5 Important Tips that will Make you not Contract Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes has become the most common lifestyle disease in the world. We saw the 5 Good Health and Nutrition Habits that will make you avoid Type 2 Diabetes like a Plague.  Let us now be more specific and expound on Type 1 Diabetes and how to deal with it.

 It is a condition whereby the Pancreas fails to produce Insulin. This means that the Starch and Sugars are not converted to energy.

 It was also commonly referred to as Juvenile Diabetes because it was associated with young children. However, recent studies and occurrences show that it can affect anyone at any age. In fact, the rates of prevalence are more in adults than the young children due to the Lifestyle Habits.

 When it affects adults who are thirty years or more, it is commonly referred to as Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA). Also known as Type 1.5 Diabetes, it should not be confused with or diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetes. The age shouldn’t form the basis of determining the disease either.

 The actual difference between LADA and T1D is the age difference gradual affinity for Insulin, absence of T2D in the family lineage, the body’s continual inability to produce Insulin and a lot of Antibodies in the blood cells.

 A combination of environmental factors and immunal deficiencies can also lead to T1D. This occurs when White Blood Cells attack the Beta Cells. The Beta Cells are the ones that produce Insulin in the body. Therefore, if they aren’t enough, or they are depleted the body won’t produce Insulin.

The control of Glucose Levels is enhanced by Insulin. The body therefore requires these Beta Cells in sufficient numbers to continuously regulate the Blood Sugar Levels. When this doesn’t happen, the PH Levels are affected. The condition may not be detected early enough. When diagnosed, the body usually has a very Low Beta Cells Count. If this condition is not controlled, it may lead to more serious problems like heart complications.

 Persons suffering from T1D therefore require regular Insulin intake from everyday. Checking theBlood Sugar Levels constantly is also required. This will prevent cases of Hypoglycemia andHyperglycemia. We will discuss these conditions in our subsequent articles.

Symptoms and Characteristics of Type 1 Diabetes

• Persistent and / or recurrent headaches
• High affinity for water
• Passing out of urine frequently
• Visual blurring or irritation of the retina
• High appetite
• Decrease in weight
• Sweet or fruity breath. The person can also emit breath that smells of wine.
• Difficulty in breathing
• In some cases, the affected persons may experience stupor and / or occasional fainting

 How Prevalent is Type 1 Diabetes?

A survey carried out in Brisbane, Australia found out that 65% of children between ages 3 to 5 years were experiencing general body weakness while playing. The research further went to check out the foods, drinks and snacks that a sample population that represented this age set was having.

It was found out that the diet directly contributed to this condition. Instead of these children being most energetic and enjoying playing at this age, they were getting fatigued after running a distance of only 50 meters! The kids wished their guardians could engage them in a Weight Loss Programme so that they could become as athletic as their peers.

 The condition, thus, robbed the kids of their childhood joy, and therefore affected “my nutrition for kids” immensely.

 Of the remaining 35%, 20% were found to be Obese. 11% had a BMI that was alarming, and only 4% were found to be physically fit.

 These statistics were simply alarming! We therefore need to go back to the drawing board to find out how to improve, and maybe, just maybe, rectify the situation.

 Further studies show that more than 150 people  (both children and adults) are diagnosed with T1D everyday. It is not common in occurrence (just 10%) as compared to Type 2 Diabetes (90% were diabetic cases). This common type (Type 2 Diabetes) is caused by the body becoming resistant to Insulin, or when the Pancrease produces little amounts of Insulin.

 As we noted in our earlier article, the middle age and most productive people are not watching what they eat. Since they are the young parents, they directly affect the diet and lifestyle of their kids. This poses a great danger to the current generation. We simply can’t compare what we eat and the Health Activities we engage in with what our fathers did.

This means that our life expectancy is lower, and the level of prevalence of lifestyle diseases is quite high. We need to reverse this trend!

 So how can we Reverse this Trend?

The general wellness of our health rests in our hands. We need to make conscious effort to reinforce our diet and Engage in Physical Activities to keep Diabetes at bay. Here are some 5 ways to achieve this:

• Maintaining a Healthy Diet
• Engaging in Health Activities
• Getting Enough Sleep
• Reduce Stress
• Live Positively

 Let us see how each of these will affect our lives positively.

1.  Maintaining a Healthy Diet

 A Journal will come in handy to help you plan and keep a record of all your kitchen activities. If you don’t plan to buy Junk Food, then chances of indulging in these unhealthy foods and snacks will be minimal. You will, however, require discipline so as not to be derailed and tempted to grab that appealing and yummy, appetizing burger or pie. Learn to stick to the list of items you will have prepared beforehand.

You are what you eat. Have a Daily Diet Plan that will help you plan everything that you get for your kitchen. Plan your Healthy Meals carefully and purposefully with Good Health and Nutrition in mind. Get your groceries and other foodstuff (we recommend roots, tubers and whole meal grains, and of course lots of fruits) by planning your kitchen budget before going to purchase them.

 Think about the benefits you will derive in future. Talk to the diabetic people to help you keep focused. Instead of following a stipulated diet recommended to the diabetic individuals, keep in check and avoid foods that are not beneficial to your health. Be motivated and focused to maintain a healthy lifestyle all the time. Once you start this journey, you will love it because you will be doing the right thing.

•  Engaging in Health Activities

 In order to enjoy an all inclusive and complete good health status, you need to take Healthy Foods, Healthy Snacks and Engage in Physical Activities.

 While the foods you eat need to be healthy, you will still need to burn excess calories. There is no need of accumulating calories, then engaging in a Weight Loss Programme. Stay healthy always by Engaging in Healthy Activities. You will feel great, be productive and avoid the lifestyle diseases.

One way of doing this is engaging in activities for children. This could be face painting, sack racing, involving in mind games, board games among others.

Walk as much as possible. This is the easiest, yet most effective form of exercise. As long as you have comfortable shoes (not high heels for the ladies), identify some distances that are less than 5 kms and don’t board a bus or use a cab or a personal vehicle. Just walk. In the offices and other buildings, do not use the elevator, use the stairs.

 It is also easy to do some sit ups at the comfort of your house. You just need a mat to do this. A health and fitness disk could come in handy for this. Pushups, flatter kicks, crunches and leg raises are other drills you could incorporate. A morning or evening jog is also good for you when you can. Skipping is also enjoyable yet rigorous exercise that will burn calories well.

Apparently, people suffering from Obesity, Diabetes and other lifestyle diseases don’t do these simple exercises, yet these are the people who should engage more in these activities since they need to shed some weight or / and take control of their conditions. Some of these diseases have actually been cured by engaging in physical exercises! Plus, of course, good nutrition.

•  Getting Enough Sleep

Sleeping well enhances good health. It keeps us agile, productive and focused. This is because when we get enough sleep, the body is rejuvenated, and the internal organs are thus able to function well. There are conditions that occur due to lack of sleep like Stress, Headaches, High Blood Pressure, among others.

The Daily Diet will also affect your sleeping pattern. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been known to be caused by a running stomach. The person suffering from this condition goes to the rest room several times in an hour. This will definitely cause fatigue during the day. It will also adversely affect the sleeping pattern. The cycle of sleeping for more than 2 hours will never be achieved. It will just be short lapses that will make the body and other vital organs not to rest well.

• Reduce Stress

Do you handle the stress in your life well? Everyone experiences stressful moments in life. What makes the difference is how we handle stress. It is what separates successful people from the rest! If you wallow in self pity, you won’t achieve much.

But remaining focused, and using your bad moments as a stepping stone to reach greater heights will make the difference. Maintaining a positive attitude and concentrating on the goals allow us to move on.

• Live Positively

Habits require discipline. As mentioned above, a positive attitude will determine how successful you are.

Why do most of us indulge? If we let our emotions or pressure get the better of us, then we will not advance in life. For us to get to the next level, especially in this competitive world, we have to change from what is “normal” so as to to get different results.

Why don’t you avoid getting in bad shape, instead of contracting Diabetes and living in check? Once you contract the disease, you will be constrained to the following conditions on a regular basis:

• Injections
• Checking the Blood Sugar Levels
• Checkups
• Prescribed Diet
• Stress

Denying some things in life (your dreams) will also limit your scope in life.

If you don’t build your future while young, you will be repairing broken pieces.

Conclusion of the 5 Important Tips that will Make you not Contract Type 1 Diabetes

It is good to know what causes Diabetes and do all you can to avoid contracting this disease. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle always will have a lot of benefits in future. Knowing your body well will motivate you to stay healthy and productive, and be happy in life. It also creates healthy relationships with your family, friends and colleagues.

Ensure that your kids have Healthy Meals by purchasing healthy foods, and preparing the right dishes in the kitchen. It is good to involve the kids while preparing the meals so that they feel part of the process. When they participate, they will feel part of the process. The kids won’t throw tantrums or refuse to eat the meals – they were part of the preparation process. This will keep Diabetes for you and the whole family at bay.

Engaging in Health Activities will tone the blood cells, improve blood flow, and burn down the Cholesterol accumulated in the body. Follow the exercises outlined above. Manage your stress levels and live positively. This will go a long way in making you not contract Type 1 Diabetes.