Adult-onset or Type 2 Diabetes is on the increase. More and more young people are developing it. Traditionally an adult disease caused by poor diet and lack of exercise, but due to the obesity epidemic and the western diet culture we are now beginning to see its development at a much earlier age. This Diabetes Article is about creating awareness of Type 2 Diabetes.
In Britain alone there are now 1.8 million diabetics with an estimated 1 million undiagnosed. Approximately 70% of the undiagnosed will die of diabetes related illnesses such as heart disease and stroke whilst others will go blind or suffer kidney failure without ever realizing they had Type 2 Diabetes.
Diabetes in the UK has increased over 450% since the 1960s. There are an estimated 150 million people affected worldwide suffering from the affects and the epidemic is not just found in the western world.
The sad thing is that Type 2 Diabetes is completely preventable with good diet and regular exercise. Once you have the disease it cannot be cured but it can be regulated through diet, exercise and insulin doses.
So what happens when you get diabetes? As you put on weight over the years through poor diet and lack of exercise, toxic fatty acids exude from inside you. These toxins cause the reduction of the “good” HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps to repair damaged artery walls, which are a consequence of high blood pressure. Your ever-increasing body fat levels also cause insulin resistance. Insulin is a vital hormone used to convert blood glucose into energy. Insulin resistance is where the hormone can no longer satisfactorily convert the glucose into energy anymore. Because your body becomes resistant to insulin due to a high fat and high sugar diet, your pancreas has to produce more and more to cope with the demand and eventually goes into overdrive. This causes excessively high levels of insulin within your body. As you age and continually abuse your body the toxins gradually beat the pancreas into submission and it begins to fail. Failure of the pancreas results in one thing, the inability of the body to produce sufficient insulin.
You can begin to develop the symptoms for diabetes at least 10 years before diagnosis. The 4 main tell tale signs are;
- Obesity
- Low HDL cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Insulin resistance
As I said earlier, Type 2 Diabetes is completely preventable although once you have been fully diagnosed it cannot be cured. The emphasis here should be focused on prevention. Some of the tell tale signs that you may be heading towards becoming diabetic are;
- Tiredness
- Raging thirst
- Frequent urination
- Frequent infections
- Weight loss
- Genital thrush
- Blurred vision
Are you suffering from any of these symptoms? If you are, then get and see your GP before its too late.
If you follow 2 simple steps to improve your diet and introduce regular exercise into your life then you will be protecting yourself against this disease. There are many famous sports people who are diabetic and have no problem competing at the highest level in there particular sports. Sir Steve Redgrave and Jack Nicklaus to name a couple. Both are diabetic and extremely successful. This just goes to show that it can be controlled with proper exercise and nutrition. Exercise makes you more insulin responsive, so if you’re fit you can make much better use of the little insulin that you have. A change in lifestyle can be the only treatment required for Type 2 Diabetes. Introducing lots of exercise means that the disease can be treated without the need for additional insulin or tablets. Exercise helps to control diabetes or hold it back by regulating glucose levels and preventing high blood pressure. Exercise such as jogging, swimming and walking are highly recommended. It’s best to do something for at least 30 minutes everyday.
The affects of diabetes can be limited by eating regularly and healthily. A similar diet for someone suffering from high cholesterol or heart disease would be recommended. Foods with a low GI that give a slow energy release would help to regulate blood sugar levels. So plenty of fibrous and starchy carbohydrates such as leafy green vegetables, yams, potatoes, rice, pasta, whole meal bread and low GI fruits like apples and grapes. Although there is evidence that diabetes could be genetic. The disease appears to be more prominent within the Afro-Caribbean and South East Asian populations. These populations are approximately 4 times more likely to develop diabetes than Caucasians. But at least half of all the worldwide cases could be eliminated if weight gain in adults was prevented through healthy eating and regular exercise.
Checkout this other Diabetes Article |
