How to Recognize and Control Diabetes

What is diabetes? It's a disease that causes the body to metabolize sugar poorly, occurs when either the body attacks the cells producing insulin, the chemical that allows the metabolizing of sugar in the body's cells also known as (Type 1 diabetes) and the body's cells ignore insulin (Type 2 diabetes).

Millions of people all over the world suffer from this chronic problem that may result in a range of complications responsible for disabilities, reduced quality of life, shortened life expectancy, and pregnancy-related complications for the mother and the fetus or newborn baby. Diabetes can cause kidney problems that can cause your kidneys to stop working, gum disease and loss of teeth (some people may even lose a foot or a leg from circulation problems associated with this disease).

Diabetes is responsible for an enormous public health and social burden. More and more people are diagnosed daily, even though this is condition can be prevented naturally with balanced nutrition and basic exercises.

There are different types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (once known as juvenile or insulin-dependent)is a condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed by the body to convert sugar (glucose) into energy. It was tagged with the name juvenile onset diabetes because it represents a majority of the diabetes cases in children.

In Type 2 diabetes, either the body does not manufacture enough insulin or the cells pay no attention to the insulin, known as insulin resistance. This causes the blood sugar to build up in the blood instead of going into cells, making the pancreas produce even more insulin.

As a treatment overview: with very little time and effort most people can continuously enjoy life with no worries about diabetes. Always stay healthy and eat healthy. Keep control over the consumption of sweet or starchy foods, and observe a balanced diet. Quit smoking and avoid the excessive intake of alcohol. If diet and exercise aren't enough or fail to control the elevated blood sugars, you may need diabetes medications or insulin therapy to manage your blood sugar.

How do I know if I have diabetes?
Symptoms of diabetes or pre-diabetes may be evident at the onset of the problem. Watch for repeated urination, weight loss, rapidly degrading eyesight, too much thirst which is abnormal from your usual intake. If you notice some or all of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. Your primary care physician should know your history and your family history (diabetes has a genetic component) and he/she will evaluate you. Simple tests are available to measure blood sugar levels and insulin production.

Why do we need to slash (or at least cut down) our sugar intake? When we eat food, all of the food falls into three categories:protein, fats and carbohydrates, all of which will be used to fuel our body for energy.

Now, once these foods enter the digestion process, they will be converted in our bloodstream into a substance called glucose which is a form of sugar that our body uses as a fuel. The trick is not to overload the body with too much sugar and starch, which raises our blood glucose levels.

Foods that raise the blood sugar are called "high Glycemic Index" foods. They can be found in foods like pasta, rice, cereals, bread and potatoes. There is nothing "wrong" with any of these foods, it's just that they are readily converted to glucose by the body in a rapid fashion. What we should be eating are foods that are converted slowly to glucose by the body, in a more controlled fashion.
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About the Author
by Chip Morgan
diabetes control download a free brochure about diabetes. Free Diabetes Report