Development of Insulin Resistance
This form of diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the proper metabolism of sugar in the body. In a healthy body, sugar is easily taken into the bloodstream and the hormone Insulin carries it into organs and muscles.
If the diet consists of a large amount of sugar over a prolonged period of time, the receptors for Insulin begin to decrease. It’s kind of like playing a game of musical chairs, in which the chairs are slowly disappearing (insulin receptors), and lots of people will be left standing without a chair (sugar molecules).
The body does this in order to control the amount of sugar being brought into the cells. Too much sugar is toxic for cells. But since the cells cannot control the amount of sugar we consume, it can only close its doors and pretend like it’s not home.
This creates the term we now refer to as Insulin Resistance. No matter how much sugar is floating in the blood, the cells no longer want sugar or insulin so it will ignore the insulin signals.
When Sugar Stays Too High for Too Long
With no way for the sugar to leave the bloodstream, it continues to build up and wreak havoc on other systems. Sugars attach to red blood cells, changing the nature of the blood. They eat away at blood vessels and nerves, affecting circulation and sensation in the hands and feet. The sugar draws water into the bloodstream, creating symptoms of hunger, thirst and excessive urination.
By this stage, not only is a person incredibly symptomatic, but also well on their way to a slew of medications for controlling sugar, reducing blood pressure, and lowering their risk of heart disease and strokes.
Can Exercise Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?
Many healthcare practitioners believe Type 2 Diabetes is irreversible, and depending on how complex the case, it very well could be. However, exercise holds an under-utilized solution that can help lower blood sugar quickly. Muscles have a unique way of bringing sugar into their cells that does not involve insulin at all! It’s called an insulin-independent GLUT-4 transporter and it is designed to provide sugar to muscles when they need it most.
The demand that muscles have for sugar is very powerful and can rapidly decrease elevated blood sugar. But there’s a catch! In order for muscles to take up sugar, they have to be active! This means regular, sustained muscle contractions for 30 minutes, 7 days per week. EXERCISE.
Walking is great, but stairs, jogging, hill climbing and cycling are better. Anything that pushes the body through spikes in effort and alternates with lower intensity. This fluctuation will keep the muscles guessing and force them to work harder. A regular exercise plan for even just 4 weeks is enough to show a significant change in energy, sleep, digestion and even blood sugar readings.