Nutrition and Diabetes: The Not-So-Sweet Truth About Blood Sugar
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Because diabetes is such a national epidemic and because it causes
such serious health issues, it's important to talk about prevention,
detection and treatment. Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas, an
organ behind your stomach that produces the hormone insulin. Insulin
helps the body use food for energy. When a person has diabetes, the
pancreas either cannot produce enough insulin, uses the insulin
incorrectly, or both.
Insulin works together with glucose in the bloodstream to help it
enter the body's cells to be burned for energy. If the insulin isn't
functioning properly, glucose cannot enter the cells. This causes
glucose levels in the blood to rise, creating a condition of high
blood sugar or diabetes, and leaving the cells without fuel.
What Causes Diabetes?
Health care providers do not yet know what causes diabetes.
The following factors may increase your chance of getting diabetes:
- Family history of diabetes or inherited tendency
- African-American, Hispanic or Native-American race or ethnic descent
- Obesity (being 20% or more above your appropriate body weight)
- Physical stress (such as surgery or illness)
- Use of certain medications
- Injury to pancreas (such as infection, tumor, surgery or accident)
- Auto-immune disease
- Hypertension
- Abnormal blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels
- Age (risk increases with age)
- Alcohol use (risk increases with years of heavy alcohol use)
- Smoking
- Pregnancy (Pregnancy puts extra stress on a woman's body, which causes some women to develop gestational diabetes. Blood sugar levels often return to normal after childbirth.)
What Are the Symptoms of Diabetes?
These symptoms may include:
- Increased thirst
- Dry mouth
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision
- Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)
- Loss of consciousness (rare)
- Increased hunger (especially after eating)
- Sores that heal slowly
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Dry, itchy skin
- Numbness or tingling of the hands or feet
You hold the key to managing your diabetes by doing the following,
according to Janet Bohne, RD, LD; Lea Ann Dick, RD, LD, CDE and Rita Gattermeyer, RN:
- Find Out. Know your blood glucose results. A simple screening test can determine if you already have diabetes or symptoms of pre-diabetes. (See Chapter 4)
- Take Charge. Keep track of blood pressure readings and cholesterol levels.
- Take Care. Spend time on your own health. It will allow you to be able to take better care of others in your life.
- Get Moving! Reduce your risk for developing diabetes by increasing your physical activity. Find something you enjoy doing and move your body every day.
- Say "Yes" to Healthy Eating! Diets come and go, but the weight often stays. Healthy eating is about daily balance and moderation, not about restriction.
- Listen Up! Listen to your body. Learn to eat when you're hungry, and stop when you're satisfied. No need to always "clean your plate."
- Relax. Find ways to cope with stress besides eating.
- Eat Your Veggies! Nature's bounty provides important nutrients with very few calories.
- Go Nuts! Try a handful of walnuts or almonds each day to get some healthy fats in your diet.
- Spice Up Your Life! Add a sprinkling of cinnamon to your hot tea, coffee or toast each day to improve your body's ability to use insulin.
For more information, please visit www.speakingofwomenshealth.com.
