In honor of National Diabetes Day (November 14, 2018) Let’s just face the facts… Diabetes affects 30 MILLION people in the United States and 1 out of every 4 of those people don’t even know they have diabetes More than 84 MILLION adults have prediabetes… That is over ⅓ of our population. Again, 90% of these people are unaware of their condition Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes cases in the US. The other 5% is made of Type 1 diagnosis Over the last 20 years, the diagnosis of diabetes in adults and children has tripled due to increase in obesity and lack of physical activity If you are like me, you are probably amazed at these numbers. Diabetes affects every family in some way or another; either you have diabetes yourself or you have a loved one that struggles with diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes has become a household word but many of us have no clue what diabetes is… So I will make this short and sweet - there are 2 different types of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is the insulin-deficient disease. This means that your pancreas is not producing enough insulin to transport the sugar from the blood into the cells. This disease is also known as an auto-immune disease because the body mistakenly destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This makes up the other 5% of diabetic diagnoses in the United States, mainly in children. Type 2 Diabetes is the insulin-resistant disease. People with Type 2 Diabetes may not only be producing inadequate amounts of insulin, but their bodies are more resistant to the effects of insulin. Type 2 diabetes has been referred to as the “Black Death of the 21st Century” because of how prevalent the condition is. So now we know that insulin plays a large role in the pathophysiology of diabetes, let’s talk about what insulin does for the human body. Insulin is a hormone that stabilizes our blood sugar levels. It is produced by specialized cells in the organ called the pancreas, and is then used to transport glucose through the bloodstream to all different parts of our bodies. It is sent to the muscles, liver and fat to be used as energy. A surplus of glucose is stored as fat and used for energy at a later time. Without insulin, our cells cannot accept glucose as energy. In the case of someone with diabetes, extra glucose builds up in the bloodstream and causes damage to our blood vessels and kidneys. Here is some good news for you… Type 2 Diabetes is 100% preventable and reversible. Yes, there is a cure for Type 2 Diabetes and it all starts with YOU. AND the best part is, it is a super simple fix. You will feel better, lose weight, and decrease your chance of becoming a diabetic and/or reversing your diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. You can lower your insulin resistance by lowering the intake of fat in your diet. Mainly saturated fats found in eggs, dairy, meat, heavily processed foods and cheeses. Avoiding sugary sweets and foods with high fructose corn syrup will significantly reduce one’s risk of diabetes as well. AVOID Cheese Animal Meat Eggs Milk, Yogurt, Ice Cream Candy/Sweets Sugary soft drinks EAT Beans Nuts Veggies Fruit Keep It Simple - If you can’t read the ingredients on the label, stay away! All information was derived from the book How Not to Die written by Dr. Michael Greger, the CDC, and hormone.org. Shannon Kirkpatrick
OK, so what? We have so many blood vessels in our body… Why does it matter if you have high sugar levels in your blood? Over time, hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar levels, damages the tiny blood vessels in our bodies, specifically those in our eyes, kidneys, brain, fingers and toes. The damage caused to the blood vessels can lead to blindness, kidney failure, strokes, and nerve damage. This kind of nerve damage is known as neuropathy. Neuropathy is this annoying numbness and tingling pain in the feet. This tingling sensation causes poor balance and coordination, pain while walking or standing, and poorly healing wounds which can lead to amputations, especially of the toes/feet. Here are some more facts for you… 50,000 cases of kidney failure, 75,000 loss of limbs, 650,000 loss of vision, and 75,000 deaths every year are caused by high blood sugar levels.
