Health Concerns with Diabetes

Diabetes causes a host of other problems such as vision loss or impairment, damaged nerves that may require foot amputations, damage to blood vessels and even heart failure. Prevention is the best medicine with a healthy lifestyle of wholesome, natural foods and plenty of exercise. These simple changes can also put the disease into reverse.

Type I Diabetes is usually found in younger people under 40 years of age, who have an insufficient production of insulin from the pancreas. This form of the disease is usually caught by age 14 and treated with insulin injections to normalize their glucose levels and prevent hyperglycemia. This auto-immune disorder is unable to identify the body's own healthy cells, treating them as foreign invaders, thus attacking the normal cells. In most cases, this form of Diabetes is hereditary and can be controlled with daily insulin injections. The other form of the disease is Diabetes Type II, which is brought on, in most cases, by lifestyle.

At the start of adult onset Diabetes Type II is the time to reform eating habits and take charge of the disease. By making a few simple dietary changes, blood sugar will be brought under control, allowing a return to normal life again. According to the Mayo Clinic, portion control, weight loss, and an increase in fiber and natural foods is the first step in the right direction. Choosing the correct vegeatbles means weeding out those with heavy starch, such as potatoes, corn and carrots. Instead, you may load up with broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, eggplant, squash, etc. Mashed potatoes are out, but a tasty substitute is steamed cauliflower, mashed and served like the potato. It's not only delicious, but very filling good for your heart.

The Betty Crocker Diabetes Cookbook contains over 140 delicious recipes for Diabetes management, without sacrificing nutrition or taste. Recipes from this book were created with the contributions from the International Diabetes Center for wholesome meals designed to keep the blood sugar under control. Another cookbook choice is the "4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook", by Nancy Hughs, that will teach you to whip up a meal in minutes, using the essential ingredients to control Diabetes. Both books are available at discount prices from Amazon.com.

Once the dietary changes have been made, it's very important to add excercise to enhance the vascual system. Joining a gym is not for everyone. You may be more comfortable in taking regular brisk walks or buying a home workout DVD. It doesn't matter what you choose, just get going on it. Sedentary people have no idea how good they will feel with regular, daily excercise. It releases endorphins into the body for a sense of well-being, that will also motivate you for the diet changes. There is hope for Diabetics; your life can be taken back and made even better than before.

www.endocrineweb.com/diabetes/1diabetes.html
www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/treatment-conditions.jsp
www.diabetes.org/
www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/diet-000042_4-145.html
www.foxnews.com/health/diabetes
www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00027