Diabetes Symptoms &Treatment: The Best Type 2 Diabetes Diet by CT Medical Weight Loss Expert

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Diabetes defined:

Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes, is typically diagnosed in children and young adults. Approximately 5-10% of patients with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar into the energy needed for daily activities of life. Patients with Type 1 diabetes are required to check their blood sugar frequently and inject synthetic insulin to control their blood glucose (sugar) levels.

Type 2 diabetes is often referred to as Adult Onset Diabetes and Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). However, the term "Adult Onset" is not commonly used in the literature anymore, since four year-old children are now being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. When you have Type 2 diabetes your blood sugar (glucose) is out of balance for one of three reasons:

1. The pancreas may not make enough insulin

2. The insulin that the pancreas makes may not work as well as it should and the patient develops "insulin resistance."

3. The liver overproduces glucose

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes:

Type 2 diabetes can sometimes take up to ten years to develop. The cause is usually a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. The early symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include:

• Excessive thirst.

• Weight loss without dieting

• Reactive hypoglycemia (bouts of low blood sugar 2-3 hours after a carbohydrate meal with sweating, palpitations, and lightheadedness)

• Frequent urination with foaming in the toilet

• Fatigue

If you experience any of these symptoms, your physician can do some simple blood testing to see if you qualify as a Type 2 diabetic or if you are prediabetic (approaching Type 2 diabetes.).

Risk factors for prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes

• Overweight (especially mid-section fat) or obesity diabetes

• Family history of diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Low HDL (good) cholesterol and high triglycerides

• History of gestational diabetes

• High-risk ethnic group (Black, Latino, Native-American, Asian-American/Pacific Islander.)

Diagnosis of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes

Normal blood glucose (fasting): < 100 mg/dl

Prediabetes(fasting): > 100 mg/dl but less than 126 mg/dl

Diabetes (fasting): > 126 mg/dl on two separate occasions or any random (non-fasting) blood glucose above 200 mg/dl

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes

• Obesity

• Nerve disease

• Heart disease

• Kidney disease

• Eye disease

Treatment of type 2 diabetes:

The best type 2 diabetes diet is one that will help you maintain a healthy body weight, keep your blood glucose levels in a healthy range, and lower your blood fat levels (triglycerides.) Some diets that have had some measure of success include Atkins diet and South Beach Diet. However, 95% of self-dieters fail and although the diet may be good in theory, it requires accountability and medical monitoring.

In our clinic, we choose to use the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) protocol which is a medically-supervised plan that uses pharmaceutical-grade, commercially prepared, protein products and store-bought food to promote rapid weight loss. Patients on our VLCD usually consume about 800 calories per day.

The benefits of a VLCD for type 2 diabetics are as follows:

1. Safe weight loss (weekly medical visits with labs and vital signs)

2. Effective weight loss (3.5-4.5 pounds per week, which is very motivating)

3. Medically-Supervised (we can track your blood sugar on a regular basis and take many patients off of their diabetes medications in a short period of time.)

In summary, the VLCD is considered the most aggressive medically-supervised weight loss protocol available. Whether you are prediabetic or a type 2 diabetic, the VLCD is a great way to control your weight and blood sugars without the use of medications.

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