India has to wake up to the call as it is the country of young but sadly it is also the diabetes capital of the world.

Today deficiency of vitamin D is considered the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in both the developing and developed countries and with increasing number of people suffering from diabetes, the deficiency of vitamin D only adds fuel to the fire.

is a sunshine vitamin and lack of adequate exposure to sunlight and due to changing life styles, urbanization, sedentary life, religious and cultural factors, and fears of dark skin are the reasons for deficiency of vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency begins from birth and also pregnant women who lack vitamin D give births to infants with vitamin D defiance which leads to diabetes in future.

The main dietary source of vitamin D is only fish such as tuna, mackerel, salmon, and egg yolk. Vegetarians barely get a diet of vitamins D. This deficiency can be prevented by increased exposure to sunlight or by food fortification whereby foods are fortified with vitamin D.

Vitamin D aids in normal mineralization of the bones and promotes calcium absorption. Without vitamin D bones become brittle due to lack of calcium and leads to diabetes.

India has to realize the importance of vitamin D in curbing a dreaded disease like diabetes and supplement its diet with vitamin D.

It is common knowledge that patients with diabetes take time to heal their wounds. Foot care is another area which needs to be given utmost care and should not be neglected in case of diabetes.

There are many foot problems which may arise in a patient who is suffering from diabetes. Due to diabetes you have inability to fight infections and damage blood vessels. You may not be able feel pain or infection on your foot in case of injury and will feel the pain only when your foot is too infected, as in these cases you will not feel the flow of blood to your feet.

The symptoms of this disease are small sores; cracks in your feet, resulting in limbs affected and in some extreme cases the patient’s legs need to be amputated.

There are certain precautions which need to be taken to ensure that your feet are healthy despite of suffering from diabetes.

The first step is to kick the butt. Smoking has disastrous effects as it slows down the flow of blood to the lower part of the body. The feet being the lower most part are the most affected.

Check your feet, soles, and the sides of your legs regularly, and if you have any doubts you must consult a doctor for check up.

Try to wear shoes rather than open sandals or slippers so that you are not easily hurt or infected.

Wash and clean your feet regularly.

In case there is a foot infection do not apply any antiseptic solution without the consultation of your doctor as this may have an adverse effect on your system.

Avoid heating pads or hot water bottles to cure pain as they cause harm rather than good.

Thus, proper foot care is essential for the patients of diabetes.

This raging diabetes epidemic is spreading in India due to our rich fat diet, our sedentary life styles with no time and inclination to exercise or work out at a gym or for that matter get involved in physical or sports activities, or maybe genetic.

The average Indian meal predominantly consists of carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are easily digested into our blood and they are converted into sugar. This leads to a hike in the level of blood sugar. This further leads to the condition of diabetes.

To add fuel to the fire, our diet does not contain proteins and calcium, which are essential for the wellness and overall maintenance of our body.

Diabetes patients are often found to be tired and have low levels of energy. They are highly irritable and not very alert mentally. Their vision is also affected and often blurred with the fluctuating levels of blood sugar. Their appetite is increased and their ability to heal wounds becomes very less and they are more prone to infections and brittleness of bones. There may also be an abnormal gain in the weight. Frequent urination is also seen and an abnormal thirst. Foul body odor is also one of the symptoms of diabetes.

Prevention is better than cure; this is especially true in the case of diabetes. The precautions to be taken are as follows:

1. Always follow a sugar free diet with plenty of proteins and calcium.
2. Keep your blood pressure in control as higher blood pressure leads to diabetes.
3. Always check your fasting and post meal blood sugar levels. Always consult your doctor if you have previous medical history.
4. Keep your weight in control as obesity too leads to diabetes.
5. Exercise, jog, swim, and indulge in outdoor activities which will help you in burning the excess calories.
6. Quit smoking and drinking.
7. Sleep well on time.
8. Avoid stress and have a proper routine.

Albeit all precautions, if you still fall prey to diabetes then don’t lose heart. Just follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, take proper medication and you will surely be able to keep this deadly ailment in check.

Artificial sweeteners substitute sugar in beverage and food and are marked sugar free, or diet and can be found in soft drinks, baked goods, chewing gum, beverages, baked goods, candy, fruit juice, sweets, chocolates and many other food products. They are sugar free and have no calories.

Artificial sweeteners are tested and certified by FDA and its consumption in some cases is only allowed with doctor’s prescription and should be taken in moderate quantity.

The benefits of artificial sweeteners are-

The weight of the body is under control because these substances have no sugar and calories to increase your weight. Increase in weight leads to obesity and other heart diseases and diabetes.

Patients suffering from diabetes use artificial sweeteners as they do not raise the blood sugar levels in the body as they contain no carbohydrates and keep your blood sugar levels in control.

Artificial sweeteners help to avoid tooth decay and dental cavity as the sugar in these substances is moderate.

Artificial sweeteners also have disadvantages though medically not proved as yet but can lead to cancer and other diseases.

Today artificial sweeteners are in great demand with the consumers who are fitness freaks and health conscious and manufacturers of these substances are coming out with new products daily to meet the growing demand of these substances.

More than the actual ailment, they are often under shock, denial, anger at being diagnosed. Many people go into mild depression while others suffer from anxiety after being diagnosed.

One must realize that being affected by diabetes will not hinder your lifestyle completely. It will only require some modifications to be made to your eating and living habits. Taking charge of the situation will surely help to control the ailment and lead to acceptance. A healthy lifestyle and adequate exercise will not only help to keep the diabetes in check but also lead to better emotional control of the same. Other emotional disturbances occur out of frustration when the patient has to learn to monitor his blood sugar levels, administer insulin injections, maintain his body weight amongst a host of other adjustments. Juvenile diabetes, (diabetes which manifests itself in children) is often cause of a lot of emotional turmoil not only for the patient himself but also for the parents who are often tense about the health of their ward.

The first step to be followed after being diagnosed with diabetes is acceptance. This will win half the battle. The other half needs to be faced with sheer grit and determination and taking complete charge of your life and diet to ensure that you do not let this disease overpower you.

There is a growing concern about the children. Another alarming fact is that children can be affected with two kinds or diabetes.

Diabetes is a state where by your immune system destroys the insulin producing cells and which in turn makes our blood sugar levels high leading to diabetes.

Diabetes in children is of two kinds:

1. Immune diabetes: This is a form of diabetes where the immune system destructs the insulin producing cells in the child and the child losses weight instead of being obese. The child has the urge to drink water again and again and urinates frequently. Also, there is presence of ketones in his blood. This form of diabetes could be due to hereditary factors also.
2. Insulin resistant diabetes: This form of diabetes is caused due to a lack of insulin in a child and high blood sugar levels make the child obese in this type of diabetes. Sugar is present in the urine of the child and ketones are absent. The child has no urge to drink water or drinks less water but still urinates quite frequently. This kind of diabetes is passed on from generation to generation in the family and the family has a medical history of such diabetic patients.

In this type of diabetes there are skinny patches on the skin of the child and are visible fingers and toes.

Although there is not much one can do to cure both these kinds of diabetes, yet research is on, in order to make these children lead a near normal lifestyle.

Diabetes is condition where our blood sugar levels go alarmingly high leading to fatal disease like heart stroke, high blood pressure, kidney related diseases, pain in arms and legs.

Some of the main signs and symptoms of diabetes are mentioned below:

You tend to lose weight without trying as your body immune system lacks insulin which gives energy and strength to our body and we lose weight and become weak.

You tend to drink water in large proportions and your quench for water is never satisfied.

Since you drink too much of water, in turn you pass urine frequently as the glucose levels in the blood are too high and insulin becomes ineffective as kidneys cannot filter glucose back to blood and are forced to draw extra water to dilute glucose.

You become weak as your blood sugar levels are high and lack insulin to give energy to your body.

There is numbness in your hands and legs as presence of high quantity of glucose damages your nervous system.

You have blurred vision. Often your skin becomes dry and you have frequent itching on your skin.

You experience abnormal hunger pangs.

Your wounds take a long time to heal.

Therefore in order to remain save from these ordeals it is imperative that you maintain a healthy lifestyle along with a proper exercise regime. This will help you to remain healthy and free from diseases even after your prime years of life.

The following are some useful tips to cure diabetics:

1. Medication and insulin which reduce our blood sugar levels. This medication should be followed regularly and should not be skipped at any cost.
2. Daily routine of exercising and keeping fit is very essential as this will keep our blood sugar levels in check.
3. Eating a nutritious diet and avoiding junk food.
4. Quit alcohol and avoid smoking. If you are under the influence of any other substance abuse then it is time to quit immediately.
5. Practice yoga and cardio exercises as this keeps the metabolism in our body high. Yoga is said to have many curative postures to keep the sugar levels in check.
6. Eat green vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, as they contain high fiber. Fiber is very necessary as it reduces the glucose levels in our blood. Also including blackberries is said to be very useful.
7. Keep a check on your weight. Watching your weight is very essential for diabetics, especially if they are under insulin medication as they are more prone to gaining weight.
8. Have a fixed eating schedule and stick to it religiously.

A healthy body keeps diseases at bay and so it is vital that we maintain and take care of this body to remain fit and active.

Some other signs which trigger the onset of diabetes are:

1. Symptoms akin to flu: Diabetes often causes loss of appetite or in some cases abnormal hunger pangs. Often people complain about increased weakness and unusual tiredness.
2. Fluctuation in body weight: diabetes is characterized by fluctuations in sugar levels in the blood. Therefore to combat this, the body attempts to compensate for the loss of sugar. Often the appetite of the diabetic patient may increase leading to weight gain. Often in spite of eating more the patient may conversely end up losing weight.
3. Blurred eyesight: Diabetes often affects the lens of the eyes and dries up the tissue of the eye. Diabetes is said to have a direct impact on the eyesight.
4. Delayed healing of wounds: Diabetes reduces the capacity of the body to heal wounds and thus makes the healing process slower.
5. Swollen, Red and Tender Gums: Diabetes leads to weakening of the bones and the teeth. The gums begin to bleed and are often swollen.

If you find any of these symptoms it is advised that you go for a blood sugar test to ensure that you detect the malice of diabetes in the initial stages before it causes more harm to your anatomy.

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by thickening of blood vessels, leaking and formation of cots, black spots, and formation of microaneurysms in the eyes.

Another condition is when a part of the retina accumulates excessive fluids and thus impairs the ability to read. This condition is termed as macular edema. Often there is a scarcity of the blood which is damages the blood vessels. In a bid to cure this, the retina tries to grow new blood vessels. But these are more often defective. This process of growing new but defective vessels is known as neovascularization in medical terminology.  These new vessels are very delicate and often being to bleed. This hemorrahage can hamper our vision. Many a times the retina also separates from the back of the eye.  This condition is termed as Retinal Detachment.  Often the formation of these new vessels does more harm than good as they end up blocking the existing fluid flow within the eye and leading to the medical condition of glaucoma.

With proper care and regular eye check-ups all these problems can be detected at the initial stages and can be cured without causing permanent damage to the eyes.