It can be frightening when you get the diagnosis that you have one of the two types of diabetes. When your friends and family hear about it, they deluge you with an encyclopedia set's worth of information on diabetes. They mean well, but often you can be left more frightened than before. It can hardly separate the facts on diabetes from the myths. Take a deep breath and learn about these myths on diabetes.
How You Get Diabetes
1. You only get diabetes from your genes. Not true! Although diabetes can run in some families, you do not have to be related to anyone to get Type II diabetes. This is one of the biggest myths on diabetes.
2. Diabetic mother have diabetic children. Also not true. See above.
3. Diabetes is contagious. This is one of the most persistent myths on diabetes. Both types of diabetes are non-contagious.
4. There is such a thing as borderline diabetes. Sorry - there is no such thing as borderline diabetes.
5. Eating too much sugar causes diabetes. It is not the sugar itself, but the blood sugar level being thrown off. You can eat a bowl of sugar and not get diabetes - but you will get one heck of a tummy ache.
Myths On Diabetes Diets
1. You can never eat sugar again. Not true. Sugar does not cause diabetes. You can still eat sugar, but in moderate amounts.
2. You have to go on a special diabetic diet for the rest of your life. Also not true. But you are encouraged to eat a healthier diet with lots of variety.
3. Diabetics can not eat carbohydrates. Pasta, bread and starchy foods do contain sugar. But, as we have seen above, sugar does not cause diabetes. You can still eat carbohydrates as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
4. Diabetics can not go to parties because of the food. You can still go to parties. Just be careful what you eat, eat in moderation and either avoid alcohol or drink in moderation.
5. If you drink lots of water, you can control your diabetes. Also not true. You can not drink enough water to influence your blood sugar levels.
Myths On Diabetes Cures
1. Insulin cures diabetes. If only it were that easy! This is perhaps the biggest myths on diabetes around. Insulin helps you regulate your blood sugar, but does NOT cure either kind of diabetes.
2. There are insulin pills. Who knows who started this urban myth? There are no such things as insulin pills. At least not till now. But, let me tell you that there is serious research going on in this area.
3. If I do not have to take medication, my diabetes can be ignored. That is too dangerous. By keeping your condition in mind, you can save your life.
4. There are no natural cures for diabetes. Well, eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly are natural cures in that they do not require extra medication. And, high quality natural supplements do help in controlling / treating diabetes and other body ailments by restoring the required balance in the body.
5. Diabetics must soak their feet everyday. This used to be thought helpful, but now has proven to not do much of anything.
Myths On Diabetes Management
1. Diabetics can not play sports. Nonsense. Keep your common sense about you, monitor your blood sugar, take any medication, eat a healthy diet and you will be fine. But, yes. There are certain precautions to be taken while engaging in sports or other physical activities. Some of these precautions are: monitor diabetes level regularly, keep some eatables handy in case the sugar level goes low, educate your team manager or members as to how to deal with an emergency in case you hit an extreme hypo or a hyper in your diabetes level and you become completely disoriented.
2. Diabetics should not drive. Also nonsense. See above. If you take the necessary precautions then you are fine.
3. I can ignore my diabetes. Not unless you want to die.
4. I will always feel when my blood sugar level is off. Not always. It is a good idea to check regularly. Symptoms can come on before you realize it.
5. Insulin causes erectile dysfunction. Nerve damage from high blood sugar levels causes it - not the insulin.
How You Get Diabetes
1. You only get diabetes from your genes. Not true! Although diabetes can run in some families, you do not have to be related to anyone to get Type II diabetes. This is one of the biggest myths on diabetes.
2. Diabetic mother have diabetic children. Also not true. See above.
3. Diabetes is contagious. This is one of the most persistent myths on diabetes. Both types of diabetes are non-contagious.
4. There is such a thing as borderline diabetes. Sorry - there is no such thing as borderline diabetes.
5. Eating too much sugar causes diabetes. It is not the sugar itself, but the blood sugar level being thrown off. You can eat a bowl of sugar and not get diabetes - but you will get one heck of a tummy ache.
Myths On Diabetes Diets
1. You can never eat sugar again. Not true. Sugar does not cause diabetes. You can still eat sugar, but in moderate amounts.
2. You have to go on a special diabetic diet for the rest of your life. Also not true. But you are encouraged to eat a healthier diet with lots of variety.
3. Diabetics can not eat carbohydrates. Pasta, bread and starchy foods do contain sugar. But, as we have seen above, sugar does not cause diabetes. You can still eat carbohydrates as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
4. Diabetics can not go to parties because of the food. You can still go to parties. Just be careful what you eat, eat in moderation and either avoid alcohol or drink in moderation.
5. If you drink lots of water, you can control your diabetes. Also not true. You can not drink enough water to influence your blood sugar levels.
Myths On Diabetes Cures
1. Insulin cures diabetes. If only it were that easy! This is perhaps the biggest myths on diabetes around. Insulin helps you regulate your blood sugar, but does NOT cure either kind of diabetes.
2. There are insulin pills. Who knows who started this urban myth? There are no such things as insulin pills. At least not till now. But, let me tell you that there is serious research going on in this area.
3. If I do not have to take medication, my diabetes can be ignored. That is too dangerous. By keeping your condition in mind, you can save your life.
4. There are no natural cures for diabetes. Well, eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly are natural cures in that they do not require extra medication. And, high quality natural supplements do help in controlling / treating diabetes and other body ailments by restoring the required balance in the body.
5. Diabetics must soak their feet everyday. This used to be thought helpful, but now has proven to not do much of anything.
Myths On Diabetes Management
1. Diabetics can not play sports. Nonsense. Keep your common sense about you, monitor your blood sugar, take any medication, eat a healthy diet and you will be fine. But, yes. There are certain precautions to be taken while engaging in sports or other physical activities. Some of these precautions are: monitor diabetes level regularly, keep some eatables handy in case the sugar level goes low, educate your team manager or members as to how to deal with an emergency in case you hit an extreme hypo or a hyper in your diabetes level and you become completely disoriented.
2. Diabetics should not drive. Also nonsense. See above. If you take the necessary precautions then you are fine.
3. I can ignore my diabetes. Not unless you want to die.
4. I will always feel when my blood sugar level is off. Not always. It is a good idea to check regularly. Symptoms can come on before you realize it.
5. Insulin causes erectile dysfunction. Nerve damage from high blood sugar levels causes it - not the insulin.
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