Type 1 Diabetes • Type I.5 Diabetes (Autoimmune) • Type 2 diabetes • Type II diabetes (dementia) • Hypoglycemia • Hyperglycemia • Reactive Hypoglycemia
Low physical activity levels, bad food habits, environmental pollutants, smoking, sleep duration, and built environments have all been shown to be associated with increased diabetes risk. 1 But don't assume that you will always need to rely on medications to balance your blood sugar. A functional medicine plan addresses specific modifiable factors that affect blood sugar levels, giving you a renewed hope for the future.
Knowledge of these factors is important, as they are notably modifiable. A functional medicine approach can help control glycemic indices, and it may also help reduce many related health issues. For some patients, exercise and nutrition interventions may outperform medications.
0%
of the populationhas prediabetes. 2
People with impaired glucose tolerance can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by
0%
through exercise and weight loss. 3
It's predicted that one third of U.S. adults will have diabetes by the year
2050
4
Not only is it a challenge to stay current with diabetes treatments and insulin management, but the complications of diabetes can lead to a variety of serious health concerns. Functional medicine helps you take a proactive approach to regain control of your health once again.
- https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/66/6/1432
- https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-exercise-when-you-have-diabetes
- https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html
"Every day is another chance to get stronger, to eat better, to live healthier, and to be the best version of you."
Our Approach
By working closely with a functional medicine provider, you can manage your blood sugar through six key factors in your lifestyle:
Physical Activity & Exercise:
Moving your body is an essential step in processing blood sugar. When the muscles are working, the cells can use the glucose for energy, which reduces the need for insulin to manage blood sugar levels.
Diet & Nutrition:
Each bite you take can cause your blood sugar to spike and crash, depending on your food choices. Sugar, refined ingredients, and highly processed foods result in chronic inflammation. Over time, it leads to insulin resistance. Switch to whole foods, reduce carbs, and increase fiber and clean protein to balance blood sugar – giving your body the building blocks it needs to heal. Healthy food choices help to improve gut health, which has a direct connection to blood sugar balance.
Sleep
Sleep is not only healing, but this is a critical time when the body needs to do the "cleanup" work at the end of each day. The less sleep you get, the more the blood sugar levels rise. When you aren't sleeping enough, hormones and blood sugar are affected. Regulating your sleep habits is a key component for improving blood sugar management.
Stress Reduction & Mental Health:
Stress elevates your body's cortisol levels, which causes blood sugar to increase. Chronic stress means that your cortisol levels are always high, which results in the body being in a "fight or flight" response. Managing mental health and addressing the stress help to resolve these elevated blood sugar levels.
Harmful Substance Reduction:
Harmful substances, like drug and alcohol use, can turn blood sugar complications into life-threatening conditions. For example, the carbohydrates in beer and wine are broken down into glucose, which causes blood sugar levels to increase rapidly. Cutting out these substances can directly impact blood sugar, helping you avoid complications related to diabetes.
Healthy Relationships:
Quality relationships can indeed keep us healthier and happier. Connection is an important factor in reducing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Good relationships can add years to your life by improving overall health.
Our goal is to reframe healthcare, helping patients overcome chronic illnesses by getting to the root cause of disease. Even small lifestyle changes can have a notable effect on overall health. Diabetes, insulin resistance, and hypoglycemia aren't the cause of a blood sugar problem. Instead, blood sugar issues are the symptom of the disease.
It's time to address the root of the problem so that you can start feeling better.
Blood Sugar-Immune Connection
People with diabetes tend to be more susceptible to infections because of how blood sugar issues affect immune response. When the blood sugar levels are imbalanced, it can interfere with the natural infection control functions in the immune system – making it harder for white blood cells to be sent to the site of the infection. Functional Medicine addresses the root of blood sugar issues, which also helps to improve immune response.
Blood Sugar-Thyroid Connection
Changes in thyroid hormone levels can contribute to metabolic abnormalities, and blood sugar issues can take a toll on thyroid function. It’s essential to understand this connection because the key to healing is found in a holistic approach that addresses insulin resistance and thyroid balancing. Functional Medicine focuses on the underlying causes, helping to balance hormones and reduce glucose level fluctuations.
Blood Sugar-Hormone Connection
If you are experiencing hormone imbalances, then blood sugar regulation is likely playing a role. It’s a two-way relationship: glucose and insulin affect hormones, and hormone issues can increase the risk of insulin resistance. The benefit of Functional Medicine is that both blood sugar and hormones are balanced together, using a holistic approach that addresses whole-body systems.
Blood Sugar-Stress Connection
Whether you turn to emotional eating to manage chronic stress or an acutely stressful situation occurs, blood sugar levels change within the body. A stress response causes insulin levels to fall, adrenaline levels to rise, and more glucose to be released for the liver – preparing the body for “fight or flight.” It’s important to reestablish balance through Functional Medicine, helping to minimize the long-term effects of stress and elevated blood sugar.
It's possible to balance your blood sugar without medication!
Schedule an appointment with our experienced team to learn more about how you can benefit from functional medicine.