The Sweet Revenge of Diabetes
Among the eight leading chronic diseases in the U.S., which include heart disease and cancer, diabetes, particularly Type 2, is thought to be the defining disease of this century. That’s because it is THE major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputations. Physicians and researchers believe how we deal with diabetes in the next two decades will shape population health and life expectancy for the next 80 years.
Knowing the risk factors and symptoms is the first line of defense.
What to look for:
- Feeling very thirsty
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision
- Dark, leathery skin in the creases of the neck, armpits, or groin
- Feeling tired
- Tingling or numbness in the feet
- Mood swings
- Fruity Breath
- Losing weight suddenly and unintentionally
Risk Factors:
– Insulin resistance, obesity and poor glucose control run in families, so if any close relatives have the disease, you’re at greater risk.
– While the majority of new cases of type 2 diabetes are diagnosed among people 45 to 64 years old, an estimated 5,000 people age 20 and under are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually. As early as 2012, some 370,000 new cases were diagnosed among people between 20 and 44. Type 2 diabetes risk increases with age, but these figures point to the fact that people of all ages eat badly and get far too little exercise.
– African Americans are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than non-Hispanic white adults, in part due to lack of access to healthcare.
– Men are also more likely than women to develop type 2 diabetes.
– It’s a dangerous myth that type 2 diabetes is exclusively caused by being overweight or obese. About 20 percent of obese people don’t show signs of the disease, and some 15 percent of those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight, according to studies.
– Those with an inactive life are at risk.
– Women who’ve had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or given birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds.
Lifestyle Changes
Move It- Next to taking insulin the quickest, most effective way of controlling glucose levels is with exercise. A landmark study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, proved that 150 minutes of exercise a week could prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetic experts explain that aerobic exercises, like riding a bike or brisk walking, are the best to help skeletal muscles contract and use circulating glucose. Repeated exercise trains muscles to better respond to insulin. Resistance exercises such as lifting weights are also important in training muscles to respond to insulin.
– Do not drink alcohol.
– Do not smoke.
Diet– Turns out, our mothers were right – again. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day- especially for diabetics. Research shows that breakfast skippers – and even those who ate after 9 am – are at least a 59 percent risk of developing type 2 diabetes than early breakfast eaters.
For people with diabetes, breakfast is critical for maintaining blood glucose levels. A balance of carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy sources of fat digest slower and help prevent blood sugar spikes and dips, specifically in people with Type 2 diabetes.
One suggestion: Top a slice of whole-wheat toast with one scrambled egg, a slice of tomato and a slice of avocado.
Foods to Avoid: processed foods, diet sodas and sugared drinks, sweets, bread, pasta, egg yolks, red meats, organ meats, dried fruits, full-fat dairy, fruit juices (even those 100%), certain cereals and yogurts.
Foods to Include: Think fresh and wholesome. Build your diet around whole foods, refined as little as possible, like brown rice, whole wheat and other unprocessed grains, as well as nuts and seeds, beans, fruits and vegetables.
Prediabetes
Last year, it was reported that one in three American adults had prediabetes, that is they had blood sugar levels higher than normal but not quite diabetes status. And most didn’t even realize it. If not controlled within the first five years of diagnosis, prediabetes can turn into Type 2 and put a person at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The symptoms of prediabetes are much the same as diabetes, but more often than not there are no clear symptoms. That’s why it’s important to have your blood glucose tested if you have any of the risk factors of diabetes mentioned earlier.
Good News: For those who follow the lifestyle change recommendations, prediabetes and Type 2 are reversible in their early stages.
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