Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where in human body does not produce or properly uses insulin, a hormone that is required to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by constant high levels of blood glucose.

Type 1
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

Type 2
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells.

Gestational Diabetes
Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby's body has been formed, but while the baby is busy growing. Because of this, gestational diabetes does not cause the kinds of birth defects sometimes seen in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy.

Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of all forms of diabetes include: Increased fatigue, Polydipsia, Polyuria, Polyphegia, Weight fluctuation, Blurry vision, Irritability, Infections, and Poor wound healing.

Diagnosis
To diagnose diabetes following tests will be recommended:-
- Blood sugar test: - Also known as a glucose test, this is the standard test for diagnosing type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- Oral glucose tolerance test: - This test measures the body's ability to metabolize glucose the sugar the body uses for energy.

Treatment:- Treatment is aimed at maintaining the blood glucose in the normal range by balancing food intake with oral medication or insulin and physical activity year after year, to prevent complications of diabetes.

Self-Care at Home: - If you or someone you know has diabetes, they would be wise to make healthful lifestyle choices in diet, exercise, and other health habits. These will help to improve glycemic (blood sugar) control and prevent or minimize complications of diabetes.
- Diet:-A healthy diet is key to controlling blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes complications.
- Exercise:-Regular exercise, in any form, can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Activity can also reduce the risk of developing complications of diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and leg ulcers.
- Medication or insulin use: - Medications to treat diabetes include insulin and glucose-lowering pills called oral hypoglycemic drugs.

Diabetes and diet : - Diet plays a significant role in controlling the diabetes. The diabetic diet may be used alone or else in combination with insulin doses or with oral hypoglycemic drugs. Main objective of diabetic diet is to maintain ideal body weight, by providing adequate nutrition along with normal blood sugar levels in blood. The diet plan for a diabetic is based on height, weight, age, sex, physical activity and nature of diabetes. While planning diet, the dietician has to consider complications such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels.

While planning diabetes diet we should adhere to certain important factors, they are as follows:
- Fiber should be at least 1.4 oz / day
- Instead of 3 heavy meals, we should go for 4-5 small mid intervals
- Replace bakery products and fast foods by simple whole cooked cereals, and don't eat carbohydrates 2 hours before bedtime
- Consume fresh fruit and vegetables at least 5 exchange/ day

Diabetic Diet Dos
- Have nuts rich in mono unsaturated fat, such as walnuts, and almonds
- Eat pasta and leafy salads along with beans-- kidney beans, dry beans, navy beans and peas which can reduce LDL "bad"; cholesterol
- Fat free milk, yogurt, and cheese to be taken
- Eggs whites to be included
- White meat chicken and Fish and shellfish (not battered) are good
- Have at least 20 to 25 grams of raw onion daily
- Increase fiber intake in the form of raw fruits, vegetables, whole cereals etc
- Intake of cinnamon, garlic, onion, bitter melon, guar gum is known to considerably reduce blood glucose level.

Diabetic Diet Don'ts
- Don't fry foods instead bake or boil.
- Eat less high-fat red meat and more low-fat turkey and fish. Avoid organ meats
- Limit the use of condiments such as ketchup, mustard and salad dress ion--they're high in salt and can be high in sugar, too
- Limit your salt (sodium content)
- Don't select ready to eat and junk foods items available to you
- Don't smoke and stop alcohol consumption
- Don't skip meals and medicine times

Diabetes cannot be cured completely, but can be effectively controlled. People with diabetes can lead a healthy life if, their blood glucose level is under control. The decrease in life span of a diabetic is restored to normal by maintaining good blood glucose control.

By Harshkunj Kamble