The season of festivities is behind us. We’ve had Eid, Navratri, Dusshera and lately Diwali and Halloween. There are tasty treats all around and resisting the urge to take just one more laddoo is futile! Since it’s World Diabetes Day, we are increasing awareness of the condition.
However, here comes the bad news — the overindulgence of tasty treats over the short time period causes diabetes to spiral out of control and is a dangerous time for people inclined to get diabetes as well.
Did you know that India has the highest number of diabetics in the world?
It is mostly type 2 diabetes that is prevalent in India. It normally affects people over 40. However, South Asians have a higher genetic pre-disposition to it and it can strike people as young as 25. Nearly 5 percent of the Indian populace have diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes
It’s the more common type (90 percent of diabetes cases), which is mostly supposed to affect adults. However, it has been shown to affect youngsters as well. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas is vital to control the sugar levels in blood. The sugar from food is absorbed from the intestines into blood. This blood then goes to different cells and releases the sugar, which are taken up by cells unlocked by insulin. If there is excess sugar, insulin helps in converting it into glycogen and storing it in the liver for future use.
If the insulin can’t perform its function to unlock cells or there is a deficiency in the insulin secreted, diabetes is the result.
There are some telltale signs. Since the cells get less sugar, the patients feel tired, lethargic and have the need to use the washroom frequently. They feel unusually hungry and thirsty. They lose weight suddenly and also have blurred vision and dry skin. Biggest sign of all is that any wounds take very long to heal.
How is this relevant to you now?
As Indians, we need to be extra careful because our genes make it easier for us to cross the threshold into diabetes, especially after festival season when we eat a lot more sugar, however our activity levels don’t increase accordingly. Our sedentary lifestyle coupled with our extra food intake is the reason for this hike in diabetics.
So what to do now?
The go to in these cases is always exercise. Enjoy all the mithais in moderation, however make sure to work off all the extra calories with a few more push-ups once the festivities are over! If you are a diabetic, don’t forget to take your insulin shots regularly. Go for a walk without fail, maybe for a little longer than you usually do, especially after all the heavy sugar intake. Also, take proper precautions while observing fasts so that your blood sugar doesn’t drop too much.
Don’t forget to check up on your sugar levels regularly!