Our Services / Diabetes

Diabetes is a common chronic health condition that can make moving through your everyday routines challenging. Help is available through the care of Devin Stone, ND, Natasha MacLeay, ND, Christian Jacob Del Rosario, ND, and the team at Tulsi Wellness Club, a functional and holistic medicine practice serving Del Mar, California. To book an initial visit, call today or spend a few moments on the online scheduling page. 

What is diabetes, and how does it affect my body?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how your body converts food into energy. A good way to understand diabetes is to think about how this process usually works. Each time you eat, your body converts a portion of that food into a type of sugar called glucose. 

Glucose travels through your blood to fuel cells throughout your body. For glucose to enter each cell, a hormone called insulin is necessary. Your pancreas produces insulin, and people with diabetes either don’t produce insulin due to an autoimmune condition (type 1 diabetes) or cannot make effective use of the insulin that is produced (type 2 diabetes).

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed during childhood. Supplemental insulin is the only way for people with this form of diabetes to survive. Type 2 diabetes is closely linked with being overweight or obese and can develop during childhood or adulthood.  

What are the health risks of diabetes?

Extensive research shows that living with diabetes increases your risk of severe health outcomes. Some of the health risks linked to diabetes include:

• Heart disease
• Eye problems
• Circulatory issues
• Kidney disease
• Stroke
• Sexual dysfunction
• Dental problems
• Neuropathy (nerve damage)
• Foot health issues

Getting treatment and managing your diabetes is the best way to reduce your risk of these health issues. 

Are there treatments that can improve diabetes?

There are many ways to treat diabetes. For people with type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy is the primary approach and is necessary throughout their lifespan. 

Treating type 2 diabetes often involves a combination of treatment efforts. Medications can help by increasing your body’s insulin sensitivity, lowering glucose levels, or boosting insulin production. Supplemental insulin might be necessary, often in the form of daily self-injection. 

If you are overweight or obese, reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is an important step in treating diabetes. Your Tulsi Wellness Club practitioner can help you find ways to incorporate more physical activity into your daily routines. You’ll also explore how dietary changes can help manage diabetes. 

You don’t have to overhaul your diet all at once or embark on extreme exercise routines to see results. Making small changes over time will yield impressive improvements, and this approach is far easier to sustain. When you’re ready to get started, call or click to schedule visits.