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Diabetes is what happens when your body does not produce enough
insulin or cannot use the insulin that it does produce. Type 2
diabetes is the most common form of this condition and results from
the inability of the body to use the insulin it does produce. Their
cells have developed a resistance to the hormone due to a variety of
reasons; genetics, excess body weight and lack of exercise are the
most common.
Insulin resistance syndrome is a combination of
conditions/characteristics that put the heart at risk. High blood
sugar, excess weight around the waist, high cholesterol levels, high
blood pressure and a high level of triglycerides all contribute to
this metabolic syndrome. Most of these conditions can be controlled
or resolved with diet and exercise; that is why developing a
treatment plan as soon as type 2 diabetes has been diagnosed is so
important.
If your body cannot use the insulin your pancreas produces, blood
sugar builds up and is eventually passed through the urine.
Consistently high blood sugar can cause damage to nerves, eyes,
kidneys and gums but even more importantly, high blood sugar leads
to heart disease. People with diabetes are more than twice as likely
to have heart disease than those without diabetes.
The first thing your doctor will tell you if you are diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes is that you have to start exercising. When your
muscles need energy, your body will work harder to get glucose
absorbed into the cells, using the insulin your body has produced.
Even if you do not need to lose weight, your doctor will send you to
a dietician or nutritionist to develop an eating plan for you.
Eating with the diabetic food pyramid in mind is critical to
managing your diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition with serious side effects and
complications, but you can prevent much of the damage by watching
hat you eat and when. Many people with diabetes are able to manage
their blood glucose levels with no oral medications or insulin; they
do it themselves with diet and exercise.
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