| If you suffer from diabetes, you human body does not make enough of a hormone known as insulin, or you human body does not use insulin it has properly. Insulin helps the body use sugar (glucose) for energy. If untreated, diabetes can result in blindness, nerve damage and vascular disorders that leads to foot or leg amputation, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death.
Doctors distinguish two types of diabetes. Type 1 occurs when the body does not make insulin at all. People suffering from type 2 diabetes either are deficient in insulin, or their cells ignore the insulin their body makes. Approximately 95% of people who have diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This is sometimes also called "adult-onset" diabetes.
BE AWARE OF YOUR RISK
If the child you gave birth to weighed more than 9 pounds and/or if you had gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, you are also at high risk of diabetes. People in their mid 40s and older are in the risk group, too. You are at high risk of type 2 diabetes, if it runs in your family, or if you are in an ethnic minority group.
If you have one or more the risk factors listed above, your doctor may want to begin regular diabetes examination. The earlier you find out you have diabetes, the more you and your general practitioner can do to make sure you stay healthy.
CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN
You can do nothing to change your age, your ethnicity or your family history, but there are some factors that you can control. Your diabetes risk also raises, if you are corpulent, you do not do physical exercise on a regular basis and/or you have an unhealthy diet.
If you know you are at high risk, making good choices about nutrition and exercise can help you stay healthy. Studies have shown that eating a highly nutritious food and exercising can preclude or delay type 2 diabetes.
If you are overweight, remember that obesity is the single most important risk factor for type 2 diabetes. According to estimates, 80%- 90% of people with diabetes are fat. Losing weight and getting it off can help hold diabetes at bay. Eat a variety of products, including those containing a lot of fiber, such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Try to consume less than 30% of your daily calories from fat foods. Also, watch your portion.
Remember that any amount of exercise is much better than none. Ride an exercise bicycle while you view the evening news program or your favorite talk-show. Most of all, assure you find an activity you like, so you will stick with it.
By simply being aware of your risk factors and getting into the habit of consuming healthy foods and exercising, you can take control of your health. |
