Diabetes is not contagious. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Diabetes means a disease where people have too much sugar in their blood. Diabetes mellitus is a disease where people have too much glucose (a kind of sugar) in the blood. Diabetes is likely to be underreported as the underlying cause of death on death certificates. About 65 percent of deaths among those with diabetes are attributed to heart disease and stroke. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. There are 20.8 million children in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. The three main types of diabetes are type 1 diabetes , type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. 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. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells.

Type-2 diabetes accounts for more than 90% of all diabetes worldwide. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs gradually. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is often associated with obesity and hypertension and elevated cholesterol , and with the condition Metabolic syndrome. People develop type 2 diabetes because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly. It is also associated with acromegaly, Cushing's syndrome and a number of other endocrinological disorders. About 90-95% of all North American cases of diabetes are type 2, and about 20% of the population over the age of 65 has diabetes mellitus type 2. The fraction of type 2 diabetics in other parts of the world varies substantially, almost certainly for environmental and lifestyle reasons, though these are not known in detail. Family history and genetics play a large role in type 2 diabetes. Low activity level, poor diet, and excess body weight (especially around the waist) significantly increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is more prevalent among Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans, and Asians/Pacific Islanders than in non-Hispanic whites. Type-2 diabetes is a lifelong illness, which generally starts in middle age or later part of life, but can start at any age. People who are overweight and inactive are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes doesn't develop overnight. It usually begins with insulin resistance, where the body's cells can't use insulin properly. Glucose builds up in the bloodstream. The pancreas keeps on producing insulin to try and get the blood glucose level down. Over time the pancreas loses its ability to secrete insulin. This can sometimes result in the person with type 2 diabetes having to inject insulin every day. Obesity, aging, and lack of exercise can all play a role in developing insulin resistance and heightening the risk for diabetes. Treatment for type 2 diabetes is a lifelong commitment of blood sugar monitoring, healthy eating, regular exercise and, sometimes, diabetes medications or insulin therapy.

Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Tips

1. Type 2 is initially treated by adjustment in diet and exercise, and weight loss.
2. Meal planning includes choosing healthy foods, eating the right amount of food, and eating meals at the right time.
3. Regular exercise helps control the amount of glucose in the blood. It also helps burn excess calories and fat so you can manage your weight.
4. Exercise improves overall health by improving blood flow and blood pressure.
5. Oral sulfonylureas (like glimepiride, glyburide, and tolazamide) trigger the pancreas to make more insulin.
6. Biguanides (Metformin) tell the liver to decrease its production of glucose, which increases glucose levels in the blood stream.
7. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (such as acarbose) decrease the absorption of carbohydrates from the digestive tract, thereby lowering the after-meal glucose levels.
8. Thiazolidinediones (such as rosiglitazone) help insulin work better at the cell site.
9. Wear a diabetes identification bracelet and carry change or a cell phone for a phone call in case of emergency.
10. Drink extra fluids that do not contain sugar before, during, and after exercise.
11. Protect feet with comfortable, well-fitting shoes.
12. Stop smoking because it worsens blood flow to the feet.

Juliet Cohen writes articles on diseases and conditions and women health care. More information on health related topics visit our site at http://www.health-care-articles.info.

By Juliet Cohen

When I mentioned to friends and colleagues that my sister had gestational diabetes I was surprised by how many people told me they also had suffered with this condition. My sister was not that lucky. She had to monitor her blood sugar and give herself insulin shots.

Gestational diabetes is the most common complication during pregnancy, which affects 2-3 percent of pregnant women. When you eat food, your body converts it to glucose and it enters your bloodstream. Your pancreas releases insulin to help convert the glucose into fuel for your body. If your body cannot produce enough insulin to convert the glucose into energy the glucose remains in the bloodstream, which is known as high blood sugar and is referred to as Diabetes. Gestational diabetes unlike normal diabetes is just for the period of time you are pregnant and disappears once the baby is born.

With a healthy diet and exercise gestational diabetes can normally be controlled. On the rare occasion you may have to administer insulin shots. My sister had fun during her pregnancy testing her blood sugar regularly and giving herself insulin shots. Towards the end of the pregnancy she was tired of the shots and was extremely happy when the doctor told her she could stop with the shots after her daughter was born.

My sister just had her second child and again dealt with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. Normally once you’ve experienced gestational diabetes with one pregnancy you are more likely to endure it again during your next pregnancy.

There are some factors that can make you more at risk for gestational diabetes, which include:

• Obesity
• Family history of Type 2 diabetes
• Gestational diabetes in a previous background
• Smoking

The risk of getting gestational diabetes also increases as you get older. During pregnancy you will be tested at about 26-28 weeks and if the preliminary test is positive then a Glucose Tolerance test will probably be done. If you are at higher risk to get gestational diabetes you will often be tested earlier in your pregnancy.

Many people have normal births without complications with gestational diabetes. There are a few extra tests and monitoring that are done depending on the severity of the gestational diabetes. Some women will have a caesarean section because having high blood sugar can cause the baby to grow too large for a normal delivery.

After giving birth the gestational diabetes normally disappears. Your newborn will also be checked as some babies can be born with low blood sugar. Good diet and a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your chances of getting Gestational diabetes so when you are thinking of getting pregnant is sure to take extra care of yourself for the sake of your own health and the health of your baby.

How a Gestational Diabetes Diet Can Help In Your Pregnancy
For a healthy woman to have normal pregnancy, she just needs to have a nutritionally balanced diet. A pregnant woman suffering from gestational diabetes, however, needs to be extra careful in her diet. Her diet needs to take into consideration her diabetic condition as it is probably the only way she can control her blood sugar level without having to resort to insulin injections.

How To Eat During Pregnancy
to maintain a proper gestational diabetes diet, the diet should keep the mother's blood sugar as normal as possible and at the same time, it has to provide all the required nutrition to both the mother and growing fetus. This includes larger amounts of minerals and vitamins which can be taken in the form of lower fat diary products, whole grain cereals and breads, fruits and vegetables. If the doctor prescribed additional prenatal vitamins, they should be taken in conjunction with the proper gestational diet. During pregnancy, the caloric increase is around 300 calories per day during the second and third trimesters. When in doubt, always consult your doctor.

Foods to avoid
all food high in sugars should be avoided at all cost. This includes pies, ice creams, sweets, cakes, cookies, soft drinks, commercial yogurt, jams and jelly. Eating such high sugared food will cause spikes in the blood sugar level which are dangerous. A gestational diabetes diet must be designed to keep the blood sugar at a normal level and thus cannot include food that contains high amount of sugar. Even fruit juices should be taken sparingly as it contains high level of sugar naturally (even without additional sugar added). Tomato juice is probably the best choice for fruit juice in the diet as it contains the lowest level of sugar.

Foods to Take
There are some types of foods which should be taken in order to help decrease the amount of insulin required to keep the blood sugar at normal range. Food such as vegetables, cereal, grains, beans, peas and other starchy foods or complex carbohydrates are excellent. In the gestational diabetes diet, dietary fiber must be included too as they are crucial in helping with the digestive process. This includes whole grain cereals and breads, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

However do not cut out all the fats in the diet. Some fats are required in the diet to complete the nutrition as they are required in the absorption of certain vitamins by the body. Diabetes and pregnancy can be controlled and monitored through a healthy gestational diabetes diet. This will ensure a healthy pregnancy and a normal successful delivery.