Atkins Diabetes Revolution Read Online Free

contributes strongly to both obesity and diabetes.
    Sedentary Lifestyle. Lack of exercise and poor physical condition are major risk factors for diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle increases insulin resistance and contributes to obesity and loss of muscle mass. Heredity. Having a close relative, especially a parent or sibling, with Type 2 diabetes increases your risk. But don’t think you’re safe if you have no family history. We have seen numerous patients, even very young ones, well on their way to diabetes because of unhealthy diet and lifestyle alone.
    Ethnicity. Some ethnic groups, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders, have a high incidence of Type 2 diabetes.
    History of Gestational Diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes or who have given birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. Metabolic Syndrome. Also known as syndrome X, this group of signs includes abdominal obesity, hypertension, and abnormal lipids, signaling a major risk for heart disease, prediabetes, and diabetes. Elevated Blood Sugar. If your blood sugar is already on the high side, but not yet high enough to constitute a diagnosis of diabetes, you’re at a much greater risk of developing the disease as time goes on. In the meantime, damage to your body from the process that raises your blood sugar has already begun its insidious progression. Abnormal Blood Lipids. The combination of high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol is a major warning sign of abnormal blood sugar metabolism.
    High Blood Pressure. High blood sugar and high blood pressure often go hand in hand. Each is a warning sign of the same underlying metabolic problem.
    Age. Simply growing older increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially in combination with any of the other risk factors.
     
    In later chapters of this book, we will explore these risk factors and what you can do about them in greater detail. For now, the most important things to remember are that Type 2 diabetes almost always develops over a period of years and that it is almost always related to being overweight.Most people have more than one risk factor,and the early warning signs are present long before full-blown diabetes is diagnosed. That’s both the tragedy and the hope of this metabolic problem.It’s a tragedy,because all too often the early signs are ignored until diabetes develops—and by that time, the process leading to Type 2 diabetes may well have resulted in serious damage. But it’s also the hope, because the sooner you recognize those early signs and put the Atkins Blood Sugar Control Program into action,the sooner you can increase your chances of arresting this devastating disease.
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    WHAT IS YOUR RISK FOR GETTING DIABETES?
    Take this quiz to get an idea.
     
I am overweight.
    a. Yes
    b. No
I have excess weight around my waist.
    a. Yes
    b. No
My diet is high in carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes,and pasta.
    a. Yes
    b. No
I eat starchy snack foods/sweets every day.
    a. Yes
    No
I exercise fewer than three hours a week.
    a. Yes
    b. No
I am African American,Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American, or Pacific Islander.
    a. Yes
    b. No
My mother,father,sister,or brother has/had diabetes.
    a. Yes
    No
I had gestational diabetes.
    a. Yes
    b. No
My blood sugar is high.
    a. Yes
    b. No
My blood pressure is high.
    a. Yes
    b. No
I have high triglycerides.
    a. Yes
    b. No
I am over age 45.
    a. Yes
    b. No
     
    Count up your yes answers. The more yes answers you have, the greater the likelihood you will get diabetes—or that you have it already. If you have more than five yes answers, discuss your risk of diabetes with your doctor as soon as possible.
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Chapter 2
    WRONG TURN: THE LONG ROAD TO DIABETES
    The long, slow process of developing Type 2 diabetes can take years. The symptoms can develop so gradually that you don’t really notice them, at least not at