Up to 95% of the 38 million women, men, and children with diabetes in the United States have Type 2 diabetes. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition, Type 2 diabetes is driven by lifestyle factors.
If you’ve developed Type 2 diabetes, you can reverse many of the conditions and processes that caused it. By doing that, you can also reverse your Type 2 diabetes, which prevents its progression and complications.
The disease can’t be cured, but if you maintain your new lifestyle, you shouldn’t have symptoms anymore.
Kimberly Bolling, MD, is a caring and expert clinician who has years of experience helping women and men control and even reverse Type 2 diabetes. At our offices in Bowie, Maryland, she makes sure you have a precise diagnosis and then customizes a treatment plan.
Can you reverse your Type 2 diabetes? With careful adherence to lifestyle changes and regular medical checkups, you may be able to keep Type 2 diabetes at bay. Here’s how.
Probably the most disheartening change that’s recommended to reverse Type 2 diabetes is to lose excess weight. You’ve probably tried many times over the years to do just that.
If excess fat contributes to your diabetes, Dr. Bolling may recommend medically supervised weight loss and management to give you a jump-start and keep you on track as you change other lifestyle factors.
The good news is, many of the other recommended changes will naturally make losing weight easier.
Put the days of adopting the latest fad diet far behind you. Dieting sets your body on a cycle of starvation and fat retention that can lead you to gain more weight than you lose — over and over again.
Instead, Dr. Bolling helps you adopt a whole new attitude toward food that introduces new tastes, flavors, and textures into your diet. For life.
Although you may eventually have to give up many familiar and “comfort” foods, you replace them with delicious alternatives that give your organs the energy and nutrients they need to stay healthy. You may be advised to add in more:
If you miss the convenience of fast foods or processed meals from the grocery store, Dr. Bolling may recommend healthy meal plans. She also makes sure you’re not sensitive to foods such as gluten that could cause inflammation or weight gain.
If the idea of going to the gym makes your eyes cross, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to get active and stay active that don’t require workout clothes.
Add more activity into your life whenever you can, such as taking stairs instead of elevators and parking farther from your destination than usual.
You can also find creative, fun ways to keep on the go to get your daily dose of “exercise.” Either as a solo or with a “workout buddy,” consider new ways of moving, such as:
Active muscles take in glucose more readily than sedentary muscles do. This helps to keep the glucose in your cells and out of your bloodstream.
Your body needs sleep to produce hormones, including insulin. It also needs sleep to remove toxins from your body, repair cells, and create new cells.
If you have trouble sleeping, let Dr. Bolling know. Especially if you snore, you could have a sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to weight gain that contributes to Type 2 diabetes. Develop better sleep hygiene by adopting habits such as:
If you awaken in a drowsy state or feel tired throughout the day, Dr. Bolling may recommend a sleep study to evaluate you for sleep apnea. Treatment could be through a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that keeps you breathing so you can sleep without interruption.
Are you committed to managing or even reversing your Type 2 diabetes? Get the help and customized treatment recommendations you need by calling our office at 301-352-0090. Or simply request an appointment online today.
