Avoiding Diabetes

Half of the people with diabetes don't even know that they have it. Contrary to popular belief, diabetes isn't as much genetically linked as many believe. The good news is that proper lifestyle choices can override a genetic predisposition to getting diabetes. The bad news is that bad lifestyle choices can lead to diabetes, even without a genetic predisposition.

High blood glucose can come about because of what is called insulin resistance. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and carries glucose over the cell membrane into the cell. When there is insulin resistance, insulin isn't working efficiently and glucose builds up in the bloodstream.

Leptin is another hormone that is important for sugar regulation and is produced by your fat cells. The function of leptin is to feedback to your brain that you have eaten enough or enough fat is being stored. Leptin doesn't function only with your metabolism and fat storage. It is also involved in your immune system, fertility and regulating how much energy you burn.

The third hormone in this group is ghrelin, which is secreted by your stomach lining and lets your brain know that you need to eat.

If there are malfunctions of the leptin or ghrelin signaling, this may lead to overeating, weight gain and diabetes.

Diabetes and Your Body:

Diabetes can increase the rates of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy, blindness, infections, skin disorders, neuropathies, skin ulcers, kidney disease, foot amputations, gum disease, hearing loss and more.

7 Ways to Naturally Control Your Blood Sugar From Dr. Mercola:

1. Increase Your Fiber - Seek to include both soluble and insoluble fiber in your daily diet. Berries, nuts, vegetables and chia seeds are a great way to slip in the fiber daily. Aim to include 40 to 50 grams of fiber in your daily regimen for every 1,000 calories you eat. You may want to start tracking the foods you eat each day until you are a good judge of how much fiber and carbohydrates you are eating.

2. Reduce Your Net Carbs - A low-net carbohydrate diet reduces the stress on your body, reduces inflammation and reduces the amount insulin required to use the energy from the food you eat. You'll want to reduce the number of net carbs you eat to 50 grams per day. However, it is the net carbs that you'll be measuring. This number is calculated by taking the grams of carbs you've eaten and subtracting the number of grams of fiber. In this way a high-fiber diet also helps you to lower the amount of insulin you need to utilize your food for fuel.

3. High-Quality Fats - When you reduce your carbohydrates, what are you going to replace them with? Your best alternative is high-quality, healthy fats necessary for heart health, feeding your brain and to modulate genetic regulation and prevent cancer. Healthy fats include; avocados, coconut oil, organic butter from grass fed cows, raw organic nuts, olives and olive oil, grass fed meat, organic eggs and wild caught salmon and sardines.

4. Exercise - Short-term and long-term exercise don't appear to have any effect on the amount of leptin secreted in your body. However, exercise has a significant impact on the resistance your body builds up to the hormone leptin. The more you exercise, the more your cells are sensitive to leptin. As your body becomes sensitive to leptin, it reduces your potential resistance to insulin and therefore your risk of diabetes.

5. Hydration - When you become dehydrated, your liver will secrete a hormone that increases your blood sugar. As you hydrate, blood sugar levels lower naturally. Stay well-hydrated by monitoring the color of your urine during the day. The color should be light yellow. Sometimes your first indication your body requires more water is the sensation of being hungry. Drink a large glass of water first and wait 20 minutes to determine if you're really hungry or you were thirsty.

6. Reduce Your Stress - When you become stressed your body secretes cortisol and glucagon, both of which affect your blood sugar levels. Control your stress levels using exercise, meditation, yoga, prayer or relaxation techniques. These techniques may reduce your stress and correct insulin secretion problems. Combined with strategies that reduce your insulin resistance, you may help to prevent diabetes.

7. Sleep - Enough quality sleep is necessary to feel good and experience good health. Poor sleeping habits may reduce insulin sensitivity and promote weight gain.

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