Diabetes Mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels as a result of defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. It is a common but complex multifaceted disorder, which needs a multidisciplinary approach to treat it. It is due to relative or absolute insulin deficiency or resistance.
How is Diabetes Mellitus classified?
There are 3 main types:
- Type 1 diabetes: It develops when the body's immune system destroys the beta cells of the pancreas, the only cells in the body that produce the hormone insulin that regulates blood glucose. This form of diabetes usually affects children and young adults, who need multiple insulin injections a day or an insulin pump to survive. Type 1 diabetes may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Genetics, environment, and autoimmune characteristics of the patient are considered risk factors for type 1 diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes: it accounts for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. It usually begins as insulin resistance, when cells don't use insulin properly and the pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce it. Type 2 diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, glucose intolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. Type 2 diabetes is increasingly diagnosed in children and adolescents.
- Gestational diabetes: is a form of glucose intolerance that is diagnosed in some women during pregnancy. It is more frequent among obese women and with a family history. During pregnancy, Gestational Diabetes requires treatment to normalize the mother's blood glucose levels to avoid complications in the baby. After pregnancy, 5% to 10% of women with gestational diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20% to 50% chance of developing diabetes in the next 5 to 10 years. years.
Other specific types of diabetes are the result of specific genetic conditions (such as maturity-onset diabetes of youth), surgery, medications, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses. These types of diabetes may account for 1% to 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is the most common type and the one that can be prevented.
There are no known methods to prevent type 1 diabetes. However, several studies have found that lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among high-risk adults. Lifestyle interventions include diet and moderate-intensity physical activity, for both sexes and all ages and racial and ethnic groups. Since CanaryDoctor Here are 3 steps you can take to prevent type 2 diabetes:
Step 1: Maintain a healthy body weight
Being overweight can prevent your body from using sugar properly. It can also cause high blood pressure. If you are at your weight, the risk of type 2 diabetes is significantly reduced. Therefore, follow various strategies to maintain an adequate body weight:
- Avoid crash diets and weight fluctuations.
- Select your foods and prepare your meals with healthy ingredients.
- Limit the amount of fat, salt and sweets.
- Set a reasonable weight loss goal.
- Plan for change. Give yourself time to gradually introduce the changes and gradually incorporate them as habits and lifestyle.
- Surround yourself with people and environments that push you to reach your goals, instead of sabotaging them.
Step 2: Choose your foods wisely
What we eat has a BIG impact on our health. By choosing your foods wisely, you can help control your body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and of course diabetes. Several recommendations:
- Measure the portion sizes of the foods you eat.
- Gradually reduce portion sizes for entrees, desserts, and foods high in sugar or fat.
- Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables.
- Limit fat intake to around 25% of total calories.
- Reduce the amount of calories. If you have doubts about how to calculate the exact calories that your body needs daily, one of our nutrition specialists can help you with a meal plan adapted 100% to your needs.
- Lean on family or friends.
Step 3: Activate your body
Regular exercise addresses several risk factors at once. It helps you lose weight, keeps your cholesterol and blood pressure under control, and helps your body use insulin. Doing moderate activity at the level of brisk walking for 30 minutes every day reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and will improve your overall health. Our recommendations:
- Pick an activity you enjoy and do it daily. Walking is one of the best ways to fit extra activity into your daily routine.
- Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 6 days a week.
- Take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator.
- Park at the other end of the parking lot and walk.
- Get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way.
- Walk or go up to the mountains instead of staying home on weekends. In Canary Islandswe have thousands of trails that you will love.
From CanaryDoctor and in this month of November we want to emphasize the importance of healthy eating and staying active to avoid diabetes and many other health conditions. If you need help managing your nutrition properly, contact one of our specialists. You will be in the best hands!
