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Tag: type 2 diabetes

Do you have insulin resistance?

June 16th, 2019 by Content Editor

You may have heard the term “insulin resistance” bandied about in recent years; maybe you thought it was just another manufactured disorder to sell yet another fad diet. But insulin resistance is a real health condition.

What is insulin resistance? 


Insulin resistance is when your body doesn’t respond to insulin released into your bloodstream.

Insulin regulates the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood; this is important for your body to have enough energy to get you through the day. Insulin either converts glucose to energy, or to body fat. Preferably energy rather than excess body fat, right?

Definitely, particularly as excess body fat, especially tummy fat, can cause insulin resistance in the first place.

As your cells become resistant to insulin, your body responds by generating more insulin. High insulin levels are associated with high blood pressure, hardened arteries, excess weight gain, and Type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of insulin resistance


Insulin resistance is a silent disease; initially you will have no symptoms, but eventually, symptoms will develop.

You will:

  • Feel tired.
  • Have difficulty concentrating.
  • Feel hungry.
  • Gain weight around your tummy (if you don’t already have a spare tyre).
  • Develop higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Without appropriate diagnosis and management, you could develop type 2 diabetes. .

What causes insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance is mostly caused by:

  • Unhealthy eating.
  • Lack of exercise.
  • Being overweight.
  • Constantly high stress levels.
  • A family history of diabetes.
  • Chronic inflammation (often related to high stress levels).

It can also be a side-effect of polycystic ovary syndrome or Cushing’s disease, or taking steroids for a long time.

How can I treat insulin resistance? 


While researchers can’t pinpoint the main cause (for example, an obese person does not necessarily develop insulin resistance as a result of their weight), they all agree that lifestyle changes are the best defense and offence. A good example of prevention better than cure!. 

Treating and preventing insulin resistance relies on changing your lifestyle; what you eat, how much you exercise and watching your weight.

Change your diet


Changing your diet will have knock-on effects if you’re overweight; you shed excess kilos and have more energy to exercise.

Your new diet should cut out refined sugar and carbohydrates (goodbye cooldrinks and white bread) as well as processed and convenience foods. Your diet should include mostly fresh produce, healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts) and good quality protein (meat, eggs and fish)..

Get moving


Exercise is difficult to get in if you’re working at a desk all the time but make time to get at least 30 minutes every day. You don’t need to go to the gym; walking, gardening and housework are all moderate activities that contribute to get your body moving. A sedentary lifestyle is a major cause of insulin resistance.

The good news is that in most cases, you can treat and prevent insulin resistance.

References:

How to lose belly fat

March 19th, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

You may have noticed that, as you reach middle age, your proportion of body fat to body weight increases. If you’re a woman, chances are that these changes coincide with menopause.

Many of us are quick to dismiss these changes as “a normal part of ageing” but ignoring a growing waistline isn’t a good strategy. Being overweight dramatically increases your risk for life-threatening diseases, especially as you get older.

Fat around the belly is dangerous, with research showing that it increases the risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and some types of cancer.

While researchers still don’t know exactly why fat around the midriff is riskier than fat around the buttocks, thighs and hips, they do know that abdominal fat releases large amounts of fatty acids. These fats affect the metabolism of insulin (the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels), setting the stage for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do to protect your overall health, says the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa. And, once you start losing weight, the fat around your belly will also disappear.

Do you have too much abdominal fat? 

If you have a tape measure, it’s easy to figure out if you have too much fat around your belly. Place the tape measure midway between your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs, wrap it around your waist, and check your measurement. Where does it fall in the table below?

Waist circumference Approximate pants size
Normal Men ≤ 94cm
Women ≤ 80cm		 Men ≤ 36
Women ≤ 40 (US 14)
Overweight Men > 94–102cm
Women > 80–88cm		 Men ≥ 38
Women ≥ 42 (US 16)
Obese Men > 102cm
Women > 88cm		 Men ≥ 42
Women ≥ 44 (US 18)

Source: The Heart and Stroke Foundation of SA

If you slot into the “overweight” or “obese” category, it’s time to take steps to improve your health.

What you can do

To a large extent, your overall weight and the fat around your belly depend on how much and what you’re eating. Foods that cause a large increase in insulin, things like sugar, are more likely to cause weight gain in this area.

According to the Mayo Clinic, ageing is another factor. “Muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases. Loss of muscle mass also slows down the rate at which your body uses calories.”

The starting point for bringing your weight under control and combatting abdominal fat, says the Harvard Medical School, is regular moderate-intensity activity. “Strength training may also help fight abdominal fat. Spot exercising, like sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won’t get at visceral fat (the deep fat that sits around your organs).”

The second step is a healthy, diet with loads of fibre-rich fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, proteins, dairy, and healthy fats. Combining this type of diet with regular exercise can help you lose weight if you do it properly.

  • Ask a registered dietician to compile an eating plan for you based on your age and lifestyle habits. Stick to it at least 80% of the time.
  • Exercise for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week.
  • Pay close attention to your portion sizes.
  • Use a food diary to track how much you’re eating.
  • Turn off the television when you’re eating. Eat mindfully, slowly and enjoy every bite.
  • Don’t drink your calories. Satisfy your thirst with water and other unsweetened beverages.
  • Cut out sugar and refined starches (e.g. biscuits, rusks, pastries, white bread, and white pasta).

References

The other side of diabetes: Facts you might not know

November 14th, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases in the world and without a radical change in our lifestyle, it’s only going to get worse. Today is World Diabetes Day and the aim is educate people about the ins and outs of diabetes. But instead of looking the causes and symptoms, which you can find here, let’s look as some lesser known facts you might not know about. Continue reading “The other side of diabetes: Facts you might not know”

The best drinks for type 2 diabetes

December 3rd, 2013 by The Hello Doctor Team

In healthy people, insulin is produced by the pancreas: When you eat or drink, food is broken down into smaller parts, some of which is a form of sugar. Insulin acts like a key: unlocking cells so that sugar can move from the blood into the body tissues, to be used for energy. Diabetes is a problem with the function of insulin: either the key (insulin itself) isn’t working, or the lock (the cell) struggles to let sugar into the cell. When you have “high blood sugar” – the body produces too little insulin, or the tissues don’t respond to insulin in the way they’re supposed to. The end result is excess sugar in the blood, while body cells are starved of their fuel and go hungry. Common symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, excessive passing of urine, and often a large appetite. Dramatic weight loss can also be an early warning sign, due to the starvation of body tissues.

Continue reading “The best drinks for type 2 diabetes”

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