Breaking Down Diabetes An In-Depth Look at Causes and Management
What is Diabetics?
Diabetes Mellitus comes from two words: diabetes from Greek “to pass through or siphon" and mellitus from Latin "honey
sweet".
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by chronically raised levels of sugar in your blood. This is because either your pancreas
gland isn't making enough insulin (the hormone that keeps your
blood sugar in check) or because your body becomes resistant to insulin's effects.
We can easily say that Diabetes is a long-lasting health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy basically it is a metabolic disorder.
The insulin-deficiency disease is called type 1 diabetes, and the insulin-resistance disease is called type 2 diabetes. If too much sugar builds up in your blood, it can overwhelm the kidneys and spill into your urine.
Common Symptoms of Diabetes :
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme hunger
- Sudden vision change
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
- Feeling very tired much of the time
- Very dry skin
- Sores that are slow to heal
- More infection than usual
Types:
There are two types of diabetics.
- Type 1 - (IDDM): Type 1 diabetes, previously called juvenile-onset diabetes,represents approximately 5 percent of all diagnosed diabetes cases." In most people with type 1 diabetes the immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in pancreas.Without insulin, blood sugar rises to unsafe levels. Type 1 diabetes is there-
for treated with injections of insulin, a type of hormone-replacement therapy, to make up for the lack of production. The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, though a genetic predisposition combined with exposure to such environmental triggers as viral infection and/or cow's milk may play a role.
- Type 2- (NIDDM): Type 2 diabetes, previously known as adult-onset diabetes,accounts for 90-95 percent of diabetes cases.In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can make insulin, but it doesn't work as well. The accumulation of the cells of your muscles and liver interferes with the action of insulin. If insulin is the key that unlocks the doors to your cells, saturated fat is what appears to gum up the locks. With glucose denied entry into your muscles, the primary consumer of such fuel, sugar levels can rise to damaging levels in your blood. The fat inside these muscle cells can come from the fat you eat or the fat you wear.(Body fat) The prevention, treatment, and reversal of type 2 diabetes therefore depends on diet and lifestyle.
Above the two type of diabetics type 2 diabetics depends on Diet,Drug,Discipline and Education,Exercise.
How Diabetes Damage Other Organs.
Type 2 diabetes has been called the "Black Death” of the twenty first century" in terms of its exponential spread around the world
devastating health impacts.
More than twenty million Americans are currently diagnosed with diabetes. At this rate
the CDC predicts that one in three Americans will be diabetic by the mid century. Currently in the United States, diabetes causes about 50,000 cases of kidney failure,75,000 lower extremity amputations,650,000 cases of vision loss and about 75,000 deaths every year.
Your digestive system you eat breaks down the carbohydrates into a simple sugar called glucose, which is the primary fuel powering all the cells in your body. To get from the bloodstream into your cells, glucose requires insulin. Think of insulin as the key that unlocks the doors to your cells to allow glucose to enter. Every time you eat a meal, insulin is released by your pancreas to help shuttle
the glucose into your cells. Without insulin, your cells can't accept glucose, and, as a result, the glucose builds up in your blood. Over time, this extra sugar can damage the blood vessels throughout the body. That's why diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, and stroke. High blood sugar can also damage your nerves,creating a condition known as neuropathy that can cause numbness,tingling, and pain. Because of the damage to their blood vessels and
nerves, diabetics may also suffer from poor circulation and lack of feeling in the legs and feet, which can lead to poorly healing injuries
that can in turn end as amputations.
Which Foods are best for Diabetic Patients?
Fatty fish Contain: Omega 3, DHA and EPA which improves inflammation and improve arteries functions.
Source of quality Protein with helps to stabilize blood sugar levels.
Leafy Greens Contains- Extreme low calorie, low carbs so it helps to reduce blood glucose levels.
Spinach, kale contains vitamin c and minerals. A diabetic patient need more vitamin C because of its anti-inflammatory qualities.
Avocados Contains- Less than 1 gram of sugar are associated with improved overall diet quality and also have properties specific to diabetes prevention.
Eggs Contains- Egg improve risk factors for heart disease, promote good blood sugar management protect eye health and keep you feeling full.
Chia seeds Contain- Chia seeds contain high amount of fiber 28 gm chia seeds provide 11-12 gm fiber which may help you lose weight and also help to maintain good glucose level.
Beans Contains- Beans are cheap,nutritious and have a low glycemic index, making them a
healthy option for individuals with diabetics.
Yogurt Contains-Yogurt promotes healthy blood sugar levels reduce risk factors for heart
disease. It contains Ca, Protein and CLA(coagulated linoleic acid) which reduce your appetite also.
Nuts Contains-Nuts are healthy addition to a balance diet. They are high in fiber and
help to reduce blood glucose and LDL (Blood) cholesterol levels. It also helps to control the HbA1C levels. Hypothyroidism patients can't eat pine nut and peanuts.
Let's see the amount of digestible carbs, per 18gm serving of nuts according to the U.S Department of Agriculture:
Almonds - 2.6 gm
Brazil nuts - 1.4 gm
Cashews - 7.7 gm
Hezelnuts - 2 gm
Macadamia - 1.5 gm
Pecans - 1.2 gm
Pistachios - 5 gm
Walnuts - 2 gm
Broccoli- It's a low calorie, low carb food with high nutrient value. It's a good source
of lathin, zeaxanthin. It makes glucose level control.But if you have hypothyroidism broccoli,cabbage, kale,cauliflower can be harmful for you.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- It contains oleic acid when improve glycemic management reduce fasting and post meal triglyceride level and have antioxidant properties. Oleic acid
may also stimulate the fullness hormone GLP-1 but it helps more when mixed with oil like corn and soy.
Flaxseeds- It is full of various fiber which improve gut health, insulin sensitivity and
feeling of fullness. Try to consume one tea spoon flaxseed daily.
Strawberries- It contains high antioxidant known as anthocyanin. It has been shown to reduce CHO and insulin level after meal. But strawberries are harmful for hypothyroidism patients.
Garlic- It's a low calorie food but incredibly nutritious. 1 clove (3 gm) raw garlic which roughly contains.
Manganese- 2% of the daily value
Vitamin B6- 2% of the daily value
Vitamin C- 2% of the daily value
Selenium- 1% of the daily value
Fiber-0.6 grams.
Garlic lower blood sugar, inflammation, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. This food can be include into a diabetic patient's diet chart analyzing other health complications.
Diabetes management with Exercise:
When doctors only suggest walking for diabetic patients but they are able to do other workout also. We can introduce some cardio exercise also in a diabetes patient’s daily routine-like-treadmill, cycling, cross trainer, leg and hand exercise waist and hip exercise with moderate level.
Let’s see some exercise name which are easy to do
Side lunge
Rotational lunge
Sit ups
Abs roller
Tae Taps
Bridge
Push ups
Planks etc
The CDC estimates that more than twenty-nine million Amerians are living with diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes--that's about
9 percent of the U.S. population. Out of one hundred people you know, chances are six of them already know they are diabetic and
about three have diabetes but haven't yet been diagnosed. More than one million new cases of type 2 diabetes are diagnosed each year.
The good news: Type 2 diabetes is almost always preventable,often treatable, and sometimes even reversible through diet and
lifestyle changes. Like other leading killers-especially heart disease
and high blood pressure--type 2 diabetes is an unfortunate consequence of your dietary choices. But even if you already have diabetes
complications, there is hope. Through lifestyle changes, you may be able to achieve a complete remission of type 2 diabetes, even
if you've been suffering with the disease for decades. In fact, by switching a healthy diet, you can start improving your health within a matter of hours.