Developing Diabetes - it doesn’t happen overnight
It is estimated that 30% of Canadians are pre-diabetic or full-blown diabetic and the population of diabetics is growing by approximately 3.3% every year. These statistics should be frighten to all of us because this one condition alone could bankrupt our health care system. It is vital to learn everything you can about diabetes and how to prevent it.
Type 1 diabetes is caused by a person’s immune system attacking their pancreas and destroying the cells that produces insulin so diabetes will develop due to insulin deficiency. The only treatment is insulin replacement.
The vast majority of diabetics have type 2 diabetes which is caused by insulin resistance. A diet rich in foods high in sweeteners and starches can lead to pre-diabetes. This may be characterized by rising fasting blood sugars above 5.9 (normal range is between 4 and 5.5), weight gain, high blood pressure, or elevated blood lipids. If no improvements are made to the diet and lifestyle, eventually type 2 diabetes may develop.
When eating a high sugar/high starch diet, eventually the cells reach a point when they are getting filled with glucose. When this happens the cells deactivate some of their insulin receptors. Insulin is like a key that opens up a door. The door must be opened for glucose to leave the blood and enter a cell. When insulin receptors become deactivated, the pancreas compensates by secreting more insulin.
At this point the body is beginning to develop insulin resistance. The cells have enough glucose and is resisting the message of the insulin telling them to take up even more glucose. Over time, when the cells have deactivated too many insulin receptors and the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to jam the glucose into the cells, that is when one develops type 2 diabetes.
It is ironic that glucose fuels energy production but if there is too much glucose in the blood, it can lead to damage to different tissues of the body. This damage may manifest as fatty liver infections, atherosclerosis, heart disease, strokes, nerve damage, poor wound healing, kidney damage, vision impairment, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Just having your fasting blood sugar tested once a year is not enough. Have your fasting insulin tested to see if insulin resistance is developing. Also, get your hemoglobin A1C tested to see your average blood sugar over the past three months. This is more informative than just the fasting blood sugar which is the level after not eating for at least 12 hours.
The ultimate tool for tracking your blood sugar and monitoring how foods, exercise, stress, and other things affect one’s blood sugar is a continuous glucose monitor that is worn on the back of the upper arm. Readings from a glucometer will change more rapidly because actual blood is being measured whereas the continuous glucose monitor is measuring the sugar in fluids between the cells just under the skin.
Armed with all this information, one can work with a naturopathic physician to prevent pre-diabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes or to cure and not just manage diabetes. The vital key is to work with a health professional to reverse insulin resistance.