Diabetes is a growing pandemic not only in third world countries, where close to 80 percent of diabetes cases are attributed to low income conditions, but also in the Western world, including the United States.  
Close to 350 million people all over the world have diabetes, with experts believing it could very well rise to become the world’s number 7 in the leading cause of death by 2030. In 2012 alone, more than one-and-a-half million people died because of diabetes. The good news is that Type 2 diabetes is highly preventable.

Understanding Diabetes

When you eat, carbohydrates are converted into energy-giving molecules known as glucose, or simply sugar. The sugar is transported from the blood and into the different cells of the body by a hormone called insulin. Insulin is the critical transport mechanism needed to move sugar from the blood and into the cell. 
In diabetes, there is a problem with insulin. In Type 1 diabetes, the body is not producing enough insulin or none at all because of a defect in the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin, or a problem in the production of insulin. In Type II diabetes, the pancreas is otherwise healthy and there is enough insulin in the body. But the main problem is that it cannot get inside the cell.

The end result of all these processes is that sugar in the blood accumulates while cells starve to death. This is because there is no insulin to carry the sugar from the blood and into the cell or that there are certain factors that are preventing insulin from carrying out its job.

Can it be Prevented?

Obviously, the problem with Type 1 is a genetic flaw with the production of insulin in the pancreas. So, there is very little that can be done to prevent it. However, Type II diabetes is highly preventable. 

Diabetes has been closely associated with obesity. Experts have compelling evidence that addressing obesity can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes. Prevention therefore will be directed towards the prevention of obesity or the management of weight issues.

• Regular exercises are essential to diabetes prevention. The greater the physical inactivity, the higher the risk for obesity and the greater the chances for diabetes. It is recommended that exercises should be performed at least three times a week.
• Eat healthy. Include whole grains and a lot of fiber in your diet. Think about portion control and the variety of foods that you eat. High fiber foods can significantly improve your ability to control sugar. Lose weight. Excess fat increases resistance to insulin making it more difficult to bring sugar into the cell. 

Diabetes prevention is more of a choice. By starting at a young age, having enough exercise and a healthy pattern of eating can significantly reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are health buff and would like to read more health topics visit this site.

It is true that happiness and health are subjective terms and vary significantly based on our experiences in life. As we grow older, life begins to take a new form, priorities and goals change, and the dreading issues of midlife crisis associated with old age has a tendency to lower the levels of happiness, which in turn can affect  our physical health. The following are the 5 things to avoid in order to have a healthier and happier life.

Negative Thinking

Intense emotions, loss of a family member, breakups, and so on, make you feel low. These negative and stressful situations can leave you feeling miserable. If you bottle up your feelings, they can come out in the form of negativity, anger, rejection, aggression, etc. Negative thinking can do incomparable harm to yourself on various levels. Just imagine a someone who has only negative thoughts filled his mind. Constant negativity can result in many harmful effects such as restlessness and anxiety. It can bring you down and develop a low self-esteem. Therefore, it prevents your growth as a person and from achieving your full potential.

Sitting All Day

Recreational sitting such as sitting in front of a TV for a long time increases the risk of heart related problems, in spite of your physical activity. Naturally, sitting at a desk for longer hours is not good either. People are usually engrossed in their work the whole day. Some even take their work home while others remain mentally occupied with their work. It eventually starts to take a toll on the mind.

Research has shown that sitting all day is bad for the health, no matter how much exercise you perform. Moreover, studies have connected excessive sitting to being obese, overweight, type 2 diabetes, premature death and certain types of cancer. Prolonged sitting is considered to slow the metabolism, which can affect the ability of the body to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, as well as break down fat deposits.

Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol disrupts the communication pathways of the brain, which can affect the way it functions. These disturbances can change the behavior and mood, making it more difficult to move with coordination and think clearly. Drinking excessively can weaken the immune system, causing the body an easier target for illnesses. Chronic drinkers are also at risk of contracting diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. In addition, drinking too much on one occasion reduces the ability of the body to ward off infections, even until the following day after getting drunk.

Eating Alone

Our diet is not fixed, as it changes after some time. Also, the ability to eat a healthy diet is influenced by the social environment, which includes factors such as friendships, marriage, cohabitation and general social interaction. As we age, we are less inclined to eat well, and the diet often suffers for those older people who are living alone.

People who eat alone are more prone to have a binge feeding. In addition, the eating habits suffer when a person eats alone. Lonely diners tend to eat less healthy meals and fewer vegetables. It seems that people make less effort to eat well when we are eating by ourselves as compared to when someone else is around. Seeing that an estimated one out of three employees eat lunch at their own desk alone, it is easy to figure out how this can contribute to major health problems in the long run.

Bad Relationships

There are people out there who are constantly involved in disappointing relationships. There seem to be always missing. Your needs are not met and your emotions undergo a roller coaster whenever that wrong person is around. If you are in a bad relationship now, you are in for failure without probably knowing it.

Those who are in a disruptive relationship are more likely to have a heart problem. It shows how crucial the quality of the relationship between two persons to the development of chronic illnesses, including congestive heart failure. Moreover, criticism and hostility, the two common behaviors in a negative relationship, can deteriorate the mental health of the person.

As you can see, your happiness and the well-being are related and you should not compromise these two. Ultimately, these positive elements can also reflect your financial and social success. Learn more about wellness and living a healthy lifestyle as you check out my previous article here.