Diabetes is a disease in which the body doesn't produce or properly utilize insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that is needed to convert sugar and starches into energy needed for daily activity. The cause of diabetes is somewhat a mystery, although both family history and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness in America. Other complications of diabetes are kidney failure, heart disease and stroke, skin complications, and nerve damage.

The most common symptoms of diabetes are the following:

Frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Extreme hunger
Unusual weight loss
Increased fatigue
Irritability
Blurry vision

Our body's are an awesome piece of work. Most of the symptoms are the body's way of trying to stabilize the blood glucose levels. The frequent urination is the body's attempt to rid the excess sugar (glucose). The extreme hunger is because the excess glucose in the body is floating in the blood stream instead of being utilized in the body's cells.

There are two types of diabetes - type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 Diabetes is also called Insulin Dependent Diabetes. This is when the body is no longer producing any insulin at all and artificial insulin must be administered through the form of an injection.

Type 2 Diabetes is also called Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes. This is when the body is still producing it's own insulin only it's not enough to meet the requirements needed to keep blood sugar (glucose) levels normal. Usually, OHA (oral hypoglycemic agents) - pills are prescribed. Often, changing your eating habits or loosing weight can be very therapeutic for returning your blood glucose levels to normal.

Now the word "normal" often gives me goose bumps. You see what's normal for me may not be normal for you. Nevertheless, we have to have some sort of baseline to base these type things on. So, for the sake of knowledge, let's just say normal fasting (haven't eaten anything) blood glucose levels should be 80-120.

A diagnosis of diabetes is usually given if the fasting blood glucose level is 200 on two separate occasions.