diabetes 2

Diabetes information is essential in patients who have either type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. When diagnosed with diabetes
the health implications can be devastating but understanding what the disease is and what changes you can implement to assist in leading a healthy life is important in controlling any ill effects. Making a few lifestyle changes and ensuring you have regular doctor checkups to monitor your progress is important in maintaining a healthy life. With a few simple changes you can enhance the quality as well as the length of life.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes that is diagnosed in people today. Many older people
past the age of thirty
are diagnosed with this condition. It is much rarer to see this in children and teens
though it does occur. The condition is based on the body not producing enough insulin or rejecting the insulin that is produced. Type 2 diabetes and health is a somewhat complicated course to navigate but a healthy diabetes diet and continual monitoring from your physician
you can decrease your risks of additional complications. Learning to live with this disease is tantamount in upholding your overall health and well being. Complications from type 2 diabetes include increasing your chances of heart disease and kidney disease
complications involving your eye sight
foot and skin problems and increased risk of stroke. These risks can be reduced
though.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is generally diagnosed in children and young adults and is not as prevalent in older people. The term also used to be known as juvenile diabetes. This is where insulin is not produced in the body. Metabolism in diabetes mellitus plays a large part. However
there are lifestyle changes that can occur
including diet
that will help better control the effects and lessen the risk of more serious complications. Complications and additional health risks are similar to those of type 2 diabetes and include heart
nerve
muscular
skin and eye problems.

Exercise is one of the important lifestyle changes that should occur if you are diagnosed with diabetes. Exercise should be a regular activity in everyone’s life and there is no denying the benefits that can be gained from it. With diabetes
though
it is especially important to remain active. First
exercise will promote weight loss and will also kick start the metabolism. Both will allow your body to be more sensitive to the insulin that is produced in the body. Ensuring you start an exercise program if you do not yet have one is very important. Check with your doctor before embarking on anything
though
to ensure your activities match your fitness level. Walking
swimming and using a trampoline are good
low impact exercises that can help.

You will need to become educated about the different food groups and which foods have various characteristics. Your physician or a nutrition specialist will be able to assist you with this and give you lists of which types of foods are in each category. Eating foods that digest slower will help you reduce the after meal spike that sometimes occurs. Carbohydrates are a key element in the diabetes diet and will help control the after-meal spikes that occur in diabetics. Adjusting the amount of fatty foods you consume is also an important aspect of maintaining a healthy diabetes diet. It not only will help reduce calories
thus allowing you to lose weight but will also help you process the insulin produced in your body.

It often helps diabetics to eat more often as opposed to eating breakfast
lunch and dinner. Eating smaller portions of food more frequently can often give a more even feeling and keep insulin levels steadier throughout the day. If you are prescribed medications
either oral medications or insulin shots
it is important to take them per the physician’s directions. Do not skip or delay medications. Also
if you are supposed to test
always test daily
as your physician recommends or anytime you are feeling a bit low.

Getting all the diabetes information available on what it is and how to control it with a diabetes diet and exercise is important in ensuring you lead a happy
healthy life. People with diabetes can lead very good
long lasting lives with some simply changes in lifestyle and diet. After changes become habit
there will be no sense of deprivation. You will feel better
lose weight and be more active. Your risks of more severe complications will decrease significantly and your chances of living longer will increase.

Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease. Since 1987 the death rate has increased 45 percent. In 2002; diabetes claimed an astonishing 224
92
lives in the United States alone. It is believed that the number was actually higher since most deaths of the elderly had multiple chronic conditions associated with their death including diabetes. Many people do not know that they have diabetes until they develop other life threatening conditions such as
heart disease
high blood pressure
blindness
kidney damage
nervous system damage
dental disease
sexual dysfunction
and a number of other complications. When you have diabetes the above complication are side illnesses
diabetes is this root of all of your medical problems and must be under control for you to recover from the side illnesses period! Being checked by your physician on a regular basis is absolutely necessary for your overall quality of life. If you do not know that you have diabetes
there is no other way of knowing that you have this deadly disease without a check up.

There are several different types of diabetes such as
type 1
type 2
and gestational diabetes. Type 1 is the body's inability to produce insulin
people with type 1 are insulin dependent for the remainder of their lives
and they must also keep close track of their diets. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes; diabetes is a chronic disease and has no cure. While an estimated 14 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes it is also estimated that close to 6.2 million are unaware that they have this deadly disease. In 2005 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed in people age 20 and above. If this dangerous trend continues it is believed that 1 in 3 Americans will develop diabetes in their lifetime. It is also estimated that 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes today.

Pre-diabetes is a dangerous condition in itself
this is when the glucose level in the blood is not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes yet damage is being done to your internal organs. The body can not handle any unsafe level of sugar or glucose in the blood for any extended period of time.

Diabetes is the body's inability to use the sugar called glucose. Glucose is created when the body breaks down food for energy. The hormone insulin opens up the cells in the body to allow glucose to enter into the cell and be used as fuel. In diabetes the cell never opens up and the glucose flows through the blood stream causing high blood sugar levels. With diabetes the body either dose not make enough insulin or is resistant to its own natural insulin. High blood sugar can lead to very serious complications. Heart disease is the leading cause of premature death in people with diabetes. Diabetes is the major cause of leg and foot amputations in Americans today. Infections are much harder to control in people with diabetes
they are at greater risk of complications and death due to infection. The high risk factors leading to type 2 diabetes is too much body fat and high sugar intake!
Diabetes is on the rise; Americans are eating poorly and are lacking physical activity and this is starting to really show in the children of America.

Free-radicals are very active in a person with diabetes. They attack a number of cells at once because diabetes causes an abnormal immune function due to high glucose levels in the blood and organs. Free-radicals are the reason you see so many different complications or side illnesses in this disease. Free-radicals are molecules or atoms that are missing an electron
free-radicals attack healthy cells trying to steal an electron from them. Chronic inflammation is also a major player with this disease and in the side illnesses. Chronic inflammation is being called the silent killer by doctors and scientists. All of the above diseases need medications to help regulate the disease
but you need to know this
medications cause free-radical damage
and this damage is called side effects. All medications can cause side effects. So eating properly to help your condition is absolutely essential for your life.

Think of free-radicals as a school of piranha
they feed on everything in sight
they are not picky eaters. Free-radicals cause healthy cells to become mutated or deformed and they attack any cell they come in contact with. Now if they do manage to steal an electron then that once healthy cell
in turn
becomes a free-radical doing what was done to it. This is a vicious cycle
basically there is a war going on inside your body. You can not see or feel this war but it is there
and one day it will show its ugly head in the form of a serious disease or illness. You must be on the defensive and feed your body what it needs in order to combat these little piranhas.

Inflammation is a bully
after the free-radicals have done the damage the inflammation is sent by the body to help heal but it is unable to heal mutations and deformities so the deformed or mutated cells begin to feed on the healthy inflammation cells. Now the inflammation cells are deformed or mutated and become chronic inflammation cells
the chronic inflammation cells begin attacking your healthy tissues and cells.

You have the power to take your health into your own hands and put a stop to the damage now. As we know anti-oxidants help the body fight against free-radicals
anti-oxidants are molecules or atoms that has an extra electron. It gives this extra electron away and in turn the free-radicals stop attacking healthy cells. Science has proven that ALL diseases and illnesses are caused by free-radical damage and the vast majority have chronic inflammation as their side kick. There are risk factors for all diseases but free-radicals and chronic inflammation are the source and cause of major complications. Free-radicals can not be avoided; they are in air and water pollution
in the junk foods we eat
and caused by traumas and injuries. Free-radicals are a part of life; they even affect the aging process itself.
Anti-oxidants are essential for health
plants contain about 1
0
to 1
500
anti-oxidants
a diet of fruits and vegetables is essential
supplements are key
vitamins and minerals contain high numbers of anti-oxidants. You need to do some research and try to find fresh supplements; they tend to lose their potency the longer they sit on the self.

Anyone with diabetes or even pre-diabetes must re-think their diets
moving towards fresh and properly cooked foods
stay away from fast foods and anything with high sugar content. Taking in a large number of anti-oxidants everyday
is essential to help your body recover and maintain better overall health. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with diet and exercise
as long as you begin now. Pre-diabetes can be reversed.

There are also super charged
super powerful anti-oxidants in nature called Xanthones. Xanthones have the power to defeat a larger number of free-radicals at one time
due to strong carbon bonds that make the molecule stable. Each Xanthone performs a specific biological function inside the body unlike regular anti-oxidants. Universities and scientists have been studying xanthones for over 20 years. Scientists have found that xanthones are able to relieve a variety of problems and also help in the improvement of serious conditions. This is the reason that more and more universities and scientists are becoming involved in the research on these amazing xanthones. Two hundred xanthones have been identified in nature
and 41 are in the mangosteen fruit alone
you can compare that to the Aloe Vera plant that contains only one xanthone. The mangosteen fruit also contains 25
0
anti-oxidants. How can that help your health? The mangosteen fruit has the highest number of anti-oxidants and xanthones ever found in one source. One thing about xanthones you need to know is that they must be consumed in their natural form. For more information on xanthones you can call toll free 1-888-374-4148 and listen to a message about the mangosteen fruit juice and its powerful medicinal abilities.

People with diabetes are ruled by their medications and checking their blood everyday
they must see their doctor on a regular basis in order to keep their blood sugars under control by adjusting their medication. If their sugar goes too far up or too far down
massive damage to the internal organs and tissues is done and even the brain is affected
and can cause comma. This is a very deadly disease
but with the right food intake it dose not have to be
take care of your self.

There is no known reason for what causes diabetes. There are certainly risk factors that
make the likelihood of you being diagnosed with the disease higher. One of the only risk
factors that you have control over is your weight. If you are obese
the single best thing
you can do for your health and the prevention of diabetes is to lose weight. Even in small
increments
when you shed pounds you are increasing your health benefits.

These may be easier said than done. There are new studies that are now showing that
there is a genetic factor or mutation for people who are obese and have diabetes. This
genetic malfunction affects how the bodies use energy and insulin – two key elements in
the functioning of your body and the cause of diabetes and obesity.

The studies also state that this is not a cause and effect case. If you carry this defective
gene you are not guaranteed to be obese or have diabetes. But the link is there and it can
be prevented. You may have to work harder at it than others to maintain a healthy body
weight and put off diabetes but it can be done. Discuss with your doctor options and
ways to prevent or put-off the onset of diabetes.

The gene that researchers have discovered as a precursor to diabetes has been found in
young children. It is scary to know that children in their preschool years are being
diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes due to genetics. But parents can reduce or
prevent these things from happening by giving their children healthy lifestyle choices.
Now that a DNA link has been found
the research can focus on finding a way to fix or
prevent this from happening at some point in the future.

Since my diagnosis with diabetes at the age of eleven
my own diet has changed dramatically. I maintain my current healthy weight with a great diet/eating plan. If you do plan on losing more than about a stone in weight then I would visit your doctor for more tips on how to do this without risk.

I've had diabetes for seven years now
but to tell you that how I maintain weight is perfect would be totally wrong of me. However
I can advise you to follow my steps because I know what works and what doesn't. Before I really begin I must also say that I have been brought up by great parents who taught me to eat everything
and so I do! If there is something that you don't like
there are loads of other diabetic recipes and ideas that you will eat and appreciate.

I am a university student and I like to buy fresh and organic produce from where I live. I believe that this is important because it can be the most good for your body and contain more nutrients and vitamins than most supermarket produce. I like to source food from my fortnightly farmers market in town
which sells amazing meat and dairy produce and fresh in season fruit and vegetables. This is another important thing to remember
that eating fruit and vegetables in their season means that they will taste better as well as doing you good. I have a lot of influence from Western European cuisine (mainly France and Italy) as you will tell
but I do not profess to be a chef and everything is easy to make and very convenient.

I have read countless diet books and diabetic recipe/diet books
and I came to a conclusion that I think really works. I fused all the good things from the diets (but not from every diet) and sort of put together my own one. I call this my Juvenile Diabetes Healthy Diet!

The "rules" that I would lay down are as follows:

1. Cut back on snacks and then change the type of snacks you eat.
Certainly my biggest downfall although it wasn't really apparent to me. When I first started at University
I had little or no routine which meant that filling my day was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack
no matter how healthy it felt
was a regular occurence. This is one of the hardest things to do for some people
but establishing a great routine is essential to great diabetes care. The types of snacks to be eating are unsalted nuts
dried unsweetened fruit
fresh fruit
fresh vegetables (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber)
dark chocolate (richer and nicer and you only want 2 squares usually).

2. Cut back on white flour and embrace wholemeal carbs.
This is the most essential part of your diet
and the thing that can show the biggest increase in loss of weight. Some diets in fact jsut focus on this point
and are very successful. Wholemeal (especially stoneground wholemeal) is so good for you and has so much more flavour in it that switching is much easier than you think. Most people are really surprised at the ranges you can get in you supermarket
again remember that the bread that is best for you is the one that is freshest with least perservatives or added ingredients. Also
brown or basmati rice is great with a lovely nutty texture. Wholemeal pasta is great and for your potatoes I would totally recommend the smaller new potatoes.

3. Stop drinking cocktails
start drinking wine.
Cocktails are full of sugar
colourants and preservatives. As a student I have had loads of practice at going out and not drinking cocktails
so my drink of choice is Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel I have to drink something and I make it last all night. I can then top up with Diet Coke (which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks as though I am drinking Malibu
who is to know. If you are out at a restaurant
red wine is much better than anything else you can order
(except water of course!) and it has been proven that the anti-oxidants in red wine are great for keeping a healthy heart. The recommended amount is one glass a day with your evening meal.

4. Start cooking more fruit and vegetables.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are a great way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there are so many different ways in which to cook vegetables
but I find that raw is the best followed closely by steamed. Both of these ways preserve all their natural goodness as well. I will follow this post with another diabetes recipes post.

5. Drink more water.
I know you have heard people say this many times before
but the benefits of drinking more water are endless. A few tips on how to get more water into your day are firstly to put bottles of water at all the places you go in the house or work. So keep one in your desk
on your desk
a glass in the kitchen
the bedroom
the sitting room
etc. Try and drink all these glasses up and you will be well on your way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so
if you try to drink all that water in one go you won't be so inclined to drink 8 glasses again
trust me! Have a go
it's amazing how great you will feel.

For further tips on living with diabetes
visit Juvenile Diabetes blogspot

This article was submitted by Alissa Carter
she is also owner & creator of the Prom dresses website.