21 Sep 2013 When you are told 'you have diabetes'
by Rhonda Monfee
“You have diabetes.”
Those can be numbing and sometimes scary words to hear coming from your doctor.
While it is not easy to hear that you have diabetes, it does not mean your life is over. In fact, for those with the diagnosis, learning about their diabetes is the first step toward feeling better and living a longer, healthier life.
While there is no cure, it is important for anyone newly diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 to know it can be controlled and managed. It is possible to have a healthy future.
There is a lot to learn, but there are many excellent local and national resources to help you along the way. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is always the first stop for information. The ADA website (diabetes.org/living) is a great source for information on all aspects of the medical condition and treatment strategies for everyone.
Locally, and dear to my heart, the Conway Regional Diabetes Self Management program is a recognized program site for the ADA. The program will receive the Arkansas chapter of the ADA’s highest award for achievement in diabetes education on Saturday, Oct. 26. The program offers eight-hour programs during the week and once a month on Saturdays. A referral from your physician is necessary to attend the education program.
There is also a free monthly program that is open to the public at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month, and additional information is available at conwayregional.org.
How diabetes affects the body
Diabetes is a problem with your body that causes blood glucose (blood sugar) levels to rise higher than normal. This is also called hyperglycemia.
Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and is closely linked to obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta recently reported that 68 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Nearly 8.3 percent of Americans have diabetes.
If you have Type 2 diabetes, your body does not use insulin properly. Over time, your pancreas isn’t able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels.
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune condition, and the pancreas is unable to produce insulin; therefore requiring insulin injections.
Gestational diabetes occurs when increasing hormone levels from pregnancy make the pancreas overwork and cause high blood sugars. When the baby is delivered, the condition usually goes away, but mom will always have an increased risk for Type 2.
In a body without diabetes, food turns into blood glucose (sugar) in our bloodstream. Our body senses that we have eaten and our pancreas produces a hormone called insulin. This insulin allows the blood glucose to enter our cells where our body can use it for energy. Going too long without food will cause blood glucose to become low. However, the liver releases some stored sugar to bring the blood sugar back up. This is how the body stays in balance.
How is it treated?
A person with diabetes is more responsible for treatment than any physician. That is because we each make our own daily life choices. Our choices affect about 70 percent of what happens to us, medically. Self-care is crucial in managing diabetes. Balancing nutrition with physical activity and medicine (if prescribed) can keep blood glucose in a healthy range.
The mantra of registered dietitians is “all foods can fit in,” and some of those foods include sugar and fried foods. However, we should emphasize the quality and quantity of food, which means eat more foods that are from nature, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts and other lean sources of protein, and choose less “commercially made and highly processed-fast food,” which includes burgers, fries, donuts, pizza, etc.
Before enrolling in a diabetes education program, there are a few steps to jump-start your personal “wellness” program:
Eat smaller meals throughout the day: 3 meals, 2-3 snacks (mid-morning, mid-afternoon, bedtime)
Use an 8-by-9-inch small plate at each meal for EVERY family member
Avoid any sugary drinks (soft drinks, sweet tea, Gatorade)
Increase your water intake
Eat more vegetables (minimum 2 1/2 cups of veggies, 2 cups fruit)
Eat protein (lean sources) at every meal/snack
