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A question that deserves some attention as the Centers for Disease Control has estimated that 57 million people are in danger of becoming diagnosed with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, attributed mostly to poor food choices and lack of exercise, accounts for 95% of the 23 million diabetics already diagnosed in the United States.

No better time than now to evaluate your chances by understanding these 7 common symptoms of poor sugar choices in your diet.

1. Oops, Is That My Belly? The body’s storage capacity for carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, sweets and other starchy and sugary foods) is quite limited so any excess carbs are converted, via insulin, into fat and stored in the fatty tissue. Insulin, stimulated by excess carbohydrates is responsible for adipose fat. This is the type of fat that collects in your abdominal region causing bulging stomachs and fat rolls in thighs.

2. I’ve Lost My Spark? Do you feel tired in the morning, no energy for fun after work or lethargic after eating? Once simple sugars are digested in your body they are metabolized and should be available for energy. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body – it’s purpose is to be used for energy. However too much processed sugar disrupts the balance so that glucose can’t get into your cells and instead builds up in your blood, causing fatigue.

3. What’s Going On With All That Gas? Does your body feel sluggish? Is your digestion slow? A healthy gut is made up of the friendly microflora (good bacteria) that reside in your intestines and should keep you healthy and strong. Over time, antibiotics, pasteurized and processed foods, along with a lifestyle of constant stress will damage this inner ecosystem. An unhealthy inner ecosystem can lead to a digestive tract that functions inefficiently causing bloating, excess gas with constipation or diarrhea.

4. More and More Sugar, Please. Low blood sugar occurs when glucose is used up too quickly, glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly or too much insulin is released into the bloodstream. You may feel dizzy, fatigued, have double or blurry vision, rapid heart rate, cold sweats or unexplained nervousness. Your body is often craving that snack or sugary drink to relieve the symptom you have by raising the glucose level of your blood.

5. Only Old People Check Their Blood Pressure. High blood pressure often has no noticeable symptoms so don’t wait to start checking it. In a study conducted at the University of Colorado researchers found that people who consumed 74 grams or more per day of fructose had a 77% greater risk of having blood pressure levels of 160/100. For comparison, a normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80. Certain sugars break down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one of which is uric acid. Uric acid may be elevating your blood pressure.

6. How Can I Still Be So…..Hungry? Sugar is processed in the liver. When you eat too much sugar, your liver can’t process it fast enough, instead it turns it into fats which go into your bloodstream in the form of triglycerides High amounts of triglycerides causes your brain to sense starvation and prompts you to eat more even when you should be full.

7. Seems I am Eating Sweets To Feed Those Darn Yeast? Sugar encourages the growth of yeast and suppresses your body’s natural immunity. If you are experiencing recurring infections this is a sign that the digestive tract is out of balance. Without the proper amount of good bacteria in the gut, yeast and harmful bacteria will take over causing infections.

Learn about both the short term and long term complications that can arise from the mismanagement of diabetes in order to avoid irreparable damage.

Short Term:

Diabetic Ketoacidosis – While this is a short term complication it is also potentially fatal. Diabetic Ketoacidosis occurs when there is a rapid build-up of impurities (ketones) in the blood causing acid in the blood. The patient becomes dangerously dehydrated leading to potential coma and death. Immediate treatment by rehydration and insulin dosing to replace the electrolyte balance and flush the ketones from the blood can help the patient make a full recovery. This condition often requires admission to the hospital for proper treatment and assessment of metabolic damage to the system following recovery.

Yeast Infections – Both oral (Thrush) and vaginal yeast infections occur more frequently in patients with diabetes due to the increased levels of sugar in the saliva and urine. Thrush will present as an opaque white film on the tongue and interior of the mouth and unlike milk or dairy residue cannot be scrapped off without bleeding. The symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection are itching, burning, redness and an abnormal discharge. However, because many different vaginal infections and diseases can present in the same way, it is imperative to have a doctor correctly identify the source of the infection to ensure that you are treating it with the correct medication. Properly controlling your blood sugar and regulating your fluid levels is the best prevention for yeast infections. Prompt detection and doctor approved treatment can provide relief of the symptoms and a speedy recovery.

High Blood Pressure – Also known as hypertension, can lead to long term issues such as heart disease and stroke when left untreated. High blood pressure control through weight loss, exercise, healthy food choices and medications is an essential part of a healthy diabetic lifestyle. Although a serious concern for diabetics, high blood pressure is a treatable problem when it is detected early and the patient commits to blood pressure monitoring.

Diabetic Ulcers – This is a fancy term for open sores that occur due to diabetic neuropathy, slow wound healing and infections that are aggravated by poor circulation. There is a direct link between diabetic ulcers and a failure to properly control blood sugar levels. Treatment involves antibiotics for the infections, proper bandaging and wound care and potentially amputation of the affected limb when the wounds continue to progress despite medical care. Amputations can often be avoided through diligent attention to foot care and fastidious treatment of even the smallest cut or abrasion, regular exercising to strengthen the circulatory system and maintaining balanced levels of blood glucose levels.

Long Term:

Diabetic Nephropathy – The kidneys begin to malfunction and stop processing protein properly, allowing it to be flushed out with the urine. Unfortunately, there is no cure once kidney disease has begun, although you can only slow the progress of the deterioration. Often diagnosed by the increased levels of protein in a urine test, other symptoms of diabetic nephropathy include obvious water retention, vomiting, fatigue, itching and dry skin and recurrent hiccups. As the kidneys continue to fail, the patient will need to use dialysis to cleanse the blood of impurities while they await a transplant. Clearly prevention is the best option.

Heart Disease and Stroke – Diabetics have an increased risk of developing heart disease and/or stroke at an earlier age than the rest of the population due to a diabetic’s tendency towards high blood pressure. Heart attacks and strokes are both urgent and life threatening conditions that are treatable if caught in the early stages. However, they can each have lasting debilitating ramifications so prevention through healthy lifestyle choices is the best protocol.

Diabetic Neuropathy – This is a term for the nerve damage caused by diabetes. The blood vessels that connect to the nerves are impaired creating several different reactions by the body. The affected nerves can be found in the peripheral limbs such as hands and feet or internally, affecting the major organs. With the loss of sensation comes an inability to function properly which could be dangerous for a diabetic with nerve damage affecting their digestive tract. If the nerves are damaged in such a way that they continue to fire messages to the brain without stopping, the diabetic may find themselves in continuous pain. Many diabetics experience intense foot pain due to neuropathy and find some relief through the use of compression stockings and diabetic socks. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy involves a mixture of different pain alleviating medications as well as tighter control of blood glucose levels and some physiotherapeutic treatments of electrical nerve stimulation. There isn’t a cure for this complication, so properly managing your blood glucose levels and maintaining a healthy circulatory system is the best prevention.

Diabetic Retinopathy – This complication can lead to complete blindness. The retina (part of the eye) is damaged through poorly controlled levels of sugar in the blood. There are generally little to no symptoms of the development of diabetic retinopathy and it is usually caught through a regular eye exam. If caught early and treated, vision can be mostly restored.

Diabetics need a special diet. They need to watch what they eat to help regulate their blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels could rise and fall depending on the amount and type of food consumed. For people suffering from diabetes this becomes unpredictable and therefore could become deadly if not managed properly. High blood sugar levels could lead to several health complications, while really low blood sugar levels could result into a diabetic coma.

However, this does not mean that diabetics could not eat certain foods. They can, in fact, eat what they want, as long as it’s in the right proportions. A diabetes menu should be low in sugar and should contain plenty of vitamins and proteins. If you’re a diabetic, you might want to learn how to read the nutritional labels on foods. There are also books that could help you understand the nutritional values of certain foods. Like for example, when something is said to be sugar free, it doesn’t always mean that it is. If it’s listed as having carbohydrates on its nutritional label then technically it has sugar in it.

If you’re planning to start a diabetic menu, it’s best to consult a dietician or perhaps purchase a diabetic cookbook. Cookbooks such as those can provide you with diabetes friendly recipes. They can also help teach you what to buy or eat, and what to avoid.

You might also want to check out the glycaemic index or GI. The GI rates how much certain foods can affect the blood sugar levels. Foods that have high GI rates cause the blood sugar levels to rise quickly. These are carbohydrates that are broken down easily during digestion, causing the rise in the blood sugar levels. While foods that have low GI rates are carbohydrates that are broken down little by little during digestion, causing a slower rise in the blood glucose levels.

If you’re looking for a healthy diabetic menu, you need to include more low ranking GI foods into your diet. Some low GI foods include condensed fat yogurt and milk; orchard fruits like pears, apples, peaches and oranges; sweet potatoes; sweet corn; whole grain breads and other breads like fruit loaves, soy and linseed; basmati or doongara rice; breakfast cereals like oats, porridge and bran; pasta and noodles; and legumes.

You also need to watch out for the types of condiments you use. Condiments such as ketchup, steak sauce should be used in moderation. These contain sugars so you should be careful in using them. Flour also contains carbohydrates, so anything that has breading on it like crispy fried chicken or breaded pork, should be consumed sparingly.

Preparing a diabetes menu may seem trivial but once you get started on it, it won’t seem so difficult and complicated. You just need to educate yourself on which foods you should eat more and which ones you should avoid, which brands you should buy and which ones that are better left on the shelves. You also need to be willing to stick to your menu. All it takes is a little effort and you’d be one your way to a better and healthier life.

Natural diabetes cure is it a fact or just a fiction? It is never a fiction but real fact. The whole thing is that people in the medical field does not believe that diabetes is reversible but if you make simple changes in your lifestyle you can get rid of your diabetes.

As with all medical treatments as well as natural cures for diabetes, you should consult your doctor before beginning or ending any treatments.

Today there are tested and trusted natural diabetes cures available that one can use to cure his/her diabetes; also, these options such as biofeedback, vitamins, herbs, acupuncture, meditation, and minerals are considered as diabetes treatments.

Vitamins and minerals are very important to our overall good health. Do you know that any lack of magnesium can cause type 2 diabetes to be deteriorating? Chromium and Vanadium can help stabilize glucose levels for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is believed that cinnamon assist in fat cell recognition of insulin which helps to reduce and control blood sugar levels. Also garlic can improve circulation, reduce cholesterol, fight high blood pressure and unclog arteries. Others like: Ginger, Blueberry, Milk Thistle, Fenugreek, Bitter Melon (Fu-Qua), Dandelion Root.

Acupuncture has been around for centuries in eastern medicine. They use them to treat chronic pain by releasing bound up energy in the body. In case you don’t know, this disease called diabetes can cause chronic pain to diabetes victims.

Biofeedback or meditation can as well help in reversing diabetes. Since both of them can reduce stress and help the patient relax. It has been proven that stress and negative thinking can decrease your immune system and intensify existing health problems.

Some other methods include herbs like Ginseng. As some studies have shown that American ginseng can lower glucose level though the exact amount varies.

Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin that is essential for organ health and decreases in your body as you get older. The antioxidant effects are very important and it controls free radicals. It also plays a big part in creating energy in the body.

Lastly, a natural diabetes cure is now available and you can set yourself free by means of it, like I said before that it does not have side effect. Remember that no matter which natural cure for diabetes you incorporate, there is need to consult your doctor before starting the treatment.

A good number of diabetics die from heart attacks not even diabetes. Insulin gradually eats away major arterial linings. Added to insulin is high blood sugar levels which harm your smaller blood vessels and nerve endings.

That is why diabetes causes millions of folks to suffer the loss of quality of life. A big thanks to discoveries in the new science of natural medicine, diabetes may soon be a thing of the past.