- Either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to break down the sugar in the body. It is also called Type I diabetes whereby the patient has to inject insulin into his body. It is caused by an auto immune reaction where the body’s defense system attacks the insulin producing cells.
- Insulin being produced is insufficient. It is also called Type II diabetes. It is when the body does not or cannot use the insulin effectively. It is often related to lifestyle and eating pattern.

Diabetes is quite capable to affect all the parts of the body and their functions. Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood are seen. When the amount of glucose in the blood increases, it triggers the release of the hormone insulin from the pancreas. Insulin stimulates muscle and fat cells to remove glucose from the blood and stimulates the liver to metabolize glucose, causing the blood sugar level to decrease to normal range.

As a result of the steady percolation of sugar rich blood the functioning of nearly all the vital organs is impacted and over time, diabetes begins to dramatically impact and invariably damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and the nervous system. Diabetes is not age dependent. It can affect young as well as old.

A healthy lifestyle, moderate but regular exercise and a balanced diet may serve as a key to avoid a disease.
- Indulge in brisk walking for minimum of 30 minutes, 5 times a week.
- Maintain an ideal body weight.

Dietary sources include :
- Fortified eggs and oils derived from microalgae.
- Dark green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed oil and Soya.
- Cold-water fatty fish such as salmon, halibut, sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies and tuna and fish oils are the best overall source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Flaxseeds actually contain higher concentrations.
- Fruit juices and bread or other fortified foods (Kiwifruit, strawberries and Black Raspberry are very good sources in fruits).

Omega 3 fatty acids are the building blocks of our cell membranes and neurological system. They play a crucial role in many functions of the body.

Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

- A brain booster : The majority of the brain is made up of “good” fats knows as fatty acids, and the majority of this “good” fat is Omega-3. It actually increases learning ability, problem-solving skills, focus, memory, and communication between cells.
- Helps to maintain a healthy mental ability.
- It lowers the arthritis symptoms.
- Helps to loose weight.
- Regular consumption of fish oils may help diabetics by lowering their triglycerides and diabetes markers called apoproteins.
- Lubrication of skin arteries and digestive tract.
- Promote an increase in the levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol while also decreasing triglycerides or fatty material.
- Increases Immune System.
- Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Reduces skin ailments.
- Supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure significantly in individuals with hypertension.
- Essential fatty acids have been used to reduce inflammation and promote wound healing in burn victims.
- Reduces colon, prostate, breast cancer risk.
- EPA plus DHA can produce a 45% reduction in serum triglyceride level.

Negative effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

- It could cause more bleeding if somebody is already bruised.
- Gas, bloating and loose bowels may be experienced.
- People allergic to sea food should not take fish supplements.
- Pregnant and nursing women shouldn’t eat more than a single serving of oily fish per week.

Health Benefits of Banana :
- Banana is an energy booster.
- Bananas are fruits that are high in fiber, making them an ideal remedy for constipation and an alternative to chemical laxatives.
- Bananas are a natural source of potassium which helps to keep the body fluids and electrolyte balance in body cells and helps in regulating blood pressure.
- Bananas are not only a good source of B vitamins they also contain vitamin C, A.
- Banana is a rich source of iron, thus it is helpful in cases of anemia.
- The skin of the banana is said to help remove warts(cover the warts with the inner skin of banana).
- Banana is also helpful in Stomach ulcer (banana has a natural antacid), Colitis, Digestive disorder, Diarrhea, Constipation (banana is high in fiber), Hemorrhoids.
- Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
- Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood-sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
- Bananas are useful in the treatment of arthritis and gout. A diet of bananas only for three or four days is advisable in these conditions.
- One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey as it calms the stomach.
- Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
- Cooked banana flower eaten with curd is considered an effective medicine for menstrual disorders like painful menstruation and excessive bleeding.
- Bananas are an ideal fruit to be eaten when a person is suffering from ulcers.
- Eating bananas as part of a regular diet can reduce the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

Bananas and losing weight :
Bananas may be one of the best fruits to eat when attempting to lose weight. They are full of nutrients for increased energy and vitality. Bananas are also low in calories and fat, plus they have a high water content and potassium levels. A diet high in potassium foods and lower in sodium-loaded processed foods can help reduce water weight.
The daily diet is restricted to six bananas and four glasses of skimmed milk or buttermilk made from skimmed milk for a period of 10 to 15 days. Thereafter green vegetables may be introduced gradually, reducing the intake of bananas from six to four.

Storing Bananas :
Bananas need to be treated with care as they bruise easily. The ideal way to store bananas is to keep them at room temperature. In order to ripen bananas, you can either wrap them in a newspaper or keep them in a brown paper bag. If you store a banana in a fridge it will turn black. However it will still be edible.

Symptoms vary depending on the nerve(s) affected. They usually develop gradually over years.
- Digestive tract :
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Feeling full after only a few bites (early satiety)
* Nausea after eating
* Swollen abdomen
* Unintentional loss of more than 5% of body weight
* Vomiting of undigested food
- Heart :
* Sensation of what is going on in the heart is blunted.
* Blood pressure changes with position.
* Dizziness that occurs when standing up.
* Lacking oxygen, the heart feels pained, a condition called angina. But a diabetic may not feel anything, or realize anything is wrong.
- Urinary tract :
* Difficulty beginning to urinate.
* Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying.
* Urinary incontinence (overflow incontinence).
- Other symptoms :
* Abnormal sweating
* Fainting
* Heat intolerance, induced by exercise
* Male impotence
Occasionally, other symptoms may indicate a problem in the function of the autonomic nervous system, including:
* Difficulty swallowing
* Excessive sweating
* Irregular heart rhythms
* High blood pressure
* Rapid or slow heart rate

Treatment is supportive and may need to be long-term. Several treatments may be attempted before a successful one is found.
* Florinef and salt tablets to increase fluid volume in blood vessels.
* Fludrocortisone or similar medications to reduce postural hypotension.
* Medications to help with salt and fluid retention.
* Proamatine to prevent a drop in blood pressure when standing.
* Sleeping with the head raised.
* Use of elastic stockings.
Treatments for reduced gastric motility include:
* Medications that increase gastric motility (such as Reglan).
* Sleeping with the head raised.
* Small, frequent meals.

This complicates life for diabetics, who need to figure out whether they can drink harmful. So, is there a simple answer ? Well, guess you expected it – No. The simple answer is that it depends on what your complications are from diabetes; so if you are getting your diabetes checked on a regular basis with a doctor, questions about alcohol intake should be checked with a doctor. Below are some generic notes on the subject to help your awareness level.

- Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (such as wine, or hard drinks such as whiskey, rum, vodka, etc) is fine. In fact, small quantities of alcohol on a regular basis can help in terms of decreased risk for coronary disease, strokes, and help with insulin sensitivity. However, keep in mind that there is right now not much in terms of cause and effect medical studies to explain this; these conclusions are based on doing statistical analysis on a large number of patients (in the above case, moderate means 2 12oz amounts of beer, or 2 pegs of hard alcohol)
- Drinking larger amounts of alcohol on a regular basis is harmful
- Because the liver helps in generating glucose if blood sugar levels drop, this helps in preventing low blood sugar levels. However, with alcohol in the body, the liver treats this alcohol as a toxin and switches to cleaning the blood as a top priority. This means that if the blood sugar level drops, the liver will not help, and this increases the change of ending up with low levels of blood sugar. If you are drinking, make sure that you are not doing this on an empty stomach, and it may help to actually consume a light snack before going to sleep.
- Exercise helps in reducing blood sugar, so if you are going in for heavy exercise, followed by some time at the club consuming some type of alcohol, you could be risking low levels of blood sugar (since in both cases, you blood sugar level would drop)
- When you drink, especially something like beer (which is mostly empty calories), and you are trying to lose weight, you are actually under-cutting your weight reduction efforts
- When people drink stuff other than beer or wine, they usually add something to their drink (this could be a soda to the drink, or a cocktail), then unless you are adding a diet drink, you could be actually consuming a fair amount of sugar that you don’t even think about
- Heavy drinking has bad effects on your liver, and decreases the effectiveness of the liver in being able to pump glucose into your blood stream when the blood sugar level decreases
- In some cases, alcohol should not be drunk at all
A) When you are having nerve damage due to diabetes; in such cases the alcohol attacks the nerves causing more pain and damage. This is not related to high levels of drinking, and happens even when you are drinking moderately
B) If you have eye damage due to diabetes, reduce the alcohol intake, or cut it out altogether
C) For diabetics, there is a worry about a type of fat in the blood called triglyceride. These need to be under control, but for a number of diabetics, this is not the case. Alcohol intake causes more problems with triglyceride; hence alcohol intake should be cut or stopped.
D) If you have high blood pressure, then reduce or cut the alcohol intake.

While neither therapy produced desired results when used alone, the combination of insulin to control blood sugar together with the use of Vitamin C, stopped blood vessel damage caused by the disease in patients with poor glucose control, said researchers.
nsulin and many other drugs have long been used to control blood sugar, but Ihnat – in an earlier project with scientists in Italy and Hungary – found that cells have a “memory” that causes damage to continue even when blood sugar is controlled. By adding antioxidants like Vitamin C, Ihnat found that cell “memory” disappeared and cell function and oxidation stress were normalized. “For patients with diabetes, this means simply getting their glucose under control is not enough. An antioxidant-based therapy combined with glucose control will give patients more of an advantage and lessen the chance of complications with diabetes,” the expert added.

Of course, since this is research, and not yet a proven and stated scientific theory, this means that you cannot take this as treatment. However, if you are not getting enough Vitamin C in your diet, there is no problem with adding more Vitamin C.

2. Apricots - Combats cancer, Controls blood pressure, saves your eyesight, Shields against Alzheimer’s, Slows aging process.

3. Bananas - Protects your heart, Strengthens bones, Controls blood pressure, Blocks diarrhea.

4. Beans - Prevents constipation, Helps hemorrhoids, Lowers cholesterol, Combats cancer, Stabilizes blood sugar.

5. Beets - Controls blood pressure, Combats cancer, Strengthens bones, Protects your heart, Aids weight loss.

6. Blueberries - Combats cancer, Protects your heart, Stabilizes blood sugar, Boosts memory, Prevents constipation.

7. Broccoli - Strengthens bones, Saves eyesight, Combats cancer, Protects your heart, Controls blood pressure.

8. Cabbage - Combats cancer, Prevents constipation, Promotes weight loss, Protects your heart, Helps hemorrhoids.

9. Artichokes - Aids digestion, Lowers cholesterol, Protects your heart, Stabilizes blood sugar, Guards against liver disease.

10. Avocados - Battles diabetes, Lowers cholesterol, Helps stops strokes, Controls blood pressure, smooths skin.