Lose Weight With Type 1 Diabetes
WRITTEN BY: Cliff Scherb Editor’s Note: Cliff Scherb, Founder of Glucose Advisors and TriStar Athletes LLC, is a nutrition and fitness expert. He consults through virtually teaching his decision support system – Engine1 the app and its methodologies to aspiring T1 individuals and athletes. Cliff also creates custom training programs and insulin plans for endurance athletes, using Training Stress Modeling and real-time coaching. To inquire about coaching openings, FB LIVE sessions, and general questions please email [email protected] Losing weight can be difficult — add Type 1 diabetes to the mix with its daily management demands — and it’s even more of a challenge. I know, because I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic for 29 years and I’m also an endurance athlete. The internet is saturated in advice on how to lose weight with or without Type 1, so it’s hard to know what is worth while and what will just waste your time — or worse, can negatively impact your health. I’m not going to declare all out war on carbohydrates, or tell you can or can’t drink your calories in the form of olive oil, or feast and fast with cayenne peppers and maple syrup. No, the real distilled learning from my years of consulting and data analysis shows that a balanced, low-insulin diet with nutrient timing and activity is the best way to lose weight with Type 1 diabetes. It also helps you maintain brain and body function as well as energy levels. If you are reading this you’ve probably already given this some thought and know why it’s important to lose weight and/or lean out, but I maintain it’s all about performance! Performing means living a longer or healthier life or if you’re an athlete, it can also translate to beating out your competition. Things that Impact w Continue reading >>
What Is Type 1 Diabetes And Why Does It Occur?
There are two main types of diabetes, known as "Type 1 Diabetes" and "Type 2 Diabetes". These two conditions are generally considered to be 2 different and separate conditions, so it is important to understand the differences between the two. Some old names for Type 1 Diabetes include: "Juvenile Diabetes", "Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus" and "IDDM". These old names should not be used, as they are no longer considered correct. Important Stuff to Know In our bodies, an organ known as the pancreas produces insulin, which is a very important hormone. Insulin is vital because it enables the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. We need insulin to survive. In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. This usually happens in younger people, but it can happen at any age. When this happens, the pancreas no longer produces insulin. So what happens if there is no insulin in your body? The main effect is high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia). Insulin normally moves blood sugar into body tissues where it is used for energy. When there is no insulin, sugar builds up in the blood. High blood sugar is dangerous, with many side effects. It also causes damage to the body. What are the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes? The symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are all based on the fact that there is high blood sugar. The symptoms include: Extreme thirst Frequent urination Lethargy, fatigue and drowsiness Blurred vision Sudden weight loss Increased appetite, hunger When the blood sugar is stabilised by treatment, these symptoms go away. How is Type 1 diabetes treated? Every person with Type 1 diabetes needs to inject themselves with insulin to survive. There are quite a number of different types of insulin, and a number of different insulin t Continue reading >>
Make Your Diabetes Go Away
Diabetes is dangerous. It is the leading cause of blindness in adults- 24,000 cases/year; it is also the leading cause of kidney failure in US- 28,000 cases/year. Having diabetes increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes 2-4 fold and this heart disease causes 60-70% of all diabetes deaths. Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations amounting to 67,000 limbs/year. 1 Diabetes can be healed Eat as if your life depended on it. It does! The Thrifty Genotype (the inherited ability to store lots of fat during times of plenty) helped us to survive times of hardship (feast or famine). This was a survival advantage in the past, but not now. The Hunter-Gatherer diet will greatly improve or resolve high blood sugars. (a) There appears to be three types of patients with diabetes • Type 1 / Juvenile-Onset / Inadequate insulin resulting from the destruction of Pancreatic Islet cells. This disease is felt to be due to a viral infection in a susceptible person, although there is some evidence that consuming certain foods are also associated with antibodies against the pancreas. • Type 2 / Adult-Onset / Syndrome X / Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels) associated with weight gain, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This is by far the most common form of diabetes. Even six-year-olds are developing this disease which used to occur mostly in patients in their 60’s and 70’s. This is due to our increasingly high starch, moderate fat diet and decreasing amounts of physical activity. • Type 1½ / Intermediate / This type has elements of both insulin resistance and low insulin production. This is more common in people from Asia and eventually will develop in patients with long-standing Type 2 diabetes with pancreatic Islet cell fa Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes
happens when your immune system destroys cells in your pancreas called beta cells. They’re the ones that make insulin. Some people get a condition called secondary diabetes. It’s similar to type 1, except the immune system doesn’t destroy your beta cells. They’re wiped out by something else, like a disease or an injury to your pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar, or glucose, into your body's tissues. Cells use it as fuel. Damage to beta cells from type 1 diabetes throws the process off. Glucose doesn’t move into your cells because insulin isn’t there to do it. Instead it builds up in your blood and your cells starve. This causes high blood sugar, which can lead to: Dehydration. When there’s extra sugar in your blood, you pee more. That’s your body’s way of getting rid of it. A large amount of water goes out with that urine, causing your body to dry out. Weight loss. The glucose that goes out when you pee takes calories with it. That’s why many people with high blood sugar lose weight. Dehydration also plays a part. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). If your body can't get enough glucose for fuel, it breaks down fat cells instead. This creates chemicals called ketones. Your liver releases the sugar it stores to help out. But your body can’t use it without insulin, so it builds up in your blood, along with the acidic ketones. This combination of extra glucose, dehydration, and acid buildup is known as "ketoacidosis" and can be life-threatening if not treated right away. Damage to your body. Over time, high glucose levels in your blood can harm the nerves and small blood vessels in your eyes, kidneys, and heart. They can also make you more likely to get hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart attacks and strok Continue reading >>
Does Diabetes Go Away? All About The Honeymoon Phase
First things first. It’s important to know that there’s no cure for type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A healthy diet, exercise, and a good medication regimen can help help with symptoms, but diabetes never goes away. So how come some people with type 1 diabetes can get away with not taking insulin for almost a year? Doctors refer to this period as the Honeymoon Phase of diabetes. It usually occurs after a type 1 patient has recently been diagnosed. During this time, a person’s blood sugar will return to normal levels, often without the help of insulin. The Honeymoon Phase typically lasts between eight months and one year. So, it’s easy to see why patients might think their diabetes has been “cured.” How does it work? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It’s caused when the body’s immune system attacks islet cells in the pancreas, which prevents it from producing insulin. That’s why people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day. The Honeymoon Phase occurs after a person first starts taking insulin injections. Once the medication kicks in, the pancreas feels less pressure to produce insulin. As a result, the islet cells that haven’t been attacked begin to make insulin on their own, just like in a person without diabetes. Unfortunately, a person’s immune system will eventually target these cells, too, meaning diabetes symptoms will return, and the patient will have to start relying on injections again. Can people stop their diabetes treatment during the Honeymoon Phase? Doctors typically discourage type 1 patients from completely stopping their insulin injections during this time. Every case is different, so people will work with their healthcare providers to find a personalized treatment plan that works best. The good news is that most peopl Continue reading >>
What Is Type 1 Diabetes?
If you have a child who has been diagnosed with diabetes, you're not alone. Every year in the United States, 13,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and more than 1 million American kids and adults deal with the disease every day. Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that needs close attention. But with some practical knowledge, you can become your child's most important ally in learning to live with the disease. About Diabetes Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, the main type of sugar in the blood. Glucose comes from the foods we eat and is the major source of energy needed to fuel the body's functions. After you eat a meal, your body breaks down the foods you eat into glucose and other nutrients, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract. The glucose level in the blood rises after a meal and triggers the pancreas to make the hormone insulin and release it into the bloodstream. But in people with diabetes, the body either can't make or can't respond to insulin properly. Insulin works like a key that opens the doors to cells and allows the glucose in. Without insulin, glucose can't get into the cells (the doors are "locked" and there is no key), so it stays in the bloodstream. As a result, the level of sugar in the blood remains higher than normal. High blood sugar levels are a problem because they can cause a number of health problems. There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes cause blood sugar levels to become higher than normal. However, they cause it in different ways. Type 1 diabetes (formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes) results when the pancreas loses its ability to make the hormone insulin. In type 1 diabet Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And Insulin
People with type 2 diabetes do not always have to take insulin right away; that is more common in people with type 1 diabetes. The longer someone has type 2 diabetes, the more likely they will require insulin. Just as in type 1 diabetes, insulin is a way to control your blood glucose level. With type 2 diabetes, though, dietary changes, increasing physical activity, and some oral medications are usually enough to bring your blood glucose to a normal level. To learn about how the hormone insulin works, we have an article that explains the role of insulin. There are several reasons people with type 2 diabetes may want to use insulin: It can quickly bring your blood glucose level down to a healthier range. If your blood glucose level is excessively high when you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the doctor may have you use insulin to lower your blood glucose level—in a way that’s much faster than diet and exercise. Insulin will give your body a respite; it (and especially the beta cells that produce insulin) has been working overtime to try to bring down your blood glucose level. In this scenario, you’d also watch what you eat and exercise, but having your blood glucose under better control may make it easier to adjust to those lifestyle changes. It has fewer side effects than some of the medications: Insulin is a synthetic version of a hormone our bodies produce. Therefore, it interacts with your body in a more natural way than medications do, leading to fewer side effects. The one side effect is hypoglycemia. It can be cheaper. Diabetes medications can be expensive, although there is an array of options that try to cater to people of all economic levels. However, insulin is generally cheaper than medications (on a monthly basis), especially if the doctor wants yo Continue reading >>
- Relative contribution of type 1 and type 2 diabetes loci to the genetic etiology of adult-onset, non-insulin-requiring autoimmune diabetes
- Relative effectiveness of insulin pump treatment over multiple daily injections and structured education during flexible intensive insulin treatment for type 1 diabetes: cluster randomised trial (REPOSE)
- Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Youth With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study
Scientists Believe They're Close To A Cure For Type 1 Diabetes
Scientists believe they’re closing in on a cure for Type 1 diabetes, and perhaps making daily insulin shots a thing of the past for patients, according to studies published Monday. Researchers from MIT, Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital said they’re on the verge of developing replacements for pancreatic cells that are mysteriously destroyed by a patient’s own body — thus making it impossible to make insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Scientists, writing in the journals Nature Medicine and Nature Biotechnology, said they’ve engineered material from brown algae that could work for up to six months at a time — in a huge relief from daily doses of insulin, whether by injection or insulin pump. “We are excited by these results, and are working hard to advance this technology to the clinic,” said Daniel Anderson, an MIT chemical engineering professor. Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes, afflicts about 1.25 million Americans, and about 200,000 of them are under 20, according to a CDC report in 2014. Type 1 diabetes is believed to have a genetic connection and is not related to weight or lifestyle, as is Type 2 diabetes. “Encapsulation therapies have the potential to be groundbreaking for people with (Type 1 diabetes),” said Julia Greenstein, vice president of discovery research of the JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. “These treatments aim to effectively establish long-term insulin independence and eliminate the daily burden of managing the disease for months, possibly years, at a time without the need for immune suppression.” Continue reading >>
Can Diabetes Be Cured?
I'm 47 years old and was recently diagnosed with diabetes. I'm about 25 pounds overweight and lead a sedentary lifestyle, but I'm starting a diet and an exercise program. Will my diabetes go away if I lose weight, watch my diet, and exercise regularly? — Mary, Alaska It is wonderful that you are changing your lifestyle to become healthier! This will benefit you greatly, not only in controlling your blood sugar but also in improving your cholesterol levels, strengthening your bones, and improving your heart function. These changes come with a long list of health benefits, but whether they will allow you to stop taking medicines completely depends on several factors: The length of time that you had undiscovered, or "hidden," diabetes The length of time you've had diagnosed diabetes How well your pancreas is functioning, including how much insulin it is producing, and the extent of insulin resistance associated with excess weight As you probably know, the cause of diabetes among most adults is twofold. It's caused by insulin resistance resulting from excess weight, and inadequate insulin production in the pancreas. These two causes are also interrelated. Many people whose diabetes is primarily the result of excess weight and insulin resistance can potentially reduce their glucose levels by losing a significant amount of weight and controlling their sugar levels through diet and exercise alone. This assumes that their pancreas is still producing an adequate amount of insulin. A good number of diabetics, however, have the illness but don't know it for at least five years before diagnosis. This is crucial because over time, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas decline in function. Often, by the time a patient is diagnosed, a critical number of cells have stopped prod Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes . . . Cured?
Carrie posted this wonderfully thought-provoking comment about her diabetic son: My 13 yr old son was diagnosed over a year ago with Type 1 [diabetes]. Before his diagnosis, I was very ‘green’ — bought organic foods, bought meat from free-range, grass-fed local farms, cleaned my house with products I made myself from vinegar and natural products. But we did follow the low-fat, low-calorie, high-fiber, healthy whole grain diet. We were told “eat whatever you want” — just dose for it [with insulin] and be healthy (yep: low-fat, high-fiber, etc.) I didn’t think so: If he has a carb problem, then limit carbs! We immediately went low-carb, causing us to remove a lot of wheat products, but didn’t know about the damages of gluten then. His last two A1Cs [hemoglobin A1c’s, a 60-90 day reflection of blood sugar fluctuations] have been 5.3% [normal range]. He was taken off his basal insulin and his bolus, continuing to less and less. Today, he is OFF insulin! YES, he is a Type 1 diabetic: They double-checked for the antibodies in case he was misdiagnosed–they are there. Even without insulin, his blood sugars are better than me or his dad, or even sister (we all check now). And all this while growing over 5 inches in one year, going through puberty and the stomach flu with no problems (scary for Type 1 diabetics). His doctors are amazed. We all still did not know how he was this way, until someone shared with me Wheat Belly. We are all going completely gluten-free now and staying low-carb. Maybe my asthma will be gone and my daughter’s horrible itchy rash all over her arms will finally leave! Absolutely wonderful book, thank you! Wow. We know that consumption of modern wheat is associated with causing type 1 diabetes in children, average age of onset 4 years Continue reading >>
Has A British Man Really Been Cured Of Type 1 Diabetes?
I have been living with type 1 diabetes for 25 years now. The relentlessness of type 1, and the fact that I will probably live with this non-preventable condition for the rest of my life never goes away, but I have almost made peace with it. A few days ago, I saw something that gave me pause. “British man with type 1 diabetes to receive tests after coming off insulin,” read Diabetes.co.uk’s headline. The article goes onto say that, “Daniel Darkes, from Daventy in Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes seven years ago. But his recent tests have baffled doctors as his pancreas has shown signs of working properly again.” My first thoughts upon reading this were, “this can’t be true,” and “what’s the real explanation here?” There are many types of diabetes including type 2, LADA, and monogenic. Maybe he actually had one of those types instead of type 1. Usually, tests can determine this quickly though, so why was it not the case with Dan? I live in the UK and I wanted to get to the bottom of things. I managed to get in touch with ‘Miracle Dan’, as he’s been called by his friends. Although he is saving the specific details of his recent test results from the U.S. for an upcoming exclusive interview with another media outlet, he spoke to me and answered some of my questions about everything that has been happening. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your diabetes. When were you diagnosed? I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in February 2011 at the age of 23, after just leaving the army. I started a new engineering job and within two weeks of starting, I noticed the traditional symptoms of type 1 diabetes: thirst, weight loss, blurry vision, and a lot of vomiting. I collapsed and was taken by ambulance to hospital where I wa Continue reading >>
The Challenge Of Childhood Diabetes: Helping Children Manage Their Disease
Online Health Chat with Dr. Douglas Rogers Introduction Cleveland_Clinic_Host: Everyday in the United States nearly 80 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes. One in every 400 children and adolescents is living with type 1 diabetes. Juvenile diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Juvenile diabetes develops when the body attacks beta cells in the pancreas. The beta cells become unable to produce insulin, which the body requires to convert glucose in food to energy. In order to stay alive and healthy, children with type 1 diabetes must constantly monitor their food intake and receive insulin injections. When a child is diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, it is important for the entire family to be involved in the understanding and management of the disease. Juvenile diabetes can be controlled with proper care, which includes regular visits with your child’s endocrinologist, developing an individualized treatment plan, and monitoring glucose levels. Douglas Rogers, MD, joined Cleveland Clinic in 1991 as Head of the Section of Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology. Dr. Rogers completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. He graduated from The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, IL, in 1978 and trained in pediatrics at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Dr. Rogers also completed a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. He is board certified in both pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology. Dr. Rogers was the Medical Director of Grea Continue reading >>
Natural Treatment For Type I Diabetes – The Treatment
Three Articles On Type I Diabetes: Article #1: Introduction To Type I Diabetes Article #2: Possible Causes of Type 1 Diabetes Article #3: The Treatment of Type I Diabetes (This Article) One of the puzzling issues surrounding Type I diabetes is why new beta cells are not made by the body. If they were made by the body, and if the cause of diabetes went away (such as the body cleaning out abnormal proteins), the person's diabetes would, over the years, go away. However, as has been seen above, there are situations where any new beta cell will be killed by a virus or the immune system as soon as they are made. Because the pancreas is capable of healing itself, and because the cause of diabetes causes a lifetime dependency on insulin, it is highly possible that whatever causes diabetes stays in the body to continue killing new beta cells. This may include scars. Bacteria, fungus, virus, etc. would certainly fit into this category, as would whatever causes auto-immune reactions. But almost all causes would fit in this category, including heavy metals and food allergies. In dealing with Type 1 diabetes the patient must constantly ask themselves what may have caused their diabetes and why the body does not cure diabetes itself. One possible reason is that the immune system simply cannot make beta cells. Actually, it may be that the body cannot make stem cells, which may be the cells that become new beta cells. Stem cells are “undifferentiated” cells, meaning they have no features of any of the functional cells. The immune system takes these “undifferentiated” cells and may convert them into “differentiated” cells that have function, namely beta cells. Thus, if there is something, including diet, that prohibits the immune system from making stem cells, this may indi Continue reading >>
Can Type Ii Diabetes Be Cured?
Recently one of the readers of my website commented on on my post “Is There a Nature Cure for Diabetes”. He brought up a good point about genetics and type II diabetes. He is right. There is a genetic link to type II diabetes. So if your parents had type II diabetes, you have an increased risk of getting it also. I wanted to take this chance to expand on why I often say that type II diabetes can be cured because that seems to get the most attention about that particular post. Genetics aside, it's also true that there is an environmental cause to type II diabetes. Those whose diabetes is linked to environmental factors are who I was primarily writing to in my post “Is there a natural cure for diabetes? Most people get type II diabetes because they eat too many calories and don't do enough physical activity. I believe when it comes to type II diabetes that most people don't know that with proper exercise and weight loss, that in most cases it can go into remission. In my book, I call that a “cure” but I am willing to concede that the diabetes will return if people go back to their old ways. I believe that most type II diabetics I see don't take their diabetes seriously. I'm not kidding. I've seen it first hand. I think this is because people keep getting answers to their diabetes problems. This is the usual (and simplified) scenario of what happens when somebody starts to show symptoms of type II diabetes or metabolic syndrome: 1. First they are given a pill because their blood sugar is getting high. Then, when that stops working, they get another pill. Then another pill. Eventually the pills are not enough… 2. As diabetes gets worse, they are the told to take a shot of insulin. That becomes 2 shots. Then it becomes 3 shots. 3. Then, as they gain weight and it Continue reading >>
How Our Daughter’s Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis Changed Her Life—and Ours
I suspect that every parent has something they’re particularly worried about, something they work especially hard to protect their children from. For my husband, who spent his summers during high school and college restoring old houses, that something was lead paint. For me, that something was melanoma, after my father died of the disease. You control what you can control—you make your kids take off their shoes when they enter the house, to keep the lead dust outside; you slather them with sunscreen to protect them from the midday sun. But then something comes along, a bolt from the blue, that makes you realize you have no control at all. This happened to us at the end of August, 2012, when our six-year-old daughter, Bisi, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I first felt the chill of unease that something was wrong at a summer picnic with friends. Twice Bisi had to race behind a tree to pee, with an urgency that reminded me of when she was first wearing underwear rather than diapers. But she was at summer camp, and swimming two or three times a day. Probably, we told ourselves, she was just drinking too much chlorinated pool water. We left at the end of the week for our annual vacation on Block Island. So often as a parent, your mind jumps to the worst possibility, and it turns out you’re just being silly. But there’s the other side of the coin, too, when the symptoms are right in front of you, and you work to believe that nothing’s wrong. Over the weekend, we started to worry more and more. Bisi’s energy level—never very high—was even lower than usual, and it was clear she’d lost weight (something we’d noticed but again blamed on summer camp). We started obsessively searching her symptoms on the Internet after Bisi and her older brother went to bed, Continue reading >>
