Diabetes Awareness Month
Did you know roughly 1.6 million people in America have Type 1 Diabetes and about 37 million people have Type 2 Diabetes?
Now that’s a lot of people struggling with the same thing!
Do you know the differences between Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes?
Type 1 Diabetes is genetic, meaning that those who are affected by it are born with it.
Type 2 Diabetes takes time to develop and evolves based on our eating habits.
Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy.
Type 1 Diabetes causes your immune system to attack and destroy the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that let’s blood sugar into the cells in your body for use as energy. Unfortunately, Type 1 diabetes requires constant management and consistent treatment. Currently, there is no cure for Type 1 Diabetes, but it is treatable and many people live healthy lives with this disease. Researchers are exploring possible cures and alternative treatment options.
Type 2 Diabetes develops from poor eating habits and therefore, is generally preventable. You can start preventing Type 2 Diabetes by eating properly and regularly exercising. If you are already at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, losing weight and keeping it off can decrease your risk.
Losing weight is one thing, but learning to keep it off can be a difficult and daunting task. Reaching out to a professional will make this easier. Find a health coach who is local to you and see if they can assist you in your health journey.
Stress is a factor for many illnesses, including type 2 diabetes. For some of us, stress is someone we know very well, and eliminating it from our lives can seem impossible. Lowering it step-by-step will make this less intimidating. You can start by setting a regular sleep schedule and removing screens from at least an hour before sleep.
Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy, it occurs when your body cannot make enough insulin while pregnant. Every year, between 2% and 10% of pregnancies within the U.S. develop gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes can occur if your body doesn’t make enough insulin during your pregnancy.
During pregnancy, your body will go through many changes including increased hormones and weight gain. These changes are a factor in developing gestational diabetes and can then cause your body’s cells to use insulin less effectively, and you could develop a condition called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance increases your body’s need for insulin.
You can lower your risk of developing gestational diabetes before becoming pregnant by losing eight and being regularly active. It is not recommended to try and lose weight if you already are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about what treatment would be safe for you and your baby. If eating healthy and being active is not enough to manage your blood sugar then your doctor may prescribe medication.
Resources:
Diabetes Educator Tools-and-Resources
If you want more guidance, or simply want more accountability with an expert in the field then get on our waitlist to meet with a functional medicine practitioner!
In health,
The Shore Integrative Health Team
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The Shore Integrative Health Team
(443) 339-9713
kristin@shoreintegrativehealth.com
508 Idlewild Avenue, Unit 5
Easton, MD 21601