The diet of people with type 2 diabetes must be individualized, making sure to take into consideration nutritional requirements, as well as personal level of comfort of the changes the patient is willing to make at that time.  A full adjustment to a new diet plan may take some time, so incorporating gradual changes to meal plans can be easier.

The content of the diet is very important.  There is now a listing of different food items with their glycemic index (GI) or sugar content.  Diabetics should always make sure to have foods with low GI.  A diet rich in natural fibers are also good choices for diabetics.  These foods include whole grains, fruits and leafy vegetables.  There are also now several food items for the diabetic diet that have low GI , and have an added effect of lowering blood sugar levels.

Another recommendation is to have alternative sources to animal proteins.  The kidney function of diabetics do not metabolize proteins as efficiently as normal kidneys, and animal protein can bring too much stress on already compromised kidney functions.  Protein from plant sources such as beans and nuts are better metabolized by the body.

When it comes to exercise, first make sure that there are no other underlying or concomitant diseases that can compromise the function of the heart.  To be safe, it is best to first consult a physician so he/she can give advice on the type of exercises the person can do.  Some diabetic complications, such as eyesight problems and nerve damage, can limit the exercise a person can do.  It is wise to individualize an exercise routine according to the patient’s current health status.

If the person has been inactive for a while, start out with light exercises such as brisk walking or light aerobics.  For those who are overweight or with joint problems, swimming is a very good option as this exercise has very low impact on the joints.  In general, it is recommended to have physical activity three times a week for 30 minutes per day.  It has been shown that moderate exercise can eventually improve the body’s response to insulin.

It must be remembered that diabetics are already on medication that lowers their blood sugar levels.  Therefore, any diet and exercise plan must be carefully planned out and monitored so the patient will not have too low blood sugar levels that can be a medical concern as well.  Keeping in mind these tips on diet and exercise can surely help diabetics cope with necessary changes.

Diabetes is a condition where the body fails to produce or use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that converts glucose or blood sugar into energy.  There are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, where the individual cannot produce insulin, and type 2 diabetes, where the individual does produce insulin by the body does not respond to it. If left untreated, both types of diabetes can damage your kidneys, eyes, and cardiovascular system.   In severe cases, diabetes can lead to strokes, blindness, kidney failures, and amputations. But it’s never too late to prevent these from happening if you catch the disorder early enough. As soon as you see these earliest warning signs of diabetes, get yourself examined by a doctor and take the necessary preventive measures.

Constant thirst and frequent urination – You go to the bathroom and urinate more frequently than normal. Frequent urination dehydrates your body, which makes you unquenchably thirsty.  Frequent urination and constant thirst are the most common early warning signs of diabetes.

Fatigue – Pre-diabetics and diabetics often feel exhausted because the cells and the brain does not receive enough fuel, even though there is a lot of glucose and insulin in the bloodstream.

Blurred vision – Did you know that the eye lens shrinks and gets distorted as your glucose levels rise and fall? This is why blurred vision is another common early warning sign of diabetes.  The human eye is unable to adjust quickly to the changes occurring in glucose levels.

Frequent infections and slow healing of wounds – White blood cells – the blood cells that protect the body from pathogens and infection – don’t work as efficiently when blood sugar levels are too high. When white blood cells fail to work, bacteria and pathogens thrive, making you prone to infection. Observe any wounds you might have and see how long it takes for them to heal.  If a shallow scratch is still raw after a week, it is likely that you have diabetes or pre-diabetes.  Women also tend to experience yeast infections as an early warning sign of diabetes.

Tingling and numbness in feet or legs – This symptom of diabetes is caused by a complication known as neuropathy, or nerve damage. Neuropathy takes years to develop, and this symptom indicates that you have had undiagnosed diabetes for a long time. 

Stroke and heart disease – For individuals over 45, these dangerous early warning signs often appear before they get diagnosed by diabetes.

The earliest warning signs of diabetes can also be symptoms of an entirely different health problem.  If you experience any of the symptoms above, it would be wise to get checked up by a doctor to find out what is causing these problems.

People with Type 1 diabetes lack sufficient insulin production from the pancreas, while type 2 diabetics do not respond to its effects. In both cases, blood sugar control goes haywire because insulin, the chemical responsible for regulating it, is not inadequate or is ineffective. Listed are the symptoms that mostly occur among diabetics.

Feeling of fatigue

Most diabetics will complain of always having low energy levels. Sugar or glucose is the primary energy source of the cells. Without insulin or if the cells are resistant to its effects, glucose is not utilized efficiently. The body then shifts to using fat for energy and drives the metabolism to work harder.

Unexplained weight loss

Because of the fact that the body lacks proper energy source in cases of diabetes, it metabolizes the fats present in order to compensate. This leads to weight loss despite adequate caloric intake.

Frequent Urination

Diabetics often urinate frequently and in large volumes. One of the body’s mechanisms of eliminating the excess glucose is through excreting it in the urine. Because of the high blood glucose, a lot of it is also filtered by the kidneys and causes the sugar content of the urine to rise too. Sugar attracts water into the urinary tract, causing voiding of great volumes of urine.

Excessive Thirst

As mentioned, diabetic patients tend to lose a lot of water from frequent urination. The water-depleted body sends a signal to the brain that it needs to increase water content. This is manifested as thirst, and in most cases, diabetics consume large amounts of water yet still end up feeling dehydrated.

Numbness of Hands and Feet

The glucose in the blood stream is further broken down into different byproducts. These byproducts, when accumulated, are harmful to the nerves. The nerves are the ones that provide us with the ability to sense and feel. Any damage to them causes abnormal sensations or even numbness, a condition called neuropathy.

Remember that diabetes is a systemic disease, meaning it affects the body as whole. Therefore, symptoms attributed to diabetes can also manifest in many ways. Other than those mentioned above, there are several other symptoms that can serve as clues to the presence of diabetes. These include blurred vision, poor wound healing, and recurrent infections.

All of the named symptoms arise when blood sugar levels are highly elevated. Luckily, diabetes can be controlled with right medications. These medications are prescribed according to the individuals’ needs and based on how they respond to them. Of course, a healthy well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and good stress management also supplement any medicine that may be given.

Diabetes is a malfunction of a body’s metabolism. Either a person’s pancreas does not produce enough insulin, the hormone responsibly for regulating one’s blood sugar, or he does not use insulin properly. That means that the glucose one takes in from carbohydrates and sugar are not properly utilized by the body. Instead of being used as energy, glucose stays in one’s blood streams causing some serious damage to organs like heart, eyes and kidneys.

Types of Diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes:

1. Type 1 diabetes- sometimes called insulin-dependent, immune-mediated or juvenile-onset diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when a person’s pancreas produces too little or no insulin at all. Insulin-producing beta cells are attacked by the body’s defense system which hinders sugar from entering body cells. Without right amount of insulin in the body, cells will always be in need of glucose supply causing constant hunger to a diabetic person. However, when a person eats every time he feels hungry, the sugar level in his blood will rapidly increase, blocking the blood vessels in the body. Higher blood sugar level also makes a person urinate more, making him both thirsty and hungry most of the time.

This can be rapidly fatal without regular insulin injections to regulate one’s sugar in his blood.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes are: excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes,  fatigue and some infections. When these symptoms occur but stay untreated for a long time, the person might also suffer from sleepiness, stomach pain, vomiting, rapid breathing, and increased pulse rate. This is due to the chemicals produced by the body called ketones. When at this stage the patient is still not treated, diabetes might lead to coma and death.

2. Type 2 diabetes- sometimes called non-insulin dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes around the world, 90% of people with diabetes are suffering from this. This is not caused by any abnormality in insulin production but is usually the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity. People with type 2 diabetes are not dependent on insulin injections because they can just usually maintain their blood sugar level by watching their diet and activities.

This usually affects adults from 45 years and older. However, as many young people are becoming overweight and obese, diabetes type 2 is already becoming common among the youth.

Symptoms for type 2 diabetes are so much like the type 1although it is often not as obvious. They are: increased thirst and frequent urination, increased hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, erectile dysfunction, frequent slow-healing infections.

3. Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs when non-diabetic women get abnormal blood sugar level during pregnancy affecting about 3 to 6 % of all pregnant women. Usually begins at weeks 24 to 28 of pregnancy, gestational diabetes goes away after the delivery of the child. Unlike the other two kinds of diabetes, women with gestational diabetes produce normal amount of insulin but their bodies are still not able to utilize glucose because of the hormones, such as progesterone, estrogen and placental lactogen, blocking their blood streams. These hormones are produced in the placenta to nourish the growing fetus.

Symptoms of gestational diabetes are so much like types 1 and 2:Increased thirst, increased urination, increased hunger and blurred vision.