Diabetes: too sweet a life…

It is not just people with diabetes who need to think about blood sugar. Somewhere between normal glucose levels and the high levels of full-blown diabetes is a potentially dangerous middle ground where glucose levels are abnormally high and can set you up for many diseases including heart disease, diabetes itself, and possibly cancer. The discovery of white sugar has led to the invention of juices, drinks and foods that flood our bodies with abnormally high levels of sugar every day and compromise the natural processes of maintenance, growth, and development in ways that our bodies were never designed to handle.

Diabetes is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia).

Blood glucose levels are controlled by a complex interaction of multiple chemicals and hormones in the body, including the hormone insulin. Diabetes mellitus refers to the group of diseases that lead to high blood glucose levels due to defects in either insulin secretion or insulin action.

The end product of all carbohydrate breakdowns is glucose, which is the main fuel for our body. Carbohydrates are nutrients, along with proteins, fats and other types of chemical compounds, and appear in the form of starches and cellulose. They are the structural materials of which plants are made. Carbohydrates are produced by one of the most complex, vital, and amazing processes in the physical world: photosynthesis. They are an integral part of plant life, and it is no wonder that they are found in most fruits and vegetables. Not all carbohydrates are of equal nutritional value, however: in general, the ones created by nature are good for the body, whereas those produced by human intervention—table sugar, some forms of pasta and most varieties of bread, white rice, crackers, cookies, and so forth—are much less beneficial.

After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.
When we eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.

Blood sugar concentration, or glucose level, refers to the amount of glucose present in our blood. Normally, the blood glucose level is maintained at a reference range between about 2.5 and 5.6mmol/l). Glucose levels rise after meals for an hour or two by a few grams and are usually lowest in the morning, before the first meal of the day.

Failure to maintain blood glucose in the normal range leads to conditions of persistently high (hyperglycemia) or low (hypoglycemia) blood sugar. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. Too much sugar in your blood damages the vascular system and organs, particularly the small blood vessels, which causes problems in the heart, eyes, kidneys, feet and nerves. The major goal in treating diabetes is to minimize any elevation of blood sugar (glucose) without causing abnormally low levels of blood sugar.

An absolute ban on simple sugars is not necessary. Small amounts of simple sugars are allowed when consumed with a complex meal and combined with regular exercise. Weight reduction and exercise are important treatments for diabetes. They increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin, thus helping to control blood sugar elevations.
Medications for diabetes are designed to, increase the insulin output by the pancreas, decrease the amount of glucose released from the liver, increase the sensitivity (response) of cells to insulin, decrease the absorption of carbohydrates from the intestine, and slow the emptying of the stomach to delay the presentation of carbohydrates for digestion and absorption in the small intestine.

Varying combinations of medications are used to correct abnormally elevated levels of blood glucose in diabetes. As the list of medications continues to expand, treatment options can be better tailored to meet an individual’s needs. Not every patient with diabetes will benefit from every drug, and not every drug is suitable for each patient. Patients with diabetes should work closely with their physicians to achieve an approach that provides the greatest benefits while minimizing risks.

The control of diabetes starts with a healthy lifestyle regardless of what medications are being used. The Indians discovered how to crystallize sugar during the Gupta dynasty, around 350 AD and ever since then human diet has never been the same. White sugar has become the main ingredient in many of the best tasting things in life from chocolates, candies, ice cream, juices, and soft drinks to sweets of all sorts. However this huge amount of refined sugar that we consume on a daily basis was never part of the original diet designed for our body’s good health and maintenance.

One very bad modern habit is to add white sugar to almost every dish containing starch and to almost every drink. This should be discontinued. The bowl containing white sugar should be left off the table. It is a very poor food and the less we use of it the better off we are.

It is true that human beings not only crave sugar, but need sugar. However it is also true that white sugar was unknown until a few centuries ago. It is not a necessity. It can be eaten in moderation without causing any trouble, but the difficulty is that those who eat sugar take too much of it.

Diet, Exercise, and medication in the right combination can control diabetes. If diet and exercise are taken seriously, medication may not be necessary. The best diet options are those discussed between the patients and their doctor. The idea is not to starve but to eat well and eat the right things in the right quantities.

The good news is that the ideal lifestyle for a diabetic is also the ideal recommended lifestyle for everyone else. It makes you healthier. Diabetes does not have to be a handicap. It could be an opportunity instead to reorganize your lifestyle and eating habits, and you could emerge from it healthier than ever before.