5 Diabetes Myths

It seems like everywhere I travel I continue to hear the five diabetes myths. The myths are circulating from one generation to the next. Everyone seems to believe these folklores. I have decided to take all of the mystery out of these myths and give you what actually works with the new technology today.

1. Sugar causes diabetes. How many times have you heard this one? I lost track of how many times someone has either asked me or made a statement of this. This is a myth, and the truth is, consuming a lot of sugar does not cause diabetes. Someone did not get diabetes by becoming a cookie monster. Type 1 diabetes is a result of autoimmune damage to the insulin-secreting beta cells of the pancreas. The insulin secretion is not enough or completely absent. Therefore, the hormone insulin is injected or administered via pump. Type 2 diabetes is a result of a metabolic syndrome. People with Type 2 produce their own insulin but are unable to utilize it properly. It most often affects men, women and children who are overweight. This no longer is “adult-onset diabetes.” Children are getting Type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate.

2. If you do have diabetes, you cannot have any sugar, it must be sugar-free. This is a myth, and the truth is our bodies not only recognize sugar, but they know how to use it. For me, personally, wheat raises my blood sugar more than white sugar. If you do want a safe sugar substitute, I would recommend vegetable glycerin.

3. I can no longer have too many carbohydrates. This is another myth. It is not how much carbohydrate, but what type that makes the difference. Actually, some foods that are low on the glycemic index get in the way of good insulin function. Some foods can lower one individual’s blood sugar but increase another’s. Are you eating beneficial foods or avoid them?

4. Exercise always lowers blood sugar. This myth has been around for a long time. However, if the body does not have enough insulin for proper glucose utilization, exercise will raise your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is over 200mg/dL before exercising, the exercise will only make your blood sugar go higher. When the body is conditioned and there is enough insulin, the blood sugars will lower. Physical exercise is one of the important aspects to living as if you do not have diabetes.

5. You can no longer live a “normal” life after being diagnosed with diabetes. This myth is one of the strangest ones. I believe that once you bury Type 1 or 2 diabetes you can live a happy and healthy normal life. My life has been better than normal! Nick Jonas is a 14-year-old living a normal life after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in November 2005. Nick is a member of the Jonas Brothers Band. He has said, “At first, I was worried that diabetes would keep me from performing and doing everything a teenager likes to do, but my career is really ramping up.” Way to go Nick! Best wishes for a great life!

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Julie Wanner Rossetti is the author of Diabetes Can Be Sweet ... Once You BURY It, and President of Diabetes Done Right, where she specializes as a diabetes consultant. Visit Diabetes Done Right