Diabetes is the 8th leading cause of death in the United states in addition to more than 96 million adults having prediabetes symptoms. Diabetes is by far one of the biggest health crises in the US and numbers continue to rise.
Diabetes is diagnosed through blood testing that shows a high fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1C. When an elevated level has been found, the number one goal is to be able to control and stabilize the patient’s blood sugar.
Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by high blood sugar or glucose levels for extended periods of time. Typically, your body should regulate blood sugar levels naturally after eating thanks to a hormone called insulin. As carbohydrates are consumed, insulin converts the carbs into energy then the glucose is taken from the blood to be stored in the liver. When insulin is compromised, this is a form of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, resulting in a lack of insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes require lifelong insulin replacement through injections or an insulin pump to manage their blood glucose. It often develops in childhood or adolescence but its exact cause is not fully understood. Expert opinions are the autoimmune response can be caused by genetics or a virus but these are yet to be confirmed with isolated testing.
Only 5-10% of diabetes patients suffer from Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder where the body is making insulin like it should be, however it has learned to “resist insulin” due to eating too much glucose. Because insulin is no longer taking glucose out of the bloodstream, this leads to elevated blood sugar levels. This also causes the pancreas to be stressed by being required to continually produce high levels of insulin which compounds issues like the adrenal glands producing cortisol, the primary stress hormone.
Type 2 diabetes often develops in adulthood and is associated with factors like genetics, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet. Lifestyle modifications, including healthy eating, regular exercise, and weight management, play a crucial role in managing Type 2 diabetes.
90-95% of diabetes patients suffer from Type 2 diabetes
Reducing the effects of diabetes encompasses a comprehensive range of medical and lifestyle interventions aimed at managing the condition effectively. Diabetes care typically begins with monitoring blood glucose levels through diagnostic tests such as HbA1c measurements and other blood sugar tests to help you understand your baseline levels.
Conventionally, Type-1 diabetes patients get regular injections of insulin while Type 2 diabetes is treated with prescription medications like Metformin to help lower blood sugar after meals. While effective for Type-2 patients, this does not help your body become more sensitive to the insulin like it should be. The good news is, if you suffer from Type 2 diabetes, you can reverse diabetes through lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.
Since your pancreas is still working to make insulin, your body has to “resensitize” to insulin to begin removing glucose more effectively. This can happen by decreasing the amount of sugar you consume, in turn telling your body to make less insulin. Eventually, the system will balance out and start to recognize insulin again, enabling you to store your glucose naturally. In addition to decreasing sugar intake, natural diabetes supplements like vitamin B1 and D, magnesium, and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) are known to help decrease blood sugar and improve your A1C. Proper light exposure is important to blood sugar handing as well. Decreasing your exposure to blue lights form phones, computers and tv’s and exposing yourself to the light at dawn and dusk can help your ability to control your blood sugar.
Active Edge combines lifestyle education with functional medicine in Columbus Ohio. We pride ourselves with our holistic approach in treating all of our patients and the root cause of their conditions, not just treating the symptoms and providing temporary relief.
The symptoms of diabetes are very common which is why a large majority of people don’t know that they are already suffering from this condition. Here are some of the diabetes symptoms (248k/mo):
Diabetes can lead to multiple complications that can be detrimental to your future. If diabetes is left unmanaged, you can even suffer from fatal complications which include:
Change Your Life Through Education & Exercise
Stress causes the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Cortisol reduces cells’ sensitivity to insulin meaning more sugar is needed to reach the same effectiveness. This is how blood sugar levels keep escalating. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can be damaging to many vital organs and lead to problems such as loss of eyesight, decreased circulation, and neuropathy.
Our diabetes specialists at Active Edge will work with you to create a program that can help to change your life by using targeted nutrition including when and what you should eat, exercise programming, and more. There is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment plan, which is why our doctors will educate each patient about the power of nutrition, exercise, stress relief, and other elements to help control high blood sugar naturally.
Personalized Treatment Plans:
Our approach begins with a thorough assessment of your medical history, lifestyle, and specific health needs. We then create personalized treatment plans that may include a combination of medication, and lifestyle modifications tailored to your unique requirements.
Proper nutrition is a cornerstone of diabetes management. Our expert physicians and team work closely with you to develop balanced and practical meal plans that help regulate blood sugar levels while ensuring a well-rounded and enjoyable diet.
Diabetes Education:
Knowledge is empowerment in diabetes care. Our team conducts educational sessions to equip you with the information and skills needed to make informed decisions about your health. Topics include understanding the disease, recognizing symptoms, and mastering self-care practices.
Physical Activity Plans:
Exercise is integral to diabetes management. We collaborate with you to create personalized physical activity plans that suit your fitness level and lifestyle, promoting overall well-being and helping to control blood sugar.
As Doctors of chiropractic, we have some of the most comprehensive study of the human body. We’ve refined our knowledge over the years with continuous study of nutrition, neurology, anatomy, physiology, endocrinology. We’ve also dug into Functional Medicine, gut health, blood sugar, the interconnectivity of body systems and structural alignment, understanding of organ to joint relationships, and acknowledgement of blocked emotions manifesting in physical disease.
Our doctors have studied with some of the Functional Medicine greats including Bob Rakowski, Jeffery Bland, Mark Hyman, and Jeff Bryst. Applying the knowledge and sharing it with patients has successfully helped people understand their bodies better. We empower change, create accountability, provide resources for long term success, and help naturally restore health, balance, and vibrance in patients.
Prediabetes means your blood sugar levels aren’t high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes, but if diet and lifestyle habits continue, type 2 diabetes is inevitable. Prediabetes commonly doesn’t have any symptoms but occasionally one can get areas of darkened skin like on their neck, armpits or groin area.
High blood sugar levels can cause high blood pressure and blood vessel damage to the kidneys, potentially causing chronic kidney disease. These can be checked by a blood or urine test.
Yes. Blood flow and sensitivity are commonly required for sexual arousal for both men and women. Diabetes can cause nerve damage which lowers stimulation and sensitivity. It can also cause cardiovascular issues which can cause a lack of blood flow, more commonly needed for men.
Diabetes can also make you feel more tired or gain weight can cause mental hurdles about self image as well that can decrease your sex drive as well.
For those with type 1 diabetes, it is highly unlikely considering your body is not producing enough insulin.
For those with type 2 diabetes, yes! If you eat healthy, exercise, lose weight, and follow a strict program, it is absolutely possiblemanage your diabetes without medication.
If you have excessive hunger with diabetes, a few good tips to curb the hunger pangs are:
At this point, you are feeling better than you ever thought you could as you are feeling energized and thriving. You have learned a lot about your body, you are moving more efficiently, you understand your body’s cues, and you have a good idea of what to do with these cues. This means you get to try new things, achieve new goals, and conquer new challenges! As you do, we will be here as your resource, as needed, to help you nourish, boost, and refresh your health.
Pain is generally the last symptom to show up and the first to go away. This means that by the time you realize there is a problem, there has been a problem for a long time. Especially for chronic or recurring issues, understanding how you got to where you are is so important for getting to where you want to go. In this stage of your journey, you will resolve underlying dysfunction, remove cheats, and retrain habits. As we aid you in activating your body’s natural healing potential, we will help you regain movement, energy, and body function both inside and outside. Throughout this process, you will start to feel greater ease and inspiration as you restore communication and efficiency in your body. Together, we will constantly assess, observe, and reassess your body’s responses to boost your results.
You are your own person, with your own collection of life events which brought you to where you are today. You deserve to be heard, seen, and treated as the individual you are. Your journey begins with your Discovery Evaluation. This first visit includes your exam which works to uncover the root of your issue(s), new patient diagnostics, and, of course, your first treatment. This is how we will help you begin connecting the dots and feeling better. After your first treatment, we will ask you to observe your body’s responses– good, bad, or indifferent. There is no wrong answer as this is just starting point information and direction for moving forward. In your second visit, we will review this feedback and your diagnostics to further identify potential underlying causes and compensations. We will combine everything we have learned about you, consider your goals, and together create a plan to resolve your concerns from the roots up.
