DIABETES and Eating Right
June 14th 2008 04:45
I have a couple of friends who are diabetic. My husband is diabetic. My father is diabetic. My aunt (mother's sister) is diabetic. My mother-in-law and my father-in-law are both diabetic. My kids are doomed! (Come to think of it, I probably am as well.)
Knowing so many diabetics and being so likely to become diabetic myself, I have been doing a lot of reading about how to eat right to PREVENT diabetes. Of all the diabetics I know, my father is the only one who really does what he needs to do. He eats a healthy diet. He checks his blood glucose levels daily. He walks and exercises daily. These are all lifestyle changes he made to keep the disease from causing further problems.
Had a talk with my mother-in-law the other day. I was complaining that my husband doesn't always eat right, and he doesn't check his blood glucose levels frequently enough. She admitted that she's the same way.
I explained to her that it is very important to check her blood daily to be sure she is not causing irreparable damage to her body. So many diabetics don't get the proper education to understand the disease and the problems it can cause.
Low blood sugar causes symptoms. You know when your blood sugar is low. You are dizzy, groggy, etc. Easy fix - eat or drink something sugary (juice or a non-diet soda is the quickest fix.)
High blood sugar, on the other hand, isn't quite as easy to recognize. You don't really feel anything when your blood sugar rises. It is when it is high, though, that the damage occurs. When your blood sugar maintains high levels, damage is done to your kidneys, your eyes, your circulation. You may lose your kidneys, your vision, your limbs. It is SERIOUS!!!
While I was explaining all this to my mother-in-law, she went and got her glucose monitor and checked. Her blood sugar was 195. She hadn't eaten in a few hours, so it should have been around 100. Turns out, she had eaten a candy bar earlier in the day. Four hours later, her glucose level was still that high. I think she got the point.
If you are diabetic, please get educated about your disease. It IS manageable, but you have to stick with it. Yes, you can eat sugar every now and then - as long as you are keeping your blood sugar levels under control. If you don't check - you don't know. In this case - "no news" is NOT good news. If you aren't checking your blood sugar, you should be. EVERY DAY!
Knowing so many diabetics and being so likely to become diabetic myself, I have been doing a lot of reading about how to eat right to PREVENT diabetes. Of all the diabetics I know, my father is the only one who really does what he needs to do. He eats a healthy diet. He checks his blood glucose levels daily. He walks and exercises daily. These are all lifestyle changes he made to keep the disease from causing further problems.
Had a talk with my mother-in-law the other day. I was complaining that my husband doesn't always eat right, and he doesn't check his blood glucose levels frequently enough. She admitted that she's the same way.
I explained to her that it is very important to check her blood daily to be sure she is not causing irreparable damage to her body. So many diabetics don't get the proper education to understand the disease and the problems it can cause.
Low blood sugar causes symptoms. You know when your blood sugar is low. You are dizzy, groggy, etc. Easy fix - eat or drink something sugary (juice or a non-diet soda is the quickest fix.)
High blood sugar, on the other hand, isn't quite as easy to recognize. You don't really feel anything when your blood sugar rises. It is when it is high, though, that the damage occurs. When your blood sugar maintains high levels, damage is done to your kidneys, your eyes, your circulation. You may lose your kidneys, your vision, your limbs. It is SERIOUS!!!
While I was explaining all this to my mother-in-law, she went and got her glucose monitor and checked. Her blood sugar was 195. She hadn't eaten in a few hours, so it should have been around 100. Turns out, she had eaten a candy bar earlier in the day. Four hours later, her glucose level was still that high. I think she got the point.
If you are diabetic, please get educated about your disease. It IS manageable, but you have to stick with it. Yes, you can eat sugar every now and then - as long as you are keeping your blood sugar levels under control. If you don't check - you don't know. In this case - "no news" is NOT good news. If you aren't checking your blood sugar, you should be. EVERY DAY!
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