How to prevent Diabetes

Prevention is better than cure, and this is the absolute truth when it comes to battling Diabetes

If you want to prevent Diabetes from occurring within in your family and friends than you should understand and remember the basics of it.

Diabetes mellitus is neither a singular nor isolated form of occurrence. It a group of diseases, marked by high blood sugar levels which occurs when our body is unable to produce and utilize insulin optimally. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and it is important to maintain blood sugar. 

Common symptoms of Diabetes include 

1. Increased thirst and Urination

2. Increased Hunger

3. Weight loss

4. Fatigue

5. Blurred Vision

6. Extreme craving (for fatty and sugary food items)

Uncontrolled Diabetes can lead to complications such as Blindness, Loss of Memory, Kidney malfunction, Fatty Liver, Heart Disease, Nerve Damage leading to Amputations.

Type 2 Diabetes is most common variety. it develops when the body fails to utilize the insulin properly and is most commonly now found in overweight children. 

Here are 5 ways you can prevent it 

1. Curb it young: Forget the myth that children cannot get diabetes. Today, children as young as 12 years of age are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. Introduce a healthy diet routine for the children as well as for adults in the family. Children are known to emulate what they learn from their elders and thus it is imperative that inculcate healthy eating habits in them right from childhood.

2. Stay Stress-free:  Reduce stress in daily life. Stress causes sudden surges in insulin levels.

3. Workout: Exercising regularly helps to keep diabetes at bay.

4. Say No to junk food: Keep Junk Foods restricted to once or maybe twice a month. These days almost all restaurants offer healthy but tasty options to choose from and therefore family or business outings can no longer be an excuse to indulge in heavy, calorific food that is devoid of any real nutrition.

5. Mind your weight: If you are more than 5 Kgs overweight, then please consider going on a diet immediately to reduce sugar levels in your body. Not only would you feel more energetic but also more ‘alive!’

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Pregnancy brings with it the need to be extra careful about the overall well-being of the mother-to-be. Extreme caution has to be taken in managing health, as antibiotics and a lot of other treatment modalities are best avoided during pregnancy. With diabetes becoming common in the younger ages and women choosing to delay pregnancy, there are multiple women who are diabetic and choose to get pregnant later in life.

With diabetes being a chronic and a lifestyle condition, it definitely has its effects on pregnancy. However, the key is to manage diabetes cautiously in such a way that its effects on pregnancy, both the mother and the developing baby, are minimal. The increased blood sugar levels from the mother pass on to the baby, so keeping a close watch on the blood sugar levels is very important.

The maximum effect of diabetes on the baby is during the first few weeks of pregnancy. It is when the vital organs (brain, heart, lungs and kidneys) are forming, and high blood sugar levels can be harmful. This is slightly tricky as most women realise they could be pregnant only after about 6 weeks. If pregnancy is planned, it is best advisable to keep a check on sugar levels much ahead of the pregnancy.
The baby could be used to high levels of sugar while in the womb, and once delivered, it could have too low sugar levels. This needs to be monitored.
Preeclampsia, which is increased protein in the urine and high blood pressure, can happen during the second trimester. This may require the baby to be delivered prematurely.
Babies born to diabetic mothers are often bigger. The baby s pancreas is used to higher sugar levels and so the extra sugar gets converted to fat, which is the reason for the bigger babies. This may also necessitate C-sections.
Pregnancy can induce the development of diabetic retinopathy, which may prevent vaginal delivery, as the woman may not be able to exert the required pressure.
Abnormal calcium and magnesium levels, which need to be monitored for a while after birth
Most diabetic women reach full term if the sugar levels have been under good control.
Diabetic pregnant women are high at risk. However, with advanced medical care, these risks and complications are managed very well producing healthy babies from normal deliveries with effectively no harm to the mother s health. Once a diabetic woman tests positive, it is advisable to seek medical help to plan diet/meal plan, physical activities, exercise regimen, lifestyle changes, and medication dose adjustments. This is not a one-time activity, but needs to be closely monitored with daily blood sugar levels throughout the pregnancy. 

How Can High Diabetes Affect Your Pregnancy?

Gestational diabetes, as the name suggests, occurs during gestation or pregnancy when the blood sugar levels exceed the normal level. Gestational diabetes, like other form of diabetes, affects how your body cells use glucose or sugar during pregnancy, and usually disappears after you ve given birth.

Causes and symptoms to look out for!
During gestation, the placenta produces hormones that lead to the accumulation of blood glucose. Under normal condition, the pancreas forms enough insulin to counter the buildup of blood glucose. The level of blood sugar rises when the pancreas fails to produce adequate insulin to manage your blood sugar.

Usually, women with gestational diabetes do not show symptoms. So, the presence of the condition can go unnoticed if they are not diagnosed during routine checkups and screening tests. Nevertheless, if the condition goes out of control, you may feel tired, feel thirsty or hungry, or feel the urge to urinate more often.

What are the risk factors?
About 2-10% of pregnant women are affected by gestational diabetes every year. The following factors are likely to put you at risk of developing gestational diabetes-

Excess body weight- You may develop gestational diabetes if you were overweight or had gained excess weight (BMI equal to or greater than 30) before getting pregnant
Family history- Women who have a family history of diabetes are likely to have gestational diabetes.
Age- Women aged more than 25 years are at a greater risk of developing this condition.
Diabetic history- A slightly raised blood sugar level may act as the precursor to Type-2 diabetes, which in turn increases your chance of getting affected by gestational diabetes.
Previous pregnancy- Women who ve previously given birth to a child weighing more than 4.1 Kg (9 pounds), or have delivered a stillborn child are likely to have gestational diabetes.
What is the treatment for gestational diabetes?
Urine tests are performed to check for ketones. In a non-diabetic person, glucagon, insulin and other hormones avert ketone levels in your blood from soaring up too high. Once you re diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it s important that you consult your doctor for treatment. Uncontrolled blood sugar level can affect you and your baby s health after birth. This condition can be treated in the following ways-

Keep a check on your blood sugar- During pregnancy, your doctor will have you tested for gestational diabetes 4-5times a day to keep a tab on your blood glucose level. For this, a small drop of blood is first drawn from the finger using a needle. The sample of blood is then placed on the test strip inserted into a device called the blood glucose meter to measure and monitor the level of blood sugar in your body.
Medication- Anti-diabetic medications and insulin are prescribed to control the amount of glucose or sugar in the bloodstream. Your doctor may also suggest oral medications like Diabeta and Glynase to manage your blood glucose level.
Healthy diet- Diabetic diet- one that helps control blood sugar levels- is highly prescribed by doctors during pregnancy. Cut down on carbohydrates and sugar, and switch to food items that provide your body sufficient nutrients and calories.
Post treatment the blood sugar levels usually come down to normal within 4-6 weeks of giving birth.

Gestational Diabetes - Know The Risk Factors!

Top 5 things all diabetics must do

As you are aware, diabetes is an increasingly common problem not only in adults but with children and young people too. Preventing or delaying diabetes is possible with a few lifestyle changes. And for those who have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, changes in lifestyle can prove beneficial to keep it under control. This is important and should not be taken lightly as diabetes can lead to other serious health complications. There are few simple things which if done regularly can keep you safe and absolutely fine.

5 ways to combat diabetes.

1) exercise - do minimum 45 to 30 minutes of exercise like brisk walking (for people with heart ailments make sure that you have done stress test/tmt). Keep yourself physically active all the time this will help you in losing weight, controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol. It will also improve insulin sensitivity in your body. 
2) high fiber diet - include high fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, cinnamon, green tea in your diet. This will improve your blood sugar level and also reduce your risk of developing diabetes and helps you to lose weight. Do not get into fad diets and tv commercials as they are often misleading.
3) reduce stress - tension and worry releases certain chemicals (stress hormones) which can increase your blood sugar level. Try relaxation therapy like meditation, yoga, music and soundful sleep.
4) restrict intake of alcohol - alcohol increases body weight, triglyceride (cholesterol) level and blood pressure. They may make you unaware of symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar which may be dangerous). They are empty calorie with no nutritional value. Permissible limit is 2 drinks (60ml) a day for men and 1 drink (60ml) for women, it is also not advisable to smoke.
5) regular check-ups - make sure that you regularly check your blood sugar levels and modify treatment from your diabetologist doctor (if required.) your body and your friend/ relative / colleague's body are different, so is your need of medicine for diabetes as well. What works best for them may not be right for you. So it is my sincere request is to avoid any self medication as it can be dangerous. Regularly undergo screening for early detection of diabetes complications like eye, nerve, heart, foot, kidney.

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Top 5 Things All Diabetics Must Do

Diabetes refers to a medical condition where the glucose level in your blood increases. It usually happens if there is an excess amount of glucose in your body and your body is unable to utilize it efficiently. In this condition your pancreas either stops producing insulin or fails to produce the requisite amount and hence prevents glucose from entering the cells of your body. This in turn affects your blood glucose level. Millions of people around the globe are affected by diabetes irrespective of their gender or age. For most people diabetes is generally a lifelong medical condition and can affect your health seriously if it gets severe. There are many stages and types of diabetes, such as Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, Gestational diabetes, Pre-diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Insipidus. Not all diabetes can be prevented but some of the above mentioned ones can be prevented with proper care. Below mentioned are eight tips to prevent diabetes

1. Eating the right portion: The primary key for preventing diabetes is choosing the right amount of food. Eating the right portions can help you to stay away from diabetes. Consider seeking advice from a nutritionist or dietician for knowing the exact portion size you should eat according to your age.

2. Exercise on a regular basis: Exercising regularly for at least half an hour a day can help you to prevent diabetes. You may consider walking or running exercises.

3. Choose the right food: Opt for whole grains as this can help you to maintain your blood sugar level and keep diabetes at bay. Also, try and avoid red meat as it contains high levels of iron which can affect insulin production and increase your chances of developing diabetes.

4. Get rid of obesity: If your BMI is more than thirty then you are suffering from obesity. Obesity increases your chances of developing diabetes. So in order to prevent diabetes you should work at maintaining a balanced weight.

5. Avoid carbonated drinks: Carbonated drinks contain high levels of sugar. This can increase your chances of developing diabetes. So you should try and avoid drinks like colas.
Following the above mentioned tips can help you to avert diabetes.

Five Tips to Help You Prevent Diabetes

Diabetes is probably one of the worst enemies of human health. Why? That is because unlike many other diseases which make you aware of their presence in your body instantly, diabetes is a silent attacker. So, you may continue to be unaware of the disease for a very long time, before you suddenly realize that something is wrong with your body one day. And then tests reveal that you are afflicted with diabetes.

In order to make sure that this doesn't happen to you, you have to keep an eye on the symptoms of diabetes because prevention, no matter how tedious it is, is always better than the cure. Here is a look at the usual but often ignored signs which indicate that you might be suffering from diabetes.

If you are taking more bathroom breaks than usual, and if the rate of going to the loo is increasing gradually with time, it can well be a sign of diabetes. When you are suffering from diabetes, your body becomes less efficient in breaking down the consumed food into sugars and utilising it. Therefore, a lot of sugar gets saturated in your bloodstream and your body gets rid of it by flushing it out through urination.
If you urinate a lot, it is self-evident that you would also feel very thirsty all the time. In some cases, the patients don't realize their problem and drink chocolate milk or aerated drinks which have sweet flavours. This leads to excess sugar in your body again, and the problem continues. So all in all, if you feel very thirsty all the time, get yourself checked.
You might lose weight, and it may really seem like a great thing in the beginning but it is not. When a person has diabetes, he is likely to lose his weight because of the decreasing water level in his body as well as the inability of the body to break down food into more suitable forms.
If you are tired all the time, and by all the time we mean even after getting up from a long and good night's sleep, you may have diabetes. The reason for this is that fatigue comes to you when your body cannot produce enough energy from the food you consume, and this happens only when you have diabetes.
If your cuts and bruises heal slower than ever, you definitely are a victim of diabetes. This is because the immunity and clotting system of your body don't work well when there is a saturation of sugars in your body.

5 Signs That You're Suffering from Diabetes

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