A few years ago, my sister was also diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. By that time, she had gone through years of steadily declining health -- nothing firm that you could have pointed to, but a continual feeling of being tired and run down. We thought it was because she was a mother of two young children. Eventually she decided to ask her doctor about it anyways, just in case is was something else. They ordered some blood tests and found out she was diabetic. She was only 35 when she was diagnosed.
Her doctor explained that Type 2 diabetes was also called 'adult-onset' diabetes since it was mostly adults that developed the disease (we have since learned that it's increasingly found in children too). It's mostly a lifestyle disease. A family history puts you at higher risk, but the way you live makes a big difference in the likelihood you develop the disease.
We had always known, in a vague way, that being overweight wasn't healthy. My sister has been moderately overweight since she was a teenager. Her doctor had told her repeatedly that it would be best if she lost weight, but he never mentioned the possibility of diabetes and it just didn't occur to us. We had thought that diabetes was something that adults over 50 developed, not younger adults like us.
My sister tried a few diets and lost a few pounds here and there but always regained them, along with a few more pounds on top of that. After her diabetes diagnosis, she was told that being overweight significantly increases the risk of getting the disease because your body becomes more resistant to the effects of insulin. Insulin lowers the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood, and if there's too much then all sorts of symptoms start to appear. You find yourself thirsty all the time, having to go to the bathroom a lot, and you feel hungry, tired, and itchy, among other signs. Worse, untreated diabetes can lead to much more serious complications like heart and kidney problems.
Diabetes changes your life in very big ways. My sister now cooks and eats a healthy diet but even after all these years, it's hard for her because her husband and children can enjoy treats and convenience foods that she cannot. She has struggled -- and succeeded -- in losing weight and keeping it off. Her biggest struggle is to maintain an exercise routine. Due to the diabetes, she has poor circulation and problems with her feet, which makes it even harder for her to exercise. But she has to do it: exercise is one of those things that helps to keep her blood sugar under control. She has to monitor her blood sugar every day. The good news is that she used to take insulin but has gotten the disease under control well enough that she is no longer on medication. She manages her diabetes with a strict diet and exercise plan.
The big risk factors for Type 2 diabetes are: family history, being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and eating a poor diet that's high in refined or processed foods and sugar.
If you have these risk factors you should talk to your doctor and come up with a plan to lower your risk. We've noticed that a healthy diet for diabetics is basically the same as a healthy diet for everyone, with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Exercise is really important too. Even a 1/2 hour walk every day helps. Eating well and exercise also helps in weight loss too.
Even if you don't show any symptoms of diabetes right now, you can still be at risk. Type 2 diabetes develops slowly and many people show normal blood sugar levels for years before being diagnosed. It's so much easier to do things now to lower your risk, then to have to try to control the disease after you get it.
Her doctor explained that Type 2 diabetes was also called 'adult-onset' diabetes since it was mostly adults that developed the disease (we have since learned that it's increasingly found in children too). It's mostly a lifestyle disease. A family history puts you at higher risk, but the way you live makes a big difference in the likelihood you develop the disease.
We had always known, in a vague way, that being overweight wasn't healthy. My sister has been moderately overweight since she was a teenager. Her doctor had told her repeatedly that it would be best if she lost weight, but he never mentioned the possibility of diabetes and it just didn't occur to us. We had thought that diabetes was something that adults over 50 developed, not younger adults like us.
My sister tried a few diets and lost a few pounds here and there but always regained them, along with a few more pounds on top of that. After her diabetes diagnosis, she was told that being overweight significantly increases the risk of getting the disease because your body becomes more resistant to the effects of insulin. Insulin lowers the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood, and if there's too much then all sorts of symptoms start to appear. You find yourself thirsty all the time, having to go to the bathroom a lot, and you feel hungry, tired, and itchy, among other signs. Worse, untreated diabetes can lead to much more serious complications like heart and kidney problems.
Diabetes changes your life in very big ways. My sister now cooks and eats a healthy diet but even after all these years, it's hard for her because her husband and children can enjoy treats and convenience foods that she cannot. She has struggled -- and succeeded -- in losing weight and keeping it off. Her biggest struggle is to maintain an exercise routine. Due to the diabetes, she has poor circulation and problems with her feet, which makes it even harder for her to exercise. But she has to do it: exercise is one of those things that helps to keep her blood sugar under control. She has to monitor her blood sugar every day. The good news is that she used to take insulin but has gotten the disease under control well enough that she is no longer on medication. She manages her diabetes with a strict diet and exercise plan.
The big risk factors for Type 2 diabetes are: family history, being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and eating a poor diet that's high in refined or processed foods and sugar.
If you have these risk factors you should talk to your doctor and come up with a plan to lower your risk. We've noticed that a healthy diet for diabetics is basically the same as a healthy diet for everyone, with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Exercise is really important too. Even a 1/2 hour walk every day helps. Eating well and exercise also helps in weight loss too.
Even if you don't show any symptoms of diabetes right now, you can still be at risk. Type 2 diabetes develops slowly and many people show normal blood sugar levels for years before being diagnosed. It's so much easier to do things now to lower your risk, then to have to try to control the disease after you get it.
