Diabetes

When you have diabetes that isn’t well-controlled, over time your high blood sugar can lead to heart, kidney, nerve, or eye complications. With healthy medical weight loss and a personalized diabetes treatment plan, Vivek Gupta, MD, MPH, at Mindful Weight Loss can help you manage your diabetes and reduce the need for medication or supplemental insulin. To schedule your first evaluation, call the office in Redondo Beach, California, or request an appointment online today.

Chronic conditions can affect your health for the rest of your life, and diabetes is no exception. It’s a condition that affects the way your body uses glucose (blood sugar) which is a primary source of cell energy.

Insulin, a hormone from your pancreas, delivers blood glucose to your cells so they can use it to function. With diabetes, there’s a problem with insulin, so too much glucose builds up in your bloodstream, which can cause damage to your organs.

There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed early in life and isn’t associated with unhealthy behaviors like overeating or a lack of exercise. If you have Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas doesn’t make any insulin because your immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells. You need to take insulin every day to manage your blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes

Of the two, Type 2 diabetes is much more common. Your body can still produce some insulin, but it’s not enough to manage the amount of glucose in your blood. Your cells might even become resistant to the insulin you produce. This type of diabetes often develops in people who are overweight or obese.

Gestational diabetes, a third type, develops in pregnant women and usually resolves after the mother gives birth.

If you experience these symptoms that indicate diabetes, you should undergo diagnostic testing right away.

Common early symptoms are similar for all types of diabetes. They can include:

Extreme, constant hunger
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Irritability
Weakness and fatigue
Blurring vision

Type 1 diabetes symptoms tend to develop much faster than symptoms from Type 2.

Since Type 2 diabetes symptoms have a more gradual onset, it’s easy to attribute them to other health issues or even natural aging. Still, you should be sure to mention unusual changes during your annual physical exams.

As an internal medicine physician, Dr. Gupta has lots of experience helping patients manage chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. He uses an approach that’s focused on weight loss to help you manage your diabetes and curb some of the negative effects on your health.

Healthy weight management is especially important for Type 2 diabetes, but either type can benefit because weight management can reduce your need for medication.

Starting with a one-hour intake assessment and comprehensive body composition analysis, Dr. Gupta creates an individualized treatment plan for you while working with other experts, like your primary care provider.

This treatment plan may include:

Personalized nutrition counseling
Exercise recommendations and guidance
Communications through the Mindful Weight Loss app
Regular check-in visits
Medications
Mindfulness training

Even though diabetes currently has no cure, healthy weight loss can improve your overall health, including your blood sugar control and blood pressure. After you lose weight, you may even be able to come off your diabetes medication.

To schedule your intake assessment for diabetes management, call Mindful Weight Loss today or request an appointment online.