Sugar Ain’t Always Sweet

Type II Diabetes is usually contracted later in life as opposed to Type I. Type II can, under most circumstances, be prevented or minimized by the direct actions you take. You are all computer-type people, I’m sure! Google the effects of uncontrolled diabetes for yourself. Check it out. The truth is out there.

It’s up to you to create a better future for yourself. Believe me, you DON’T want to go up the rough side of the mountain later in life. Don’t believe the hype from food manufacturers and distributors. More IS NOT always better. Couch potatoes may one day be unable to get off the couch if they don’t shape up. Most people can learn from experience, but WISE people learn from OTHER peoples’ experiences. Be wise, be healthy, be real with yourself. Here are some tips on how to prevent the onset of Type II Diabetes.

Family

Daddy’s got sugar, mama’s got sugar, grandpa’s got sugar…..then you are on the fast track for diabetes, my friend. African-Americans, Hispanics and Native-Americans have a higher risk of getting diabetes. It ain’t discrimination, its just facts. I wish it wasn’t so, but it is. So, keep your eyes open to what’s goin on in the family tree.

Diet

Yes, I love Sista Betty’s Mac and Cheese as much as you do, but the more carbs (Carbohydrates) you load WITHOUT running the Marathon, the more likely you are to get diabetes. It’s not just sugar-loaded sodas that jack up the sugar in your blood. Did you know that the metabolizing of carbs produces sugar?? That’s right. Spread the wealth, don’t eat all carbs.

Balance your diet with vegetables, fruit, legumes, protein in fish and lean meats and tofu. You know what’s good! No, bacon IS NOT a fruit! And if the stew you made has a 6-inch layer of fat on it when it cools, get rid of it! (The fat that is). Eat to live, don’t live to eat. Portion size is important. Smaller that is. Have a salad BEFORE you hit the Country Buffet y’all. Your aerobics from the table to the Buffet table doesn’t count, sorry!

Weight

Super-size puts you at Super-Risk for diabetes. The onset of Type 2 diabetes is directly proportional to a person’s weight. You may wanna be like “Heavy (fill in your own letter)” because they are rollin’ in dough (pardon the pun), but what you don’t see is the toll it’s taking on their health. Keeping your weight down will help you swim against the stream of genetic predisposition to diabetes.

Exercise is crucial to keeping control of your weight and making your body run like a clean machine. Biggest mistake folks make is signing up for the gym and going for 2 hours the first day. Most assuredly, you WILL NOT go back. START SLOW. Start at home first. Start with 5 pushups first or 1 if that’s all you can do. It’s still 5 or 1 more than you did yesterday! Walk around the block ONCE. Then slowly add to it. “Move it TO lose it” is the new motto when it comes to weight control.

Checkups

Better to see the doctor face to face now, then having to see him as he stares down on you as you lie in a hospital bed. The longer you wait, the harder it is to reverse the damage done to your whole body from diabetes. Diabetes makes every physical problem you have worse. Uncontrolled diabetes will damages your arteries, your kidneys, your heart, your eyesight, your nervous system — you might as well say EVERYTHING.

This is not a fairy tale. Some damage is irreversible. Only a miracle of God will change it. You DO NOT want to get there. See Mr. or Ms. MD. Get a Hemoglobin A1C done, along with your fasting glucose and lipid profile. Follow your physician’s advice and do what it takes to get your numbers in the good zone.

Reality Check

I can guarantee that you know someone who has diabetes. Talk to them. Get real. Ask them the tough questions about how they feel and how diabetes has affected their lives. You will get an earful for sure! Be straight with yourself and see your future if you don’t get a handle on things.

Ask your family to help you and support your efforts, ask your friends, ask your God! Make a commitment to love yourself and the people who love you by taking the steering wheel and keeping your life on the road to good health and a blessed future.