Overview
Approximately 18 million
people in the United States have Diabetes. African-Americans,
Latino-Americans, Native Americans, and Asian-Americans have a higher
incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes occurs when the body
does not make enough insulin or when the insulin you do make does not work
as well as it should. Under normal circumstances, the food you eat is
converted into glucose (a kind of sugar) and then transported to your
bloodstream. Insulin, which is produced by your pancreas, helps to
move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells.
Your cells then utilize
glucose as an energy source necessary for daily living. In patients
with diabetes, the insulin does not effectively transport glucose into the
cells. Therefore, it remains in the bloodstream and causes your blood
sugar levels to escalate. If left untreated, such high blood glucose
levels can result in complications that affect your vision, heart, kidneys
and circulation.
Some Facts About
Diabetes
People
with Type II Diabetes may have a difficult time losing
weight. Nearly 90% of people with newly diagnosed Type II diabetes are
overweight, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Many people with pre-diabetes display no
diabetic symptom. However, you might experience
the following: unusual thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, or fatigue
for no apparent cause.
http://www.cure-diabetes.org In these instances, you should see a physician and get
tested. According to the American Diabetes Association, if you are 45 years of
age or older, especially if your BMI (body mass index) is 25 or higher,
screening for pre-diabetes is recommended. If you are under 45 years but you are
overweight and have any of the above risk factors, testing is also indicated.
When
people with Type 2 diabetes achieve even modest weight loss (as low
as 2.5% of total weight) they reduce risk factors for the heart.
Ideally, however, overweight patients should strive for 15% weight
loss or better, which can have major positive effects on insulin
sensitivity, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
According to the CDC,
lifestyle modification, that is, a healthy diet and
a fitness plan, should be your first choice to
prevent or delay diabetes, due to the benefits of weight
loss and physical activity. This special "channel"
by
BestDietForMe.com is dedicated to
providing useful information and resources for that
purpose. |