November 10, 2023
What if there were one common condition that, by preventing or controlling it, you could dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, serious infections, kidney failure, neuropathy, amputations, blindness, erectile dysfunction, some types of cancer and premature death?
There is. It’s type 2 diabetes, and it is affecting Americans in record numbers.
The CDC reports that 37.3 million people in this country have diabetes. Another 97 million have prediabetes, meaning they have above-normal blood sugar and are at risk of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes. Altogether, about half of U.S. adults have diabetes or prediabetes.
To make matters worse, 23% of people who have type 2 diabetes and 80% of those with prediabetes have not been diagnosed. This is unfortunate because, left untreated, elevated blood sugar and related metabolic abnormalities slowly damage your blood vessels, nerves and other tissues and organs, which can lead to all manner of complications.
That is why it is important to learn as much as you can about diabetes: risk factors, preventive strategies and natural therapies for controlling blood sugar.
Type 2 Diabetes vs. Type 1 Diabetes
Before we go on, I want to clarify that we are focusing on type 2 diabetes. Type 1, which affects fewer than 10% of people with diabetes, is caused by destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter the cells. This type used to be called juvenile diabetes because it often develops early in life. Type 1 requires lifelong treatment with insulin injections, but a healthy lifestyle enhances glucose control and protects against diabetic complications.
Type 2 diabetes usually comes on later in life, although diagnoses in children have nearly doubled in the past 20 years. The underlying problem is not a lack of insulin but insulin resistance. The pancreas produces plenty of insulin, at least in the early stages, but the cells are resistant to its signals to let glucose in, so blood sugar remains elevated.
You can inherit a predisposition for developing either type of diabetes, but for type 2, environmental influences play the largest role. Your daily habits, such as what you eat and how active you are, are closely linked with your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed?
Yes! The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be prevented, treated and even reversed with lifestyle changes and the natural therapies we specialize in at the Hotze Health & Wellness Center.
Treat Diabetes With Lifestyle Changes
The primary factor spurring our skyrocketing rates of type 2 diabetes is our epidemic of obesity. Most Americans are overweight, and more than 42% of adults and nearly 20% of children and adolescents are obese.
Excess fat in the abdominal area is particularly problematic. If you have a large waist circumference (35/40 inches or greater for women/men), odds are you have diabetes or prediabetes. Losing as little as 5% of your total weight is often enough to stop prediabetes in its tracks, and more significant weight loss can put type 2 diabetes in remission.
What you eat has a major influence on your weight and your blood sugar. First and foremost, cut out sugar, refined grains and other carbohydrate-dense foods. Bread, cereal, juice, sodas, potatoes, etc., have a high glycemic index. This means they are rapidly converted into glucose, resulting in a spike in blood sugar. When your cells are resistant to insulin’s signals, blood sugar levels remain high.
Adopting a healthy low-carbohydrate eating plan is challenging. We recommend you try a yeast-free eating program. Although it is not specifically designed for diabetes and prediabetes, many of our guests who have risen to this challenge report significant improvements in their blood sugar.
Physical activity is another cornerstone of diabetes prevention and treatment. If you are not a regular exerciser, start walking. Short brisk walks after meals have been shown in clinical trials to reduce the blood sugar surge that occurs after eating.
More Risk Factors You Can Control
Research over the past 30 years has revealed additional contributors to type 2 diabetes that are within your control:
Hormones: Everyone knows that insulin plays a starring role, but it is not the only hormone involved in blood sugar metabolism. Imbalances in testosterone, estrogen, cortisol and thyroid hormones also increase your risk of weight gain, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Sleep: Poor sleep disrupts insulin signaling and increases insulin resistance. Sleep apnea, which is especially common in people who are overweight, is closely linked with diabetes. Approximately two-thirds of individuals with type 2 diabetes have sleep apnea, and it makes blood sugar control even more challenging.
Toxins: Some experts believe that the rise in type 2 diabetes is due in part to our ever-increasing exposure to toxins. Several chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants present in our environment have endocrine and metabolic disrupting effects, which can increase the risk of diabetes and other health problems.
Get Serious About Diabetes
Given that diabetes or prediabetes affects one in two U.S. adults, everyone should get serious about prevention and treatment.
Make a point of engaging in some sort of physical activity every day, even if it’s a walk around the block after meals. Avoid sugars and starches and maintain a healthy weight. Have your hormone levels tested and balanced with bioidentical compounded hormones. Get a handle on your sleep, and if you snore, get tested for sleep apnea. Do your best to avoid environmental toxins, including mercury dental amalgams.
We Can Help
Do you need help taking control of your type 2 diabetes? Contact us today at 281-698-8698 for a complimentary consultation with a wellness consultant. Let us help you get your life back!
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Since 1989, Hotze Health & Wellness Center has helped over 33,000 patients get their lives back using bioidentical hormones that restore hormones to optimal levels, strengthen immune systems, and increase energy levels. Our treatment regimen addresses the root cause of hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, allergies, and candida.
Led by best-selling author, radio host and leading natural health expert, Steven F. Hotze, M.D., our medical team has over 100 years’ combined medical experience backed by a staff of nearly 100 caring professionals who provide an environment of hope and extraordinary hospitality for each of our patients, who we call our guests. It is our deepest desire to help you obtain and maintain health and wellness naturally so that you may enjoy a better quality of life, pure and simple.
Do you want to live a healthy, happy, purpose-driven life? Do you want to restore your health so that your loss of energy, weight gain, joint pain, depression and lack of drive or motivation won’t hold you back from achieving your personal and professional goals?
Dr. Steven Hotze wants that for you, too. In fact, in his powerful and passionate video entitled, “What I Believe”, Dr. Hotze shares how his Christian worldview and pivotal experiences have ignited a deep desire to offer the message of hope and optimal health to all who need to hear it.
At Hotze Health & Wellness Center, our doctors are changing the way women and men are treated through the use of bioidentical hormones. Our natural treatments have helped over 33,000 individuals with hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, allergies, candida, detoxification and nutritional deficiencies.
Meet our doctors"I went from feeling tired and foggy to to getting my energy and vitality back!”
Holistic, functional medicine doctors in Houston, Texas specializing in bioidentical hormones, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, allergies and LDI treatment, candida, detoxification, nutritional deficiencies, longevity and aesthetics.
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