Reversing Diabetes and taking charge of your health
Over the years we have found an increasing number of clients coming on our retreats with type 2 diabetes plus those with metabolic issues and pre-diabetes (which tends to go undiscovered until people develop the full blown disease).
Diabetes type 2 is largely a nutritional problem which is best healed with a nutritional approach. This year we have developed a ground-breaking Diabetes Detox Retreat for anyone wanting to overcome blood sugar imbalance issues and Diabetes Type 2.
Diabetes facts:
Diabetes UK has described diabetes as the biggest threat to UK health and is asking for more emphasis on prevention and natural methods of treatment.
There are now well over 3 million people diagnosed with Diabetes in the UK, plus an estimated half a million more people who have the condition but don’t know it. It’s a continuing and alarming rise of a largely preventable condition. Type 2 diabetes, which was once known as adult-onset diabetes, is now found in young adults and children and much of this change has been attributed to the huge amount of sugar and hidden sugar in our diet. 90% of adult on-set type 2 diabetics are overweight. Being overweight desensitises your body to insulin levels. But it may also surprise you to know that artificial sweeteners have also been shown to cause weight gain and diabetes. These are the sort of things you will learn about during the Diabetes workshops.
The cause:
Very simply, Type 2 Diabetes develops when your body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood sugar levels. Your body is then less able to cope with the blood sugar highs you experience when eating food and drink with a high glucose content. But what causes this insulin resistance in the first place? Mostly it is a combination of excess weight, unhealthy eating habits, and a high acid-forming diet.
With the majority of people diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetes being overweight, the most effective way to help reverse and avoid the disease is through weight management, life style changes, and most importantly, a healthy diet that keeps blood sugar levels stable. An important point about excess weight is that it is often caused by a high acid-forming diet which is why many people find it difficult to shift the weight unless they also alter their diet, not just in terms of reducing calories, but also to become much more alkaline forming.
Can’t diabetes just be controlled by medication?
To an extent only, because diabetes type 2 is a chronic and degenerative condition which affects the whole body. Oral medication such as Metformin and Insulin injections help to control blood sugar levels; but it’s not a cure as the condition still progresses, and long term far worse health issues can develop as a result, such as heart attack, kidney failure, high blood pressure, stroke, blindness and neurological problems.
Can diabetes Type 2 be reversed?
A number of research studies show that it can and it is also our experience with clients. A period of fasting or very low calorie diet increases insulin sensitivity. When insulin levels are kept low, it improves insulin sensitivity.
In a study carried out at Newcastle University, the research team discovered that Type 2 diabetes can be reversed by an extreme low calorie diet alone. In an early stage clinical trial of 11 people, all 11 reversed their diabetes by drastically cutting their food intake to just 600 calories a day for two months. And three months later, seven remained free of diabetes. Interestingly after just one week, the Newcastle University team found that in all 11 people their pre-breakfast blood sugar levels had returned to normal.
Research at the American Diabetes Association conference and published in Diabetologia demonstrated that people who go on a very low calorie diet can remove fat which is clogging up the pancreas allowing normal insulin secretion to be restored.
How will the Diabetes Detox work:
The Diabetes Type 2 Detox Retreat week will run within the structure of our normal Mind / Body detox week but with 2 additional in-depth workshops to increase your awareness about how YOU can transform your health and reverse your diabetes. Whether the cause is dietary, emotional, weight induced or a hereditary predisposition, we will be discussing your individual health issues and giving advice on diet, lifestyle, and nutritional supplements going forward after the retreat.
There will be 2 diabetes focused workshops during the detox retreat when we will be looking at how blood sugar issues arise, the causes and triggers and how unchecked, you can develop diabetes. We’ll be looking at how simple changes to your diet can make a big difference to your blood sugar balance. We’ll be looking at diet in detail and teaching you which foods spike blood sugar and which support blood sugar balance. We’ll be looking at ways for you to support your blood sugar and keep it stable across the day.
You will also have an Individual nutritional consultation discussing your diet and lifestyle after the retreat, specifically focusing on diabetes and blood sugar control.
We are happy to keep working with you beyond the retreat week to provide continued follow-on support via skype or telephone consultations.
The Diabetes Workshops
Workshop 1 – we will be discussing the causes:
- The triggers and possible causes of diabetes, such as diet, emotional stress or trauma (adrenalin increases blood sugar)
- Over weight / Obesity
- The effects of a high sugar diet
- The effects of a high fat diet
- Alcohol abuse
- Lack of exercise
- Food intolerance
- Diet relating to acid / alkaline imbalance
Why it is so important to have a stable blood sugar levels
Work shop 2 – we will be looking at the solutions:
- Diet (how the use of high fructose corn syrup is at the heart of the diabetes epidemic, learn which foods spike blood sugar and which support blood sugar balance, learn new ways to supports your blood sugar and keep it stable across the day).
- Intermittent fasting
- Lifestyle changes
- Exercise
- Helpful supplements / herbs
Who is the Diabetes Detox for:
Anyone who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or is pre-diabetic and is looking for an alternative way to reverse and heal their condition. It’s also for those at risk of developing Diabetes type 2, such as obesity, being over weight. It’s not the easy option as it will require diet and lifestyle changes, but the rewards are huge. You will be taking an opportunity to regain your health and energy by taking charge of your body and your life again. (Please check with your doctor first that this retreat will be suitable for you).
Dates and location
The Diabetes Type 2 Detox Retreats will be incorporated into all of our detox retreats in Spain, with the addition of the Diabetes workshops and individual nutritional consultations during the retreats.