harm your eyes, kidneys, nerves, skin, heart, and blood vessels.
Managing Your Diabetes
Here at Complete Care, we don’t just give you a handout and tell you to “watch what you eat” or “exercise more”. We offer one-on-one coaching where you learn exactly how to change your lifestyle so that you can reverse your diabetes. Some of what we teach and offer support and accountability in includes:
- Foods to avoid and foods to enjoy
- Navigating restaurants
- What to eat during the holidays
- What snacks to choose
- How to optimize sleep
- Strategies for stress reduction
- Avoiding lifestyle pitfalls
With a lifestyle change, most people can manage their fasting blood sugar levels without medication. This will allow you to begin stair-stepping off medications with the help and supervision of your provider.