Diabetes: 7 Myths and 7 Facts

Julie had a history of diabetes in her family, and although her doctor had been warning her of the risks, she was still caught off-guard when she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at age 43.

Formerly known as adult onset diabetes, Type 2 diabetes normally runs in families. However, many who are diagnosed have no family history of the disease. It can also be caused by a person's lifestyle.

When she came to me, Julie had a lot of fear, in part because she didn't understand what the diagnosis meant for her diet and her future. I helped her separate the myths from the facts.

Myth: Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, you have to go on insulin shots.

Fact: If caught early, Type 2 diabetes can be managed with lifestyle -- diet and exercise. If more advanced, multiple oral medications exist that can control blood glucose levels. If you have diabetes, you may never need to be on insulin shots.

Myth: If your blood glucose or sugar levels are elevated, you will feel it in your body.

Fact: Diabetes is usually silent until your blood sugars are painfully high. Subtle signs may be having more carbohydrate or sugar cravings, or feeling fatigued or lack of energy even after having a good night's sleep.

Myth: If I have diabetes I will know it.

Fact: You can have diabetes for many years without knowing it. Anne Peters, M.D., a leading diabetologist and researcher at University of Southern California (USC), believes that the average person diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes actually had it for seven years prior to diagnosis!

Myth: Since I now have a diagnosis of diabetes, it feels like a death sentence.

Fact: Type 2 diabetes is extremely controllable with lifestyle and medications. It is not a death sentence by any stretch, and if managed daily can keep your life in balance.

Myth: Now that I have diabetes I can never eat a dessert.

Fact: Managing your blood sugars and diabetes means you have a balance of enough protein, moderate amounts of carbohydrate and good fat at your meals and snacks. Small amounts of sugar like in dark chocolate have minimal effects on your glucose levels if consumed in moderate quantities.

Myth: Since I now have diabetes I have to eat a rigid diet of boiled chicken and steamed broccoli.

Fact: Controlling your blood sugars means eating a balanced diet with fewer processed and starchy foods. Having a visit with a registered dietitian is important to set up a plan that works for your lifestyle.

Myth: Now that I have diabetes I'm afraid I will go blind or have to have an amputation.

Fact: Controlling your blood sugars means having little to no risk of health issues such as eye disease or having to undergo amputations. A blood test known as glycosylated hemoglobin A1C shows what your blood glucose values are averaging over a three-month period. Keeping that number in close to normal range dramatically lowers the risk of medical complications.

As I shared with Julie, having a diagnosis of diabetes does not mean your life is now about eating only lettuce. It means you need to be cognitive of what is happening in your body and know how to make modifications to avoid diabetes complications.

Adjusting the balance of your diet and adding just 30 minutes of walking per day can go a long way in managing blood sugars and keeping symptoms of diabetes at bay.

Susan is the author of "A Recipe for Life by the Doctor's Dietitian." For more information, visit susandopart.com.

For more by Susan B. Dopart, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., click here.

For more on diabetes, click here.

 

 

 

Follow Susan B. Dopart, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/smnutritionist

Comments

[John Hazelton Smith]

12:12 PM on 03/15/2012

I know that lifestyle contributes to type 2 diabetes but i think we really need to study those people who don't get it even with a very bad diet. I watch those shows about the severely morbidly obese; I mean people who weight 600, 700 and more pounds and a LOT of them are diabetic but SOME of them are not and they should be studied so people will stop thinking that all overweight people get diabetes. Because that is what is baffling to me. If someone like Paula Deen, who everyone likes to vilify, can get it and people attribute her contracting the disease via an unhealthy diet but a person who weights 700 pounds who undoubtedly has a very unhealthy diet manages NOT to get diabetes, It just makes me wonder what really causes type 2 diabetes? And how do you explain the fact that someone with 500 pounds to lose, who doesn't move can stay diabetes free?

[kmhjbh]

01:00 PM on 03/14/2012

I also am a diabetic and while we hear alot about diabetes and how it is about keeping blood glucose levels down not everyone with a diagnosis of diabetes is worried about keeping glucose levels down. In my case I have to eat 5 to 6 times per day to keep my glucose levels up. This used to be called hypoglycemia but is now lumped together with diabetes. Every diabetic is not the same and diets have to be personalized.

[Omamac]

12:46 PM on 03/14/2012

My husband has had Type 2 diabetes for about 15 years now and was on the pills until about 18 months ago. His first endocrinologist told him that usually the pills lost their effectiveness after about 10 years so he beat those odds. He is now on insulin – a very minimal dose – and is doing quite well. Diabetes is NOT a death sentence, if a person listens to the doctors, watches food intake, and uses common sense about the disease.

[wifeoflibcraz3]

12:16 PM on 03/14/2012

While I applaud the effort to talk about diabetes, I would appreciate it if more were focused on the different types. People automatically assume that when I say I have diabetes that I am Type 2 because of my weight. I am actually a Type 1 and was diagnosed as a pre-teen. Issues with insulin resistance (and yes, part of it is lifestyle) have caused a lot of weight gain.
Additionally, it would be nice if people talked about the issues facing Type 1 diabetics as well. All anyone hears about is either how bad Type 2 is or how Type 1 is so terrible for children, but what about those children that grow up to be adults and STILL have Type 1?

[afretired1984]

01:16 PM on 03/14/2012

Have you tried Prandin yet? I've been on it for several years now, and it hascutmy insulin dosage from 50 units a day to 20 units. It can make a difference.

[p lund]

12:15 PM on 03/14/2012

I have just been told I am "pre diabetic", and scared! What I long for is a book that would give me a list of do this, don't do this types of food. I am not sure what to eat. I have cut out ice cream, white bread, white rice and white potatoes, but don't know if this is enough? I also wonder about the South Beach Diet, and consider going on it. I need to lose 50 lbs. Is there any help out there?

[wiscosundevil]

12:45 PM on 03/14/2012

Go on a low carb diet. Cut out sugar as much as possible. Not only will you lose wieght but you will be back in a normal blood glucose range in a matter of weeks. Good luck!

[p lund]

09:43 PM on 03/14/2012

Thank you for the response. I do understand about carbs, so can do that!

[Rodsstewart]

02:35 PM on 03/14/2012

Get a book by Mark Hyman MD, called The Blood Sugar Solution. After reading it, I went to Walmart and got an Accu-Chek aviva blood monitoring system (blood glucose meter), drums of lancets for finger pricks (it doesn't hurt), and accu-chek test strips (the expensive part). The entire system cost me $100.Call the phone # in the booklet that comes with the system, and someone will walk you thru set up & use of your meter. It's easy. Between Hyman's book and another called The Acid Alkaline Food Guide by Brown & Trivieri,(I ordered both from amazon.com) in two weeks my fasting blood sugar is down from 105 to 86, no longer pre-diabetic

[p lund]

10:14 PM on 03/14/2012

Thank you!

[bn]

02:43 AM on 03/15/2012

Relion BG meter is cheap, strips for it at Wal-mart run about $20 for 50 strips, half the cost of OneTouch or similar.

[jgamble28]

11:38 AM on 03/14/2012

Diabetes is a horrible disease. My good friend had diabetes since she was 1 year old. Toward the end of her life she realy suffered so badly. I just hope I never get it.

[alphia]

10:55 AM on 03/14/2012

Its great to inform everyone, and I do believe that knowledge is power, however... There is way more out there about type 2 diabetes than there is about type 1. Whenever diabetes is mentioned, people assume that it is type 2 as most are unaware that there are the two different types are are VERY DIFFERENT! Not everyone with diabetes is a type 2, and not being so is very difficult to understand to many people. It is assumed if you have diabetes its because you dont take care of yourself, you dont exercise, your over weight, you eat a bunch of crappy unhealthy foods etc. Type 1 doesnt have anything to do with any of that! It would be great to see an article that talks about the 7 myths and facts of type 1!!

[mngal217]

01:53 PM on 03/14/2012

I couldn't agree more! I too am a Type 1 and people automatically assume I am a Type 2 if I mention I am a diabetic. I believe this is partly because I was not diagnosed as a child but as an adult at age 33 and also because I am overweight now. I was very thin when I was diagnosed and have had it for 7 years now. During that time I have been very diligent on watching the foods I eat, carb counting and exercising. But still suffer from weight gain. It really would be nice to hear about Type 1 diabetes more often to help educate people on this disease and how it differs greatly from Type 2.

[John Hazelton Smith]

12:04 PM on 03/15/2012

I think you hear more about type 2 because it is something that people tend to bring on themselves. We all know that type 1 is genetic and non curable and that type 1's generally require insulin for life and that they had nothing to do with getting that disease. More is available on type 2 because it is treatable and it can be reversed.

[Rich Wretch]

09:37 AM on 03/14/2012

A very reassuring and uplifting report on what most people initially believe to be an end of life or close to it kind of diagnosis. Exercise and a balanced diet are keys to living positively with diabetes. For those of you who have been diagnosed with it, NEVER lose hope and start working immediately on erasing those things in your life that caused it in the first place. One of the BEST things that you can start with is to give up drinking sodas IMMEDIATELY and start taking a daily walk, especially if you are overweight. Gradually build up your daily exercise regimen - without going overboard to the point that you injure yourself - and educate yourself on what kind of diet is BEST for your condition. The resources on the internet are myriad and your local library is also a source for a great deal of helpful information.

[afretired1984]

01:24 PM on 03/14/2012

You don't have to give up sodas, just switch to sugar-free sodas, and avoid driking too many of them

[Rich Wretch]

08:14 AM on 03/15/2012

I disagree. There is zero nutritional value contained in sodas, be they sugared or sugar free. You might as well be pouring sawdust down your gullet for all of the benefit that they offer. I might add that there is some evidence that the artificial sweetners used to sweeten 'sugar free' sodas are suspected to play a role in the causation of certain types of cancer, including liver and pancreatic cancer. That in and of itself is an almost certain death sentence.

[jay48383]

09:27 AM on 03/14/2012

I have been Type 1 diabetic for well over 40 years. For those with a hidden disease such as diabetes, I respectfully ask people to not lump both Type 1 and Type 2 into the same category. Type 1 is NOT lfiestyle driven, so please resist the urge to comment on what I am eating or tell me how to treat my disease. You don't walk in my shoes, you don't live with the side effects and tribulations. Because Type 2 is so prevalent, Type 1 tends to be unadressed and the public in general remains ignorant that there are differences between them. Even medical based talk shows (The Doctors, Dr. Oz, etc.) gloss over Type 1 and focus on Type 2. Folks, try your best to not just others without having any information as to what their daily struggles are.

[LEFTYLIAR]

08:58 AM on 03/14/2012

Dont wait for you doctor to work out your diabetes for you, do the research for your self. Try the American diabetes association A.D.A. tons of good info. Doctors alot of time are wrong and dont know the latest info on diabetes.
Also there are a lot of cures on the way, if the drug company's dont block them,

[afretired1984]

01:32 PM on 03/14/2012

I recently had a friend who worked for a drug company. When he suggested they come up with a cure for a disease, he was told; "cures don't make money, treatments do." So much for the drug companies

[LEFTYLIAR]

08:52 AM on 03/14/2012

Cinnamon, one quarter tea spoon a day in my coffee along with a reasonable diet took my fasting glucose readings from the 250s to the high 90 in less than a week and have kept them there now for over a month also I am taking half the insulin I was taking before. I cant wait to see my A1c test now. If you have diabetes do your self a favor and look it up on the internet now, IT WORKS.

[nnojr]

08:36 AM on 03/14/2012

Paula Dean is just a poster child for Corporate America's war on the American People. We all get mad at big oil, and they deserve it but where is with outcry on the Food Processors across the United States who are killing us. There are no Diabetic Restaurants, 98% 0f the food at the stores is dangerous to us, and our Doctors treat us like numbers, exactly alike, after studying the same old Diabetes Books in Med School! NO ONE IS SERIOUS about Diabetics and what they have to go through, NO ONE! If they can make a penny they will kill you!

[Patriot28]

08:25 AM on 03/14/2012

My husband was diagnosed with Diatetes in his 50's. He's now 85. He took pills for years to keep it under control and finally had to go on insulin. He didn't watch his diet, ate what he liked and is now paying the price. It has affected his eyes and hard to tell what else. Even now with a controlled diet, it will spike to 585 or in the 400's, which puts him in a kind of stupor. So, PLEASE, if your diagnosed with Diabetes, pay attention to your diet and medication. You can enjoy your food if you do it right. It can be held in check and you can keep your health. I wish he had.

[John Hazelton Smith]

08:24 AM on 03/14/2012

Truth: Diabetes is the most insidious disease this world will ever know. I would rather be diagnosed with cancer than diabetes.

[nnealj1]

07:29 AM on 03/14/2012

The biggest problem with diabetes, these days, is the one woman, who pushed the unhealthy eating lifestyle onto so many with the fat-laden, calorie-laden food preparations she regularly displayed, cashing in on a method to control the medical condition...she tends to lend a bad name to anything she's promoting, primarily because of her deceit in hiding her own diabetic condition, no doubt, brought on by her own lifestyle. She had to make sure that she'd be cashing in on her disease before letting on that the food that she cranks out is flat-out no good for anyone....

My system just recoils at the idea of consuming anything like a bacon hamburger, sandwiched between two glazed donuts...how some folks took her style of cooking, and eating, for as long as they did is beyond me. To each, his own, I guess....

[John Hazelton Smith]

08:21 AM on 03/14/2012

here we go with the Paula Deen hatred again. If you are foolish enough to believe that one woman single handedly changed the eating habits of anyone you are sorely mistaken. People make their own decisions in life; to eat, or overeat, or eat meat, or mcdonald's or be vegan, etc. And celebrities, or television personalities or ADULTS in general, are not, by law, required to disclose any of their medical or personal history. And whoever watched her show and didn't know that maybe putting a stick of butter into all of your recipes may not be such a good idea, deserves whatever they got if they did that.

[nnealj1]

08:42 AM on 03/14/2012

No, hatred is much too strong a word...I couldn't spend the time, or the energy, hating anyone. It's just disgust that self-promoters seem to catch the imaginations of so many...I wasn't a fan before, and I'll never be a fan.

It's just the non-stop self-promotion and the notion of the fools who bothered to watch this program. If America is the fattest nation on the planet, it's little wonder, with the fast-food culture and folks like this "culinary expert" pushing their garbage on a too-willing public. I couldn't be bothered with hating Paula Deen, but, if I were ever faced with diabetes, I doubt seriously that I'd care to follow her endorsements for products to deal with the problem....