News Release: Research Evidence Affirms that Good Nutrition Can Help Prevent and Control Type 2 Diabetes

Read the entire article, its too important to miss!

http://www.joslin.org/news/Research-affirms-good-nutrition-can-help-prevent-and-control-type2-diabetes.html

One major finding was that certain foods and dietary patterns can help prevent type 2 diabetes even without weight loss. “People who eat a Mediterranean diet, with foods such as olive oil, whole grains and leafy vegetables and fruits, have a lower risk of developing diabetes even when they don’t lose weight,” Dr. Hamdy says.

Foods such as oat cereal, yogurt and dairy products, green leafy vegetables, grapes, apples, blueberries and walnuts were associated with reduced diabetes risk. Drinking coffee and even decaffeinated coffee were also associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk.

Participants who followed a Mediterranean eating plan — without restricting calories — showed a greater improvement in glycemic control and insulin sensitivity than participants who ate other popular diets. In addition, overweight patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who followed the Mediterranean diet had less need for antihyperglycemic medications compared with participants on a low-fat diet.

Overall, a variety of eating plans, including the Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate/low glycemic index and high-protein diets, improved glycemic control and cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients with diabetes compared with control diets. This offers patients a range of options for diabetes management.

Foods associated with a higher risk of diabetes include red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol in excess quantities and refined grains, such as white flour.

Why is all this misinformation circulating about type 2?

I'm amazed by the ignorance of people purporting to know about diabetes. This includes doctors and pharmacists, and even other diabetics.

One thing that keeps popping up for me is that everyone is quoting outdated and incomplete information regarding the genetics and causes of type 2.

There aren't 6 or 7, or even 13 genes that can involved in type 2.

In fact there are at least 38!

That's right - 38!

This information was published in the summer of 2010. Check the dates on internet sources you quote people! Please look for more up to date info!

And the more of these defective genes you have, the greater the likelihood of getting it.

Your family history should be a clue. Mine is rife with diabetes and weight problems caused by insulin resistance and defective genes, on BOTH sides of my family.

Other factors that contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes include, among many many others:

Beta blockers can increase your risk by 20 to 50%. If you already have the genes (look at your family history), and your doctor prescribes beta blockers, your chances increase dramatically even if nothing else changes.

Beta blockers can be enough to tip you over the edge into diabetes. I know because this happened to my husband and almost happened to my sister. Luckily I found out about this and let her know in time.

Other factors include under active thyroid - check, had that ALL my life! Its still undertreated because I can't tolerate the dose of thyroid hormone that I actually need.

Certain medications for other conditions - check, I was never told of the risks involved with certain treatments until well after the damage was done. This can include treatments for PCOS, asthma, infections, and much more.

Exposure to pesticides, and highway smog. Yep, been there, done that, it was not my choice, but none the less, I have to suffer the consequences of it.

Family history: I have not one, not two, but several people with diabetes in my close family. According to scientific research my chances of getting type 2 were pretty much 100%, given my family history. This probably goes back several generations. 

Other factors, for me include injuries from accidents that kept me from exercising.

Inflammation and allergies: Yes, this can have an effect!

Inherited joint disorders: which have not only kept me from riding my bike, roller skating, and dancing, (all of which I love). They have also put me into a wheelchair. I cannot get enough exercise to stay fit, let alone fight back against insulin resistance.

Insulin injections: yes, they saved my life, but they are also making me gain weight, and increasing my insulin resistance. Its a lose/lose situation for me.


Update, since this was originally written, I have read further articles that state that there are over 40 known genetic factors involved in getting Type 2 diabetes. 

Control

 Control


What is this circle of testing,
counting carbs, and injecting insulin?


What does this tight control gain?
Why do I test over and over,
repeating the endless cycle of blood?



I celebrate each little victory,
a lower A1c, creating a new recipe
that doesn't send my glucose soaring,
finding a few moments of peace
when I actually forget my diabetes
and just live in the moment.

Control - I never knew
how much I would learn
to value that word.

I control my blood glucose 
as much as humanly possible,
instead of letting it...

Control me.


No comas, blindness, amputations,
no suffering like my grandmother,
had to go through.

Who am I to complain
about a few finger sticks,
counting carbs, injecting insulin,
getting labwork done,
overcoming my fear of needles,
when it can save my eyes,
save my feet, save my very life?

So what if I have to count carbs
and feel like a pincushion?
I'd rather count 

than die a little
every day...

Wouldn't you?


Control...

Its worth every moment that I give,
every day, month after month,
to stay here and enjoy
the spring blossoms on the apple tree,
the crash of waves on the shoreline after a storm,
the voice of my sweetheart in the starry dark,
my daughter's smiling face,
and someday...

the laughter of my grandchildren.


Petra

Its NOT All About Type!

I had a very interesting conversation with my endo yesterday.

He said he doesn't really believe in using the diabetes labels type 1 and 2, because no two people will have the same response to medications, and that there are so many similarities and overlapping areas between the two.

Drugs that were previously considered just for type 2 have been found to work on type 1, and vice versa. He believes there are hundreds of types and that what matters is getting results. 

Its a fact that "Type 2's" can have antibodies just like type 1s, and type 1's can still have active beta cells". 

It was refreshing to hear him discuss it; he's more up to date on this than he used to be. 

Failing to respond to oral meds doesn't make you type one, it just makes you an individual, which ALL diabetics are. What's important is getting your blood glucose under control. FORGET the labels and stop playing the blame game!

He also said that I was programmed before birth to get diabetes, and even if I was skinny, I still would have gotten it. It was refreshing to have a doc say that I am NOT blame to blame for my diabetes. He also said I was preprogrammed to be a large person, that it's in my genes, and I should NOT diet. He encouraged me to try to make good choices about food, which is what I'm doing. Its what I have been doing for years. Unfortunately I made some bad choices when I was busy renovating 2 houses and taking care of my husband after an injury left him in a cast from hip to toe for months. I'm back on track now but its a real struggle because I now have several other serious health issues and can't get enough exercise due to extreme joint deterioration.

For far too long I've been pressured to diet, and with each new diet I end up getting discouraged and gaining back even more weight when the diet fails, which ultimately all diets do.

Lately, my family doctor is all about WLS. Are you kidding? I'd probably die on the operating table and she knows this. She admits it every time we have this discussion. I have far too many complications to risk it, I am not going to be a lab experiment for some greedy doctor. And by the way, it turns out that even lap bands are not all that safe after all, and not all that successful either.

Of all the doctors I've ever had, my endo has the most positive attitude about weight, and diabetes that I've ever seen. He wasn't always like that. He's gone up several notches in my opinion, for getting more up to date on the studies and evidence regarding this disease.

I just wish more doctors, more diabetics, and family members were up to date on the research and had a positive attitude instead of blaming the diabetic for having the wrong genes.

PS. You know what's really amusing?  I was just reading the old definition of type 1 and 2, and according to it, I'm actually type 1.  Crazy!  I don't care what you call it as long as I have my insulin. Without it, I'd be in the hospital pretty quickly.