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 >>
How I Lost 100 Pounds After A Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis
Irma Flores, 43, of Vista, Calif., was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003 after a lifetime of overeating. Although she knew she was at risk of the disease because of her family history, she never took it seriously. She now calls herself a "diabetes crusader" and dropped from 250 to 149 pounds. For the first time in her life, she feels she has a healthy relationship with food, and she's helping her two children to make healthy choices too. Irma Flores tries to walk at least 3 miles a day.(VICTOR HA/IRMA FLORES)I was born in Mexico, and my family came to the United States when I was six months old. When I was a small girl, my mother would boast that it was wonderful to live in a country where there was so much food. For breakfast she'd serve me a plate of four eggs, and I'd eat them all. When I was a teenager, I would dream about waking up thin, but I never did. I still ate as if I should make full use of this bounty of food surrounding me. I'm 5'4" tall and eventually my weight reached 250 pounds. Sugar and fat were my best friends. Every day I'd eat between 3,000 and 4,000 calories, with a daily liter of regular Coke and lots of junk food. I couldn't walk 10 steps without breaking a sweat. I was too embarrassed to go to a gym In 1998, I developed gestational diabetes for a second time. After giving birth, my doctor told me that I had at least an 80% chance of developing type 2 diabetes if I didn't lose weight and change my diet and exercise habits. My father died of complications of the disease, my mother has had it for 15 years, both of my brothers and my sister have it, and my grandmother had it. As a Hispanic American, I knew my ethnic heritage put me at higher risk of the disease. What's more, I'm the director of medical staff services at a large hospital, so ev Continue reading >>
The Cure For Type 2 Diabetes Is Known, But Few Are Aware
The cure for type 2 diabetes is known, but few are aware I recently posted to Facebook about a cure for diabetes and suggested someone try it. Just six days later, I received the following message from a friend: I just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for that post… My lab results at the beginning of the month were 230. After just this last week it’s down to 155. I think I’ll be in normal range within a month. Really miraculous… It’s really been a game changer for me already and I wanted you to know how much I appreciated the info and how much of a difference I think it will make in my life. Four months later, the friend posted this to Facebook: I started on this regiment when Nathan posted about it [four months ago]. My blood glucose level at that time, while taking two daily glucose meds, was 235. Two weeks ago, my [fasting] glucose level, WITHOUT the meds, was 68. If you google “diabetes cure” you are directed to websites like WebMD and the Mayo Clinic where you find information on diet, exercise, medication, and insulin therapy, but nothing about the cure. This lack of information may have to do with the fact that Americans spend $322 billion a year to treat diabetes, $60 billion a year on weight-loss programs, and $124 billion a year on snack foods. This is about 3% of the US economy! Because so many peoples’ livelihoods are supported by diabetes and its main cause, obesity, the viral effect of people getting cured and telling others is greatly diminished. Because of this understandable stifling of the message, if you are like my Facebook friend and have already experienced the type 2 diabetes cure for yourself — there are thousands of you out there — it is important for you to share your success stories as far and wide as possible. You c Continue reading >>
2 Diabetes Go Away With Weight Loss? – How Do Diabetics Feel After Eating
How Do Diabetics Feel After Eating Learn how to destroy diabetes: Diet Can I eat sweets with diabetes? Yes. Sweets in moderation can be enjoyed by people with diabetes. You just have to include them in your meal plan … not in addition to your normal meals! If you want a small portion of cake instead of mashed potatoes … It's fine! How many carbohydrates per meal should I eat? It varies according to the age, size and level of activity of the individual. In general, adult women generally have between 45 and 60 grams of carbohydrate / food. Men can range between 60-75 grams / meal. There are always exceptions, but these are safe starting points. Is there a simple way to eat so I do not have high blood sugar levels? There is no simple solution to eating to avoid raising blood sugar levels. A dietitian who specializes in diabetes is the best person to work with, but there will be times when sugars are high no matter what you eat. Exercise How does exercise affect blood glucose? In general, the overall effect is that it lowers blood sugar. There may be an initial increase in blood sugar level immediately after intense exercise, followed by a prolonged effect in lowering blood sugar. How often, for how long and at what times of the day should I exercise? The best moment is the moment you will! 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise, 5-7 days a week is a great goal. Some examples are swimming, walking, playing tennis, riding a bicycle and dancing. A minimum of 30-45 minutes, 3 days a week, is recommended for those who have been approved by the doctor. It is fine to divide the exercise into 3 or 4 smaller segments of 15-20 minutes throughout the day. Remember to control your blood sugar level, then heat and cool for 5-10 minutes. This will help you avoid sore or injured muscles. Continue reading >>
Gestational Diabetes And Pregnancy
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is first seen in a pregnant woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant. Some women have more than one pregnancy affected by gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually shows up in the middle of pregnancy. Doctors most often test for it between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Often gestational diabetes can be controlled through eating healthy foods and regular exercise. Sometimes a woman with gestational diabetes must also take insulin. Problems of Gestational Diabetes in Pregnancy Blood sugar that is not well controlled in a woman with gestational diabetes can lead to problems for the pregnant woman and the baby: An Extra Large Baby Diabetes that is not well controlled causes the baby’s blood sugar to be high. The baby is “overfed” and grows extra large. Besides causing discomfort to the woman during the last few months of pregnancy, an extra large baby can lead to problems during delivery for both the mother and the baby. The mother might need a C-Section to deliver the baby. The baby can be born with nerve damage due to pressure on the shoulder during delivery. C-Section (Cesarean Section) A C-section is an operation to deliver the baby through the mother’s belly. A woman who has diabetes that is not well controlled has a higher chance of needing a C-section to deliver the baby. When the baby is delivered by a C-section, it takes longer for the woman to recover from childbirth. High Blood Pressure (Preeclampsia) When a pregnant woman has high blood pressure, protein in her urine, and often swelling in fingers and toes that doesn’t go away, she might have preeclampsia. It is a serious problem that needs to be watched closely and managed by her doctor. High blood pressure can cause harm to both Continue reading >>
What Is The Honeymoon Period In Type 1 Diabetes?
Does everyone experience this? The “honeymoon period” is a phase that some people with type 1 diabetes experience shortly after being diagnosed. During this time, your diabetes may seem to go away. You may only need minimal amounts of insulin. Some people even experience normal or near-normal blood sugar levels without taking insulin. This happens because your pancreas is still making enough insulin to help control your blood sugar. Not everyone with diabetes has a honeymoon period, and having one doesn’t mean your diabetes is cured. There isn’t a cure for diabetes, and a honeymoon period is only temporary. Everyone’s honeymoon period is different, and there isn’t a set time frame for when it begins and ends. Most people notice its effects shortly after being diagnosed. The phase can last weeks, months, or even years in some cases. The honeymoon period only happens after you first receive a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Your insulin needs may change throughout your life, but you won’t have another honeymoon period. This is because with type 1 diabetes, your immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. During the honeymoon phase, the remaining cells keep producing insulin. Once those cells die, your pancreas can’t start making enough insulin again. During the honeymoon period, you may achieve normal or near-normal blood sugar levels by taking only minimal amounts of insulin. You may even be in the normal range without taking any insulin. The target blood sugar ranges for adults with diabetes are: A1C: 7 percent A1C when reported as eAG: 154 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL) preprandial plasma glucose, or before starting a meal: 80 to 130 mg/dL postprandial plasma glucose, or one to two hours after beginning a meal: Less than 180 mg/dL Your Continue reading >>
Losing Just 1 Gram Of Fat In The Pancreas Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
Losing a single gram of fat could be enough to reverse the symptoms of type 2 diabetes – as long as that fat comes from the pancreas, researchers in the UK have shown. It's already known that weight loss can greatly help manage type 2 diabetes – a progressive condition where the body either stops being able to produce enough insulin, or becomes insensitive to it – but this is the first time that researchers have shown the exact type of weight loss that's needed to get the condition under control. The study followed 18 obese participants with type 2 diabetes both before and after gastric bypass surgery. Using a super sensitive MRI scan, the researchers revealed that the diabetics had abnormally high levels of fat built up in their pancreas – the insulin-producing organ – even when compared to other obese people without type 2 diabetes. But the surgery helped them to burn off that fat, restoring their insulin levels to normal and allowing them to come off their medication. The results suggest that excess fat in the pancreas is specific to type 2 diabetes, and is somehow clogging up the normal release of insulin. "When that excess fat is removed, insulin secretion increases to normal levels," a Newcastle University press release explains. "In other words, they were diabetes free." It's a pretty incredible discovery, but unfortunately it's not as simple as just losing a little bit of weight and choosing where it comes from. "If you ask how much weight you need to lose to make your diabetes go away, the answer is 1 gram! But that gram needs to be fat from the pancreas," said lead researcher Roy Taylor. "At present the only way we have to achieve this is by calorie restriction by any means – whether by diet or an operation." What's particularly interesting is that Continue reading >>
Eye Damage With Diabetes
Diabetes that isn't under control can damage your eyes. These are types of eye damage that can occur with diabetes. Swelling of the Eye Lens Blurred vision is a common sign of diabetes that isn't under control. When blood sugar levels are high for a long time, body water is pulled into the lens, causing it to swell. It will take about six weeks, after getting blood sugar levels closer to normal, for the swelling to go away completely. People with diabetes shouldn't get new glasses or contacts until their blood sugar levels have been under good control for at least two months. If you get new glasses or contacts before the swelling goes down, the prescription will fit the swollen eye lens. After the swelling is gone, the prescription won't work any more. Weakened Blood Vessels Even though blurred vision is a sign that something is wrong with the lens of the eye, the worst damage happens to the blood vessels in the retina, in the back of the eye. After many years of high blood sugar levels, the walls of the blood vessels in the retina become weak and thin. The weak areas can bulge out and form pouches called micro-aneurysms. These weak, thinning areas can leak a fatty protein called exudate. If exudate leaks into the center of the retina, in an area called the macula, it will cause swelling, making it hard to see. When this condition goes untreated, it causes changes in your vision that can be permanent. Damage to the Retina Damage can sometimes go unnoticed until it leads to serious vision problems. This damage is called retinopathy, which means disease of the retina. Blood can leak out of the weak blood vessels in the retina and cause hemorrhages, called early diabetes retinopathy or background diabetes retinopathy. The hemorrhages get worse if blood vessels in the eye b Continue reading >>
Will My Diabetes Go Away If I Start Eating Right?
Im 27 and have been diagnosed with diabetes. Will this go away if I start eating well? Can I give my child diabetes if I still have diabetes when I get pregnant? The answer depends on the type of diabetes you have. Type I diabetes and intermediate forms of diabetes are characterized by needing insulin injections in order to be under control. These forms of diabetes, although more rare, are unlikely to respond to dieting. Assuming you have type II diabetes, which is the type most commonly diagnosed in your age group, then there is a good chance that you can control your diabetes, at least in part if you make a concerted effort to eat right, exercise regularly, and lose weight. Many people just beginning with diabetes are successful with these approaches. This does not "cure" the diabetes however, it simply gets it under control. You will still be at risk later in life (of if you ever stop eating right or gain weight) of having the diabetes worsen or of having to start diabetes medications. Pregnancy does tend to worsen diabetes, and mothers who are diabetic need to be very careful with their diabetes control. You cannot give diabetes to your baby, but babies born to mothers with diabetes are at higher risk of many problems, including certain birth defects. You will have to work closely with your OB GYN doctor to minimize these risks. This answer is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc’s T Continue reading >>
Diabetic Nerve Pain And What You Can Do About It
One of the saddest statistics about diabetes is that, at the time of their diagnosis, fully 48% of those newly diagnosed with diabetes already have signs of diabetic nerve damage. You can see this documented in this table where "impaired foot sensitivity" is a diagnostic sign of neuropathy: Prevalence of microvascular complications at the time of diagnosis in diabetic patients identified by screening and in general practice which is taken from this study: Microvascular Complications at Time of Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Are Similar Among Diabetic Patients Detected by Targeted Screening and Patients Newly Diagnosed in General Practice: The Hoorn Screening Study It is known from studies of people with Type 1 diabetes that it takes a decade of exposure to elevated blood sugars to produce neuropathy. But high blood sugars creep up on people with Type 2 diabetes, and it turns out that even blood sugars in the "prediabetic" range can cause it. You can read more about the research that documents the relationship of high post-meal blood sugars to neuropathy HERE. Doctors miss the early diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in these people because they rely on the fasting glucose test, or perhaps the A1c test, to screen for diabetes. Unfortunately, neurologists who have researched the topic have found that the incidence of neuropathy correlates entirely to rising post-meal blood sugars, not fasting glucose or A1c. As soon as post-meal blood sugars (or GTT blood sugars) go over 140 mg/dl (7.7 mmol/L) the incidence of neuropathy starts to rise. It starts with small nerve fibers and with extended exposure to high blood sugars, extends to the thicker fibers. But even after they diagnose people with Type 2 diabetes, the treatment that doctors give their patients ensures that even those who Continue reading >>
Okra Cures Diabetes?
Claim: Drinking water in which okra has been soaked overnight will make “diabetes go away.” TRUE: Okra may have some beneficial effect in helping to regulate blood sugar levels. FALSE: Okra can “cure diabetes” or eliminate the need for diabetics to take insulin. Examples: [Collected via Facebook, January 2014] Someone posted that soaking okra ends in water over night and drinking the water next day helps cure blood sugar levels in diabetics, is this true. Origins: An item widely circulated via social media in January 2014 (shown above) advocated cutting the ends off a few okra slices, soaking the slices in water overnight, then drinking the water the following morning as a way of making “diabetes go away” and eliminating the need for diabetics to take insulin shots. There is a bit of truth to this claim in the sense that okra (also known as lady’s finger, bendi, and gombo) does possess some anti-diabetic properties, namely that the viscosity of okra’s carbohydrates helps to slow the uptake of sugar into the blood by reducing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, thereby reducing the glycemic load of glucose in the blood that can disrupt the body’s ability to properly process the sugars (and that in some cases can lead to the onset of diabetes): Soluble fiber, found in porridge oats, okra, strawberries and aubergines among other foods, forms a kind of gel inside the bowels. This slows down the absorption of food from the gut, evening out the peaks in blood glucose that occur after meals. Soluble fiber also draws in bile acids that contribute to raised cholesterol, allowing the body to pass the acids out of the system rather than reabsorbing them into the blood. Soluble fiber therefore offers the double potential benefits o 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 >>
Will Type 2 Diabetes Go Away With Weight Loss?
Types-2 diabetes is a progressive condition of when the body cannot control blood sugar as well as it should. It can lead to chronic high blood sugar, which is starting point for the complications to occur. There are some treatment options to cope with. How about weight loss? Does it help make diabetes go away? Type-2 diabetes, how common is it? Diabetes has several types, and type-2 is the most common diabetes. It accounts about 70-90 percent of all cases of diabetes. The exact cause is not known, but it has some well-established risk factors. It is hereditary and has strong genetic. Your risk is higher if you have a family history of the same condition. It is also likely to occur in older adults or the risk increases with age. These are unchangeable risk factors. But this doesn’t mean that it is not preventable. There are plenty of modifiable risk factors to help prevent it such as with healthy-balanced diet, weight control, and exercise. So even though you have family risk factor for diabetes, there is still good chance to make it preventable! Actually, type-2 diabetes is harmless as long as you can control it. But it can be dangerous when you lose control on it. More episodes of high blood sugar you experience, the greater chance for its complications to occur. Therefore, the main goal of the treatment is to keep blood sugar as normal as possible. See also blood sugar level targets for diabetics in this table! The complications of diabetes can be serious and life-threatening. These include: cardiovascular diseases (including heart attack), stroke, nerve damage, skin problems, kidney failure, dementia (like Alzheimer’s disease), and more. There is also a condition called type-1 diabetes. It is categorized into autoimmune condition in which the body immune system Continue reading >>
How Weight Loss Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health. An analysis published in The BMJ aims to let doctors and the public in on a little-known secret: Type 2 diabetes, in many cases, is curable. People can reverse their diabetes by losing about 33 pounds, say the authors of the new paper, despite popular belief that the diagnosis is always a permanent one. If more people were striving for this goal, and if more doctors were documenting instances of diabetes remission, complication rates and health-care costs could both be reduced dramatically, the authors say. The analysis is based on evidence from recent clinical trials. In one from 2011, people who were recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes returned their blood sugar levels to normal when they lost weight on a calorie-restrictive diet. In a 2016 follow-up study, people who had been diabetic for up to 10 years were able to reverse their condition when they lost about 33 pounds. TIME Health Newsletter Get the latest health and science news, plus: burning questions and expert tips. View Sample Sign Up Now Mike Lean, professor of human nutrition at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, is an author of both the new analysis and of those earlier trials. He says a person’s likelihood of remission from diabetes is greatest in the first five years after being diagnosed. Type 2 diabetes, he wrote in an email, is a disease “best avoided by avoiding the weight gain that drives it.” For people who do develop it, he believes that evidence-based weight-loss programs could help them achieve lasting remission. “Not all can do it, but they should all be given the chance with good support,” Lean writes. “Taking tablets or injections for life to reduce blood sugar is a poor second rate treatment.” Current guidelines for the managemen Continue reading >>
Starvation Can Cure Type 2 Diabetes
A new study shows that starvation (eating 600 kcal/day) can cure type 2-diabetes, just like gastric bypass surgery. Again, there is no need to explain the effect of the surgery with other speculative theories. The resulting starvation reverses diabetes. And the starvation isn’t even necessary to do that. Guardian: Low-calorie diet offers hope of cure for type 2 diabetes Unnecessary starvation If a type 2 diabetic stops eating (carbs) the symptoms of diabetes starts to go away. But starvation or surgery are unnecessarily painful ways to do it. Luckily diabetics can eat real food to satiety, as long as they avoid sugar and starch. The food that quickly turns into simple sugars in the gut. Cutting away their stomach or starving themselves is not necessary. All they need is good food. More Across the river for water: Surgery for diabetes PS A Gastric Bypass operation protects from eating too much carbohydrates in two ways. Number one: you can only eat miniature portions of anything. Number two: the smaller amounts of starch you eat is not digestedd as easily as the duodenum with the starch-digesting enzyme amylase is diverted from direct contact with the food. Continue reading >>
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