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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
Non-insulin-dependent diabetes, also known as type 2 diabetes, is prevalent among older people, particularly above the age of 45.
Quite why some get it and others do not, is not known yet, but the overweight or obese seem to be more vulnerable than those who are not.
The recent epidemic of childhood obesity has resulted in even younger people becoming highly vulnerable to the disease of diabetes.
Fortunately, if type 2 diabetes is caught in its early stages, the disease can be controlled entirely through proper dieting for many years, before insulin infusion becomes necessary.
Extreme thirst, frequent urge to urinate, dry itchy skin and several other indications point out the possibility of diabetes. For some, there may not be any such indications but you may still be diabetic.
Diabetes is caused by either the body’s inability to use the insulin produced, or the pancreas not being able to produce insulin in sufficient quantity for the body’s requirement.
The presence of type 2 diabetes in a person can be discovered by a simple test. Taking a sample of the patient’s blood at least eight hours after meals does it. It is usually done before breakfast in the mornings.
The sugar level in the blood is compared to standard norms to find out if diabetes is present, and what type of diabetes it is.
Proper dieting and regular exercise will keep type 2 diabetes, under check. Normally, your physician will direct you to a dietician to draw up a diet specific for your need.
All these diets however will follow the same basic rules. Keep off high fat foods like sour cream in favor of the fat free variety, whole grain bread instead of the white etc. Low fat food helps in keeping the sugar levels in the blood stable and the right kind of carbohydrates will help you maintain good health.
Refined flour is a no-no compared to whole grain flour. Similarly, refined sugar, which is to be avoided in the form of candies etc, in favor of fruits. It will be a good idea to eat this wisely for all of us, but particularly so for diabetics.
Eating fresh vegetables raw or lightly cooked in light sauces if at all is another good idea. Real foods, like apples, oranges, strawberries etc are certainly better than say high fructose corn syrup. Avoiding such artificial sweets and taking natural simple sugars found in fruits will be more acceptable to the body.
There is no running away from the fact that eventually, a type 2 diabetic is likely to become an insulin-controlled diabetic.
A healthy diet as listed above, and regular exercise, will postpone that eventuality to a long time in the future. You can postpone the time of frequent and painful injections of insulin for a long time by simple methods listed above and regular medical check ups which all doctors advice.
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