It’s really simpler than you might think!
So you have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, Prediabetes, or Insulin Resistance? I know the idea of changing your lifestyle can feel overwhelming. You know you should change; you want to change; yet how in the world do you get started?
Perhaps the fear has set it. Can I do this? Will I end up just like my uncle who lost his feet and went blind, will I be overweight forever? When you learn and implement the five basic steps I am going to give you, your weight will normalize, your confidence in making these changes will soar, and you will be reducing your risk of dealing with all the negative effects of type 2 diabetes!
It is possible!I have done it myself and I have seen many others make the change as well. A friend I just heard of was pretty frightened when her doctor said, “Diabetes.” She asked for help, took the following steps and in a few short weeks, her Hgb A1C and blood sugar numbers were at non diabetic levels! She was happy and very proud of herself as she should have been!
One: Decide today to get rid of all the packaged junk food you have in the house. If you have kids, they shouldn’t have it either. However, if you have children who need something to take for lunch, choose packaged food with only ingredients that you can read. Just changing from processed food to real food that you can recognize will be a valuable first step! Do all you can to eliminate all types of sugar.
Two: Make a meal plan and start preparing your meals at home. There are innumerable easy to fix recipes for delicious low-carb foods for free online. Start your plan with a high-quality protein for each meal. Make enough of the protein food to take up about 1/4 or your plate, then fill your plate with low-carb vegetables. If you are not ready to change to a low-carb diet, then choose real food carbs such as winter squash, yams, brown rice, quinoa, or whole grain pasta. Perhaps that will be enough of a change to get your insulin resistance under control.
Three: Go shopping on the perimeter of your grocery store. That’s where you will find the meat, fish, seafood, produce, and dairy. Buy the healthiest food you can buy. Where possible, buy grass fed beef, pork, poultry and wild-caught fish. Buy organic free range eggs whenever possible. As far as you can, buy organic vegetables and fruits. If you feel like you cannot afford to buy all organic produce, look up the Environmental Working Groups’ Dirty Dozen which lists the fruits and veggies with the highest levels of chemicals. You will also find on their website the list of the Clean 15 which lists the produce with the fewest chemicals used and so you may comfortably buy conventionally grown products on that list. Even better yet, try your hand at growing your own produce. Even apartment dwellers can grow quite a lot of food when they learn how to garden in containers! Sprouting is also a healthy way to grow your own food.
Four: Get up and move! Aim for thirty minutes a day of at least moderate exercise. There really are no rules here! Start where you are. It will get easier as time goes on! And there are no excuses! You can get up and march in place in front of the television set, you can walk around the neighborhood, or dance to your favorite lively music. There are numerous free video workouts for every fitness level online. If you feel too tired to move, get up and move and see how much more energy you have afterwards!
Five: Be kind to yourself, give yourself room to be human, to make a mistake and not give up! If you make a mistake. Pick yourself up and start again! Tomorrow is always a new day! Be sure to get enough sleep—studies are showing that 8-9 hours is necessary for a lot of people. Everything is better when we are rested!
If you need help making these steps, sign up for diabetic coaching with Dr Helser.
