DIABETES - DON’T LET IT GET YOU DOWN!

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

Diabetes develops due to a diminished production of insulin (in type1) or resistance to its effects (in type2 and gestational).

• Type 1 diabetes mellitus is characterized by loss of the insulin-producing beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, leading to a deficiency of insulin.
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized differently and is due to insulin resistance or reduced insulin sensitivity, combined with relatively reduced insulin secretion which in some cases becomes absolute. The defective responsiveness of body tissues to insulin almost certainly involves the insulin receptor in cell membranes. In the early stage of type 2 diabetes, the predominant abnormality is reduced insulin sensitivity, characterized by elevated levels of insulin in the blood.
• Gestational diabetes (GD) affects about 4 percent of all pregnant women. It usually appears during the second trimester and disappears after the birth of the baby. Like Type 1 and Type 2, your body can’t use glucose effectively and blood glucose levels get too high. When GD is not controlled, complications can affect both mother and baby.

Early diabetes symptoms can be subtle or seemingly harmless. Understanding possible diabetes symptoms can lead to early diagnosis and treatment - and a lifetime of better health. If you’re experiencing any of the following diabetes symptoms, see your doctor.

• Excessive thirst and increased urination: When you have diabetes, excess sugar (glucose) builds up in your blood. Your kidneys are forced to work overtime to filter and absorb the excess sugar. If your kidneys can’t keep up, the excess sugar is excreted into your urine along with fluids drawn from your tissues. This triggers more frequent urination, which may leave you dehydrated. As you drink more fluids to quench your thirst, you’ll urinate even more.
• Fatigue: You may feel fatigued. The dehydration from increased urination and your body’s inability to function properly, since it’s unable to use sugar for energy.
• Weight loss: When you lose sugar through frequent urination, you also lose calories. At the same time, diabetes may keep the sugar from your food from reaching your cells - leading to constant hunger. The combined effect is potentially rapid weight loss, especially if you have type 1 diabetes
• Blurred vision: High levels of blood sugar pull fluid from your tissues, including the lenses of your eyes. This affects your ability to focus. For most people, these early changes do not cause vision problems. However, if these changes progress undetected, they can lead to vision loss and blindness.
• Slow-healing sores or frequent infections: It may be that high levels of blood sugar impair your body’s natural healing process and your ability to fight infections. For women, bladder and vaginal infections are especially common.
• Tingling hands and feet: Excess sugar in your blood can lead to nerve damage. You may notice tingling and loss of sensation in your hands and feet, as well as burning pain in your arms, hands, legs and feet.
• Red, swollen, tender gums: Your gums may pull away from your teeth, your teeth may become loose, or you may develop sores or pockets of pus in your gums - especially if you have a gum infection before diabetes develops
• Take your body’s hints seriously: If you notice any possible diabetes symptoms, contact your doctor. The earlier the condition is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin. Diabetes is a serious condition. But with your active participation and the support of your health care team, you can manage diabetes while enjoying an active, healthy life.

Tweaking your lifestyle could be a big step toward diabetes prevention Here are 5 tips for taking control. - and it’s never too late to start.

Tip 1: Begin by drinking plenty of water. Your body needs plenty of water to stay healthy and make new cells which accept glucose.

Tip 2: Get more physical activity

It can help you lose weight but even if it doesn’t, it’s still important to get off the couch. Whether you lose weight or not, physical activity lowers blood sugar and boosts your sensitivity to insulin - which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range. You could simply walk, jog or dance. It helps get those blood streams moving as well as loses those unnecessary pounds.

Tip 3: Get plenty of fiber

Fiber is important for diabetes because another reason too! High fiber diets typically contain chromium which is very beneficial to diabetics. Chromium deficiency is sometimes common in diabetics. Fiber intake is also associated with a lower risk of heart disease. It may even promote weight loss by helping you feel full. Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

It is important to eat many of your vegetables raw and fresh instead of cooked.

And fruit contains water soluble fiber; this makes a healthy treat that will help flush impurities from the body.

Tip 4: Go for whole grains and reduce the carbohydrates consumption.

Try to make at least half your grains whole grains. Many foods made from whole grains come ready to eat, including various breads, pasta products and ready-to-eat cereals. Look for the word “whole” on the package and among the first few items in the ingredient list.

The newest research on dieting and diabetes is showing that carbohydrates may interfere with diabetics’ cell functioning. A carbohydrate free diet may be the key to reversing diabetes.

Tip 5: Lose extra weight

Every pound you lose can improve your health. In one study, overweight adults who lost a modest amount of weight - 5 percent to 10 percent of initial body weight - and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent over three years.

Diabetes puts in jeopardy one’s life as well as how one leads his or her life because of the complications that result from having it. Both types of diabetes, type one and type two are linked with being overweight. To those who already have diabetes, regular exercise and losing weight could help in controlling your blood sugar levels as well as the medication you may be currently taking.