For quite sometime, diabetes has been-and continues to be-the bane of a good percentage of the population of most countries.
It affects about 20 million Americans alone, with another 40 million having prediabetes, an early affliction of Type 2 diabetes.
Once food is digested, its nutrients come into the bloodstream as glucose or blood sugar, and is moved by the insulin from the pancreas to the muscles, fat and liver for use as energy.
Diabetes develops if there is not enough insulin, blood glucose is not used properly by the liver, muscles or fat, or in a mixture of both causes.
The disease is classified into two forms with an additional type for women.
The first type, Type 1, begins in childhood, but is mostly undiagnosed until the individual is about 20 years of age.
In this type the body produces no or very little insulin so that daily injections are needed.
The causes are largely unknown although genetics is believed to play a great part.
Type 2 or adult-onset diabetes is by far the most common and is starting to affect younger people.
Here the body fails to produce sufficient insulin to regulate blood sugar, so that maintenance medicine is often required.
A lot of diabetics do not even realize they have the disease.
Then there is gestational diabetes that occurs only in pregnant or lactating women.
Usually transitory, it opens the individual to higher risks of contracting Type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms Individuals affected with Type 1 diabetes commonly show the symptoms over a short period, mostly only in an emergency, when the symptoms are mistaken for something else.
Tiredness, frequent urination, unexplained great thirst, nausea accompanied by vomiting and falling weight in spite of hearty appetite are the usual symptoms.
Additionally, Type 2 diabetics could experience blurred vision as well as numb toes or feet.
But Type 2 diabetes infects people very slowly, so the diabetics rarely detect it until indicative conditions show, since diabetes harm the body's autoimmunity, the blood vessels and its nerves.
Diet for diabetics Diabetics should consult their doctors and dietitians for the appropriate kinds and amounts of food -protein, fats and carbohydrates- for eating to control glucose in the blood.
In general, however, your diet should be low fat and low in carbohydrates, since both contribute much to the production of blood sugar.
The Diabetes Food Pyramid lists food groups based on their carbohydrates and protein content, and diabetics should ingest more of the groups in the bottom part.
Grains, vegetables, whole fruits are the best foods for diabetic persons, particularly those high in fiber.
Juices or yogurt that contain sugar or syrup should be avoided, and whole fruits, nonfat or low-fat milk be eaten instead.
No hamburgers, cheese, butter, bacon.
Limit alcohol intake and take it with meals after determining with your health care provider the appropriate amounts.
Fish and poultry are recommended, though the skin of chicken and turkeys should be removed first.
They contain much cholesterol.
Lean cuts of wild game, veal, pork or beef are suggested, all the fatty parts trimmed off.
Bake, Broil, grill or roast the meat; avoid frying it.
Diabetes is controllable.
What is necessary is merely control over one's cravings for food and eating the correct diet.