Type 2 diabetes is the most common form
of diabetes. When you eat, your body turns your food into
glucose (sugar) to use as fuel. In healthy people, a hormone
called insulin helps the glucose get into the cells. But in
people with type 2 diabetes, something goes wrong.
Sometimes, a person does not make enough insulin.
Sometimes,cells ignore the insulin.
Is It Curable?
In people with type 2 diabetes, glucose
(sugar) builds up in the blood. But with good treatment,
your blood sugar levels may go down to normal again. A
normal sugar level does not mean you are cured. Instead, a
normal blood sugar levels shows that your treatment plan is
working and that you are doing a good job of taking care of
yourself.
Taking Care Of
Your Diabetes
The goal of treatment is to lower your
blood sugar and improve your body's use of insulin with:
1Meal planning
2Exercise
3Weight loss
Meal planning.
When you eat, your body digests and changes food into sugar.
Your blood sugar goes up. A good meal plan slows this rise.
The meal plan for a person with diabetes is the same as
anyone else. It should be
1 Low in fat
2 Has moderate amounts of protein
3 Contains starches, like those in
beans, vegetables and grains (such as breads, cereals,
noodles and rice).
You and your dietitian will work out a
meal plan just for you.
Exercise.
Being active helps your cells take in blood sugar. So
exercise plays a major role in your treatment plan. Tell
your doctor about the kinds of exercise you do now. Your
health care provider will help you fit them to your new
lifestyle. If you don't exercise, you should want to become
more active. It would be great if you could be active on
most days of the week for a total of 30 minutes, which can
be broken down into short sessions. If you're not used to
exercising start slow. Even a 5-minute walk can get you
moving.
Weight loss.
Losing weight is another big part of your diabetes
treatment. It will help your body use insulin better. The
best way to lose weight is to exercise and follow a healthy
meal plan. Your doctor or endocrinologist will tell you how
much weight you should lose. and how quickly. |