What Is Type Two Diabetes

What Is The Benefit Of Cheese For Type 2 Diabetes

What Is Type 2 Diabetes? | 2 Minute Guide | Diabetes UK

Cheese can be included in any diet because it contains protein, vitamins and minerals, and healthy fats. Cheese can be a great addition to a type 2 diabetes diet as long as it is consumed in moderation.

At least one study¹ has found that cheese may actually be able to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Which Fasting Plan Is Best

The term intermittent fasting does not refer to a single well-defined practice. Several different approaches fall under the intermittent fasting umbrella. The three most common and well-studied are known as time-restricted eating, alternate-day fasting, and the 5:2 diet.

The first of thesetime-restricted eatinginvolves squeezing all of your days calories into a single feeding window of six to eight hours. For example, someone on this diet may eat between noon and 6 p.m. each day, and avoid all caloric foods and drinks for the other 18 hours of the day. Meanwhile, someone on an alternate-day-fasting diet eats normally one day, but the next day consumes few or no calories. Finally, the 5:2 diet involves eating normally five days a week but fasting on the other two days.

There are many variations of each of these plans. At this point, its unclear which of these, if any, is optimal for people with Type 2 diabetes. I think time-restricted eating is probably the most common, followed by fasting two days a week, Horne says. But at the moment, I would say there is not one plan that stands out as a best option. The right plan, he adds, is the one a patient will stick with. Even if the more intense fasting programs turn out to be most beneficial, that doesnt really matter if people cant adhere to it.

Who Gets Type 2 Diabetes

No one knows for sure what causes type 2 diabetes. But many kids who develop it have at least one parent with diabetes and a family history of the disease, so there seems to be a genetic risk.

Most people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Excess fat makes it harder for the cells to respond to insulin, and not being physically active makes this even worse. Type 2 diabetes used to mostly affect adults, but now more and more U.S. kids and teens, especially those who are overweight, are developing the disease.

Also, kids in puberty are more likely to have it than younger kids, probably because of normal rises in hormone levels that can cause insulin resistance during this stage of fast growth and physical development.

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Heres How You Can Get Started:

Work with your doctor to determine what level of physical activity you should engage in
Figure out how much time per day you can devote to exercise
Set fitness goalshaving clear goals can help you stay motivated
Consider where youll start working outthe gym, in your neighborhood, in a park?
Build different activities into your daily routine
Start slowly and allow for recovery time
Keep track of what you do and stay focused on your goals
Listen to your body

How Can I Help My Child

Diabetes is a chronic condition that needs close attention. You’ll be your child’s most important partner in learning to live with it.

Kids or teens with type 2 diabetes may need to:

Get to and maintain a normal body weight.
Monitor blood sugar levels regularly.
Eat a healthy diet, as determined by the care team.
Get regular physical activity to achieve a healthy weight and allow insulin to work more effectively.
Take insulin or other medicines that help the body respond to insulin more effectively.
Work closely with their doctors and diabetes health care team to get the best possible diabetes control.
Be watched for signs of complications and other diabetes-related health problems.

Living with diabetes is a challenge for anyone, but kids and teens often have special issues to deal with. Young kids might not understand why they need blood tests and medicines. They might be scared, angry, and uncooperative.

Teens may feel different from their peers and want a more carefree lifestyle than their diabetes allows. Even when they faithfully follow their treatment schedule, they might feel frustrated if the natural body changes of puberty make their diabetes somewhat harder to control.

Having a child with diabetes may seem overwhelming at times, but you’re not alone. If you have questions or problems, reach out to the diabetes health care team they can help with medical issues, and are there to support and help you and your child.

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Importance Of Early Diagnosis

An early diagnosis may help prevent complications.

Recognizing the early signs of type 2 diabetes can allow a person to get a diagnosis and treatment sooner. Getting appropriate treatment, making lifestyle changes, and controlling blood sugar levels can greatly improve a persons health and quality of life and reduce the risk of complications.

Without treatment, persistently high blood sugar levels can lead to severe and sometimes life-threatening complications, including:

Why Cheese May Help Control Your Blood Sugar

It turns out that cheese may be able to help control blood sugar. This is because most cheeses contain little to no carbohydrates, putting them very low on the glycemic index scale.

An important part of managing diabetes is knowing where different foods fall on the GI scale to understand how that food will affect their blood sugar level.

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What’s New In The Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes

Doctors and researchers are developing new equipment and treatments to help kids deal with the special problems of growing up with diabetes.

Some kids and teens already use new devices that make blood glucose testing and insulin injections easier and more effective. One of these is the insulin pump, a mechanical device that can be programmed to deliver insulin more like the pancreas does.

Researchers are also testing ways to stop diabetes before it starts. For example, scientists are studying whether diabetes can be prevented in those who may have inherited an increased risk for the disease.

What Problems Can Happen With Type 2 Diabetes

What Is Type 2 Diabetes

Sometimes, kids and teens with type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, or obesity might develop thick, dark, velvet-like skin around the neck, armpits, groin, between fingers and toes, or on elbows and knees a cosmetic skin condition called acanthosis nigricans. This skin darkening can lighten over time with improvement in insulin resistance.

Polycystic ovary syndrome in girls is also often associated with insulin resistance. This hormone problem can make the ovaries become enlarged and develop cysts . Girls with PCOS might have irregular periods, might stop having periods, and may have excess facial and body hair growth. It also can cause fertility problems.

People with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes are also more likely to develop hypertension or abnormal levels of blood fats . When these problems cluster together, it’s called metabolic syndrome. People with metabolic syndrome are at risk for heart disease, stroke, and other health problems.

Diabetes also can cause heart disease and stroke, as well as other long-term complications, including eye problems, kidney disease, nerve damage, and gum disease. While these problems don’t usually show up in kids or teens who’ve had type 2 diabetes for only a few years, they can affect them in adulthood, particularly if their diabetes isn’t well controlled.

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Who Is At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes

You are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you:

Are over age 45. Children, teenagers, and younger adults can get type 2 diabetes, but it is more common in middle-aged and older people.
Have prediabetes, which means that your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes
Had diabetes in pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more.
Have a family history of diabetes
Are overweight or have obesity
Are Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
Are not physically active
Have low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides
Have acanthosis nigricans – dark, thick, and velvety skin around your neck or armpits

Being Overweight Or Obese

You’re more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you’re overweight or obese with a body mass index of 30 or more.

Fat around your tummy particularly increases your risk. This is because it releases chemicals that can upset the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

This increases your risk of developing a number of serious conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

Measuring your waist is a quick way of assessing your diabetes risk. This is a measure of abdominal obesity, which is a particularly high-risk form of obesity.

Women have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes if their waist measures 80cm or more.

Asian men with a waist size of 89cm or more have a higher risk, as do white or black men with a waist size of 94cm or more.

Exercising regularly and reducing your body weight by about 5% could reduce your risk of getting diabetes by more than 50%.

Read about measuring your waist size

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Receiving A Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

Whether or not you have prediabetes, you should see your doctor right away if you think you may be experiencing symptoms of diabetes. Your doctor can get a lot of information from blood work. Diagnostic testing may include the following:

Hemoglobin A1C test.This test measures average blood glucose levels for the previous 2 or 3 months. You dont need to fast for this test, and your doctor can diagnose you based on the results. Its also called a glycosylated hemoglobin test.
Fasting plasma glucose test. This test measures how much glucose is in your plasma. You may need to fast for 8 hours before taking it.
Oral glucose tolerance test. During this test, your blood is drawn three times: before, 1 hour after, and 2 hours after you drink a dose of glucose. The test results show how well your body deals with glucose before and after the drink.

If you have diabetes, your doctor will provide you with information about how to manage the disease, including:

how to monitor blood glucose levels on your own
dietary recommendations
physical activity recommendations
information about any medications that you need

You may need to see an endocrinologist who specializes in the treatment of diabetes. Youll probably need to visit your doctor more often at first to make sure your treatment plan is working.

Your Body Mass Index Matters

Body mass index is a number calculated from a persons weight and height. Most health professionals rely on BMI to assess whether their patients are overweight or have obesity . All adults who are overweight should talk to their doctor about getting tested for type 2 diabetes.

People of Asian heritage in the normal weight range may have too much visceral fat and be at risk of type 2 diabetes at a lower BMI. Researchers now suggest that people of Asian heritage get tested if their BMI is 23 or more.

Causes Of Type 1 Diabetes

The bodys immune system is responsible for fighting off foreign invaders, such as harmful viruses and bacteria.

In people with type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakes the bodys own healthy cells for foreign invaders. The immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. After these beta cells are destroyed, the body is unable to produce insulin.

Researchers dont know why the immune system sometimes attacks the bodys own cells. It may have something to do with genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to viruses. Research into autoimmune diseases is ongoing.

Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Prevented

You can take steps to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by losing weight if you are overweight, eating fewer calories, and being more physically active. If you have a condition which raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, managing that condition may lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Will I Need Medication Or Insulin For Type 2 Diabetes

Some people take medication to manage diabetes, along with diet and exercise. Your healthcare provider may recommend oral diabetes medications. These are pills or liquids that you take by mouth. For example, a medicine called metformin helps control the amount of glucose your liver produces.

You can also take insulin to help your body use sugar more efficiently. Insulin comes in the following forms:

Injectable insulin is a shot you give yourself. Most people inject insulin into a fleshy part of their body such as their belly. Injectable insulin is available in a vial or an insulin pen.
Inhaled insulin is inhaled through your mouth. It is only available in a rapid-acting form.
Insulin pumps deliver insulin continuously, similar to how a healthy pancreas would. Pumps release insulin into your body through a tiny cannula . Pumps connect to a computerized device that lets you control the dose and frequency of insulin.

Type 2 Diabetes Complications

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes

Over time, high blood sugar can damage and cause problems with your:

Heart and blood vessels. Youâre up to five times more likely to get heart disease or have a stroke. Youâre also at high risk of blocked blood vessels and chest pain .
Kidneys. If your kidneys are damaged or you have kidney failure, you could need dialysis or a kidney replacement.
Eyes. High blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels in the backs of your eyes . If this isnât treated, it can cause blindness.
Nerves. This can lead to trouble with digestion, the feeling in your feet, and your sexual response.
Skin. Your blood doesnât circulate as well, so wounds heal slower and can become infected.
Pregnancy. Women with diabetes are more likely to have a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or a baby with a birth defect.
Sleep. You might develop sleep apnea, a condition in which your breathing stops and starts while you sleep.
Hearing. Youâre more likely to have hearing problems, but itâs not clear why.
Brain. High blood sugar can damage your brain and might put you at higher risk of Alzheimerâs disease.
Depression. People with the disease are twice as likely to get depressed as people who donât have it.

The best way to avoid these complications is to manage your type 2 diabetes well.

Take your diabetes medications or insulin on time.
Eat right, and don’t skip meals.
See your doctor regularly to check for early signs of trouble.

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Risks In Eating Cheese With Type 2 Diabetes

There are some risks associated with eating cheese for people with type 2 diabetes. These risks are usually associated with cheese overconsumption.

Eating cheese in moderation has health benefits, but overdoing it can negatively impact health. One of the main risk factors associated with eating cheese with type 2 diabetes is an increased risk of obesity, as many kinds of cheese are calorie-dense.

People with diabetes and insulin resistance are already at risk for obesity, so avoiding foods that can increase this risk is essential for diabetics.

Additionally, according to Hopkins Medicine, the risk of developing heart disease is four times higher² in people with diabetes that have elevated blood pressure. Consuming too much sodium can cause an increase in blood pressure, so it is important to limit salt intake to keep it under control.

Several kinds of cheese have high salt contents, so eating them in moderation is essential to staying healthy.

Cheese is also high in saturated fats. These fats are harmless in small amounts, but in large ones can contribute to weight gain, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Consuming too much cheese can increase the risk of developing these conditions.

Finally, chronic and excessive fat consumption plays a role in insulin resistance development. Therefore, in the long term, cheese consumption on a high-calorie diet can increase insulin resistance and facilitate diabetes development.

How Does Diabetes Affect The Body

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

Both types of diabetes are chronic diseases that affect the way your body regulates blood sugar, or glucose. Glucose is the fuel that feeds your bodys cells, but to enter your cells it needs a key. Insulin is that key.

People with type 1 diabetes dont produce insulin. You can think of it as not having a key.

People with type 2 diabetes dont respond to insulin as well as they should and later in the disease often dont make enough insulin. You can think of it as having a broken key.

having cuts or sores that dont heal properly

People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may also experience irritability, mood changes, and unintentional weight loss.

People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may also have numbness and tingling in their hands or feet. Good glucose management significantly reduces the risk of developing numbness and tingling in someone with type 1 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association .

Although many of the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar, they present in very different ways.

Many people with type 2 diabetes wont have symptoms for many years, and their symptoms often develop slowly over the course of time. Some people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms at all and dont discover they have the condition until complications arise.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have similar names, but theyre different diseases with unique causes.

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