[ad_1]
Image courtesy of Spartanburg Regional Health Center Fruit and vegetable salad, glucose meter with measurement result of sugar level and tape measure, concept of diabetes, diet, thinness, healthy lifestyles and nutrition.
SPARTANBURG – When you are diagnosed with a disease, you have many questions. This is especially true when this disease is as important as diabetes. What can you eat? Why do you have that?
As a diabetes educator, my goal is to help people with diabetes understand their disease. Here are some questions I receive regularly:
Why is diabetes called a "silent" epidemic?
Type 2 diabetes can have vague symptoms, so many sufferers do not know it. It is estimated that about 30 million Americans have diabetes and that a quarter of them have probably not been diagnosed.
Who is most at risk for diabetes?
Overweight people who do not do a lot of activity are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The risk increases after the age of 45 and is more prevalent in some racial and ethnic groups, such as Afro -Americans, Mexicans, Native Americans and Americans of Asian descent.
Which foods and drinks contain more sugar than you think?
Many foods contain hidden sugars, such as cereals and bread products, including snacks such as cereal bars and yogurt with added fruit or flavors. Many condiments such as ketchup, marinades and salad dressings can also contain a lot of sugar. I recommend checking the label for "added sugars," which means that the sugar has been added during processing.
How is weight a correlation with diabetes?
Insulin allows your body to use sugar as energy or store glucose for future use. Excess weight can lead to insulin resistance, which occurs when insulin becomes less able to extract sugar from your blood to be used as a source of energy. Losing a few pounds can help you better manage your blood sugar and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
How can people change their diet to reduce the risk of diabetes?
Eat less overall and cut sweet drinks! Eat more fiber, vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and less processed foods.
It can be difficult to stay on track by eating healthy. What advice do you have?
Do not abandon; you can do it! Take one meal each day at a time and try not to be frustrated. Eating for diabetes is not a "diet", but rather a long-term lifestyle change. So keep working on your goals.
What would you like the community to know about diabetes?
People with diabetes are not alone. Medical Group of the Carolinas – Diabetes Education Certified Diabetes Educators Ready to Help You. We offer group classes and one-on-one visits to many places to help you better manage your diabetes. If you are at high risk for diabetes, a diabetes prevention program can help you. We also have free support groups open to all members of the community. Call us at 560-6419 ext. 5 and let us help you.
The medical group of the Carolinas Diabetes Education Program has received full recognition of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Prevention as a national diabetes prevention program for two consecutive years. This program is the first in South Carolina to receive full recognition two years in a row.
Erica Moore, MHS, RD, CDE, BC-ADM, is a Diabetes Educator in the Spartanburg Regional Health System.
Image courtesy of Spartanburg Regional Health Center Fruit and vegetable salad, glucose meter with measurement of sugar level and tape measure, concept of diabetes, diet, thinness, healthy lifestyles and nutrition.
Source link
