November marks National Diabetes Month. We would like to take a little time to help you learn about diabetes and offer a few words of advice to those with diabetes to help them learn how to live their life to the fullest.
Over 20 million people in America suffer from Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and almost 80 million are at risk to develop DM at some point in their life time. According to diabetes.org recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have DM in 2050 unless we take steps to stop diabetes. The site also says someone is diagnosed with the disease every 17 seconds of every day, and diabetes kills more people each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
If you have DM, you know that caring for your health is very important. When someone first develops diabetes it will cause a significant change in their everyday life. People with diabetes have to constantly monitor their blood glucose levels, take medications and multivitamins regularly, exercise as much as possible, eat a healthy diet, get a lot of rest, and take good care of their hygiene such as their feet and mouth to prevent other infections or diseases.
Tips for Healthy Living:
1. It is important for someone who has DM to be compliant with their doctor’s orders concerning their medications and life style.
2. Leading a healthy lifestyle can also be a major factor in how someone who has DM feels and lives daily. Eating a healthy diet full of healthy carbs, fiber rich foods, heart healthy fish and good fats is very important. Exercising is also necessary; it will help your blood circulation and should be done regularly.
3. Keeping good hygiene is important so that one does not develop future illnesses or diseases. Taking good care of your feet and mouth is very important for circulation reasons as well as preventing bacteria buildup.
If you suffer from diabetes and follow these tips you can enjoy a better quality of life. It is important to learn more about this disease and how serious it is. Please spread awareness through the month of November. If you know someone who has diabetes, do what you can to help them live their life to the fullest.