The following will require a great deal of discipline and perseverance, but I have done this for many years and unlike most of my age cohort, I'm quite healthy and not even pre-diabetic.
Hit the gym or do some vigorous exercise 5 days a week. Aerobics and weight lifting. Start light, and gradually work your way up to longer aerobic exercises and greater weights. I row for aerobics, 20 minutes a day, and get my heart rate up for that prolonged, uninterrupted length of time. It improves heart function. Weight lifting improves bones, muscles, and joints... but again, start low and work up to heavier weights over time. Allow two days per week off to let your body recuperate.
Eat right -- start eating more salads, fish and meat are OK in moderation, and GREATLY reduce sugar intake (or eliminate it if possible) and processed foods. Shop around the perimeter of the store where produce and the more healthy foods are.
I haven't had any alcohol for 36 years now, and my life is incredibly better. Smoking is completely out, and I never did it.
In my experience, very very few people ever follow this advice, and it takes a lot of discipline to stick with it. But hey, we're just talking about living longer and healthier, so it's up to your friend.
My doctor tells me that I am his healthiest patient, especially considering my age. So this pays off.
Good advice. I think cutting out almost all sources of carbohydrates is called for. That means anything made with wheat, rice, etc. Cane sugar and corn syrup are out of the question. All natural ingredients only. No "diet soda" unless it is a specialty item made with stevia. A bit of fruit each day is probably okay but not very much. Base the diet on meat and salad.
Right, don't even think about cutting the fat off the steak. Fat has some 2 1/2 times the energy of carbs without the insulin spike and blood sugar crash.
Actually look at the numbers and it's not as insanely loaded as a soda or piece of cake, especially when you take fiber into account. They also make a lot of reduced carb breads and bagels and such now.
Also hunter gathers had to walk everywhere and carry everything themselves so it's an inaccurate comparison, their TDEE was insane compared to modern people.
hey Luv - recommend a keto diet and exercise to your friend. Its a lifestyle change and the first weekend his/her brain won’t work because of the low carb adjustments (ask me how I know lol)
The whole "keto flu" is skippable when carbs are gradually reduced for the first couple weeks instead of going cold turkey plus assistance from MCT oil and exogenous BHB to kickstart ketosis. My shift into ketosis was quite easy and painless using that strategy.
Those BHB salts also help with the electrolyte loss that is a major cause of the "flu". Even after the transition you'll need to maintain a high sodium diet as without the carbs you'll piss out your electrolytes faster from not retaining water for as long as normal.
Watch Dr. Ken Berry on youtube. He is an advocate for the Carnivore diet. Pretty good reasoning behind his recommendations, too. Maybe even give Dr. Eric Berg and watch, also.
Keto or Paleo diet and stick to it. Start taking Nascent Iodine.
Everything that contains processed flour has to be avoided. Even fruits like grapes, oranges, bananas, and water melon must be avoided. They process straight to glucose.
I have fought this battler for several years, and it is damned hard to be good all the time, but if you check your blood sugar regularly and watch what you have been eating you can learn which foods are giving you to much of a spike.
Type 1 diabetes is worse than type2. Pancreas is basically dead and produces no insulin , making you completely insulin dependent. Type 2 is more manageable with proper diet and exercise, staying away from raw sugars. My son has type 1 and my dad has type 2. My son is the first person in my family to be diagnosed with type 1.
Carnivore diet. My wife is a diabetic and had high A1C. We went on the carnivore diet and 4 months later went back for our blood work. Our doctor thought he had the wrong results because our blood work came out as perfect as possible. Her A1C looked like an athletes and she is 52 years old and a bit on the heavy side(like i am). Carnivore is such a great cleanse diet/lifestyle. Meat, eggs, cheese, and some milk here and there. Cut out EVERYTHING else. Get that sugar intake to 0. He will feel amazing
The hardest thing to start and maintain is a diet. The first thing your body looks for is an energy source. Sugar in any form is hard as hell to give up but if your'e serious about health that is the starting point. Carbs are the next easiest source because they convert to glucose very quickly. Potatoes, bread and pasta are also hard to give up. At one time I gave it all up and became a vegan only to find I was becoming malnourished. My teeth and energy levels suffered. I lost weight but wasn't very healthy. Your body needs a source of energy and vegetables just don't cut it. I still eat vegetables but am very picky which ones because of natural oxalates that build up in your system. I began a carnivore journey and lost 20 lbs in one month. Your microbiome flips and your body converts animal fat to that energy your body needs. Your brain is made of 60% cholesterol so animal fats are very important. When you have inflammation anywhere in your body your brain sends
cholesterol as a repair mechanism. It shouldn't be used as a marker for heart disease. inflammation however should be used. I avoid all foods that cause inflammation. I stay away from seed oils like the plague because of the inflammation factor. I only use ghee, beef tallow or butter for frying. If you feel you need olive oil for a salad it should be pure which may or may not be hard to find. All processed grains in cereals and breads could be tested for herbicides and pesticides and be found positive. glyphosate and atrazine are used which can wreak havoc on your hormones and microbiome. Eat only organic and check sources. Seems like a lot of trouble but health and well being is worth it.
It's not your gut microbiome doing it. You have two types of mitochondria, those that specialize in burning glucose and those that specialize in burning fatty acids. If you've mostly run on carbs your whole life you'll have little of the later and it takes some time for your body to make more of them. Ketones from the liver are a signal to your cells to fire up that dormant molecular machinery hence why ketone production falls off after you become fat-adapted. Then you can maintain flexibility by alternating between carbs and fats to keep yourself in hybrid fuel mode.
I am not a doctor but, according to my search engine (!) we have only one type of mitochondria but they can run on different fuels depending upon circumstances. It said:
Mitochondria do not specialize in burning either glucose or fatty acids, but instead can switch between the two fuels depending on the body's needs:
Mitochondrial machinery - The machinery in mitochondria that burns carbon can switch between glucose and fat oxidation based on the body's nutritional and physiological needs.
Phosphorylation - A reversible modification called phosphorylation can change the organization of the electron transport chain (ETC) to make it burn fatty acids more efficiently.
Fuel adaptation - Mitochondria can adapt to use other fuel molecules, such as glucose, lactate, and ketone bodies, when needed.
OK, I am not an expert but I think if the general question is about "types of mitochondria" then there are several because they come in different shapes but if the question is "are there different mitochondria for different fuels" then I believe the answer is: no.
Is it type 1 or 2? If it's type 2, have him look up Dr. Fung on youtube. He lays it out. Basically it's keto and fasting. I personally know people who were lifted out of type 2 diabetes by following Dr. Fung's protocol. All the best to him.
Not a doctor, so FWIW. Type 2 Diabetic ~ 20 years.
A1C is a long-ish term indicator. 4-6 months I think, but not immediate like the finger sticks.
Maintaining proper blood sugar levels over the long term means more exercise (burning calories), and better/lesser eating (keto/"real" natural (not "advertised natural) and quantity restrictions.
Didn't want to start with this, but the bottom line is recovery and maintenance are straightforward but they suck. Hungry a lot. Missing out on snacking and specific snacks is brutal.
You've provided no weight info, but personally had to lose about 50 pounds. Hated every minute, but my A1C is almost non-diabetic level.
Start exercising with ANYTHING. If it's walking 1 mile per day, all he can take, then do it and maintain that level. Increase it comfortably when you can.
The change in eating habits is difficult. Did I mention it sucks? Knowing and accepting that it sucks makes it a little easier to persevere.
Do I take 'break days'? Yes. responsible and minimal. Ice cream scoop not an ice cream sundae. And rare.
Bottom line, Diabetes T2 isn't fair, but properly maintained the health and welfare goes way up living the healthier lifestyle.
65 years old, playing ice hockey once a week and scuba diving every chance I get.
I hope this helps. Oh and get a good doc who knows diabetes, like an endocrinologist for advice.
Make sure it's ceylon cinnamon though. 99.9% of the 'cinnamon' you find in grocery stores is NOT ceylon cinnamon. You'll most likely have to buy it at a health food store or online.
There are a lot of natural steps you can take to reverse type 2. It is a constant fight to maintain.
Fast 16 hours per day. Water from 7 pm to 11 am. He would need to start at 10 to 12 hours and work up to 16 over a month. Fasting gave me back the full feeling instead of eating all day long.
Greens... contain a lot of things the body needs. Broccoli contains sulphur which turns on fat burners in the body.
A switch to whole foods; steak, eggs, veggies. Whole grains.
Exercise. A bit of cardio and a bit of weight lifting. His T-Levels are probably fucked also... Weights and burning fat will fix this.
This is a slow roll on.... up ramp with caution. Fasting time should have a nutritional bar as a bail out for low blood sugar. These are the basic steps, hard to implement and maintain.
Yes, daily. First time I did this it was hard to make it to 16 hours. First goal is to establish 12. Stay on that for a week, then go 13 hours.
I went head long into 16 and at 14-15 I would get hangry. I would use 5 almonds to make it to 16 hours.
You really need to push and LISTEN to your body. I notice 2 waves of hunger happen. First wave of hunger is easy to let pass. Second wave of hunger happens about 2 hours after that. The body will adapt but don't fall down and break something due to being hyperglycemic.
I will also state that I ate 2 lunches at the start. I did not adjust my daily calorie intake. Over time my body wanted less food and calories came down.
I started taking care of my grandmother and was able to lower her A1C from 7.6 to a 5.7 in 6 months simply buy making real food and avoiding the shelf stable foods. Whole Foods are your answer. She had been taking insulin for 40 years. That did not stop but we were able to stop all her medications for diabetes outside of the long lasting and short insulin.
You need to eliminate sugar. Most important, not only for your A1C but also your general health.
You don’t have to run a marathon…even exercising moderately will improve his numbers. Does he have a blood glucose meter? Taking his blood sugar readings daily will also help. When you know your fasting and after meals readings it helps you regulate what and when you eat. I suggest seeing a dietician to get him started.
Berberine, Apple Cider Vinegar with mother, Nac, Fenugreek, gymnema sylvestre, chromium, Fiber before each meal to slow down digestion, low low carb diet, carnivore or meat & veg.
eating less carbohydrate and especially less refined sugar. Obviously, this is the healthiest method: Eat well and carefully.
taking Metformin (for type 2 diabetes in the early stages, and even for pre-diabetics). For that matter, Metformin activates AMPK, which is a boon for health in several ways, and the drug is cheap and without serious side-effects, unlike many other diabetes drugs. One study found that diabetics on Metformin OUTLIVED non-diabetics NOT taking the drug, and for that and other reasons, Metformin is currently being studied as a life extension therapy.
Taking more insulin (or begin taking it, which "advanced" type 2 diabetics often do). Insulin clears the blood of excess glucose, much of which in turn is basically turned into fat. You likely WILL gain weight on insulin, and it won't be the good-looking muscular kind. Injecting insulin has other downsides as well.
In my experience, almost ANY other approach is -- at best -- far less effective. Just as supplements claiming to slim you down are less effective than they sound, those that claim to lower your blood sugar are, in my experience and in the experience of others I know, at most a very minor help.
Seriously: if you want to lower your A1C, eat better.
On the other hand, to reduce organ damage and other symptoms from high blood sugar, there are several supplements that CAN be helpful.
Benfotiamine (a form of vitamin B1)
Carnosine
Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate (a form of B6)
and other supplements have been shown to protect kidneys and other organs from diabetic damage, and/or to prevent or reduce symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Taken regularly in appropriate amounts, the right supplements can dramatically slow the organ damage that diabetes otherwise inflicts, although they don't have a similarly large effect on one's A1C.
I have been taking an interest in Type 2 Diabetes recently and I have come to the conclusion that when God designed mammals he was mainly thinking about bears!
We eat food, it gets chewed up and passed into the stomach where chemicals are added then it goes to the small intestine by which time all the glucose has been extracted from the food and it is available for use. The small intestine works a bit like a "heat exchanger" but for glucose. It passes the glucose into the bloodstream.
That glucose is fuel and the brain gets first go at it. Many other cells need to be "unlocked" before they can accept the glucose fuel. The need for the "keys" is detected by the pancreas which issues the "keys". Those keys are insulin molecules. When a cell is unlocked it can accept glucose.
When no more glucose is needed it has to be removed from the bloodstream and the liver does that. If you need energy between meals the liver issues some of the glucose.
If even more food is consumed then the excess glucose is converted to fat. Remember: three meals a day is quite a modern thing. We could spend days finding the next buffalo in former times. If you have a build up of fat then it makes you insulin resistant which makes you hungrier. At that point, there is a positive feedback loop and you go into self-destruct mode: more insulin resistance, more food, more fat, less energy so more food etc. In humans, that process can advance slowly over years.
However, for bears it is a useful feature. When it starts getting cold they are somehow triggered to overeat and they pile on the pounds. I believe they can put on between ten and twenty pounds a day! The excess is stored as fat. When they start their hibernation, the body uses the fat as its energy source and that keeps them going until spring at which point they are no longer insulin resistant and they return to normal.
Maybe we should hibernate if we get fat!
The process which converts fat into glucose is called ketosis so while we think of a keto diet as a new dieting fad the bears have been doing it all along. Note, this is not medical advice because I am not qualified, but I am seriously looking into either a keto or carnivore diet to see if I can lose a few pounds in weight and inches off my waistline. I lost a couple of stones last time but I struggle to keep it going.
Not directly and I am not a doctor but we have been using palo azul tea for hydration for my son and it also improves kidney function. It looks like wood brew 2 pieces covered about 20 minutes it will turn navy blue. Dilute and drink hot or cold available at any Mexican grocer or amazon
There is a good possibility that A1C is another arbitrary number used by medical professionals. However on the carnivore diet, where zero carbs have been consumed, A1C can elevate. If it’s an indicator of carb consumption, how is this possible? Remember much of the numbers we are bludgeoned with are bunk like cholesterol, blood pressure and sodium intake.
Eat only meat and vegetables, whole fruit if you want something sweet. Cut carbs altogether, no more rice bread noodles cake pastries they turn into sugar, needless to say no more sugary foods like ice cream, high fructose corn syrup is even worse than sugar. Good luck
Great information here. My own story - doctor recommended surgery to remove 1/3 of my stomach and thereby curb grelin. I declined mutilation and did my own research. I found Dr Eric Westman and my husband and I drove from NY to Duke University in NC. This was before keto became popular. We dove in and my T2D was reversed. In the first 4 months 40 lbs melted away effortlessly - 50 for my husband. You need to commit, but it's worth it.
The following will require a great deal of discipline and perseverance, but I have done this for many years and unlike most of my age cohort, I'm quite healthy and not even pre-diabetic.
Hit the gym or do some vigorous exercise 5 days a week. Aerobics and weight lifting. Start light, and gradually work your way up to longer aerobic exercises and greater weights. I row for aerobics, 20 minutes a day, and get my heart rate up for that prolonged, uninterrupted length of time. It improves heart function. Weight lifting improves bones, muscles, and joints... but again, start low and work up to heavier weights over time. Allow two days per week off to let your body recuperate.
Eat right -- start eating more salads, fish and meat are OK in moderation, and GREATLY reduce sugar intake (or eliminate it if possible) and processed foods. Shop around the perimeter of the store where produce and the more healthy foods are.
I haven't had any alcohol for 36 years now, and my life is incredibly better. Smoking is completely out, and I never did it.
In my experience, very very few people ever follow this advice, and it takes a lot of discipline to stick with it. But hey, we're just talking about living longer and healthier, so it's up to your friend.
My doctor tells me that I am his healthiest patient, especially considering my age. So this pays off.
Good advice. I think cutting out almost all sources of carbohydrates is called for. That means anything made with wheat, rice, etc. Cane sugar and corn syrup are out of the question. All natural ingredients only. No "diet soda" unless it is a specialty item made with stevia. A bit of fruit each day is probably okay but not very much. Base the diet on meat and salad.
and fat.
Right, don't even think about cutting the fat off the steak. Fat has some 2 1/2 times the energy of carbs without the insulin spike and blood sugar crash.
Some carbs are necessary for the body to function. As in all things, moderation is key.
I don't think most people are aware of the extreme carb load in foods like bread and pasta. Has there ever been an obese hunter-gatherer?
Bagels are the worst.
Bagels are awful. They're unhealthy for you as well.
Actually look at the numbers and it's not as insanely loaded as a soda or piece of cake, especially when you take fiber into account. They also make a lot of reduced carb breads and bagels and such now.
Also hunter gathers had to walk everywhere and carry everything themselves so it's an inaccurate comparison, their TDEE was insane compared to modern people.
30 grams of carbs from bread in a sandwich is quite a lot to eat on a daily basis I think. Several times a day it verges on pancreas abuse.
If you need carbs eat beans, bananas etc. Processed wheat like pasta\bread is the devil
I agree.
Not exogenous ones….the body will make its own if it needs to.
Yeah some brain functions require glucose and can't use ketones, your body will inefficiently make glucose from protein if need be
^ This - carbs.
hey Luv - recommend a keto diet and exercise to your friend. Its a lifestyle change and the first weekend his/her brain won’t work because of the low carb adjustments (ask me how I know lol)
The whole "keto flu" is skippable when carbs are gradually reduced for the first couple weeks instead of going cold turkey plus assistance from MCT oil and exogenous BHB to kickstart ketosis. My shift into ketosis was quite easy and painless using that strategy.
Those BHB salts also help with the electrolyte loss that is a major cause of the "flu". Even after the transition you'll need to maintain a high sodium diet as without the carbs you'll piss out your electrolytes faster from not retaining water for as long as normal.
Watch Dr. Ken Berry on youtube. He is an advocate for the Carnivore diet. Pretty good reasoning behind his recommendations, too. Maybe even give Dr. Eric Berg and watch, also.
Cut out carbs increase protein. Get a constant blood glucose monitor to see what foods spike blood sugar/insulin.
He can try Berberine. This article can get him started. He is going to have to make lifestyle changes as well as taking berberine. Good luck. https://www.healthydirections.com/articles/blood-sugar/what-is-berberine-research-and-benefits
Keto or Paleo diet and stick to it. Start taking Nascent Iodine.
Everything that contains processed flour has to be avoided. Even fruits like grapes, oranges, bananas, and water melon must be avoided. They process straight to glucose.
I have fought this battler for several years, and it is damned hard to be good all the time, but if you check your blood sugar regularly and watch what you have been eating you can learn which foods are giving you to much of a spike.
Type 1 diabetes is worse than type2. Pancreas is basically dead and produces no insulin , making you completely insulin dependent. Type 2 is more manageable with proper diet and exercise, staying away from raw sugars. My son has type 1 and my dad has type 2. My son is the first person in my family to be diagnosed with type 1.
Yes and without that important info from the OP it's hard to recommend anything.
Carnivore diet. My wife is a diabetic and had high A1C. We went on the carnivore diet and 4 months later went back for our blood work. Our doctor thought he had the wrong results because our blood work came out as perfect as possible. Her A1C looked like an athletes and she is 52 years old and a bit on the heavy side(like i am). Carnivore is such a great cleanse diet/lifestyle. Meat, eggs, cheese, and some milk here and there. Cut out EVERYTHING else. Get that sugar intake to 0. He will feel amazing
Will you stay on the carnivore diet forever?
I think we are going to. There are just too many health benefits.
Do you miss fruits and veggies?
I dont. She misses fruits
I've been thinking of going paleo, but I think I need more variety. Thanks for your perspective.
Berberine and a moderated diet does wonders for the a1c, and is way preferable to things like metformin
The hardest thing to start and maintain is a diet. The first thing your body looks for is an energy source. Sugar in any form is hard as hell to give up but if your'e serious about health that is the starting point. Carbs are the next easiest source because they convert to glucose very quickly. Potatoes, bread and pasta are also hard to give up. At one time I gave it all up and became a vegan only to find I was becoming malnourished. My teeth and energy levels suffered. I lost weight but wasn't very healthy. Your body needs a source of energy and vegetables just don't cut it. I still eat vegetables but am very picky which ones because of natural oxalates that build up in your system. I began a carnivore journey and lost 20 lbs in one month. Your microbiome flips and your body converts animal fat to that energy your body needs. Your brain is made of 60% cholesterol so animal fats are very important. When you have inflammation anywhere in your body your brain sends cholesterol as a repair mechanism. It shouldn't be used as a marker for heart disease. inflammation however should be used. I avoid all foods that cause inflammation. I stay away from seed oils like the plague because of the inflammation factor. I only use ghee, beef tallow or butter for frying. If you feel you need olive oil for a salad it should be pure which may or may not be hard to find. All processed grains in cereals and breads could be tested for herbicides and pesticides and be found positive. glyphosate and atrazine are used which can wreak havoc on your hormones and microbiome. Eat only organic and check sources. Seems like a lot of trouble but health and well being is worth it.
It's not your gut microbiome doing it. You have two types of mitochondria, those that specialize in burning glucose and those that specialize in burning fatty acids. If you've mostly run on carbs your whole life you'll have little of the later and it takes some time for your body to make more of them. Ketones from the liver are a signal to your cells to fire up that dormant molecular machinery hence why ketone production falls off after you become fat-adapted. Then you can maintain flexibility by alternating between carbs and fats to keep yourself in hybrid fuel mode.
I am not a doctor but, according to my search engine (!) we have only one type of mitochondria but they can run on different fuels depending upon circumstances. It said:
There is only one type….Alexa says 4 but can’t list them. Google said one.
OK, I am not an expert but I think if the general question is about "types of mitochondria" then there are several because they come in different shapes but if the question is "are there different mitochondria for different fuels" then I believe the answer is: no.
Good information. Thank you Hopefully the rest is accurate.
Is it type 1 or 2? If it's type 2, have him look up Dr. Fung on youtube. He lays it out. Basically it's keto and fasting. I personally know people who were lifted out of type 2 diabetes by following Dr. Fung's protocol. All the best to him.
Not a doctor, so FWIW. Type 2 Diabetic ~ 20 years. A1C is a long-ish term indicator. 4-6 months I think, but not immediate like the finger sticks. Maintaining proper blood sugar levels over the long term means more exercise (burning calories), and better/lesser eating (keto/"real" natural (not "advertised natural) and quantity restrictions. Didn't want to start with this, but the bottom line is recovery and maintenance are straightforward but they suck. Hungry a lot. Missing out on snacking and specific snacks is brutal. You've provided no weight info, but personally had to lose about 50 pounds. Hated every minute, but my A1C is almost non-diabetic level. Start exercising with ANYTHING. If it's walking 1 mile per day, all he can take, then do it and maintain that level. Increase it comfortably when you can. The change in eating habits is difficult. Did I mention it sucks? Knowing and accepting that it sucks makes it a little easier to persevere. Do I take 'break days'? Yes. responsible and minimal. Ice cream scoop not an ice cream sundae. And rare. Bottom line, Diabetes T2 isn't fair, but properly maintained the health and welfare goes way up living the healthier lifestyle. 65 years old, playing ice hockey once a week and scuba diving every chance I get. I hope this helps. Oh and get a good doc who knows diabetes, like an endocrinologist for advice.
Ceylon cinnamon works for me and a friend.
Also- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/prickly-pear-cactus/faq-20057771
In Texas you can buy these in a jar. Rinse well dry and add to eggs and cheese and throw on a tortilla- delicious
You can try eating a cinnamon and honey paste every day. It may help.
Thank you. I will let him know.
Make sure it's ceylon cinnamon though. 99.9% of the 'cinnamon' you find in grocery stores is NOT ceylon cinnamon. You'll most likely have to buy it at a health food store or online.
There are a lot of natural steps you can take to reverse type 2. It is a constant fight to maintain.
Fast 16 hours per day. Water from 7 pm to 11 am. He would need to start at 10 to 12 hours and work up to 16 over a month. Fasting gave me back the full feeling instead of eating all day long.
Greens... contain a lot of things the body needs. Broccoli contains sulphur which turns on fat burners in the body.
A switch to whole foods; steak, eggs, veggies. Whole grains.
Exercise. A bit of cardio and a bit of weight lifting. His T-Levels are probably fucked also... Weights and burning fat will fix this.
This is a slow roll on.... up ramp with caution. Fasting time should have a nutritional bar as a bail out for low blood sugar. These are the basic steps, hard to implement and maintain.
Is that fasting 16 hrs per day every day?
That is what I do, only eat between noon and 8 PM. "Intermittent Fasting" is a term I hear in my circles.
Yes, daily. First time I did this it was hard to make it to 16 hours. First goal is to establish 12. Stay on that for a week, then go 13 hours.
I went head long into 16 and at 14-15 I would get hangry. I would use 5 almonds to make it to 16 hours.
You really need to push and LISTEN to your body. I notice 2 waves of hunger happen. First wave of hunger is easy to let pass. Second wave of hunger happens about 2 hours after that. The body will adapt but don't fall down and break something due to being hyperglycemic.
I will also state that I ate 2 lunches at the start. I did not adjust my daily calorie intake. Over time my body wanted less food and calories came down.
I think you mean hypoglycemic, not hyperglycemic.
Yes, and thank you.
Actually you probably want to monitor both during the day and track over time to see how fasting impacts the range.
I started taking care of my grandmother and was able to lower her A1C from 7.6 to a 5.7 in 6 months simply buy making real food and avoiding the shelf stable foods. Whole Foods are your answer. She had been taking insulin for 40 years. That did not stop but we were able to stop all her medications for diabetes outside of the long lasting and short insulin.
You need to eliminate sugar. Most important, not only for your A1C but also your general health.
All good responses here additionally, research an herb called Fenugreek.
You don’t have to run a marathon…even exercising moderately will improve his numbers. Does he have a blood glucose meter? Taking his blood sugar readings daily will also help. When you know your fasting and after meals readings it helps you regulate what and when you eat. I suggest seeing a dietician to get him started.
Berberine, Apple Cider Vinegar with mother, Nac, Fenugreek, gymnema sylvestre, chromium, Fiber before each meal to slow down digestion, low low carb diet, carnivore or meat & veg.
A1C is a measure of the average amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood over the past three months.
You can lower your A1C by
eating less carbohydrate and especially less refined sugar. Obviously, this is the healthiest method: Eat well and carefully.
taking Metformin (for type 2 diabetes in the early stages, and even for pre-diabetics). For that matter, Metformin activates AMPK, which is a boon for health in several ways, and the drug is cheap and without serious side-effects, unlike many other diabetes drugs. One study found that diabetics on Metformin OUTLIVED non-diabetics NOT taking the drug, and for that and other reasons, Metformin is currently being studied as a life extension therapy.
Taking more insulin (or begin taking it, which "advanced" type 2 diabetics often do). Insulin clears the blood of excess glucose, much of which in turn is basically turned into fat. You likely WILL gain weight on insulin, and it won't be the good-looking muscular kind. Injecting insulin has other downsides as well.
In my experience, almost ANY other approach is -- at best -- far less effective. Just as supplements claiming to slim you down are less effective than they sound, those that claim to lower your blood sugar are, in my experience and in the experience of others I know, at most a very minor help.
Seriously: if you want to lower your A1C, eat better.
On the other hand, to reduce organ damage and other symptoms from high blood sugar, there are several supplements that CAN be helpful.
and other supplements have been shown to protect kidneys and other organs from diabetic damage, and/or to prevent or reduce symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Taken regularly in appropriate amounts, the right supplements can dramatically slow the organ damage that diabetes otherwise inflicts, although they don't have a similarly large effect on one's A1C.
More information:
https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/metabolic-health/diabetes-and-glucose-control
https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/neurological/neuropathy#
I have been taking an interest in Type 2 Diabetes recently and I have come to the conclusion that when God designed mammals he was mainly thinking about bears!
We eat food, it gets chewed up and passed into the stomach where chemicals are added then it goes to the small intestine by which time all the glucose has been extracted from the food and it is available for use. The small intestine works a bit like a "heat exchanger" but for glucose. It passes the glucose into the bloodstream.
That glucose is fuel and the brain gets first go at it. Many other cells need to be "unlocked" before they can accept the glucose fuel. The need for the "keys" is detected by the pancreas which issues the "keys". Those keys are insulin molecules. When a cell is unlocked it can accept glucose.
When no more glucose is needed it has to be removed from the bloodstream and the liver does that. If you need energy between meals the liver issues some of the glucose.
If even more food is consumed then the excess glucose is converted to fat. Remember: three meals a day is quite a modern thing. We could spend days finding the next buffalo in former times. If you have a build up of fat then it makes you insulin resistant which makes you hungrier. At that point, there is a positive feedback loop and you go into self-destruct mode: more insulin resistance, more food, more fat, less energy so more food etc. In humans, that process can advance slowly over years.
However, for bears it is a useful feature. When it starts getting cold they are somehow triggered to overeat and they pile on the pounds. I believe they can put on between ten and twenty pounds a day! The excess is stored as fat. When they start their hibernation, the body uses the fat as its energy source and that keeps them going until spring at which point they are no longer insulin resistant and they return to normal.
Maybe we should hibernate if we get fat!
The process which converts fat into glucose is called ketosis so while we think of a keto diet as a new dieting fad the bears have been doing it all along. Note, this is not medical advice because I am not qualified, but I am seriously looking into either a keto or carnivore diet to see if I can lose a few pounds in weight and inches off my waistline. I lost a couple of stones last time but I struggle to keep it going.
Not directly and I am not a doctor but we have been using palo azul tea for hydration for my son and it also improves kidney function. It looks like wood brew 2 pieces covered about 20 minutes it will turn navy blue. Dilute and drink hot or cold available at any Mexican grocer or amazon
Thanks Fren.
The cause is useless extraneous carbohydrate consumption. Stop the consumption. Check out the Randle Cycle. MAHA
Nopal & grapefruit juice smoothies.
Berberine 3x a day.
Many brands are garbage. Make sure it’s a brand that has been tested and results published.
This is the most common method before metformin that bodybuilders use to fight insulin resistance from growth hormone. It works.
Below is all the don't... It is all about changing his diet. This link will give some examples of healthy things to eat. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/diabetes-meal-plan-recipes/rcs-20077150
Husband went through this last year. Had a transient ischemic attack (TIA-mini stroke) due to type 2 diabetes.
Solution: Consistent daily exercise at the gym. Cut out ALL sugars. No carb diet.
There is a good possibility that A1C is another arbitrary number used by medical professionals. However on the carnivore diet, where zero carbs have been consumed, A1C can elevate. If it’s an indicator of carb consumption, how is this possible? Remember much of the numbers we are bludgeoned with are bunk like cholesterol, blood pressure and sodium intake.
Eat only meat and vegetables, whole fruit if you want something sweet. Cut carbs altogether, no more rice bread noodles cake pastries they turn into sugar, needless to say no more sugary foods like ice cream, high fructose corn syrup is even worse than sugar. Good luck
Great information here. My own story - doctor recommended surgery to remove 1/3 of my stomach and thereby curb grelin. I declined mutilation and did my own research. I found Dr Eric Westman and my husband and I drove from NY to Duke University in NC. This was before keto became popular. We dove in and my T2D was reversed. In the first 4 months 40 lbs melted away effortlessly - 50 for my husband. You need to commit, but it's worth it.