Hi friends! It’s been another busy week at work–I’m still catching up from the craziness of last week’s video shoot! Since today is World Diabetes Day, I thought I’d share a blog post I just wrote for the MyFitnessPal blog, 25 Things You Should Know About Diabetes.
Here are 5 facts that I was most surprised by when I first learned about this disease:
1. If blood sugar is not controlled over time, high amounts of sugar in the blood will damage tiny blood vessels in the eyes, kidney, and nerves, particularly in the hands and feet. This can lead to blindness, kidney failure, loss of feeling in fingers and toes and sometimes amputation. Yikes.
2. People with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression. This can complicate diabetes management, which requires a very high level of self-care.
3. The exact cause of Type 2 Diabetes is not yet known, but excess fat in our tissues, like skeletal muscle, appears to have something to do with it.
4. When it comes to Type 2 Diabetes, lifestyle changes to lose weight–think healthy eating and regular exercise–are more effective in preventing or delaying diabetes than medications! In fact, Type 2 Diabetes may be reversible through small changes in diet and exercise.
5. Insulin is a protein and therefore can’t be take orally, otherwise it would be digested just like all of the other proteins we eat. This is why diabetics requiring insulin have to have insulin injections. Ouch.
If these interest you, head on over to Hello Healthy to check out the rest!
What one of these facts about diabetes surprised you the most?
Wow! Didn’t know diabetics were 2x as likely to experience depression. I also never thought about WHY insulin had to be injected, makes perfect sense I had just never thought about it!
Thank you for increasing awareness about diabetes! It is a growing problem in this country, and so many people don’t realize that Type 2 Diabetes, especially when first diagnosed, can usually be controlled with diet and exercise alone! Thanks for spreading the word.
I was diagnosed as a Diabetic about a month ago and being pregnant certainly complicates things, but this has made me have the healthiest pregnancy I can have. My weight is maintaining, my insulin needs are low and baby is growing nice and healthy ;)
Good for you, Jen!