Diabetes is a condition that causes a person to have an excessive level of blood sugar, this upsets the normal flow of transferring sugar from the bloodstream into cells that need it for energy. This results in damage to vital organs and the disability of proper blood circulation, which sometimes leads to toe or foot amputation, kidney disease and blindness. A large number of diabetes patients die from stroke or heart attacks.
Excess body fat can be a large factor in type 2 diabetes. Experts believe that fat stored around the waist and in the belly may indicate a higher risk for diabetes. More specifically, fat in the liver and the pancreas appear to interfer with the body’s regulation of blood sugar. What can you do to reduce your risk? What this article is mainly talking about is type 2 diabetes.
Seven Steps That May Reduce the Risks of Diabetes.
1. Have your level of blood sugar tested if you are in a high-risk group. A medical disorder known as prediabetes—a condition in which blood sugar is moderately higher than normal—often precedes type 2 diabetes. Both conditions are unhealthy, but there is a difference: Although diabetes can be controlled, it cannot yet be cured. On the other hand, some prediabetics have been able to bring their blood sugar back to normal levels. Prediabetes may have no obvious symptoms. Therefore, this condition may go unnoticed. According to reports, about 100 million people around the world have prediabetes; yet, many of them do not realize it. For instance, in the United States alone, some 90 percent of prediabetes sufferers are unaware of their condition.
2. Eat To Live. What we eat is the primary reason for type 2 diabetes. You may benefit from doing the following whenever it is possible and practical, eat smaller portions than usual. Instead of sugary fruit juices and carbonated beverages, drink tea, coffee or water. Eat pasta, rice and whole grain bread in moderation, rather than refined foods, eat beans, fish, nuts and leaner meats.
3. Take Supplements. The foods we eat don’t always supply us with the nutrients we need for it to function the way that it should, a quality supplement that keeps blood sugar regulated can also benefit you. https://tinyurl.com/y46y98do
4. Stay Physically Active. Regular exercise can lower your blood sugar and help you stay at a healthy weight. Swap some TV time for exercise time, recommends one expert.
5. Drink water with your meals.
6. Eat two portions of vegetables before you eat anything else. This will fill you up faster and cause you to eat less of the harmful foods that may be on your plate.
7. Read Food Labels. Choose foods with unsaturated fat and little or no added salt or sugar.
How Prevalent Is Diabetes?
Epidemic Proportions!
It is estimated that worldwide, more than 140 million people have the disorder, and according to the World Health Organization, that number could double by the year 2025. Understandably, experts are concerned about the prevalence of diabetes. “With the numbers we’re starting to see,” says Dr. Robin S. Goland, codirector of a treatment center in the United States, “this could be the beginning of an epidemic.”
Consider these brief reports from around the world.
AUSTRALIA: According to Australia’s International Diabetes Institute, “diabetes presents one of the most challenging health problems for the 21st century.”
INDIA: At least 30 million people have diabetes. “We hardly had any patients under 40 about 15 years ago,” says one doctor. “Today every other person is from this age group.”
SINGAPORE: Nearly a third of the population between 30 and 69 years of age have diabetes. Many children—some as young as ten—have been diagnosed.
Japan: Approximately 13.5% of the Japanese population now has either has type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.
UNITED STATES: Approximately 16 million people are afflicted, and each year some 800,000 new cases are diagnosed. Millions have the disease but do not yet know it.
Treatment for diabetes is made more difficult because a person can have the disease a long time before it is diagnosed. “Because the early symptoms are relatively mild,” notes Asiaweek magazine, “diabetes often goes unrecognized.” Hence, #diabetes has been named the silent killer.
Diabetes Complications Are Serious
Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, heart attacks, kidney failure stroke and lower limb amputation. In 2016 an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Another 2.2 million deaths were attributable to high glucose. (World Health Organization) October 3, 2018. With proper diet, exercise and following the direction of your physician you can avoid these complications.
Diabetes has been called a disorder of the very engine of life, and for good reason. When the body cannot metabolize glucose, a number of vital mechanisms can break down, sometimes with life-threatening consequences. So when people neglect to eat right or take the prescribed medication the can actually be putting themselves in line for serious health problems and and early death.
Maintaining good blood sugar control can greatly reduce the risk of complications. If you have diabetes your body cannot process carbohydrates effectively. Normally when you eat carbs they are broken down into small units of glucose which end up as blood sugar. When blood sugar levels go up the #pancreas responds by producing the hormone insulin. In #type 2 diabetes the beta cells at first are able to produce enough insulin, but the body’s cells become resistant to it’s action so blood sugar remains high.
The main cause of type 2 diabetes is diet. Before insulin was discovered in 1921 very low-carb diets were considered as a standard treatment for people with diabetes. This diet worked very well in the long term if the patients followed the diet consistently.
In one study type 2 diabetics followed a low-carb diet for 6 months. Their #diabetes remained under control for more than 3 years. Research has shown that people with #diabetes experience long-term improvements to blood sugar control while on a low-carb diet that’s the bottom line. What’s the most favourable carb intake for diabetics? The ideal carb intake for diabetics is a somewhat controversial topic among those who support carb restriction. Many studies found dramatic improvements in blood sugar levels, weight and other markers when carbs were restricted to 20 grams per day.
Dr. Richard K. Berstein who has type 1 diabetes has eaten 30 grams of carbs per day and documented excellent blood sugar control
https://tinyurl.com/y46y98do in his patients who follow the same regimen. However other research shows that moderate carb restriction such as 70-90 grams of total carbs (approximately 20% of calories from carbs) is also effective. The most favourable amount of carbs may also vary by an individual because everyone has a unique response to carbs. To figure out your ideal amount you may want to measure your blood glucose with a meter before a meal and again 1 to 2 hours after eating. You don’t want your blood sugar to get to the level where you develop nerve damage.
Foods To Avoid
Intake of wrong foods can raise your blood sugar and Insulin levels to a unhealthy level. Here is a list of seven foods to avoid. “Diet is the cornerstone of #diabetic treatment whether or not insulin is prescribed” says the Encyclopedia Britannica.
7 Foods To Avoid
- White Bread, Pasta and Rice. These foods are rich in carbohydrates, but low in fiber, this can result in high blood sugar levels.
- Flavored Coffee Drinks. These drinks are very high in liquid carbohydrates which may result in increased blood sugar levels. Flavored coffee drinks should be looked at as a liquid dessert rather than a healthy drink, if you must drink coffee it’s better to drink it black.
- Greasy Fried Foods. Eating too much greasy fried foods can lead to weight gain and cause problems with with your #blood sugar levels. French fries, doughnuts and potato chips are particulary bad choices for diabetics because they are made with starchy carb-heavy ingredients which can cause blood sugar levels to go up too high.
- Sugar Sweetened Beverages. Sweetened drinks and sodas are high in carbohydrates which increase the blood sugar. Their high fructose content leads to increased insulin resistance and an increased risk risk of obesity.
- Trans Fats. When unsaturated fats are chemically altered to increase their stability, the are known as trans fats. They are found in some of the food products they are found in are frozen dinners, peanut butter, and spreads. They are also added to muffins and crackers to extend their shelf life. They are linked to increased inflammation, insulin resistance and belly fat.
- Fruit Juice. Regular drinking of fruit juice has been linked with an increase in #type 2 diabetes risk, compared to whole fruits and vegetables fruit juice does not offer much fiber and are loaded with fruit sugar that cause a rise in blood glucose levels. Pears, apples and oranges all contain soluble fiber and can be eaten.
- Palm Oil. Palm oil contains high amounts of saturated fat that raises blood cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol is a risks factor for heart disease. People with diabetes are at high risk for heart disease, limiting your saturated fats can help lower your risk of having a #heart attack or #stroke. The palm oil drink contains a similar amount of saturated fat as two cheeseburgers with bacon and a large portion of fries or two salami pizzas.
My Personal Experiences With Diabetics.
A good friend, and my mother and father in-law suffered and died from complications with diabetes. They did not die from the diabetes but because they did not follow the doctors direction they died from the results of not listening to what they needed to do in order to live a productive happy life. My friends husband when he found out she had diabetes asked me to come over and speak with her because she insisted on eating whatever she wanted to eat. I was able to convince her to clean out her shelves and refrigerator those foods she needed to get rid of. At that time she had a lot of itching in her legs, circulation was not good. She did well for about 3 months and then she went right back to her old habits, I tried to talk to her again, but it did no good, she lost both of her legs, and had to be put on dialysis because of kidney failure. She was in her forties, I became her caregiver and we fought often because she wanted me to cook things for her that would only speed up her worsening condition. I was so angry with her because I knew that if only she had listened to what the doctors, friends and family were saying to her would still be alive and walking today. She passed away at 45, she left her husband, children and a new grandchild and me behind.
It is the same with my mother and father in-law, they were told what to do to avoid complications, but they did not listen. My mother in-law became blind in one eye and my father in-law had his leg amputated. They both passed away a few months apart, she was in her 50’s he 70. To not listen to what can save your life is like telling your family and friends that you don’t care about them at all, that you just want to do what you want and that’s that. Meanwhile we are left with the pain of seeing the ones we love suffer and die knowing that this does not have to happen. Diabetes is on the rise, it’s not slowing down. Please listen!!!
Health For Life 