How Weight Loss May Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

The benefits of weight loss in treating diabetes have always been at the forefront of diabetes care, particularly for those people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese. Excess weight can increase inflammation and make blood sugars harder to control by causing insulin resistance.
The American Diabetes Association states that, "There is strong and consistent evidence that modest persistent weight loss can delay the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes and is beneficial to the management of type 2 diabetes." But, what if losing weight could actually help to reverse type 2 diabetes altogether?
Researchers of the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) discovered that after 12 months of intervention, 46 percent of participants were able to achieve remission of type 2 diabetes through weight loss versus only 4 percent in the control. They also found that the more weight lost increased remission (defined as achieving an A1c of less than 6.5 percent without diabetes medication) of type 2 diabetes.
Medical Director of the Diabetes Alliance and Telediabetes Lead at The Mount Sinai Hospital and endocrinologist, Dr. Noga Minsky says, "The takeaway point, which offers so many people out there hope, is that diabetes is reversible with weight loss. These results contrast previous studies comparing bariatric surgery to lifestyle changes or medical management, where non-surgical treatment did not lead to remission of diabetes in any patients treated non-surgically after two to three years." Additionally, Minsky says, "It was promising that diabetes was reversed suc Continue reading

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Doctor Discovers Little Known Way to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes – By Ignoring Official Guidelines (And Trying This Diet Instead)

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic health conditions, and one of the most preventable ones. A healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and safely losing body weight can help to prevent and possibly even help reverse type 2 diabetes.
And yet, 30.3 million American people have diabetes and the current food guidelines are not helping to lower the numbers.
Could it be because we placing too much trust in the official guidelines as the only way to heal from diabetes and manage its symptoms?
Dr. Sarah Hallberg, the Medical Director of the Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program at Indiana University Health Arnett, argues that to reverse type 2 diabetes, we should forget the official guidelines and take a different approach to help defeat insulin resistance. And research, including her own clinical experience, shows that her method may have incredible potential to help do just that.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance or not being able to make enough insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar. And more than 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. suffer from this condition. Research also shows that 1 in 3 adults have prediabetes, and many do not even know it.
Diabetes affects a massive amount of people worldwide and kills 1.5 million every year. And it does not have to be this way, because it is preventable and it is reversible, Dr. Hallberg says.
Type 2 diabetes is triggered by carbohydrate intake in most cases, she notes:
“Diabetes is a state of carbohydrate toxicity. Insulin resistance is a state of carbohydrate intolerance. Carbohydrate intake is the single biggest factor Continue reading

My Experience with Gestational Diabetes

Every pregnancy has its own set of ups, downs, special moments, and emotional setbacks. My pregnancy with Dessa was no exception! Thankfully, the joyful moments from my pregnancy greatly outshine the frustrating events, but there were some moments that were challenging for me to overcome, especially when it came to my health. I occasionally shared small glimpses of my experience with gestational diabetes on the blog and Instagram account, and I have recently become aware of the fact that it’s a fairly common diagnosis for many expectant mothers. And yet, somehow, it can feel incredibly alienating to be diagnosed because many women don’t realize they know other people who have gone through the same thing.
It’s my hope to share a little bit about my own experience with gestational diabetes to offer a little reassurance to anyone else diagnosed with the condition that you are not alone and also let you know what other unexpected repercussions may await you down the road. I always found the shock of new information to be the biggest obstacle to overcome. Hopefully this post will soften the blow a bit and help you feel more equipped to handle what lies ahead.
From the One-Hour Glucose Test …
I turned 35 when I was 2 months along, which automatically qualified the pregnancy as being “high risk”. Those words sounded scary, but everything went smoothly for the first few months. My weight and blood pressure were always under control and the baby grew and developed exactly as she should. At my 28 week OB appointment, I had the infamous glucose screening. (I call it infamo Continue reading

Does Cinnamon Help Manage Diabetes?

Cinnamon is a spice that has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. Recently, cinnamon has become a hot topic in diabetes research with conflicting results. The studies have been based on the idea that cinnamon may help to lower blood sugar.
How Cinnamon Might Lower Blood Sugar
Studies showing cinnamon as an effective diabetic treatment have proposed that cinnamon may have an insulin-like effect on cells -- triggering cells to take glucose out of the blood -- or that cinnamon may cause an increase in the activity of the transporter proteins that move glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells.
What the Research Says About Cinnamon and Blood Sugar
In the 2000s, several studies showed conflicting results, with some studies pointing to a hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) effect of cinnamon and others showing no significant effect. But more recent research suggests that cinnamon may indeed help to lower blood sugar. A 2013 review of 10 randomized control trials (the strongest kind of study for nutrition research) suggests that ingesting cinnamon does, in fact, lower fasting blood sugars, as well as total cholesterol.
How to Add Cinnamon to Your Diet
In the randomized controlled trials, people were given between 120 mg/day to 6 g/day for 4 to 18 weeks. That's the equivalent of between a small fraction of a teaspoon to two teaspoons per day. Adding a small amount of cinnamon to your daily diet--by sprinkling it on oatmeal, or using it to spice up a Mexican chili--can't hurt and may help.
But as with any supplement, check with your healthcare professional befor Continue reading

Everyday Foods You Should Avoid With Type 2 Diabetes

One of my least favorite things is telling my patients what not to eat. I like to focus on the positives and educate my patients about the plethora of good foods that you can eat. But, from time to time, I find that some people are grateful when they are told that certain foods are "off limits." The types of foods that I may deem "off limits" might surprise you because what folks think is healthy may not always be the best choice.
Some of these foods are obvious because they contain added sugars - for instance, candies, cookies, soda, etc. Other foods of which you should avoid are foods rich in carbohydrate and/or sugar with limited fiber, and those that are lacking in nutrition (vitamins and minerals). Here are some examples:
Whole Wheat Bagels
Although this type of bagel is whole wheat, that doesn't mean it has fewer carbohydrates than it's white counterpart. One bagel is equivalent to eating about 4-6 slices of bread, which means it is very carbohydrate dense and can raise blood sugars. Bagels are also lacking in filling fiber and protein. Therefore, you are likely to be hungry a few hours after eating one which can negatively impact your blood sugars and weight.
To make this a healthier choice, decide to eat 1/2 (scooped out) and top it will a few scrambled egg whites and a vegetable of your choice. My favorite combination is 3 egg whites with 1/3 avocado, and 1/2 cup spinach - this adds protein, fiber, and healthy fat. Some studies suggest a larger, higher protein, higher fat breakfast may help to reduce HgbA1c.
Whole Wheat Pretzels
Whole wheat pretzels may seem like a Continue reading