Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa Issues Call to Learn About Diabetes Risk on Alert Day®, Shares Tips to Controlling, Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

MIAMI, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today is American Diabetes Association (ADA) Alert Day®, a one-day observance that focuses on the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of understanding one's risk. Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa, America's longest running transformative health and weight-loss retreat, challenges men and women alike to learn about Type 2 diabetes, a common disorder that affects 30.3 million people in the United States [1].

Alert Day
Observed annually on the fourth Tuesday in March each year, Alert Day is a one-day event that encourages everyone to learn about diabetes and participate in workplace-friendly activities that promote reversing the risks for diabetes.

Such activities are the cornerstone of lifestyle science, of which Pritikin has been at the forefront since 1975, achieving remarkable results published in more than 100 peer-reviewed studies. The program is the most successful method for preventing and controlling leading health concerns, including Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and obesity.

 "A healthy eating and exercise plan like the Pritikin Program is one of the most effective ways to control diabetes. We see it every day in our guests," notes Dr. Andrea Sosa-Melo, M.D., endocrinologist and diabetes expert, physician and educator at the Pritikin Longevity Center.

Controlling Type 2 Diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among U.S. adults. Controlling diabetes can help ward off the many painful and life-threatening complications of the disease, which also include heart disease and stroke.

The key to diabetes management is controlling one's insulin resistance. Pritikin offers the following potentially life-saving tips to controlling the progression of Type 2 diabetes:

1.     Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
For those overweight, weight loss should be their number one goal. Even a five percent reduction in weight can change the way your body uses its own insulin and responds to the food you eat. Combine diet and exercise to reach your weight loss goal.

2.     Exercise
Exercise is one of medicine's most powerful natural "drugs." It enhances the muscle's ability to take in glucose, improves circulation and lowers the risk of heart disease. Exercise directly impacts insulin resistance – the key precursor of Type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise burns up glucose before it has a chance to build up in the blood. It also aids in the loss of body fat, helps keep the weight off and can greatly improve blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride control.

3.     Eat Whole Foods
Make most of your diet with whole foods, that is, foods that look as if they actually came out of the ground – fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams. They're naturally packed with nutrients, and their high fiber-to-calorie ratio is very beneficial in curbing hunger, which curbs weight gain.

4.     Eat Fruit, Just not by itself
Extra fiber will help stabilize blood sugar. Fruit, like vegetables, is full of fiber and water and contains the lowest calorie density, assisting in fast weight loss. Fruit is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, as well as healthy sugar, which is why diabetics should not eat fruit by itself. Great pairings include fruit with oatmeal (fiber from oatmeal will let sugar get into system slower) and fruit with veggies or a salad.

5.     Stick to Good vs. Bad Carbs
For those watching their blood sugar, a high-carbohydrate diet is actually good for you. What's critical is the type of carbohydrate. Avoid eating refined carbs such as white bread and sugary desserts, which will cause blood sugar levels to spike. Instead opt for fiber-rich, unprocessed carbohydrates like vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, and beans to help to normalize blood sugar levels and even reverse the diagnosis of pre-diabetes and diabetes.

6.     Limit Animal Proteins
Eating too much protein, especially animal protein, may contribute to excessive fat build-up in the body, including the muscle, liver, and pancreatic cells, where it will promote insulin resistance and lead eventually to diabetes. Instead opt for healthier, lean, protein-rich foods that can help you curb your appetite and feel full, but at a low-calorie cost. 

7.     Don't Drink Your Calories
Steer clear of sugary and/or fatty beverages, whether alcoholic or not. Either could cause blood sugar to spike or fall.

8.     Balance Hormonal Dysfunction
Diabetes is not just about blood sugar abnormalities. It involves hormonal abnormalities; this often starts with something many Americans do. They overeat at night, then skip breakfast the following morning, thinking, "I'll save my calories for later." However, the body is likely interpreting that long 10-hour stretch of no food as famine, and it starts saving fat. It also pumps out hormones, like ghrelin, commonly called the hunger hormone. High levels of this hormone drive you to "eat and eat now."

"With lifestyle changes alone, many people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes can reverse insulin resistance and maintain normal or close-to-normal blood glucose levels. But diabetes reversal is not a destination; it's a continuous journey. For those that continue to eat well and exercise regularly, chances are excellent they will avoid the direct consequences of diabetes, which can include blindness, loss of feeling in the feet and hands, kidney failure, and even heart attacks and strokes," concludes Dr. Sosa-Melo.

About Pritikin Longevity Center
For more than 40 years, the internationally renowned Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa has served as the leading total body and mind health resort destination in the world. From weight loss to the prevention and reversal of the progression of coronary heart disease, diabetes and other health concerns, the program immerses guests in a life-calibrating educational journey embedded in longevity-rich dining, culinary classes, private physician diagnostics, weight-loss workshops, diabetes management and reversal, longevity living education and psychological wellbeing. Located in Miami, nestled within an exquisite 650-acre, four-star resort with beautiful pools, championship golf courses and other world-class amenities, a Pritikin health and wellness retreat offers something for those seeking to enjoy the greatest duration of life. To begin your longevity journey, visit www.pritikin.com .

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes statistics report, 2017. www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf .  Updated July, 18 2017.

MEDIA CONTACT
Christy Olliff
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404.214.0722 x117
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