Diabetes 2 is a disease that can usually be addressed through a good diet and physical activity alone. Although medication is sometimes required, there is a lot that you can do to avoid further complications and to hold off on prescription medicines for as long as possible. Much more than diabetes type 1, type 2 is highly responsive to lifestyle changes. Especially if one has been indulging in a diet of high fat, high sugar foods and has not been committed to exercise in the past, they will very likely see a vast improvement once they make some positive changes.
Type two diabetes is characterized by the body’s inability to properly process insulin. Insulin is made by the pancreas and plays a critical part in maintaining an even blood sugar level. When food is consumed, insulin is manufactured and then signals sugar to be taken out of the bloodstream in order to be put into the body’s cells. Both forms of diabetes are due to a malfunction of this system, but in very different ways. Diabetes type 1 occurs when someone’s body is unable to produce insulin. Because of this, they are routinely required to administer the substance in order to make up for their insufficiency. This keeps the whole system running smoothly.
However, Type 2 Diabetes is quite different. With this condition, one’s is able to produce insulin, but the body does not properly recognize it. Therefore, one’s blood glucose level never gets regulated as it does not get required the signal to transfer the sugar from the blood stream to the cells. Although heredity can play a part in the predisposition to this disease, usually it is, more often than not, poor lifestyle practicesthat are responsible for its development. Fortunately, this also means that it is controllable and preventable as well.
Especially if you have genetic risk factors, such as a medical history of diabetes, if you are over 35 years old, or had a low birth weight, it is important to pay attention to the foods that you eat and to maintain a healthy weight. More than anything else, committing to proper and healthy food and lifestyle choices can help in regulating blood glucose and perhaps also curing the disease. Although the exact cause is not yet known, it is well documented that leading a healthier life which includes a nutritious diet as well as a good amount of exercise, allows you to have a great amount of control over preventing and managing diabetes type 2.
