Diabetes Doesn't Have to Be Scary

A Type 2 diabetes diagnosis doesn't end with just a prescription.

A prescription or two may be part of that plan. But for many, treatment is far more than drugs, blood sugar checks and follow-up visits. It's a life-changing course of diet and exercise that for some is a complete overhaul of their current lifestyles.

For newly diagnosed diabetes patients, some of whom have gone their entire lives not thinking about the foods they're putting into their bodies, a healthy meal plan seems impossible.

"There are a lot of myths out there: You can't eat any starchy foods. You can't eat fruit. You can't eat sweets. One patient told me he heard, 'If it tastes good, don't eat it,' " said Anna Reinwand, registered dietitian and diabetes educator for the Center for Diabetes Education at the Oklahoma State University Medical Center.

Faced with myths like those, it's understandable that patients would fear meeting a dietitian.
"But what they find out is it's not that bad. Changes will be needed in most diets, but they find out that a lot of foods taste good and are good for them," Reinwand said.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million Americans have diabetes, an additional 57.6 million have prediabetes, and a quarter of Americans age 60 and older have the disease.

"It's very scary for a lot of folks because they know someone who has been affected," Reinwand said. "The possible complications are scary -- blindness, amputation. But managing diabetes has changed a lot over the last 10 years."

Easy-to-use blood sugar meters have been a life-changer, she said. Patients can check their sugars before and after meals for instant reads on their levels.

When it comes to nutrition, Reinwand takes the approach of one step at a time, easing patients into the change. Telling a diabetic he or she can never eat pasta again is not the answer.

"Instead, use a whole-wheat pasta and scale down the portion," she said.

Here are some practical suggestions, good for any diet, that Anna Reinwand gives her Type 2 diabetes patients.

Try red potatoes with their skins on over regular russet potatoes.
- Make meat 1/4 of your plate, using the remainder for whole grains and vegetables.
Choose brown rice over white rice. Take advantage of fresh, seasonal vegetables, like inexpensive zucchini.

Don't rule out fruit just because it's sweet. In small portions, fruit is an important part of the diet.

Cut back on solid fats, such as butter.
Swap canola oil or olive oil for oils with saturated fats.
Incorporate whole grains, including wholewheat pasta, into dinner time.

Originally published by NATALIE MIKLES World Scene Writer.

(c) 2008 Tulsa World. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Recently Diagnosed with Diabetes? What Could Be the Cause?

The number of people living with diabetes keeps growing. It is estimated that over 23 million people, or 7.8% of the US population, has diabetes. That is a staggering number.

If you or a loved one have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, then no doubt you are full of questions. You are asking yourself and others: What comes next? How do we treat this? What do we do? And probably also asking, what caused this? How did this happen?

Your first priority should be to get proper medical attention and care. Find a doctor who truly understands the disease and its complications and will counsel you through the ups and downs, and ins and outs of living with diabetes. Your healthcare provider will be your best resource for information.

However, what your doctor may not tell you is that medications you have taken may be the cause of your diabetes. It is well known that some medications will raise blood sugar levels and, therefore, present a risk for the development of diabetes. This risk is known to physicians who warn their patients of the risk and monitor their patients accordingly. However, some drugs cause diabetes without the doctor's knowledge.

The drug manufacturers may know that their drugs cause diabetes, or raise blood sugar levels increasing the risk for developing diabetes, but they do not warn doctors or consumers. There are several drugs on the market right now that pose a risk for diabetes: Zyprexa, Chantix and Seroquel, to name a few. In 2004, the FDA caused manufacturer Eli Lilly to warn of the risk of diabetes associated with the use of Zyprexa. Patients who developed diabetes after taking Zyprexa have won lawsuits against Eli Lilly and several states have sought reimbursement from the company for additional expenses paid out by state Medicare and Medicaid programs to treat the cases of diabetes caused by Zyprexa.

A big concern of mine right now is the number of people who may be at risk for developing diabetes because of the new smoking cessation pill, Chantix. While I encourage anyone to stop smoking and this pill certainly showed promise when it first promoted, I do not believe that Chantix is the answer because it poses too much risk for complications. Chantix has been associated with seizures, heart problems, and now, diabetes.

Manufacturer Pfizer has warned that Chantix may interfere with other diabetes medications like insulin, but we are starting to see new onset diabetes being diagnosed in people who have used Chantix. The FDA has received over 500 such reports, but Pfizer has not added any additional warnings to the Chantix label.

Never take any medication without consulting your doctor, and never stop taking any prescribed medication without consulting your doctor. That being said, if you are currently taking Chantix, then I encourage you to talk to your doctor about the adverse effects being associated with use of the pill. And if you want to quit smoking, then I highly encourage you to do so, but please: Just Say No To Chantix!