Choosing a healthy lifestyle is important for many reasons, not the least of which is diabetes.
We know you’ve heard it before: eat healthy and exercise. But these are two primary ways to protect yourself against diabetes.
Diabetes is a journey. And for most adults diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the journey began years earlier than diagnosis.
Diabetes is a disease that affects your body’s ability to remove sugar from your blood.
There are some telltale symptoms, but by the time most people take note of them, the disease is more advanced. Picking up on the warning signs of diabetes earlier with annual screening, before it causes symptoms, can give people facing Type 2 diabetes a chance to reverse the damage to their body from years of sedentary habits and unhealthy food choices.
If your parents or other family members had diabetes, will you end up with it, too? What are the symptoms of diabetes? Does stress or anxiety make diabetes worse? What about COVID-19?
In this episode, Dr. G and his guest, Susan Hudec, MD, discuss the answers to those questions, ways to prevent diabetes, the latest treatment options and more.
Myths vs. Facts
“Diabetes is not a serious disease.” – Myth
Diabetes can lead to conditions such as kidney disease and eye disease. It’s one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S.
“Diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar.” – Gray Area
It can be, but it’s not that clear-cut. Not everyone will get Type 2 diabetes from eating too much sugar. Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, is largely genetic and is not caused by poor diet or an unhealthy lifestyle.
“People with Type 2 diabetes cannot participate in sports or exercise.” – Myth
Exercise helps lower blood sugar levels and fights insulin resistance.
“Women with diabetes should not get pregnant.” – Myth
You can have a safe pregnancy with diabetes.
“Only adults can develop Type 2 diabetes.” – Myth
We see more and more kids with Type 2 diabetes, it’s important to establish lifelong healthy eating and lifestyle habits.
“All diabetics must take insulin injections.” – Myth
Your treatment plan for Type 2 diabetes will be personalized by your physician and may not include insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin.
“People with diabetes are prone to infections.” – Fact
High blood sugar can decrease your immune system response, so people with diabetes can be more prone to infections.
“Borderline diabetes is usually not too serious.” – Myth
Diabetes is serious; prediabetes is serious. The sooner you take steps to make it better, the sooner it becomes less of a health risk.
“Only people who have a family history need to be tested for diabetes.” – Myth
A fasting glucose test is appropriate once a year for all adults, not just people with a family history. The American Diabetes Association recommends testing begin at age 45.
“Patients with diabetes have extraordinarily little control over the development of complications.” – Myth
Technology, new medicine and new equipment can provide amazing control over the development of complications.
“If it is sugar free, I can eat as much as I want, right?” – Myth
Even if a food is sugar-free, it may not be carbohydrate-free. The body turns carbohydrates into glucose, so eating carbohydrates makes blood sugar levels rise.
“Patients with diabetes should avoid restaurants.” – Myth
You can eat out and eat healthy. Make smart choices!
Listener healthy OH-YEAH!
“I’m 282 miles into my goal of completing 1,000 miles cycling this calendar year! I currently sit 73 miles ahead of this plan. I ride for my health, my family and my community.” - Dr. G