National Diabetes Month

November is National Diabetes Month! In partnership with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, this year’s focus is on the connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Adults with diabetes are almost twice as likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes. This link is startling considering over 30 million Americans have diabetes, but 1 in 4 people are unaware of their condition. That is why the Garcia Weight Loss team is happy to help bring attention to this nation-wide health concern this month.

Two types of diabetes

Type 1 is rare, making up only 5-10% of all cases. It is most often diagnosed in children and occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin to process glucose. This type of diabetes is hard to prevent as there are few known causes or risk factors.

Type 2 is much more common and makes up 90-95% of all diabetes cases. It is typically diagnosed in adults and is the result of the body becoming resistant to insulin. Type 2 diabetes is usually the result of lifestyle factors and can generally be prevented through maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Engaging in a sedentary lifestyle
• Making long-term, unhealthy dietary choices

At the Jay J. Garcia Weight Loss Centers, we want to help everybody who walks through our door to achieve a healthy lifestyle and meet their weight loss goals. We help our members with diabetes lose weight and engage in proper diet and exercise to manage their condition and not let it overrun their life.

Diabetes is easily manageable through lifestyle changes. The biggest concern with diabetes is the body’s inability to process glucose. However, exercise naturally reduces the amount of glucose in your blood. Muscles can process glucose without the need for insulin during physical activity. That means it doesn’t matter if you are insulin resistant because when you exercise, your muscles get the glucose they need to function while lowering glucose levels in the blood.

Additionally, exercise makes insulin more effective. If you are insulin resistant, your body will become less resistant when you exercise, so your cells can use glucose more effectively! Our expert weight loss team can put together an individualized, diabetic-friendly diet plan and exercise routine to promote weight loss and help manage diabetic conditions.

Are you diabetic and looking to live a healthier lifestyle? Get started with one of our personalized weight loss plans today! Call 813-437-4236 or make an appointment online!