CANADA CONNECTION: Coping With Diabetes

CULPRIT OF MULTI-DISEASES – Until I learned it to have caused the life of my parents and other relatives and friends, never did I give a hoot about the rise of glucose level in my blood which is widely deemed as the culprit of multiple diseases.

Medically known as Diabetes Mellitus, this health issue is now considered as among in the list (rank 7th) of the causes of death in the world, as reported by the United States Center for Disease and Prevention.

This metabolic disease refers to the capacity of our body in utilizing blood sugar, chemically known as glucose, which when its level exceed the standard it became alarming that seeing a physician is a must.
Glucose is a kind of sugar considered in Chemistry as monosaccharide, along with Fructose and Galactose.

It is present in our blood as a source of energy, regulated by the hormone Insulin released by pancreas. But if the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, glucose conversion to energy would be slow, thereby penetrating the bloodstream that will lead to the health disorder called diabetes, which medical experts disclosed to be in the form of either Type 1 or Type 2.

Type 1 Diabetes, otherwise called Juvenile Diabetes, normally occurrs as early as childhood, while Type 2 Diabetes, known as adult-onset diabetes, happens mostly in adults, according to medical literatures.

Whatever it is, both types of diabetes are insulin dependent that some highly diabetics require the administration of linsulin by injection or intravenous application.

Diabetes has been medically deemed as the culprit of frequent fatigue, increased thirst or hunger, numbness or tingling of the feet or legs, blurred vision, urination trouble (bed wetting), irritability, weight loss, infection and weakness of sex organ (erectile dysfunction for men), among others.

In addition, Diabetes has been reported as the cause of kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, blindness, loss of teeth, hearing impairment, sleepless nights, and amputations.

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REDUCE FATS AND CARBS INTAKE – Apart from the insufficient production of insulin in the body, diabetes has been reported to be the result of too much intake of fats and carbohydrates which contain thousands of glucose units.

Carbohydrates comes in various foods and drinks, such as bread, potatoes, bananas, softdrinks and sweetened drinks-to-go, beers, protein-based products, cassava, corn, rice, and other starchy and cheesy food products.

Like carbohydrates, fats are essential to the body. But, leading nutritionists stressed saturated fat poses more harm to the body as it causes bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein, or LDL) build up in the arteries, triggering heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases. Deemed as unhealthy kind of fats, medical scientists report saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are present in most animal foods, such as beef, pork, and processed meat, and in some vegetable foods, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and soybean oil. Other sources of saturated fats are butter, cheese, and ice cream, the report said.

Hence, adopting a healthy eating and drinking habit is undoubtedly a key to the effective management and control of diabetes.

Avoiding or minimizing the intake of saturated fats and carbohydrates- rich foods eventually reduces the risk of diabetes, as high blood sugar will lead to disorder in the cardiovascular, nervous, and immune system.

For that matter, in the event of noticing a high blood sugar level, or having an early stage of diabetes, it is a must to see the physician as quickly as possible so that an appropriate medication will be prescribed or applied accordingly.

The more concerned we are to our health, the certain we maybe to be risk-free against diabetes and other chronic and recurring diseases, as we deserve no less but a healthy lifestyle.

Indeed, let’s keep coping with diabetes a way of life: checking blood sugar level daily, exercise by either walking or other physical activities, sustain making healthy food choices, such as eating fruits and vegetables, getting rid of alcoholic drinks and cigarettes, consulting physician frequently, and taking medications at the right time.* (Dan Cajurao)