Bengaluru: Today (Saturday 14) is World Diabetes Day. Diabetes patients across the world have been living amid perpetual risk of contracting the coronavirus. Diabetes is a chronic and progressive disease. The disease should be properly managed to avoid complications. Here are 10 things you can do to manage diabetes and avoid complication. 

1. Take a healthy diet which is low in calories and high in nutrition.

2. Manage your weight as obesity or overweight may cause difficulty in managing diabetes.

3. Perform exercise regularly. Exercise improves blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes, reduces cardiovascular risk factors, contributes to weight loss, and improves well-being. 

4. Take fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.

5. Eat small frequent meals as it prevents a sudden spike in sugar level.

6. Select the ingredients in your diet with a low glycemic index. 

7. Monitor your blood sugar at regular intervals.

8. Check your feet for any cuts, swelling, or ulcers.

9. Maintain oral hygiene by regularly brushing and flossing teeth.

10. Drink enough water through the day. 


What diabetes is:
 
Diabetes is a disease in which the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t make of insulin properly to help maintain glucose levels.
 
Types of diabetes:
 
In type-1 diabetes, pancreas, the insulin-making organ, is attacked by the immune system and is not allowed to create insulin.
 
In type-2 diabetes, the body fails to make use of insulin well.
 
Insulin in a hormone that helps glucose enter the body cells. Glucose is the fuel that helps bodily functioning.