November is national diabetes awareness month to shed light on a condition that affects over 30 million people in the United States alone, while another 7.2 million are undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Ninety to 95 percent of sufferers have type 2 diabetes while the remaining 1.25 million have type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the the immune systems mistakenly attacks and destroys beta cells in the pancreas. Both genetic and environmental causes may play a role, but it remains unclear exactly what triggers such an immune system attack.

Type 2 diabetes begins when your body is unable to use insulin efficiently, which prompts the pancreas to kick into overdrive. The body has a hard time keeping up with the result being high blood sugar and, eventually, the cessation of any insulin production.

Gestational diabetes takes place only during pregnancy when hormones block insulin.

When this happens, your body no longer can or use insulin. The pregnant mother becomes

insulin resistant, thus creating a built up of insulin in the body. Therefore, expecting mothers with gestational diabetes will require three times the amount of insulin!

Causes of Diabetes

If you are a diabetic, there are different factors that result in type 1, 2, and gestational diabetes.

The Type 1 Diabetic

Aside from heredity, the cause of type 1 diabetes is largely unknown. This type of diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. Genetic predisposition to diabetes is possible with a family history of type 1 diabetics. Annually, 13,000 new type 1 diabetes cases are diagnosed in children and teens.

Food & Obesity: The Type 2 Diabetic

Food consumption and obesity has a direct connection to type 2 diabetes.

According to research[1], the growing number of obese individuals heightens the number of type 2 diabetics diagnoses:

“Most patients with type 2 diabetes are obese, and the global epidemic of obesity largely explains the dramatic increase in the incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes over the past 20 years. Currently, over a third (34%) of U.S. adults are obese (defined as BMI >30 kg/m²), and over 11% of people aged ≥20 years have diabetes (1), a prevalence projected to increase to 21% by 2050 (2).”

However, not everyone who is obese becomes a diabetic. Ultimately, everyone’s body responds differently to insulin.

Pregnancy & The Gestational Diabetic

While weight gain is natural for pregnant women, too much can cause problems. Excessive weight[2] gain during pregnancy can lead to hypertension and gestational diabetes.

However, one study[3] found that women with gestational diabetes had another factor in common. They were aready overweight or obese before pregnancy and had a family history of diabetes.

310 Shakes Are Healthy Option for Diabetics

310 Nutrition offer protein shakes that are dairy-free and sugar-free. They taste so good it’s like drinking a sinful milkshake.

We offer great tasting flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, salted caramel, and my favorite, vanilla chai.

Nevertheless, beyond the great taste are the weight loss benefits of feeling full as 310shakes replace meals. Hear it first hand from 310 Nutrition Facebook Group Community members.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206399/

[2] http://www.healthywomen.org/content/ask-expert/1449/avoiding-excessive-weight-gain-during-pregnancy

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17416786