If "food" is not an enemy, what is the greatest enemy Diabetics Face?

Question

Sorry,..."A" Diabetic Faces?

Answer 1

Misinformation. Food is hardly an enemy. It is as essential to a diabetic as it is to a normal person. The problem arises when people believe what they are told by doctors, nurses, and dieticians who know precious little about how to manage diabetes... what foods to eat and what foods to avoid, etc. That's why I always advocate learning as much about it as you can... by yourself, for yourself. Heck, in two to four weeks, you can know more than your doctor, nurse, and dietician all put together... it's easy.

Answer 2

Stupidity (both on the part of the patient, and the people around him or her) is the worst enemy. Most people think they know all about diabetes, yet ignorance is remakably widespread. For example, Medtronic Minimed recently conducted a study conducted by Harris Interactive which found that 80% of the American public cannot distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Even more troubling was the finding that nearly 70% (67% to be exact) of those who responded to the poll incorrectly believed there is already a cure for type 1 diabetes! Other key findings were as follows:

67% mistakenly believed there is a cure for type 1 diabetes

51% knew there were two types of diabetes

36% thought there was either a "type 3 or 4" diabetes

25% believed that proper diet could "cure" the disease

32% believed exercise could be a "cure"

As one of the other posters noted, the worst mistake a person with diabetes can make is not taking the disease seriously. But this can be aggrivated by ignorance of people around them.

For example, becoming the food police does not help the person with diabetes and may actually have an opposite effect, leading to noncompliance and possibly even depression. More sensible nutrition choices benefits everyone because its not only the person with diabetes who should be eating properly, but think twice before you ask the question "should you be eating that?".

Answer 3

Food is required to sustain life. That's why it's not the enemy.

The worst mistake a person with diabetes can make is not taking the disease seriously.

The best thing a person with diabetes can do is control their blood sugar. How you do this depends on which type of diabetes you have. With Type 1, it's a matter of using insulin appropriately. With Type 2, it means following a food plan which includes 5 or 6 evenly spaced, balanced meals.

Controlling blood sugar is complicated and must be individualized to each and every patient. Everyone with diabetes needs to see a specialist (endocrinologist), an educator and a nutritionist.

Answer 4

Themselves

their attitude

they can live a good long life if they take the condition seriously and do what they are asked to do by the Dr.

another enemy is being too busy to make good foods at home fast food stuff whether it is from a restaurant or the quick foods from the store is loaded with fats / sugars /salts and quick carbs and allot of fillers. If you can only eat so much food a day why not eat foods that are good for you and count as food. (in all fairness there are restaurants out their that have good food you just have to do some research)

When you make home made you know what is in it and it is easier to control what you eat.

putting things off i.e. having a sore /cut / blister/ on your foot and leaving it

"I don't want to make a big deal out of it"

"I do not have time to go to the Dr's right now"

"It is only a blister it will heal"

I have seen so many of these people who finally come into the hospital and they lose their leg and they feel like crap because they have waited usually one month or more.

Not finding out the basic care they should be doing every day to look after themselves i.e. basic foot care
know how to look after themselves when they have a cold / flu/ infection.

But you are right food is not the enemy

Answer 5

The greatest enemy a diabetic faces is out-of-control glucose numbers. Once we are diagnosed with diabetes, whether Type 1 or 2, our biggest job is to keep our numbers under control. That means a few things. First, you have to check your numbers with a meter as soon as you wake up, before each meal, 2 hours after each meal, at bedtime, and at other times, depending on your lifestyle. If you exercise or play sports, you have to check before you start playing, in the middle, if it lasts a while, and after you are finished. This is to make sure your numbers are not too high OR too low.

Next, you must take the meds your doctor orders, whether pills or insulin injections. If you take insulin, for example, and you test your numbers and they are too high, you will need a bit of insulin to get those numbers down (the doctor will tell a person how much to take in this situation).

Also, diabetics who are overweight should try to work with their doctor to help them lose weight - "food" is not the enemy, but how much we eat of it can be. The doctor will give each diabetic a range that his/her glucose numbers should be in, i.e., 80 - 130, and that person needs to everything possible to stay in their particular range.

Answer 6

there are certain foods that cause your sugars rise to fast and fall to soon. sugar for instance most people think is bad, your candy bars, etc..those are the "bad" sugars there are good sugars in different fruits and veggies, there are lots of sugar free candy. There are so many different food choices that once you learn what foods your body can handle or not, you may be surprised how well you can still eat!
your greatest enemy with diabetes are all of the "system" damage caused by the disease its what is known as the domino effect. Diabetes will effect every part of your body from your eyes and vision to nerve pain and damage, heart and circulatory problems, which can lead to diabetic ulcers(an open wound usually on the lower leg or foot) with the circulatory problems come respiratory issues, because everyone knows blood carries oxygen, kidney issues, and problem with voiding. you'll have your high and low sugar moments with episode that can involve nausea/vomiting, headache frequent urination, cold sweats, clammy decreased level of consciousness that can lead to coma.
you must be very respectful to your body it will need all the help you can offer it. Remember YOU control the diabetes don't let it control you!

Answer 7

We can be our own worst enemy, if we are not diligent in the way we take care of ourselves. It really hard at times especially if your a kid, even we adults have trouble staying on course. Who hasn't felt like saying the hell with it and want to stop taking our medication or watching what we eat or drink. Especially when your on insulin and taking your blood all the time, I know my body feels like a pin cushion.

I used to carry a card in my bag that read I'M NOT A JUNKIE I'M DIABETIC. Okay so I have a warped sense of humor.

Diabetics can suffer from depression, sometimes it's physiological and sometimes it's from the highs and lows of your glucose levels.

So yes, we are our own worse enemies.

Answer 8

The greatest enemy of people with diabetes is ignorance.

Knowledge is power. We each need to know all about diabetes and how to care for ourselves.

Answer 9

High blood levels of glucose can cause several problems, including frequent urination, excessive thirst, hunger, fatigue, weight loss, and blurry vision. However, because type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar experience no symptoms at all. How to treat diabetes naturally https://tr.im/KfVg2

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:

Increased thirst
Increased urination
Weight loss in spite of increased appetite
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting

Patients with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a short period of time, and the condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes:

Increased thirst
Increased urination
Increased appetite
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Slow-healing infections
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If you think you have diabetes i think you should have a checkup and speak with your doctor just in case.

Answer 10

Lack of action is the enemy, in my opinion. We can learn about diabetes all we want, but unless we use the knowledge to eat and exercise appropriately, take care of ourselves, and get the needed check-ups, it's no good.