In Charge With Diabetes

Everybody has sugar in our body. Sugar is use for energy... But too much sugar is not good. It can mean diabetes. Normally, your body breaks food down into sugar. Then, your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. Its main function is to help get the sugar from the blood into the cells to be used for fuel and energy. Insulin helps keep blood sugar in check.

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than one out of every three individuals in the United States have diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. There are three types of Diabetes - Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes

In type 1, the pancreas stops making insulin. Without insulin, the cells in your body can't use food properly. Because glucose can not enter the cells, it builds up in the blood and the body's cells literally starve to death hence, there is extreme hunger but loss of weight in these individuals.

In type 2 diabetes, either the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use insulin correctly. It usually begins gradually and progresses slowly. Often than not, you are asymptomatic - meaning you don't know that you already have diabetes.

Gestational is a type of diabetes that some women develop during pregnancy. When pregnant, your hormones make it tougher for your body to use insulin, so your pancreas needs to produce more of it. As your need for insulin increases, your pancreas secretes more of it. But when a woman's pancreas can't keep up with the insulin demand and her blood glucose levels get too high, the result is gestational diabetes.

I remember when my mom was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a few years back. She was in denial at first which is understandable. When she was told that she has diabetes, what she pictured was that she will be reprimanded from eating her favorite - chocolates! The first year was hard. I had to talk to her several times. She hated it with passion. She had a hard time checking what she eats.

People with diabetes can eat the same foods as the rest of the family. They key is choosing foods properly and eating reasonable portions to keep your blood sugar on track and reach your target weight. There are lots and lots of food right now in the market that targeted for the diabetic population. You can even have desserts!

Read food labels carefully! Sugar-free does not always mean carbohydrate-free. This also goes with fat free foods. Fat-free foods can be higher in carbohydrate and contain almost the same calories as the foods they replace. One good example of this are fat-free cookies.


Exercise is a biggie. People with diabetes need to be active. Activity helps keep your blood sugar levels down. Regular exercises can help your body respond to insulin and is effective in managing blood glucose. It can lower blood glucose and possibly reduce the amount of medication you need to treat diabetes, or sometimes, even eliminate the need for medication.

You can be healthy and happy with diabetes.

You just have to be in charge.