Madison Diabetes Help: Can Eating Habits Affect Type 2 Diabetes?

You may have received dietary recommendations from your health care practitioner if you have type 2 diabetes, or if you’re pre-diabetic. But did you know that the food you eat has a profound impact on your insulin levels? Dietary decisions aren’t simply a matter of what you ‘should do’ as a diabetic. It’s a matter of what you must do if you want to regain your health and avoid serious and even devastating complications. 

Diabetes and pre-diabetes are not one-way streets. This is very good news for diabetics, as it means much can be done to make a complete turn around and head back towards good health. Best of all, it’s within your own power to bring about that reversal, to a large degree by developing better eating habits. 

The Role of Processed Foods

Most people have a general sense that processed foods and fast foods aren’t good for their health. But did you know it isn’t just because they tend to promote weight gain? In fact, these types of foods are inflammatory, and inflammation can directly cause insulin resistance. Inflammation can also increase your cortisol levels, which increases blood sugar levels. Processed foods are a major contributing factor to the development of diabetes. You can decide to make eating more unprocessed, healthy foods a major player in its reversal. 

Food Allergies and Sensitivities

Like processed foods, consuming foods you are allergic or sensitive to will cause an inflammatory and immune response in your body. As mentioned above with processed foods, this causes insulin resistance. You may know you’re allergic to peanuts if you break out in hives when you eat them. But most people are unaware they’re consuming foods they are sensitive to every day. Comprehensive food sensitivity testing can help you break out of habitually eating foods that are exacerbating your condition. 

Meal Size and Frequency

Do you skip breakfast or other meals? Are you in the habit of consuming most of your calories and nutrition from one large meal a day? Failing to eat regularly and consuming large amounts of food in one sitting can directly contribute to blood sugar and insulin spikes. Help your health as a diabetic by consuming smaller meals more frequently to help keep your blood sugar balanced. 

A Personalized Approach

Nearly all healthcare practitioners agree on the importance of avoiding processed foods if you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic. Yet, there is a great deal of conflicting information about the best diet for diabetics, even among top nutritional and medical experts. 

One way to determine which diet is best for you is to opt for a personalized approach to eating based on in depth consideration of your condition. A functional medicine provider is an excellent choice for help in managing diabetes and pre-diabetes through diet and other safe, natural therapies and interventions. Functional medicine emphasizes whole body health and patient-focused, customized care. Working with a functional medicine doctor you can discover the very best ways to develop eating habits that support your optimal health today and in the long term. 

-Dr. Ashley Woyak, Forward Natural Medicine