SURVIVOR GUIDE – DEFEATING DIABETES – Audiobook

Diabetes has become one of the major pandemics in our world. The common symptoms of diabetes are: excessive thirst and hunger, general body weakness, poor eye-sight, slow-healing wounds and, in some cases, weight-loss. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney damage, immune disorder, amputation, stroke, heart disease and even death. The risk factors include: poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress and genetic weakness. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

DIABETES TYPE 1

Type 1 diabetes, which is also called ‘insulin dependent diabetes,’ usually occurs among children and cannot be cured. Type 1 diabetes is caused when the immune system damages the cells in the pancreas which is responsible for making insulin. The body then has to depend on artificial insulin, which is injected on a daily basis. Since diabetics

cannot survive without insulin, it is now officially called insulin depended diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

It is recommended that mothers with babies invest in the health of the child through exclusive breast-feeding. Research has found that consumption of mother’s milk, and not artificial alternatives, during the first six months of a child’s life, greatly lowers the risk for type 1 diabetes.