Atkins Diabetes Revolution by Robert C. Atkins

much exercise.
    a. True
    b. False
     
I have two or more signs of the metabolic syndrome (see Chapter 4).
    a. True
    b. False
     
My doctor has told me I have the metabolic syndrome.
    a. True
    b. False
     
My doctor says my fasting blood sugar is above 100 mg/dL but below 125 mg/dL.
    a. True
    b. False
     
I have taken an oral glucose tolerance test and my blood sugar was above 140 mg/dL but below 200 mg/dL.
    a. True
    b. False
    If you answered true to any of the first four statements, you may well have prediabetes. If you answered true to the fifth or sixth statement,you almost certainly already have prediabetes and need to take immediate action to prevent Type 2 diabetes. Please read on for more information to discuss with your doctor.
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Chapter 6
    DIAGNOSIS: DIABETES
    It is a sad day when we have to tell a patient that he or she has Type 2 diabetes. As upsetting as this news is to patients, it is made worse by the knowledge that the situation could have been prevented. That’s why we wrote this book.It is our hope that by reading it,you will never need to have this unpleasant conversation with your physician—or if you’ve already had that conversation, that Atkins Diabetes Revolution can deliver new hope.
    If you’ve already been diagnosed, you have likely been told to follow a low-calorie, low-fat diet, take prescription medications, and engage in regular exercise. With the exception of exercise, that’s a bleak prospect—years of denying yourself food when you’re hungry and popping pills that are expensive and often have unpleasant—or even dangerous—side effects. Fortunately, there’s another option. Dr. Atkins’ teachings can introduce you to a way of eating to control your diabetes that is easy to stick with for the long term. These teachings can also show you the way to a future without drugs—or, at the very least, lower doses of those drugs. You’ll still have to exercise, but we have tips for you on how to make it an enjoyable part of your life. (See Chapters 22 and 23.)
    DIABETES BY THE NUMBERS
    You officially have Type 2 diabetes when your fasting blood sugar (FBS) is 126 mg/dL or higher on two separate blood tests, or when your blood sugar is above 200 mg/dL two hours after a meal or at the two-hour point in a glucose tolerance test.At this point, you would be at the fifth stage of the progression—significantly elevated blood sugar, insulin resistance, and high insulin production. If that’s where you are, let’s hope you can still avoid the sixth and final stage, Type 2 diabetes with low or virtually no insulin production.It’s no fun having to take oral antidiabetic medications or, worse, to give yourself daily doses of insulin.Don’t put this book down until you’ve learned how to take immediate steps to avoid these consequences.
    WARNING SIGNS OF DIABETES
    A shocking number of people have progressed to Type 2 diabetes and don’t even realize it. Following is a list of common symptoms that patients with diabetes may experience.You must see your doctor as soon as possible to evaluate any of the following symptoms:
     
Extreme thirst
Extreme hunger
Frequent urination
Weight loss without trying
Unusual fatigue
Blurry vision
Irritability
Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
Frequent skin, bladder, or gum infections
Slow healing of cuts and bruises
    THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL
    The hallmark of Dr. Atkins’ approach was his focus on the role of insulin and glucose function. He believed that it goes to the very heart (pardon the pun) of maintaining optimal health, preventing disease, and even treating chronic illness. Because insulin is a basic and fundamental hormone, whose job it is to regulate how your cells use energy, any disruption in this hormone’s function will interfere with your health. And in today’s sedentary, “carb-o-holic” society, insulin function is disrupted in an extremely large percentage of people.
    That is why in his practice, regardless of the patient’s weight