Sugar and Type 2 Diabetes
Walk into nearly any grocery store and you’ll see shelves filled with candy that many people now see and think of sugar and type 2 diabetes.
Why? Because it touches all of us. In 1990, less than 5% of the population had diabetes. Now, it is more than 10%, with another 1 in 3 being diagnosed as pre-diabetic.
Why are Sugar and Type 2 Diabetes talked about together?
Much of the food that you eat is turned into glucose for your body to use as energy. After a meal, your pancreas produces the hormone insulin which helps the glucose, or sugar, move from your bloodstream into the cells in your body where it can be used for energy.
When you have diabetes, your body either does not make enough insulin or it cannot use the insulin that it produces. The result is a buildup of glucose or sugar in the bloodstream.
High levels of blood sugar cause extensive damage in the body such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and even amputations. Adults with diabetes are twice as likely to die early as those without diabetes.
What is the Connection?
The connection between sugar and Type 2 diabetes is simple: the more sugar you eat, the harder your pancreas has to work to produce insulin and keep your blood sugar within a safe range.
But the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin are the only cells in your body that actually wear out from use. If you overwork them, they will eventually cease to perform in a way that can keep up with the demand.
Your body can also become resistant to the insulin that your pancreas produces. The more resistant your cells become to insulin, the more your pancreas has to make in order to have an effect.
When these situations develop, you have Type 2 diabetes.
Prevention
The good news is that Type 2 diabetes is preventable by adopting a healthy lifestyle. If you already have Type 2 diabetes, you can do much to control it naturally.
The best strategy is to keep your weight within normal range, eat a healthy diet full of whole foods, very little sugar, and exercise at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week. You can choose foods that are tasty but low in sugar, like Catalyst Meal Replacement Bars.
These simple lifestyle changes are the enemies of Type 2 diabetes.
Choose future health over present pleasure. Enjoy one or two treats, and then stop. It’s not worth the price you will pay later.
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