Submitted by Jodi Melsness, Home Care Solutions

Diabetes occurs when your body cannot properly use or produce insulin, a hormone made in your pancreas. Insulin helps your body bring glucose (sugar) from your blood into your cells where it can be used for energy. There are several types of diabetes, and all can be controlled with the right blend of lifestyle changes and medical management.

Millions of people nationwide already have this incurable disease and millions are at risk for developing it. This disease leads to serious complications such as kidney failure and blindness and is also related to another serious illness, heart disease.

Who is at risk for this disease? Have you put on a few extra pounds lately? Are you more than 20-30 pounds overweight? Are you physically inactive? Are your blood pressure or cholesterol levels high? If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions, you’re at risk for this disease. The disease is Type 2 diabetes—the seventh leading cause of death in this country.

There is no cure for diabetes. What’s more, once you have it, you are at risk for other serious health problems including strokes, heart disease, depression, amputation and blindness.

What can you do to prevent Diabetes? Getting regular physical activity and losing weight are two important things that can prevent diabetes. Simple ways to improve your health are:

• Get active—go for walks on your lunch hour
• Take up strength training
• Quit smoking
• Do some form of aerobic exercise two or three times a week
• Eat smart and watch portion control