Type 2 diabetes is often considered a chronic condition with no cure. Recently though, medical exerts have begun to investigate whether or not it is possible to cure or reverse the negative effects of the disease with lifestyle changes. Some doctors found patients were able to reverse their condition when they improved their diet and added healthy activities into their lives. In some cases, patients stabilised their glucose levels to a point where they were no longer considered diabetic.
Reversing type 2 diabetes requires severe lifestyle changes. Some people even choose to undergo bariatric surgery to improve accomplish the necessary degree of weight loss, but there are many risks involved, as there are with all surgical procedures. Others were able to accomplish the same health improvements without surgery. What did they do?
Reduced Calorie Diet
Reducing the number of calories you eat on a daily basis helps you lose weight. Even without any other lifestyle changes, reducing your caloric intake by about 10-20% is enough to achieve significant weight loss. Keep in mind that reversing type 2 diabetes through reducing caloric intake is not a diet. If you view it as a temporary solution until you meet a goal weight, your success will be limited. You must commit to eating the proper amount of calories each day to maintain your ideal weight. The food must also be healthy and nutritious.
Veganism
Some type 2 diabetics find the best way to ensure their diet is healthy and nutritious is by adhering to a vegan eating plan. Vegans eat only foods that do not come from animals. In addition to no meat, they also forgo dairy, most bakery items, and anything that contains anything that comes from an animal source. In some cases, vegans formally diagnosed with type 2 diabetes stabilized their glucose levels to a point where they were no longer considered diabetic. Health experts believe this is because veganism naturally results in an increase in soluble fiber because a person has limited food choices According to a study published in the May 2000 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, fiber improves glycemic control and decreases a hyper response to insulin. When food choices are limited and vegetable and legume intake increased, it has a positive effect on blood sugar levels.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to manage and reverse type 2 diabetes. Exercise allows your body to burn off excess glycogen so it is not converted to sugar, so blood sugar levels remain in proper balance. This means your organs experience less damage and can begin to heal in a healthy environment.
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Research has shown the body responds to positive lifestyle changes, even after types 2 diabetes is diagnosed. In addition to blood sugar levels changing in response to a vegan diet that is low in fat, the complications associated with diabetes also vanish. People with symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, kidney disorders, and sexual dysfunction related to diabetes even report a complete reversal of those issues. An official cure for diabetes might be just out of our reach, but many have found a way to reverse the damage caused by their disease and live a life free of type 2 diabetes.