Diabetes: 101

So the doc tell you you have pre-diabetes, wants to watch your sugar or that they suggest going on a statin drug to help you with your sugar waves that are causing your blood, mood and body to ride like a roller coaster. To get a handle on what is going on and make serious life long changes, lean in, read Diabetes:101, take notes  and learn what the heck is going on so you can create a big enough WHY to make changes. YUP— you’ve gotta make changes or the detriment of this DIS-EASE can  blind you, cause (very) painful neuropathy… even KILL YOU!!

 

Here’s the low down:
Insulin plays a major role in metabolism—the way the body uses digested food for energy. The digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates—sugars and starches found in many foods—into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar that enters the bloodstream. With the help of insulin, cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy.

Insulin’s Role in Blood Glucose Control

When blood glucose levels rise after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin and glucose then travel in the blood to cells throughout the body.

• Insulin helps muscle, fat, and liver cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream, lowering blood glucose levels.
• Insulin stimulates the liver and muscle tissue to store excess glucose. The stored form of glucose is called glycogen.
• Insulin also lowers blood glucose levels by reducing glucose production in the liver.

In a healthy person, these functions allow blood glucose and insulin levels to remain in the normal range.

What happens with insulin resistance?

In insulin resistance, muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to insulin and thus cannot easily absorb glucose from the bloodstream. As a result, the body needs higher levels of insulin to help glucose enter cells.

The beta cells in the pancreas try to keep up with this increased demand for insulin by producing more. As long as the beta cells are able to produce enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance, blood glucose levels stay in the healthy range.

Over time, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes and prediabetes because the beta cells fail to keep up with the body’s increased need for insulin. Without enough insulin, excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, leading to diabetes, prediabetes, and other serious health disorders.

 

What to do now?

Check out this article on herbs that can help control diabetes