Sometimes I get questions from patients about various health concerns. Since I get questions about Diabetes a couple times a month, I thought I'd write about it. More specifically, I will talk about Type II Diabetes and things you can do to lower your risk of developing it.
First off, Type II Diabetes is sometimes also called, Adult onset Diabetes. Basically what happens is that your body needs to produce a hormone called Insulin, in order to properly use glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar your body can use for energy. Common sources of glucose include things like pasta, rice, bread, milk and fruit. But for patients that develop Type II Diabetes, their Pancreas doesn't make enough Insulin, or the body doesn't properly use the Insulin it makes.
This can cause a lot of trouble for these patients as the levels of glucose increases in the body. Some problems associated with Type II Diabetes include; cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, blindness and even nerve damage that can lead to amputations.
So what are some of the things you can do right now to lower your risk?
- Visit your doctor and find out what your levels of blood glucose are. Once you know where you're starting you can find out what your risks are. Note, if your parents have Type II Diabetes, you definitely want to watch your blood glucose levels as there appears to have a strong genetic component to Type II Diabetes.
- Watch your consumption of sugar and especially refined sugar. We are talking about things like Soda, Candy, processed breads and white pasta for example.
- Exercise!!! Studies have shown that exercise can help you to control your blood sugar levels.
- Eat 5-6 small meals per day. Eating like this can also help to normalize your blood sugar levels and help to control weight.
Unfortunately, I can only give you a brief introduction to Diabetes here but if you have any questions, please visit my website, COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR and you can message me!
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