Diabetes might sound like a benign, chronic condition that can be easily controlled by medication, but it is not quite so simple. While it is a common medical condition that affects hundreds of millions of people around the world, it can prove quite deadly if left uncontrolled.
 Diabetes is directly related to how our body handles sugar, a substance that it needs for energy. Our body can be compared to a machine that needs fuel to function, and glucose (sugar) is that fuel. Insulin, a hormone produced by an organ called the pancreas in the body, is the mechanism through which glucose is regulated. Think of insulin as a system in the machine that supplies the glucose to where it is needed in the machine, i.e., the cells. Diabetes is a condition where the body’s ability to handle sugar via insulin becomes dysfunctional. A diabetes diagnosis should be taken seriously as high blood glucose levels can affect blood vessels, nerves, internal organs, and cause all kinds of serious complications. There are two kinds of diabetes, type 1 and type 2.
 
Type 1 diabetes mainly affects children and involves the immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This leads to little to no insulin production. Type 1 sufferers need daily insulin injections.
 
Type 2 diabetes is the most commonly occurring adult condition. In type 2 diabetes, either there is too little insulin or the cells cannot use it to convert blood sugar into energy. When the cells cannot use the glucose for energy, we are left with elevated blood glucose levels.
 
I have lived with people suffering from diabetes, am pre-diabetic myself, and have an above-average understanding of the disease. Many sufferers make some common mistakes that stem from a faulty or partial understanding that can lead to the disease getting worse, even with medication.
First, we should educate ourselves about this disease as soon as a diagnosis is made. Secondly, lifestyle changes should be implemented as soon as the diagnosis is made. These changes can go a long way in preventing the disease from progressing and causing complications later.
 
Significant changes in our food consumption, particularly in carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, all-purpose flour, pasta, rice, root vegetables), can make a big difference. All the above foods should be consumed as little as possible; any high-carbohydrate foods will cause a significant blood glucose spike. Many people with diabetes are under the impression that medication is a license to eat normally; it is not. Medication can produce great results when combined with healthy eating.
 
If we are put on a medication, we do not control our carb intake and go on eating like a “normal person”, eventually we will end up with complications that involve blood vessels, nerves leading to kidney disease or even failure, glaucoma, or heart disease. And once the complications start, it is not easy to control them.
 
Secondly, we should exercise and stay active. In addition to medication, physical activity such as walking, aerobics, or swimming will also help our bodies utilize glucose in our blood.