Understanding Diabetes: A Comprehensive Guide to Managing and Preventing the Silent Epidemic

Introduction:

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels, which can lead to serious complications if not managed properly. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to understanding diabetes, including its types, causes, symptoms, and strategies for prevention and management.

Types of Diabetes:

There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes.

1. Type 1 Diabetes:

   • Occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
   • Typically diagnosed in childhood or adolescence.
   • Requires lifelong insulin therapy for blood sugar regulation.

2. Type 2 Diabetes:

   • Develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough insulin.
   • Linked to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, sedentary behavior, and obesity.
   • More common in adults, but increasingly diagnosed in children and adolescents.

3. Gestational Diabetes:

   • Develops during pregnancy and increases the risk of both mother and child developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
   • Managed through diet, exercise, and sometimes medication.

Causes and Risk Factors:

1. Genetics: A family history of diabetes can increase the risk of developing the condition.

2. Lifestyle: Unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and obesity contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes.

3. Age: The risk of Type 2 diabetes increases with age, especially after the age of 45.

4. Ethnicity: Certain ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, are at a higher risk.

5. Gestational Factors: Women who experience gestational diabetes or give birth to large babies may be at an increased risk.

Symptoms:

Common symptoms of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Slow wound healing
• Tingling or numbness in extremities

Prevention and Management:

1. Healthy Lifestyle:

   • Adopting a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
   • Engaging in regular physical activity, aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

2. Monitoring Blood Sugar Levels:

   • Regular monitoring of blood glucose levels to ensure they stay within the target range.

3. Medications:

   • For Type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy is essential.
   • Type 2 diabetes may require oral medications, injectable medications, or insulin.

4. Regular Check-ups:

   • Routine check-ups with healthcare providers for diabetes management and early detection of complications.

Conclusion:

Diabetes is a complex and pervasive health condition, but with proper understanding, prevention, and management, individuals can lead fulfilling lives while minimizing the risk of complications. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, monitoring blood sugar levels, and seeking regular medical care are crucial steps in effectively managing diabetes and reducing its impact on overall health and well-being. Awareness, education, and support are key elements in the global effort to combat the diabetes epidemic and promote a healthier future.

Amazing Facts of Parsley

Parsley

As we have mentioned before Parsley is a good remedy in kidney problems. Today another article about parsley will give us knowledge about parsley. I hope all of us enjoy reading.

Parsley is the most popular herb. Usually it is used as a garnish for some recipes because of its decorative appearance.

This highly nutritious plant can be found all year round in all local supermarkets. Parsley is very easy to grow, it can easily plant it in garden, in a container, or in hanging baskets.

Parsley is famous for having delicious vibrant taste, but also unknown to many, having contains good healing properties.

Parsley provides two unique health benefits its “essential oil” and “flavonoids”.

An organic compound called “myristicin” also found in Parsley. Studies show that this compound can:

· myristicin inhibit tumor formation particularly in the lungs.

· myristicin help the molecule glutathione to fight against free radicals that would otherwise damage the body.

· myristicin neutralize carcinogens like benzopyrene, which is present in tobacco or cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke.

Another compound flavonoid  is also found in Parsley it is called “luteolin”. In various studies it shows that this compound can:

· luteolin function as an antioxidant, thereby eliminating free radicals from the body that can damage cells.

· luteolin  help increase antioxidant levels in the blood

· luteolin  help prevent several types of cancer such as breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and leukemia.

Parsley is a good source of vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin C is the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant, which can remove free radicals in all water-soluble areas of the body. Therefore, it can help prevent various diseases such as asthma, atherosclerosis, colon cancer, and diabetes.

As a matter of fact, people consuming foods with good amounts of vitamin C have a lower risk of acquiring these diseases.

Meanwhile, beta-Carotene (a precursor of vitamin A) is the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant, which can get remove of free radicals in all fat-soluble areas of the body. Like vitamin C, it can also help lower the risk of atherosclerosis, colon cancer, and diabetes.

Studies show that people who consumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C-rich foods were at risk of developing arthritis by as much as three times more than those who consumed the highest amounts of vitamin C.

Vitamin C combined with beta-Carotene found in parsley can prove beneficial in inflammatory diseases like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Since vitamin C is vital for strengthening the immune system, it can help prevent many common infections like colds and flu. Beta-Carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A. Vitamin A is an immune system regulator, which can make the white blood cells destroy bacteria and viruses.

One of the most essential B vitamins is “folic acid”, naturally produce by Parsley.

Studies show that folic acid can:

· folic acid keep the heart healthy and maintain its function.

· folic acid ower the risk of stroke and heart disease.

· folic acid remove homocysteine in the body.

Note: Homocysteine is an amino acid used by the body to manufacture proteins and in cellular metabolism. However, a high concentration of homocysteine in the blood can damage the lining of the blood vessels and enhance blood clotting, which can significantly increase the risk of stroke or heart attack.

Finally Parsley is rich in chlorophyll, which can act as a natural deodorizer. Eating parsley makes us sure that we will be able to maintain a fresh breath everyday.

Green Tea Helps Burn Fat Because It Is Rich In Catechin

Green Tea

Green tea helps burn fat because it is rich in catechin. By increasing the amount of energy that your body uses, Green tea helps promotes weight reduction, making it easier to use the excess body fat. These Catechins found in foods other than green tea do not seem to have this positive effect.

As we believe green tea isn't just a solution for weight reduction. Without wondering Green tea is also good in reducing both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It also prevents premature aging and fight free radicals. Green Tea is natural remedy for constipation, too! It has really lots of advantages in our body.

Green Tea Leaves

When we look at people who are able to maintain their ideal weight, most of them are chewing their food properly. The problem with most people is that they chew their food too fast.

If we chew your food 30 to 50 times per mouthful, we should be able to consume less food and aid you in losing weight. Chewing slower also increases histamine in your brain, which will result to decreased food intake. Histamine works by suppressing your appetite! It will help satisfy your stomach with only small amount of food.

Some medical studies reveal that, catechin from green tea helps prevent or inhibit certain types of cancer. We must know that green tea drinkers usually live longer. As evidence, in some places that green teas are abundant people live as long as 100 years or more.

Great Sex Health Benefits

Great Sex Health Benefits

Researchers have shed light on the myriad health benefits that an individual can reap from great sex.

"Having sex regularly can do more than make you feel closer to your partner-it can actually make you physically healthier," ABC News quoted Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University as saying.

Research from the University of the West of Scotland divulged that people who had intercourse at least once over two weeks were better able to manage stressful situations such as public speaking, said study author and psychology professor Stuart Brody, Ph.D.

That is because endorphins and oxytocin are released during sex, and these feel-good hormones trigger pleasure centres in the brain that create feelings of intimacy and relaxation and help stave off anxiety and depression, said WH advisor Laura Berman, Ph.D., an assistant clinical professor of ob-gyn and psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and author of "It's Not Him, It's You!"

You don't have to climax to net the effects, but you'll get the biggest surge of soothing hormones if you have an orgasm. Just one more reason to shoot for a stellar finish!

Sex also ensures sounder sleep because the same endorphins that help you de-stress can also relax your mind and body, priming you for slumber, said Cindy M. Meston, Ph.D., director of the Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, during orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released.

"Prolactin levels are naturally higher when we sleep, which suggests a strong relationship between the two," she said.

However, extremely active sex can make you feel more energized than sleepy. Sex should never be a snooze, but if you want to use knocking boots as a sleep aid, skip the acrobatics and opt for a subdued session.

Sex can also help minimize pain. The surge of hormones released after an orgasm can help ease any annoying ache, whether it's a strained back or a head pounder, asserted Meston.

A study conducted at the Headache Clinic at Southern Illinois University revealed that half of female migraine sufferers reported relief after climaxing.

"The endorphins that are released during an orgasm closely resemble morphine, and they effectively relieve pain," said Meston.

Sex also results in fewer colds. People who have sex were found to have higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA), according to researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. These antibodies help fight diseases and keep the body safe from colds and flu.

Amazing Health Benefits of Green Tea That Everyone Should Know

Green Tea Leaf

I found this very interesting health benefits of green tea that everybody should know.

Lowers your risk of cancer. Although the studies of how green tea affects cancerous cells are still in their infancy, there have been human trials which indicate that it does inhibit cells from developing cancer. EGCG in green tea regulates and inhibits cancer growth by killing cells that are growing inappropriately. In Japan, a study of 500 women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer found that increasing their green tea consumption before and after surgery significantly lowered the risk of recurrence. Another analysis of 22 studies of the correlation between green tea and lung cancer concluded that by increasing your intake of green tea by two cups a day may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by 18%.

Eases the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Study results reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that polyphenol antioxidants in green tea benefits suffers of arthritis by reducing the incidence and severity of the disease. EGCG protects cartilage destruction and reduces joint swelling and pain. This leads many scientists and health professionals to recommend green tea as a legitimate remedy for treating arthritis.

Stabilizes your cholesterol levels. Researchers believe that green tea lowers your cholesterol levels by reducing its absorption in your digestive tract and increasing the rate of which it is excreted. However, your body does need cholesterol to build cell membranes, insulate nerve fibres and create hormones. For this, green tea benefits you by preventing the conversion of LDL cholesterol into it’s more dangerous, oxidized form. Oxidized LDL is one of the main factors in the development of atherosclerosis (the build of plaque that blocks your arteries as LDL gets sticky and clings to your artery walls) and increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. The amazing antioxidant effects of green tea protect this, helping to keep your arteries clean.

Prevents cardiovascular disease. A Japanese study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed significant reductions in deaths from cardiovascular disease among green tea drinkers. The study found that over an 11 year test period, individuals who drank more than 5 cups per day had a 16% less chance of mortality and mortality related to cardiovascular disease when compared to individuals who drank less than one cup per day. They also found that green tea was especially beneficially in preventing strokes, due in large part to the antioxidants and how they prevent clogged arteries.

Boosts your immune system. Catechins, the antioxidant polyphenol compounds, have been shown to have a major impact in your immune system. Research conducted by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2003 revealed that theanine, found in green tea, boosted the activity of the gamma delta T cells that form part of our adaptive and innate immunity. The study followed a group of coffee drinkers and a group of tea drinkers who each drank 600ml of their drink daily. Blood samples taken four weeks later quite clearly showed that production of these anti-bacterial proteins were five times higher in those drinking tea.

Promotes weight loss. Both green tea and green tea extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL cholesterol – both of which ultimately lead to a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. The polyphenols in green tea are extremely useful for dissolving triglycerides, a substance in the liver and small intestine made up of mostly sugar and fat, and this is thought to be the reasongreen tea benefits fat loss. EGCG is also known to stimulate your metabolism and accelerate weight loss. When combined with the caffeine in green tea, this causes your central nervous system to release fat into the bloodstream to be used as fuel which burns your body fat off.

Reduces tooth decay. Antibacterial properties found in green tea are also used by your body to kill the bacteria that causes plaque on your teeth. Research by the Journal of Periodontology has also shown that for every cup of green tea you drink, there is a decrease in indicators for gum disease. Fluoride is also found ingreen tea which helps to protect against cavities.

Effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In 2007, Dr. Orhan Aktas from the Institute of Neuroimmunology conducted a study of how green tea benefits sufferers of multiple sclerosis. While current patients do not have many options to prevent tissue damage and disability, he found that the flavonoid EGCG found ingreen tea could have a huge impact on multiple sclerosis. He concluded that EGCG is capable of directly protecting against neuronal injury in living brain tissue and that EGCG constituents may open up a new therapeutic avenue for treating MS by combining anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective capacities.

Slows the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A recent report published in the journal Phytomedicine has found substantial evidence that the enzymes found in green tea protect your brain cells from damage. Another study conducted by the University of South Florida looked at the effects of antioxidant EGCG. It was shown to be a protein blocker which prevented the chemical reactions that can lead to nerve damage that can lead to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Fights the cause of allergies in your body. Methylated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has been shown to block a cells receptor involved in producing an allergic response. By blocking the production of histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE), two compounds in the body that are chiefly involved in triggering and sustaining allergic reactions, EGCG could very well be the compound which prevents you from having watery eyes, sneezing and coughing.

Helps to fend off infections. Again, as one of the main benefits of green tea, EGCG has been highlighted by a study published in the Journal of Allergy andClinical Immunology as being able to prevent infections, including the HIV virus. EGCG binds with CD4 immune system T-cell receptors and stops HIV from doing the same to reduce the risk of infection. While it is still way too early to peggreen tea as a cure for HIV, an Egyptian study has shown that combining antibiotics with green tea significantly boosts the effectiveness of the antibiotic. In fact, when tested against 28 disease-causing microorganisms, green tea enhanced the bacteria killing power in every single case.

Reduces and prevents acne. Green tea benefits acne in a number of different ways. It’s antibacterial properties attack and kill the acne bacteria while the anti-inflammatory benefits of green tea reduce the swelling and redness. Antioxidants fight against free radicals which damage the skin and make it more susceptible to acne also help to balance hormone levels to help prevent future breakouts from happening.

Slows the aging process to prevent wrinkles. One of the latest benefits ofgreen tea is the effect it has on your skin and the aging process. It is again down to the antioxidants that prevent cell oxidation and damage that can make you look older than you really are. Studies are mixed on this particular green tea benefit as new research has come to light which suggests the full benefits can only be had by applying green tea topically to your skin. However, many people have found that potent green tea extracts do have a positive effect on their skin, leaving it softer, more supply and younger looking.

 Enjoy your green Tea and be healthy always!