The reason why we eat is to fuel our bodies with energy. With that in mind, it becomes painfully obvious that many of us eat for other reasons. People eat because they are bored, nervous, celebrating, depressed, or maybe because the food just tastes good.
This over reliance on food is a modern day problem. When one thinks back to our ancestors, food wasn't always available. Plus, the food eaten was not processed with high amounts of fat and sugar. Hunters would go on a feast or famine mentality depending on how well the hunt went on a particular day. The wealthy, however, had plenty of food at their disposal. This is why Diabetes has been know as the disease of kings. While the peasants starved, royalty over ate. Diabetes is a problem from over
When one eats, food enters the blood stream as sugar energy for the cells to use. In response, the pancreas secretes insulin to alert the cells that energy is on the way. If the energy is needed to help with our active life styles, great. The hungry cells welcome the sugar into their midsts. However, too many times we're sitting on the sofa munching M & Ms.
In the case of overeating with a lack of movement, the cells do not need the energy, so they tell the sugar with its insulin guiding friends to, "Get lost." The sugar is stuck wondering in the bloodstream doing damage to the small vessels connected to eyes, kidneys, and nerve endings in fingers and toes.
After repeated patterns of eating without activity, the cells start to resist the insulin trying to force energy, that they didn't need before, into them. It's kinda like your Jewish Mama continually telling you to eat when you're not hungry. After awhile you resist. The problem, however, is there is not a clear understanding of when energy is indeed needed for the cells. They've resisted so much, that they keep resisting, and voila, Type 2 Diabetes.
The problem with this disease is that even though plenty of sugar exists in the bloodstream, the cells are starving and asking for food. With that message loud and clear, the Diabetic will often worsen the situation by eating to try to solve the hunger.
I've been working on this by trying to eat healthy, low carb, and low fat meals. My fasting blood sugar has come down. My doctor wants it under 100, which has not happened, yet, but I'm getting better. Plus, I've lost about twenty pounds since January.
Also, I think I get this exercise stuff, too. Exercise gets those cells to open the doors to allow the insulin carrying sugar to enter. I think of it as a type of retraining the cells. It's important to let them know that they must let the insulin bring sugar in to give them nutrients. If they are kept active, they will open their doors to the sugar. One afternoon, I blew it and ate the delicious cheese cake at a luncheon. I knew immediately that I had a sugar high, so I did ten minutes of nonstop running. I felt better and when I checked my blood sugar, it was not through the roof. However, I don't want to try that again.
Controlling or preventing Diabetes is a life long process, but I think I'm on my way back to good health. Although I've lost weight, since my diagnosis in January, I still have a ways to go. Being overweight also makes it harder for the cells to allow insulin to do its job, but I'm not clear on why that is yet. I'll let you know after I read more of The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle by Franklin House, Stuart Seale, and Ian Newman. I've read plenty of internet articles, but this is the first source that has spelled it out this clearly as to why my body has gone awol.
