4 facts you should know about type 2 diabetes
1. Diabetes (Type II) is a reversible disease!
This might seem contrary to what you have heard but it is true that it is possible to stop the progress and also achieve remission by working on the root cause of the disease.
What is the root cause of type 2 diabetes?
2.Insulin resistance is the root cause of type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance means that the body is making insulin but insulin is unable to do its work at the cellular level. The job of insulin is to drive glucose into the cells but when there is an accumulation of excess fats and their toxic metabolites inside the cells, insulin is unable to open the ‘lock’ that opens the door and lets glucose in. As a result, instead of entering the cell and providing energy to it, glucose keeps circulating in the bloodstream. . This is dangerous because increased glucose levels cause inflammation and damage to the small blood vessels, leading to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and even loss of limbs.
That is why high glucose level is a symptom of diabetes which is caused by insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is caused mainly by calorie-rich foods, specifically processed foods, fried foods loaded with fat, sugars and also meats.
3.Treating insulin resistance
The whole foods plant-predominant diet can efficiently prevent, manage, and even reverse diabetes by reversing insulin resistance. Plant-based foods are naturally low in fat, which allows insulin to function the right way. Also, whole plant foods are low in processed sugars and high in fibre. Plant based foods provide the added advantage of being rich in phyto nutrients, anti-oxidants and micronutrients that are especially very essential for healing in a person with chronic disease.
4.Medicines versus treating insulin resistance
Medicines are needed to lower the increased blood sugar level. Taking medications and insulin to lower increased blood sugar levels without addressing the root cause is like treating fever and not paying attention to the infection that is the root cause of the fever. The other problem with using medications and insulin is their side effects. It can give you a false sense of security and one might continue with the health damaging diet and lifestyle, increasing insulin resistance in the process. This might lead to disease progressing and doses of medications increasing over a period of time for the rest of your life.
A whole person approach focussing on a whole food plant-based diet, exercise, stress management, sleep and healthy social connections can effectively reverse insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It is like holistic healing of the body by changing the way you eat and live and discovering the healthiest version of you in the process!
