Diabetes happens when the body can't produce energy from food. When food is digested, it releases sugars that the body converts to energy. In order to do this, the body produces a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps cells absorb the sugar from food. Sometimes the body can't make enough insulin or doesn't use it efficiently. When this happens, it's called diabetes.

There are three types of diabetes:

1. Type 2 diabetes happens when the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin or when the body doesn't use it efficiently. About 90% of people with diabetes have type 2. It usually happens later in life but more and more are getting it. Most Canadians with type 2 diabetes are 40 years of age or older, but more and more children are now being diagnosed. The Canadian Diabetes Association believes that about 90% of type 2 diabetes can be prevented.

2. Type 1 diabetes can't be prevented, and happens when the pancreas stops being able to produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes usually happens to children or teenagers. About 10% of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

3. Gestational diabetes is temporary and happens when you're pregnant. Gestational diabetes affects about 3.5% of all pregnant women. Women who have had gestational diabetes and their children may be at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Managing diabetes
People who manage their diabetes well can expect to live active, independent and vital lives. Good diabetes management includes:
- learning all about diabetes 
- being regularly physically active 
- eating a healthy diet with lots of variety 
- maintaining a healthy weight 
- taking the right medication(s) 
- reducing stress 
- maintaining blood pressure at or below 130/80.

Lifestyle and type 2 diabetes are closely linked. Living a healthy lifestyle can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. It can also reduce your risk of other chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. To reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, you can make these healthy choices: 
- eat a healthy diet 
- maintain a healthy weight 
- do regular physical activity 
- don't smoke 
- reduce your stress.

Source: Canadian Health Network, Public Health Agency of Canada

When we think about the determinants of health, it is important to remember that there is no single factor which causes people to be healthy or not.

Not everyone gets the flu when exposed to a flu virus in the air. People do not stay healthy only because they are physically active. And they do not get sick only because they inherited specific genes from their ancestors. The reasons that people get sick or stay healthy are more complicated than this. Any or all of these and other determinants can interact to influence health.

What effect do other determinants have?
For example, pollution affects the quality of our water and air, which in turn affects our health. Also, the way people feel and behave affects their biology. And the environments that people live in – social, physical and even cultural – influence both their behaviour and their biology, and in turn their health.

This means that things like
- whether you grow up poor, 
- how much support you get from family and friends, or 
- how much control you have over your work

These can all influence your life choices, your body’s responses, and of course, your overall health and well-being.

All of this seems to follow a biological pathway. For children, we see how early childhood experiences influence brain development and mental and physical health. In adults, feelings such as fear, loneliness, depression, powerlessness and frustration are translated by complex body systems – like the nervous system and the immune system – into chemicals and hormones that flow throughout the body. Strong negative emotions can trigger floods of stress hormones (the "fight or flight" phenomenon). This in turn hinders the body’s ability to defend itself against disease.

Therefore, while germs, viruses and the environment can all affect health, our health is also determined by a complex relationship of factors, across the entire lifespan.

Source: Canadian Health Network, Public Health Agency of Canada

If you have an allergy, your body’s immune system has been programmed to treat a particular substance in food or the environment as an enemy. Defending us against harmful substances is part of the immune system’s job. With allergies, the immune system reacts to a substance that, for the non-allergic person, is completely harmless. Hay fever, for example, is an allergic reaction to pollen. Why do some people have hay fever, while everyone else can breathe in pollen particles with no problem? Because the immune system in the hay fever sufferer sets an allergic reaction in response to pollen molecules that come in contact with sinus passages.

The specific substances that cause allergic reactions are called "allergens." Composed largely of protein, allergens can be food ingredients, chemicals, or environmental substances such as pollen, dust mites, and animal dander. (Another word for allergen is "antigen.")

The allergic reaction, also known as a "hypersensitive" reaction, triggers the release of chemicals into the blood stream, chiefly histamine. Normally stored away inside cells that are part of the immune system, these chemicals produce the various symptoms and discomforts of allergies. These symptoms ranges in severity from mild to life-threatening.

The immune system has two basic functions. First our immune defenses recognize and destroy bacteria, viruses, parasites, and any other foreign invaders. Second, the immune system works to minimize the damage to tissues and organs from the invasion.

The immune system consists of several branches, each with its own protective functions. White blood cells known as "B cells" (B-lymphocytes) play a key role. B cells coordinate with other cells in the blood called "plasma cells" to produce a series of large proteins known as immunoglobulins. Immunoglobulins are antibodies capable of recognizing, destroying, and positioning antigens for removal from the body.

The immune system has five different classes of antibodies: IgE, IgA, IgG, IgM, and IgD. Each class is designed to go after certain category of antigens. Antibodies are "antigen-specific," which is to say that an individual antibody is programmed to recognize and attack a specific foreign invader. For example, antibodies against viruses are assigned to one virus only. When the body becomes infected by a flu virus, a specific antibody is created to recognize and destroy the virus. This is how we become immune to future infections by the same virus.

IgE (immunoglobulin E) is the antibody class that is largely responsible for allergic reactions. IgE triggers a special type of immune cell called the "Mast cell" to release histamine and other potent chemicals into the blood stream. The first line of our immune defense network, Mast cells act like sentries at the places where we interface with the outside world: the intestinal tract, the sinuses, the lungs, and the skin. Mast cells come equipped with IgE antibodies positioned on their surfaces. Before joining forces with Mast cells, IgE antibodies are pre-set to recognize specific antigens. This pre-programming takes place through the activity of T cells and B cells, which are other key players in the immune system.

When an antigen comes in contact with IgE antibodies, an "antigen-antibody" complex is formed. This complex signals the Mast cell to open up storage granules inside the cell that contain histamine and a host of other potent chemicals. This process is called "degranulation." Once in the bloodstream, these substances produce allergic reactions in the skin, the respiratory tract, and the gastrointestinal tract.

Other antibodies such as IgG and IgM are being implicated in food intolerance reactions, causing a whole different set of symptoms, which could include neuropathy, intestinal symptoms, and problems with energy production.(1)

No one knows exactly why some people develop allergies. One theory links allergic reactions to parasite infection.(2) This theory proposes that the human immune system has developed a high sensitivity to parasites. When a parasite infects the body, according to the theory, production of white blood cells increases, along with substances involved in allergies that cause inflammation. In developed countries, where parasitic infestation is relatively low, allergies are more common than in less developed countries. It is thought that when the immune system is fighting parasitic infections, it does not have the resources to defend against less threatening agents. Another theory is that people with poor intestinal health may be more prone to allergies.

Genetics appear to play a significant role in allergies. Some people inherit the tendency to make more IgE antibodies in the bodies than normal. Children whose parents both have allergies are twice as likely to develop allergies themselves.(3)

Repeated exposure to allergens and environmental pollutants may stimulate the production of IgE antibodies.(4) The prevalence of allergy-related conditions, such as asthma and eczema, has risen steadily since the 1960’s, perhaps in conjunction with increasing levels of pollutants.(3) One factor in the development of allergic reactions is the absent or weak response of the T suppressor cells. In non-allergic individuals, suppressor T cells keep the antibody response under control. In allergy-prone individuals, this function of the T cells is not as effective.

Natural sunlight is important to maintain good health, but too much sun can be harmful. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can cause skin cancer and eye cataracts.

In Canada, sunlight is strong enough to cause skin cancer and premature aging of the skin. UV rays can get through clouds, fog and haze. Water, sand, concrete and especially snow can reflect, and even increase, the sun's burning rays.

The risk of skin cancer is higher for people who:
- have light-coloured skin, eyes and hair 
- work, play or exercise in the sun for long periods of time 
- had several blistering sunburns as a child 
- take drugs that make them more sensitive to UV light.

Most skin cancers start in areas that are exposed most often to the sun – the head, face, neck, hands and arms.

Reduce your exposure to the sun
Protect yourself and your family, particularly between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun's rays are at their strongest, or any time of the day when the UV Index is 3 or more.

Stay in the shade
When you are outside, especially between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., try to stay in the shade. Be prepared for places without any shade by taking along an umbrella. With an umbrella, you can create shade wherever you need it.

Wear a hat, sunglasses and protective clothing
Cover your skin to protect it from the sun. Choose clothing that is:
- loose fitting – like a t-shirt 
- tightly-woven 
- lightweight.

Most skin cancers happen on the face and neck, so these areas need extra protection. Wear a hat with a wide brim that covers your head, face, ears and neck. Hats like baseball caps won't give you enough protection.

Sunglasses can help prevent damage to your eyes by blocking a large amount of UV rays. Keep your shades on and make sure your children wear them too. Choose sunglasses with:
- even shading 
- medium to dark lenses (grey, brown or green tint) 
- UVA and UVB protection.

Wear sunscreen
Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. You need SPF 30 if you work outdoors or if you will be outside for most of the day.

Look for "broad spectrum" on the label. This means that the sunscreen offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

Apply sunscreen generously, at least 20 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, or more often if you've been swimming or perspiring or if it's rubbed off.

Sunscreens cannot absorb all of the sun's rays. Use sunscreen along with shade, clothing and a hat – not instead of them. Use sunscreen as a backup in your sun protection plan.

Protect children
Whatever their age, all children should be protected from the sun. Children generally spend much more time outside than adults. By teaching your child sun safety while they're young, you are protecting them now and reducing their risk of developing skin cancer in the future.

Keep babies under 12 months out of direct sunlight. Keep them protected in a covered stroller, under an umbrella or in the shade.

Protect toddlers and children from the sun, particularly between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the sun's rays are at their strongest, or any time of the day when the UV index is 3 or more.

Apply sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher on your children at least 20 minutes before they go outside. Reapply sunscreen often and don't forget their nose, ears, cheeks and the tops of their feet. If your children are playing in or near water, make sure they wear a waterproof sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher).

Send kids to school or to play in protective clothing and a wide-brimmed hat – baseball caps won't give your child enough protection. Remember to cover their shoulders and necks as these can easily get burned. Large t-shirts are good for covering most of their skin. 

Reapply often for good coverage. Make sure they have dry clothing as wet clothing can lose up to half of its UV protection.

Look at providing more shade in your children's play area in the form of trees and structures. 

Don't use baby oil as a moisturizer before your child goes outside. The oil will make the effect of the sun stronger and could cause your child to burn faster.

Source: Canadian Health Network, Public Health Agency of Canada