What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes Statistics, Symptoms Types and Recipes for Healthy Living

My grandmother lived with diabetes for a long time. She proved, along with many others afflicted with this disease that, if controlled, it is treatable and does not have to adversely affect ones’ quality of life

My grandmother was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus later in life, just around retirement age. Initially, her diabetes mellitus was treated with prescription insulin but as time passed, her condition became a bit more severe. As a result, what was originally diagnosed as Diabetes Mellitus II transformed into Diabetes Mellitus I, a condition treatable only through insulin injections. Until her last days, I remember my grandfather injecting her daily in her stomach and legs.

Diabetes Mellitus is diagnosed when a body cannot properly produce or use sufficient levels of insulin to break down glucose sugars in the bloodstream. Glucose sugars are broken down by insulin normally, then stored as energy in our cells. The inability to break down glucose sugar, thus resulting in heightened levels of glucose in the bloodstream, is called hyperglycemia. That is, the blood gets “over-sugared”.

Hypoglycemia, by contrast, occurs when there’s not enough glucose sugar in the blood and is a common affliction in diabetics, like my grandmother. Low blood sugar, which is also referred to as diabetic shock or an insulin reaction, afflicts diabetics for a number of reasons: 1)too much insulin in the blood; 2)insulin was taken without food in the stomach and 3)a heavy exercise regimen. I remember that my grandmother always traveled with a can of Coke just in case she felt faint as a result of low blood sugar.

Type of Diabetes Mellitus

There are three (3) main types of diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Gestational Diabetes. My grandmother was first diagnosed with Type 2. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a less threatening metabolic condition. It is not an autoimmune condition. It is typically managed through diet and exercise, perhaps with pills taken orally. With a proper diabetic diet, Type Two diabetes can be managed. But, gradually, my grandmother’s Type 2 worsened into Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a more serious form of diabetes. It is not a metabolic malady but an autoimmune condition where the pancreas never regains the ability to produce insulin. It is treatable though as my grandmother found out with insulin injections. Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women who have never before had diabetes. There is a 4th type of diabetes but it’s referred to, not as diabetes mellitus but as diabetes insipidus. Diabetes Insipidus is caused when the kidneys cannot hold their urine. it is not related to heightened levels of insulin in the blood.

Diabetes Statistics

Since diabetes is not an ailment that can be seen, like a scratch or a broken finger, it is a quiet disease. We never would have known Mary Tyler Moore suffered from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus had she not informed the public. So, just how many people have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus? Diabetes statistics are staggering: over 21 million people have diabetes – that’s almost 7% of the American population, about 1 in 14 people. About 70% of diabetics have been diagnosed while 30% of diabetics aren’t aware that they have diabetes. In addition, diabetes seems to strike more men than women but perhaps that’s because of work-related diets and stress.

Diabetes Symptoms

Some diabetic symptoms to watch: frequent urination, frequent thirst and an increased appetite, weight loss.

Diabetes Recipes – Your Weight and Diet Will Help You to Live Longer with Diabetes

An unhealthy diet can tax the body’s organs. After a prolonged regimen of unhealthy living, it is not uncommon for the body to break down. You can do your best to avoid this by eating nutritiously and exercising. Here is a good, easy and fun diabetic recipe:
Grilled Chicken Pizza

• 1 – 10-oz cornmeal pizza dough
• 1 – tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast, diced or chopped
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat, low-sodium marinara sauce – a good healthy marinara sauce can be prepared in 10 minutes
• 2 tbp chopped onion
• 1 tbp freshly grated Parmesan/Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Once the pizza dough is prepared, bake it for 3 minutes until you see the topside puff and bottom side lightly brown. Place toppings on top then bake again for 5 minutes or until the dough is cooked through and the toppings are well assimilated into the pizza dough.