Learn About Diabetes and How Antioxidants Can Help You Manage This Disease

There are 23.6 million children and adults in the U.S. alone who have this disease. I believe it is caused by lots of things, but more than anything else I believe it is lack of antioxidants (vitamins, etc.) we need in our daily diet, and this is leading to more and more diseases in our body such as diabetes. Our bodies are deprived because most of us do not take the time to eat right. To find out more read below.

What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Usually, the sugar you take in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then circulates in your blood where it waits to go into cells to be used as fuel.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. It helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. But, if you have diabetes this process breaks down and blood sugar levels become too high. The problem is that diabetes can impair many of the functions of the body. It can damage heart blood vessels, vision, kidneys, and most every function of the body. Oxidation or free-radical formation occurs more rapidly with elevated blood sugars. Elevated blood sugars and elevated insulin levels can damage the body’s ability to function and can cause other diseases.

Micro blood vessel damage is caused by sugar (an oxidant) linking with blood vessel proteins (collagen), causing scarring and blood vessel blockage. This damage is what causes neuropathy (pain in the nerves) and edema (water in the tissues) in extremities, which can lead to ulcerations and amputations. It also causes kidney damage (nephropathy) and even blindness (retinopathy).

What are the Major Types of Diabetes?
Type I Diabetes
Type I Diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. A person with Type I Diabetes can't make any insulin. Type I can be caused by a genetic disorder, but the origins are not fully understood. But all the possible causes still have the same end result: The pancreas produces very little or no insulin anymore. Frequent insulin injections are needed for Type I.

Gestational Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women, and usually appears during the 2nd trimester and disappears after the birth of the baby. Like Type I and Type II, your body can't use glucose effectively and blood glucose levels get too high. When it is not controlled, complications can affect both you and your baby. Your doctor will help you with getting started on a diet and exercise plan and possibly medication. Having GD increases your risk for developing it again during future pregnancies and can also raise your risk for Type II Diabetes later in life.

Pre-Diabetes
Pre-Diabetes means that the cells in your body are becoming resistant to insulin or your pancreas is not producing enough insulin. Blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be called diabetes. A diagnosis of Pre-Diabetes is a warning sign that diabetes will develop at a later time. The good news is you can prevent the development of Type II Diabetes by losing weight and making changes in your diet (consuming more antioxidants-natural supplements) and exercising.

What Causes Diabetes?
The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. There are 23.6 million children and adults in the U.S. who have diabetes. An estimated 17.9 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately 5.7 million people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have the disease.

How Do I Know If I Have Diabetes?
In order to know whether or not you have diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. The FPG is recommended because is is easier, faster and less expensive to perform.

If the fasting blood glucose with the FPG test is between 100 and 125 mg/dl that signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes.

In the OGTT test, the blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the 2-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person tested has pre-diabetes. If the 2-hour blood glucose level is 200 mg/dl or higher, the person tested has diabetes.

What Changes Can I Make to Either Prevent or Manage Diabetes?

Managing Diabetes If you have diabetes, by now your physician has probably put you on a diabetic diet. You should ask your physician before consuming anything other than what is on your diet, and consult him on what physical activity (exercises) would be best for you.

I love to walk, so my daily exercising consists of daily walks, but this doesn't work for everyone. You have to find a physical activity (exercise) that will work for you.

Here's an article from a site dedicated to exercise and weight loss on a diabetic diet that explains the diabetes food pyramid.

My Favorite Antioxidant Treat is Healthy Chocolate . It is made with Rich Belgium Dark Chocolate that is Diabetic Friendly! Of course, you need to check with your physician before trying this product. Do some research first so you can bring him documentation on how it is Diabetic Friendly. Here is where you can go to find this documentation by Dr. Steve Warren.

Dr. Steve Warren is the Spokesperson for Xocai Healthy Chocolate. You can read his research on diabetes and Healthy Chocolate, and if you have any questions concerning anything, you can ask him and he will email you back within 48 hours.

There is lots of testimonials on his website of people who have diabetes and have amazing results with Xocai Healthy Chocolate. Diabetics have to watch what they eat so this is a wonderful snack full of antioxidants that they can enjoy without feeling a bit guilty.

My Mom and several people I know have diabetes, and I try to encourage them to talk with their physician, keep close track of their sugar and try to consume as many Diabetic-Friendly Antioxidants as possible, then increase their physical activity as much as possible.

Your health is vitally important when you have diabetes. Diabetes Health is an excellent resource for more information about diabetes and its complications.

Preventing Diabetes If you're trying to prevent diabetes you should take a look at the way you eat and make changes if needed to your diet. You need to be consuming the recommended daily amounts of antioxidants , and watch your fat intake - too much fat is not good, some is okay. I suggest, from the research I have done on antioxidants, to consume more antioxidants-natural supplements in your diet, and increase your level of physical activity.

As we mentioned above, you need to find some kind of physical activity you like to do and do it daily if at all possible. Their are many different ways to consume more antioxidants even if you are not a Fruits and Vegetables person. See my Dark Chocolate Page to know more about Healthy Chocolate.

To get the quality of life you deserve you have to take care of yourself and eat right. I know many people have to take prescription drugs, but I will do everything in my power not to have to.

Natural Supplements and products full of antioxidants is the key to Optimal Health, and will help us grow older gracefully with more energy so we can play with those grandchildren, go explore the countryside, etc.

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