Did you know that 1 in 16 people in the UK are living with Type 2 Diabetes (According to the NHS)?
Diabetes (Type 1 and 2) is costing the NHS (and ultimately us) £10 Billion a year!
95% of those diagnosed with Diabetes have Type 2.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot effectively regulate the levels of blood sugar.
There are two types of Diabetes (although Alzheimers is now being referred to as Type 3 Diabetes); Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 Diabetes is present from birth or infancy and it is as a result of the pancreas not being able to produce the hormone Insulin and therefore the person with it is dependent of injecting Insulin into their body at regular intervals.
Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is developed as we get older and is not insulin dependent. With type 2 diabetes the pancreas is still able to produce insulin, although often in reduced amounts, but the insulin is being ignored by the cells.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is mainly a disease caused by poor dietary and lifestyle habits and it develops over the course of many years. People often don’t know they have Type 2 Diabetes until long after they have been having the symptoms.
In North Finchley and Barnet, Type 2 Diabetes is a fairly common condition and one that we see here in the clinic all the time. This is probably because the main demographic of people we see are in their 40’s or above, either working or retired and have lived for many years being able to enjoy their lifestyle, food and family, but unfortunately this enjoyment has also over time caused some cellular changes. which have led to the onset of Insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes.
So How Are We Helping Type 2 Diabetics in North Finchley?
Testing
The first thing we do is assess where they are at.
To do this we ask them to get their blood sugar levels and Haemoglobin A1c levels (HbA1c) tested. HbA1c is a measure of how much sugar the blood has been exposed to over the last three months. Both blood sugar and HbA1c give us a good indicator of how advanced someone’s insulin resistance of T2D is before we start working with them. These tests can either be performed using blood tests organised through us or through your GP.
Other tests that are useful include Cholesterol tests and also Inflammatory Markers. This is because with insulin resistance and T2D there are high levels of inflammation caused by high sugar levels, and this high inflammation causes damage to cells and other structures around the body. Any time there is damage around the body, your inflammation is elevated and so is your cholesterol.
Case History
Once we have a snapshot of where our client is, we then take a thorough case history to find out WHY this person developed their T2D to begin with. We want to know if it was due to poor lifestyle and food choices or whether there are other underlying causes that haven’t been picked up on yet.
This case history helps us to understand a person and what approach will work with them to get their best results.
The Plan
In most cases, T2D is improvable on the basis that the damage done isn’t permanent.
Depending on the extent of a person’s insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes, the first thing we address is their diet. We assess what they have been eating and put them on a plan that almost immediately brings their sugar levels down and reduces their levels of inflammation in their body. This also usually has a positive effect on their HDL (the “good”) and LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol levels.
Following on from diet we usually recommend specific supplements to increase their insulin sensitivity so that the cells become more receptive to allowing glucose in to the cells. Some of the supplements we recommend are also effective in reducing inflammation and therefore also help to reduce the LDL cholesterol and raise the HDL cholesterol.
Lastly we design an exercise plan for each individual. Exercise has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity on the cell walls of the muscle cells. This is great because it allows more glucose to flow into the cells and out of the blood.
Once our patients have been following this plan, we usually re-test three months after they first start. In many cases this is enough time to significantly reduce their diabetes markers, and in some individuals who were at the initial phase of Type 2 Diabetes, it is enough to bring them back into normal ranges.
Does The Plan Work For Everyone?
Type 2 Diabetes could be described as a disease of habit, inactivity and indulgence. For many individuals, their Type 2 Diabetes doesn’t seem serious enough to justify making some life changing changes and therefore are too stubborn to do what is needed to bring them back to normal.
For these individuals if they don’t want to improve their condition then they won’t. We can’t force people to make the changes, they have to want to do that themselves.
If each individual was willing to put in the required effort then the plan will in many cases improve their condition significantly.
We cannot guarantee specific results or that any individual will achieve any result.
If You Have Type 2 Diabetes Here’s What You Should Do Now
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, or you think you might be on the path to it, then you should be doing something about it.
Book a consultation with us today to get you back on the road to a normal and healthy blood sugar regulation.
Call today on 0203 356 7060
or email us at info@precisionwellbeing.co.uk
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee specific results and results may vary from person to person. We are not claiming to be able to cure type 2 diabetes. You should consult your GP before starting any new diet or exercise programme.