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 the condition when there is an excess of glucose in your body. Though glucose is beneficial for the proper functioning of the body, an excess can lead to serious consequences. Over the years, diabetes has over the years emerged as one of the fatal diseases, one that once developed has no known cure. This condition is preceded by various perceptible symptoms, some of them are-

1. Insatiable thirst

The onset of diabetes is almost always accompanied by a nagging thirst, one that refuses to be quenched despite drinking plenty of water.

2. Frequent tendencies of urination

A frequent tendency of urination is one of the primary precursors of diabetes.

3. Acute hunger

Having bouts of acute hunger is one of the most predominant premonitions of diabetes.

4. Exhaustion and fatigue

In case you are suffering from diabetes, you will inevitably feel tired and exhausted all the time.

5. Blurring of vision

Diabetes is one of those rare conditions that threaten to affect and damage the eyesight. The blurring of vision comes hand in hand with the onset of diabetes.

6. Sores which take a long time to heal

One of the most fatal symptoms of diabetes is when the sore that you have suffered from takes a longer time than necessary to heal.

Some of the complications which diabetes invite are-

1. Cardiovascular problems

Diabetes considerably increases the risk of a host of cardiovascular problems and ailments like heart attacks, chest pain, and stroke.

2. Damage to the kidneys

The pair of kidneys that human beings are endowed with has the responsibility to remove the toxins from the body. An excess of diabetes in the body unsettles the purging ability of the kidneys.

3. Damage to the eyes

The onset of diabetes, among other things, puts your eyes at great risks. The condition tends to damage the blood vessels of the retina and can even cause blindness in some.

4. Skin disorder

Diabetes puts your skin at great risks. You may suffer from various bacterial and fungal infections among other ailments, due to an excess of glucose in your body.

Symptoms and Complications of Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that affects the pancreas to the extent that it does not release the required quantity of insulin, which can lead to a high blood sugar level as the body starts to absorb excess glucose from the food that it ingests. This can be of various types and have different implications for different patients. While many experts insist that keeping a low cholesterol level and low weight is a primary requirement for the treatment of diabetes patients, there are a number of myths in this regard. Not eating fat is one such myth that we are out to prove wrong today.

So read on to find out why diabetic people need to eat fat:

Saturated Fats and Trans Fats: There are studies that demonstrate how saturated fats can actually prove to be beneficial for diabetes patients. These can be found in various sources like fish and nuts. This releases heptadecanoic acids, which can normalise the blood sugar levels as well as the insulin and triglyceride levels in the body.
Dairy Fat: The use of milk and yogurt as well as butter can actually be helpful in bringing the blood sugar levels down. It also shows up favourably on the lipoprotein markers. Butter, in particular, is known to have clarifying properties that can bring down the risk of diabetes as well. One must take care to use dairy products that are fat-free. 
Animal Fat: Having meat which releases fat and having dairy products like cheese and milk which releases healthy saturated fats are two different things. One can replace carbs and meat with these kinds of products so that there are better absorption and creation of quality animal fats which can actually help the insulin levels.
Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats: Food items like fish and nuts that carry high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids as well as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help patients suffering from diabetes by clearing the bloodstream of cholesterol and high lipid levels. This also prevents the risk of heart disease and arterial blockages. These kinds of fats are also found in flax seeds, soya products and walnuts. 
Going low on carbohydrates and avoiding sugar is usually recommended for patients suffering from diabetes. Yet, it is important to have your fill of essential fats as mentioned above with the help of dairy products, clarified better, omega three fatty acids, dry fruits, soya products and some amount of vegetable oils, as these actually have a number of benefits for these patients.

Why Do Diabetic People Need To Eat Fat?

Sugar is an all pervasive substance that is found in most food items although specific ones such as candies, colas and sweet delicacies tend to have more of it. While it may taste great on the tongue, it may not be so good for your body as well as your teeth. Teeth are especially affected by sugar as an ingredient in all items of food. Some of the ways it affects your dental health are discussed below  

Sugar from colas, sodas and other carbonated beverages: Sugar that gets into your body in the form of carbonated beverages are the worst in terms of the nooks and crannies that it gets into. As it is in liquid form, it can swirl around the toughest corner and deposit sugar there. This will encourage the growth of harmful bacteria, causing a host of problems.

Dissolving tooth enamel: Tooth enamel is the topmost layer of teeth. This is the layer which is visible to the naked eye and is white in color. Foods such as chewy candies can leave a hard lump of sugar lodged in your teeth which the saliva in your mouth will not be able to dissolve away. This will keep producing acids and result in the dissolving of the enamel. Enamel protects the nerves of the teeth and thus will result in extreme pain and even tooth decay.

Encourages the growth of plaque: Plaque is an obstructive and sticky substance that forms on many parts of your body, including the teeth. Plaque is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and these bacteria feed and grow on the sugar from the foods that you eat. These bacteria can cause cavities, gum infections, bad breath, destroy the enamel among causing other dental problems as well.

Some of the other related problems that can be caused by sugar on your dental health are:-

Reduction in the size of your back teeth due to erosion from acids formed from sugar.

Gum infections of various kinds which may end up requiring surgery.

Changes in the bite of a person i.e. the way upper and lower teeth come together.

Sugar may also affect the growth of bacteria in the mouth, which in turn may also cause digestion problems.

Causes bad breath due to buildup of bacteria.

Sugar - How It Affects Your Teeth?

Diabetes is something which has become so common over the past few decades and this is said to be a cause of worry as most people don't understand how to prevent and manage it. This has led to some myths, gaining more than their fair share of popularity. So, wouldn t it be a good idea to get to know a little more so as to separate the myths from the facts?

Weight & watch: One of the most common myths when it comes to diabetes is the belief that a person is going to have his or her life adversely affected if he or she is overweight. While it is true that being overweight happens to be one of the risk factors related to diabetes, it is important to keep in mind the fact that there are other risk factors which are responsible, as well. Some of these factors are age and family history, as well as the ethnicity of the person. Taking this into account, it should not come as too much of a surprise to know that there are quite a few people who are not overweight, but are still fighting diabetes.
Packaged tricks: Considering the rise in the number of people who are suffering from diabetes, this has led to food being marketed specifically for their consumption. However, in reality, whatever represents a healthy diet is sufficient for a person who is diabetic. So a diet which does not have a high amount of saturated fats and trans fats and does not go overboard with starch and sugar, but features a fair amount of lean protein works well too. All the fancy diabetic food, which a person buys, is only likely to drive a great hole in the wallet and not have any additional health benefits. Therefore, the extra spending is nowhere close to being worthwhile and should be avoided.
Fruits punch: Many people are of the opinion that it is the processed and sugary food items, which cause diabetes and this is true to a significant extent. However, some people are of the view that since fruit is natural, diabetics can eat as much of it as they like. This is where the thinking gets dangerous. Some fruits are rich in carbohydrates and so it should be consumed in a reasonable quantity, as part of the daily meal plan. After all, too much of any good thing is bad!

Diabetes - 3 Myths Decoded!

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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