Diabetes Awareness Leads to Better Health
November is National Diabetes Month. No, it’s not a month to get diabetes; it’s a month to focus attention on the growing cost of diabetes on the health of people in America and on “making healthy changes and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.”
The American Diabetes Association gives some startling statistics about the disease:
- $412.9 billion [was the] total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2022.
- Diabetes was the eighth leading cause of death in the United States in 2021.
- In 2021, 38.4 million Americans, or 11.6% of the population, had diabetes. Two million Americans have type 1 diabetes, including about 304,000 children and adolescents.
- 2 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
- In 2021, 97.6 million Americans age 18 and older had prediabetes.
Because of these high prevalence rates, having a month to focus on the risks for diabetes is crucial.
It’s important to understand that there is a difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a malfunction in the immune system in which either your pancreas cannot make insulin or it makes too little of it. In this case, the person must take insulin to live.
In type 2 diabetes, your body does not properly use insulin. Over time, your blood sugar fluctuates because your pancreas cannot make enough insulin to keep it at normal levels. It is this type of diabetes that we will be talking about in this article, as the treatment for type 2 diabetes is typically a better diet and exercise. However, some people will also need medication to help regulate their blood sugar levels.
While type 2 diabetes typically affects those in middle age or older, anyone can become susceptible. Sadly, doctors are seeing an increasing number of young children who are prediabetic.
While there aren’t usually signs that a person is prediabetic, signs that your body has moved into type 2 diabetes include:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Increased hunger
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
- Frequent infections
- Slow-healing sores
- Unintended weight loss
Increased awareness is good but only if we then take action. So we want to address some lifestyle changes you can make if you’re prediabetic or have type 2 diabetes, if diabetes runs in your family, or if you simply want to live a healthier lifestyle with the hopes of preventing type 2 diabetes from starting.
- Reduce your intake of carbohydrates.
Healthline explains the reason for this, saying:
Your body breaks down carbs into small sugar molecules, which are absorbed into your bloodstream. The resulting rise in blood sugar stimulates your pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that helps sugar move from your bloodstream into your cells.
In people with prediabetes, the body’s cells are resistant to insulin, so blood sugar remains high. To compensate, the pancreas produces more insulin, attempting to bring blood sugar down. Over time, this can lead to progressively higher blood sugar and insulin levels until the condition turns into type 2 diabetes.
When eating carbs, it suggests choosing carbs that are high in fiber, as they keep your blood sugar from spiking. Try vegetables such as broccoli and mushrooms, fresh fruits, oatmeal, and whole grain breads and pastas (rather than white).
- Avoid processed foods and add healthy foods into your diet.
Make a promise to yourself to stop buying packaged or frozen meals or junk food. They are not only full of salts, sugars, and other chemicals, but they rarely contain the nutrients your body needs. Swap those unhealthy foods for lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and fish. Snack on avocados, carrots, tomatoes, almonds, walnuts, and tofu instead of sugary or high-carb foods.
- Exercise!
Healthline explains that “many types of physical activity have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar in adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. These include aerobic exercise, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and strength training.”
You don’t have to join a gym to reap the benefits of these types of training. You could go for a brisk walk or a jog, you could buy a jump rope for your home. You could purchase some free weights. Or you could go outside and play a sport. Basketball, swimming, tennis, and other sports will increase your heart rate and help you become more physically fit. Add some form of exercise into each day, and make aerobic exercises a regular part of your week.
- Lose weight.
According to Healthline, “Excess weight in your midsection and around your abdominal organs is associated with insulin resistance, inflammation, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes.”
Take steps to lose weight. If you have been unable to do so on your own, talk to a dietician or your doctor, keep a food journal (we often consume many more calories than we think), and swap high-calorie junk foods with healthier foods like vegetables or nuts. Cut out junk and snacks. I once couldn’t figure out why I had gained some weight, and then I looked at my afternoon snack. I was eating a large bowl of crackers as I worked, and I hadn’t thought it affected me that much. But it did! So pay attention to what and how much you consume as you work, as you watch TV, and as you scroll on your phone. You will likely be surprised!
- Drink water.
Sugary juices and sodas contain few health benefits. And any vitamins they contain can be obtained through other healthy food sources. Stick to water as your primary beverage of choice. Aside from playing a role in maintaining blood sugar levels, there are many other benefits of water, including keeping you well hydrated, lubricating joints, flushing body waste, helping maintain blood pressure, preventing kidney damage, and more.
In addition to these lifestyle changes, stop smoking (if you do smoke), reduce your alcohol consumption, and watch what you put in your coffee. Sugars and creamers can send your blood sugar soaring!
If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above or have concerns about your health, talk to your doctor. But make a promise to yourself now to take care of your body as you age. Eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly will help you feel better, sleep better, and stay healthier. And they may just keep you from getting diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
