Diabetes is one of the most common chronic and serious ailments. It's the leading cause of both blindness and kidney failure. It can cause nerve damage that requires amputations. It also greatly raises the risk for heart disease and stroke.

TWO TYPES OF DIABETES

Type 1 diabetes appears most often by young adulthood. But this type (once called juvenile-on set diabetes) accounts for only 5% to 10% of diabetic patients.

Type 2 diabetes strikes 8% to 10% of adults at sometime in their lives. While Type 2 usually develops after age 45, half of all people with the disease develop it before age 60.

Both kinds of diabetes involve elevated blood sugar levels, along with abnormal metabolism of fat and protein.

In Type 2 diabetes—which is often associated with obesity—the beta cells fail to make enough insulin. Because Type 2 diabetics may not need insulin shots, many people wrongly assume that the disease is not serious.

The onset of Type 1 diabetes is usually obvious. Common symptoms include extreme thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision or un-explained weight loss.

With Type 2, glucose levels rise so slowly that these symptoms take longer to show up or develop so gradually that they're noticed only after complications start to occur.

Half of the people suffering from Type 2 diabetes do not even know they have it. The longer diabetes goes untreated, the greater the risk of complications.

NOTE:

In its early stages, type 2 diabetes causes only subtle symptoms; fatigue, increased thirst and/or hunger, frequent urination, weight loss, blurred or double vision, anxiety, faintness or irritability.

If you suspect you have diabetes, ask your doctor about having a blood glucose test. This in-office test checks your glucose level before and after eating. You probably have diabetes if your fasting blood sugar level exceeds 126 or if your blood sugar level after eating exceeds 200.

Blood sugar is normally regulated by insulin, an enzyme synthesized by beta cells in the pancreas.

WHEN TESTING REVEALS DIABETES

Adopt a low-carbohydrate diet.

You can eat liberal amounts of fowl, fish, cheese, eggs, green vegetables (including green leaf, water leaf spinach (efo and tete) and uguand oha leaves), cabbage, avocado, mushrooms, peppers, almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts etc.

Avery-low-carbohydrate diet should be under taken only with a doctor's help. The doctor should carefully monitor your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and your kidney function until cholesterol and blood sugar levels are acceptable.

• Get aerobic exercise every day. Walking, bicycling, swimming or jogging— or doing some other form of aerobic exercise—for at least 30 minutes a day is even more important for diabetics than for non-diabetics.

• Be vigilant about blood sugar testing. During the initial stages of diabetes treatment, when glucose levels are still fluctuating, doing a finger-stick blood testing is recommended just before and two hours after your morning and evening meals i.e. 4x daily.

Even more frequent testing may be helpful if blood sugar levels are not optimal.

TESTING GUIDELINES

The current universally accepted testing guidelines all adult sage 45 or older to be screened for diabetes at least once every three years.

GETTING THE BEST TREATMENT

Caught early, Type 2 diabetes can often be controlled with diet and exercise alone.

80% of Type 2 diabetics are overweight. Once these patients lose weight blood sugar level and metabolic state improve.

The best way to do this is to cut back saturated fats and to boost consumption of grains, fruits and vegetables.

Exercise also reduces the body's insulin needs by boosting the cells' sensitivity to insulin. To get started, go for a 20-minute walk each evening or take the stairs instead of the elevator at work, while shopping, etc.