The Center for Disease Control estimated that by 2015, 30.3 million Americans had diabetes. It also pointed out that about nine in every ten diabetics have type 2 diabetes. Before learning how to deal with these two types of diabetes, let’s learn a bit about them first.
Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Overview
Type 1 diabetes is the one that experts say cannot be cured. That much is true, seeing as how scientists have not been able to uncover its cause to date. Type 1 diabetes when a person’s immune system attacks his pancreas, so the organ is unable to produce insulin as it is supposed to. Insulin is the bodily substance that’s responsible for ‘pushing’ glucose into cells. Without it, glucose piles up in the bloodstream and causes high blood sugar, or what the experts call hyperglycemia. Type 2 diabetes is the more common of the two conditions. People develop this condition when they do not eat healthily, do not exercise enough or partake in poor lifestyle habits like smoking and taking excess alcohol.
How to Cope with Diabetes
Diabetes occurs when one of three things happens. Either a person’s body produces no insulin, makes insufficient insulin or has insulin resistance. The latter happens when cells have excess glucose so the insulin has a hard time ‘pushing’ more glucose into the cells. The same way your appetite seems to disappear the fuller your feel is the same way your cells feel about glucose. When less glucose goes into cells, more of it remains in the bloodstream, resulting in high blood sugar.
Coping with diabetes is rather easy. You can do this by sticking to the following.
- Steer Clear of the Sugar
Taking sugar obviously increases blood sugar levels. Stay away from refined sugar completely and limit the natural variety. Throw foods that are easily convertible to carbs and glucose out of your diet, including white grains and excess protein.
- Eat to save your life
Eating the right kind of food- whole grains, fish, leafy greens, A2 milk, and the occasional nuts for fat and fiber- helps reduce weight. Weight loss is a good way to manage type 2 diabetes. High fiber diets slow down glucose absorption and increase insulin sensitivity.
- Take Supplements if you have to
Adding dietary supplements to your diet can help you cope with diabetes as it helps your body stock up on minerals and vitamins. Body by nature also offers chromium supplements that are safe for vegans. These vegan supplements help the body build up a glucose tolerance. What you can’t get in a diet, get from supplements.
- Go easy on the Alcohol and tobacco
Smoking and taking alcohol are havoc on the immune system which is something nobody needs when dealing with diabetes, which also messes up the body’s immunity.
- Exercise, exercise, exercise
Aerobic exercises will help anyone who does them drop a few pounds, while interval training and resistance exercises will ensure he or she doesn’t get hurt in the process. Exercise also helps reduce stress levels, which is good news for the body’s insulin sensitivity.