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Living Heaithy With Diabetes The Basics Quite simply, diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. And while there's no mystery behind the fact that insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy, the exact cause of the disease remains unknown. The two major types of diabetes are Type 1, or insulin dependent and Type 2, the one af fecting the most Americans who are diag nosed with the disease. Factors like having a parent or sibling with the disease, being overweight and not getting enough exer cise increases the odds of developing Type 2 diabetes. Since we know that genetics and environmental factors appear to play important roles in the spreading of diabe tes, why not set a few reasonable diet and fitness goals? November is Diabetes Month ‘ t . ... -; . Meal Check //// *^ as an easy way to make sure you are eating a variety of healthful foods at each meal. No artistic talent necessary: when you sit down, simply draw an imaginary line through the center of your plate and then divide one of those halves into fourths. One fourth of your plate should be filled with grains or starchy foods; one fourth should be protein and the last half can be filled with non-starchy vegetables or salad. This may not be an ex act science, but it's a great way to get you focused on portion control. Also try heading off temptation before it gets the best of you. Send leftovers home with your guests, at restaurants - especially those known for gigantic portions - ask that half of your meal be wrapped up to take home or consider ordering an appetizer and side dish in place of an entree. If you simply can't pass up a bargain and that XXL-sized bag of snack food finds its way from the supermarket to your kitchen, divide it into Have fun planning an active weekend outdoors. Who knew that raking leaves or washing your car could provide such healthy rewards? single serving portions and store them in a hard-to-reach place. Sure, knowing what to eat can be confusing but if you stick to eating lots of vegetables and fruits, choose whole grains over pro cessed grains, brown rice or whole wheat pasta and fish 2-3 times a week, your body will thank you. Read any good labels lately? Ingredients are listed on labels in descending order by weight, meaning the first ingredient makes up the largest portion of the food. Make sure you zero in on things you'd like to avoid a lot of, like sugar or saturated fat. People with dia betes have the same nutritional needs as anyone else. The Ameri can Diabetes Association sug gests that you 'rate your plate,' Get Moving Physical activity can help you control not just your weight, but your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well. You may not think you are accustomed to regular physical activity but just look around you: skipping the elevator at work and taking the stairs; parking at the far end of the parking lot and walking to the store and getting off the bus a few blocks early are all things easily incorporated into your daily routine. Have fun planning an active weekend outdoors. Who knew that raking leaves or washing your car could provide such healthy rewards? Ready to pump it up a notch? Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, five or more days a week. What exactly is "moderate intensity?" Some examples are walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming or bicycling. If you are not accustomed to physical activity, you may want to start with a little exercise and work your way up. No matter what kind of exercise you do, you should warm up before you start and cool down when you're done. To warm up, spend 5 to 10 minutes doing a L ■ I wi al low-intensity exercise such as walking. Then gently stretch for another 5 to 10 minutes, repeating these steps when you cool down. Make sure to do physical activities you re ally like because the more fun you have, the more likely you are to stick with it. Finding a buddy of either the two or four-legged variety can also be helpful. According to the Centers for Disease Con trol and Prevention, as of 2002 there were 18.2 million cases of diabetes in the US with 1.3 new cases diagnosed every year. There are indirect costs of more than S4O billion associated with the disease in things like disability and loss of work. The incidence of diabetes is on the rise around the world and is directly linked to the rate of weight gain across the globe. There is good news, though, when it comes to the prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Modest weight losses as a result of diet and lifestyle modification have been found to make a dramatic difference in pre venting the development of the disease in people who are at risk. What are you waiting for? Get moving!