Over 220 million US adults suffer from type 2 diabetes.
Many people have been told that diabetes is genetic and nothing can be done to prevent or reverse it. This simply is not true. While genes can play a role and you could have a genetic mutation that may make you more susceptible to diabetes, your lifestyle choices and your brain’s ability to adapt to stress is actually the determining factor when it comes to a diabetes diagnosis.
Much research has been done on this subject including a study of identical twins. These twins had the same genetic make-ups and yet over the course of the 12 year study, the determining factor as to whether or not each individual actually got diabetes came down to lifestyle and the ability for the brain and nervous system to adapt to stress.
Research shows the following lifestyle choices to be associated with the development of type 2 diabetes:
- Inactivity/lack of exercise
- Unhealthy diet high in unhealthy fats and low in fiber
- Overweight/Obesity
- Excess alcohol consumption
- Lack of sleep or abnormal sleep patterns
- Recurrent negative thought patterns
The common denominator in this list is that all of these lifestyle choices place your nervous system in a fight or flight response. This fight or flight status tells the brain to release cortisol. As cortisol levels increase (the primary stress hormones) this increases sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. This in turn places more stress on various organs to meet this demand and the cycle then continues.
The GOOD News! If your lifestyle choices have placed you in this position (of fight or flight mode) then your lifestyle choices can also move you out of this position.
What lifestyle changes can you make to promote better health and less stress on your nervous system?
- Start an exercise program
- Change your eating habits
- Increase water intake and decrease soda and alcohol consumption
- Improve your sleep patterns
- Change your thoughts, replace negative ones with positive ones
In addition to these lifestyle changes regular chiropractic adjustments have been proven in research to have a positive effect on the brain and nervous system allowing your body to better adapt to stress.
And if you already have diabetes, these things could actually help reverse it! YES, reverse it!
Sources:
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-2-diabetes/type-2-diabetes-causes
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326193
https://www.discoverymedicine.com/Frans-Pouwer/2010/02/11/does-emotional-stress-cause-type-2-diabetes-mellitus-a-review-from-the-european-depression-in-diabetes-edid-research-consortium/