Type 2 Diabetes Need Not Be a Chronic Condition

Type 2 diabetes is often described as a chronic condition because, once you have developed the condition, it can be with you for the rest of your life. But it needn't be like that. You can do something about, but that poses a dietary dilemma.
What causes type 2 diabetes?


Type 2 diabetes is the result of your body being unable to respond to high blood glucose levels when insulin is produced. This is called insulin resistance. The most common cause of insulin resistance is being overweight. This is because much of the unprocessed glucose is stored in fat tissue. It is a vicious circle, the more body fat you have - particularly around your waist - the more insulin your body needs to produce to convert glucose into energy. Ultimately, your body will not be able to keep up with demand and you will develop type 2 diabetes.
For the majority of sufferers, developing type 2 diabetes is the consequence of life style choices made over a long period. The condition will become chronic unless your life style is improved. The most important change that needs to be made is to your diet.
Dietary dilemma
Our modern diet is often high in saturated fats and highly processed foods. This, combined with our less active life style, has resulted in a doubling over the last two decades of the number of American adults being obese. Now, more than one in three of this group is seriously over weight, and fewer of them are following a healthy diet than twenty years ago.
It follows that by losing weight you will also reduce your insulin resistance and may even reverse the effects of your type 2 diabetes. Having a healthy, balanced and calorie controlled diet is the first step in preventing your type 2 diabetes becoming chronic. A healthy diet for diabetics is the same as for non-diabetics. It should be low in fat and salt, moderate in sugar and contain at least five portions of different fruits and vegetables each day. High fat foods, highly processed foods and sweetened carbonated drinks should be avoided.
Eating six small healthy meals a day, paradoxically, will help you to lose weight as you will not feel hungry between meals. Drinking plenty of water not only hydrates your body, but it also makes you feel fuller for longer. People who practice food combining have reported that it also aided weight loss as well as improving their overall health.
You can choose whether your condition stays with you for the rest of your life. But it needn't be like that. Having a healthy diet and more active life style can reverse your pre-diabetic condition and may prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.