November 2019 – 2HealthyHabits

Why Low-Carb Diets May Be Ideal for You – Part Two

Low-carb moderate protein diets can help you shed body fat, improve metabolism, boost energy levels, promote longevity, protect brain function, boost mental clarity, improve physical stamina and endurance, and more. – Dr. Jeff Volek

Jeff Volek, Ph.D., and registered dietitian and professor in the Human Science Department at Ohio State University, has done enormous work in the field of high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets, investigating how it affects human health and athletic performance. Volek has published many scientific articles as well as several books, including “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living,” and “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance.”

Part One of this Post covered the following:

Low-Carb Diets Can Benefit Athletes and Non-Athletes Alike
Is Your Diet Driving Your Metabolism in the Right Direction?
Healthy Fat Is a ‘Cleaner’ Burning Fuel
And More.

Finding Your Ideal Carb Level

A level of non-fiber carbs that allows you to enter into nutritional ketosis (a metabolic state associated with an increased production of ketones in your liver; it’s the biological reflection of being able to burn fat) is on average about 50 grams per day or less of digestible carbohydrates. However, we all vary how we respond to the same food, so this is not an exact recommendation.

Some people can be in a full fat-burning state with full ketosis at a level of non-fiber carbs that’s higher than 50 grams; maybe 70 or 80 grams. Others, especially if you’re insulin resistant or have type 2 diabetes, may require less than 40 grams or even 30 grams per day.

To find your personal carb limit, it’s important to actually measure your ketones, which can be done either through urine, breath, or blood. This will tell if you’re truly in ketosis, rather than just counting the grams of carbohydrates you consume.

Research has shown that ketosis is a very safe and a therapeutic metabolic state to be in, especially if you’re diabetic or suffering from carb intolerance.

Ketogenic Diet Can Benefit Many Chronic Health Problems

Beyond insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, there are a number of applications for a well-formulated ketogenic diet, including epileptic seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and cancer.

“There are multiple reasons why many cancers would benefit from a ketogenic diet, not just the decreased glucose availability influx (which many tumors depend on) but also the lower insulin response and less inflammation, as many tumors thrive in a pro-inflammatory environment.

The principal ketone body, beta hydroxybutyrate, is more than just an alternative fuel for the brain. It acts like a potent signaling molecule that affects gene expression, including upregulating genes that are protective against oxidative stress and enhance the antioxidant status.”

Other benefits include the resistance to sugar and other food cravings, as you’re never that hungry once you’ve made the shift.

How Ketogenic Diet May Promote Longevity and Increased Muscle Mass

More recent research supports being an efficient fat burner may also predispose you to a longer life. The more fat you burn, the slower you’re going to age.

Ketones spare branched-chain amino acids, leaving higher levels of them around, which promotes longevity and increased muscle mass.

The Importance of Eating Moderate Protein

There’s a common misconception that low non-fiber carb diets are high-protein diets. In reality, a ketogenic diet must actually be moderate in protein. Don’t eat more protein than your body actually needs.

On the other hand, if you consume too little protein that may push your body into a wasting state. As a general rule, eat one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day, which for most sedentary folks is 40 to 70 grams, but this may be higher for athletes and larger individuals. Here is a link to a Post on how much protein you need https://2healthyhabits.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/how-much-protein-do-you-need-in-nutritional-ketosis/

Volek says. “I am a general proponent of high-quality protein sources. Most animal sources of protein maintain essential amino acids.

Low-Carb Benefits for Athletes

We were taught that in order to perform at a higher level and recover adequately, athletes need to consume high amounts of (non-vegetable) carbs before, during, and after exercise. However, the understanding of how low-carb diets can increase performance is starting to catch on.

You can only store about 2,000 kilocalories of carbs in your body as glycogen. You will burn through a majority of it if you’re exercising for more than a couple of hours.

That’s when you hit the wall of diminished performance. To avoid that train your body to more burn fat.

Athletes who adopt this strategy can become exceptionally good at burning fat. Even if they’re not eating calories during exercise, lean athletes have at least 20,000 to 30,000 kilocalories on their body in the form of adipose (fat) tissue that they can access during exercise. Other benefits are: speedier recovery rates, improved metabolic health, and a leaner body composition.

Both of these books were co-authored with Dr. Stephen Phinney, a physician who has studied low-carb diets even longer than Volek.

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Why Low-Carb Diets May Be Ideal for You – Part One

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Starting out as a dietician, Volek was taught that low-fat diets were healthy and that saturated fats and cholesterol should be avoided. But in working with diabetics, he kept feeling that something was “off.”

Dr. Volek said in this interview, “In essence, it drove me to want to understand metabolism and nutrition at a much deeper level,” he says. “The things I was reading, the things I was taught were not really based on a lot of science, and were a lot of half-truths and misinformation, which still persist today,” he notes.

Low-Carb Diets Can Benefit Athletes and Non-Athletes Alike

Dr. Volek decided to do a self-experiment with a very low-carb diet. His experimentation began in the early ’90s and, to his great surprise, his low-carb experiment proved to be anything but harmful. He has spent the last almost two decades conducting research on how humans respond to diets that are very low in carbohydrates.

Is Your Diet Driving Your Metabolism in the Right Direction?

Most Americans are primarily burning glucose as their primary fuel, which actually inhibits their body’s ability to access and burn body fat. Healthy fat burns far more efficiently than carbs.

As noted by Volek, humans evolved to primarily burn fat as fuel — not carbs — and yet that’s not how we’re feeding our bodies.

“As a result, we’re running into a lot of metabolic problems, because we’re constantly inhibiting our body’s ability to burn fuel that we evolved to burn,” he says.

We have to eat to live. Without generating ATP (in your mitochondria) you cannot survive. The question is how to do that efficiently, without generating harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can destroy your mitochondria and contribute to disease? It’s all about keeping your mitochondria healthy, and low-carb, high-fat diets do that far more effectively than high-carb, low-fat diets.

Healthy Fat Is a ‘Cleaner’ Burning Fuel

When you burn fat, you generate 30 percent less carbon dioxide, suggesting it’s a lot “cleaner” fuel.

“There’s a lot of ‘exhaust’ associated with burning carbs for fuel … free radicals, reactive oxygen species … That contributes to the metabolic problems we’re seeing.”

In essence, the reason why low-carb diets work so well is because it helps you escape this non-fiber, carb-based metabolism that depends on insulin levels to drive blood sugar into cells and use carbs for fuel.

Volek also introduces another term: “carb intolerance” — a metabolic impairment that you suffer from if you’re insulin resistant or prediabetic.

As noted by Volek: “It really makes nosense if you’re carb intolerant to be consuming half your energy from nonfiber carbs, and to be trying to force your body to burn more carbs.”

Healthy Versus Harmful Fats

Healthy dietary fats are natural, unprocessed fat, found in real foods such as seeds, nuts, butter, olives, avocado, or coconut oil. Processed vegetable oils will make your health worse.

If you’re overweight, teach your body to burn excess fat, and then, once you’ve reached your maintenance weight, the majority of fat your body will be burning is that from dietary sources.

How to Make the Conversion from Burning Sugar to Burning Fat

The key is to restrict non-fiber carbohydrates – sugars and glucose (i.e. anything that converts to sugar: soda, processed grains, pasta, bread and cookies).

And eat fiber carbs such as vegetable carbs that will push your metabolism in the right direction.

Did You Know?

“Your body can burn both carbs and fat, but your body will burn carbs first.

Your body cannot store high levels of carbs. Your body will convert the carbs you eat into fat. That sets the stage for metabolic problems.

But how do you train the body to burn fat; it all starts with removing the availability of carbohydrate because, as long as it’s there, it will inhibit burning of fat.

To shift fuel use over to fat restrict the amount of glucose and starches, and your body naturally shifts over to preferring fat for fuel. It does take some time to adapt to that. Your cells have to shift over their machinery to handle the increased levels of fat and lipid-based fuels. It takes a matter of weeks to get that adaptation.

But once it’s there, they’re fairly robust adaptations that don’t just go away. This is why there is an adaptation period to a low-carb diet. It can be disrupted though if you reintroduce carbs. But a lot of the adaptations do remain.”

Part Two will discuss:

Finding Your Ideal Carb Level

Ketogenic Diet Can Benefit Many Chronic Health Problems

And More.

Both of these books were co-authored with Dr. Stephen Phinney, a physician who has studied low-carb diets even longer than Volek.

The source of this information is Dr. Mercola’s Post Why Low-Carb Diets May Be Ideal for Most People, Including Athletes https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/01/31/high-fat-low-carb-diet-benefits.aspx

I will bring you compelling articles on Ketogenic and GAPS diets, the Super Slow High-Intensity Exercise Program and supplements.

To follow my Blog, please click the Follow button to receive an email when the next posting is available. Hint: You may have to click the Accept and Close button before follow is available.

I thrive on feedback. Please let me know you are interested in the content by clicking Like, Commenting or sending me a message or email about the Post.

If you wish to contact me by Email, please email lpolstra@bell.net using this form.

May you Live Long Healthy.

Yours truly,

Lydia Polstra

Email: lpolstra@bell.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2healthyhabits/

Blog: https://2healthyhabits.wordpress.com

Diabetes: The Basics Part Three – Gestational Diabetes

This is Part Three of a series of three Posts. Part One and Part Two covered questions about Type 2 Diabetes. Part Three covers Gestational Diabetes.

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose (sugar) in a pregnant woman who has never had diabetes before, and it only occurs when a woman is pregnant.

The cause of this condition is not completely understood. It is thought that the hormones that are normally present during pregnancy block the effects of insulin in the mother’s body. This leads to a build up of high blood glucose levels. This condition goes away after the baby is delivered and the pregnancy hormones return to normal levels.

Gestational diabetes that is not treated during the pregnancy can cause certain problems for the baby. One of these problems is a condition called macrosomia, which means the baby is born overweight. Babies with macrosomia can suffer from shoulder damage during birth, and they can have problems with their blood sugar and ability to breathe at birth as well. Protecting the baby from these problems is the main reason why diagnosing and treating gestational diabetes during the pregnancy is so important.

Mothers who have gestational diabetes are at risk for developing high blood pressure during the pregnancy. This leads to a higher likelihood of having to undergo a C-section when the baby is born. In addition, the mother is at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on after the baby is born.

What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?

These symptoms can include feeling thirsty, feeling hungry, having a dry mouth, urinating often, and being tired. Because these symptoms typically occur with pregnancy anyways, the diagnosis of gestational diabetes is usually made by lab work that is routinely performed during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes usually develops during the sixth month of pregnancy or later, and this is usually when the mother will be tested for this condition. Mothers who are at higher risk of developing gestational diabetes may be tested sooner than that. Typically, a glucose screening test is performed, which consists of drinking a liquid that contains glucose (sugar), and blood is drawn one hour afterwards to assess the blood glucose level. Depending on the results of the blood glucose level, a glucose tolerance test may be performed.

A glucose tolerance test can consist of several steps. First, the mother will be asked to fast (not eat) the night before the test. Then, blood is drawn the next morning while the mother is still fasting. The mother will then drink the liquid glucose again and have labs drawn one hour, two hours, and three hours afterward. The lab measures the blood glucose levels at each of these intervals. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes is confirmed based on the results of these tests.

How do you prevent gestational diabetes?

The best prevention for gestational diabetes is a healthy lifestyle and a normal weight, normal blood pressure, and normal blood glucose levels before becoming pregnant.

Women who are more likely to develop gestational diabetes while pregnant have high blood pressure, high blood glucose levels (but not high enough to be diabetes), and were overweight before becoming pregnant. Also, women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy are more likely to develop it if they become pregnant again.

How do you treat gestational diabetes?

Lifestyle changes are always recommended to the mother when gestational diabetes is diagnosed, and these include physical activity and dietary changes that are specifically directed by the mother’s physician. The mother’s weight and blood sugar levels will also be closely watched by her physician during the pregnancy as well. The baby’s weight and growth will be carefully watched by ultrasound studies during the pregnancy. In many cases, lifestyle changes are the only treatment needed for gestational diabetes.

If a medication is needed, then insulin is typically used, as it is the safest medication for the baby. Other pill medications can be added to the insulin if the physician feels they are necessary. The medications are usually stopped once the baby is born.

The source of this information is the Virta Health website. Here is the link, please copy and paste it into your address bar

https://blog.virtahealth.com/diabetes-faq/?fbclid=IwAR2moJQwFn_V-SZbYAbxBGoWfnL-cS42Hj2ShZk7wwNWbjKl19wPgkoYzc0

I will bring you compelling articles on Ketogenic and GAPS diets, the Super Slow High-Intensity Exercise Program and supplements.

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Lydia Polstra

Email: lpolstra@bell.net

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Diabetes: The Basics Part TWO

This is Part Two of a series of three Posts. Part Two is a continuation of the FAQ about Type 2 Diabetes. Part Three will cover Gestational Diabetes.

What causes type 2 diabetes?

Genes and environment can play a role in causing type 2 diabetes mellitus. To learn more please go to

https://2healthyhabits.wordpress.com/?s=Diabetes+Type-2%3A+The+Underlying+Causes.

What are the first warning signs of type 2 diabetes?

The “classic” signs of type 2 diabetes which lead people to see their doctor generally includes excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, numbness or tingling of extremities, weight gain and fatigue. However, these signs generally show up once someone has already developed diabetes. There are more subtle warning signs that can develop years earlier.

The most common early signs of type 2 diabetes can be fatigue and weight gain, but also surprisingly include symptoms of low blood sugar as well. Signs of low blood sugar generally develop when someone hasn’t eaten for a few hours, and include symptoms like nausea, light-headedness, severe hunger and irritability. This occurs due to a drop in blood sugar between meals, often caused by overproduction of insulin in people who have become insulin resistant. Interestingly, people can experience some of these symptoms, like hypoglycemia and irritability, before they even have a large elevation in their glucose or Hemoglobin A1c. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed, you should consider seeing your doctor and getting a blood test for diabetes.

How do I know if I have diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed in a number of ways. These include a fasting glucose of > or = 126 mg/dL, a hemoglobin a1c of 6.5% or greater, or elevated glucose on an oral glucose tolerance test. In addition, a random glucose of >200 is suggestive of diabetes.

However, there are a number of signs and symptoms that suggest type 2 diabetes and should make you consider getting a blood test. These include excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, numbness or tingling of extremities, weight gain and fatigue. Other possible symptoms include erectile dysfunction in men and irregular periods in women.

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus are as varied as they are unpleasant. If you notice any of the symptoms mentioned in this post, it would be advisable to seek medical attention.

For example, one might notice an increase in urination. A hallmark feature of type 2 diabetes is an elevated glucose (sugar) level in the blood. When blood glucose levels are high, the kidney struggles to filter the excess glucose out of the urine. The urine thus contains more glucose than it should, and this leads to higher volumes of fluid leaving the body through the urine. This is often accompanied by an increase in thirst.

Additionally, type 2 diabetes makes it difficult for the body’s organs to receive dietary fuel in the form of glucose. And when the body’s organs aren’t getting the energy they need to perform as they should, this can lead to fatigue and hunger.

Type 2 diabetes also makes it harder for the body to heal. This can lead to more frequent infections and slow-healing wounds.

Elevated blood glucose levels from type 2 diabetes can lead to blurry vision. Vision can improve as blood glucose levels decrease.

These particularly worrisome symptoms warrant seeking medical attention immediately:

very severe dehydration and
a significant impairment of one’s ability to think and speak clearly.

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes in women?

In general, men and women have similar symptoms of type 2 diabetes. These include excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, numbness or tingling of extremities, weight gain and fatigue. However, there are some additional symptoms in women that may signal possible type 2 diabetes. These include frequent vaginal yeast infections or urinary tract infections. High blood glucose levels make infections more common and difficult to treat. While there are obviously many possible cause for these infections, patients experiencing recurrent or severe infections should consider evaluation for diabetes.

Another frequent issue seen in women with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).This syndrome is thought to be connected to insulin resistance, a key component of diabetes, and common symptoms of PCOS include irregular menstrual periods, acne, pelvic pain, and infertility.

In addition, it is important to note that women with a history of gestational diabetes during pregnancy have an increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. If you have a history of gestational diabetes and have any of the symptoms listed here, it is a good idea to have a blood test for diabetes.

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes in men?

In addition to the commonly discussed symptoms for both men and women, another issue discussed less frequently is erectile dysfunction.

How can you prevent type 2 diabetes?

One of the most important first steps one can take to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is to reach out to a primary care provider.

A growing body of evidence shows that a well-formulated ketogenic diet can improve and even reverse T2DM. The diet significantly lowers blood sugars. Please see the related post on the best diet for type 2 diabetes.

One medication, metformin, has been shown in multiple studies to be effective at preventing the onset of T2DM. Metformin is both inexpensive and without long-term safety concerns.

Learn more at https://blog.virtahealth.com/prevent-type-2-diabetes/

What foods cause type 2 diabetes?

There is scientific evidence that suggests that certain foods like refined grains and sugary beverages are associated (that is, they tend to go hand-in-hand) with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

There is a strong association between obesity and developing type 2 diabetes, but not all obese people will develop diabetes.

Obesity, like type 2 diabetes, can be caused by any combination of a number of genetic and environmental factors. Diet and exercise can be modified to prevent obesity.

What is the best diet for type 2 diabetes?

The scientific evidence in support of a well-formulated ketogenic diet to improve the health of folks living with type 2 diabetes is so compelling that the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes recently issued a consensus report in which they acknowledge the value of a low-carbohydrate diet to help people living with type 2 diabetes.

Can a ketogenic diet reverse type 2 diabetes?

Insulin resistance is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes and manifests as carbohydrate intolerance. Like other food intolerances, the most logical and effective approach to managing carbohydrate intolerance is to restrict sugars and starches to within the individual’s metabolic tolerance.

A well-formulated ketogenic diet can prevent and slow down progression of type-2 diabetes, and it can actually resolve all the signs and symptoms in many patients, in effect reversing the disease as long as the carbohydrate restriction is maintained.

Learn more about carbohydrate intolerance at https://2healthyhabits.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/underlying-causes-of-type-2-diabetes/

How do I manage my medications if I make dietary changes to improve my diabetes?

We strongly recommend that patients with type 2 diabetes consult a medical professional before making dietary changes. Changing your diet, particularly changing to the well-formulated ketogenic diet can be incredibly powerful in improving blood sugar and even reversing type 2 diabetes.

However, because of the rapid blood sugar and blood pressure improvements that are seen, it is very important that you have medical supervision while making dietary changes. This is particularly important in patients taking medications like insulin or sulfonylureas, which can cause dangerously low blood glucose.

In addition, newer diabetes medications such as SGLT-2 inhibitors, can lead to a dangerous condition known as “euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis,” in which patients can have normal blood glucose but dangerous changes in the acidity of their blood.

In addition, due to the rapid improvements that are often seen in blood sugar, it is important to have close monitoring of your biomarkers. This can be difficult for most clinics to provide, but is part of the continuous remote monitoring that is part of the Virta treatment. They sometimes adjust medications multiple times in one day, and often need to be proactive in reducing medications to avoid dangerous low blood sugars.

Does cinnamon help treat type 2 diabetes?

Cinnamon has been extensively studied without showing consistent results.

Type 2 Diabetes Complications

What is diabetic neuropathy?

Elevated blood sugars can damage nerves, usually first in the legs and feet. Read more at https://blog.virtahealth.com/diabetic-neuropathy/

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy can develop when a patient living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has high blood sugars that damage the blood vessels in the retina. Read more at https://blog.virtahealth.com/diabetic-neuropathy/

Can I reverse diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, or retinopathy with a ketogenic diet?

We have many anecdotes of reversal of neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy in people with T2D following a well-formulated ketogenic diet but there are not objective data (i.e. published peer-reviewed studies) to provide evidence that this is true. Learn more by watching the in this link https://blog.virtahealth.com/reverse-diabetic-neuropathy-nephropathy-retinopathy-keto/

What are diabetic foot problems?

There are many complications (problems) that can happen to the feet when a person is diagnosed with diabetes. These include problems with the nerves, problems with the blood vessels, and problems with healing. Read more at https://blog.virtahealth.com/diabetic-foot/

What is the treatment for diabetic foot problems?

Checking your feet on a daily basis and avoiding injuries to your feet are the best way to prevent diabetic foot problems. Keeping good control of your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels also helps slow the progression of nerve and blood vessel damage that causes diabetic foot problems. It is also best to have your feet checked by your physician or podiatrist (foot doctor) at least once a year

The source of this information is the Virta Health website. Here is the link, please copy and paste it into your address bar

https://blog.virtahealth.com/diabetes-faq/?fbclid=IwAR2moJQwFn_V-SZbYAbxBGoWfnL-cS42Hj2ShZk7wwNWbjKl19wPgkoYzc0

I will bring you compelling articles on Ketogenic and GAPS diets, the Super Slow High-Intensity Exercise Program and supplements.

To follow my Blog, please click the Follow button to receive an email when the next posting is available. Hint: You may have to click the Accept and Close button before follow is available.

I thrive on feedback. Please let me know you are interested in the content by clicking Like, Commenting or sending me a message or email about the Post.

If you wish to contact me by Email, please email lpolstra@bell.net using this form.

May you Live Long Healthy.

Yours truly,

Lydia Polstra

Email: lpolstra@bell.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2healthyhabits/

Blog: https://2healthyhabits.wordpress.com

Diabetes: The Basics Part One

This is Part One of a series of three Posts. Part Two will cover more questions about Type 2 Diabetes. Part Three will cover Gestational Diabetes.

What causes high blood sugar?

Many things can cause high blood sugar, but what we eat plays the biggest and most direct role in elevating blood sugar. When we eat carbohydrates, our body converts those carbohydrates into glucose, and this can play a role in raising blood sugar. Protein, to a certain degree, in high amounts can also raise blood sugar levels. Fat does not raise blood sugar levels. Stress leading to an increase in the hormone cortisol can also raise blood sugar levels.

What’s the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that results in the body’s inability to produce insulin. People who suffer from Type 1 diabetes must be on insulin in order to keep glucose levels within normal limits.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which either the body is able to produce insulin but is not able to produce enough or the body does not respond to the insulin that is being produced (known as insulin resistance). People with type 2 diabetes must be on a low carbohydrate diet to keep their diabetes from worsening.

What should your fasting blood glucose be?

A fasting blood sugar should be less than 100 in order to be considered normal. A fasting blood sugar of >100 to 125 is consistent with prediabetes. Fasting blood sugar levels of 126 or greater is diagnostic of diabetes.

If your fasting blood glucose is consistent with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, we recommend that you speak with your physician.

What is diabetic ketoacidosis?

Diabetic ketoacidosis (or DKA) is a serious medical condition that can result from very high levels of ketones in the blood. If it is not recognized and treated right away, then it can lead to a coma or even death. Because it is such a serious condition, a person who develops diabetic ketoacidosis is usually admitted to the hospital for treatment.

This condition occurs when the body’s cells are unable to use glucose for energy, and the body begins to break down fat for energy instead. Ketones are produced when the body breaks down fat, and very high levels of ketones can make the blood extremely acidic. The acidity can potentially cause coma and death.

People with type 1 diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis if they do not take their insulin, if they do not eat, or if they become sick for other reasons (such as an infection). It is very unusual for people with type 2 diabetes to develop diabetic ketoacidosis.

Ketosis vs. ketoacidosis: What is the difference?

Ketosis: Endogenous ketones are known to be safe at physiologic levels. It has long been known that ketones are an effective alternate metabolic fuel and recent studies have shown them to be potent epigenetic and hormonal signaling molecules as well. In nutritional ketosis, serum ketones range from 0.5 to 5 mM. This is the body’s normal state of lipolysis (breaking down of fats) that occurs when carbohydrates are avoided.

Ketoacidosis:In stark contrast to this normal physiology of ketosis, pathologic ketoacidosis manifests with serum levels ketone levels of 15-25 mM (i.e., three- to ten-fold higher than in nutritional ketosis). Lipolysis is exquisitely regulated, so it is exceedingly rare for a patient with normal pancreatic beta cell function to enter ketoacidosis.

How does Metformin treat prediabetes and type 2 diabetes?

The mechanism of action of metformin is not fully understood. It appears to reduce glucose production in the liver, although there is now evidence that other factors may also play a role.

What is type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the body does not produce insulin.

What is insulin? Insulin is a hormone that is needed for the body to move glucose from the blood into the body’s cells. All of the organs in the body, including the brain, the heart, and the lungs, are made of cells. These cells use glucose for energy, which is why it is important for the glucose to move from the bloodstream into the cells.

The lack of insulin production in type 1 diabetes is usually caused by a problem with the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes is considered to be a permanent condition when it is diagnosed.

Prediabetes

What are the signs and symptoms of prediabetes?

Prediabetes is considered to be one of the most insidious precursors to diabetes because it may not have any signs or symptoms. This is why it is so important to do diagnostic blood tests checking a fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1c (Hba1c) test to establish a diagnosis of prediabetes. Many people who have prediabetes do not have any symptoms. By the time symptoms occurs, the diagnosis has usually already progressed to diabetes. There are some rare situations in which an individual can present with diabetes-related complications such as a retinal bleed, neuropathy or even a stroke, while only having a diagnosis of prediabetes.

What is the best diet for prediabetes?

A low carbohydrate diet is the ideal diet for prediabetes. This is because prediabetes occurs when glucose levels start to rise and the body produces insulin to try and lower the glucose levels. If the body cannot produce enough insulin or if the insulin level that the body is producing is not enough to meet the demands of the high glucose load, then glucose levels continue to rise.

How do you reverse prediabetes?

Prediabetes can be reversed by following a low carbohydrate diet.

Once glucose levels are lowered with a low carbohydrate diet, the body’s demand for insulin also goes down. As insulin levels are lowered due to lowered glucose levels, this will then be reflected in lab results such as a normal HbA1c or fasting glucose. Once Hba1c or fasting glucose has been normalized, then one can say that the prediabetes has been put into remission or reversed.

To learn more please read Reversing Diabetes 101 by Dr. Sarah Hallberg. Here is the link https://2healthyhabits.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/reversing-diabetes-101-with-dr-sarah-hallberg-the-truth-about-carbs-blood-sugar-and-reversing-type-2-diabetes/

Dr. Hallberg describes how a low carbohydrate diet can be an effective treatment for insulin resistance in this video.

What is the usual treatment for prediabetes?

Some providers may prescribe Metformin to patients who suffer from prediabetes for some time and are unable to make the dietary changes to reverse their prediabetes, yet are at high risk for developing diabetes.

Many patients who receive a diagnosis of prediabetes will also be told to lose weight with diet and exercise. Weight loss also plays a role in reversing prediabetes; however, the mechanism by which prediabetes is reversed is related to lowering insulin levels, and lowering insulin levels can help reduce weight.

Can prediabetes be reversed permanently?

Prediabetes can be reversed through the dietary changes outlined here. However, it is important to understand that if someone eats a low carbohydrate diet and reverses their prediabetes but then begins eating carbohydrates again in the future, the prediabetes will return.They must eat a low carbohydrate diet lifelong in order to reverse prediabetes and keep it permanently reversed.

The source of this information is the Virta Health website. Here is the link, please copy and paste it into your address bar

https://blog.virtahealth.com/diabetes-faq/?fbclid=IwAR2moJQwFn_V-SZbYAbxBGoWfnL-cS42Hj2ShZk7wwNWbjKl19wPgkoYzc0

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May you Live Long Healthy.

Yours truly,

Lydia Polstra

Email: lpolstra@bell.net

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