Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy and happens when your blood glucose, or blood sugar, is too high. When you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you will likely have to change your lifestyle. You may be prescribed medications, and you’ll need to adjust your diet and proactively monitor your blood sugar levels. It can sound daunting, but with the right strategies, support, and lifestyle changes, you can live a fulfilling life with diabetes and possibly even reverse it. Let’s explore diabetes and effective ways to manage it, including new treatment options.
Prevalence of Diabetes
According to the CDC, 37.3 million people have diabetes, or 11.3% of the U.S. population. Another 96 million people aged 18 years or older have prediabetes, or 38% of the adult U.S. population. The Pan American Health Organization notes that there the number of adults living with diabetes in the Americas has more than tripled in the past 30 years, due primarily to growing rates of obesity, poor diets, and lack of physical activity, among other factors.
Types of Diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. The most common type of diabetes is type 2, with 90 to 95 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes. Let’s look at the differences between the two types:
- Type 1 Diabetes: According to the National Diabetes Association, if you’re diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, it means that your pancreas does not produce insulin. You’ll need to monitor your blood sugar and administer daily insulin injections with a pen, syringe, or pump.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Unlike type 1, type 2 is primarily linked to lifestyle factors such as obesity, inactivity, and poor dietary choices. In type 2 diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or becomes resistant to its effects. If you’re diagnosed with this type of diabetes, it’s important to manage it with lifestyle changes, including weight loss, healthy eating, and increased physical activity.
Weight Management and Healthy Eating is Key to Controlling Diabetes
Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for individuals with diabetes, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, as well as people who are pre-diabetic. Excess body weight can contribute to insulin resistance, making it harder for the body to utilize insulin effectively. If you’re looking to invest in weight management and healthy eating, here are some tips to help:
- Set Realistic Goals: Losing weight is hard, and it’s easy to get discouraged. It’s best to aim for gradual and sustainable weight loss. Losing 1-2 pounds per week is a safe and achievable target.
- Avoid Fad Diets: Ever notice how those popular diet plans don’t work? That’s because they are unsustainable and don’t account for your unique biochemistry and lifestyle choices. It’s better to look at healthy eating as a lifestyle change, not a diet.
- Eat Balanced Meals: Focus on consuming a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Try to avoid highly processed and sugary foods.
- Implement Portion Control: Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid overeating. People tend to eat as much as they serve themselves. So, use smaller plates and pay attention to cues from your body that you are full.
- Engage in Physical Activity: Exercise is critical to managing weight, and it’s important to engage in both cardiovascular activities (like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming) and strength training. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
- Seek Professional Guidance: Working with trained professionals who can develop personalized meal plans and exercise routines can be helpful. Like with Maragal Medical’s NutriHealth Weight Loss Program, involving a professional can deliver a more personalized approach to wellness that considers your unique needs and goals.
Maragal Medical’s Cutting-edge Treatment Options
At Maragal Medical, we work with diabetics every day and are proud to offer more treatment options than ever before. Our team can not only assist with medical weight loss, but also help alleviate the neuropathy and joint pain that often plagues diabetics.
- Medical Weight Loss: Our new NutriHealth Weight Loss Program takes a customized approach to weight loss. By balancing pH, regulating hormones, and implementing toxin removal, NutriHealth works holistically to help you drop your unwanted weight.
- Peripheral Neuropathy: Peripheral neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that typically affects the feet and legs. This type of neuropathy is very common in diabetics, in fact, about one-third to one-half of people with diabetes have peripheral neuropathy. Wharton’s Jelly Allografts, a type of regenerative medicine, can be an effective treatment option for peripheral neuropathy.
Check out this video from Dr. Marciello and Dr. Gallagher, as they share these treatment options in more depth:
Take Control of Your Diabetes
If you currently live with diabetes, or are one of the millions who are pre-diabetic, taking control is essential to living well. Losing weight will not only help you control your diabetes (and maybe even reverse it!), but it can also provide increased energy, enhanced mental health, and even help you sleep better. And if you suffer from peripheral neuropathy, alleviating that pins-and-needles feeling can help you get back to normal activity levels. If you’re interested in learning more, contact the team at Maragal Medical today, and let’s get started!