The reason I decided to write this article on diabetes is
because this subject is real close to my heart. I hope that
this article can give you some help, some hope, and a lot of
encouragement.
You see, my husband has been diabetic for almost 49 years and
one of my twins has been diabetic for almost 11 years. Thank God
both are doing well and are under great control.
Even though my husband has been diabetic for a long time, he has
no complications and that is because we have learned how to
combine a healthy diet, regular exercise program, and
traditional medicine with natural alternatives to get excellent
results.
Actually, the best success we have had, as far as controlling
the blood sugar levels, has been through natural alternatives.
- My husband has been able to reduce his blood sugar levels by up
to 200 points.
- He has also been able to reduce his insulin intake dramatically in the past few years.
- He used to get headaches. No More!
- He used to get leg cramps. No More!
- He used to have some arthritis in his hands. No More!
- He has more energy and basically he looks and feels 10 years younger.
One of the things that concern me is that most people are not
familiar with the common symptoms of diabetes. As you can see
from the above statistics, from the 16 million people who suffer
from diabetes mellitus, only half of these individuals have been
diagnosed.
Here are the most common symptoms of diabetes
- Excessive and frequent urination (as often as every hour
or so) Nighttime awakening to urinate is common.
- Increased thirst
- Increased appetite
- Unintentional weight loss
- A person can eat excessively, and at the same time
lose weight
- Blurred vision
- Fatigue and weakness
There are other symptoms that indicate the presence of diabetes,
but the ones I mentioned above are the most common ones.
What is Diabetes?
In simple terms, diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized
by insulin failure. Insulin, a hormone produced by special
cells within the pancreas, is essential for metabolism,
especially of glucose (blood sugar), the body’s major fuel.
There are two major types of diabetes:
1. Juvenile-onset or Type I, in which the body fails to produce
insulin, also called Diabetes Mellitus.
2. Adult-onset, Type II, in which the body is unable to fully
utilize insulin. Without adequate insulin, body cells cannot
properly utilize glucose, which then accumulates in the blood
and is also excreted in the urine.
The most common form of diabetes is Type II. This form of
diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all cases of diagnosed
diabetes in the United States. Every year, about 650,000 people
learn they have the disease.
The onset of Type II diabetes usually happens after the age of
40, and most often after the age of 55. Because symptoms
develop slowly, most people with the disease may not immediately
recognize that they are sick. Scientists believe that in some
persons weight gain or obesity triggers diabetes—about 80
percent of diabetics with this form of the disease are
overweight.
Importance of Diet
One of the most important factors in controlling diabetes is a
sensible diet. In our family we follow a very healthy and
balanced diet. Dietary goals are directed to control blood
sugar, as well as preventing heart and kidney diseases, major
complication of diabetes. Some guidelines that you want to stick
with are as follows:
- Limit intake of simple sugar.
- Reduce intake of fat, cholesterol, and sodium
- Increase intake of complex carbohydrates
- Increase fiber intake
- Provide sufficient protein for growth, development, and
maintenance of body tissue.
Here are a few ideas to help you stay healthy and keep your
diabetes under good control.
* Consistency in times and the amounts you eat will help
ensure better blood sugar control, a healthy diet and
better weight control. My husband eats 3 light meals a
day with two small snacks in between.
* Get regular exercise - Exercise usually lowers your blood
sugar level for several hours. Test your blood glucose
just after exercising and then again several hours later.
* Reduce your stress level as much as possible - During
times of stress, it's important to continue taking your
diabetes medication as scheduled and to monitor your blood
glucose frequently, even if you're not eating as much as
usual.
* Drink alcohol in moderation - Alcohol stops the release of
glucose from your liver and can increase the risk of your
blood sugar falling too low. If you drink alcoholic
beverages, do so only in moderation, and eat food before
you have a drink. Food helps moderate the effects of
alcohol.
Based on our experience, we found that the traditional
medication, in itself, is not enough to help sustain normal
levels of blood sugar. When combined with natural alternatives,
the results have been dramatic.
Diabetes does not have to take control of your life. If doesn't
need to be a debilitating disease. As you can see, there are
many things you can do to control it.
Do you want to know more about this natural alternative that helped my husband and daughter control their diabetes? Is so, click here
or send an E-mail to FightDiabetes@infogeneratorpro.com
