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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Diabetes touches everyone. Every 23 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes which means 1 out of every 11 Americans is currently dealing with this lifelong condition. If you are over 45 you should be screened. Your doctor can do this through blood tests at your annual physical. If the tests come back normal they should be repeated every three years. Because our population is getting heavier, a driver for diabetes, doctors may recommend yearly screening for overweight patients and even for children who are heavy.
Diabetes is a silent condition that often goes undetected for a long time because there are no symptoms, or the symptoms may simply be annoying – like having to urinate frequently – so they are ignored. There are many misconceptions about diabetes, so let’s set the record straight.
What are the symptoms of diabetes that should not be ignored?
Are you very thirsty, even on cool days? Do you need to use the bathroom often? Are you always feeling hungry but losing weight? Do you feel more tired and weak than normal? Have you experienced blurry vision? Have you had one infection after another or cuts and bruises that heals very slowly, or does not heal at all? Is there recurring tingling and numbness in your hands or feet? Do you have annoying itching that just won’t go away?
What causes diabetes?
In most causes it is your genes. Experts estimate that a person born in 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes during their lifetime. Do you have a relative with diabetes? Even if you do, that does not mean you will develop diabetes, too. People who lead the healthiest lives are 80% less likely to develop the diabetes. Staying slim, exercising regularly, not smoking, and eating well lowers your odds even if you carry the risk for diabetes. And, the really good news, people with diabetes can control the condition, and in some cases even reverse it, with lifestyle changes. This is a health issue over which you have a great deal of control to prevent or treat.
Does eating sugar cause diabetes?
There is a long-standing myth that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. It is simply not true. Anyone dealing with diabetes should go easy on foods containing sugar, but eating too much did not create the problem and sugar is not off limits. Calorie for calorie, sugar raises blood sugar about the same amount as bread, pasta and potatoes. The downside is foods high in sugar – cookies, candy, soda – offer few important nutrients. A baked sweet potato or whole wheat toast are a much healthier choice.
Do I have to stop eating carbs?
When you have diabetes, your body has a limited ability to use carbs. But, they are not off limits. You need to select healthy carbs, eat reasonable portion sizes, and include carbs in meals and snacks throughout the day.
Can eating gluten-free prevent or cure diabetes?
The quick answer is no. But the explanation is actually a little more complicated. Gluten is a protein found in foods containing wheat. If you have diabetes, you digest and use proteins without any problem. Gluten-free foods use substitutes for wheat to make pasta, bread or pretzels. Many gluten-free foods are actually denser in carbs than the original versions they are replacing and they could have more carbohydrate per serving. For someone with diabetes, carbs are the issue and your goal to control diabetes is to monitor the sugar in your blood.
When you eat a food with carbs, like cereal, the carbs are broken down into a sugar called glucose which passes into your bloodstream and moves to your cells where it is used to run your body. Glucose is the energy source your body needs to keep you alive and functioning every day. Insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, moves glucose through the bloodstream and into the cells. For those with diabetes, either the pancreas stopped making insulin or the cells in the body no longer recognize insulin. In both cases glucose can’t enter the cells to be used and this creates a buildup of sugar in the blood.
Can I cleanse away my diabetes?
Elizabeth Snyder, RD, CDE, a certified diabetes educator at Ohio State University, says she has heard of dozens of cleanses that claim to lower blood sugar and cure diabetes but there are no magic cures for the condition. Most cleansing regimes are modified fasts and fasting with diabetes can result in very low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) which can put you at risk for an irregular heartbeat, dizziness, falls and confusion.
Bottom line: Get tested and become educated about diabetes. The more you know, the better you can take care of yourself and the healthier you will be.
If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes or are trying to fine tune the management of your condition you might want to take a look at one of my recent eBooks the Diabetes Counter available from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter
Calorie Counter
Protein Counter
Healthy Wholefoods Counter
Complete Food Counter
Fat and Cholesterol Counter
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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