Reversing Type 2 Diabetes With Lifestyle Change
Type 2 diabetes is associated with a range of serious complications, and accounts for significant costs to the NHS. Dietary and lifestyle change can reduce its impact. Continue reading >>
Lifestyle Changes After A Diagnosis Of Type 2 Diabetes.
Lifestyle Changes After a Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Epidemiology, Healthy People and Places Unit, Population Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Epidemiology, Healthy People and Places Unit, Population Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Epidemiology, Healthy People and Places Unit, Population Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Diabetes Spectr. 2017 Feb;30(1):43-50. doi: 10.2337/ds15-0044. OBJECTIVE: Whether patients with type 2 diabetes change their lifestyle in response to their diagnosis and maintain behavior changes is unclear. This study aimed to 1) compare changes in lifestyle behaviors among participants who were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and those never diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 2) investigate changes in lifestyle behaviors in relation to the duration of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We used self-reported information from the New South Wales 45 and Up Study and a follow-up study. Changes in body weight; amount of walking, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sitting; fruit and vegetable consumption; and smoking status and number of cigarettes smoked were used as measures of health behavior change. These variables were compared between participants in a "new ty Continue reading >>
Lifestyle & Healthy Eating Tips For Diabetes Type 2
Sometimes, we all need a little nudge of motivation towards making healthy changes to our lifestyle and our diet. The motivation can be as simple and straight forward as losing weight, or just being healthy to live a long and prosperous life. The motivation and the desire may come easy for those who do not have the burden of keeping their blood sugar levels in constant check. But when you have type 2 diabetes, you suddenly have so much more to think about. It can be quite overwhelming and daunting to make appropriate decisions to stay on track when it comes to your nutrition and diet. It could also be that you have no idea what little changes to make in order to manage your diabetes. Fear not because we asked 51 registered dietitians to share lifestyle and dietary tips for those with type 2 diabetes. Please read below to find out what they have to say to make your life a little less complicated. 1. Ellen Ratliff, RD Aim for a consistent amount of carbohydrates at each meal, focusing on complex sources such as whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals, brown rice, beans, whole fruit, and low-fat dairy. Remember to incorporate small snacks if you are going longer than 4 hours between meals. I advise reading the following articles: Also, do not underestimate the role that exercise can play in lowering blood sugar, such as brisk walking. Check your blood sugar before and after exercise to make sure it does not go too low and have a quick source of carbohydrates on hand if you are away from home, such as in your purse or in the glove box of your car. If you are having trouble controlling your blood sugar, many insurance plans cover visits to a registered dietitian and/or certified diabetes educator. Ask your doctor for a referral or search on eatright.org to find a registered Continue reading >>
5 Ways You Can Reverse Your Type 2 Diabetes
Lifestyle changes and in some cases, surgery, can be effective ways to put type 2 diabetes into remission. Learn more about what you can do to get off medication and get in control. Reversing your type 2 diabetes–or at least putting it into remission for years—is possible, according to George King, MD, research director and chief scientific officer at the Joslin Diabetes Center. “The strongest support comes from bariatric surgery,” says Dr. King, author of Reverse Your Diabetes in 12 Weeks. “Of people who undergo bariatric surgery and who have been on diabetes medications for years, fully 50 to 60% percent of these people can go off all medications in five years.” Without surgery, Dr. King says that it has long been known that at least five to 10% of people who go on a very changed diet, lose weight and increase their activity can get off all medications for type 2 diabetes and stay off them for ten to 20 years. “What that tells me is that it’s definitely possible to reverse type 2 diabetes; you just need to find the correct path,” says Dr. King The only caveat, he says, is how long you’ve had the disease. Diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas cannot properly produce insulin to regulate levels of glucose in your body. Over time, this can cause the beta cells in the pancreas to burn out, making it more difficult to compensate for the body’s inability to use insulin effectively. “But most people with type 2 diabetes have enough residual beta cells that if they take the pressure off their beta cells with diet and exercise, their health will improve,” says Dr. King. Getting Started Experts suggest a number of steps to help reverse type 2 diabetes including: Changing Up Your Diet With the goal of scoring a hemoglobin A1C below 6.5, Dr. King Continue reading >>
6 Lifestyle Changes To Control Your Diabetes
Working closely with your doctor, you can manage your diabetes by focusing on six key changes in your daily life. 1. Eat healthy. This is crucial when you have diabetes, because what you eat affects your blood sugar. No foods are strictly off-limits. Focus on eating only as much as your body needs. Get plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Choose nonfat dairy and lean meats. Limit foods that are high in sugar and fat. Remember that carbohydrates turn into sugar, so watch your carb intake. Try to keep it about the same from meal to meal. This is even more important if you take insulin or drugs to control your blood sugars. 2. Exercise. If you're not active now, it’s time to start. You don't have to join a gym and do cross-training. Just walk, ride a bike, or play active video games. Your goal should be 30 minutes of activity that makes you sweat and breathe a little harder most days of the week. An active lifestyle helps you control your diabetes by bringing down your blood sugar. It also lowers your chances of getting heart disease. Plus, it can help you lose extra pounds and ease stress. 3. Get checkups. See your doctor at least twice a year. Diabetes raises your odds of heart disease. So learn your numbers: cholesterol, blood pressure, and A1c (average blood sugar over 3 months). Get a full eye exam every year. Visit a foot doctor to check for problems like foot ulcers and nerve damage. 4. Manage stress. When you're stressed, your blood sugar levels go up. And when you're anxious, you may not manage your diabetes well. You may forget to exercise, eat right, or take your medicines. Find ways to relieve stress -- through deep breathing, yoga, or hobbies that relax you. 5. Stop smoking. Diabetes makes you more likely to have health problems like heart disease Continue reading >>
Lifestyle Changes For Diabetes: 6 Habits That Help Lower Blood Sugar
Lifestyle Changes for Diabetes: 6 Habits that Help Lower Blood Sugar These tweaks give your pancreas a helping hand. Medication and blood glucose meters play important roles in type 2 diabetes management, but dont turn a blind eye to your everyday habits. In fact, the right lifestyle changes could be enough to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range, without medication. Heres what lifestyle changes endocrinologists and other health experts recommend to manage type 2 diabetes. Clean up your diet. Limit sugar, white flour and other refined grains, and starchy vegetables, which can spike blood glucose levels. Instead, choose non-starchy vegetables and whole grains as much as possible. Get moving. In addition to helping manage weight, exercise improves the bodys ability to use up glucose for energy, which reduces the excess sugar in the bloodstream, according to Joan Pagano, an exercise physiologist in New York City. The official recommendation is 150 minutes of exercise a week. Learn more about exercising with diabetes here. Lose weight. Excess weight can make diabetes symptoms worse, and losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance. Make sleep a priority. If youre not sleeping well, during the day you feel sluggish, youre tired, and then you get more cravings, says Sandra Arvalo, RDN, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Diabetes Educators. Lets be honest: Few of us opt to munch on broccoli when were falling asleep at their desk; were usually more drawn to the quick, carby foods like chips or sweets. The more carbohydrates you eat, the higher your numbers are, so its a vicious cycle, says Arvalo. Reduce stress. Both emotional and physical stress produce hormones that can worsen insulin resista Continue reading >>
Lifestyle Changes For Type 2 Diabetes
Physical activity and diet changes and often advised to those at high risk Lifestyle changes are often advised for people at higher risk of diabetes and those who are newly diagnosed with type 2, to help manage their diabetes. The recommended lifestyle interventions include: Taking two and a half hours each week of moderate intensity physical activity or one hour and 15 minutes of high intensity exercise. Losing weight gradually to achieve a healthy body mass index Replacing refined carbohydrates with wholegrain foods and increase intake of vegetables and other foods high in dietary fibre Reducing the amount of saturated fat in the diet NICE recommend taking either 2 hours of moderate intensity physical activity or 1 hours of intense exercise. Moderate intensity physical activity includes: Cycling either rapidly or over steep terrain Some people may be able to be referred for structured or supervised exercise sessions . Guideline issued by NICE recommend those that are overweight aim to lose weight gradually until a healthy BMI is achieved. Or between 18.5 and 22.9 for people of South Asian descent For those with a BMI above the healthy range, NICE recommends aiming to achieve weight loss gradually, with a target to reduce weight by 5 to 10% over a period of a year. Weight loss can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and can enable people with existing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes to better control blood glucose levels. If you have a BMI of over 30, your GP may refer you to take part in a structured weight loss programme. People unable to achieve weight loss via lifestyle changes may be prescribed a weight loss pill called orlistat. The general dietary advice from NICE to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes is to decrease intakes of fat and increase intake of Continue reading >>
Diabetes: Lifestyle Changes & Prevention
Diabetes has become an overwhelming public health concern. Almost 16 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that 6.2 million of these individuals do not know that they have diabetes. In 2007, 1.6 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older. One in three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes in his or her lifetime. Pre-diabetes, the condition that exists before Type 2 diabetes develops, affects 57 million people. You may have pre-diabetes if a fasting blood glucose is between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), a two-hour glucose tolerance test is 140-199, or your hemoglobin A1c is 5.7-6.4%. This may also be called impaired fasting glucose, hyperglycemia or abnormal glucose value. No matter what you call it, a fasting blood glucose between 100 and 125 is cause for concern – and action. Pre-diabetes is the warning that Type 2 diabetes is developing. Preventing Type 2 diabetes The Diabetes Prevention Program was a major research project that looked at what helps prevent Type 2 diabetes, once an elevated fasting blood glucose is diagnosed. The project, in part, followed overweight people who began exercising and losing weight. Of the overweight individuals who started exercising 30 minutes/day for at least 5 days/week and lost 7% of their weight, 58% did not develop Type 2 diabetes. Of the overweight individuals who lost 10% or more of their weight, 90% did not develop Type 2 diabetes. Weight loss – combined with exercise – is the single most important factor that will stop the progression toward Type 2 diabetes in overweight individuals. Weight management Can you think of one change you can make today to help yourself lose weight? Cutting out 250 extra calories per day will help you to lose ½ pound Continue reading >>
Diabetes Management: How Lifestyle, Daily Routine Affect Blood Sugar
Diabetes management requires awareness. Know what makes your blood sugar level rise and fall — And how to control these day-to-day factors. Keeping your blood sugar levels within the range recommended by your doctor can be challenging. That's because many things make your blood sugar levels change, sometimes unexpectedly. Following are some factors that can affect your blood sugar levels. Food Healthy eating is a cornerstone of healthy living — with or without diabetes. But if you have diabetes, you need to know how foods affect your blood sugar levels. It's not only the type of food you eat but also how much you eat and the combinations of food types you eat. What to do: Learn about carbohydrate counting and portion sizes. A key to many diabetes management plans is learning how to count carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the foods that often have the biggest impact on your blood sugar levels. And for people taking mealtime insulin, it's crucial to know the amount of carbohydrates in your food, so you get the proper insulin dose. Learn what portion size is appropriate for each type of food. Simplify your meal planning by writing down portions for the foods you eat often. Use measuring cups or a scale to ensure proper portion size and an accurate carbohydrate count. Make every meal well-balanced. As much as possible, plan for every meal to have a good mix of starches, fruits and vegetables, proteins and fats. It's especially important to pay attention to the types of carbohydrates you choose. Some carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, are better for you than are others. These foods are low in carbohydrates and contain fiber that helps keep your blood sugar levels more stable. Talk to your doctor, nurse or dietitian about the best food choices and Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes
Print Diagnosis To diagnose type 2 diabetes, you'll be given a: Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates you have diabetes. A result between 5.7 and 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes, which indicates a high risk of developing diabetes. Normal levels are below 5.7 percent. If the A1C test isn't available, or if you have certain conditions — such as if you're pregnant or have an uncommon form of hemoglobin (known as a hemoglobin variant) — that can make the A1C test inaccurate, your doctor may use the following tests to diagnose diabetes: Random blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken at a random time. Blood sugar values are expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Regardless of when you last ate, a random blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher suggests diabetes, especially when coupled with any of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination and extreme thirst. Fasting blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken after an overnight fast. A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal. A fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it's 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, you have diabetes. Oral glucose tolerance test. For this test, you fast overnight, and the fasting blood sugar level is measured. Then you drink a sugary liquid, and blood s Continue reading >>
The Lifestyle Changes That Can Cut Type 2 Diabetes Risk
The lifestyle changes that can cut type 2 diabetes risk By Dr Rangan Chatterjee Doctor in the House These are external links and will open in a new window Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 3.5 million people in this country and is thought to cost the UK around 20bn per year in both direct and indirect costs. This is a staggering amount of money spent on a condition largely caused by our lifestyle choices and environment. On Doctor in the House, I try to help 39-year-old La-Vern. Her mother, Doreen, already has type 2 diabetes and is worried that La-Vern is going down the same route. La-Vern is a busy, single mother who does two jobs and, as a result, is exhausted and stressed. She has not yet crossed our diagnostic threshold where we would say she has type 2 diabetes, but her blood sugar and fasting insulin levels are not "normal" either. Her results suggested that she was on the road towards type 2 diabetes. This is an ideal opportunity to practise true preventive medicine. Type 2 diabetes is a late event. By the time you get a diagnosis, things will have been going wrong in your body for many years. La-Vern's symptoms of fatigue have already affected her quality of life. However, her lifestyle is not only causing her to feel unwell, but is driving her towards a type 2 diabetes diagnosis further down the line. This is one of the big problems in medicine today - things are often said to be black or white, normal or abnormal - but what about optimal? I am an advocate for trying to recognise problems before they happen. Why should we wait for people to get a type 2 diabetes diagnosis before we take action? Type 2 diabetes is often viewed as a dietary illness. That is partially true as diet is a big contributor. However, other lifestyle factors such as insufficient sl Continue reading >>
Long-term Lifestyle Change For Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity Study: Look Ahead
Long-term Lifestyle Change for Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Study: Look AHEAD Long-term Lifestyle Change for Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Study: Look AHEAD Long-term Lifestyle Change for Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Study: Look AHEAD The NIDDK funded the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study to evaluate whether weight loss lowered the risk for cardiovascular disease events such as heart attack and strokeand other health problemsin people who were overweight or obese and had type 2 diabetes. Researchers looked at whether participants could lose weight and keep it off through a lifestyle intervention program involving increased physical activity and healthy eating. Few, if any, studies of this size and length have had similar success in helping participants reach and maintain a significant weight loss. In the United States, type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in adults. Type 2 diabetes occurs when people have higher-than-normal levels of blood glucose, also called blood sugar. Over time, high blood glucose increases the risk for serious health problems such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, eye disorders, and nerve diseases. Overweight and obesity are linked to higher risks of other diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Overweight (Body Mass Index [BMI] 25.0-29.9) and obesity (BMI 30.0) now affect about 70 percent of adult Americans. Encouraging results from the first years of the study showed that people who have obesity and type 2 diabetes can lose weight and maintain weight loss through a lifestyle intervention program. These results are important because earlier research suggested that weight loss and maintenance might be more difficult in people with type 2 diabetes who are also overweight or Continue reading >>
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What It's Like To Manage Type 2 Diabetes With Lifestyle Changes | Everyday Health
Its Saturday morning. In your life before type 2 diabetes, that meant sleeping in before sitting down to a big breakfast. The day ahead? Maybe watching a college football game on TV, or sitting in a comfortable chair with a book. That was then. This is now, and youre learning to manage diabetes through lifestyle changes. Saturday morning means getting up and checking your blood-sugar levels. Then its a healthy, balanced breakfast. Then you set out for a long walk, a trip to the gym, or a bike ride. That afternoon football game or reading you once enjoyed? Absolutely fine, as long as youve exercised and eaten well earlier in the day just lay off the chips you used to snack on as you relaxed. Must-Do Basics for Type 2 Diabetes Management As you manage diabetes through lifestyle changes, your goal is to keep your blood-sugar levels steady and within a narrow range. Your healthcare provider will advise you on how often you should check your blood-sugar levels . Depending on your situation, your doctor may recommend that you test once a day, or more often. Your doctor will also set the blood-sugar numbers you should aim for in your results. There are several types of devices you can use to test a drop of blood from your finger; your diabetes care team can help you choose the one thats right for you. Diabetes doesnt take a day off, and now that you've been diagnosed, neither should you. Your basic battle plan: Before you developed diabetes, you may have frequently eaten on the fly, skipped meals, and relied on fast food. Now, you choose fresh fruits and vegetables; lean proteins, like poultry and fish; and high-fiber foods, such as whole-grain breads and cereals, brown rice, and oatmeal. When youre cooking , you use low-fat cooking methods and broil, bake, stir-fry, or grill Continue reading >>
Vm -- Type 2 Diabetes: Lifestyle Changes And Drug Treatment, Mar 09 ... Virtual Mentor
Type 2 Diabetes: Lifestyle Changes and Drug Treatment The principal therapies for type 2 diabetes and the benefits and possible side effects associated with each. More than 23 million individuals in the United States have diabetesa figure that creates great urgency for finding the most effective and safest methods for treatment. Data show that therapies that lower hyperglycemia to the normoglycemic range can reduce morbidity, cardiovascular mortality, and microvascular complications in type 1 diabetes [1-3]. Likewise, intensive treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes have demonstrated a reduction in microvascular disease, but more recent data show no reduction in macrovascular disease [4-7]. Due to the potential for complications, initial treatment for decreasing hyperglycemia should be patient-specific and adjusted to achieve the American Diabetes Association (ADA) target A1c level of less than 7 percent [8]. While oral and injectable pharmacotherapies and insulin are often needed to maintain this level, the importance and benefit of lifestyle changes should not be undervalued. According to the 2008 consensus statement from the ADA and European Association for the Study of Diabetes, lifestyle interventions and metformin therapy should be started concurrently upon diagnosis of type 2 diabetes [9]. Learning Objective Identify principal therapies for type 2 diabetes and understand the benefits and potential side effects associated with each. In selecting treatment for chronic disease, the mechanism of the disease should be considered. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, for example, contribute to the risk for and development of type 2 diabetes. Obesity is also a factor in insulin resistance, which is a major cause of elevated glucose levels. Weight reduction and an incre Continue reading >>
Lifestyle Changes To Manage Type 2 Diabetes
You can improve your overall health, lower your blood sugar levels, and lower your chance of having a heart attack or stroke by changing your diet and activities. Here are a few things you can do to stay as healthy as possible after you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Maintain a healthy body weight Many people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Losing weight and keeping it off will help you control your blood sugar and make you feel better. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat. It is based on your height and weight. Go to to calculate your BMI. A healthy BMI is less than 25. If your BMI is more than 25, talk with your doctor about things you can do to lose weight. Begin by setting a goal to lose 7 percent of your current weight. For example, if you weigh 250 pounds, your first goal will be to lose 18 pounds. Losing any amount of weight and keeping it off will improve your health, so don't get discouraged if you lose the weight slowly. Combining a healthy diet with exercise is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Make healthy food choices Less than 25 percent of your calories should come from fat. Avoid fatty foods like deli meats, hot dogs, snack foods, and pastries. If reducing the amount of fat from calories does not help you lose weight, decrease the total number of calories you consume. The number of calories you should consume each day depends on how much you weigh. Exercise regularly Getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, like walking, biking, and swimming, will help you lose weight and keep it off, and it can help keep your heart healthy. Spread your exercise out over several days each week (for example, five sessions of 30 minutes each). Try not to go more than two days without exercising. If you do not have any m Continue reading >>
