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November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and this month I’m debunking myths about diabetes—one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. It can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems if it’s not controlled. One in 10 Americans have diabetes — that’s more than 30 million people. And another 84 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The good news? People who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their risk by more than half if they make healthy changes. These changes include: eating healthy, getting more physical activity, and losing weight.
-Constance
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| Diabetes Myths, Mystery and Misinformation |
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For all that we know about how diabetes affects the body and how it can be prevented, some aspects of diabetes are still surrounded by a great deal of mythology and misinformation. Listening to old-wives’ tales or Uncle Pookie’s take on the best way to manage diabetes can just confuse the issue even more. The more you know for sure, the better able you will be to successfully manage the disease. Here are some of the most common myths about diabetes – along with information you can rely on. Trust me.
- Myth: If you eat too many sweets, you’ll get diabetes.
- Fact: Diabetes isn’t caused by eating too much sugar; it’s caused by genetics and lifestyle factors. However, eating foods high in sugar, fat, and calories can cause you to become overweight, which increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Myth: Type 1 diabetes is more serious than type 2 diabetes.
- Fact: All types of diabetes are serious. Type 1 and type 2 involve elevated blood glucose levels which can lead to serious complications such as nerve damage, foot ulcers, amputation, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and blindness.
- Myth: If you don’t take diabetes medicine, your diabetes must not be serious.
- Fact: Not everyone who has diabetes takes medicine for it. If your body produces some insulin, losing weight, adopting healthy eating, and getting regular physical activity can help insulin work more effectively. However, even if you don’t take medicine now, you need to keep a close eye on your condition. Diabetes does change through time, and diabetes medicine may be needed later.
- Myth: If you get diabetes, insulin will cure it.
- Fact: Insulin doesn’t cure diabetes. It helps to control diabetes by keeping the blood glucose from rising. At this point, there is no cure, only medicines and lifestyle changes that can help you manage it better.
- Myth: If you have diabetes you can expect to lose your sight and limbs eventually.
- Fact: Having diabetes doesn’t mean you’re doomed to sightlessness or amputations. Keeping your diabetes under control can prevent the most serious complications.
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Coming Soon!
Diabetes Guide to Enjoying the Foods of the World. |
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In this convenient guide, people with diabetes will find a welcome resource to help them enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan. Whether learning to choose better options from familiar ethnic cuisines, or branching out to try new dishes, this guide provides information on native foods and flavors, strategies for healthy eating, recommended healthful pleasures, dishes for special occasions (or smaller portions), and carbohydrate counts for popular dishes for 11 popular ethnic cuisines. Help your clients learn to quickly identify the best choices for their meal plan, whether preparing ethnic foods at home, eating in restaurants, or traveling abroad.
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| “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” - Oprah |
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Diabetes Myths, Mystery and Misinformation (cont.)
- Myth: Dessert is off limits if you have diabetes.
- Fact: While eating too many sugary foods is not a good idea, you can have an occasional dessert. It should be counted as part of your total carbohydrate intake for the day. Meaning, if you plan to have a piece of wedding cake, limit the bread, potatos, and other carbs you eat that day.
- Myth: If you love bread, potatoes, and pasta, you’re out of luck. Carbs and starches are off-limits if you have diabetes.
- Fact: Carbohydrates and starches are part of a healthy diet—even for people with diabetes. You have to control your portions, but you can enjoy a nice pasta salad or a few potatoes if you like.
- Myth: You can cure diabetes with the right diet.
- Fact: A healthy diet and exercise can reduce your chances of getting type 2 diabetes, but once you have it, you have it. Diabetes is a lifelong disease that has no cure. However, with proper management (that includes that healthy diet again) it can be well controlled.
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| ABOUT Constance Brown - Riggs |
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Constance Brown-Riggs is the owner and president of CBR Nutrition Enterprises, a nutrition consulting and counseling service. She is a certified diabetes educator with more than twenty-five years experience in the field of nutrition. Constance is passionate about creating opportunities to spread the word about health and nutrition, and developing educational tools which shorten the cultural distance between patients and caregivers – and every aspect of her work supports that mission.
She is the author of The African American Guide To Living Well With Diabetes and Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes. Adding to her writing repertoire she is a regular contributor to Today’s Dietitian Magazine and NBCs theGrio.com.
Constance is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators board of directors and past president of the New York State Dietetic Association. Her professional honors include 2012 Award for Excellence in Consultation and Business Practice from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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