It is estimated that approximately 23.6 million Americans suffer from diabetes, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Diabetes is a condition in which your body can't produce or use insulin properly. Insulin helps your body break down sugar into a usable energy for your body. When sugar levels continue to build in your blood, the results can be life-threatening, which is why eating a well-balanced diet is imperative.
Understanding Diabetes
When you consume food, your digestive system breaks the food down into smaller particles that your body can use and obtain nutrients from it. One of the digestive processes is converting food into glucose, a form of sugar. Your pancreas produces insulin, which is a hormone that allows the glucose to penetrate cells within your body that use the glucose for energy. When you're diabetic, either your pancreas may not produce enough insulin or your body cannot use the insulin properly.
Junk Food
When you consume junk food, such as cookies, cakes, chips, soda and other products containing sugar, your body may not be able to process the large amounts of sugar at one time. It may drastically spike your blood sugar levels. If your body already has problems producing enough insulin for your body to use the glucose as energy or has problems using insulin properly, the excessive amounts of sugar begin to build within your blood, causing severe side effects such as damage to your kidneys and nerves, heart disease or a diabetic coma.
Eating a Healthy Diet
Eating a proper diet can decrease the risk of rising blood glucose levels. The ideal diet is one that is low-fat, low-salt, low in cholesterol and low in added sugar, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Your physician may recommend scheduling an appointment with a nutritionist to learn how to prepare healthy meals and learn what types of foods to eat. Skipping meals may drastically affect your blood sugar. "Diabetes for Dummies" recommends eating at least three healthy meals every day. It may be necessary for you to eat small, frequent meals throughout the day to maintain a stable glucose level.
Checking Your Blood Sugar
To ensure your body maintains a healthy blood glucose level, you may have to check your blood sugar level periodically throughout the day. Your doctor will advise you how often this will need to be done. If you have a very severe case of diabetes, you may have to check it more frequently than someone who suffers from moderate diabetes. This process involves pricking your finger with a lancet, applying a small drop of blood onto a test strip and reading the test results.
Symptoms of Unstable Blood Sugar
If your body isn't responding well to the food you've eaten or it's not responding to any diabetic medication that you take, your body will let you know by experiencing different symptoms. You may feel tired, become pale, experience heart pounding, sweating, loss of muscle use and speech, pass out or develop twitching.
References
- "Diabetes for Dummies"; Alan L. Rubin, MD; 2008
- FamilyDoctor.org: Diabetes Overview
- TeensHealth: Type 2 Diabetes: How Is It Treated?
