Madison Diabetes Help: Best Type 2 Diabetes Management

Type 2 diabetes is on the rise at an alarming rate in America today. It is estimated that 29 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population currently have diabetes. What is also frightening is that 8 million, or 28% of these folks are unaware of their condition. The bad news is that type 2 diabetes that is left undiagnosed or unmanaged can lead to other severe health conditions such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and strokes. 

Type 2 diabetes, which used to be known as an adult onset disease, is also becoming more and more prevalent in our children. In 2008-2009, 18,000 people under the age of twenty had diabetes. Compared with 208,000 people below the age of twenty who currently have it now, we can safely call this disease an epidemic. The good news is that with the right care and guidance type 2 diabetes can be effectively managed.

The first step to gaining control of your diabetes is to find the right practitioner to work with. When you visit your traditional practitioner they will typically advise you to lose weight and follow a standard diabetic diet. The problem with this approach is that not all nutrition and exercise program are created equal, just as no two patients are alike. For example, if you have sensitivities to the foods allowed on the standard diabetic diet, you will create inflammation in your body when you eat these foods. Inflammation can actually contribute to your diabetes and make you feel worse. 

Your traditional practitioner may recommend medication to help regulate your blood sugar. The problem with medication is that it’s not alleviating the root cause of why your blood sugar is high in the first place. Instead it’s masking symptoms and covering the underlying problem. Believe it or not, every person has different causes for their diabetes, and unfortunately a “one size fits all” approach to diabetes care rarely achieves the results that patients are looking for.

Functional medicine providers are taking a new approach to working with patients with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. They evaluate the body as an entire operating system rather than focusing on isolated symptoms. By looking at the complete picture, they’re able to determine where imbalances are occurring in your body that may be contributing to your diabetes. After pinpointing the imbalances, they’re able to create customized care plans for patients that are based on their individual needs rather than a standard protocol for care that may not be effective for everyone. 

If you or a loved one suffers from type 2 diabetes, know that there is hope for you to learn how to effectively manage your condition and reclaim your health. Take the time to learn how a functional medicine doctor may be able to help you. 

-Dr. Ashley Woyak, Forward Natural Medicine