If you have Type 2 diabetes, the power to stabilise your blood glucose and supercharge your health lies with you. That's a lot of control- and a lot of responsibility. It is built on three principles: eating the right foods, getting enough exercise and keeping a positive, lowstress approach to life, allowing you to lose weight, stave off diabetes-related complications, regain your energy and feel terrific.
The system is simple, convenient and requires no special food or equipment. Why follow this plan instead of just taking a tablet or insulin to manage your diabetes? No diabetes medication will continue to work well if you don't also take steps to lower your blood glucose naturally and increase your insulin sensitivity. Managing diabetes is something you do euery day, and if you do it well, you'll reap the best reward: a longer, healthier life. The \ following are some of the goals you can achieve by following the prescriptions.
> Lose weight.
Being overweight is one of the most important contributors to 1Jpe 2 diabetes, and losing weight is one
of the most important steps in getting it under control. Losing weight will also make a significant difference in the way you look and feel. Lower your blood glucose. If you shed about 10 per cent of your body weight, you could achieve up to a 30 per cent drop in your fasting blood glucose level.
Being overweight is one of the most important contributors to 1Jpe 2 diabetes, and losing weight is one
of the most important steps in getting it under control. Losing weight will also make a significant difference in the way you look and feel. Lower your blood glucose. If you shed about 10 per cent of your body weight, you could achieve up to a 30 per cent drop in your fasting blood glucose level.
> Increase your insulin sensitivity.
If you have 1Jpe 2 diabetes, your cells are less responsive to the hormone insulin, which escorts glucose into cells. This insulin resistance is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes. Weight loss and regular physical activity both increase your cells' response to insulin.
> Reduce reliance on insulin or tablets.By increasing your insulin sensitivity, you could potentially reduce your reliance on insulin or diabetes medication- or, for some people, even get off medication altogether. (Of course, don't make any
changes without your doctor's approval.) Slash your heart disease risk. People with diabetes have a significantly increased risk of dying from a heart attack. By losing weight, getting more exercise and eating more fish and other heart-healthy foods, you could slash your risk of a heart attack.
> Feel terrific!
If you pursue the prescriptions in Living Well with Diabetes, you can expect to increase your energy levels, tone your muscles, trim your waistline ... and you'll feel strong and empowered in the knowledge
that you're doing everything possible to take charge of your health.