Diabetes is a chronic disease that can not be treated fully but you can manage it well. Some patients who are in prediabetic conditions can be reversed by medication and a healthy lifestyle.
So Managing Diabetes is the easiest and the most difficult part for those who had no control over their food-eating habits.
In today’s scenario, people are getting lazy and not doing exercise which leads to serious health conditions.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic condition that is characterized by high or low blood sugar levels in the blood. It occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
There are three main types of diabetes:
- Type 1
- Type 2
- Gestational Diabetes
Sugar is a form of carbohydrate and after eating this is broken down to glucose. There are mainly 4 types of sugar.
- Glucose
- Fructose ( Fruit Sugar )
- Sucrose ( table sugar)
- Lactose (Milk)
Try to Avoid added sugar that is added in preservative food, flavored yogurt, etc.
What is insulin and how it is useful?
Insulin is a hormone that releases from the Pancreas( organ of the body). When we eat something that food is broken into sugar (glucose). This glucose must be distributed to every cell of your body. This distribution can be done by insulin. It separates the sugar from the blood to the cell.
If insulin production goes down then sugar will increase in blood and damage other organs of the human body.
How much human body produce insulin?
From above we know that insulin is released from the pancreas. After eating food it passes through the GI Tract (Gastrointestinal tract). A hormone that is released inside this tract is called GLP-1 (Glucon- like peptide). This hormone helps to produce the right amount of insulin to move the sugar from the blood to cells.
Its basic action is it stimulates the beta cells of the pancreas to produce insulin production increase when blood sugar is too high and it lowers the amount of sugar released by the lever.
Symptoms of Diabetes
- Dizziness
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Blurred Vision
- Frequent Urination
- Excess Thirst
- Weightloss rapidly
- Irritation and mood change
- The wound will not quickly dry
Type 1 Diabetes
In Type 1 diabetes, insulin will produce almost zero. In this condition sugar levels become due to lack of insulin.
In this type, your sugar level is so high that you must inject insulin daily.
This can be treatable if it happens to children and adults But still have to manage daily by improving your lifestyle.
Type 2 Diabetes
This type of diabetes happens in almost 90% of diabetes cases. Type 2 cells prevent insulin so the body requires more insulin to manage the sugar in blood.
Type 2 can happen at any age factors are if you are
- Genetic factor- In your parents or family members having diabetes
- Overweight
- Less physical activity
- Unhealthy food – if you are intaking regularly
- Beverage food dependency
- Added sugar intake through food
- Much sugar intake coffee, Tea, etc
Gestational diabetes
This diabetes is shown when women became pregnant. It is because there hormonal changes during pregnancy.
A family history of diabetes then there will be a risk factor but can be manageable by taking insulin or medication and doing day-to-day physical work with a healthy diet.
This effect the mother while Gestational Diabetes creates complexities when it increases the high blood pressure and cesarean delivery. Sometimes it affects on mother and leads to type 2 diabetes.
Which organ can damage during high sugar levels?
An increase in High sugar levels first damage the beta cell over some time. Beta cells are found in the pancreas which helps to produce insulin. Mostly this happens in type 2 diabetes after it leads to type 1 diabetes.
Due to high sugar in the blood become thicker which increases blood pressure.
- Pancreas– Damage the beta cells and low productivity of insulin.
- Kidney – The kidney’s main work is to collect waste from the blood. These high sugar damage the blood vessel and filtering unit of the kidney which leads to kidney failure, which is untreatable.
- Cardiovascular system– High amounts of sugar in the blood damage the arteries of the heart which leads to high blood pressure. It narrows and hardens the wall of the blood vessel. it leads to Heart disease, and heart attack also.
- Eyes: Diabetes damage the small blood vessels in the eyes, Which leads to diabetic retinopathy. Later that person became blind. This is also clear symptoms of high sugar in your blood. Such complications happen like cataracts and glaucoma.
- Nerves: High blood sugar levels can damage nerves throughout the body, resulting in a condition called diabetic neuropathy. This can lead to symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness, typically affecting the hands and feet. Diabetic neuropathy can also impact the digestive system, urinary tract, and sexual function.
- Skin: Poorly controlled diabetes can affect the skin, making it more susceptible to various conditions. Individuals with diabetes may experience slow wound healing, increased risk of infections, and skin conditions such as fungal infections and diabetic dermopathy.
How to manage diabetes?
Managing type 1 is difficult but in type 2 you can manage easily. It’s up to you how you change your lifestyle according to your body. Every creature how to manage their body but only humans have the finest brain but still, they are unable to manage.
here are the key points.
- Food- which type of food you eat that important? High carb means more sugar content which increases the sugar level in the blood.
- Exercise – Muscles use sugar to gain energy this helps in controlling the sugar level in the blood. This means the body needs less insulin to move sugar from blood to cells.
- Monitor diabetes regularly – Sudden spike in diabetes leads to major risks like high blood pressure, heart stroke, nausea, and brain damage. For type 1 do regular checkups 3 times a day. For type 2 amount of insulin decide how often you check but one must check twice a month.
- Stress management – Everything is controlled by the mind. Try yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques that release stress.
- Weight management– Proper weight according to your height increase insulin sensitivity.
Which Food you should take?
Food is an important factor in diabetes. There are two factors Glycemic Index and Glycemic load. These two factors tell us how easily food is digestible and sugar mixes with blood.
These Glycemic Index vary how you cooked that food. If you overcooked a food its fiber got melted and GI will automatically increase and sugar will increase after you eat it. Try to avoid it.
Don’t try to eat Low Glycemic Index food as much as you can. It doesn’t work like that. Because Every Low GI-value food is not good example chocolate is around 20 to 50. You have to check proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in food.
You have to make a proper proportion in a meal according to your weight and body which can manage your energy level.
Another important factor is the Glycemic Load, which tells about the amount of food you should take.
Let’s take a look below at Glycemic Index and Glycemic load and how you calculate it.
What is Glycemic Index?
Glycemic Index shows the sugar level in food that can easily dissolve in the blood. In simple words how easily it can be digestible.
Low means it digests slowly, medium means moderate and High means rapidly( more than medium) which hike your sugar level high.
Watermelon’s GI value is high about 70 but when you calculate its Glycemic Load it is low. This means sugar value will increase is very low. Only the GI value can’t decide the sugar value increases or decreases.
Always mix low Gi value food in your meal in a proper proportion.
- Low GI (0-55): Foods with a low GI are digested, absorb, and mix with blood slowly. As a result sugar level increase in your blood very slowly. This is the reason you must have low GI index food.
- Medium GI (56-69): Foods with a medium GI are digested and absorbed at a moderate pace which is higher than Low GI index food.
- Examples include whole wheat products, brown rice, and some types of fruits, such as bananas and raisins.
- High GI (70 or more): Foods with a high GI are rapidly digested and absorbed. this quickly increases the blood sugar level. Because it has a high carbohydrate level which ultimately turns into sugar(glucose).
- High-GI foods include white bread, white rice, sugary snacks and drinks, and processed cereals.
Glycemic Load
Glycemic load tells about what should be food proportioned in your meal or breakfast to manage diabetes. To calculate it
Glycemic Load = (Glycemic Index value × Carbohydrate according to weight in percentage) / 100
Here if you got
- 0-10 – Low Glycemic Load
- 11-19 – Medium Glycemic load
- 20 or above – High Glycemic load
Example – For white bread Glycemic Index value is almost 70 and its carbohydrate value is 45 gm in 100 grams. So its Glycemic load value is 31.50 which is high. You get 31.50 while you put the value in the formula.
Foods for diabetes
Millet – It is one of the best food for diabetic patients. It Gi Index is
- Foxtail Millet: GI around 50.
- Pearl Millet (Bajra): GI around 55.
- Finger Millet (Ragi): GI around 50.
- Barnyard Millet: GI around 50.
Fruits with their GI Index.
It is advisable that always take less ripped fruit because its GI index will be lesser than ripped. As I mentioned above always take food in proper proportion.
Here are some fruits with their approximate GI Index.
- Lemon – Vero Low
- Guava: GI around 12
- Cherries: GI around 22
- Grapefruit: GI around 25
- Blackberries: GI around 25
- Raspberries: GI around 32
- Apricots: GI around 34
- Apples: GI around 36
- Pears: GI around 38
- Plums: GI around 39
- Strawberries: GI around 40
- Peaches: GI around 42
- Oranges: GI around 43
- Nectarines: GI around 43
- Grapes: GI around 46
- Banana – GI around 48
- Kiwi: GI around 52
- Cranberries: GI around 52
- Blueberries: GI around 53
- kiwifruit: GI around 53
- Pomegranate: GI around 53
- Mango: GI around 56
- Papaya: GI around 58
- Pineapple: GI around 59
- Cantaloupe: GI around 65
- Watermelon: GI around 72
Vegetables and their GI Index
Vegetables are you have to cook. But how much you cook is important.
- Always cook about 60-70 percent. Thoroughly cooked food increases the GI index. When you fully or overcook a vegetable, its starch will be broken easily and veggies lose their nutrients, and the GI Index increase.
Here are some vegetables having approximately low GI Index
- Cabbage: GI around 10
- Bok Choy: GI around 10
- Onions: GI around 10
- Mushrooms: GI around 10
- Kale: GI around 10
- Cabbage: GI around 10
- Broccoli: GI around 10
- Spinach: GI around 10
- Lettuce: GI around 10
- Swiss Chard: GI around 10
- Cauliflower: GI around 15
- Spinach: GI around 15
- Bell Peppers: GI around 15
- Green Beans: GI around 15
- Asparagus: GI around 15
- Zucchini: GI around 15
- Eggplant: GI around 15
- Carrots: GI around 41
- Celery: GI around 15
- Cucumbers: GI around 15
- Brussels sprouts: GI around 15
- Radishes: GI around 15
- Green peas: GI around 40
- Radicchio: GI around 15
- Artichoke: GI around 15
- Green Peppers: GI around 15
- Turnips: GI around 15
- Snow Peas: GI around 15
conclusion
In this era, People are getting much lazy. All need comfort which is a good thing but not taking care of their health creates problems. The eating habit of people is getting worse. Everyone should know about their body type and according to it must change their lifestyle.
Some say it is hard to maintain a good lifestyle it shows a lack of knowledge. You can easily maintain with proper calorie count which is easily available on the internet.
Those who have a family background having Diabetes or someone who has this chronic disease must analyze their daily lifestyle. They must include Proper food proportions, medication, and Exercise in daily life.
30 minutes of exercise and yoga make you refresh the whole day. There will be stress but due to exercise your body can handle that stress. Mental health is more important than Physical. So practice meditation.
Food plays a key role to fuel your body. So for diabetes patients try to avoid overcooked food. Eat less oil food. Avoid added sugar beverages increase the sugar level rapidly.
There are many options of medication that you use to control diabetes. If you have high diabetes then you must take insulin as prescribed by the doctor.
For type 2 diabetes you can manage it through a healthy diet and exercise and ayurvedic medicine rather than allopathic medicine.
The biggest difference between allopathic and ayurvedic is allopathic works rapidly but it has side effects also. In the case of Ayurvedic, it works slowly but does not have rarely any side effects.
In the end, everybody has a period of 70-80 years of life. Diabetes can be well managed so don’t worry, so take care of your health and live happily.
