Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how the body converts food to energy. The disease has been around almost since time immemorial, and some records even date the first mention of the disease as far back as 1550 BC in the Ebers Papyrus1. Easing into more modern times, in 1899 German doctors Joseph von Mering and Oscar Minkowsky are credited with making the discovery of diabetes when they noticed flies attracted to a sweet smell around a laboratory dog’s urine, indicating the presence of the disease. 

What is Diabetes?

So what is diabetes? When we eat, food is broken down into glucose and released into the bloodstream. When blood sugar goes up, the pancreas releases insulin into cells to use as energy.  

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1, generally acquired in childhood and commonly known as juvenile diabetes, is when the body does not produce insulin at all. Type 2 can occur at any age though has a more common onset in middle age and in older individuals, typically with a family history or where obesity is present. In Type 2 diabetes, people do not respond to insulin as well as they should and as the disease progresses, may not make enough. In Type 1 and 2, too much sugar from food stays in the bloodstream. If not managed, over time heart disease, stroke, vision loss, loss of limbs, and kidney disease may result. 

Diabetes Smart Diet

Often taking insulin becomes essential, but controlling the disease with an appropriate diet, especially with Type 2 diabetes, can make all the difference and sometimes delay or entirely preclude the need for medication. Experts say it’s essential to eat something like a small meal or healthy snack every few hours to make sure blood sugar levels remain constant. Overall make sure the diet is low in fat, added sugar, and calories, and rich in nutrients. Making fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and low-fat dairy the mainstay of the diet, along with fish and chicken as opposed to a lot of red meat, are also recommended components of a healthier outcome.