Food for Energy
Everyone needs food for energy but this does not always happen especially when a person suffers with diabetes. Glucose from the food we eat is the body’s primary source of energy. As the main source of fuel for the body, glucose must get to where it is needed but diabetes stops this process from happening. The result of this is that glucose levels in the blood continue to increase leading to health problems.
There are two main types of the condition; both are discussed briefly in this article. The first type is called type one and primarily affects young people, usually called juvenile onset diabetes and is where the body completely stops the production of insulin; this can occur at any age but diabetics must take daily insulin injections in order to survive. Insulin works like a catalyst, enabling the glucose produced by food to be absorbed by the cells and used as energy. The second type is called adult onset diabetes and happens later in life; the body is still producing insulin but there is a problem with its production or use, but fortunately this type can be treated with a special diet.
Our body needs energy which it obtains from food that it converts into sugar like bread, potatoes, rice and pasta etc. Some serious conditions can result from excess levels of glucose in the blood including blindness, heart and kidney disease and even the removal of limbs. Good diabetes care and management can prevent or delay the onset of these complications; a number of the conditions will actually get better whilst others will be slowed down. To manage your condition well, ensure you take your medication; it is very important that you don’t smoke and maintain your blood glucose levels, cholesterol and other blood fats within your target range.
Your weight and blood pressure also need to be checked regularly and kept within the acceptable limits set by your doctor. Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you will have it for life; currently approx 2.6 percent of the U.S. population or about 5.5 million Americans, are known to have this health problem. However, it is estimated that about the same number of people again have the condition; around 600,000 US citizens contract this condition each year so you can see the problem is serious. It is a worrying fact that whilst 34,000 American citizens die each year as a direct result of diabetes, another 320,000 die that have the condition where it may be an underlying reason.
