Understanding Blood Sugar: The Path from Glucose to Diabetes and the Power of Proactive Action

In my decades of studying the intricate connections between mind and body, I've witnessed countless patients receive a diabetes diagnosis with a mixture of confusion, fear, and resignation. As both a physician and Chief Medical Affairs Officer at ForHumanity.co, where we're developing innovative solutions for metabolic health, I want to share a different perspective—one that transforms understanding into empowerment.

As you read on, I encourage you to avoid falling into the trap of labeling yourself as being sick or having diabetes.  Diagnoses are not labels but rather snapshots of existing patterns— patterns that we have the opportunity to shift, positively or negatively.

The Glucose Journey: From Energy to Enemy

High glucose or blood sugar levels have been deemed the new enemy. The truth is that glucose is not the villain in our metabolic story as it serves a real purpose—it's the primary fuel, gasoline, if you will, that powers every cell in our bodies. It’s just that it takes multiple systems in the body working harmoniously together in a complex dance involving hormones, organs and receptors on cells, to ensure that blood sugar levels are kept within a narrow, healthy range.

More importantly, or interestingly, this complex dance can be profoundly influenced, positively or negatively, by a myriad of factors that are under our control to change, like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress.

Stress: The Hidden Orchestrator of Blood Sugar Chaos

For decades, those of us in the mind-body medicine field have observed a pattern that conventional medicine is only now beginning to acknowledge: chronic stress is often the silent conductor orchestrating insulin resistance—and, over time, type 2 diabetes. When you’re under stress—whether from work demands, relationship conflict, financial strain, or chronic sleep deprivation—your body switches into “survival metabolism.” The adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenaline, signaling your liver to flood the bloodstream with glucose. This response made perfect sense for our ancestors. If they encountered a predator in the wild, the surge of glucose provided immediate energy for fight or flight. But in modern life, true physical threats are rare. Instead, the brain interprets unresolved stressors—emotional, psychological, or social—as life-threatening because it cannot find a foreseeable solution.

Here’s the catch: your brain doesn’t distinguish between real and imagined danger. Anything that threatens your sense of safety or value can trigger the same hormonal cascade. Yet instead of running or fighting, most of us remain sedentary—leaving all that excess glucose circulating in the bloodstream.

When stress becomes chronic, this system falls further out of balance. Cortisol remains elevated, perpetuating a cycle that disrupts blood sugar regulation, drives insulin resistance, and sets the stage for long-term metabolic disease.

The Stress-Sugar Cascade:

1. Chronic stress elevates cortisol → Increases glucose production
2. Persistent high glucose → Demands more insulin from the pancreas
3. Cellular insulin receptors become overwhelmed → Develop insulin resistance
4. Blood sugar remains elevated → Pancreas works harder to compensate
5. Eventually, pancreas becomes exhausted → Type 2 diabetes develops

This isn't just theory—research shows that people with chronic stress have significantly higher rates of developing type 2 diabetes even when controlling for other risk factors like weight and family history.

Type 1 vs. Type 2: Two Different Stories, One Whole-Person Approach

Understanding the fundamental differences between these conditions is crucial for both patients and their families.

Type 1 Diabetes: The Autoimmune Journey

Type 1 diabetes results from an autoimmune process where the body's immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This typically occurs in childhood or young adulthood, though it can develop at any age. People with type 1 diabetes produce little to no insulin and require insulin replacement for survival.

Key characteristics:

• Usually diagnosed before age 30
• Rapid onset of symptoms
• Requires insulin therapy from diagnosis
• Not preventable with current medical knowledge
• Represents about 5-10% of all diabetes cases

Type 2 Diabetes: The Lifestyle and Stress Connection

Type 2 diabetes develops when your body becomes resistant to insulin's effects, and your pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to overcome this resistance. This process typically unfolds over years or decades.

Key characteristics:

• Usually diagnosed after age 45, though increasingly seen in younger people
• Gradual onset of symptoms
• Often manageable with lifestyle changes and/or medications initially
• Largely preventable through lifestyle interventions
• Represents about 90-95% of all diabetes cases

The fascinating aspect from a resilience perspective: Type 2 diabetes is influenced not only by genetics, diet, and exercise, but also by how your entire system—mind, body, and spirit—responds to the stressors of modern life.

The Proactive Prescription: Beyond Diet and Exercise

While traditional diabetes prevention focuses on diet and exercise—and these remain crucial—my approach as both a physician and resilience expert includes a "Metabolic Resilience Protocol.

1. Stress Mastery as Metabolic Medicine

Learning to regulate your stress response isn't just good for your mental health—it's essential for metabolic health. Chronic stress keeps your body in a state of metabolic emergency, making insulin resistance almost inevitable.

Practical strategies:

• Mindfulness meditation: Even 10 minutes daily can improve insulin sensitivity
• Breathwork: Deep, slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, improving glucose metabolism
• Nature exposure: Studies show that spending time in nature reduces cortisol levels and improves metabolic markers

2. Sleep as Metabolic Medicine

Poor sleep is perhaps the most underestimated driver of insulin resistance. When you don't get adequate, quality sleep, your body produces more cortisol and less growth hormone, both of which negatively impact blood sugar control.

Sleep optimization protocol:

• Aim for 7-9 hours of consistent sleep
• Create a stress-free bedtime routine
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
• Avoid screens 1-2 hours before bedtime

3. Nutritional Resilience

Rather than focusing solely on restriction, I encourage patients to think about nourishing their metabolic pathways and adding a variety nutrient rich foods. This means:

• Protein at every meal to stabilize blood sugar
• Healthy fats to support hormone production
• Fiber-rich vegetables to support gut health and glucose regulation
• Mindful eating to improve the mind-body connection around food
• Having a variety of colorful plant-based foods to support the microbiome, lower inflammation and nutritional needs

4. Movement as Metabolic Meditation

Exercise doesn’t have to feel like punishment—it is possible for it to feel like celebration of what your body can do. Regular movement, especially strength training, dramatically improves insulin sensitivity. The key is to make it fun or enjoyable, finding something you like to do or someone you can do it with.

Building Resilience Against Metabolic Dysfunction

The most empowering aspect of type 2 diabetes prevention is that it's largely within your control. But control doesn't mean perfection—it means developing the resilience to navigate life's inevitable stressors without letting them derail your metabolic health.

The Six Pillars of Resilience:

1. Physical Resilience: Regular movement, adequate sleep, and nourishing nutrition
2. Mental Resilience: Stress management techniques, mindfulness practices, and cognitive flexibility
3. Emotional Resilience: Healthy relationships, emotional regulation skills, and self-compassion
4. Relationship Resilience: Healthy relationships, self-value, and clear boundaries.
5. Spiritual Resilience: Sense of purpose, connection to something greater than yourself, and meaning-making
6. Leadership Resilience: Taking responsibility and accountability for your health, behaviors and actions to create influence on others.

When Prevention Becomes Treatment: The Metformin Bridge

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, blood sugar levels begin to climb into the pre-diabetic or diabetic range, signaling that your body needs additional support.

Metformin, often called a "wonder drug" in medical circles, works beautifully as a bridge between lifestyle interventions and more intensive treatments. It helps your body use insulin more effectively while you work on the deeper lifestyle and stress factors that contribute to insulin resistance.

At ForHumanity.co, we've developed an advanced microencapsulated formulation of metformin designed to potentially minimize GI side effects while preserving therapeutic exposure. This innovation helps people access metformin's benefits by addressing common GI barriers that can affect consistent use.

The Empowering Truth About Glucose and Diabetes

Here's what I want every person to understand: your relationship with glucose and your risk for diabetes is not predetermined by your genes alone. Yes, genetics load the gun, but lifestyle and stress management pull the trigger—or choose not to.

Every day, you have thousands of micro-opportunities to support your metabolic health:

• The breath you take when you feel stressed
• The walk you choose instead of the elevator
• The extra hour of sleep you prioritize
• The vegetables you add to your plate
• The gratitude you practice before meals

Type 2 diabetes is not an inevitable consequence of aging or genetics—it's often the end result of a body that has been chronically stressed and under-supported. The beautiful news is that at any stage of this process, you can intervene with compassion, science-backed strategies, and the understanding that healing is always possible.

Your body wants to be healthy. Your metabolism wants to work efficiently. Your job is simply to create the conditions that allow this natural healing to occur.

Moving Forward with Hope and Knowledge

Whether you're working to prevent diabetes, have been recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes, or are managing established type 2 diabetes, remember this: you are not a victim of your metabolism. You are an empowered participant in your healing journey.

The path from glucose dysregulation back to metabolic harmony is not just about medications or restrictions—it's about rediscovering the resilient, adaptive, self-healing organism that you are. It's about understanding that true health emerges from the integration of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

In our next article, we'll explore how medications like metformin can serve as powerful allies in longevity and cognitive health, supporting not just your metabolism but your ability to thrive at any age.

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Dr. Eva Selhub is Chief Medical Affairs Officer at ForHumanity.co, a former Harvard faculty physician, and internationally recognized expert in resilience and mind-body medicine. She is the author of several books on stress, resilience, and optimal health.

References

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