Diabetes Awareness Campaign with Ampalaya Plus

Being in my late twenties, I admit that diseases such as diabetes, among others like hypertension, heart disease and stroke, don't really cross my mind. I'd like to believe that these diseases would normally manifest in the old age. However, with today's fast-paced and over-indulgent lifestyle, which is how many young professionals (or millennials) tend to live, there's really no more "too young" to suffer from these diseases.

Take Aries Geronimo for example. At the age of 27, he found out that he already has diabetes. One can blame genetics for being susceptible to such a disease like diabetes. But add in an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, and you increase your risk to Type 2 Diabetes.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

I'm no medical practitioner nor a diabetic. However, I know a few things about diabetes which I want to share with you (if you didn't know yet), being a descendant of a few diabetics in our lineage.

While Type 1 Diabetes is a totally different monster considered as an autoimmune disease, Type 2 Diabetes on the other hand, is more of a lifestyle disease. In Type 2 Diabetes, the body isn't able to use insulin the right way. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps keep the blood sugar level from getting too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia) as it is responsible for allowing the body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates for energy or to store glucose for future use. In the case of someone with Type 2 Diabetes, the body becomes insulin resistant where it can't respond properly to the insulin it makes. And over time, this sends the blood sugar levels up.

If one has family members with diabetes, of course there's a higher risk to be susceptible to the disease. However, eating too many processed foods such as white breads, pastas, rice and soda, as well as food high in saturated fats, and lack of physical exercise, can cause insulin resistance. And when the blood sugar levels get abnormally high, one becomes diabetic. Over time, as the diabetes gets worse, the pancreas makes less and less insulin, then causing insulin deficiency.

Not scaring you all, but many might probably know that diabetes remains the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure, as well as a critical risk factor for heart disease, stroke and foot or leg amputations.

How to Prevent Diabetes

If you're a diabetic, you've probably already had the talk with your doctor. But for those who are like me who aren't diagnosed "yet" or possible candidates, here are some things we can do to improve our chances of not getting the disease.

1. Eat Sensibly

I love food, and you probably do too! It might be hard to resist that deep-fried meat, that chocolate-dipped pastry, or that fizzy sugary drink, but we probably know when enough is enough, and when our body needs a dose of the good stuff. The key is moderation -- both in what we put in our mouths, and the portion size. It's okay to indulge a little from time to time. However, most of the time, we have to feed our bodies with whole foods high in nutrients and in a reasonable portion.

2. Exercise Regularly

Diet makes up a large percentage of one's health and wellness. However, it's also essential to get regular exercise as lack of physical activity can cause muscle cells to lose their sensitivity to insulin, thus becoming insulin resistant and more susceptible to diabetes. So even if this may seem like a list for weight-loss, a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise really go hand in hand.

3. Sleep Well

It may be hard to get a good night sleep for a millennial, as 24 hours a day for work and play may not even seem enough. However, studies have linked sleep deprivation to insulin resistance. As per the study presented at The Obesity Society on canine subjects, one night of no sleep reduced insulin sensitivity by 33%, while six months in a high-fat diet alone reduced insulin sensitivity by 21%. While a prolonged high-fat diet is no good, getting no sleep is even worse!

4. Get Checked

You cannot prevent or even treat what you don't know, so getting regular laboratory tests such as Complete Blood Count (CBC), Fasting Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Urinalysis, etc. are detrimental to knowing where you stand. You could already have very high blood sugar levels without even knowing. Equipping yourself with the knowledge of your laboratory test results can help you decide on the next step (with your doctor, of course).

5. Supplement Naturally

I'm a believer of taking in whole foods for one's nutrition. However, I also admit there are times when one cannot get all the nutrients the body needs from whole foods alone. This is where natural supplements come into the picture.

For preventing or even managing diabetes, normalizing the blood sugar level is one of the main priority. For this, there's Ampalaya Plus made from all-natural ingredients:

Bitter Gourd (Ampalaya)
Helps normalize blood sugar levels in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant persons
Lagerstoemia Speciosa (Banaba)
Helps in lowering blood sugar levels and assists in improving hypertension and inflammation
Turmeric (Luyang Dilaw)
Traditional medicine that aids in strengthening the body

Ampalaya Plus is nature's super food in a capsule, which can significantly reduce the glycemic response of the body in a standard diet both in diabetic and non-diabetic person. Like in Aries Geronimo's case, just an intake three times a day before meals for six days already lowered his FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar) from 245 mg/dL to 139 mg/dL. With continuous use, anyone either with diabetes or pre-diabetes, or even someone healthy but concerned with insulin resistance, may benefit from regular intake of Ampalaya Plus.

Ampalaya Plus is registered with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and with CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification.