Avoiding Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that affects 24 million people in the US. Not everyone who has Diabetes realizes that they do, actually about a quarter of those who have the disease do not know it. The bodies of people who have Diabetes do not properly use or produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body by telling the cells to absorb glucose in bloodstream. Glucose is the form of energy that the body can absorb after foods have been digested. Without insulin to prompt the cells to absorb glucose the body is unable to use the energy that it needs to function properly. This results in a sugar surplus in the bloodstream. There are a few different types of Diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
People who have Type 1 Diabetes do not produce their own insulin. They must take shots of insulin to enable their bodies to absorb glucose. Only 5-10% of individuals who have Diabetes have Type 1 Diabetes.
Diabetes Type 2
People who have Type 2 Diabetes do not produce enough insulin or their bodies do not use the insulin produced correctly. Most people who have Diabetes have Type 2 Diabetes, although many who have the disease do not know it.
Gestational Diabetes
This occurs during pregnancy in some woman. The results of this can be a baby that gains weight quickly. 5-10% of women who have gestational diabetes will have diabetes after their pregnancy, usually Type 2 Diabetes.
Pre-Diabetes
Approximately 57 million people in the US who have high blood sugar levels, however they are not high enough to be considered Type 2 Diabetes. We call this state Pre-Diabetes, if nothing is done to address these higher sugar levels the result will most likely be Type 2 Diabetes.
While some types of Diabetes cannot be avoided it is possible to prevent Type 2 Diabetes. This is done through taking care of your body through appropriate management of diet and physical exercise. Changing lifestyle behaviors to prevent Diabetes will also help you to avoid other life threatening diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure.
Regarding your diet, it is important to watch the amounts of sugars and carbohydrates you consume throughout the day and look for ways to reduce this sugar consumption. Try to incorporate whole grains, fruits and vegetables into your diet. Also, eating smaller meals about 5-6 times during the day will help to keep blood sugar levels consistent during the day. It is also imperative that you lose weight if you are currently overweight.
Begin exercising 30 minutes per day can help with losing weight as well as controlling blood sugar levels. By using your muscles more you will help them use insulin more effectively to absorb glucose in your bloodstream to keep blood sugar moderate and not too high.
Diabetes is a disease that you have an element of control in preventing. By improving your daily habits such as your diet and exercising you can greatly decrease your risk of Type 2 Diabetes. 9 out of 10 Type 2 Diabetes cases could have been prevented.
To learn more about diets check out Crystal Well’s blog. This blog is dedicated to help you in finding the best diets for you!
