Brief Guide To Diabetes

This is a condition where the body can't use up sugar in your blood properly. Sugar comes from the food we eat and is broken down to glucose which is the energy that every cell in the body uses to work. To help this process your body produces insulin which is secreted by the pancreas, this hormone helps push glucose into your cells. When you develop diabetes your body doesn't produce enough insulin (Type 1) or your body doesn't respond to the insulin properly (Type 2)

People with Type 1 diabetes usually get it in childhood and this carries on in to adulthood and there is no cure - you'll need to take insulin for the rest of your life.

Type 2 diabetes is what is classed as a lifestyle disease. The reason is that type 2 diabetes doesn't just happen but develops over time due to our diet and lack of exercise or physical activity.

Some people think that if you have diabetes then you can't nuts, dates or eggs. This isn't true. Nuts and eggs have little to no affect on blood sugars. Dates contain sugar but as part of a balance diet they are fine because they contain other importing nutrients. Eating foods with a low glycemic index such as foods high in fibre such as cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, lady fingers, whole wheat flour help to regulate your blood sugar because they are slow release. High glycemic foods on the other hand such as fruit juices, white bread, white rice and potatoes. If you decide to include these in your meal, then make sure you mix it with fat and protein which then slows down the digestion process helping to avoid a massive sugar spike.

It is advisable to check you blood sugars often and at different times of the day and also when you eat different foods to see how your body reacts. This can be done with a home testing meter, no need to go to have your blood taken then wait for results. If you are taking tablets for your diabetes such as metformin then ensure you take it as instructed by the doctor on a regular basis.