| If you have diabetes, you body does not make enough of a hormone known as insulin, or you human body does not use insulin it has in the proper way. Insulin helps the body use sugar (glucose) for energy. Left untreated, diabetes can result in blindness, nerve damage and vascular disorders that brings on foot or leg amputation, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death.
Doctors distinguish two types of diabetes. Type 1 is observed when the human body does not make insulin at all. People suffering from type 2 diabetes either do not have a sufficient amount of insulin, or their cells ignore the insulin their body produces. About 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This is sometimes also called "non-insulin dependent" or "adult-onset" diabetes.
BE AWARE OF YOUR RISK
You are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, if it runs in your family. Type 2 diabetes is much more frequently observed in ethnic minority groups. If the child you gave birth to weighed more than nine pounds and/or if you had gestational diabetes during pregnancy, you are also at high risk of developing diabetes. Males and Females in their mid 40s and older are in the risk group as well.
CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN
Unfortunately, you can do nothing to change your age, ethnicity or family history, but there are several factors you can control. The risk of developing diabetes also heightens, if you are overweight, you do not take exercise on a regular basis and/or you have an unhealthy diet.
If you know you are at risk, making good choices about what you eat and drink and physical activity can help you stay healthy. Studies have displayed that consuming a healthy food and exercising can forestall or deter type 2 diabetes.
If you are fat, note that an excessive weight gain is the single most crucial risk factor for type 2 diabetes. According to the recent studies, 80%- 90% of people with diabetes are fat. Losing weight and keeping it off can help hold diabetes at bay. Consume a diversity of products, including those containing a lot of fiber, such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Also, eat less.
Keep in mind that any amount of exercise is better than none. Ride an exercise bicycle while you watch the evening news or your favorite series. Most of all, make certain you take up an activity are fond of, so you will do it regularly.
Therefore, eating right and taking exercise are the keys to attaining and sustaining a healthy weight. |
