Are You At Risk For Diabetes?

With diabetes reaching epidemic proportions in our country, I read everything I can about preventing the disease. For me personally, one of my great grandmothers was diabetic (hyperglycemia), and I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in my late twenties. I am acutely aware that having hypoglycemia can lead to developing diabetes, so I am very careful. I am at risk for diabetes.

Additionally, the impetus for me “disappearing” my chronic depression was that my husband had been driven to pre-diabetes by the statin he had been taking for years. That’s what lead me to this life of healthy eating and of teaching about it; that’s what lead to the dietary changes that backed him off diabetes and helped me get rid of my depression!

One of my favorite health gurus, Dr. David Perlmutter, has written a really interesting article on the diabetes and the amygdala, the area of the brain involved with stress, fear and impulsivity. The amygdala section of the brain is activated by stress, and stress increases cortisol which is known as the “stress hormone”. Cortisol is believed to increase blood sugar. Increased blood sugar makes diabetes more likely to be in your future. As I tell my coaching clients…it’s all connected!

Dr. Perlmutter writes in part:

“The research was performed at the Massachusetts General Hospital and involved 232 non-diabetic subjects. These individuals underwent brain-imaging studies that measured the metabolic activity of their amygdalas, an area of the brain that is involved with fear, stress, and impulsivity.

Researchers demonstrated that individuals with an amygdala that showed higher activity were much more likely to later develop diabetes. This risk seemed to be independent of obesity. Even the risk for insulin resistance, the harbinger for diabetes, also correlated with increased activity in the amygdala.”

I think this article is important for everyone to read, so here is a link to it in its entirety: http://CherylLoves.me/diabetesperlmutter

Research has shown you can avoid and/or back yourself off from diabetes if you change the way you eat. Understanding the part inflammation plays in all of this is critical, and Dr. Perlmutter has a section on that as well. This is an article of vital importance as more and more of us are at risk for diabetes!

It’s a good read. I hope you will take a few minutes and check it out.

Helping You Achieve Major Wellness in Your Life!

Cheryl A Major

Cheryl A Major lives in Westford and is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Her TV show, Thin Strong Healthy, airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of her blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com Cheryl offers ongoing information, live and online courses and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier. Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CherylAMajor. She is also a full time residential Realtor with Coldwell Banker with more than 25 years experience.

Her new book, “Eat Your Blues Away” in which she chronicles her recovery from depression is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback!