Prevention of Diabetes
Diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle modification which centres mainly on regular physical activities (exercise) and good eating habit.

Physical Activity And Exercise
This is crucial in order to avoid diabetes. It has the following benefits:

It helps blood glucose control.

It helps keep your weight down.

It helps keep your blood pressure down.

It helps raise HDL (High-density lipoprotein) which is good cholesterol.

It helps lower  LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), i.e. bad cholesterol.

Everyone should try to make physical activity part of his daily life. One should try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise or physical activity each day.

If you have not done any exercise for a while, start gently and build up gradually. Physical activity helps control blood glucose level. Remember that exercise is good for everybody. The benefits are enormous for physical and mental health. It makes one become stronger and fitter.

The following are examples of recommended exercises:
Fast walking,  swimming, cycling (level terrain, perhaps some slight hills), dancing, rowing and mowing the lawn, to mention a few.

Exercise helps get your body mass index (BMI) to the normal weight. An individual with BMI of less than 18.5 is said to be underweight, while normal weight starts with BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight is between BMI of 25 and 30. BMI of less 30.0 is regarded as obese.

Good Diet
A person who wants to prevent diabetes will have to watch what, how much and when he/she eats which helps to control lipids and glucose level. Meal planning needs to be consistent so that the food and insulin can work together to control blood glucose levels. Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Foods that are highly nutritious, low in fat, and low in calories are the best.

We should aim to consume the same quantity of food, with varying portions of carbohydrate (25 per cent), proteins (15 per cent), fats (2.5 per cent), fruit (7.5 per cent) and vegetable (50 per cent) each day. Not all carbohydrates are the same in terms of their glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) describes what effect certain foods can have on our blood glucose levels. A high GI tends to cause more blood glucose fluctuations than a low one.

Management Of Diabete
Before insulin was discovered in 1921, diabetes was a fatal disease— most patients would die within a few years of its onset. Things have changed a great deal since then.

Discovery Of Insulin
In 1921, Dr. Frederick Banting of the University of Toronto, Canada, along with medical student, Charles Best, discovered insulin.

The management of patient with Type 1 diabetes is mainly by injecting insulin, with some dietary and exercise adherence. If you have Type 1 diabetes and follow a healthy eating plan, do adequate exercise, and take insulin, you can lead a normal life. There are famous diabetic patients who have achieved great things! Examples include late Anthony Enahoro, Sonny Okosun, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Alhaji Mahmud Waziri, Governor Adebayo Adefarati, Alhaji Adedibu, among others.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes are usually managed with tablets, exercise and dietary adjustments, but sometimes insulin injections are also required. The quantity of insulin intake must be closely linked to how much food you consume, as well as when you eat. Your daily activities will also have a bearing on when and how much insulin you take.

A person with diabetes has to have his/her blood glucose levels checked periodically. There is a blood test called the HbA1C which tells you what your average blood glucose levels were over a three-month period. As the risk of heart and blood vessel disease is much higher for a diabetic, it is crucial that blood pressure and cholesterol levels are monitored regularly.

The Aims Of Diabetes Management
The main aim of diabetes management is to keep the following under control: blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels

High and low blood glucose: The patient will need to make sure his/her blood glucose levels do not fluctuate too much.

Hypoglycemia: Low blood glucose can have a bad effect on a diabetic. Hypoglycemia can cause shakiness, anxiety, palpitations, sweating, clamminess, cold and hunger. Other complaints include abdominal discomfort, headache, depression, moodiness, apathy, tiredness, fatigue, daydreaming, confusion, dizziness, bad coordination, slurred speech, seizures and coma.

Hyperglycemia: When blood glucose is too high, it also leads to complications developing. Hyperglycemia can cause polyphagia (frequent hungry), polydipsia (a state of being frequently thirsty), polyuria (frequent urination), blurred vision, extreme tiredness, weight loss, among others.

Youth And The Risk Of Diabetes
Those who are overweight face the greatest risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes is most likely to occur in persons with a family history of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes currently affects over 100 million people worldwide and there are estimates that this is going to more than double by the year 2020. In particular, it is an emerging problem among children and youths of developing countries.

Type 2 diabetes emergence in children and youth: The highest number of Type 2 diabetes cases in developed countries is now found in childhood, and increasing numbers is being reported. The Pima

Indians in Southern Arizona have had an alarmingly high number of cases for many years.
Concluded