Preventing and Managing Diabetes

Blog post by Sarah Berube, IUPUI dietetic intern

Over 34 million people of all ages in the United States (about 1 in 10) have diabetes. Of these, about 1 in 5 adults don’t know they have the disease. Possible risk factors for diabetes include: 
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• Family history 
• Stress 
• Being Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American or Pacific Islander 

• Having overweight/obesity 
• Having high blood pressure 
• Being physically inactive 
• Being 45 years or older 
• Having a history of heart disease or stroke 

• Experiencing food insecurity (not having consistent access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy lifestyle)

​The choices you make and the resources available in your daily life can raise or lower your risk of diabetes. Keep reading to understand how these relate and how you can help prevent and/or manage diabetes! 

​Diabetes 101

Diabetes happens when your body isn't able to take up sugar (glucose) into its cells to use it for energy. Glucose in the body comes from two main sources:
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1. Carbohydrates in foods you eat
2. Your liver making sugar through normal processes​

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​Your body controls the amount of glucose in your bloodstream by making insulin. Insulin is a hormone created in the pancreas. It serves as a “key” to let glucose into the cells, where it can then be turned into energy. When insulin doesn't work as it should or there isn't enough insulin available, glucose can build up in the blood. Over time, this extra sugar can cause damage to organs and tissues like your heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.

There are several different types of diabetes:

• Prediabetes - a higher than normal blood sugar level, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes yet
• Type 1 diabetes - the body doesn’t make enough insulin
• Type 2 diabetes - the body can’t use insulin normally (insulin resistance)
• Gestational diabetes - the body can’t use insulin normally during pregnancy

Image from doh.sd.gov

Symptoms of diabetes include: 

• Increased thirst 
• Weak, tired feeling 
• Blurred vision 
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet 
• Slow-healing sores or cuts 

• Unplanned weight loss  
• Frequent urination  
• Frequent unexplained infections  
• Dry mouth  

​If you experience any of these symptoms, please visit your primary health care doctor. ​
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Tips for Preventing and Managing Diabetes

Not having regular access to nutritious foods can make preventing or managing diabetes a challenge. Living with a health condition like diabetes can also make it hard to keep working or to afford medications. Luckily, there are things you can do to keep diabetes in check! Try some of these tips for preventing and managing diabetes:​​

Image from mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov

• Visit your primary care doctor at least once a year to get screened for diabetes and to manage your medications. Be sure to tell your doctor about any symptoms or concerns you have.​ Click here take a quick online diabetes risk test that can help you understand your general risk factors.​​
• Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity every day. This can include walking, dancing, swimming, bicycling, gardening, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, or any other ways you like to move!​
• Choose lots of different nutritious foods for your meals and snacks. Look for colorful fruits and vegetables, low-fat meats and dairy products, beans, nuts, and whole grains at the grocery store or food pantry.
  • Read our handout on eating well with diabetes for more information.
  • If you want a more personalized eating plan, ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian. You can also look up dietitians near you with this search tool.
• Use resources to stretch your grocery budget and get more healthy foods on the table:
  • ​SNAP - provides benefits that can be used to buy nutritious foods. Contact Gleaners' SNAP Outreach Team to learn more and to apply for benefits.
  • WIC - provides benefits for pregnant and lactating women and their children ages 0-5 years
  • Fresh Bucks - a program that matches SNAP dollars at local farmers' markets to double (or even triple) the amount of fresh foods you can buy!

Image from www.operationfoodsearch.org

• Take a diabetes education class - the Marion County Public Health Department offers a free "ABCs of Diabetes" self-management education/support program at several different locations in Indianapolis. Similar programs may be offered in your local area, so check at your doctor's office, hospital, or public library.

Diabetes is a serious condition, but there are many ways you can reduce your risk of health complications. For more information, resources, recipes, and more, please visit diabetes.org.

​Sources

• Food Insecurity and Diabetes | ADA 
• The Prevalence of Food Insecurity Is Highest Among Americans for Whom Diet Is Most Critical to Health | Diabetes Care | American Diabetes Association (diabetesjournals.org) 
• The Intersection between Food Insecurity and Diabetes: A Review - PMC (nih.gov) 
• Food Bank–Based Diabetes Prevention Intervention to Address Food Security, Dietary Intake, and Physical Activity in a Food-Insecure Cohort at High Risk for Diabetes (cdc.gov) 
• (1430) Food Insecurity and Diabetes Management: Interventions that Make a Difference - Quick Learn - YouTube 

• Diabetes: Types, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Tests, Treatments & Prevention (clevelandclinic.org) 
• The Liver & Blood Sugar :: Diabetes Education Online (ucsf.edu) ​