Diabetes Basics

Children grow fast. Diabetes in children is growing faster.

Well, diabetes in children is a recent phenomenon. Anything that is a recent phenomenon, lead us to the question mark, why and from where this disease has cropped up? What are the reasons for its arrival? When the reasons for its arrival are identified, the plans for its departure can also be formulated.

Juvenile diabetes is also known as Type I diabetes. This type of diabetes requires a regular shot of insulin for sustaining the body function! A child requiring insulin shots on regular basis- what a heart-rending sight it is! Many Children now have Type II diabetes also which was once considered as the disease that can attack only the adult population.

Whatever be the disease, you need first to know the root cause of the disease. Only by understanding the disease, you can decide the right course of treatment for it.

Even if there is a history of diabetes in the family, you should be careful about the factors that worked to make your child diabetic. Know for sure, why your child’s immune system should begin to generate cells that destroy the pancreatic cells responsible for producing insulin in the body at such a young age.

And now that juvenile diabetes is a reality with the life of your kid, to treat it is a double responsibility for you. Prepare the mind of the child to face the reality. Monitor his food intake and see whether your child is sticking to the schedule of exercises that you have framed for it in consultation with the medical practitioner. For, the first lifestyle change required in the child suffering from juvenile diabetes is regarding the diet.

This is the major part of the treatment along the medications. The concept of healthy living needs to be implanted into the mind of your child. Fast and junk foods are not good for the health of your child as such they should be removed from the list of its diet. Moreover, there should be a family discipline in eating the food. Don't eat when driving the car or while watching TV. Instead of giving heavy food to the child three times a day, give light food a number of times.

If your child is fond of fried potato chips, substitute it with dried fruits, variety of nuts instead. Take out the white bread from its menu and substitute it with whole grain bread. Avoid deep fried foods. Before the meals, give plenty of salads. Try to inculcate the habit of eating raw vegetables like carrot or fruits dipped in yogurt.

Make exercise and walking a family habit. This is all for modeling a healthy life style for curing your child of diabetes now.