Diabetes: the fasting growing chronic disease in American history.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease of all time and it is critical that we do all we can to address. Moreover, more than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes. Additionally, more than 88 million US adults have pre-diabetes (early signs and symptoms of diabetes).

Diabetes can lead to an estimated 10 year reduction in lifespan and dramatically decrease your quality of life.

Diabetes can lead to a roughly 10 year shorter lifespan and dramatically decrease your quality of life. Diabetes is alarming because of the health risks including blindness, diabetic coma, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, amputations, infectious diseases, tooth, and gum disease. Most importantly, diabetes can negatively affect your ability to live your best life and in becoming the best version of yourself.

There are three types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.

• In people with type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent), a person’s pancreas does not produce enough or any insulin.
• In people with type 2 diabetes (insulin resistant), a person’s pancreas produces enough insulin; however, the insulin is not effective.
• In people with gestational diabetes (insulin resistant during pregnancy), while pregnant, a woman’s pancreas produces enough insulin; however, the insulin is not effective.

Where are you currently?

• If you have type 2 diabetes, you can improve your lifestyle to address the cause and even reverse it.
• If you have type 1 diabetes, you can improve your lifestyle to increase insulin sensitivity (a good thing) and decrease your insulin needs.  
• If you have pre-diabetes, you can improve your lifestyle to reverse pre-diabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes.
• If you are planning a family or currently pregnant, you can improve your lifestyle prior to and during pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes.
• If you have no signs of diabetes, you can improve your lifestyle to prevent pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

Regardless of where you fall above (yes, we all fit into one of these areas), you can act now to prevent, treat better (type 1 diabetes) or reverse diabetes by:

• Avoiding consumption of animal products (all meats, fish, dairy and eggs).
• Avoiding vegetable oils (all oils).
• Eating the healthiest unprocessed foods (fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes, nuts, seeds)
• Eating lower glycemic index foods (i.e., eat sweet potato instead of white potato, eat brown rice instead of white rice, etc.)
• Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Becoming or staying physically active.
• Managing stress better.
• Informing your doctor that you are taking steps to improve your lifestyle to reduce your need for diabetic medications.