SPECIAL SECTION: HEALTH & FITNESS
A PATH TO thriving
Making lifestyle changes can help reduce or reverse type 2 diabetes.
BY ADINA GENN
Paradoxically, my type 2 diabetes diagnosis was the best thing that ever happened to me. It inspired me to change my lifestyle, which put my diagnosis into remission and helped me to feel the best I have in decades. Results from my A1C test – which reflects blood sugar levels – dropped from a concerning 12 percent to 5.2 percent, and I lost about 10 kilograms and dropped two dress sizes.
You’ re not alone
Of the approximately 1.3 million Australians with diabetes, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says 90 to 95 percent have type 2.
More common in adults over the age of 45, type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body cannot properly make or use insulin, a hormone that helps convert food into energy. That insulin resistance can lead to elevated blood sugar levels and ultimately lead to heart disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, vision loss, gum disease and other problems.
This differs from type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that prevents the pancreas from producing insulin. And while those with type 1 diabetes require synthetic insulin daily, people with type 2 may also require medication. >
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COSTCO CONNECTION JAN / FEB 2024 | 27