According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million children and adults suffer from diabetes - 7.8% of the total population. This does not include the 5.7 million people undiagnosed, and 57 million people predisposed to diabetes. These figures were compiled in 2007. Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2006. In the U.S. the incidence of diabetes has increased 70% among people in their thirties, in large part because of the obesity pandemic.
What does Alzheimer’s Disease have to do with this? . A study conducted by the American Academy of Neurology concluded that impaired acute insulin response at midlife was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) up to 35 years later suggesting a causal link between insulin metabolism and the pathogenesis of AD.
So now not only do the diabetes 2 population have to deal with the prospects of kidney disease, nervous system disease (Neuropathy), amputation, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure….they have to face the prospect of lost memories, lost cognitive abilities, and eventual death, all coming from the effects of AD.
We often think of adult-onset diabetes as a condition that affects us in the middle years. And of course when most people are prescribed medications to lower their blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar, they are usually told, “You will have to take this for the rest of your life,” often in ever-increasing doses. According to Dr. Oz (You Staying Young), our bodies are designed to run on a relatively low level of glucose, and when we overeat and indulge in a sedentary lifestyle, we are unable to process the extra glucose – thus pickling ourselves in all the excess – and our metabolic system malfunctions. Eventually, our pancreatic beta cells, cells that produce insulin, cannot keep up because of exhaustion after years of working against the relentless insulin resistance. And that’s how we become diabetic.
With the prospect of “Diabetes 3″ facing those with diabetes and all of those not yet diagnosed , it certainly seems appropriate to consider what changes we can make to avoid all of this. Just a small of amount of weight loss can make the difference between elevated blood sugar and normal blood sugar. So keeping our waist thin, exercising (30 minutes daily) and keeping our blood pressure under control are positive changes we can make. I have found that by drinking a “smoothie” each morning for breakfast is a great way to start the day. I have even made it “green” by adding organic kale and frozen organic fruit with it. It has been a great way for me to eat less calories and start the day out healthier.
Instead of investing our monies into surgical procedures and drugs, let’s concentrate on making different choices in what we eat and how we live. Our bodies have the remarkable ability to heal themselves with proper diet, exercise and less stress.
