When you close your eyes and envision diabetes, what comes to mind? Well, I'm here to tell you that diabetes doesn't have to have a "look" or a predictable lifestyle associated with it. How do I know this? I'm going to share something personal with you: I discovered I was pre-diabetic earlier this year. My first reaction? Epic failure on my part. Healthy people don't get this, right? ;) But with a few learned steps, this became a huge opportunity to use functional medicine, once again, to address the root cause and reverse the result.
After all the posts and talks I've done on the effects of high blood sugar and how to minimize sugar in your diet, how could I have been pre-diabetic? I eat well, avoid all refined sugar, exercise daily, and I'm thin. Nevertheless, a blood test revealed an A1C of 5.7, a fairly advanced stage of insulin resistance. Fortunately, insulin resistance – a progressive rise in insulin with a resistance to its ability to escort blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy – is both preventable and reversible. With a few simple steps, insulin sensitivity is restored preventing a progression into full-blown metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes. Remarkably, even with a diagnosis of diabetes, these actions can be highly effective.
Do you know your A1C? In functional medicine, an A1C of 5.7 to 6.4 is considered pre-diabetic. Why care about insulin resistance? This condition is a root cause behind almost all chronic diseases: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Some symptoms of insulin resistance include:
I'm happy to report that after making some changes for three months, my A1C is now down to 5.3. In a nutshell, here are the changes I made:
If you or a loved one has a known elevation in your A1C, reach out to me. I would love to help you make a few changes to reboot your blood sugar, restore your energy and burn fat! Prevention is key and easy. If you've never been tested or it's been a while, ask your doctor for an A1C blood test and empower yourself to make a change.
Here's an easy, gut-friendly summer salad that satisfies with protein, fiber and healthy fat and just a touch of sweetness:
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CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD WITH PROBIOTIC VINAIGRETTE
After pickles and sauerkraut are finished, I keep the brine and make the dressing right in the jar. Note: probiotic sauerkraut and pickles are always in the refrigerator section of your market and made with salt and water, not with vinegar.
Serves 2-3
Print Recipe
2 breasts organic chicken, each cut in half widthwise
1 t salt
1/4 onion, sliced
3 T mayonnaise – I love Primal avocado mayo
3 T curry powder or to taste
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 T dried currants
your favorite greens – Here, I used arugula, friseé and cucumbers.
For the curried chicken:
Fill a large saucepan or 4-5 gallon pot 3/4 full of water. Add the salt and onion slices. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the raw chicken, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Poach chicken for 20 minutes. When done, discard onion, drain chicken, cool and cut into 1/2" cubes.
Place chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the mayo, curry, pinch salt and lemon juice and mix until well combined. Add the celery and currants and mix again. Add greens to a bowl or plate. Add dressing, recipe below, to taste and toss. Add a scoop of chicken salad. Enjoy!
For the probiotic vinaigrette:
About 1/2 - 1 cup pickle brine and/or sauerkraut brine
juice of 1 lemon
About 1/2 - 1 cup olive oil to match the amount of brine
1/2 - 1 t Dijon mustard
1/2 - 1 t salt
Combine all ingredients. Shake well to combine and emulsify.
After all the posts and talks I've done on the effects of high blood sugar and how to minimize sugar in your diet, how could I have been pre-diabetic? I eat well, avoid all refined sugar, exercise daily, and I'm thin. Nevertheless, a blood test revealed an A1C of 5.7, a fairly advanced stage of insulin resistance. Fortunately, insulin resistance – a progressive rise in insulin with a resistance to its ability to escort blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy – is both preventable and reversible. With a few simple steps, insulin sensitivity is restored preventing a progression into full-blown metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes. Remarkably, even with a diagnosis of diabetes, these actions can be highly effective.
Do you know your A1C? In functional medicine, an A1C of 5.7 to 6.4 is considered pre-diabetic. Why care about insulin resistance? This condition is a root cause behind almost all chronic diseases: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Some symptoms of insulin resistance include:
- feeling hungry
- feeling weak and tired
- an increase in body fat
I'm happy to report that after making some changes for three months, my A1C is now down to 5.3. In a nutshell, here are the changes I made:
- drank apple cider vinegar in water before each meal
- ate protein + fiber + healthy fat at each meal to stabilize blood sugar; no urge to snack between meals
- eliminated grains, flour and white potatoes
- satisfied my sweet cravings with berries, sweet potatoes and grapefruit
- ate until I was about 80% full at each meal
- focused my exercise on the big muscles of the thighs and butt a few times per week
- added in a couple of key supplements that enhance insulin sensitivity
- was accountable to a friend going through the same thing!!
If you or a loved one has a known elevation in your A1C, reach out to me. I would love to help you make a few changes to reboot your blood sugar, restore your energy and burn fat! Prevention is key and easy. If you've never been tested or it's been a while, ask your doctor for an A1C blood test and empower yourself to make a change.
Here's an easy, gut-friendly summer salad that satisfies with protein, fiber and healthy fat and just a touch of sweetness:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD WITH PROBIOTIC VINAIGRETTE
After pickles and sauerkraut are finished, I keep the brine and make the dressing right in the jar. Note: probiotic sauerkraut and pickles are always in the refrigerator section of your market and made with salt and water, not with vinegar.
Serves 2-3
Print Recipe
2 breasts organic chicken, each cut in half widthwise
1 t salt
1/4 onion, sliced
3 T mayonnaise – I love Primal avocado mayo
3 T curry powder or to taste
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 T dried currants
your favorite greens – Here, I used arugula, friseé and cucumbers.
For the curried chicken:
Fill a large saucepan or 4-5 gallon pot 3/4 full of water. Add the salt and onion slices. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the raw chicken, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Poach chicken for 20 minutes. When done, discard onion, drain chicken, cool and cut into 1/2" cubes.
Place chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the mayo, curry, pinch salt and lemon juice and mix until well combined. Add the celery and currants and mix again. Add greens to a bowl or plate. Add dressing, recipe below, to taste and toss. Add a scoop of chicken salad. Enjoy!
For the probiotic vinaigrette:
About 1/2 - 1 cup pickle brine and/or sauerkraut brine
juice of 1 lemon
About 1/2 - 1 cup olive oil to match the amount of brine
1/2 - 1 t Dijon mustard
1/2 - 1 t salt
Combine all ingredients. Shake well to combine and emulsify.