Diabetes happens when our body has a problem secreting insulin. Insulin is required to keep the body in homeostasis when glucose (sugar) is ingested and stored in the body. People who develop diabetes have what is called “insulin resistance”. This basically means that the body (liver, muscles, pancreas) do not produce enough or fail to produce insulin. People who are overweight have a higher risk of insulin resistance because fat blocks insulin production.
There are a lot of people out there that call Type 2 diabetes “old age diabetes”. It has been believed in past years that as you get older, you develop diabetes. Well, this is partly true but it is not just because you get older. Yes, there is a genetic factor but in my opinion most of the time it is strictly caused by years of eating badly and not getting enough exercise. After years of not giving your body what it needs to thrive, it finally just starts to break down. This is why we develop symptoms when we get older.
Here are some symptoms of diabetes:
1. Blurred vision
2. Erectile dysfunction
3. Fatigue
4. Slow healing
5. Increased appetite, thirst, and urination.
So, how can we prevent or manage diabetes?
- Eat healthy meals. There are diets out there that are specially designed for people with diabetes. Here is an example: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002440.htm
- Make sure you get checked by your medical doctor for cholesterol, high blood pressure and glucose levels.
Diabetes can be managed easily without medication if monitored correctly. Patient education about proper foods, physical activity play a key role and when applied, become easy!
Hypertension is defined as having blood pressure greater or equal to 140/90 on 3 or more visits to the doctor.
To combat this problem it is very important to exercise while keeping track of your heart rate as well as eating what is called the DASH diet. This includes a diet high in fruits and vegetables with decreased dairy products and saturated fats. If you follow this plan, you will see not only great results in our cholesterol level and blood pressure, but will probably lose some inches too!
Here is a list of what is recommended by DASHdiet.org:
| Type of food |
Number of servings for 1600 – 3100 Calorie diets |
Servings on a 2000 Calorie diet |
Grains and grain products
(include at least 3 whole grain foods each day) |
6 – 12 |
7 – 8 |
| Fruits |
4 – 6 |
4 – 5 |
| Vegetables |
4 – 6 |
4 – 5 |
| Low fat or non fat dairy foods |
2 – 4 |
2 – 3 |
| Lean meats, fish, poultry |
1.5 – 2.5 |
2 or less |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes |
3 – 6 per week |
4 – 5 per week |
| Fats and sweets |
2 – 4 |
limited |