Healthy Eating for Healthy Blood Sugar

Feel free to use and share, but please credit:Christopher Chung; B.S. Nutritional Physiology & Metabolism, University of California BerkeleyFor any inquiries or to request updated versions, contact chrisLchung@gmail.com

What is diabetes?Too much sugar in the blood, and for too long.

Sugar Blood High blood sugar

1Question

Our blood needs to

have some sugar in it

Normal fasting blood glucose: Blood is “happy”

Elevated fasting blood glucose (pre-diabetes):

Blood is “uncomfortable”

High fasting blood glucose:

Blood is “unhappy”

1. Eat

What makes our blood sugar go up and down?

What makes our blood sugar go up and down?

2. Bread broken down to glucose.

3. Blood glucose goes up.

What makes our blood sugar go up and down?

4. Glucose moves from blood to muscles.

5. Blood glucose goes back down.

What is diabetes?

Answer: Too much sugar in the blood, and for too long.

1Question

What causes sugar to be too high in people with type two diabetes?

• To answer this question, we need to identify two main players

2Question

Glucose “gates” Insulin

With insulin present, the gate opens.

Without insulin, the gate is closed.

Blood

Glucose

Glucosegate

Insulin

Pancreas

Muscle

Muscle

Blood

Normal function

Type Two DiabetesOver time, the gates “lock up” from being overworked.

Type Two DiabetesPancreas says:Blood sugar is too high! I should make more insulin keys!

Type Two Diabetes

Type Two DiabetesPancreas says: I’m exhausted. I need to slow down insulin production.

Type Two Diabetes

What causes sugar to be too high in people with type two diabetes?

2Question

1) The glucose gates stop opening

What causes sugar to be too high in people with type two diabetes?

2Question

1) The glucose gates stop opening

What causes sugar to be too high in people with type two diabetes?

2Question

1) The glucose gates stop working 2) The pancreas gets tired of making insulin

Years later…

What causes sugar to be too high in people with type two diabetes?

2Question

Review: Type Two Diabetes

Review: Type Two Diabetes

Review: Type Two Diabetes

Three prongs of diabetes management and prevention

Meal planning Weight Loss Medication

Eat vegetables and complex carbohydrates.

(And not too much!)

Lose 5 pounds and keep them off.

Take your medication every day.