Healthy Living

Quantitative and qualitative changes in diet and regular exercise can keep the blood sugar at lower levels and may help in reducing the need for medicines, or use them in lesser doses.

Small frequent meals in place of 2 regular meals at lunch and dinner helps in preventing a rise in post-meal sugar levels to high levels. Qualitatively stopping the use of direct sugar and food items containing carbohydrates like rice, potatoes, mangoes, grapes etc prevents high sugar levels.

Regular walking briskly keeps weight in control and prevents obesity. Increased weight increases insulin requirement and a relative deficiency of insulin leads to high sugar levels.

Diabetes causes silent damage to blood vessels in kidneys, retina, heart, brain and all over the body. Ultimately the effects are seen as kidney failure, blindness, heart attacks, paralysis and nonhealing ulcers and gangrene. Severe diabetes may cause ketoacidosis, coma, and death.

Hence, it is wise to be careful with diet and exercise.