You May Have Diabetes and Not Know It
Nearly 21 million Americans have Diabetes, but one third of these people do not know it. We've all heard of Diabetes, but what exactly is it? There are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 Diabetes is when the pancreas no longer makes insulin. Type 2 Diabetes is when the cells of body resist insulin's action; the pancreas makes extra insulin but cannot keep up.
Normally, your body produces a hormone called insulin to help your cells use the energy (glucose) found in food. With Diabetes, either your body doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't efficiently use the insulin it does p
roduce. When glucose builds up in the blood, it can damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, heart, eyes, and nervous system.
Type 2 Diabetes used to be termed an" Old Man's Disease," developed from years of abuse from sugar spikes and crashes. However, we now see it in young children. What is so different 30 years ago? You guessed it-our diets. Most Americans consume the Standard American Diet (SAD!) of mostly processed foods, flours and sugars. Our bodies were not designed to handle the constant barrage of the spikes and crashes from these man made "foods." This is what has led to our growing population of Insulin Resistant conditions which leads to Type 2 Diabetes. Yes, Type 2 Diabetes can be known as a food disorder.
The primary sign of insulin resistance is when a man's waist measurement is greater than or equal to his hip measurement. In a woman, the sign is a waist that is 80% or more of hip measurement. This is because of the way insulin deposits fat--usually (although not always) around the stomach.
When a person is insulin resistant, carbohydrates (simple and complex) are metabolized into fat (rather than energy) and stored as fat cells. When all the cells are full of fat, the fat starts being stored in the blood stream, causing clogging of the arteries.
We cannot blame food alone, though, as stress also can greatly contribute to insulin resistance much in the same way as food. Insulin, in addition to being a digestive hormone, is secreted in response to stress. The more insulin your system requires, the more likely you are to become insulin resistant. Ultimately, if we live long enough, everyone becomes insulin resistant.
The big lesson here: high levels of carbohydrate consumption and/or stress trigger insulin, leading to insulin resistance, elevated blood fats, clogged arteries, blood clots, etc which may lead to Diabetes.
The easy solution is to cut down on the processed foods, flours and sugar and eat protein with each meal and de-stress your life as much as possible. Your body will thank you!
