Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the digestion system of our body for growth and energy. Almost every food we eat broken down to glucose, the form or sugar which is the fuel for our body.

Glucose passes into the bloodstream, after digestion, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

Types of diabetes: The three main types of diabetes are :

Type 1 Diabetes ( insulin-dependent diabetes)

Type 1 diabetes, sometimes referred to as insulin dependent or juvenile on-set diabetes. As the name implies, the sufferer will need to take insulin once or several times a day to survive. Is is an autoimmune disease that actually turns against the body and instead of attacking cells that cause infection, it actually attacks the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for producing insulin, namely, the beta cells. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection stops in a part of body.

The cause of type I diabetes is caused by pancreatic inability to produce insulin. It is responsible for 5-10% of cases of diabetes. The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, which secrete the hormone, are destroyed by the body’s own immune system, probably because it mistakes them for a virus.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents. However, type 2 diabetes in youth are not in common.When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but for unknown reasons, the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases.

Type 2 diabetes, often known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes. This is the most common form of diabetes, and is diagnosed in 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes sufferers, and mainly those in older age.

This diabetes is a result of body tissues becoming resistant to insulin. It accounts for 90-95% of cases. Often the pancreas is producing more than average amounts of insulin, but the cells of the body have become unresponsive to its effect due to the chronically high level of the hormone. Eventually the pancreas may exhaust its over-active secretion of the hormone, and insulin levels fall to below normal.

Type II diabetes should be preventable and manageable by dietary changes alone, but in practice many diabetics (and many obese people without diabetes) find it personally impossible to lose weight or adhere to a healthy diet. Therefore they are frequently treated with drugs which restore the body’s response to insulin, and in some cases injections of insulin.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops only during pregnancy. Like type 2 diabetes, it occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, and among women with a family history of diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years.

Gestational diabetes is caused by pregnancy-related hormones or low levels of insulin production. It is not uncommon for women to not present with any symptoms. Often women who are overweight and have a history of diabetes in their family. It also more frequently occurs in African, Hispanic, Latino and Native Americans. There is a close link between symptoms of gestational diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes.

Their blood sugar level will go back to normal after the baby was delivered. Women who acquired Gestational Diabetes during pregnancy should be monitored because it can sometimes lead to the development of Type 2 Diabetes with in a span of 5 to 10 years. Although this seems to be the lightest among the diabetes types, it should not be taken for granted.

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Diabetes results from the body’s reduced ability to make insulin. When this happens, body organs can be affected as the circulation slows, leading to slow wound healing times and loss of feeling in the extremities. Eventually, without treatment, diabetes can progress to organ failure, especially the kidneys and heart, as well as possible blindness, strokes, and other problematic conditions. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, ask your doctor about a personal management plan.

Your doctor may advise you to change your diet to one that is low in sugar, fat, and salt. He or she may want you to begin a daily exercise program unless you already have one. You might have to do finger sticks for your blood sugar each day, perhaps after eating or at others times, to check blood readings. Depending on the status of your disease, you may have to take pills or give yourself daily injections. When your blood sugar levels get too high or too low, you could experience life-threatening complications.

How do you go about with diabetes management? Here are a few tips that will let you lead a good life:

- Undergo regular checkups to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

- Be very particular about your treatment and medication. This is one point where even the best people fail. Create a medication timetable for yourself if you so wish and then stick to it.

- Stick to a healthy, balanced diet. Diet control is a key factor in controlling diabetes. This does not mean you have to starve.

- Do moderate exercise. That itself will help you regain your stamina and your love for life, besides keeping you fit, fine and well under control!

- Educate yourself on all aspects of the disorder. Talk to your healthcare professional and discuss all issues related to diabetes.

- Make it a point to carry some sweets with you always. Just put some pieces of candy in your pocket. It comes of great use whenever your sugar levels go awry.

- Keep a check on your weight. Overweight can complicate already existent diabetic symptoms.

- Check your blood pressure on a quarterly basis and cholesterol levels every year.

- Get all your vital organs examined regularly.

The following exercises are useful in managing your diabetes:

-Cardiovascular exercises. These types of exercises are non-vigorous activities. Water aerobics and cycling are two options. Just three to four days per week of moderate-intensity exercise for 20-60 minutes will give you the energy and encouragement you need.

-Resistance training. This involves lower-resistance and lower-intensity programs. Only 10-15 repetitions at least two days per week will give you the toned, slender, and sexy muscles you’ve always dreamed of.

-Flexibility and stretching. Reap benefits with only two to three days per week for 15-30 seconds. Two to four times per stretch will give you the ability to be limber and flexible. Remember to stretch lightly before exercising. After exercising, stretch for 30-60 seconds to stretch your muscles while they are warm. This will allow you to become more flexible.

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