More than 20 million men, women and children in the United States have diabetes and over 40 million are estimated as having pre-diabetes and experts say the disease is on the rise, nearing epidemic proportions.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or, properly use insulin—a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy for everyday life.

When the body can’t make insulin, it is Type 1 diabetes. When the body makes some, but, not enough insulin and doesn’t respond normally to insulin—which is much more common—it is Type 2 diabetes.

If the body can’t use insulin properly, or if there just isn’t enough insulin, glucose (blood sugar) accumulates in the blood instead of going into cells. When blood glucose levels are chronically too high, you have diabetes.

The exact cause of diabetes is still a mystery but, experts know that genetics, as well as, obesity, poor diet, stress and lack of exercise play a role. Mastering Your Health can help you improve your diet and fitness level to help lower your risk. And if you have diabetes we will introduce medical, and alternative ways to help you manage the disease.

We will talk to experts in the field to bring you the very latest, up-to-date information on diabetes.

Our medical expert will show you the latest insulin injections on the market and we will demonstrate testing of blood glucose levels. A blood glucose test measures the amount of a type of sugar, called glucose, in your blood. Glucose comes from carbohydrate foods and is the main source of energy used by the body.

That is why it is so important to understand the effect of “carbs” on your blood glucose levels—high blood glucose levels over time can damage eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. Mastering Your Health’s Nutritionists will show you how to properly manage your diet and even demonstrate how to prepare the foods that are good for you.

It is also important to know how exercise helps regulate blood sugar levels, and Mastering Your Health’s fitness team will demonstrate activities that you can do every day to help lower your risk of disease.

Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in the United states and some experts says it can shorten your life by as much as 15 years.

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