Diabetes is a complex illness and, therefore, demands a team of professionals belonging to different medical disciplines. This may include a general practitioner, diabetes specialist/educator, dietician, and fitness expert. Each one plays a defined role in the diabetes control program. The idea is not just to manage diabetes but to reverse the same if possible. People with diabetes, especially those suffering from the type-2 variant, should also realise that self-monitoring and self-learning are also a part of the reversal process.
The Importance of a Diabetes Care Team
While there is no cure for diabetes, it can be managed and even reversed through clinically designed and validated programs. This is where a diabetes care team steps in, and its importance simply cannot be ignored or undermined. The team performs a thorough assessment of the patient with diabetes to make sure that a reversal program will actually work. This includes identifying potential people with diabetes who have a fairly low HbA1c, typically less than 9%, and a manageable BMI. The team also looks into age and motivational factors. Younger people with greater motivation stand a better chance of reversing type-2 diabetes.
Diabetes Diagnosis and Initial Consultation
Diabetes is caused due to metabolic disorders, which result in sugar build-up. Metabolic disorder typically reduces the secretion of insulin, or the body forms resistance to the efficient use of this hormone. Either way, it results in perpetual hyperglycemia. Your doctor will suggest a simple lab test if he suspects diabetes after the initial examination/consultation. If the result is positive, your medical supervisor will then follow the standard guidelines/procedures stipulated by local and international bodies to reverse insulin resistance.
Personalized Treatment Plans
As a person with type-2 diabetes looking to reverse your condition, you should be aware that you need to fulfil certain criteria. Once your suitability is ascertained, your doctor, in tandem with a dietician and fitness expert, will develop a personalized treatment plan, including optimising food, designing workout regimes, etc. For successful reversal, your HbA1c should be less than 6.5%, and it should remain below this value for 6 months without medication. While your diet will include minimum carbs, your workout will most probably revolve around a combination of aerobics and strength training.
Medications and Insulin Management
People with diabetes begin their journey by consuming medicines or insulin shots, depending on the doctor’s recommendation. Either way, it is a long, costly, and overwhelming medical affair. Therefore, many diabetes experts and educators tend to offer an alternative method to address this illness, i.e. reverse type 2 diabetes. And one of them is a lifestyle change. Remember, medication and insulin will only help you manage, but changing your lifestyle along with exercise will reverse your illness.
Continuous Monitoring and Adjustments
Apart from regular workouts, another lifestyle change that your medical team will suggest is a diet tweak. This may include portion control or reducing the frequency of food intake. Either way, it helps reduce fasting insulin levels. It is a crucial indicator, a marker that signals a reduction in insulin resistance and, thereby, remission of type-2 diabetes. Your team will also prescribe a glucometer for frequent tests or CGM for continuous monitoring. The standard period for a diabetes reversal program is a minimum of 6 months, and the maximum depends on the concerned individual’s medical condition and discipline. In a recent survey, participants managed to reduce their fasting insulin levels by over 15% through calorie restriction.
Nutrition and Dietary Guidance
Your diabetes reversal medical team will develop a diet plan that is optimised in terms of calories, especially those that are carbohydrate-based. The idea is to keep the consumption of carbs between 150 grams to 200 grams. Your program will also include fruits and vegetables, along with micro-nutrients found in eggs, pulses, and beans. Healthy fats are key components of nutrition and dietary plans, which will invariably find their place in your diet chart. As mentioned above, your diabetes educator may opt for a reduced frequency of food intake or reduced carb intake, depending on how you respond to these options. This program is perfect for reversing pre-diabetes / diabetes.
Physical Activity and Exercise Prescriptions
Physical activities will invariably become an essential part of your diabetes reversal program. This is where the role of medical professionals in diabetes reversal becomes apparent. Your team will create exercise routines that complement your inherent physical attributes. This may include 150 minutes of workout every week or 30 minutes each day for 5 days. The idea is to build a healthy body and reduce weight. Not many know that accumulation of fat around the waist results in type-2 diabetes, and therefore, it forms the main target of the diabetes reversal program. Your fitness expert will probably recommend cardio/aerobics in tandem with resistance band exercise (strength training).
Read More: Taking Charge of Your Health – The Road to Diabetes Reversal
Summing up the Role of Medical Professionals –
As a person with diabetes or someone associated with an afflicted individual, you have to understand that a diabetes control program actually works but demands discipline, lifestyle changes, and supervision by expert medical and semi-medical professionals. These experts will chalk out targeted glycaemic goals (reversal) by developing a personalised diet and exercise regimen while managing your stress levels.
