Unfortunately we live in a world where second hand knowledge tends to become factual and the facts become irrelevant. Diabetes has become a victim of such misconceptions and sadly many with the disease suffer from a lesser quality of life due to believing everything they hear instead of getting the facts straight from their physician. This article is going to address some of the most popular myths and hopefully put them to rest in order for those that have been diagnosed with diabetes to realize it is not the end of the world, it can be managed and while management can be strict it certainly will improve their quality of life by simply knowing the truth.
Change in diet and exercise
It is possible to be a borderline diabetic based on your blood sugar levels however with a slight to moderate change in diet and exercise, you should be able to prevent the onset of some form of diabetes. Borderline diabetes is often diagnosed as being pre-diabetic, meaning everything is looking like you are at the onset of the disease. This does not mean it will occur if you follow the advice in this paragraph and consult with a physician about getting yourself back to healthy blood sugar levels.
Diabetics can eat sweets
Diabetics can eat sweets in moderation as long as they are adhering to a low carb diet and the sweets are in small portions. The sweets we are referring to are candy, cakes and ice cream types of sweets, junk food for another term. Diabetics are allowed to eat fruits in moderation as excessive consumption can cause issues with the disease. The key to eating sweets is small portions in moderation after low carb meals. If you have a meal that is laden with carbohydrates, you certainly should not have a small piece of cake or dessert to go along with the meal.
Eating too much sugar does not cause diabetes in any form
Eating too much sugar does not cause diabetes in any form. Carrying excessive body weight does. This weight is probably gained from eating sugars and other unhealthy foods however sugar alone does not directly cause this disease and never has. Genetics, lack of exercise and excessive weight are what align all the stars and leads a person to becoming diabetic.
Insulin is not a sign that your diabetes is really bad
Being ordered by your doctor to take insulin is not a sign that your diabetes is really bad. There are different forms of the disease and differing symptoms associated with it. Insulin is nothing more than a way to control your blood sugar levels. There are many factors involved when deciding if a person requires insulin, not just a decision based on those levels being lower or higher than someone else. Again, taking insulin does not mean you diabetes is worse than someone who is not prescribed it.
Diabetes is not contagious
Diabetes is not contagious and never spread this rumor as it is the worst myth out there on this disease. Type 2 Diabetes can be genetic, meaning it’s in your family genes somewhere and it had nothing to do with catching it from being around someone with it. It can be hereditary in both forms, type one and two, however Type 2 seems to be the one that gets passed along the most based on someone in the family pool, parents, grandparents, etc. having it.
This article hopefully addressed some of the misconceptions about diabetes and alleviated some of your concerns. Go to a reputable source when you are looking for facts about diabetes and try to stay away from your friend that knew someone who had a friend that said this so it must be true type of information.