| WHY TARGET YOUTH? |
Today’s youth are an easy target for disease due to growing lifestyle trends and wrong diet, wrong sleeping hours and consumption of processed foods. They have all the wrong things in life as in late sleeping hours, stress to perform better at every stage in their life, lack of a healthy diet and balanced diet, lack of exercise, increased levels of pollution. Also they tend to spoil their eyes by use of television and computers. Youth today, are susceptible to smoking and drinking due to social pressure and the need to be given the tag of being “COOL”.
Thus Health among youth should be the main cause for concern of our generation. Keeping these factors in mind it is quite plain that Gen NEXT is heading for collapse. What about their Babies? |
| |
| UNDERSTANDING DIABETES |
Diabetes is a lifetime disorder. However, it is possible to lead a quality life despite this condition. All it takes is knowledge, care and discipline.
Nutrition is an important aspect in the management of this disorder, so let us begin by understanding what happens to the food that we eat. Carbohydrates constitute about 60% of food that we consume and these, on digestion are directly converted into glucose, which then enters the blood stream. This glucose provides energy for cellular function, but only when it enters the cells of our body.
It is the insulin produced by the pancreas that helps glucose to enter the cells. Without insulin glucose can not enter the cells, with the result, high levels of sugar remain in the blood stream, but can not provide energy to the cells which need it. When high blood glucose exists with low insulin or defective insulin function, the condition is called diabetes. |
| You are at a higher risk: |
| ◊ |
If you have family history of diabetes in the family |
| ◊ |
If you have had diabetes in an earlier pregnancy |
| ◊ |
If you are obese |
| ◊ |
If you have given birth to an overweight baby |
| ◊ |
If you are 40+ |
| ◊ |
If you have had multiple pregnancies |
| ◊ |
If you have too many refined foods in your diet |
| ◊ |
If you have infections that do not heal |
| ◊ |
If you are not physically active |
| ◊ |
If you suffer from emotional stress |
|
| Types of blood sugar abnormalities: |
| Hypoglycaemia: when the blood sugar is too little, less than 50 mg/dl. There may be other conditions leading to hypoglycaemia but the commonest remains inappropriate management of diabetes. |
| Hyperglycaemia: |
| when there is too much sugar in the blood. |
| Type I Diabetes: |
| develops usually in early childhood and the affected person is totally dependant on taking insulin from external sources. Nearly 2% diabetics in India have Juvenile Diabetes. |
| Type II Diabetes: |
| is the commonest type, which usually develops around middle age.
Onset takes few years to be detected, though damage to the vital organs already sets in. More than 95% diabetics are with Type II diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependant diabetes. It is important to diagnose the condition as early as possible to save damage from happening |
| Symptoms of Type II Diabetes |
| ◊ |
Frequent urination |
| ◊ |
Excessive hunger |
| ◊ |
Excessive thirst |
| ◊ |
Fatigue |
| ◊ |
Unexplained weight loss |
| ◊ |
Overweight (when waist measurement is more than half your height) |
| ◊ |
Blurred vision |
| ◊ |
Sores that don’t heal |
| ◊ |
Numbness or tingling in feet |
| ◊ |
Sexual dysfunction |
| ◊ |
Vaginal infection, and itching in vulva, & infection of penis |
If you experience any of the above, consult your doctor immediately. However, very often, there may not be any symptoms and diabetes may be diagnosed by routine testing or while investigating another disease. |
| Symptoms of Hypoglycaemia |
| ◊ |
Excessive hunger |
| ◊ |
Excessive sweating and anxiety |
| ◊ |
Weakness |
| ◊ |
Palpitation and trembling |
| ◊ |
Headache |
| ◊ |
Irritability/ confusion |
| ◊ |
Sleepiness |
| ◊ |
Fainting/ loss of consciousness |
| ◊ |
Abnormal behaviour |
|
| The risks associated with uncontrolled diabetes |
| ◊ |
Blood pressure may go up |
| ◊ |
Risk of brain stroke is doubled |
| ◊ |
Risk of heart attack increases 3-4 times |
| ◊ |
Risk of kidney failure goes up by 17 times |
| ◊ |
Injury to feet can lead to uncontrolled infection and amputation |
| ◊ |
Loss of sensation in limbs can lead to nerve damage |
|
| Treatment and control |
Diabetes should be timely detected and managed, as it may otherwise lead to permanent damage of vital body organs. Treatment will depend on the type of diabetes, your age and health condition, weight, physical activity pattern, etc.
There is a big importance of eating a well balanced diet, regular exercise, blood sugar monitoring and timely intake of prescribed medicine. |
| Preventing Diabetes |
| 1. |
Keep a watch on your weight and waist line |
| 2. |
Take a healthy diet of more vegetables, fruits, cereals, and pulses |
| 3. |
Avoid fat, refined and processed foods, red meat and high calorie sweets |
| 4. |
Avoid or reduce intake of alcohol |
| 5. |
Exercise regularly |
| 6. |
Avoid physical and mental stress |
| 7. |
Do regular medical check ups |
| 8. |
Stop smoking, gutka, pan or tobacco in any form; |
| 9. |
Check your blood glucose at least once a week |
| 10. |
Check your HbA1c ever 3 months |
| 11. |
Check your blood pressure every month |
| 12. |
Check your urine micro albuminuria once a year |
| 13. |
Check your eyes for retinopathy |
| 14. |
Check your lipid profile every six months |
| 15. |
Make exercise an every day routine |
| 16. |
Meditate for peaceful and stress free existence. |
|
| Diabetic Diet |
| A good diet plan should help you control blood sugar, weight and cholesterol. You should try to eat a diet, which is low in refined carbohydrates and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. A high intake of fiber is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes; in patients with diabetes, it is associated with improved glycaemia control and decreased blood lipids. Fiber and mineral rich fruits and vegetables are very important and you should take at least 2-3 servings per day. Whole grains and pulses should be 6-8 servings per day, milk and milk products should be low fat with a minimum of 1-3 servings, and fat and oil rich foods should be totally avoided. |
| |
