Risks Associated with Diabetes

This from Environmental Nutrition newsletter:

24 million Americans have diabetes, and the majority have type 2.

Those with diabetes have 4 times the risk of heart attacks or stroke – 65% of all people with diabetes will die of a heart attack or stroke as a result of the high sugar levels in the blood that increases blockage in blood vessels and impairs blood flow.

Loss of vision, because high sugar causes small blood vessels around the eye to swell and leak, leading to damage.

One in three with diabetes will develop kidney failure, because elevated blood sugar levels causes the kidneys to work overtime.

What can you do?

Get your numbers and track them religiously.

Eat the right, low-glycemic diet, and that means NO processed carbohydrates, juice or sugary drinks and instead eat lots of the right fruits and vegetables, lean protein (limit eggs) and only whole wheat carbohydrates in limited quantities.

Lose weight and perform lots and lots of strength training.

Jim