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E-mail to a friend | First of all, happy birthday to my daughter Frankie, who is turning 20 today and happy birthday to Karl Lankford who is turning 50 today. Both work at the YMCA and Karl is West Rowan's High School No. 1 football fan.
Enjoy the holidays. Love your friends but watch your sugars.
Today, I would like to talk about type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, type 2 diabetes has risen more than ten fold from 1950 to today. I don't want to spoil your holidays, but I do want you to be aware of what is going on. Are you a person who has been told you are borderline type 2 diabetes? Do you have type 2 diabetes? With the holidays right around the corner and the high calorie sugary foods and drinks flowing abundantly, your sugar will spike and hopefully your bodies will secrete insulin to bring the blood sugar back down and absorb it in your system. But what if it doesn't?
Type 2 diabetes, or diabetes mellitus type 2, is a metabolic disorder that is primarily characterized by insulin resistance, relative insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Or in plain english - it is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, the main type of sugar in your blood. Glucose comes from the foods we eat and is the major source of energy needed to fuel the body's functions.
After you eat a meal, the body breaks down the foods you eat into glucose and other nutrients, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract. After a meal your glucose levels will rise and triggers the pancreas to make the hormone insulin and release it into the bloodstream to lower it back down. If your body doesn't make enough insulin or if the insulin doesn't work the way it should, blood sugar can't get into your cells and instead stays in your blood, raising your blood sugar level. It's important to keep your blood sugar controlled, because when too much sugar stays in your blood for a long time, it can cause a number of symptoms and health problems. Some complications of type 2 diabetes include-heart disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney damage.
The following can be signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes:
g Increased thirst and frequent urination. Your kidneys response to high blood sugar is to flush it out through urination.
g Extreme hunger. Without the insulin to move the glucose into your cells, your muscles and organs become depleted of energy which triggers intense hunger. (It may even persist after you have eaten)
g Weight loss. Even with an increased appetite, constant hunger, you may lose weight. Without the proper absorption into the cells your muscles and fat stores may simply shrink.
g Fatigue. Deprived of sugar, you may become tired and irritable.
g Blurred vision. If your blood sugar is too high, fluid may be pulled from surrounding tissues-including the lenses of your eyes.
g Slow healing sores and/or frequent infections. Type 2 diabetes affects your ability to heal and fight infections.
Management of your type 2 diabetes includes:
g Using your medicines exactly as your doctor prescribes
g Making smart food choices. Learning what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat is a key part of learning to take care of your blood sugar levels. Choosing your food wisely can help you feel better from day to day. Lose weight if you need to, and lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other problems caused by diabetes.
g Being physically active. Participate in physical activity regularly. Exercise helps increase the body's response to insulin, and it helps the body to burn more calories, which can promote the loss of excess body fat
g Get to and maintain a normal body weight.
g Monitor your blood sugar levels often.
g And lastly, work closely with your doctor and diabetes health care team.
I really don't want to spoil your holiday season, but I want you healthy so you can enjoy the holiday season. If you have type 2, or are borderline type 2 diabetes, you have to be aware of what you put into your mouth. If you want to be healthy and don't want the typical weight gain seen by many people over the holidays, you have to be aware too what you are putting into your mouth.
Watch your visible sugars such as cookies, cakes, pies and candies. Make mental notes on calorie intake. To be more successful, write down what you eat (yes, even the "forbidden" foods.) Are you burning the calories you are consuming?
Eat the same calories as you are burning - weight stays the same.
Eat more calories than you are burning - you gain weight (even when the calories come from "good" foods)
Eat fewer calories than you are burning-you lose weight.
Even if you have type 2 diabetes, I have seen many of our members come off insulin because they are exercising and eating a balanced meal.
Whether you have been told by your doctor you are borderline or have type 2 diabetes, you can enjoy the holidays, love your family and friends just watch those dangerous calories. Next week, some tips on how to make it through Thanksgiving.
Ester H Marsh, ACSM Cpt Health and Fitness Director JF Hurley Family YMCA
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Source: http://www.salisburypost.com/News/111212-ester-column
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