What is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease group that affects how your body uses glucose. It can affect various organs of the body like the kidneys, feet, eyes and heart.
What are various types of Diabetes?
Type 1 Diabetes previously was thought to affect young people- children, adolescents. It can occur at every age. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In this type of diabetes, the body does not utilize insulin properly
Symptoms/Effects of Type 1 Diabetes?
It can occur at every age. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood sugar that it uses for energy—and insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body.
What is the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes?
With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, everyone can learn to manage their condition and live long healthy lives. CDC estimates about 1.8 million Americans have it.
Symptoms/Effects of Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In this type of diabetes, the body does not utilize insulin properly
What is the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes?
Some people can control this type of diabetes by low carbohydrate diet and exercise but some people will also need medications or insulin to manage diabetes. There is no one-size fits-all treatment for type 2 diabetes. As per ADA about 1.5 million people in America will be diagnosed with diabetes this year.
What is the suggested Diet plan for diabetes?
When your body eats or drinks anything with carbohydrates, body breaks it down to glucose which is a type of sugar and this raises the glucose level in the blood. Glucose is the most important fuel that keeps your body going. To manage diabetes it is important to know what kind and how many carbohydrates you are consuming.
Too many carbohydrates can raise the blood glucose level and eating too little carbohydrates can drop your blood glucose level especially if you are on medications to control blood glucose. So it is a fine balance.
Eat more of these: whole, minimally processed carbohydrate foods. Eat less of these: refined, highly processed carbohydrate foods and those with added sugar.
How to control diabetes?
Along with diet and medications, it is important to maintain an active life to manage diabetes. Physical activity makes your body more sensitive to insulin. Getting started even by light walking daily or upper body exercises or water walking for those people who have knee joint problems is the most important thing. Even a 10-15pound weight loss can make a great impact on your diabetes in a positive way.
Diagnosis of diabetes can be overwhelming. But you are not alone. There is a community of similar people who you can fall back on. Managing your diabetes is not only about diet, exercise and taking your medications; it is also about heating the medical support and emotional help.
