According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose is too high. Chronic high glucose is tied to insulin resistance, which contributes to weight gain.
Approximately two-thirds of U.S. adults are considered overweight or obese. Its insulin resistance is linked to prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other disorders referred to as metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of disorders: obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides), and hyperglycemia (high glucose).
Chronic low-grade inflammation can impede improvement or worsen these issues, including arthritis. Chronic inflammation can occur in response to toxins and/or an excess of fat cells, especially in the belly. Within arteries, it can contribute to the buildup of plaque, which can reduce blood flow, form clots, and can be the cause of heart attack and stroke.
As insulin resistance worsens, it becomes difficult to efficiently convert sugars, and glucose increases. High glucose damages blood vessels, affecting the kidneys, eyes, brain health (Alzheimer’s and dementia), heart, and liver.
Weight gain and obesity are a foundation for incurring health issues. Insulin and glucose balance is affected when the pancreas tries to provide additional insulin to lower glucose. Over time, too much insulin in your system contributes to weight gain, and too much sugar in the bloodstream contributes to chronic inflammation, which impedes healing.
Can I Reduce Chronic Inflammation?
Medication can help reduce glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Lifestyle changes offer the biggest impact. But why is it that lifestyle changes don’t seem to help enough? Because we like a quick fix. It takes years to impair health. Therefore, it can take years to repair your health.
Lifestyle changes are the steps you take to adjust the food and beverages you consume on your health journey. Your “cheat” days should come after you have made substantial changes. This is the time to think of being in a “healing” mode. It takes time to heal.
Exercise will help lower glucose levels; this is a great start. It also helps get oxygen throughout the body and gets your digestive tract moving. A sedentary life is just as bad as smoking. Combining a healthy diet, exercise, and stress reduction techniques with good sleep can also help reduce anxiety and depression. Improved emotions have a direct impact on wanting to make changes.
You can be tested for an inflammation marker through blood or hair analysis. An hs-CRP blood test can measure C-reactive protein. I can personally attest to lifestyle changes reducing inflammation. At my worst, my result was 19. Above 10 can indicate inflammation. I was able to reduce it to below 1.0, which is ideal.
A specific hair analysis test can offer inflammation specific to the digestive tract. Combine this test with food sensitivities, and we now have a real opportunity to learn what is causing issues specific to you and set the course for improvement.
Some improvements can be seen quickly, such as a reduction in glucose levels. That’s just the start of your health journey to reducing inflammation. In addition to improving glucose, I hear from clients who have seen improvement in arthritis and gut issues. That’s because your overall metabolism benefits from coordinated lifestyle changes.
For anyone that believes lifestyle changes are secondary, please reconsider. Diabetic medications cannot cure diabetes. Diets are temporary ways of reducing glucose. It’s a serious look at your lifestyle that can offer long-term success.
Keep in mind that while we have been taught that type 2 diabetes is referred to as a disease, it’s actually a symptom of something larger.
Denise A. Pancyrz is a Diabetes Reversal and Holistic Lifestyle Coach, speaker, and best-selling author of The Virgin Diabetic, Reverse the Effects of Type 2 Diabetes, Reduce Medication, and Improve Your Glucose Levels, available on Amazon. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Denise was prescribed four daily insulin shots along with oral medication for diabetes and heart disease. This protocol helped to bring her glucose levels down; however, she did not feel as healthy and vibrant as expected. After changing her protocol by learning to rest and preserve her pancreas, she was able to eliminate all medication and insulin, regaining her energy.
Visit: www.ReverseMyDiabetes.net for coaching and training information, to book a free consultation, or to set up a speaking event. Contact Denise by calling 888.848.1763 or email her at: Denise@ReverseMyDiabetes.net.