subject: Type 2 diabetes. What you must know about type 2 diabetes [print this page] Type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetes. What you must know about type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they are at high risk. Type 2 diabetes occurs when not enough insulin is produced by the body for it to function properly, or when the body?s cells do not react to insulin. This is called insulin resistance . Type 2 diabetes strikes when a person's body doesn't produce and/or or loses the ability to properly use insulin. The result is too much sugar in the blood.
Type 2 diabetes is easy to diagnose during a routine office visit with a simple blood test, called a fasting blood glucose test, which will detect hyperglycemia. High levels of glucose can also be quickly detected with a random blood glucose test or an urinanalysis performed on urine. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body can no longer process blood sugar, also known as glucose. Over time, higher-than-normal levels of sugar in the blood can lead to damage throughout the body, including problems with the eyes, gums, hands, feet, and heart. Type 2 diabetes can however also develop in those who are thin, especially the elderly. Age : Most people with Type 2 diabetes are over the age of 45 at the time of diagnosis, but a growing number of children and adolescents are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, most likely due to the rise in childhood obesity.
Sugar
Sugar use is critical in any dietary study of diabetes. Sugary foods such as sweets or fruit hit the bloodstream almost immediately, followed by the slower starches (carbohydrates, or carbs), which take an hour or two to break down depending on their complexity. Proteins are next, taking about four hours, then between six and eight hours the fats finally break down.
You Must Exercise
Exercise, weight loss and certain medications may reduce insulin resistance. Exercising, eating healthy foods, and taking medicines all help control blood sugar. Exercise is also very important for bringing down elevated blood glucose levels. Both cardiovascular and weight training have been shown to help bring down high blood sugar.
Exercise improved the body's reaction to insulin and decreased blood lipids. Quality of life was only assessed in one study, which found no difference between the two groups. Exercising and avoiding grains and sugars might not be enough unless you balance your protein, carbohydrate and fat ratios for your specific genetic biochemistry. The first step is finding out your nutritional type , which then gives you information about your optimal protein/carbohydrate/fat ratio. Exercise will be essential for their overall progress. The goal of the exercise is to decrease the body fat and increase muscle mass, because muscle mass dictates metabolism.
Change Your Lifestyle
Lifestyle interventions including diet and moderate-intensity physical activity (such as walking for 150 minutes per week) were used in these research studies to produce small amounts of weight loss. The development of diabetes was reduced 40% to 60% during these studies that lasted 3 to 6 years.
