Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how your body uses glucose (sugar), a primary source of energy. There are two main types:

• Type 1 Diabetes: An autoimmune condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin.

• Type 2 Diabetes: A metabolic disorder where the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce enough of it.

• Pre-Diabetes: A state where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis.

Left untreated, diabetes can lead to complications such as heart disease, nerve damage, kidney dysfunction, and vision loss.

How We Test for Diabetes

Functional medicine takes a deeper look at underlying causes and imbalances. Common diagnostic tests include:

• Fasting Blood Glucose
  Measures blood sugar after fasting overnight.

• Hemoglobin A1C
  Reflects average blood sugar levels over the past 2–3 months.

• Insulin and C-Peptide Levels
  Help assess how much insulin your body is producing and how it’s functioning.

Additional Functional Tests We May Consider

To uncover root causes and related imbalances, we may also recommend:

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
  Checks liver and kidney function, electrolytes, and more.

• Advanced Lipid Panel
  Assesses cardiovascular risk beyond standard cholesterol testing.

• Inflammatory Markers (e.g., hs-CRP, homocysteine)
  Reveal levels of systemic inflammation often present in metabolic dysfunction.

• Nutrient Deficiency Testing
  Common deficiencies in magnesium, chromium, vitamin D, and B vitamins can affect blood sugar control.

• Gut Microbiome and Intestinal Permeability Panels
  Poor gut health is often linked to insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.

• Hormone Panel (including cortisol and thyroid function)
  Hormonal imbalances can worsen blood sugar regulation.

• Genetic Testing 
  Identifies predispositions to diabetes, methylation issues, or impaired detox pathways.

Our Functional Medicine Approach to Diabetes

Our treatment strategy is holistic and personalized, aiming to reverse dysfunction rather than just manage symptoms.

Nutrition & Lifestyle

• Personalized anti-inflammatory meal plans

• Low glycemic, whole-food diets

• Supervised fasting protocols

• Sleep optimization and stress management

• Targeted supplementation based on lab results