Diabetes for all purposes is simply the body’s lack of ability to control glucose in the blood. It is estimated that approximately 90% of diabetes is preventable because it is a direct result of lifestyle choices one makes. These are done by the foods we eat and the exercise, or to be more accurate, the lack of exercise we do.

There are three different forms of diabetes that people can get. They are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes also known as childhood or juvenile diabetes, is generally acquired by children. The pancreas is unable to produce insulin due to the immune system attacking the insulin producing cells causing the deficiency in glucose. Type 1 diabetes is treated with medications like insulin inhalers or injections.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is found in about 95% of all diabetics. It is most commonly linked to diet, lack of exercise and obesity and is a result of the pancreas not producing insulin entirely or not producing enough insulin to regulate your glucose.

Controlling type 2 diabetes can be done with medication like insulin shots or a pill taken orally. It can also be controlled with diet and exercise and this is important to understand because it can also be reversed with diet and exercise.

Some of the warning signs to look for that can increase your risk of having type 2 diabetes can include obesity, lack of exercise, a diet high in saturated fat, drinking a lot of alcohol, high blood pressure, age, and developing gestational diabetes in pregnant mothers.

Gestational diabetes is not very common. This is due the fact that it affects approximately 4% of pregnant women. When hormones are released during pregnancy it can cause a women to experience a high glucose level. Gestational diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot adjust to the changes.

All women in the US who are pregnant will get a diabetes test during the pregnancy. There are risk factors that can increase the odds of having gestational diabetes and they can include having gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy, a family history of diabetes, previously giving birth to a stillborn or a very large baby over 9 pounds, and being overweight or obese when you become pregnant.

When a person is healthy the pancreas secretes glucose in relation to the foods eaten. This is why it is so important to eat healthy and exercise. By consistently eating the wrong kinds of foods the pancreas just can’t keep up. If you don’t take care of your body it will break down into all forms of disease including diabetes.