Dear annem (Annie),I do understand how confusing it can be to receive figures that make no sense to you. This is because in America they use mg/dL (milligrams per deciLiter ... American spelling of litre, by the way) to measure glucose levels, whereas the civilised (British spelling) world use the International Standard of mmol/L (millimoles per litre). The easy way to convert American figures to a number that is important for you is to divide the number by 18. i.e. 120.6 mg/dL = 6.7 mmol/L.
Now, dear lady, onto your question as to whether you can actually lower your blood sugar levels without taking medication. I'm afraid I couldn't say with any degree of certainty as there are so many variables that may affect this.
Losing weight is obviously one way to approach this as there's a higher degree of type 2 diabetics that are overweight, but it also depends on body shape too. People that have an 'apple' shape about their body ... meaning that people who carry a lot of surplus weight around their middle, are more prone to developing type 2 diabetes. There is, of course, also the genetics component to take into account. It seems that if you have close relatives that have developed type 2 diabetes at some point of their life, you are more at risk of developing it yourself. Of course, this has already happened to you, but it means that any children of your own are at more risk of developing the condition themselves.
Some doctors state that losing 5-10% of your body weight MAY be enough to bring your blood sugar levels back to the pre-diabetes stage.
The use of exercise to aid in lowering your blood sugar levels is imperative. Not only does it aid the utilisation of glucose in the production of energy, but it also aids in lowering insulin resistance. As I'm sure you're already aware, type 2 diabetics do, in fact, come about the condition because their body's cells have become resistant to the effects of insulin. What I'm saying there is that because your body's cells are resistant to the effects of insulin, glucose can't be taken in by your muscle tissues to make energy ... hence, the build up of glucose in your bloodstream.Doctors advise at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, 5 r 6 days a week is what diabetics should be aiming for. Of course, if you're able to do more than that, all the better. (Please don't get me wrong, I do appreciate that not everyone is an exercise lover, or may not be in a position to undertake exercise. I'm simply telling you what would be best for you if you were in a position to comply.)
As I say, I can't promise that you'll be able to treat your diabetes without medication, but it's something that you need to bring up with your doctor. I'm sure s/he will listen to you with an open mind. You could ask him/her to refer you on to speak with a dietitian ... someone who will be able to advise you on the different types of foods that we need to eat to remain healthy, and also to give you advice on the types of food that you should seek to cut back on in your fight against diabetes. (Basically, the things to avoid, or at least cut back on, are carbohydrates and starches ... things like potatoes, bread, cakes, biscuits , sweets , etc.)The latest thing that is considered good for controlling diabetes is called the Glycemic Index (Glycaemic, if you don't mind me adding the UK English spelling). This is a list of how foods make blood sugar levels rise. Obviously, the lower the GI (Glycemic Index) the better. (To be honest, it goes a little deeper than simply using the glycemic index. You have to take into account just how much of a specific food is being taken in. This is called the glycemic load (GL). The same principle occurs ... the lower the better. You can find out about a list of 50 foods with given GI levels at: http://www.lowglycemicdiet.com/gifoodlis...
I do hope that you are able to achieve your aims.
Be well, dear lady.
Lots of Love and Light.
Mick
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P.S. Please don't be offended, or alarmed, at the "x's". It's merely a logo, of sorts, that I've been using for some 30-odd years now.
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