Diabetes affects 1 out of 10 people in the United States and the global prevalence of diabetes is growing.
There are two types of diabetes.
Type 1 is also known as insulin-dependent autoimmune diabetes and is not reversible due to the extensive damage of the pancreas.
Type 2 diabetes involves a lack of sensitivity to insulin and the diminishing inability of your pancreas to produce enough insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. It accounts for nearly 95% of all diabetics.
Studies show that it is possible for some people to reverse diabetes.
The key is significant weight loss around 10-20% of your body weight or at least 30 pounds. Imaging reveals that diabetics who lose weight have lower levels of fat in their liver and pancreas. Losing visceral fat helps the beta cells in your pancreas release insulin to control blood sugar.
The longer you have diabetes the more damage to your pancreatic beta cells and it’s harder to reverse insulin resistance. So it’s vital to get started on a weight loss plan as soon as possible after you’re diagnosed.
Research proven ways to lose weight to reverse diabetes:
Low-Calorie Diet
While I am not a fan of severely restrictive diets, if you are obese and have type 2 diabetes, severe calorie restriction has been shown to help people lose enough weight to reverse early diabetes. Several studies have looked at the effects of a mostly liquid diet of 625-850 calories a day for a few months, followed by a less restricted diet designed to help subjects maintain their weight loss. Nearly half the people who took part reversed their diabetes and kept their blood glucose near the normal range for at least 6 months to a year.
Following calorie restriction, just a couple of days a week can be as effective as daily calorie limitation. A study showed that eating 500-600 calories two days a week and a low carbohydrate normal diet the other days helped people with type 2 diabetes. It helped them lose weight and lower their blood sugar levels just as much as limiting calories to 1,200-1,500 every day.
Exercise
Exercise is key to helping you lose weight and keep it off. But exercise must be combined with dietary changes. A study that had people aim for 10,000 steps a day and at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate exercise a week— along with cutting 500-750 calories a day and following a specific insulin and medication routine— saw more than half of them reach near-normal blood sugar without medication. Some were able to keep those levels long-term.
Bariatric Surgery
When calorie restriction and exercise are not enough, bariatric surgery may be necessary to reverse diabetes. But only if your BMI is at least 30 or higher, you’ve had diabetes for 5 years or less, and don’t use insulin. Bariatric surgery helps you lose weight by changing your gastrointestinal tract to limit how much you can eat. Bariatric surgery may also help reverse diabetes possibly by affecting the hormones in your gut to help your body control blood glucose.
Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery have better long-term results than gastric banding. Researchers estimate that 3/4 of diabetics reverse their disease after bariatric surgery.
Fasting
While I am not a fan of long-term fasting regimens, I prefer my patients follow circadian fasting and not eat after dark. There have not been any large studies showing that fasting can reverse diabetes. A 3 person study found going without food and drink with calories for a set amount of time— helped two of the people stop taking all diabetes medication, and the third stopped three of their four medications. Within 1-3 weeks, all three of them could stop taking insulin. They lost between 10% and 18% of their body weight, or 20-23 pounds.
Natural therapies
In combination with diet and exercise – resulting in significant weight loss, meta-analysis reveals that Ayurvedic herbs can improve pancreatic beta cell activity and reverse insulin resistance at the cellular level improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetics. In the past two decades, my patients have had good results with a combination of Ayurvedic remedies.
If you have any questions regarding reversing diabetes, please join me in our Hormone Support Group. You can get access by signing up for my free Hormone Reboot Training.
Nutraceutical hypothalamus support helps reverse insulin resistance and improve glycemic control. Through the production of POMC, the hypothalamus controls glucose metabolism by the pancreas and liver. Your hypothalamus also controls your hunger signals, metabolism and weight set point.
My patients who support their hypothalamus with Genesis Gold® are more likely to maintain weight loss necessary to reverse their type 2 diabetes. Supporting optimal functioning of your hypothalamus can help reverse diabetes.
Use of Ayurveda in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Effectiveness and Safety of Ayurvedic Medicines in Type 2
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