LOUISVILLE Diabetes mellitus is diagnosed when a person has high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood and urine. In Latin, diabetes means “go through” and mellitus means “sweet.” When too much sugar builds up in the blood, it goes through the kidneys and comes out as sugary urine.
High levels of blood sugar make cells, especially those lining the blood vessels and nerves, sticky and unable to function properly. This is how diabetes causes heart disease, blindness, and neuropathy. High blood sugar also damages the fine membranes of the kidneys and makes them unable to efficiently filter toxins.
About five percent of people with diabetes mellitus have type 1, an autoimmune disease that usually begins in childhood. We don’t yet know how to prevent this kind of diabetes, but it can be treated with insulin injections and a healthy diet.
Ninety-five percent of diabetes is type 2, which, understood in the simplest way, is a form of food poisoning. A diet high in calories, sugar, and refined carbohydrates and fats overwhelms the body’s ability to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar normal. This causes toxic levels of sugar to build up in the body, essentially poisoning it.
The same wonderful food that helps you maintain a healthy body weight and avoid heart disease and cancer also prevents or reverses diabetes. This is mostly plant-based, whole food, with fish as the primary source of animal protein. It does not include added sugar, processed foods, artificial foods (especially artificial sweeteners and trans fats), and animal fats. Fatty fish, such as salmon and albacore tuna, contain healthy fats called omega-3s and are good.
Stress also sets us up for diabetes by raising our cortisol levels. High cortisol causes the body to need higher levels of insulin to metabolize food. More stress sets up a vicious cycle of cravings, higher blood sugars, higher insulin levels, and more weight gain and more cravings.
So, if you eat healthy, are physically active, and lower your stress, you can prevent or reverse type 2 diabetes. It’s really that simple, but many people find it very hard to do these things. Fortunately, there is help readily available.
KentuckyOne Healthy Lifestyle Centers has Lifestyle Medicine and Diabetes Education Programs that can help you break this cycle, reverse type 2 diabetes, and be happier and healthier.
The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) accredits the Diabetes and Nutrition Care Program. We provide quality educational services using a team-based approach of certified diabetes educators (registered nurses and dietitians).
Educational services are provided depending on the type of education needed and the location.
This includes the following, but is not limited to:
► Comprehensive Group Diabetes Education, which is a series of three classes once a week for three weeks followed by a fourth class two months later.
► Individual Nutrition Education sessions include: Nutritional Education & Meal Planning, carbohydrate counting, heart healthy, celiac disease, weight change issues, renal, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and hyperlipidemia.
► Individual classes on insulin administration, monitoring/blood glucose testing, pre-diabetes, diabetes refresher, insulin pump training, and gestational diabetes. Our certified diabetes educators are also available for speaking engagements at churches, civic groups, schools, businesses, etc.
Educational classes and individual sessions are provided across KentuckyOne Health in various locations in Louisville, Lexington, Shelbyville, Mount Sterling, Berea, and London.
A physician referral is usually required in order to bill the insurance carrier. If you have questions about payment, please call your insurance provider. We can send a referral form to your physician. Once we receive the referral, we will call you to help you select the appropriate education session and time. Please visit our website at www.kentuckyonehealth.org/healthylifestyle or call 502.581.0110 to start on your path to preventing or reversing type 2 diabetes.
NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF DIABETES IS TYPE 2, WHICH, UNDERSTOOD IN THE SIMPLEST WAY, IS A FORM OF FOOD POISONING.