Staying Healthy with Diabetes

The American Heritage Dictionary definition of diabetes is "a chronic disease of pancreatic origin, marked by insulin deficiency, excess sugar in the blood and urine, weakness, and emaciation." When you have diabetes, your body cannot use the food that you eat in the proper way. In a person without diabetes, when he or she eats, the food is broken down into blood glucose or blood sugar. After the food is in the form of glucose, the glucose is carried to all the cells of the body for energy. In order for the cells to receive the glucose, a hormone made in the islet or B-cells of the pancreas called insulin acts a receptor on the cell membrane to let the glucose enter inside the cells. In contrast, in people with diabetes, the body does not make enough of the hormone insulin, or does not use the insulin properly. As a result, the food that is digested and becomes glucose is not able to enter the cells and it builds up inside the blood. Therefore, the cells are not getting any fuel and cannot survive without energy for an extended length of time. A diagnosis of diabetes is confirmed when an over-night fasting blood glucose level has been noted to be 140 mg/dl or greater on more than one occasion.

Treatment of diabetes involves three things: food, exercise, and medication. Food increases the blood sugar levels while exercise and medication lower the blood sugar. Medication may involve insulin or oral medications which help make use of any insulin that is not working properly. The diet recommended for people with diabetes is used to help control and regulate blood sugar levels and body weight. This diet is based on the Food Guide Pyramid , and follows the same dietary needs as those without diabetes.

Diet--The Exchange System...

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...diabetes. The results of this pilot study indicate improvement in the control of diabetes when oat bran concentrate bread products were incorporated in daily diet of persons with non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

References

Diabetes, Diet and Nutrition http://www.health-net.com/dandn.htm

Diabetes Diet Analyzer http://www.diabetesonline.com/dietanal.html

Diabetes: Diet & Exercise

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/branded/diabetes.htm

Diet and Diabetes http://www.provo.lib.ut.us/~rpyne/diabetes.html

FHP Health & Wellness Library: Managing Diabetes Through Diet http://www.fhp.com/text/diabetes.htm

The Diabetes Sports & Exercise Book http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabex.html

Diabetes and Exercise http://www.sgh.gov.sg/gmi/exercise.htm

Diabetes and Exercise http://www.sgh.gov.sg/gml/exercise.htm