Did you know that diabetes can be a gateway disease to other conditions such as stroke, heart disease, foot infection, skin damage, gangrene, kidney failure, and even sexual dysfunction?

This disease is perceived by some people as a “disease caused by sugar”. It is technically true because it occurs when a person’s blood sugar level is too high. Our blood sugar level fluctuates throughout the day, depending on a variety of activities such as eating or exercising.

A healthy person’s blood sugar level should be less than 140 mg/dL. A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL may indicate prediabetes, while a reading of 200 mg/dL or more means you could likely be diabetic and should consult a doctor for screening.   

Types of Diabetes

Even though we are mostly familiar with type 1 and 2 diabetes, there are actually several types such as gestational diabetes and caused by other factors.

• Type 1 Diabetes: Occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin at all as insulin is needed by the body to regulate our blood sugar level. This type of disease is usually caused by genetics or hereditary diseases.

• Type 2 Diabetes: Is usually caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices or resistance to insulin. Eating a diet high in refined sugar or smoking are some habits that may cause our cells to not respond effectively to insulin.

• Gestational Diabetes: This type occurs during pregnancy and can affect pregnant women, even if they do not have a history of diabetes. According to the American Pregnancy Association, this classification arises because the placenta of pregnant women will continue to produce a special hormone. Then, the placenta is what inhibits insulin from working effectively.

• Other types of Diabetes: Usually caused by factors such as drug use, hormonal disorders, infections, and other diseases.

How Can We Prevent Diabetes?

Living an unhealthy lifestyle puts us at risk of contracting this disease, even if we are healthy otherwise. By adopting healthy living habits, we can lower the risk of contracting this disease, thus, promoting prevention of it. Here are some ways to keep diabetes at bay:

1. Consume a diet low in sugar and saturated fats

To prevent diabetes, we should avoid foods that are high in sugar, carbohydrates, and saturated fats such as fried foods, ice cream, cheese, and fast food.

2. Maintain a healthy weight

Having a slim figure not only makes you look attractive, but a healthy weight may reduce the risk of a whole range of diseases. Being obese makes you more likely to develop this disease because obesity affects our metabolism which may increase insulin resistance.

3. Exercise regularly

Whether you are young or elderly, it is important to exercise regularly. When it comes to disease prevention, regular exercise can promote lower blood sugar level by making the body more sensitive to insulin up to 24 hours after a workout.

4. Go for regular health screenings

It is important to know the state of our health. And to do that, it is recommended to go for a medical check-up at least once a year so that if we are exposed to a disease, we can seek necessary treatment as early as possible.

Let’s Beat Diabetes!

Like any other disease, prevention is always better than cure. After finding out more, let’s take good care of our body by practicing healthy habit — living a sweet life without sugar.

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