carina62, that's an interesting question.
My personal experience has been that reducing insulin and glucose levels is more related to eating healthier foods and engaging regularly in walking or other physical movement.
What helped me the most was...
- buying the cheapest test strips I could find and the glucose meter to go with them. Nothing works better for me in getting and keeping glucose levels down than testing throughout the day. Without that regular feedback of how I'm doing, my glucose levels start creeping back up.
- walking a mile within an hour and a half after eating to get a high glucose down.
- if I wake up with a high glucose reading, I might delay eating 2 hours by reading in bed or getting up and having my first cup of tea.
- not eating 12 to 14 hours between dinner and breakfast, referred to as intermittent fasting. If I needed to eat something within 3 hours before bed, it would be three green olives, and ounce of raw nuts, or half an avocado, but most nights that's not necessary.
- making sure I'm eating enough healthy fats with each meal so I don't get hungry between meals.
- re-establishing walking a minimum of 3 to 4 times a week. It was hard. At first walking even a mile on flat ground was difficult and I had a hard time walking straight, but I stuck with it. I still remember the first time I walked 3 miles. I couldn't believe I did it. I was both exhausted and so happy. Interestingly, walking that distance is easy now (so long as I'm wearing walking shoes). Wasn't at all then. Some people start with walking only a block then back. Perhaps you're already walking everyday, or perhaps you're not at all. The goal is to maintain what you're doing or get started.
In the beginning, I could knock my glucose level down by 30 - 40 mg/dl with a walk an hour and a half after eating. Today I can knock a high glucose level down by up to 80 mg/dl. Large muscles do a great job of taking up excess glucose.
When I decided two years ago to restore my health and to do it without medication, I was a real mess. It took a good two weeks to get glucose levels down initially; another two weeks for them to stabilize. According to my records, glucose levels continued to improve a little bit at a time over the first year, so patience and perseverance helps.
Most type 2 diabetics do best on LCKD. Those who don't might do better on a whole foods, plant based diet. Regardless of the diet you choose, you will find support here. Both diets have a learning curve and the ongoing support is important. Also keep in mind that having a high BMI doesn't equal eating poorly or being physically unfit. You can have a high BMI, eat a healthy diet, and be physically fit, that is if you aren't already.
Whatever you choose to do, I wish for you improved health!
[Edit: I don't know you, but I hope you know by now that
weight gain follows insulin resistance, not the other way around. My highest weight was 95 pounds when I graduated from high school. The hypoglycemia started in my early 20's. Over the next three and a half decades my weight increased to 180 pounds, despite eating normally. Worsening insulin resistance caused the weight gain over time, not over eating.]
Here's my history...
I crossed over to type 2 diabetes in 2005, have severe insulin resistance, and have chosen to not take medication. A1c was 9.9% two years ago. Was able to drop A1c down to 5.6% in a short period of time, then down to 5.4% last time I checked.
I actually got my glucose levels down by eating a low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD) that included animal protein, a mix of animal and plant based, healthy fats, and vegetables or leafy greens with every meal. I eliminated sugar, grains, and legumes from my diet, and greatly reduced fruit. I also eliminated all the industrial seed oils - (corn, soybean, saffola, canola, sunflower, cottonseed, and peanut). Today, I use healthier oils: extra virgin olive oil (for salads), butter, ghee, coconut oil, and for occasional higher heat cooking, avocado oil. I also walked up to 3 miles every other day.
Weight loss has been up and down for last two years...lost 26 pounds then gained 8 pounds back over the winter months...lost 6 of that 8 pounds over the summer....gained it back over the winter months again... Blood glucose hasn't changed much since despite the weight losses and gains.
