With the rising number of people diagnosed with diabetes, one has to wonder, will I be next? According to the American Diabetes Association, 7% of the population is diabetic or in pre-diabetic stages. In just one year, 1.5 million people age 20 and older were diagnosed with the disease. Of the youth population, 1 in 6 overweight children are pre-diabetic. Unfortunately, the cause of diabetes and it's pathology are not clearly understood. To make matters worse, our society has become soft and lazy. It's no surprise that the obesity rate is increasing as quickly as diabetes.



The vagueness surrounding diabetes unfortunately does not aid in determining a concrete plan of prevention. Without fully understanding its cause, one cannot educate the public as to how to avoid developing diabetes. Unfortunately, even insulin's role in diabetes and metabolic processes is not completely clear. It is known that poor nutrition, increased levels of stress and physical inactivity are environmental factors that can bring on diabetes, with or without genetic predisposition.

Diabetes refers to the disease in which the body does not use or produce insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone used in the metabolic process to aid in converting sugar, starches and other foods into usable energy. According to the American Diabetes Association, 7% of the population is diabetic or in pre-diabetic stages. In just one year, 1.5 million people age 20 and older were diagnosed with the disease. The most common form of diabetes is the Type II, or insulin resistant disease. Of the youth population, 1 in 6 overweight children are pre-diabetic. The numbers are climbing at an alarming rate. Almost directly proportional to the increasing diabetic population is the obesity rate. Not surprisingly, one is closely linked to the other.

Science has been able to examine the cell's processes in respect to metabolism and fat storage. What it cannot answer is which comes first, the chicken or the egg. As a person's weight increases as result of poor nutrition, overindulgence of foods, or physical inactivity. His or her metabolism slows down and is overwhelmed. The result is less sensitivity to natural sugar converting processes. When the body cannot convert the glucose into fuel for cells, it stores the glucose as fat. The more fat cells store, the more overweight an individual becomes. This literally boggs down the systems. The cycle continues to repeat if nothing changes.

Another speculation is the role of acidity and the body's response to elevated pH levels. It is thought that over consumption of caffeine, sugar and other carbohydrate rich foods stimulates the liver, muscles and fat cells. Once stimulated, these cells release their respective glucose into the blood stream. This is the elevation that individuals record when monitoring blood sugar level. In order to counteract elevated acidity, the body uses fat to neutralize pH levels. Fat is stored, then, as a safeguard to protect cells. Over time, acidity can lead to other serious health risks, including diabetes. The repeated pattern of elevated blood sugar levels can cause damage to the cardiovascular system, endocrine system and circulatory system.

Without a doubt, balance is the answer, balancing nutrition with activity, relaxation with well-being. It has been found that nutrition and fitness can help prevent or manage diabetes. Prevention, if practiced soon enough, could mean a person will never get the disease, have to monitor their meals and blood sugar levels, or go on medication. Managing the disease by making changes in one's diet and level of activity can make the difference between medication and insulin shots.

Over stimulation of the bodily tissues through acidic foods can cause a lot of damage, and type II diabetes is just a symptom of an acidic lifestyle. In order to bring the body back into balance, you must include alkalizing green vegetables, green drinks and good fats in your diet. Plant proteins from grains and legumes also help restore the body's previous homeostasis. The pH miracle diet includes a balanced plan for eating with your body, instead of against it. With the application of the principles of the diet, controlling and preventing diabetes is a simple matter of alkalized eating and living.