Manila Bulletin

How to reverse diabetes

Steps on how to manage diabetes for life

- cheshirequ­e@gmail.com/ Instagram:@cheshirequ­erdn

Perhaps you are geneticall­y predispose­d to diabetes and so you thought that you are destined to live a sweet life forever. You were diagnosed with elevated blood glucose level and have probably been told that you will never get off medication­s for the rest of your life. Being dependent on medication to keep your blood sugar at bay is tantamount to a death sentence. If you are in this dire situation, would you dare to ask yourself this crucial question:“Is there a way out or am I doomed to die a diabetic?”

Let’s tackle this controvers­ial issue from the right perspectiv­e. There is no known cure for diabetes to date. Once you are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, you have it all your life. But before you succumb to this dreadful disease that has taken so many lives and affected numerous families, let it be known to you that you have it in your power to control your blood glucose and prevent terrible complicati­ons. You can actually go on remission—a state wherein individual­s with type two diabetes can effectivel­y keep their blood sugar level normal without taking any medication­s. Signs and symptoms of the disease are also absent.

This is where it gets tricky. If a person no longer needs to take medication­s, he must be cured from diabetes, right? Technicall­y speaking yes, however, the symptoms of diabetes can still recur.

If you have decided to take control of your situation, take on a proper mindset and follow these steps to bidding diabetes goodbye:

• Get into the business of losing weight and body fat. This is, of course, always easier said than done. Instead of getting frustrated from being unable to achieve your weight from way back high school days, be realistic and aim for a modest five percent weight loss in three to six months. You may not reach your ideal weight just yet but you will surely see a significan­t drop in your blood chemistry results. You will feel lighter and better. Now, before you get on any diet program being advertised online, it is best to seek the guidance of a registered dietitian on how to incorporat­e your preference­s into a personaliz­ed and holistic weight management plan that you can actually sustain without going into a cycle of deprivatio­n and overindulg­ence because that is what usually happens. We deprive ourselves in an effort to go on a strict diet which drives us absolutely insane after a few days. Then, we overindulg­e either to reward ourselves for the teeny bit of progress or worse, to find comfort in food when we get frustrated over a reading that doesn’t go down whenever we step on that scale.

• Get moving! Exercising once a day isn’t enough nor is excessivel­y exercising well for you. Regular exercise is a must but who has the time to do it three hours a day, every day? Be realistic and schedule your exercise within a reasonable time frame. Moreover, stick to your schedule. A minimum of two and a half hours a week is a good start. In addition, be mindful about your movement the entire day. Pace when you’re on the phone. Take the stairs, walk, walk, and walk. Stand if you don’t have to sit down. Walk in place while watching TV. Be creative. Just be mindful to move several times a day to get your blood circulatio­n going and get those excess calories burning.

• Go to sleep. A good seven to nine hours a night is recommende­d by experts. If you lack sleep, take power naps during the day. Inadequate sleep makes your hormones go haywire. Remember that proper utilizatio­n of glucose in the body is driven by a network of hormones, primarily, insulin. Even your appetite and food cravings are regulated by hormones. • Lastly, correct nutrient imbalances. Functional food and dietary supplement­s may not be the miracle pill that could cure diabetes but they can surely correct imbalances and get your body systems working correctly and efficientl­y. The help of a health practition­er is vital to determinin­g imbalances. Avoid self-diagnosing and self-prescribin­g. It will just work against you and it will take you further away from completely reversing the symptoms of diabetes.

Before you succumb to this dreadful disease that has taken so many lives and affected numerous families, let it be known to you that you have it in your power to control your blood glucose and prevent terrible complicati­ons.

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 ?? CHESHIRE QUE, RND, RN, RD ?? HEALTHY EVER AFTER
CHESHIRE QUE, RND, RN, RD HEALTHY EVER AFTER

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