Although type 2 diabetes may be more common in overweight or obese persons, it can also affect those who appear to be in excellent health.
And in those circumstances, it may result in even more severe problems, such as a twofold increase in your risk of passing away from heart disease or other complications of diabetes.
Even if you're a healthy person, we can help you discover your particular risks to lessen your likelihood of acquiring diabetes.
Stress
Your body produces cortisol whenever you are under stress. This hormone triggers your body's fight-or-flight reaction. Although this reaction could have assisted your ancestors in the past in escaping danger, it can harm your health permanently. Your blood sugar level increases each time your body responds to stress by releasing cortisol.
In addition to weight gain, people who have blood sugar levels that are continuously raised can develop insulin resistance and diabetes.
Call Integrative Primary Care or make an appointment online immediately to learn more about preventing diabetes.
A fatty liver condition
Even if you consume alcohol moderately or not, fatty liver disease can still occur. Between 20 and 40% of Americans currently suffer from this illness brought on by increased liver fat. Type 2 diabetes can be predicted or brought on by having fatty liver disease. It would help if you consumed alcohol in moderation or not to maintain your liver's health.
To ensure that any drugs, herbs, or supplements you take won't harm your liver, you should also talk to us about them. We can advise you further at your appointments, such as receiving immunizations to safeguard your liver against illnesses like hepatitis A and B.
Types of Diabetes
Diabetes can be classified into two categories. The body stops producing insulin, which leads to type 1 diabetes. This occurs when the immune system unintentionally targets pancreatic cells that produce insulin.
Sugar (glucose) cannot be absorbed by cells from the bloodstream without insulin. Elevated blood sugar levels harm arteries, nerves, and other structures. Typically diagnosed in childhood, type 1 diabetes can sometimes develop later. Those with must take insulin with type 1 diabetes.
When cells stop responding to insulin's "open up for sugar" signal, type 2 diabetes develops. The exact reason why this occurs is still a mystery.
However, being overweight worsens it because fat cells interfere with how the body uses glucose and insulin.
Physical inactivity also contributes. You can manage type 2 diabetes with drugs that increase the sensitivity of muscle and other cells to insulin. In other circumstances, a strict diet and increased activity are all required.
Hints for lowering the risk
You can take action to lessen your risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes if you have one or more risk factors. Here are some actions to get you going:
Give up smoking.
Quitting smoking almost returns your risk of developing diabetes to baseline. Your body can better control your blood sugar levels as a result.
Regularly check your metabolic rate.
It's a good idea to frequently check your cholesterol and blood pressure with your doctor if either condition runs in your family. Thanks to this, you may be able to detect or even avoid problems like diabetes or heart disease.
Drink responsibly.
Those who consume between 0.5 and 3.5 drinks per day may have a 30% lower risk of developing diabetes than heavy drinkers.
Improve your diet.
Even if you are skinny, a junk food diet is not recommended. Your chance of developing diabetes may increase if you consume unhealthful or nutritionally deficient diets. Make an effort to consume a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Fish is another great option to improve your diet. Try to consume more leafy green veggies in particular. According to research, eating these vegetables can cut your chance of developing diabetes by 14%.