Diabetes Doctor San Diego - Dr. Jason Shumard, D.C.
Managing your diabetes can be daunting, especially when you’re presented with a variety of paraphernalia advertising to be the best product. Which glucose monitor should you choose? Which lancet is best? Will those blood sugar supplements do what they promise? It’s hard to know which management techniques and solutions you should be looking for. But don’t worry-- you’re not alone.
Over 20 million adults in the United States are affected by diabetes and, undoubtedly, presented with the same issues.
But are all of these items necessary? What if the money we spent on “helpful” gadgets and gizmos were put towards research that aimed to find a cure for diabetes. Would overcoming it even be possible? Let’s take a look.
Is the Research There?
In 2018, researchers led The Diabetes Remission Trial, which gave way to some astonishing results. Out of the participants in the study, 46% established a nondiabetic state, a remission that lasted 6 years into follow-up studies. This suggests that the pancreas’ beta cell function could recover even after a long-standing diabetes diagnosis, completely unsettling any solid beliefs we had about the permanent nature of this health problem.
Some more conclusions drawn from this study:
- Substantial weight loss can halt the causative processes behind type 2 diabetes
- A normalized liver fat content, as well as decreased pancreatic fat content is possible despite glucose stabilization
- The beta cell’s ability to recover can impact nondiabetic glucose control; length of disease before treatment is also important.
The DIRECT trial was a weight management program led by researchers who aimed to study type 2 diabetes remission. In the study, 46% of the intervention group went into remission, and only 4% of the 306 individuals that made up the control group achieved a nondiabetic state. The main conclusion drawn from this study was that, after a year, close to half of the participant went into remission without having to take medication. All of this suggests that overcoming type 2 diabetes isn’t an impractical pursuit.
There are a ton of misconceptions surrounding this condition from what causes it to how to manage and treat it. But it’s an important condition to understand, seeing as though, according to 2015 research, around 7.2 million individuals have this disease that is left undiagnosed.
Overall, this means that 30.2 million diabetics in the US alone have the opportunity to put their diabetes in remission through nutrition decisions and lifestyle management.
Do I Have Diabetes?
If you suspect you have diabetes, I recommend that you get your blood checked. If you have a fasting blood glucose level that exceeds 125 mg/dl, HbA1C levels higher than 6.5%, random glucose higher than 200 mg/dl and associated symptoms, or unstable oral glucose, you may have diabetes. Make sure you partner with a functional medicine practitioner who can assess these levels for you and order the correct tests to fit your specific needs.
What’s the Treatment?
1. Diet and Supplementation
While your nutrition can impact your condition, it’s important that you speak with a functional medicine practitioner who can pinpoint your specific needs a build a nutrition plan based on that. General advice is, of course, eat enough protein, veggies, and low-glycemic foods.
This advice, however, does not take into account your individual sensitivities and allergies, so partnering with a functional medicine practitioner for more detailed advice is encouraged.
2. Exercise
The typical idea is that you should work out for 150 minutes every week, including both strength and cardiovascular training. Again, everyone has a different activity level, and sometimes overexertion can cause even more harm. Speak with your functional medicine practitioner about what exercise regimen works best for you and your condition.
The research is there, and now that you know it’s possible to overcome your condition, why not do everything in your power to regain control over your health? Diabetes is not a lifelong sentence; break free from the condition today.
If you're looking for the Diabetes Doctor San Diego located, come to Integrative Wellness Center.