Diabetes mellitus is commonly known as diabetes. It has also been called the silent killer. Regardless of how much the fitness and health buffs want to stay free of concerns posed by common health disorders, they need to make simple changes they often overlook. According to certain health professionals, some ordinary daily activities, when overlooked, pose implicit health issues which may still put them at risk of having diabetes.
The health-oriented individual manages to get so involved in their gym activities that they often overlook daily habits that silently are increasing critical health stress factors and reducing more than weight. Members of a gym or healthy-oriented population, who pay little attention to the cumulative results of certain ritualistic tendencies in their life, forget the threat of a disorder such as diabetes. Many fitness buffs will rush to the gym after a stressful day at work, miss a meal, or hassle over arriving to work on time after the pressures of the morning. What is wrong with this picture? Is diabetes mellitus really a threat to otherwise healthy people?
A Few Facts
There is no way of getting around the facts about Diabetes mellitus. According to reports by Health and Safety Magazine, “diabetes has been called an epidemic in America. A 2014 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 29.1 million people in the United States – almost 10 percent of the population – have the disorder. Of those, 8.1 million are undiagnosed.” Hence, current reports show that diabetes is on the rise. These statistics are reason enough to concern every member of society and get personally educated to this disorder.
What to Look For
In a time of increased pressures, some of the mistakes fitness buffs and health-oriented people make are common and ordinarily considered unavoidable. For them, Diabetes mellitus is something that does not need be a part of one’s life. However, if habits continue to be injurious to health, consequences could ultimately place one in the group experiencing pre-diabetic symptoms. The following are some of the most obvious symptoms to look for. However, consultation with a medical professional is always recommended.
- Blurred vision
- Unusual weight loss
- Extreme fatigue – no matter how much sleep one gets
- Frequent urination
- Increase thirst and/or hunger
- Numbness and tingling in hands or feet
- Frequent infections especially on skin, gums, or bladder
- Cuts or bruises that are slow to heal
What to Change
In order to be truly healthy, fit, and able to enjoy life, it is necessary to follow a few simple precautions. Mistakes are only mistakes when they are intentionally repeated after having learned of the threats some of these errors could pose to health.
- Changing diet – not necessary to give up anything, simply change, more fiber, avoiding oils, avoid processed foods
- Adding more fiber – using whole grains
- Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables
- Eliminating as much stress as possible – taking nature walks
- Eliminating smoking and drinking habits
Many very busy people, especially fitness and health nuts who have adopted schedules around their life, should perhaps pay careful attention to what they are doing cumulatively. Skipping meals causes blood sugar to rise because the liver releases sugar into the body since it is not getting adequate nourishment. The habit of packing too much into schedules is a fundamental reason in need of change to avoid diabetes mellitus. Habits such as rushing out to the gym, skipping a meal, and getting on with a stressful life without checking on health factors of these activities cause serious concerns. These simple yet common activities, in the long run, cause blood sugar problems.
Much of the reason there is an intensity in fitness and health consciousness may come from the boosted media attention to the arguable concern that diabetes is increasingly found among the overweight. According to reports on Healthline, “Due to the rise in obesity in the U.S. over the past few decades, type 2 diabetes continues to be the most common form of diabetes. It accounts for 90 to 95 percent of those diagnosed.” However, fitness and health buffs certainly have their own issues.
Diabetes mellitus is not a chief concern in the seemingly healthy lifestyle of fitness buffs. Nevertheless, hidden mistakes that the health-conscious make are serious enough to call for a second look. Diabetes mellitus is not a disease that can typically be cured, it is a disorder that one manages. Awareness of simple facts and education to avoidable common mistakes are just as important to the fitness buff as to the couch-potato.
By Jeanette O’Donnal
Edited By Leigh Haugh
Health US News: Myths And Misconceptions About Diabetes Busted
Fitness Magazine: The Health Mistake Fit Women Make
UCSF Health: Diabetes Mellitus Signs And Symptoms
Health Line: More Than Half of US Adults Have Diabetes or Prediabetes
Feature Image Courtesy of Alisha Vargas’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline/Text Image Courtesy of Pan American Health Organization Flickr Page – Creative Commons License