Real Health Tips

Do you feel thirsty or tired all the time? If so, you could be one of the estimated 40 million Indians who have diabetes. Here’s what to look for:

As well as increased fatigue and thirst. Typical symptoms include urinating more often (as your kidneys try to excrete excess sugar), weight loss, blurred vision (caused by blood glucose accumulating in your eye’s lens) and genital itching. Cuts may also take longer to heal.

Type 1 Diabetes can be triggered by a virus and tends to develop within days or over a few weeks; Type 2 onset is slower and can be mistaken for stress or aging.

People under 40 are more prone to type 1 but, due to rising levels of obesity, are now the fastest growing groups for Type 2- once linked with old age. Both Types run in families.

If you are worried, go to your GP for a urine test to measure your glucose level. A healthy diet (low in salt, fat and sugar) and daily exercise are crucial for preventing Type 2.

A person’s body composition changes with age, as muscle mass decreases, often due to disuse, and fatty tissue increases. Because metabolism slows down, fewer calories are required; experts estimate that the average person should consume 10 percent fewer calories for every decade after the age of 50. Therefore, a 50-year-old who needs 1800 calories a day will require 1440 at age 70, and perhaps even fewer if he is sedentary. People who fail to cut back on food intake are likely to gain weight, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

With increasing the age, the body is less efficient in absorbing and using some nutrients; osteoporosis and other medical conditions common among older people also change nutritional needs. Consequently, an older person is likely to need extra amounts of following essential nutrients:

• Calcium to prevent osteoporosis and maintain healthy bones.
• Vitamin D, which the body needs in order to absorb the calcium.
• Vitamin B12 to build red blood cells and maintain healthy nerves.
• Zinc to help compensate for lowered immunity due to aging.
• Potassium, especially in the presence of high blood pressure or the use of diuretic drugs.
• Folic acid, a B Vitamin, which the body uses to make DNA and red blood cells, may also help to lower blood levels of homocysteine, a compound in the blood that has been associated with an increase risk of heart disease.
• Fiber to prevent constipation.