If your body cannot control the amount of sugar, or glucose, in your blood, you have a condition called diabetes. Diabetes is a rising problem in the United States, particularly because of the problems the country has with obesity. Around twenty million people in America are diagnosed as diabetics. Diabetes is a serious illness because it can lead to diabetes complications such as blindness, amputations, stroke, heart and kidney disease, and damage to the nerves. Diabetes can also cause problems in babies when the pregnant mother has the condition. If you are concerned that you may develop diabetes, there are measures you can take to prevent the disease from occurring. Diabetes prevention involves living a healthy life. You need to exercise and eat whole grains along with plenty of fruits and vegetables. While this may not always prevent diabetes, it can help! There are three types of diabetes, type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called juvenile diabetes because it starts in childhood. This type of diabetes is caused by the inability of the body to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body process sugar. Without insulin, sugars you consume stay in your bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes treatment includes glucose monitoring, specialized diets, exercise, and insulin treatments. The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. In fact, 90 percent of all diabetes patients are classified as having type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes patients are able to produce insulin, but the insulin does not work properly. Type 2 diabetes treatment also includes exercise, healthy eating, medication, and glucose monitoring. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs when a woman is pregnant. About five percent of all women who have babies develop gestational diabetes. This is caused by the pregnancy hormones that cause interference with the work of insulin in the body. While the body naturally makes extra insulin to combat this, in some situations the extra insulin is not sufficient for the woman, and she develops diabetes. It typically will leave once the baby is born. Often the babies of women who are diabetic during pregnancy are quite large at birth. The most important diabetes treatment involves a diabetes diet. People who are diabetic need to eat whole grains and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Meat is another item that diabetics can eat, but they need to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugar. A good rule of thumb for diabetics is to avoid anything white. No white sugar, white flour, white potatoes, or white rice should pass through the diabetic’s mouth. Eat whole grain options and red potatoes instead. Another aspect of diabetes treatment is glucose monitoring, or testing your blood sugar. This is usually done through taking a blood sample at certain times in the day. If the blood sugar level is too high or too low, insulin treatments or food are taken to stabilize the blood sugar levels. Any diabetes medicine prescribed should be used exactly as ordered. Remember, neglecting the care of your diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including blindness.