In the minds of most people, diabetes is associated with constant injections of insulin and death in a hospital bed with severed limbs. In fact, you can lead an active, fulfilling, healthy life with diabetes. Moreover, there are ways to stop the disease, control it, and putting diabetes into a state of remission.
Naturally, this should be started as early as possible, but even in advanced cases, you should use all methods of dealing with this disease. In this article, we will let you know how you can fight diabetes without drugs or surgery.
Table of Contents
Diabetes Development Mechanisms
At the heart of diabetes is a violation of glucose metabolism. Normally, in the process of digestion, glucose from the digestive tract enters the bloodstream. And from there, it is carried throughout the body to all tissues, organs, and cells. When the level of glucose in the blood rises, the cells of the pancreas begin to produce the hormone insulin.
This opens the doors for glucose into the cells. Without insulin, glucose does not enter the cells, blood sugar levels rise, and hyperglycemia develops, which is a life-threatening condition. Today it is known that there are, according to different classifications, 5-6 types of diabetes. However, in essence, the disease can be divided into 2 types:
Type 1 Diabetes
It is an autoimmune disorder in which the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin get destroyed. The hormone becomes too small, due to which glucose does not penetrate into the cells. Solution: Inject additional insulin into the body.
Type 2 Diabetes
In this case, insulin is initially produced in sufficient quantities, but over time, the interaction of cells with insulin worsens – their sensitivity to the hormone decreases (or, which is the same thing, resistance increases). That is, there is glucose, there is a hormone, but it still cannot get into the cell. Solution: increase the sensitivity of cells to the hormone insulin.
How To Fight Diabetes Without Medication?
Today it is possible to inject insulin into the body from the outside; there are drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. But there are also ways to activate the body’s natural resources – even in people with pre-existing disorders of glucose metabolism. Here are some of those methods.
1. Regular Physical Activity
Physical activity is the most effective method of preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). So, in moderately active people, the risk of developing diabetes is 30-40% lower than in those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Also, in menopausal women leading an active lifestyle, the incidence of diabetes is significantly lower than in their peers who did not move much. But physical activity can be not only a means of preventing diabetes but also a medicine that allows you to control blood sugar levels.
For example, exercise increases insulin sensitivity, regardless of the patient’s weight and fat distribution. But you should be aware that the effect of physical activity on insulin resistance does not last long – only a few days, so you should exercise regularly.
2. Optimization Of Nutrition
When optimizing nutrition, you should adhere to a number of principles:
- Foods with a high glycemic index (which increases sugar, GI) should be kept to a minimum in the diet. You should replace them with foods with a low GI.
- It is best to remove foods and drinks with added fructose from the diet altogether. Fructose increases the risk of developing insulin resistance.
- Cut back on alcoholic beverages, especially those rich in sugar. A diabetic patient really needs to get rid of alcohol. And if he is unable to do so, he may get assistance from an addiction hotline guide available online for help.
- At the same time, there are foods that increase insulin sensitivity. For example, these are spices such as garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger.
- You should increase the amount of fiber in food. It slows down the absorption processes in the gastrointestinal tract and thus prolongs the feeling of satiety. Overall, it has a positive effect on cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity.
3. Reduce Stress Levels
All stress hormones (acetylcholine, adrenaline and norepinephrine, cortisol, beta-endorphin, and growth hormone) increase blood glucose levels. But some of them at the same time increase the release of insulin into the blood – acetylcholine, for example. While others, on the contrary, reduce the concentration of norepinephrine and beta-endorphin.
So, the fight against stress, or rather their prevention, will lead to a decrease in cortisol. Observations have shown that attention management techniques lead to a drop in cortisol levels and a decrease in blood sugar levels too.
4. Quality Sleep
Sleep disturbances are another major risk factor for the progression of diabetes. And this is due to all the same stress hormones. Studies show that the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes increases with chronic lack of sleep and insomnia. The risks are especially high in childhood and adolescence when the phase of slow-wave sleep is longer.
Studies show that insulin resistance increases in young males with short NREM sleep. However, sleep disturbances are also dangerous for adults. Chronic sleep deprivation is itself responsible for the production of excess stress hormones. And this also leads to the development of insulin resistance.
Therefore, one of the important factors in the prevention and treatment of diabetes is considered a full 8-hour sleep. For an obese patient, remember that obstructive sleep apnea and snoring can interfere with normal sleep. And in this case, it is necessary to select an apparatus to solve these problems.
5. Manage Body Weight
Everyone knows about the connection between excess weight and diabetes, including the patients themselves. Losing weight can be a diabetes prevention method. Even a small amount of weight loss leads to a decrease in the risk of developing the disease. So, losing 6% of weight in 2 years and by 4% in 4 years reduces the likelihood of type 2 diabetes by 16% for every kilogram that disappeared. Fighting excess weight is also an effective “medicine.”
Summing Up
Though medication is important for treating diabetes, there are other methods too that can help an individual fight this disease. We mentioned some of the most effective ways to deal with any type of diabetes in this article.
