Skip to main content

Diabetes—Can You Reduce Your Risk?




Diabetes—Can You Reduce Your Risk?


Courtesy : AWAKE!
THE incidence of diabetes mellitus is increasing so quickly that it has become a global epidemic. There are two major types of diabetes. Type 1 starts mainly in childhood, and presently doctors do not know how to prevent it. This article is about type 2, which accounts for about 90 percent of all diabetes.
While in the past it was seen as exclusive to adults, more recently type 2 diabetes has also been affecting children. Experts claim, however, that the risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced. A little knowledge of this insidious disease may prove helpful to you.*

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that causes a person to have an excessive level of blood sugar. The disease upsets the normal process of transferring sugar from the bloodstream into cells that need it for energy. The result is damage to vital organs and impairment of blood circulation, sometimes leading to toe or foot amputation, blindness, and kidney disease. A large proportion of diabetes patients die of heart attacks or stroke.
Excess body fat can be a major factor in type 2 diabetes. Experts believe that fat accumulated in the belly and waist may indicate a higher risk for diabetes. More specifically, fat in the pancreas and the liver appear to disrupt the body’s regulation of blood sugar. What can you do to reduce your risk?

Three Steps That May Reduce the Risk 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. Hence, this condition may go unnoticed. According to reports, about 316 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.
Prediabetes is not harmless, however. Besides being a precursor to type 2 diabetes, it has recently been linked to an increased risk of dementia. If you are overweight, not physically active, or have a family history of diabetes, you might already have prediabetes. A blood test can tell you if you do.
2. Choose healthful food. You might benefit from doing the following whenever it is possible and practical: Eat smaller portions than usual. Instead of sugary fruit juice and carbonated beverages, drink water, tea, or coffee. Eat whole-grain bread, rice, and pasta—in moderation—rather than refined foods. Eat leaner meats, fish, nuts, and beans.



3. Stay physically active. Exercise can lower your blood sugar and help you maintain a healthy weight. Swap some TV time for exercise time, recommends one expert.
You cannot change your genes, but you can change your lifestyle. Doing what we can to improve our health is worth the effort.
Awake! does not endorse any particular diet or exercise routine. Each individual should carefully evaluate the options and consult a physician as needed before making health-related decisions.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Health risks of high heeled shoes.

 It is so common to see some ladies put on high heels and be on them for hours. If you are one of them, have you sat down and asked yourself if it in anyway affects your health? I will be glad to share the possible health risks of wearing such shoes with you. Consider what a doctor who is a member of the American osteopathic association says " High heels put the foot at an angle and pull muscles and joints out of alignment, so the effects aren’t limited to the feet,” Dr. Surve explained. “It’s not unusual for people who spend lots of time in high heels to have low back, neck and shoulder pain because the shoes disrupt the natural form of the body.”      Structurally, the plantar fascia in the foot is connected to the calf muscle, which in turn connects to the hamstring. The hamstrings attach to the pelvis and low back, which is why wearing high heels can make your back ache along with your feet. Also, walking on the balls of your feet will shift your center of gravi...
Post a Comment
Read more

HOW MUCH BLOOD IS PUMPED BY THE HEART EACH DAY?

Your heart beats 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about three billion times and pump about 800 million pints of blood or about one million barrels -that’s enough to fill more than 3 super tankers. The adult heart pumps about five quarts of blood each minute – approximately 2,000 gallons of blood each day – throughout the body.  A typical athlete’s heart churns out up to eight gallons of blood per minute.     Blood Pumping Procedure The  deoxygenated blood  is collected from all parts of the body by the  right atrium . This deoxygenated blood is pushed into the lungs by the right ventricle. This takes place by the  Pulmonary Artery . The oxygenated blood is collected from the lungs by the left atrium. The  oxygenated blood  is pumped to all body parts by the left ventricle. This is carried out by the  Aorta . The filling up and emptying of the left side and the right side occurs in unison. The same...
2 comments
Read more

PREMATURE WRINKLES/AGING-CAUSES AND PREVENTION!

 Premature wrinkles/aging  is when your skin undergoes an unnatural aging process, such as with extreme sun exposure or living with an unhealthy lifestyle.  There are other reasons your skin may age prematurely. Some people have medical conditions or are taking medications that age their skin.  COMMON CAUSES OF PREMATURE WRINKLES One of the biggest mistakes many people make is to disrupt the delicate skin around their eyes. Rubbing and pulling the skin in this area can cause darkness. Be sure to get enough sleep each night. Your skin renews and repairs itself while you sleep and this can’t happen if you’re lacking the sleep your body needs. Sleeping on your side isn’t good for your skin. It can break your facial skin down, which eventually are causes of wrinkles . Pursing your lips can also cause lip wrinkles . We purse our lips when we drink out of straws and when we smoke. Speaking of which, the chemicals in tobacco cigarettes can also prematurely age your ski...
Post a Comment
Read more