Diabetes: the Unknown Epidemic Sweeping the West

It is a little scary to realize that over five million people in the US have undiagnosed diabetes. Add that to the approximately seventeen million that have diabetes, and you have an epidemic of massive proportions.

But, it gets even worse. Another sixteen million have pre-diabetes, according to Tommy G. Thompson, Health and Human Services Secretary. He went on to recommend that screening start as soon as possible for overweight people.

Why? Well, it is estimated that this is costing the US economy $100 billion every year. Somebody is obviously making a good buck on this, but do you want to help line their pockets?

You can stop doing that by taking some pretty simple steps to avoid progressing to full-blown diabetes. Of course, it will take a radical change in how you look at yourself, and your lifestyle.

How do you find out?

First, though, how do you find out if your are pre-diabetic? It is pretty simple, really. The most reliable way is a fasting blood glucose test. Glucose is sugar in the blood, and it is the energy source for all the cells of the body. That level should not be too high or too low, or problems will result.

Anyone who is overweight (which means a body mass index of 25 or more) and over 43 should be screened. Even those with no symptoms should be tested. If things look good, the recommendations say the test should be repeated every three years. That would assume that there has been no weight loss or increase in exercise.

Diabetes Care

You can take care of diabetes in many cases without drugs. Why not give that a try first?

Reversing the tendency towards diabetes is, for most people, fairly straight forward. It takes three things:

1. Eat the proper food.

2. Lose weight.

3. Exercise more.

Pretty simple, conceptually, isnt it? The challenge is in the execution. However, if you dont, you may be facing your own execution sooner than you had planned.

Now, dont go to your doctor and demand some drug or other to control your diabetes. That will cause more damage in the long run, and line the pockets of the pharmaceutical firms even more.

Exercise

On the other hand, maybe you should do that. They are fighting so many law suits for the damage their drugs have caused, that they probably could use the money.

Really, the best thing would be to see a qualified health professional who can advise you how to start your exercise program in a way that wont hurt you (too much, at least).

You will find that exercise will help you in so many other ways, too. I remember a time about ten years ago when I was suffering chronic back pain. It seemed that little could be done to improve it, until I read an article on the benefits of exercise. I started doing push-ups. I couldnt even do ten! And, it hurt! But, I kept at it and, within a few weeks, I was up to twenty-five. Then I realized my back pain was gone!

Diabetes Diet

Eating properly is key to regaining your health. All you have to do is eliminate all the bad stuff you like. Now, THATs depressing, isnt it?

It really isnt quite that bad, but it does mean you will have to think differently about what you eat. The first thing is to STOP EATING PROCESSED FOOD! It is almost that simple.

Anything in a crinkly bag should be avoided. Along with soft drinks. And white flour products. Sugar is a big no-no. Most canned and processed food has lots of sugar.

Eat lots of vegetables, salads, legumes, and the like. If you eat meat, dont eat processed meat like bacon, ham or sausage. If you can get organic food, so much the better.

Weight Loss

This goes hand in hand with exercise and eating properly. Do the first two properly and you will undoubtedly lose excess weight. You should be aware that if you havent exercised much, muscle weighs more than fat, so you might not loose as much as you expect, at first, because you will be building muscle. It isnt the scale that tells you if you are making progress, it will be the waistband or belt on your pants.

Conclusion

There are all kinds of degenerative diseases to be concerned about, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. But, diabetes is the easiest one to avoid and, in the process, you will be lowering your risk for the others. So, suck it in, take care of yourself, and enjoy life.

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What is diabetes?

A disease in which the body cannot convert food into energy because of a lack of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas), or because of an inability to use insulin. Diabetes is a serious condition that can cause complications ranging from numbness to loss of vision to coma. It also significantly raises the risk for other problems, such as stroke and heart disease. About 17 million Americans have diabetes.
A hereditary or developmental problem with sugar metabolism. Caused by a failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. Juvenile diabetes, or type 1 diabetes, is treated with diet, exercise and insulin. Type 2, formerly called adult onset, is now seen in overweight children. It is treated with diet, exercise and medication. In severe cases, type 2 diabetes is also treated with insulin.
A chronic condition associated with abnormally high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as insulin-dependent (type I) and non-insulin dependent (type II). Type I diabetes results from a lack of adequate insulin secretion by the pancreas. Type II diabetes (also known as adult-onset diabetes) is characterized by an insensitivity of the tissues of the body to insulin secreted by the pancreas (insulin resistance).