Insulin is arguably the most vital hormone in the regulation of blood sugar levels. The hormone is needed to lower the levels of blood glucose by stimulating uptake by body cells. Its deficiency is a common cause for diabetes type 2. In some cases, the levels of the hormone may be adequate but the target receptors fail to be responsive. This is known as insulin resistance. A number of things can be done to reverse insulin resistance.
One of the first steps that one has to undertake is to modify the diet. The amount of carbohydrates should be reduced as much as possible because they are a direct source of glucose once they have been metabolized. They may result in persistent high levels of blood sugar and increase the risk of hormonal resistance. The general advice is that carbohydrates should be about one third of the meal.
Generally, the glycemic index of proteins, fruits and vegetables is lower than that of carbohydrates. This means that these foods have a lower tendency to raise the level of blood sugar as compared to carbohydrates. Their proportion of the regular diet should, therefore, be increased even as that of carbohydrates is reduced. Supplements are other additions that should be added as well. Those deemed to be most beneficial include fish oil, magnesium, calcium, multivitamins and chromium.
Another lifestyle modification that can be made is regular engagement in physical exercise. Exercise has a number of roles that it plays in the process of metabolism. Among them is the fact that it helps in the reduction of central body fat which would otherwise increase the risk of diabetes. Another major benefit is that there is an increase in the demand for glucose when muscles contract during exercise. This reduces the amount of glucose in circulation.
Stress has been shown to affect the levels of blood glucose. Prolonged stress may sustain the glucose at very high levels in persons at risk of diabetes. This is likely to cause resistance to the hormone and predispose to diabetes. The increase in blood glucose is mainly caused by an increase in levels of a catabolic hormone known as cortisol. Make sure you take time to relax regularly. Activities such as yoga, meditation and feedback are tremendously helpful.
Make sure that you get adequate quality sleep. Just like stress, lack of sleep has the potential to increase the levels of cortisol and elevate the levels of blood sugar. Examples of causes of poor quality sleep include obstructive sleep apnea, noisy environments and obstructive sleep apnea among others. The minimum recommended time for sleeping is 6 hours for the average adult.
Drugs are usually introduced when the other methods fail to yield the expected results. There are many different types of drugs that are available to be used as oral hypoglycemic agents. Metformin and other biguanides work by stimulating the inactive insulin receptors. Another useful drug group is that of thiazolidinediones. The drugs in this category lower blood sugar by increasing cellular uptake.
Among the leading causes of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This phenomenon is seen when the cells fail to respond to insulin in spite of the latter being present in the body in adequate amounts. There are several things that can be done so as to reverse this condition. They include regular physical exercise, stress reduction and diet modification among others.
One of the first steps that one has to undertake is to modify the diet. The amount of carbohydrates should be reduced as much as possible because they are a direct source of glucose once they have been metabolized. They may result in persistent high levels of blood sugar and increase the risk of hormonal resistance. The general advice is that carbohydrates should be about one third of the meal.
Generally, the glycemic index of proteins, fruits and vegetables is lower than that of carbohydrates. This means that these foods have a lower tendency to raise the level of blood sugar as compared to carbohydrates. Their proportion of the regular diet should, therefore, be increased even as that of carbohydrates is reduced. Supplements are other additions that should be added as well. Those deemed to be most beneficial include fish oil, magnesium, calcium, multivitamins and chromium.
Another lifestyle modification that can be made is regular engagement in physical exercise. Exercise has a number of roles that it plays in the process of metabolism. Among them is the fact that it helps in the reduction of central body fat which would otherwise increase the risk of diabetes. Another major benefit is that there is an increase in the demand for glucose when muscles contract during exercise. This reduces the amount of glucose in circulation.
Stress has been shown to affect the levels of blood glucose. Prolonged stress may sustain the glucose at very high levels in persons at risk of diabetes. This is likely to cause resistance to the hormone and predispose to diabetes. The increase in blood glucose is mainly caused by an increase in levels of a catabolic hormone known as cortisol. Make sure you take time to relax regularly. Activities such as yoga, meditation and feedback are tremendously helpful.
Make sure that you get adequate quality sleep. Just like stress, lack of sleep has the potential to increase the levels of cortisol and elevate the levels of blood sugar. Examples of causes of poor quality sleep include obstructive sleep apnea, noisy environments and obstructive sleep apnea among others. The minimum recommended time for sleeping is 6 hours for the average adult.
Drugs are usually introduced when the other methods fail to yield the expected results. There are many different types of drugs that are available to be used as oral hypoglycemic agents. Metformin and other biguanides work by stimulating the inactive insulin receptors. Another useful drug group is that of thiazolidinediones. The drugs in this category lower blood sugar by increasing cellular uptake.
Among the leading causes of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This phenomenon is seen when the cells fail to respond to insulin in spite of the latter being present in the body in adequate amounts. There are several things that can be done so as to reverse this condition. They include regular physical exercise, stress reduction and diet modification among others.
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