Diabetes is categorized into two kinds: Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes is very similar to an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system begins to attack its own pancreas, leaving the patient in need of regular insulin injections. This type of diabetes usually begins at a young age and accounts for about 5 to 10% of all cases of the disease. Type II diabetes is much more prevalent. More than 15 million Americans have this type of diabetes in some stage. There are many names for Type II diabetes, among them simple sugar diabetes, even though sugar is sometimes not the main cause or problem. It is a common misconception that people with Type II diabetes should just stay away from sugar to remain healthy, but that is not the way the disease works.
Type I diabetes is a disorder that is generally unavoidable. Some people just develop it. Type II diabetes can be caused by the patient. A poor diet, not enough exercise, and a predisposition toward developing a bad reaction to high sugar intake can cause an onset of Type II diabetes. Once it develops, it can still be regulated with the proper diet and the right amount of exercise, but if it is just ignored, it will become very dangerous. Diabetes can lead to other serious problems, like kidney disease or outright renal failure, eye diseases leading to blindness, and nerve damage to the lower limbs. Approximately 50% of all amputations of lower limbs done in the United States annually are because of diabetes.
The way for a victim of diabetes to become healthy again is to watch their diet and get plenty of exercise. Type I diabetes cannot be cured, but Type II can be mitigated by weight loss and keeping your weight, cholesterol, and AC1 regulated. In time, you might not even need medications anymore.
That’s jumping ahead, however. The first thing to do is to learn about the disease so you know what you’re facing, before you learn how to overcome it.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Type I and Type II diabetes have the exact same symptoms. Anyone who develops them should be taken to see a doctor immediately. These symptoms are:
– An increased feeling of thirst, so intense it can sometimes wake you while you’re sleeping
– A more frequent need to urinate
– An increase in appetite
– Unexplained fatigue
– Unexplained loss of weight
– Blurry vision
– A dry mouth
– Vomiting or diarrhea unaccompanied by the other usual symptoms of illness
– Recurring infections of the urinary tract or recurring yeast infections
– Wounds, cuts, and scrapes that do not heal as quickly as they should
How the Body Assimilates Food
Many patients who learn they have Type II diabetes tend to believe that they only need to worry about foods with high sugar content such as cookies and candy. The truth is that even big meals, especially those that include lots of butter and fat, will only lead to the need for insulin injections.
The key is not to just stop eating certain things, but to eat a balance of foods to keep your system in a natural state of equilibrium. White sugar is certainly a big part of the problem, but it is not only what you eat, but how much you eat.
When food is digested, it is broken down into its most basic components. Proteins are broken down into amino acids. Fats and carbohydrates become fuel for the body’s needs. Everything you eat can be classified as being made up of one or more of these macronutrients.
There are two types of energy reserves in the human body. Long term reserves refer to the storage of fat and short term includes glycogen, a form of carbohydrate. Everything you eat is converted into one of these two forms. An increase of blood sugar will normally create a release of insulin, which converts food for long term storage into fat. Sugary foods will cause fatigue and hunger after a short while, because all the energy provided went into long term storage instead of into immediate use. When the body is in need of energy again, a hormone called glucagon is release. Glucagon is insulin’s opposite. It causes cells to turn glycogen into glucose to be burned immediately for added energy.
Food that is quickly digested spikes the levels of blood glucose in your body, which leads to an increase in insulin and fat storage. The slower digesting foods create an even greater rise of sugar, which means less fat.
The Composition of a Healthy Diet
It is another common belief that diabetics should avoid any and all carbohydrates. This is fairly impossible to do. People who try often subscribe to high protein diets, which are poor nutrition at best and dangerous at worst. Too much protein can cause problems with your liver or your heart and can promote kidney stones. These problems are especially dangerous for diabetics. Nutritional should be the main concern. Protein is necessary, especially for healthy muscles. Healthy fats are also needed. Even carbohydrates are necessary – complex carbohydrates, like those found in whole grain breads and vegetables, do not spike your blood sugar levels.
The American Heart Association suggests a diet that contains plenty of complex carbohydrates with a more measured consumption of fat and protein. Protein should not be more than about 35% of the daily calories you consume each day. For a diabetic, the best diet is one decided upon after consulting a doctor or nutritionist. This is vitally important for all newly diagnosed diabetes patients.
Supplements Diabetics Can Use
It can be difficult to get all the required nutrients on a restricted diet. A good supplement may be just the thing to get you to the necessary daily allowance of nutrients. It is usually best for diabetics to eat five or six small meals every day instead of two or three large meals.
Too many meal replacement protein shakes or bars contain too much fat, sugar, or too many calories. This is where liquid protein shots like Profect, from Protica, come into play. Profect is a tiny 2.9 fluid ounce serving which has only 100 calories, but 25 grams of protein in each serving. It contains no added sugar whatsoever.
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein drinks for weight loss surgery patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright