Why Doesn’t My Medical Doctor Know About Your Treatment?
By · CommentsThis is a common question I get all the time that I’d like to talk about today.
What I do is called Functional Medicine. Functional medicine addresses how well your body may or may not be functioning and supports function of that organ, gland, chemical pathway, etc. Once function is restored…then health is restored.
The current Western Medicine approach to disease is based on treating symptoms….you have high cholesterol, well then take this drug to lower the cholesterol…you have high blood pressure, then here’s the drug for lowering high blood pressure…you get the idea. Western Medicine does not treat what is CAUSING the high cholesterol or what is CAUSING the high blood pressure…you see the difference? So, in effect someone’s disease whether it be Type 2 Diabetes or any other chronic disease that is killing millions of Americans…the CAUSE of that disease is not addressed.
There are some forward thinking Medical Doctors who do practice Functional Medicine. As the chronic diseases become more and more common in our society, Functional Medicine will become more and more popular as the current Medical Model fails in restoring health.
So you have to ask yourself….do you want your problem covered up? Or do you want the underlying CAUSE of the problem to be fixed. In my mind, the answer is easy. You DO have a choice when it comes to your health.
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need.
Article by Dr. Jade Malay, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
To really address the diabetes aspect of this statement, we have to evaluate what functional vs pathological blood chemistry even means. The trend for years has been to look at our blood work from a on or off proposition with very little gray area. Physicians look at the numbers and if nothing is out of the pathological range, it is just a wait and see attitude. Now this wouldn’t be the worst part of it, if the values for what is considered normal were not averaged by the growing population of sick people. What this means is, that as our society becomes sicker, the qualifications to get into this crowd becomes more difficult. So by the time a disease process is caught, it can be a long time into development.
The functional ranges are more stringent and therefore easier to discern what is going wrong with the body. The patterns for disease process are evaluated as a whole and the “gray areas” are what we are looking for to assist people from a pre-disease state to a healthy state.
What does this mean to my diabetes? First, with functional blood chemistry it is possible that you could have avoided it in the first place. Second, it means that there are tools to help you understand why your blood sugar is out of control. And finally, it means that there could be a solution to getting your blood sugar under control and avoiding the horrible outcome that diabetics face as the disease process continues to destroy the body regardless of medications.
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need.
Article by Dr. Jade Malay, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
What is Adrenal Stress Syndrome?
By · CommentsWhen the body goes through the stress response, which starts with alarm, goes to resistance and ultimately lands in exhaustion, it can ultimately cause an adrenal stress syndrome. This is characterized by several signs and symptoms:
Fatigue
Headaches
Weak immune system
Gastric Ulcer
Bloated feeling
Blurred vision
Irritable before meals
Cannot fall asleep
Cannot stay asleep
Slow starter
Crave sweets, caffeine, nicotine
This list is not complete by any means but does illustrate just how common some of these are and how we likely are experiencing them right now.
So we have let the stress response go on unchecked, now we have created this syndrome, what does that affect?
Primarily, at least where we are concerned, blood sugar, it creates insulin resistance if the cortisol is elevated and it creates hyperinsulinemia, which creates a cascade effect with the blood sugar levels. Also it can be decreased and impair the body’s ability to stabilize blood sugar levels and can create hypoglycemia.
It also has effects on the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, liver detoxification, intestinal tract, the immune system, gastric and duodenal disorders, bone density, depression, insomnia, neurodegenerative disease and cardiovascular disease.
The adrenals are just one area that we evaluate in our office, but as you can tell, they are very important to what is going on in the diabetic condition.
Dr. Charles Stafford
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need.
Article by Dr. Charles Stafford, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Cortisol, What Is It And Why Do I Care?
By · CommentsCortisol is a steroid hormone released by the adrenal glands. It is a glucocorticoid and is secreted specifically by the adrenal cortex, or the outer portion of the adrenal gland. It is very important to blood glucose concentration in two ways.
First it increases the liver production of glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis. This is important in the body during times of stress or between meals for the body to have energy. The second method is by impairing the utilization of glucose by the peripheral tissues. In other words cortisol has an anti-insulin effect on tissues and impairs the uptake of glucose for energy.
Cortisol is diabetogenic since it raises blood glucose concentrations.
This is why the stress response and the circadian release of cortisol are so very important to diabetics or borderline diabetics. This process if left uncontrolled drives the blood glucose problem in the body. It is one way in which to address diabetes from a functional problem or stand point instead of just addressing the blood sugar.
Dr. Charles Stafford
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need.
Article by Dr. Charles Stafford, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
When you have Type II Diabetes, you become Insulin Resistant. What exactly does “Insulin Resistant” mean? Our cells in our body have Receptor sites. These are sites that allow transport of a substance into the cell. With Type II Diabetes, the Insulin Receptors become resistant to allowing sugar to go into the cell. Sugar is used for fuel. This is why persons with Type II Diabetes are so tired…their cells are not getting the fuel they need. It’s like driving your car up to a gas pump, but there is no hose to pump the gas into your car. The other bad news is that excess sugar circulates in your body and wreaks havoc. This excess sugar causes damage to all your tissues through a process called “oxidation.” The oxidation process is like rust…so basically what is happening is you’re rusting from the inside out! This is why Type II Diabetes is so dangerous and can lead to horrible things such as amputation. Unfortunately, drugs only artificially lower the blood sugar levels, but rarely stabilize it to the point where the oxidation process stops and is under control. That’s why people on diabetic medication still suffer the awful consequences, but think their diabetes is “under control.”
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need. You can also call one of our two locations: Carrolton – 972-492-0383 or Dallas – 214-599-9285
Article by Dr. Jade Malay, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
I am asked all the time by patients what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. When it comes to artificial sweeteners, if you really want to get control of the “Diabetic Monster” you got to stay away from ALL artificial sweeteners. I suggest Stevia to all my patients. Stevia is actually a plant, so it is all natural. All natural means that your body does not have to work so hard to process the Stevia. When you look at the chemicals that make up artificial sweeteners, your body has to process all those chemicals and eliminate them. If you are already fighting Diabetes, you gotta feed your body the easiest things to process and to avoid any undo stress on your system. Stevia can be found at your local health food store or stores such as Whole Foods, Central Market, or Sprouts.
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need. You can also call one of our two locations: Carrolton – 972-492-0383 or Dallas – 214-599-9285
Article by Dr. Jade Malay, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
How Do Food Allergies Affect Type 2 Diabetes?
By · CommentsAny allergen whether a bee sting or that bagel you ate this morning, if you are allergic can cause INFLAMMATION. With some people a bee sting can kill them, but with others it may just cause some redness and swelling. Either way, your body responds to any allergen by increasing your body’s inflammation. When your body is inflamed, your blood sugar goes up almost immediately. That’s why its so important to know what foods you may be sensitive to in order to know what triggers or drives your diabetes. In our Western culture our foods are high in simple carbs such as breads, pastas, refined sugars, and processed foods. The most common foods most people in the US are sensitive to are: gluten (found in breads, pastas, etc), dairy, soy, and corn. When you look at the American diet, these foods make up a large part of our diet. Over time, our bodies become so bombarded with these foods that our bodies are overwhelmed and cannot process these foods correctly and with time become allergic to these foods. If you are allergic to something such as gluten, one exposure can cause an inflammatory response and will stay in your body for up to 6 months! Identifying a person’s food allergies is part of our work up when we accept a patient into our Type 2 Diabetes treatment. It’s imperative every part of someone’s health is looked at with a fine tooth comb to find out what is causing their Diabetes. That’s my approach to this disease. Call our office today if you’d like to know what is causing your Diabetes to take over your life.
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need. You can also call one of our two locations with any questions: Carrolton – 972-492-0383 or Dallas – 214-599-9285
Article by Dr. Jade Malay, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Leonard expresses his gratitude and satisfaction after lowering his blood sugar from 254 to 132. He looks forward to continued improvement.
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need.
Article by Dr. Jade Malay, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Gabriel discusses his early success with his diabetes problem and his solution with Alliance Pain Centers. He has lowered his blood sugar levels and is looking forward to more success.
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need.
Article by Dr. Jade Malay, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
The dawn phenomenon and the Somogyi effect cause high blood sugar levels, especially in the morning before breakfast, in people with diabetes.
Dawn phenomenon
Reasons for the Dawn Phenomenon:
- Hormones (growth hormone, cortisol, and catecholamines) produced by the body cause the liver to release large amounts of sugar (glucose) into the bloodstream. These hormones are released in the early morning hours. These hormones also may partially block the effect of insulin, whether it’s insulin your body produces or insulin from the last injection.
- If the body doesn’t produce enough insulin (which occurs in people with type 1 diabetes and a few people with type 2 diabetes), blood sugar levels may rise. This may cause high blood sugar in the morning before the person eats.
Somogyi effect
The Somogyi effect may occur when a person takes long-acting insulin for diabetes. If the blood sugar level drops too low in the early morning hours, hormones (such as growth hormone, cortisol, and catecholamines) are released. These help reverse the low blood sugar level but may lead to blood sugar levels that are higher than normal in the morning. An example of the Somogyi effect is:
- A person who takes insulin doesn’t eat a regular bedtime snack, and the person’s blood sugar level drops during the night.
- A person’s body responds to the low blood sugar in the same way as in the dawn phenomenon, by causing a high blood sugar level in the early morning.
Telling the Difference
To sort out whether an early morning high blood sugar level is caused by the dawn phenomenon or Somogyi effect, check blood sugar levels around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. for several nights.
- If the blood sugar level is low at 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., suspect the Somogyi effect.
- If the blood sugar level is normal or high at 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., it’s likely the dawn phenomenon.
If you are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and need help getting it and keeping it under control, please fill out the form to the right and we can help get you the information you need.
Article byDr. Jade Malay, DC, Type 2 Diabetes Professional, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
