Understand and Manage Diabetes - Tips for Controlling Diabetes

Diabetes is a progressive disease marked by high levels of glucose or blood sugar. This situation may be caused by:

an unhealthy pancreas not making or producing enough insulin, and orthe liver, muscles and fat cells not assimilating or absorbing or responding to the insulin a normal manner.

This results in excess sugar or glucose in the blood and is the beginning of an extremely unhealthy and dangerous health condition. This condition may be identified or suspected through the symptoms of blurry vision, excessive thirst, fatigue, frequent urination, intense hunger and unusual weight loss.

Now, conventional wisdom says that there is no cure for diabetes. However, there are some traditional schools of thought that suggest that in some cases this malady can be reversed.

Even so, we know that we can use diet, exercise and medicines to control and manage blood sugar levels, and in this way alleviate or prevent the symptoms associated with diabetes.

To effectively treat or manage diabetes we should:

monitor and control our blood pressure and cholesterol levelseducate ourselves about diabetes and the best or optimal approaches for monitoring and managing itmaintain a regular exercise regimenmanage our diet, paying close attention to our intake of fats, carbs and proteins. Vegetables, particularly green and leafy, should always be on the menu. And here I would like to specifically add herbs, because herbs are foodUse medication as prescribed by your health care professional.

Of course, it seems that for most people the biggest challenge with a diabetes management or control program is the diet part of it.

What to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, how to prepare what you will eat?

Your health care professional or dietitian will most likely discuss the Food Pyramid with you. The three (3) major food groups - carbohydrates/fruits/vegetables, proteins and fats - should be discussed and understood.

Most health care professionals recommend that you eat most of your meals from the carbohydrates/fruits/vegetables group. However, not all carbs are created equally, and you must consider the related glycemic index factor.

This is one reasons why it's very important to discuss your food intake with your diet planning team. The plan should be specifically designed for you, taking into consideration your age, weight, level of physical activity and of course your current health status.

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