Make Some Noise About Diabetes

I watched a recorded Oprah show featuring Dr. Oz last night. The topic was diabetes as a silent killer. It made me cry. It alarmed me and I already knew everything that was dicussed in the show.  I thought “What about people who don’t really know anything about it?” Or “What about those that do but live in Diabetes-Denial-Ville?” (Not a big deal. Can’t do anything about it. Gotta do what I want.)

The incidence of diabetes in this country has reached epidemic proportions. Facts: “It is the fastest growing disease in the U. S. We spend $174 billion dollars a year in healthcare of this disease. That is more than what is spent treating AIDS and all cancers. 80 million people in the U. S. have diabetes or pre-diabetes. 6 million do not know it.”  Let’s make some noise!

Many people go about their lives oblivious or in denial about the devastating consequences of this wide-spread disease. Unfortunately, I am very familiar with diabetes. My maternal grandmother had both legs amputated to the knee because of  the ravages of diabetes that were left uncontrolled. My mother and sister are diabetic. Friends and other relatives have diabetes. And I have an auto-immune disease which increases my risk of developing diabetes by 60%. Serious business.

Of the two types of diabetes, Type 2 or adult-onset is the one on the rise. Our country consumes too much sugar [150lbs per year!] We eat tons of food with no real nutrients. We are obsessed with simple carbohydrates and soda.  Type-2 Diabetes is preventable, treatable and reversible (in 90% of cases). Type 2 is mainly a lifestyle driven disease. [Note: I said mainly. I am aware there are other contributing factors for some people.] 

We hear about diabetes a lot. But, do we really HEAR it. If not before, please hear it now.

Risk factors: belly fat, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, family history.

Warning signs: constant thirst, frequent urination, tingling toes, non-healing infections, blurred vision.

Diabetes is a silent, slow killer. It can take years before the effects manifest in organ failure, heart attack and death. But, the effects are still damaging your body whether you can feel it or not. Diabetics are said to be aged an extra 10 years. Loss of vitality is sometimes the main “symptom” experienced by a diabetic.

Walking for 30 minutes a day reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 60%. If already diabetic, exercise is vital to reversing the disease or reducing the damage.

Strength training is  important to prevent or reverse diabetes. Exercising with weights makes the muscles in your body more sensitive to insulin. Exercise raises metabolism and lowers blood sugar levels.

Main cause of death for diabetics is heart attacks. Why? As Dr. Oz explained, excess sugar in the body acts like “chards of glass” barrelling through your body, knicking tissue as it goes. The cuts then heal up as scar tissue. The scar tissue builds up as blockage or hardening of the arteries. Boom! Heart attack. Diabetes also causes damage to all the organs in the body.

Belly Fat: Excess sugar that is not able to be used effectively by the body for energy is stored as belly fat. That is why waist size (and body weight) are so important. Your waist size should be no more than half of your height. More than that and you have too much belly fat. Too much belly fat gives you a ticket on the train to diabetes. Per Dr. Oz, “lose belly fat and the body stops sending out chemical messages to the muscles to ignore insulin.”

Eating Tips: Cut out white foods (white flour, white bread, white pasta, white rice), soda and fried foods. White foods are bad because they are turned into glucose (sugar) so fast during digestion.   Become aware of hidden sugar in foods. Two tablespoons of ketchup have 2 teaspoons of sugar. Most salad dressings have 3 teaspoons in a serving. A 12 oz. can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar.

Get your blood sugar level checked. Above 100 is a problem. Don’t wait until you have a health crisis. Get moving every day. Eat whole foods, mainly fresh fruits and vegetables.  Check out www.diabetes.org for more information. Make some noise! Talk about diabetes with loved ones and friends. And the stranger next to you.